Salad it is...

Welp, I think I've figured out how to lose the last 10 pounds, and sigh...it's salad and tofu for dinner most nights.    At least it's just until it warms up enough for long bike rides outdoors again.   

To lose 1 pound per week, I need a calorie deficit of ~500 calories per day.      At 228lbs, my BMR (basal metabolic rate) is 3335 calories/day.   Thanks to my exercise regimen, I still get to eat a lot.   

The first couple weeks of March, I've been stuck hovering around 229, probably because I couldn't xc ski anymore so I've been burning less calories.  My xc ski outings were usually 2.5-3 hours; and my indoor bike rides are 1-1.5 hours most of the time.    

So, to get the scale moving again, I've tried just eating a big salad for dinner and not snacking until breakfast the next day.   It's working,  and it's not that bad to be honest.   For protein, I add some tofu/chickpeas.    

A lot of advice online says fasting 12 hours a day gives your digestive system time to rest and recover, and I'm not that active in the evenings anyway.    So no eating from 5:30p.m.- 7a.m. hasn't been that bad.

My current routine

• Wake up 6:30-7 a.m.
• weigh myself, and maybe check blood pressure   (avg 107/69, pulse 59 this month)
• eat breakfast,  usually it's...
• a protein smoothie ~250-300 calories.
• 1 cup soy milk 
• 1 cup water
• 1 scoop Orgain choc fudge protein powder 
• 1 scoop pbfit powder 
• 1 slice of 50% whole wheat sourdough with a schmear of natural peanut butter
• 1 peeled and cored apple 
• relax for an hour, feed the birdies 
• mostly Zone 2 cardio for at least 1 hour, usually starting around 9-10a.m.
• when I can do longer outside rides, i pack or get lunch somewhere. 
• Hot Box Sauna session after workout (25-27min)
• shower
• Lunch
• usually a spicy bean patty wrap with lots of salad stuff and southwest sauce
• another slice of whole wheat sourdough w peanut butter
• an apple or 2 dates
• some peanuts or dark chocolate covered almonds
• Easy Afternoon,   hobbies/TV time/meal prepping
• Dinner 
• 1/2 gallon (8 cups) worth of lettuce and veggies in a big 14 cup rubbermaid container. 
• < 1/4 cup of home made dressing
• i add dressing to the lettuce only and mix,  then I add the other veggies and mix with the coated lettuce.   
• usually no cheese (feta sometimes)
• air fryer tofu for protein
• half the dessert portion i eat at lunch
• drink 1-2 liters lemon/lime spiked water during the evening before bed
• no snacking until breakfast
• if I feel super hungry before bed, I'll have a small spoon of peanut butter so I don't keep waking up hungry