Back To More Fun -- 189 lbs (-40) [6X]

As fun as it's been eating whatever I want whenever I feel like it, I can honestly say that The Whisky Diet is more fun. Although I've been loading up on the crap I've been avoiding (ice cream, burgers, subs, donuts, pizza) rather than gourmet food, I am not enjoying it as much as I used to (at least according to my fallible memory). It's still fun, mind you, but it is a meaningless fun--devoid of challenge, learning, and complexity. After a lifetime of thumbing my nose at gourmet food, I can imagine it being a deeper fun, so perhaps I will give that lifestyle a try if I ever have the time and money for it. But for now, I have decided to jump off the wagon next weekend, and make scotch my sole playground, before I gain too much of the weight I lost.

Why scotch? I had already been gravitating towards scotch when I started seriously exploring different whiskies. Whereas I used to hate the smoky, peaty scotches, my taste buds did a 180 on this diet and now I love them. I have this romantic notion that they represent the purest form of earth that can be metabolized by humans. That is probably the purest form of BS, but the elicited emotion, the physiological effects, the fascinating history, and the dieting results are all very real and deeply fun. While I enjoy all types of whiskies, scotch currently feels most worthy of long-term, exploratory focus, inasmuch as I can afford it. Fate sealed the deal when I got hospital-sick on Canadian whisky and Irish whiskey, so those are out for now--though I may dabble in scotch-style blends and single malts from outside Scotland, especially where the opportunity feels right.

So, enough jibber jabber. Here's what's on the menu for December:
● Monarch of the Glen 3yr
● Old Crofter Scotch
● Ballantine's
● Dewar's
● Famous Grouse
● White Horse
● J & B Scotch
● Johnnie Walker Black
● Glenlivet 12 Yr
● Hamilton's Highland Regional Malt
● Hamilton's Speyside Regional Malt
● Hamilton's Lowland Regional Malt
● Hamilton's Islay Regional Malt

What I consumed Saturday -- 189 lbs (-40) [6X]:
● Yea's Wok egg roll
● 4 bites McDonald's pancake w/ syrup
● 6 oz instant buttered rum drink
● Plate of Yea's Wok Chicken Sautéed with Fresh Ginger Sauce
● Frost Doughnuts Pumpkin Walnut Fritter & White Chocolate Raspberry Old Fashioned
● Half Papa John's large, thin pepperoni, sausage, and spicy sausage pizza w/ Tabasco Buffalo Wing sauce
● 16 cheddar cheese cubes
● Slice Papa John's cheese pizza
● Apple slice
● 2 gummi bears
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber

What I consumed Friday -- 188 lbs (-41) [4X]:
● Big slice Marie Callender's apple pie
● 2 mouthfuls Nissin Cup Noodles
● 5 pieces Yea's Wok General Tsao's Chicken
● Starbucks Cranberry Bliss bar
● .67 Starbucks snowman cookie
● Plate of Yea's Wok Sautéed String Beans with Tofu
● Plate of Yea's Wok Chicken Sautéed with Fresh Ginger Sauce
● 10 Rold Gold tiny twist pretzels dipped in Jif chocolate silk peanut butter
● Slice Marie Callender's apple pie
● 13 Ritz crackers w/ 2 slices of swiss & 2 slices of cheddar cheese

What I consumed Thursday -- 189 lbs (-40) [5X]:
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● McDonald's sausage, egg, & cheese McGriddle
● 7 bites McDonald's pancake w/ syrup
● Cheese-only lasagna w/ 2 turkey meatballs
● Most of large popcorn at movies
● Yea's Wok egg roll
● Half Yea's Wok Chicken Sautéed with Fresh Ginger Sauce
● 3 pieces Yea's Wok General Tsao's Chicken
● Big slice Marie Callender's apple pie

What I consumed Wedneday -- 187 lbs (-42) [3X]:
● Trader Joe's pumpkin bar
● Starbucks old-fashion chocolate donut
● McDonald's Big Mac meal
● .75 McDonald's CBO grilled chicken sandwich
● Spaghetti w/ sauce, 3 turkey meatballs, grated parmesan, & 2 slices of garlic bread
● 6 Golden Butter crackers
● Coffee w/ 2 tbsp milk & 1 sugar cube

What I consumed Tuesday -- 188 lbs (-41) [3X]:
● Trader Joe's pumpkin bar
● 6 Pepperidge Farm Harvest Wheat & 6 Golden Butter crackers w/ 2 slices of swiss & 1 slice of cheddar cheese
● Banana & 2 apple slices w/ Peanut Butter & Co Dark Chocolate Dream peanut butter
● Half peanut butter & jelly sandwich
● Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter popcorn
● Red Robin Tropical Sunburn Tavern Burger
● Red Robin fries & half grilled cheese sandwich dipped in sweet onion & bacon sauce

Intro Video -- 187 lbs (-42) [2X]

Without whisky or work to distract me this week, I'm having a bit of fun putting on a bunch of weight I lost. My new wager with myself is how much weight will I gain on before resuming the diet?

Meanwhile, I put together this video about some of my recent experiences:



What I consumed Monday -- 187 lbs (-42) [2X]:
● Carrot bread
● Krispy Kreme sour cream donut
● Couple of bites Nissin Cup Noodles
● Subway 6-inch hot pastrami sub on Italian Herbs & Cheese bread
● Bowl of Breyer's strawberry ice cream
● 17 Pepperidge Farm Harvest Wheat crackers w/ 2 slices of swiss & 2 slices of cheddar cheese
● .5+ peanut butter & jelly sandwich
● 3 scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, 4.3 slices bacon on toast w/ ketchup & tabasco
● Bunch of asparagus

What I consumed Sunday -- 186 lbs (-43) [6X]:
● McDonald's egg, bacon, & cheese sandwich (half the biscuit)
● Starbuck's apple fritter
● Taco-seasoned ground beef w/ lettuce, grated cheddar, and Newman's Own lite Italian dressing
● Krispy Kreme Banana Kreme & Strawberry donuts
● One-third bag Snyder's buffalo wing pretzels
● 10 green grapes
● Cheese-only lasagna
● Carrot bread

What I consumed Saturday -- 186 lbs (-43) [5X]:
● McDonald's egg, bacon, & cheese sandwich
● McDonald's hash brown
● 2 mini Dum Dum lollipops
● 16 Rold Gold tiny twist pretzels
● Starbucks turkey & swiss sandwich (half the bread)
● 6 bites McDonald's pancake w/ syrup
● Dairy Queen Peanut Butter Buster
● One-third bag Snyder's buffalo wing pretzels
● Taco-seasoned ground beef w/ lettuce, grated cheddar, and salsa
● 16 cheddar cheese cubes

What I consumed Friday -- 184 lbs (-45) [2X]:
● Jack In The Box Loaded breakfast sandwich
● 20 Snyder's peanut butter pretzel sandwiches
● Campbell's chicken noodle soup

I'm Done (for now) -- 182 lbs (-47)

Well, I over-did it at a party last night and woke up in a hospital at 2AM*. Given that I put my family through a terrible ordeal, I'll be abstaining from alcohol for at least a month. I may suspend the diet until then as well. I'm also going to transition to weekly, instead of daily, posts.

With all my talk about control, I'm pretty disappointed in myself.

* Blood tested .244 BAC

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 coffees w/ 2 tbsp Seagram's VO whisky & 1 tsp fiber
● Half Starbucks cinnamon bun
● 8+ oz Seagrams 7
● 4+ oz Seagrams VO
● 4+ oz Jameson
● 8+ oz Bushmills
● 2 mini crab cakes
● 3-4 bacon wrapped blue cheese
● 2-3 thin egg rolls

184 lbs (-45)

Whisky to the rescue again!

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 coffees w/ 2.5 tbsp Seagram's VO whisky & 1 tsp fiber
● .98 Seagram's VO
● 10 slices potato w/ grated cheddar, bacon bits, & 5 slices bacon
● Coffee w/ 3 tbsp Seagram's VO whisky

Seagram's VO -- 185 lbs (-44) [3X]

I couldn't make it until this weekend's whisky shopping, so I paid about $5 more for a bottle of Seagram's VO, supposedly the largest selling Canadian whisky, at the grocery store (oh, the shame). In my typical unsophisticated fashion, I found the mild vanilla taste quite comfortable. I also thought it would be good in coffee, and confirmed that this morning.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● .65 Seagram's VO
● No-meat lasagna w/ 12 oz Archer Farms asparagus stir fry
● 2 small slices garlic bread w/ grated parmesan

186 lbs (-43) [4X]

If anyone has a pool going (as if) for when I hit 180, I am planning to stay home all of next week, which will hopefully be a no-op diet-wise. I'm betting on myself to land it between 11/30 and 12/7.

What I consumed yesterday:
● 12 oz Budweiser Select
● .68 cups Canadian Club Reserve 9 Yr
● No-meat lasagna w/ 2 turkey meatballs
● Small portion of spaghetti w/ sauce, grated parmesan, & 1.8 turkey meatballs
● 14 Snyder's peanut butter pretzel sandwiches

Grant's & Chivas -- 185 lbs (-44) [2X]

I tried experimenting with Grant's and Chivas, taking them in different order separated by a coffee break. I found them to be incompatible both ways:

● Grant's -> Chivas Regal: Chivas tasted more bitter/acrid
● Chivas Regal -> Grant's: Grant's tasted slightly sour/curdled

I'm almost done with the Grant's and will come back to experimenting with it after finishing my tour of inexpensive blended whiskies.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● 14.5 oz Del Monte Green Beans (low sodium)
● 5 oz Chivas Regal 12 yr
● 2 oz Grant's Scotch
● 4 bites Starbucks cinnamon bun
● 15 Rold Gold tiny twist pretzels dipped in Jif chocolate silk peanut butter
● No meat lasagna w/ 2 turkey meatballs
● Coffee w/ 2 tbsp whiskey
● 5 spoons of Dreyer's French Silk ice cream
● 2 small bowls of Rold Gold tiny twist pretzels w/ semi-sweet chocolate chips & raisins

Chivas Regal -- 186 lbs (-43) [3X]

The original Chivas Regal was aged for at least 25 years. The 25 yr is still being produced today and sells for $300 (before taxes & fees). I went for the $20 version, of course, and I'd say it stood up very well against all the blended whiskies I've tried thus far.

That the attractive Chivas Regal packaging says Chivas Brothers was established in 1801 is a bit misleading. The grocery store that was to evolve into Chivas Brothers opened in 1801, but James Chivas didn't start working there as an assistant until 1838; didn't start selling his first blended whisky product until the 1850's; didn't bring in his brother until 1857; and Chivas Brothers didn't start selling Chivas Regal until 1909, at which point no Chivas family member was running the business.

The interesting history of Chivas Regal (and The Glenlivet) is chronicled here:



What I consumed yesterday:
● 15 oz Chivas Regal 12 yr
● 2 apple slices
● Half slice buttered toast
● Half Starbucks cinnamon bun
● .6 Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut granola bar
● 2 spoons of Dreyer's French Silk ice cream
● 16 cheddar cheese cubes
● Jade Dragon twice cooked pork
● .75 fortune cookie
● 2 mini Reese's peanut butter cups

185 lbs (-44)

[more system unloading, and partial reloading, yesterday]

This is around the least I've weighed since getting married in 1991. In this past week, I've lost almost as much weight as the week when I first started this diet, which is pleasantly unexpected. All the sooner I can start the fun maintenance mode!

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 coffee w/ 3 tbsp whiskey & 2 tsp fiber
● 3.66 oz Napoleon smoked mussels w/ 2 Saltine crackers
● 12 oz Bud Light Lime
● .86 cups Chivas Regal
● Small slice garlic bread w/ grated parmesan & a turkey meatball
● 2 pieces no meat lasagna w/ a turkey meatball
● Small portion of spaghetti w/ sauce, grated parmesan, & 1.25 turkey meatballs
● Smore

Exercise Routine -- 186 lbs (-43) [2X]

I've mentioned that I do (and have done most of my life) light exercise--but what does that mean exactly? This is my morning routine:

● 30 minutes of lazy stretching
● 4-8 back bridge push-ups
● 30-50 sit-ups
● 10-20 side leg-lifts (each side)
● 8-12 cross-sit-ups (each side)
● 15-25 side-to-side crunches (not sure of the real name)
● Back stretching
● 3-9 reverse sit-ups
● 5-8 reverse leg-lifts (each side)
● Various arm & shoulder exercises (alternating days)
● Neck & shoulder stretching
● 80-120 jumping jacks

The whole routine takes about 90 minutes. I've added back & shoulder stuff through the years, because I've had painful injuries in these areas just from getting old. I also try to take several walks a day, adding up to 1-3 miles.

I realize some folks wouldn't consider this light, but almost none of my routine involves exertion or breaks a sweat. It's the same routine I had at 229 lbs, and I probably burn less calories now being 40+ pounds lighter.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● 12 oz Bud Light Lime
● .82 cups Canadian Club Reserve 9 Yr
● 12 oz Archer Farms Mediterranean blend vegies w/ grated cheddar & 6 slices bacon
● 8 Snyder's peanut butter pretzel sandwiches

Whisky Pairing -- 186 lbs (-43)

[big, healthy poo last night]

I was surprised when Grant's, which I previously characterized as being mildly uninteresting, tasted rich and complex when following Monarch of the Glen 12 yr--the latter tasting slightly over-bearing to me. It is fascinating that Grant's made Teacher's taste peatier, and Monarch made Grant's taste richer. I suspect this is part of what makes blending such an art, but I can't help wondering if something is lost when you throw them together in the same batch, rather than letting one precede the other. Jerry Dalton, a master distiller, writes of a "second sample syndrome", where he tended to rate second samples lower than the first, which I experienced when Grant's made Cutty Sark taste like turpentine--but I am finding a number of cases where the second sample tastes better.

You can read Dalton's essay here:



What I consumed yesterday:
● 12 oz Budweiser Select
● .41 cup Monarch of the Glen 12yr
● .37 cup Grant's Scotch
● 7 slices potato w/ grated cheddar & bacon slices

187 lbs (-42)

So close, and yet so far. The closer I get, the more I start daydreaming about giant sub sandwiches. And I can't say I feel great. My butt and feet are more sensitive, and I'm chilled or freezing much of the time--not one of my brighter ideas doing this going into the winter. I'm not sleeping great, either. I keep waking up from dreams about demons or zombies, and my body feels like it was really fighting those things (until I stretch and drink coffee). I don't feel unhealthy, mind you, but I seem to have added a few more annoyances to my growing list of getting old, rather than getting rid of any. But I will soldier on. Once I hit 180, I'm hoping I'll get used to it--otherwise, I may embark on a new quest of adding strategic padding.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● 12 oz Bud Light Lime
● .46 cup Monarch of the Glen 12yr
● 12 oz Archer Farms southwest corn & black beans w/ taco-seasoned ground beef, grated cheddar, & pico de gallo
● 12 Snyder's peanut butter pretzel sandwiches dipped in Jif chocolate silk peanut butter

188 lbs (-41) [2X]

I was going to introduce you to my Ironman, but now he's telling me my metabolic age is 47--the fickle bastard.

P.S. Yesterday was about as dry as I get.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● 12 oz Bud Light Lime
● 12 oz Budweiser Select w/ 2 tbsp whiskey
● 2 bowls lettuce w/ taco-seasoned ground beef, grated cheddar, pico de gallo, a few tortilla strips, & Newman's Own lite Italian dressing

189 lbs (-40) [4X]

My body told me to take it easy yesterday, so I did (for a Sunday).

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● 2 coffee w/ 3 tbsp whiskey & 2 tsp fiber
● .5 cup Grant's Scotch
● Trader Joe's pumpkin bar
● 4 slices potato w/ cheddar cheese & bacon bits
● Chocolate peanut butter Balance bar
● Lots of steamed asparagus
● 3 slices bacon
● 8 mouthfuls Pop-Secret Movie Theater Butter popcorn

Boardwalk Whisky -- 189 lbs (-40) [3X]

As I alluded to yesterday, Canadian Club is the smuggled whisky of choice in the prohibition-era HBO television series Boardwalk Empire. No whisky diet would be complete without it.

Side note: I had ordered Canadian Club Reserve 10 Yr, but received Canadian Club Reserve 9 Yr. I haven’t been able to determine if both a 9 and 10 year are currently produced, or the folks at Beam Inc. decided that the 10th year didn’t make a valuable difference.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● 10 mouthfuls Pop-Secret Movie Theater Butter popcorn
● 1.25 cups Canadian Club Reserve 9 Yr
● Apple slice dipped in caramel
● 10 Cheez-Its
● 3.5 slices bacon
● 2.5 oz Nissin Cup Noodles Spicy Chile Chicken w/ 1 tbsp whiskey (no noodles)
● Jade Dragon beef satay
● Jade Dragon sweet & sour chicken piece (no sauce)
● 13 cheddar cheese cubes & 9 mini pretzels
● Coffee w/ .25 cup whiskey
● .25 cup Absinthe Ordinaire

188 lbs (-41)

My emotional connection to whisky runs deep on my mother's side of the family, but it wasn't until I started watching "Boardwalk Empire" that I found a connection on my father's side. My paternal grandparents hailed from Philadelphia, and they spent most of their summers in Atlantic City -- I think they even owned an apartment there, and several of my grandmother's relatives lived there. I spent many vacations in Atlantic City in the 70's and formed many memories in this magical place. I learned to tie my shoes, bodysurf, jump on a trampoline, and play ping pong there. I met many cousins, heard my first Beatles album (Abbey Road), saw Star Wars at a drive-in, and was introduced to the best hoagies I've ever tasted in Atlantic City. But my favorite memory of all is the boardwalk itself. My family would rent bicycles and ride from one end of the boardwalk to the other. I would always look forward to seeing the giant Mr. Peanut by the peanut store and smelling the fresh peanut and taffy aroma as we rode by.

This was all before gambling was legalized and casinos started springing up, so there was a family-friendly innocence at that time. I had no idea that Atlantic City flourished during Prohibition in the 20's, and was a major smuggling destination for Canadian whisky:



I will be drinking Canadian Club today in remembrance of what, for me, was the 2nd happiest place on earth--largly built by whisky.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● 12 oz Tsingtao beer
● Bamboo Kitchen chicken w/ vegetables (no rice)
● 12oz New Belgium Somersault Ale
● .9 cup Monarch of the Glen 12yr
● Slice bacon
● 7 slices potato w/ cheddar cheese & bacon bits
● 4 Snyder's peanut butter pretzel sandwich
● Coffee w/ .25 cup whiskey
● .25 cup Absinthe Ordinaire

No Butts -- 189 lbs (-40) [2X]

I love everything about this diet, except losing my butt padding. I can feel my bones crunching when I sit on bare surfaces now!

What I consumed yesterday:
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● 12 oz Budweiser Select
● .95 cup Monarch of the Glen 12yr
● McDonald's Caesar salad w/ grilled chicken, pinch of mozzarella & Newman's Own lite Italian dressing (no croutons or tomatoes)
● .5 McDonald's small french fries
● Coffee w/ .32 cup whiskey

189 lbs (-40)

Finally! I'm back in the eighties. I can almost see the eye of the tiger.

(Sorry if that song is stuck in your head now.)

What I consumed yesterday:
● .32 cup Cutty Sark
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● McDonald's pancake (.8) w/ sausage
● 12 oz Bud Light Lime
● .32 cup Cutty Sark
● 2.15 cup Wine Cube pinot noir
● 8 Papa John's buffalo wings w/ blue cheese dressing
● 4 Papa John's chicken poppers w/ blue cheese dressing
● 5 Rold Gold tiny twist pretzels
● Snyder's peanut butter pretzel sandwich
● Papa John's cheese pizza slice (no crust)
● Coffee w/ .25 cup whiskey & 2 tsp fiber