Early Morning Punch Up

The only way I was able to get out of bed at 6 AM this morning was to play the Olympics Anthem in my head. And yes, I don't have to sit in traffic for two hours on the freeway, nor sit on Metro North for an hour, so getting up at 6 AM is very early for me - especially since I can get out of bed at 8 AM, shower, have breakfast, get dressed and casually commute to work, sitting at my desk before the clock strikes 9 AM!

So as I got out of bed this chilly early morning only the trumpets and drums of the anthem in my head got me motivated. Worse of all, I knew what I was in for. This was not your typical get-to-the-gym-early-before-work exercise where you groggily ride the bike for 30 minutes, then take a steam and shave before whistling into the office before the boss. This morning what awaited me was a 7 AM - 8 AM training session which was all boxing! No breaks when I wanted, and no tuning down the intensity when I wanted, just a fierce work-out first thing before the cock crows.

I got to the gym early to stretch and ride the bike to warm-up. My energized trainer bounced over and after a quick hello, it was, "Let's go." I was a little lamb marching to a muscle-tearing slaughter. He wore what looked like a flak jacket, or bullet-proof vest. When I inquired, he said that it was a weighted vest, that it was 20 lbs of weight. I thought it was odd that this guy with a perfectly sculpted body would wear such a thing. He put the gloves on me, then he took his vest off and placed it over my head. Say what?! I was now about to rigorously exercise for the next hour with half the weight that I lost wrapped around me. That's not all. In addition to the extra 20 lbs in the vest, he affixed small weight straps around my wrists to add even more weight when I am throwing punches.

The studio is open so there is plenty of room to move all the way up and down. I was winded after the first trip down the studio hitting the mitts. Jab, cross, jab, cross, jab, cross. The more I sucked in the air, the tighter the weight vest felt around my chest. Up and back, up and back. Multiple combinations, now right-hooks, two in a row. All the way up and all the way back. OK, now 20 jumping jacks. More, more, more. Punch harder, let's go, man-up! Don't hop, protect your chin. Snap it back, OK, 20 sit-ups.

After 1 hour I was physically spent. What's a more dramatic word than exhausted? Get out a thesaurus, look up "tired" and all those words combined describe me then and now. All day I have been groaning.

My breakfast was a giant bowl of fruit. I started getting significant stomach aches for the second day in a row. Really not sure what it is.

Was Ok for a client lunch at Natsumi where I had miso soup, salad, edamame, and a very good vegetable roll.

I need a nap.

Open Thread Thursday - Your Turn

I get a large number of daily visitors, but hardly anyone leaves a comment on this blog, so I might be asking too much here. But, I would love to get a dialogue from you, the readers, on the subject of soda. Certainly, burgers, pizza, etc. factor into this discussion, but since people are calling for a soda tax, I will keep it simple and stick with the carbonated sweetened water.

There have been recent calls for a "sin" tax on soda. The NY Times has called on Congress to get involved and treat the soda companies like Big Tobacco. Even the White House wants soda removed from our schools.

So, my question is this: to what extent does soda cause childhood obesity? Whether you believe soda directly effects it or not, it is indisputable that an epidemic of childhood obesity exists, so what should we do about it? Moms and Dads, I would greatly value your input!

It's Chili!

I am currently watching the USA team choke against Switzerland in curling.

Today is Ash Wednesday and in addition to Catholics getting ashes on their forehead it is a time for fasting - i.e., one meal, and no meat. Obviously, the meat part is not a problem! Also, now that meatless Friday's are in effect during Lent I am cruising during this time. And, with alcohol out of my diet, what should I give up until Easter?

I had a client lunch and ate at Cafe Luggo. I had the salad and a side of brussel sprouts. All very good, but too much oil.

Walking home I started to feel light headed, even dizzy. I had never felt this before. I was quite dizzy and walked in a daze somewhat. I was craving sugar and salt. Very odd. I honestly felt that the only thing that would make me feel better was a soda, salty chips (or crisps) and chocolate. I never had this desire before and have no idea why. Impulsively, and semi-desperately, I grabbed a soda, a small bag of chips and two soy chocolate milks. Certainly not the healthiest thing in the world, and in fact a soda and chips are not healthy at all. Even before this quest I did not drink that much soda at all, and during this quest, never - water makes up at least 95% of my liquid intake with the other being either soy milk, tomato juice, or a non-dairy smoothie. I felt guilty drinking my soda and munching on the chips, but I did feel better afterwards. Why so deep into this quest did I get such a queer physical reaction?

I ate a very small bowl of chili too.

Last night I made two pots of chili. One recipe I got off the internet, and I posted the recipe on my Super Bowl post a couple weeks ago. I added kidney beans and tomatoes. It was very good, and when you forget that no meat is being used you would swear that this was a bowl of chili at some cook-off in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Taste is also influenced by your mind - if you concentrate on the fact that you are using fake meat you begin to focus exclusively on the fact that it is not real meat and it tastes different. Not bad, but different, and it takes away from the experience. If you forget the ingredients and enjoy the meal in its totality, then the fake meat tastes like real meat. I used the VBites crumbled fake meat and it was a great substitute. I also added the VBites White Cheddar fake cheese - it actually melted similar to real cheese.

The other recipe was from the book "La Dolce Vegan," called Sherri's Black Bean Chili.

Making two pots of chili in my minuscule kitchen (one photo is of the aligned ingredients on my tiny workspace - the pineapple, for you sharp-eyed readers, was for desert) was actually quite fun. I don't use a timer, and prefer to wing it, furiously throwing my ingredients around, while remaining relatively faithful to the recipe.

I had "La Dolce Vegan" opened to Sherri's Black Bean Chili resting on my dish rack, and my laptop perched on top of my refrigerator (a benefit of being 6'4") so I can follow along with my Super Bowl recipe.

At first taste the Black Bean Chili was OK, but as the tangy, spiced-up tomato sauce kicked in it complimented the black beans and rice beautifully. I really enjoyed it!

One thing I have not done in this quest is use my blender. With just some ice cubes, frozen blueberries, soy milk, mango sorbet, strawberries and bananas I made a great smoothie -- awesome!

I have a terrible habit of going to bed around midnight, and it has caught up to me, so I am going to bed early tonight - 9:30! I think I am turning into my parents!

Black Bean Chili

1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup of water "or" vegetable stock (I used the vegetable stock)
1 cup of apple juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (3.8 oz can) pickled green chilies
1 (19 oz can) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (5.5 oz can) tomato paste
1/4 cup basmati rice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 cup vegan "cheese", grated

In large saucepan on medium heat, saute the onions in oil until translucent. Add the red peppers and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add water (or veg. stock), juice, oregano, cumin, salt, cayenne, and green chilies. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomato paste, and rice. Cover with lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is cooked; stir occasionally to prevent from sticking. Stir in cilantro just before serving and top each bowl of chili with "cheese" garnish. Makes 2 large or 4 small servings.

Playing Catch-up!

The posting glitch last night set me back significantly! Apologies!

My last post was Friday, and after the three day weekend I got to work Monday night (finished one of my longer posts only to have it disappear) So, I will briefly put a few thoughts down here. I will not try to recapture all the points I made (I say that now), so I can move on and stay on track.

You know, as I sit here and write this in my 1 bedroom, fourth floor walk-up in the middle of New York City, and with tobacco pipe in my teeth, I forget that absent my dear mother other people actually read this blog regularly. Over 200 in fact. Well over 100 people visited my blog yesterday, and a similar amount today. When I see that I get that sinking feeling that I did not due my homework and I have 200 teachers taping their foot and looking at my sternly.

Sunday, two days after my boxing work-out was when I felt it the most. Every muscle from my hands to my waist were terrifically sore. Simple tasks like opening a cupboard or putting on deodorant were a painful chore! It is great feeling to know that I am working my body that hard.

In order to condense the weekend let me reiterate something: Going vegan in NYC is so much easier than I thought with the plethora of vegan restaurants and so many others offering a viable alternative to satisfy my needs. But the problem is that with so many restaurants it is just too easy to eat out -- and in some cases actually cheaper than fixing my own meal. However, even healthy dishes at restaurants have their own oils and sauces that sometimes detract from the fresh taste of pure food that i have come to enjoy so much.

Two dinners at NY chain restaurants offered very good and creative vegan dishes: Baluchi's Indian - very good mixed vegetable, and chickpea with spinach sauce. I love spicy, but this was a tad saucy. Their lentil soup was excellent but too salty -so much so that i think it was a mistake by the chef. The other restaurant was Serafina's Italian. They have a great Vegetarian Dish - Spaghetti squash made to look like a little bird cage with mixed vegetables, pine nuts and tomato sauce.

For the best tasting food, and food where I know exactly what is put in it, I am better off making dishes myself.

Saturday morning I tested myself with another one of my passions - early morning pints of Guinness with an Irish breakfast while watching 6 Nations Rugby. Sadly, on this day the French handled the Irish quite handily. As far as resisting temptation? Please, that was a piece of cake! Or should I say, piece of fruit?

I went on a diatribe in my original post about what I don't like in the Olympics, namely the self-centered brashness of our athletes from the newer Winter Olympic sports like snowboarding. Whereas I saw an American figure skater talk about representing our country and trying hard to make the U.S. proud, I have not found that sense of selfless patriotism with most of our athletes in the newer sports that are better suited for ESPN's Extreme Games.

I think it was too negative, so I will not repeat it all. I will say I am a traditionalist. I miss Jim McKay with jacket and tie announcing the Games. I miss the old purity of amateur sport (except for Communist countries). Hell, I even miss the shady scoring of Soviet judges!

There were two commercials that are played often by major sponsors - McDonald's and Coke. Although I love their sentimentality and patriotic commercials they are two of the biggest culprits of childhood obesity, or is it the parents to blame? I want to address this topic again at another time. These issues are quite important such as reconciling my traditionalism with this new vegan lifestyle, and my affection for iconic brands because of the happiness they brought in my childhood, but which are completely unhealthy. I really lean towards putting the blame on the parents who make these two companies a staple of their children's diet, and I am not about to lead a torch and pitchfork mob to their company doors. However, we are talking about sugar water and processed meat here! I'll come back to this debate later.

Tonight I cooked two different vegan chili's - will discuss tomorrow.

Glitch

I began writing after this three day weekend Monday night. I wrote about my terrifically sore arms and shoulders, my meals, and my thoughts on the Olympics, and Olympic advertisers. Then through an inexplicable error in uploading a photo, I lost my entire, very long, blog post tonight! Sorry!

Tomorrow I will have to play catch-up!

A Special Mid-Day Post

At lunch I went to the gym and was immediately put into a bad mood. NYSC thought it was a good idea to paint the radiator in the stretching area, at noon. Nothing better than stretching with the smell of paint and a painter climbing over you.

I felt pretty nourished, and was not hungry. For breakfast had a small oatmeal with raisins, and added some walnuts for variety. I had a free training session today with this trainer, Adam, who specializes in boxing. I had never tried that work-out before, but every time I saw people in the gym hitting the mitts they were sweating profusely, grunting, panting, and looked miserable - it looked like an awesome exercise!

We went downstairs and I put on the boxing gloves. I have not worn boxing gloves since I was a little kid in my back yard. I am not a fighter in the least, and outside some on field brawls in football and rugby, and a couple of drunken wrestling matches with arms flailing in bars, my fighting experience is quite sparse...perhaps the most famous one happening in High School in the middle of Mass, yes, Mass. (Want to see a priest use foul language and turn as purple as his vestments? Disrupt his Mass with a fist fight).

So my excitement turned to fear as I started to question myself, "Do I really know how to throw a punch? I mean, a real one that makes a "pop" on the mitts?" Downstairs we trained in a room between a studio with a yoga class, and a spin room filled with people as well. The floor mats next to me were crowded with guys doing crunches, and other ab work. Being that it is all windows, I was to box in front of quite an audience. Please, for the love of God, Terrence, don't look like Alfalfa in one of those Lil' Rascals movies!

We start right in. Left foot slide out simultaneously with a jab from your left to the large mitt on his left hand, pivot your back right foot for the cross with your right to his right mitt. Again, again, again, again, again, move with him forward, again, again, again...Oh, my, this is friggin exhausting! Back and forth in the room with everyone who cares to, watching. Nothing feels and sounds greater that that loud "whack" or "pop" of your right cross on the mitt. If you hit it square it really lets out a loud smacking sound. I actually felt like I knew what I was doing...sometimes! Jab, sock, jab, sock, again, again, again, slide with your left foot, again, again, again, again, pivot on your right, don't hop on it, pivot, again, again, again, again, move with me, again, again, again, again, stop that hopping, glide, again, again, focus, again...I was dripping sweat and my wrists felt like glass bouncing off an anvil. The yoga glass let out, we went in. A bigger room, more room, a longer room to slide, left, right, move, from one end all the way to the other. Mirrors were all around, I can see myself. It does not take much to go from looking like a man, a real man who can box, to an unorthodox spastic kid trying to box while wearing roller skates on an ice rink. Ego, and only ego kept me as focused as possible to do it right!

I played all sports my whole life, but this was a new thing for me - the foot work in tandem with targeted punches was unlike a golf swing, or a baseball swing, or a cross-block, or a 5 step drop-back pass, or bowling, or a scrummage - it was such foreign foot work it was hard to master at first (hell, I still haven't). I was getting very frustrated, but again, again, again, I got it, I mirrored Adam, I was hitting with a good pop, I was looking like a boxer (albeit lumbering) and breathing like an asthmatic after the marathon. Get the glove to your chin, hit and snap back, hit and snap it back, protect your chin, slide, pivot, don't lean forward, jab, cross, again, again, again, again, again, again. OK, jumping jacks with the gloves on, OK, the speed bag. Ah, the speed bad. A beautiful site and sound when done by someone who knows what they are doing. That took some skill and my shoulders were aching as I tried to hit the bag repeatedly after ever count of 3.

WOW! That was exhausting!

I could work my cardio on the bike, treadmill, and elliptical as hard as possible, and sweat, and huff and puff and it would be a great work-out. But this was another level. My arms are still shaking, and I can barely move them! After I left I took out my blackberry but my thumbs were so sore and shaking I could not type!

It was a great work-out! I was sweating from pores I didn't know I had, I could barely lift my arms, and could not catch my breath, I was miserable...I love it!

For lunch I went to Chopt for a salad of broccoli, black beans, chick peas and tomatoes. I inhaled the bowl in one bite!

Tomorrow I am sure to feel it big time. This is the level I should be working out at...will I have the discipline to keep it up? I hope so, but, damn...did I mention I am exhausted?

Finally, remember today is Abraham Lincoln's birthday, a date we used to celebrate until the ridiculous, all-inclusive, new "President's Day." Celebrate the man who saved the Union!

Day 103

Today I mixed up the breakfast, and had a huge plate of fruit - strawberries, melons, and pineapple. Although I can eat oatmeal every day, I decided I needed to eat more fruit in the morning to help with my weight loss. Ever since my scolding from Dr. Fuhrman I am trying to follow his program more closely.

Walking through the slush I made it to the gym, but it was around 1 PM so I did not have time for a full work-out. I stretched, did my ab work-out (balancing on my tailbone with feet off the ground I would twist to my left and right holding a 16 pound medicine ball touching the mat at each rotation for a count of 40, then I would do 20 crunches with the ball held aloft. I would do this exercise for three repetitions. I stretched between each rep. I am terribly tight - always have been. In fact, going back to my earliest days of organized sports I was always above average in athleticism, but embarrassingly inflexible. Right now I am thinking about football practice when I was about 10, clear as day three decades later, and the kid next to me, Mike Heeley, had both legs outstretched, knees locked, and both hands grabbing his toes with zero effort. I had my knees bent slightly and still could only reach mid-way past my shins. I don't think I would have been any more impressed and envious if he bench pressed 500 lbs! So, flexibility has always been an issue for me - and I hate it.

I only had about 20 minutes for cardio so I jumped on the treadmill and walked briskly at between 10 and 14 degrees of incline - really got the heart rate up! I met a trainer and I will take one of his work-outs tomorrow. His expertise is in boxing conditioning, so it should be interesting.

For lunch I went to Maoz Vegetarian for whole wheat pita, hummus, eggplant, chickpeas, pickles, broccoli, diced onions and tomatoes.

I tried to drink as much water as possible since I have been feeling pretty dehydrated.

After work I met a good friend and former colleague at Rosie O'Grady's - an old watering hole of mine - for some seltzer and great conversation. She got me to add a Twitter account for My Vegan Quest (why did I wait so long?), and registering the domain myveganquest.com. Either I am a total moron, or using GoDaddy.com is harder to set up a website than advertised.

My dinner was lentil soup, white bean salad, and hummus...OK, and some bread, damn it! Well, I had only half as much Turkish bread as I normally do.

A request - some of you are nice enough to send me emails with your thoughts, but I would love it if you read my blog regularly and would comment below. Specifically, suggestions on what you like and don't like, and what you would like to read more of to make this blog more interesting. Thanks!

A Divergent Post

There is possibly nothing more pathetic, and resoundingly sad than a middle-aged man with his winter jacket collar turned up trudging through the snow into a Times Square Peep Show.

And there are not many things sadder than watching a morbidly obese man wolf down his food as if it is his only happiness in the day.

I saw these two men today and wondered about their misery. Not my place, I know, I know, but I couldn't help but ponder.

The windows at the stretching area at New York Sports Club look out on 40th Street. 40th is the dividing line between Times Square and the Garment District. Since Times Square was cleaned up only a few sex shops, and peep shows remain. I am looking at one wedged between two fabric stores down below the gym. The snow is swirling about, and the streets are a slushing dirty white, and everything else looks gray and sad. Much like this man struggling with this door against the wind and the snow, eager to get inside for the $0.25 peep show.

As I stretched and did my crunches I would look out on the sad little world on 40th Street and thank God I am inside a gym, exercising, eating healthy and living a clean life. Who was that man going inside that seedy place? What life does he have that he must find his happiness in such a foul store of ill repute? I don't mean to moralize, but it was an image that had an effect on me.

I saw another man today. There is a man in the cafeteria who puts out the vats of oatmeal. He is rotund, and never without pouring sweat on his face and arms - his shirt looks like a virtual sluiceway. The first couple of times I saw him I was slightly annoyed, hoping that his sweat does not drip into my oatmeal. But today I saw him on break. Alone at a table. He must weigh 375 lbs, and looks like a sad Fat Albert. I glanced over and I really began to feel sad for him. He looked miserable, and seemed to be finding his only peace, his only happiness in an enormous plate of eggs, sausage, and bacon. He gorged on his food like it was his last meal, but it was not rushed like his break was ending, rather it was gluttonous, and ferocious, like this was his "high." I am over-analysing to be sure, but I bet I am not far off. My heart ached for the poor guy. Perhaps he hates his job, but, I bet if he could find more happiness in himself and treated his body more kindly, he would be a happier man. Yes, I know you are wondering why the hell I am going off on this tangent about a man I do not know, but I think about these things.

I see very fit looking people scarf down a triple cheeseburger and I think, "lucky them." And when I see a fat person in the market with a basket full of junk food I want to stop them. Not out of scorn, but out of compassion. I guess I am moved by such people because even though I never grazed in the morbidly obese arena, I was damn close in my unhealthy, and life threatening lifestyle.

For me, I see myself sometimes - no not visiting peep shows, but finding happiness in over-indulgent behavior. Behavior that clogs arteries and slaughters liver. Even though I have changed my lifestyle, my head needs more work. I still think that afternoon sweet tooth to put me in a better mood can be solved by a handful of Red Vines licorice, and I still have to fight the urge.

Today, I had my oatmeal, a falafal pita with hummus and vegetables, and for dinner a smoothie and fruit (trying to make my dinners as light as possible). I worked out pretty hard today and generally feel good. But, I have these images in my head of two sad men who would be better off if they could find happiness in themselves. Forgive my Halmark card advice, it is just what I am thinking.

Sorry, for such a nonsensical post tonight. It was on my mind, and I felt like writing about it.

A Cultured Day

Yesterday I had my requisite oatmeal and raisins, and for lunch traveled down to the Union Square Coffee Shop for my vegan wrap. I bumped into a good friend and chatted about my endeavor and the blog. A guy next to me at the counter overheard and inquired about it. I am convinced that when a 6'4" 264 lb man in a suit and tie talks about vegan, blogging, and no alcohol people perk-up and listen! I feel like a healthy E.F. Hutton. I assure you, if I was 5'9" 160 lbs with tattooed arms, disheveled hair and wearing Buddy Holly glasses I would not get a second glance - those guys are supposed to blog, and eat vegan and talk about abstaining from alcohol! Or, so everyone thinks...incorrectly.

Through an interesting set of new, last minute developments I had two great seats for the opera, Carmen, at The Met last night, and only one ass to fill them, mine. My starting pitcher was out for the season, so I went deep into the bull pen.

So, for dinner I met my old girlfriend at Rosa Mexicana near Lincoln Center. She was running late so I bribed the guy next to me at the bar who was getting up. I bought him a drink so he'd stay in the seat of this crowded restaurant til my girlfriend came. We struck up a conversation, and lo and behold, this was his last day of drinking for a while. He wants to lose 40 lbs and was going on the Atkins Diet again. Well, since I bought him a margarita that gave me the right to preach my thoughts on the serious problems with Atkins, and promote Dr. Fuhrman and his book Eat to Live. Funny, just a few months ago if a stranger told me he was trying to lose weight I would roll my eyes, say, "good luck," and ignore him. I sort of like this new pied piper roll for healthy eating!

My old friend and I (or is it me?) ate the homemade guacamole and an order of black beans (I only had a couple table spoons since I assumed they put too much oil in the black beans). And true to form, she asked if it was OK if she ordered a drink. So polite and so completely unnecessary! We then cruised across to the The Met - what a scene, what civilized behavior. The Metropolitan Opera House is certainly iconic, but its mid-60's decor makes me feel a bit like being on The Love Boat, and is nothing like the splendor of the Budapest Opera House, Hungary.

I've never seen Carmen before, though I have photos and programs from when my Grandmother performed it at the Worcester Opera House in Massachusetts in the 1930's. I have heard the music many times before, however.

One of the best movies about kids and sports ever made was the original version of The Bad News Bears. The film is very special to me since my Summer of 1975 was spent at our local park in Chatsworth, CA watching them film The Bad News Bears with huge stars Walter Matthau, and a very young Tatum O'Neill.

The film's score was almost entirely from Carmen! Below is a 2 1/2 minute clip of the last scene of the movie. A classic, and with the classic music from Carmen at the end. Before the suffocating lunacy of political correctness, they made films like this. Imagine handing out beers to kids today in a film? Enjoy!




To watch the real opera Carmen...

No, I'm Not Money...Yet

Sometimes you start to believe the hype about yourself.

Just like in the movie "Swingers" where the hapless character played by Jon Favreau is told by Vince Vaughn how "money" he is, over and over, "You're money, baby! You're so money and you don' even know it!," all to boost his confidence, I too have had lots of people tell me how "money" I am - how great I am doing on this quest.

I've been enjoying my compliments too much, and I have started to believe the hype. In short, I mastered the art of going vegan, but I have NOT mastered the science of eating healthfully for rapid weight loss.

Well, a trip to Dr. Fuhrman today brought me back down to earth - not that I haven't been secretly thinking this past month how slow my progression has been.

Bottom line, I am half-way into my vegan quest, and I have lost half the amount of weight I wanted to. OK, yeah, that's pretty good. But, Dr. Fuhrman expected me to have lost much more by this point. And he is right.

But, you have to understand there are really two competing endeavors here. (1.) To go vegan for six months, and (2.) to lose 75 lbs. One does not necessarily lead to the other. Whereas cutting out the animal products brought my cholesterol down enormously, and certainly contributed to terrific weight loss, along with my exercises, it is time to really be smarter about my veganism. Not just being vegan, but being a healthy vegan.

I have been studiously eating vegan for three months as well as exercising regularly. I have lost 37 lbs, feel great, look thinner, look better, and feel healthier. But, I could have been dieting smarter, and eating more healthfully. Had I been as rigorous in Dr. Fuhrman's diet plan as I have been in avoiding animal products I could have been much closer to my goal by now.

Dr. Fuhrman thought I looked good, but when he weighed me he seemed unimpressed. Whereas when I brag about my 37 lbs to friends, colleagues, and strangers everyone readily chimes in, "You're so money!" Dr. Fuhrman's response? "You still have not comprehended my diet plan." Harsh? No, not really. He is like the coach - you can fake it for a few plays, and maybe the folks in the stands think you're doing a terrific job, but the coach sees, he knows: I've been running the wrong play. I have not been cheating mind you, but I have been focusing more on the absence of animal products and less on the nutrient dense food.

Basically, I am not eating as smart as I should because I rely too much on a vegan diet that is not being as helpful towards me losing weight. Too much bread, too much rice, too much salt.

When the doctor asked me about my typical diet the breakfast started out beautifully - oatmeal and raisins, then even before I could get to my salad for lunch I mentioned my handful of nuts. Nuts are good, right? He put his pen down like a disappointed teacher and said that either I have not read, or I have not comprehended his plan. I read his book, I really did, but, well, I sorta forgot some of it, and I just fell back on a couple of things: when I was my healthiest I ate alot of nuts in my 20's, and "THEY" say nuts are good for you, and "THEY" say you should have 5 smaller meals throughout the day. Nuts ARE good for you, but when you are trying to lose weight you should only have a few ounces of nuts with your meal because they are better for you than if eaten as a snack. Now, of course nuts in and of themselves, even as a snack, are not bad for you, but when you are on a strict weight loss regime they should not be eaten as often as I eat them. The doctor is adamant against snacking for snacking sake - rather eat only when hungry, and thinks that should be 3 times a day, unless you are a professional athlete and burn those calories quickly. He was mad that I snacked on nuts because I told him I do it for energy before the gym. He says that is a fallacy. Dr. Fuhrman is rather strict, but, he gets results and research bares out his philosophy.

Lastly, we both agreed that I could step up my work-outs.

So, for these remaining 3 months in order to lose the weight I want to (and to live healthier for the rest of my life) I am going to be even more militant on following Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live program - that means severely cut back on the things I love like bread, and rice, and salt, and oil (yes, even extra extra virgin is high in calories) and increase my legume intake. And, and, really push myself in the gym.

I actually do respond well to Dr. Fuhrman's displeasure, because he reminds me of an athletic coach pushing me harder.

When I did pat myself on the back a bit, he was quick to respond back, in effect saying, "You ain't money...yet." I said, Doc, me, a full-on carnivore with a love affair of the drink who whistled by gym's has totally changed my life around. I have been 100% vegan for the past 3 months, and I have totally given up alcohol, and I have lost 37 lbs! And people tell me I look great!" The doctor's retort? "Just because you don't do Heroin does not mean you can take up smoking." So, eating vegan is good, but eating smarter will make you healthier, disease free, and loose the weight precipitously.

Final comment: I want to be clear that the way I am eating is healthy, and, for example, a bowl of nuts is healthier than a candy bar 100 out of 100 times. But for my rapid weight loss goal, I need to become more strict and more focused on nutrient dense food.

Super Bowl Warm-Up

Three Irishmen with their pints, and a Vegan drinking ice water at P.J. Clarke's. I still think my friends thought I was playing a gag, like at any moment I would burst into laughter, order a cheeseburger, a pint a Guinness and a whiskey chaser.

Last night went to a birthday party at Wildwood BBQ. Had the salad on the menu - without chicken, without ranch dressing. And a side of brussel sprouts without the bacon bits. I asked that it was made without butter, and as tasty as it was, I suspect it was not cooked in just oil. Besides, the fresh brussel sprouts that I grill up are better.

Watching all the pre-game Super Bowl hoopla there are numerous ads for NFL Play 60. Even though it is admirable to have a program designed to get kids to become more active, I find it PATHETIC that we as a society have to put time and money into a program to get kids to play actively for a mere 60 minutes.

I would like to start my own program called PLAY SUN UP TO SUN DOWN! Or, PLAY FROM AFTER HOMEWORK UNTIL DINNER! That's the way we played growing up! 60 minutes is barely enough to break a sweat, or even get a bloody nose when you are 10 years old!

Super Bowl Sunday - Try the Vegan Chili!

My Vegan Quest game prediction:

Indianapolis COLTS - 46 (actual - 17)
New Orleans SAINTS - 38 (actual - 31)

* Congrats to Ireland beating Italy, and England beating Wales in the 6 Nations * Rugby: like football, but with no pads and bigger balls. (Not pandering to my friends across the pond, just an avid rugby fan).

Today America watches football. And there is nothing better than a Super
Bowl Party with Super Bowl Chili! Below is a vegan chili recipe!

This scrumptious vegan chili boasts a hearty helping of smoky flavors and gourmet spices, including garlic, onion, mustard, chili powder and smoke, with all the taste and none of the time.

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) package VBITES meat mince
1 cup water
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 teaspoon Coleman's dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cooking Instructions

In a large pot combine tomato sauce, crumbles, water, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, liquid smoke, mustard, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Nutrition Facts
Servings per Recipe: 5
Amount Per Serving
calories: 192cal
total fat: 9.4g
cholesterol: 0mg
sodium: 1376mg
carbohydrates: 13.3g
fiber: 4.9g
protein: 15.3g
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 30 min.
Ready In: 40 min.
Servings: 5

GUEST VEGAN

I would like to take this moment to comment on vegan athletes. Although not a sport I would allow my children to watch, nor ever watch in my mother's home, I must comment on the sport of Ultimate Fighting Championship. Suspended somewhere between boxing, kickboxing, hockey fights, and 19th Century bare-knuckle boxing is the sport of Mixed Marital Arts. It is blood sport for sure, but last night one of their champions was Mac Danzig. A tough, exceptional athlete, Danzig is also a vegan.

Below is from his own article about his diet:

http://www.macdanzig.net/

http://www.mikemahler.com/articles/macdanzig.html

"Ok, first here, I'm going to list some regular foods that I eat a lot of, along with an explanation on each one. Essentially these are of some basics that really make up a large portion of my weekly caloric intake...
Afterwards, I'll list some broader ideas of diet, some supplements, then list some junk foods I eat and finally some daily examples...

Brown Rice: One of my main sources of complex carbs along with Oatmeal... I buy the 'microwave in the bag' frozen brown rice from Trader Joe's... It's pretty easy to make and can be added to almost any meal. Wild Rice (actually a grass seed) is even better if you can get a hold of it.

Portobello mushrooms: These are great. Good protein source, low calories, low sodium... Can be sauteed or stir-fried with vegetables. I eat many of these when cutting weight.

Tempeh: This is a Tofu-based food and a good source of protein and fiber... Although a little bitter when eaten plain, I find that some flavorings can really make this good...

Quinoa: This grain is sometimes a chore to cook, and if you live in the middle of nowhere, it might be hard to find, but it's a great source of not only carbs and protein, but fiber as well. This is one of the most nutritionally complete foods out there with a full, balanced set of amino acids...

Black Beans, lentils, etc: Really, many Mexican foods I find to be pretty substantial as long as there's some beans and rice in it... Lentils are great in soup and have some decent protein and fiber... My girlfriend makes some really good lentil soup as well as squash soup.

Now, here are some things I will simply list and then explain how they work with my system.

Drinks: I drink water 99.9% of the time... Rarely do I ever feel the need for soft drinks or juices, although I might add some orange juice to a protein shake to make it taste better...I drink in excess of 1.5 gallons of H2O per day when I'm training hard and about 1 gallon per day on the regular.

Wheat: My diet is not "wheat-free" but I do my best to avoid it... It's an allergen (mild for most people) and not as easily digested you might think... Every now and then I have something that has wheat gluten in it as well... I'm not really into sandwiches, so bread is easy to avoid. I do eat pasta every once in a while and I might have some wheat tortillas, but if I had my choice of carbs, it'd be brown rice or quinoa. On a side note, they have come out with some good rice-based pastas that are identical to normal wheat pastas in every way.

Fake meat products: These are usually geared towards people making the change to vegetarianism and are made to mimic various meat products... I usually don't mess with these all that much, with the exception of "riblets" made by Gardenburger brand... Most of the stuff out there doesn't taste anything like meat to me (unless it's seitan) and I don't need my food to. Unfortunately, if you live in the midwest, or any place who's stores haven't adapted to vegetarian diets, you may find that these are the only things sold in the frozen section without meat or dairy... On the other side of this, many vegan restaurants have great fake meat products that are much more palatable than the stuff sold in the stores.

Vegetables: These are very necessary. I don't eat them as much as I should, but when I do, it's broccoli, peas, corn, green beans and spinach most of the time. Whenever I have a salad, I do my best to use organic kale or baby spinach as the main source rather than romain or iceberg lettuce. The leafy greens like collards, spinach and kale are extremely good for you.. Don't sleep on them.

Nuts & seeds: I find almonds are the best for me. Some articles have stated that they boost testosterone... I can't say that's true or false, but I do find almonds to be superior to most of the other nuts and seeds out there...Trader Joes sells raw, sliced almond flakes that can be turned into powder (if you have a chopper) and put into a protein shake. I do eat peanuts sometimes, and natural peanut butter, but too many peanuts can be bad for you because of the naturally-occurring toxins in them. I eat cashews in moderation, and I usually stay away from Macadamias when I'm cutting weight because of their high fat content. I don't eat as much seeds as I probably should, but Pumpkin seeds are definitely recommended... They are high in iron, which is important, because as an athlete, iron can be lost rapidly through sweat. Sunflower seeds are also pretty good and are a decent source of protein and vitamin E...

Seitan: although this stuff is delicious and has the most meat-like texture, it is essentially just wheat gluten and is pretty hard to digest... I stay away from it when I'm in hard training, but during the off-season, it's fair play. Many restaurants have good meals with seitan.

Soy milk, almond milk, etc: I don't eat cereal all that much, but when I do, I prefer almond milk and rice milk over soy milk... Just a personal preference. These can be added to protein shakes too. Rice milk is a little thinner that almond and soy usually...

Sodium: Many of the foods I really enjoy have a lot of sodium in them. I have no problem eating moderately sodium-rich foods until I get close to cutting to lightweight... Sodium causes you to retain water, so it's pointless to consume if you want to drop water weight. 3 weeks before a fight, I start watching my sodium intake, and by the week of the fight, I'm down to less than 100 grams per day."

They Say...

WED. NIGHT

Last night had a late dinner with an old friend at Nada Sushi...hmmm, could be my new favorite Sushi place. Will have to visit again. I was late, and they were closing early so my friend, who can be quite intense and no-nonsense (he once grabbed the tie of an AP reporter on Air Force One and threatened bodily harm on this particular dilettante from the 4th Estate) ordered for me. He just said, "vegan," and the dishes awaiting me were spectacular - marinated eggplant, a spinach dish, wholewheat noodles, etc.

THURS. MORNING

What is the most influential body in the world today? The World Trade Organization? The NFL? Christianity? Secular Humanists? The National Rifle Association? Capitalists? Environmentalists? China? The United States? Feminists? The New York Times? CNN? Reuters? Mom’s around the world? The answer is none of the above.

The most influential body in the world is the all knowing, all being, and never seen, “THEY.” They know everything. There is not a corner in the world where when an opinion of expertise is needed, “they” are not at the ready with an answer. No mortal has ever seen, conversed, or heard “they” directly, but they are there, they are everywhere. Their opinions are both large (“They say the economy will improve by April”), and small (“They say you should taste your food before salting it.”).

Well, I have heard from many, many people since November 1st, and accordingly, “They say you break old habits after three months.” Well, I think “they” may be right, but the jury is still out.

I still crave a beer with my pistachios. I still yearn for a Lagavulin whiskey when I darken the door at P.J. Clarke’s. But, but, today while walking through the café I spied a bowl of hard boiled eggs. I used to love eggs! Ate them almost every day – two hard boiled eggs with salt, and an English muffin with peanut butter. But today, today those eggs meant nothing to me. I walked by them and clearly the Sirens were on a coffee break because there was no pull towards the rocky shore of the once delicious eggs (read: "Sunrise Showdown" from Nov. 3rd). As far as I am concerned, eggs are my "Fredo," they're dead to me. And as far as habits, ordering food void of animal products is second nature.

Does it take three months to break old habits? I am not sure, but when it comes to food the results thus far seem promising!

It’s been over a month since I engaged in one of my favorite food habits. I went to quench that desire. I took the Shuttle to the 6 Train down to Union Square so I can lunch at The Coffee Shop for my favorite lunch – the vegan wrap! Yep, as good as I remember!

On the negative side, I popped strands of Red Vines licorice after lunch – had a terrible sweet tooth! On the positive side I was looking at myself in the mirror on the elevator and my suit jacket, and over coat are beginning to look like my father’s and I was going to my first fancy party as a 14 year old. I think I really need to start buying new clothes.

Anyone have any connections to a nice haberdashery?

Food

I finally saw the documentary Food, Inc.

Since the film was recommend to me by so many people I thought it was only fair to weigh in on it. Now, people come to this blog to read about my diet, my quest, and I was clear from the get-go that I am going vegan strictly for dietary reasons. Even though I don't want to wade too deeply into the ethical debate, I would like to comment on the film, and on the perceptions of veganism.

Food, Inc. is a polemic documentary. It was made to make a point, and that point was a searing indictment against the big food industrial complex. At times the film was an effective emotional plea, at times a terrifically interesting insight into where our food comes from, but also, at times, a one-sided argument against the industrialization of farms and of making a profit.

Make no mistake; farms, including the Joad family's, the ones that your Great Grandparents tended to in Germany, or Ireland, or Denmark, or China - and the picturesque farms (both real and imagined)that were part of our agrarian foundation of the United States were and are unpleasant endeavors. There is no pretty way to kill a chicken to feed your family, be it on the grounds of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, or the darkened warehouses of Tyson Foods. I'll never forget my Great Grandmother telling the story about working in her immigrant parent's butcher shop in Astoria, Queens, NY at the turn of the 20th Century. She describe how they would lay wood planks down through the store and bring the horse out from that back yard for deliveries, and then she regaled us with how they would chop the heads off the chickens, and how the chickens would run around pell-mell for a few seconds - she laughed uproariously as she told this tale of her sweet and innocent childhood.

Many vegans find barbarism in the very act of killing animals for food, and I respect their opinion because it is unambiguous and absolute. What I found in Food, Inc. was a straddling of the lines between cruelty to animals, labor, and modern industrialization. They clearly fall on the side of favorability towards small organic farms, but the message is muddled - what do they loathe more? Is it the conditions these animals are forced to exist in, or the environmental impact, or the use of illegal aliens for labor, or is it an indictment against mass profit? All of which can be said, theoretically, are potential elements of an organic farm, too. Or, is their beef (embrace the pun) against the cleanliness of food processing? Since that was one of the more emotional elements of the film, they should have put it more in context - what percentage of people got sick because of unhealthy food processing in 2008 compared to 1958, or 1898? The fact that even one child should die from Ecoli is atrocious, but was it through gross negligence, or is it impossible to prevent not one person out of 300 Million in the U.S. from getting sick or dying from bacteria on farms? I'd like to think in this day and age we can prevent such a thing 100% of the time, but, if not, let's hear from scientists, not activists.

Although the documentary was eye-opening -- from the new manufactured reliance this country has on corn, to the new, chemically altered, processed nature of making our food, and the horrid conditions that animals exist in on this massive farms -- it was an incomplete story. I don't think that merely because the public relations officer from Dyson, or Tyson did not appear on camera means that they could not have given a more even-handed expose of this important topic.

Seeing cattle forced to stand in knee deep manure, and chicken's grown so large that they could not support their weight was appalling, but, then again, those chickens at my Great Grandmothers shop were not sitting in recliners with sunglasses smoking cigars and drinking martinis, either.

Another element was the awful breakouts of Ecoli, and hoof and mouth disease. But, is the food industry not better now at preventing disease in meat than it was when Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle in 1906? It is worth exploring, and debating without side tracks into condemnations about capitalism. Again, vegans have a clear cut opinion on using animal products. And those, probably a majority of people, who choose not to concern themselves with such issues because we live in a land of plentiful, and inexpensive food are also quite clear in their opinion. I think the hand-wringers who fret over food conglomerations and applaud local farming, as propagated in Food Inc., have a harder time articulating a clear opinion.

It is not for me to say at what level the slaughter of animals are ethical versus unethical. I will say, however, that food grown, and yes, slaughtered, on small local farms taste better than the mass produced ones found in the supermarket.

I will also say, that I have lived for the past three months a happy and healthy life without any animal products. Even though I have said I plan to reintroduce meat and fish into my diet in moderation when I reach stated goal, I do want to emphasize that choosing veganism is not some martyr-like sacrifice, it is easier and tastier than you would ever imagine.

Finally, as I have alluded to in past posts, I think veganism needs a new PR campaign. Activists who paint farmers as evil doers do a great disservice to the positive nature of a plant-based way of living. Similarly, there are a slew of athletes and celebrities who are vegan and could be excellent spokesmen for the benefits of plant-based diets, but it is often the quirky celebrities, the few who are often arrested for their shenanigans, or imply those who eat meat are immoral, that get the most ink. Consequently, calling oneself a vegan, even in enlighten society, is met with confusion or even scorn.

I'll put my soap box away this evening, and look forward to writing about my day tomorrow in this ongoing, and happy vegan quest.

Half-Time

Two pictures of me today and one last Autumn.


Three months ago today I ended a decade of eating food ridiculously high in calories, and exercising, what I will generously describe as, sporadically, and drinking like sailor on a 24 hour liberty in Hong Kong.

I didn't want to find the "new" me, hell, I wanted the "old" me back! But, by old I only mean weight wise. What would be new is my lifestyle.

On November 1, 2009 I started this 6 month vegan quest because I had no choice. Moderation was a failure, actually, moderation to me was an anathema. If I was going to lower my cholesterol which was at levels that made the Devil salivate, and if was going to reach back to a time when I was my healthiest, a time when the Berlin Wall still divided East and West, I was going to have to push all my chips to the center of the table and go all in. Not moderation, not portion control, not more exercise - I was going 100% vegan, work-out every other day, and belly up to my favorite taverns and order a seltzer water.

Heather Mills is tireless in her championing the vegan lifestyle, and she and her beautiful Consigliere had been after me to try this experiment for months. After some serious soul searching, and while on a bender in Montauk, I said to myself, "screw it, what's six months?" I picked up the phone, I dialed London, and I said simply, "I'm in." All in!

The realty of committing myself to such an endeavor was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. As I said on day one of this quest, "I love the food and drink pleasures of life too much to even think of going vegan!"

And that was the key to my decade of a health and wellness downfall - I viewed food and drink exclusively as pleasures. Nothing, and I mean nothing is wrong with pleasure. But, when pleasure becomes a daily part of your life, you will be doomed - you can find references to that slippery slope in the bible, in history, in family stories, and in leaflets at any doctor's office. It's a simple concept - food is fuel for your body, that's it! If you "reward" your body with chemically altered, processed food absent nutritional value because your brain not only thinks it's delicious, but it becomes addicted, your health is doomed to fail. Go outside right now in a public place, look left, and look right. Go back inside and pull some family photos from 40, 50 + years ago. Except for the clothes and hairstyles, what is different? The obesity of our nation and the reasons why are not debatable.

My determination was absolute. My fear was mentioned on day one of this quest as well, "I know full well that vegetables and fruits will be the cornerstone. That is my biggest fear -- will I get used to that?"

Did I get used to it? Of course. But the real change is that I actually ENJOY it!

My 6'4" frame carried around 302 lbs on November 1st. Today, I am 265 lbs. Exactly half way there both in time and weight loss. My cholesterol dropped 100 points down into a safe and healthy range. All this without medication. I take Vitamin D and a multi-vitamin every day. That's it.

I am not going to use this three month anniversary to trumpet my success thus far. I have another 37 lbs before I weigh the same as I did my Senior year in college.

Enclosed are photos from Fall 2009, twenty years on from my healthiest life. And pictures taken tonight in the place this crazy idea was first floated to me by Heather, P.J. Clarke's.

I am thrilled that I stuck to this quest, and simply look forward to the next three months, and the rest of my life.

Finally, like Samson losing strength with his hair being cut, I was fearful that I would lose my identity, my personality, and my sense of humor by eating a plant based diet, and cutting out the alcohol. Well, I'll let others weigh in on my personality and humor, but I can attest that my identity is the same - in fact it is better (although, I am back to being shy meeting new people).

I feel so much better, I feel great, but most of all I feel normal again.

My thanks to all of you who have been so supportive of me, from Boston, to Brentwood, to Brighton, to The Bowery.

It's only half-time though, and I still have the rest of the game to play as hard as I can.

Back to work! Tonight for dinner: I had a giant plate of raw broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery and tomatoes with a guacamole dip. It was fantastic.

Day 93

Just came back from my lunch time workout at NYSC – it is a bit cleaner, and unless I am getting used to it, less of a smell of body odor. The men’s locker room, however, is just a Petri dish of sweat and stench. The only thing that makes it palatable is that I have this pavlovian reaction as if I am entering my High School locker room - I feel slightly replused, but I feel like I'm 18. So, it is unpleasant smelling, but, hey, it’s a locker room. I can handle it. But it is not Equinox. Things are so cramped that a guy next to me grabbed the guy next to him’s underwear by mistake. Oh, well, good cardio work-out today. Then grabbed lunch at Maoz Vegetarian – a great little sandwich bar that makes falafel in a pita and you can add ingredients.

Remember how I had some golden rules of etiquette in the gym, and I was pretty emphatic about no talking in the steam room? Well, I had to get involved in a conversation yesterday at Equinox. A couple of young guys, early 20’s were talking about the vegan restaurant Candle Café. These were normal young guys, and in great shape – I thought it odd they were talking about vegan food. They didn’t fit the stereotype (although I have found none really exist – more on that later).

One guy was telling his buddy about the sandwich he got at Candle Café (please excuse the vulgarity), “It was a great sandwich, so good, and totally huge. It was a f’ing monster sandwich, dude, and not some pussy vegan sandwich.”

Now, the reason I put in the exact quote is to show you (also what I will address in my 3 Month post), the perception of veganism (wimpy, malnourished, preachy, protein-less, unmanly), and who and why people are becoming vegan (Great health benefits). I started talking to these regular guys and I was shocked that they eat vegan (didn’t find out if they were partial or full time). Guys that age who work out can eat cheese burgers every day and not gain an ounce. The one kid was amazed at my endeavor and thought it was awesome. He talked about taste-buds changing, and even said, “I don’t even like the taste of cheese anymore.” That blew me away since I bet 99% of his friends eat pizza at least a few times a week.

My next post – tonight - will be my analysis of my 3 month anniversary of this vegan quest

Saturday's Axis Powers

I spent Saturday with WWII's Axis Powers of Japan, Italy, and Germany.

First, a mea culpa. For the second time in this vegan quest I ate something non-vegan. Obviously, by accident, just like those tiny, white cheese shavings in my salad last month.

JAPAN
For lunch I ordered from one of the best Sushi restaurants on the East Side, Ten Zen. They do a marvelous "healthy roll" of vegetables wrapped in mango slices. I also ordered a asparagus and avocado roll, and a avocado and peanuts roll - all with brown rice. When it arrived I happily indulged, and after eating one piece I had a strange sensation -- this was good, a little too good. I realized they made a mistake and sent me an avocado and eel roll. So, that was mistake I corrected. Although many will say, "Oh, who cares? One tiny sliver of eel. No big deal." Well, it was an honest mistake, true, and there is nothing terribly unhealthy about a small piece of eel, but I hate making a mistake like that because I have gotten great joy in eating nothing but a strict vegan diet for these past 3 months without withdrawals, or any sneaking of meat, fish, or dairy. Many people say that it is "impossible" for them to give up, say, dairy, or meat, or fish. Not true! If I can do it, anyone, ANYONE, can do it!

ITALY
For dinner, the Skeptical Doctor, ("SD") and I went Italian. Not just any Italian, but some good old school, Sinatra's favorite eatery, Italian. PATSY's (The restaurant, not the pizza parlor). Whereas most of the authentic Italian deli's and casual restaurants in Manhattan are an endangered species, there a plenty of family-owned, upscale, great Italian restaurants. My favorite? Il Mulino. Patsy's was good (they now bottle their spaghetti sauce and sell them in grocery stores like other classic Italian places like Rao's). "SD" had the broccoli rabe over whole wheat spaghetti, and I had the whole wheat spaghetti with marinara sauce. The takeaway here is that Patsy's serves the best whole wheat pasta I've had to date. Only some Italian places serve it, and it is becoming more popular, but had we not known it was whole wheat, we would have never known. The salad was tasty but it was "drowned" in Balsamic vinaigrette - too much.

GERMANY
In weather reminiscent of what was experienced by all the heroic souls who braved the hellish Battle of the Bulge (including my grandfather, K.I.A., may he rest in peace), we walked off our meal in frigid 18 degree weather (-7 Celsius). First we stopped for coffee and soy milk, and then headed to Lincoln Plaza to see the German film, The White Ribbon. A favorite to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. As a budding film writer I am thinking that the best way to garner accolades from critics is to make a film as disturbing and unclear as possible. The casting and acting were excellent, and it was beautifully shot in black and white. But, in the end it was just too disturbing for complete enjoyment.

This 3 month anniversary is certainly not lost on me, and I will have more to say later.

Liars!...Well, Not Anymore!

I never liked raw food - I'd always "drown it" in whatever dressing I could find! Well, now that I really enjoy the taste, the real taste of healthy food I desire as little dressing, even if it is balsamic vinegar, as possible.

Today, when I get a salad or any meal that is covered in dressing or sauce I don't like the taste, and always, always, think of this stupid Public Service Announcement I used to see during Saturday cartoons growing up! I used to be savvy enough to not buy into this healthy BS indoctrination, but now I know they were right all along!

Hands Down, the Greatest Vegan Meal to Date

After work I went to the gym determined to, in the immortal words of Woody Hayes, get the hell kicked out of me. I have a month left on my Equinox membership so I am going to take advantage of it until I am forced to stick with NYSC full time. With the motivational words of Joe Namath and Coach Hayes ringing in my ears I hit the gym hard for 40 minutes of rigorous cardio. Dog tired, and drenched, I gingerly walked back into the immaculate locker room when I noticed a nasty gash on my shin that was bleeding into my sock. No pain, and no clue how and when it happened - love it, totally amped up on adrenalin! OK, I’m a little sick, but I was stoked my legs felt like rubber after my circuit training (bike, treadmill, elliptical, repeat).

Walking home I was traversing 52nd Street and as I passed the familiar collection of jockeys on the iron stairwell I was reminded that my first Christmas card last year was from the one and only, most famed New York institution, '21' Club.

'21' is a former speakeasy famous for their hidden wine cellar, antique toys hanging over the bar, legions of patrons from presidents (beginning with FDR) to Hollywood Royalty (Bogart and Bacall got engaged at table 30), and impeccable class. All class. Although '21' suspended their tie requirement for gentleman, I wouldn't dream of being so disrespectful to this historic jewel. I ducked into the bathroom to put my tie back on. Even the bathroom in '21' exudes class, dignity and history. The attendant, Robinson, has faithfully stood sentry there since, appropriately enough, 1989 (when I last weighed my goal weight). Robinson greets each visitor in his crisp white jacket, and tie, and at 68 years old has a passing resemblance to Scatman Crothers. His father and uncle stood in the same bathroom going back to the 1940's. Also known as the “Rev,” he is always up on the latest current events, and greets you as if you are the president of the United States (his favorite customer was President Reagan). Holding my jacket while I affixed my tie I thought of all the real gentleman, captains of industry, and the biggest celebrities in the world who Robinson waited on, and I felt really privileged!

I stopped into '21' on impulse. I figured I would have a seltzer, maybe some vegetables and write about the ambiance – my favorite place to sit down in all of the City. I love the dark wood paneling, red leather chairs, fireplace, and classic oil paintings - plenty to write about, though nothing really about the vegan quest (so I thought), but it is one of my favorite places in the city.

I sat down at a table next to the bar. Steve the bartender delivered my seltzer and a menu. Without opening it I said, "I have quiz, no meat, no fish, and no dairy." With that the menu was taken from my hand, and a firm, "OK." Now, there was no hemming and hawing, and no, "What about this or that?" or "Um, can you give me something to go on? What can you have?" None of those pedestrian questions found at lesser restaurants. This is '21!' The customer said what he can't have, and '21' went into action. Next to visit my table was the other bartender Tara, "We have a vegetable platter." "Done." I reiterated, "no butter," but that was an insult since I already said no dairy. This is '21,' they know what the hell they are doing. I expected just some grilled veggies as per usual at a restaurant without vegan dishes on the menu, and I would sit back, enjoy the ambiance and thank God I live in NYC.

As I munched on their signature snack - a silver tray of mixed nuts, and green olives - the server came out. Clearly, this server was a total imbecile since he brought me the wrong dish. Not just any wrong dish, this moron brought me a plate of filet mignon with two plump pieces of lobster claw meat! Before I can scold him he announced the arrival of my vegetable platter...I blinked repeatedly...I could hear the crickets out on 52nd St. "Uh, really?" I stammered. The server had a wry smile that clearly seemed to say, 'I can read your mind dumb ass, and you sir, are the dolt here!' And he would be right!

Before me on this "vegetable platter" was an impeccable presentation of Grilled Portabello mushrooms, with truffles, and toasted pine nuts – which at first glance looked like a sumptuous filet. On either side looking like pink lobster claws were Piquillo Peppers stuffed with Beet Farro with onion and corn juice all on a bed of sautéed eggplant, zucchini and black garlic 'Ratatouille.' And reading my mind once again, I was told, "And, no butter, we left it in the kitchen for us," he said with a wink. I was dumbfounded and thrilled.

I was afraid to cut into this dish of beauty. I had to take a picture. At the next table were a half dozen beautiful young ladies appearing to be fresh out of college (it is great to see a new generation who can appreciate such an institution like '21.'). I asked if one of them had a camera, and the efficient, charming, raven-haired Liz, jumped into action. Of course I had to explain my vegan quest which they all found fascinating and offered encouragement. When I mentioned the no booze aspect, however, it was too much for the tall blond sitting nearest me to handle. “No, way!” They sound just like I did so many months ago when Heather Mills brought this crazy idea to me. I had to chuckle.

The photo I took of my meal is too dark, but trust me, it was gorgeous. I returned the favor and snapped a photo of the budding socialites with a promise to post on My Vegan Quest.

Being one of those nights when it was just good people all around, there was lots of intermingling. A couple at the bar commented on how good my dish looked. Tara chatted with me about her diet. Steve was chatting with another customer explaining my quest - "He’s halfway through, lost 35 lbs already, and another 40 to go!" "Wow"! It was small town NYC, and I loved it. Actually, on the new scale at the gym that evening I was 37 lbs lighter.

I chatted with others longer than I should have, so I quickly sat down to dive into this masterpiece. For once in my life, I was able to judge a book by its cover.

This was one of the tastiest meals I've ever had, and far and away the best meal these past 3 months. The mix of flavors was symphonic, and if I try to break down each ingredient I will just muddle this already unnecessarily elongated post.

Just take my word; it was out of this world! I could not figure out how a 100% vegetable dish, with no dairy, could be so rich, and tasty!

Dessert was some tea, and a bowl of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Just a near perfect evening.

Within 30 minutes I did not feel like I was at the world famous ’21,’ rather in a relative's home! Word of my vegan quest, and progress, filtered to the stern looking floor captain - Michael - who quickly asked if I was working out. I am coming from the gym now, I said. "Do you do cardio?" Yes. "How long?" Tonight, 40 minutes. "OK, that's very good." Again, people love to impart their knowledge about diet and health, and I appreciate every person who has taken the time to give me their two cents.

New York City has plenty of outstanding vegan restaurants, and most all regular eateries will have something acceptable on their menu, but when you go to a place like '21' you are not expecting anything remotely vegan. At a class place like this you'd expect some veggies thrown together for the annoying, tree-hugging vegan. Not so. Not so by a long shot.

Tonight's meal was unbelievable! The setting, perfect! One of the best experiences I've had. The only thing that would have made the evening truly perfect would have been someone joining me, but I will leave it at that...it appears from some unpleasant emails I have received that I should have tied up some past loose ends before writing about my current, um, "friend." I sometimes forget I am not writing in a vacuum.