Day 17

First of all, FOOD!

When I get to eat at home (usually only on the weekend), here is a sample dinner (clockwise from top left):
- Carbs: rice (sometimes white, sometimes brown/white mix)
- Protein: boiled shrimp (with salt-free salsa), grilled buri (the Japanese name for this fish, sorry I do not know what it's called in English)
- Veggies: Brocolli, mushrooms
- Veggies: Miso soup (with sprouts and baby bok choy)

I really like how Heather posts pics of her meals as it helps me with ideas for mine. I'll try and post more pics going forward so we can all help each other with more good ideas.

Secondly, UPDATE

I had probably one of the busiest weeks at work this past week due to a major project we are working on, which unfortunately prevented me from updating the blog more often. The following is a quick wrapup of how PCP went this past week for me ("yearly evaluation in a corporate environment"-style: sorry I spend too much time at work, I know...).

Accomplishments/Achievements
- Diet: I NAILED the diet exactly as directed. This took a lot of planning, as due to my work schedule I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner (as well as two of the three snacks) at work. And my wife Fumiko played a HUGE role in this by cooking all the food necessary (while I weighed out/packed the food). I definitely could not have done this part without her, and I am VERY grateful for her support on this! :)
- Exercise: I completed ALMOST all of my exercises with good intensity (I did miss a jumprope session one day).
- Body Changes:
Bodyfat %: Day 2: 21%, Day 9: 20%, Day 16: 18.2%
Muscle %: Day 2: 32%, Day 9: 33%, Day 16: 34%

Areas of Opportunity
- Sleep: With work, commuting, and PCP, I averaged 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Much lower than the PCP-recommended 8 hours, and definitely lower than my usual average of 6. I talked to Patrick about this and he said that the body can handle about a week like this, but any longer and I am in danger of getting sick and my body just shutting down. A major goal this week is to increase my hours of sleep.

Overall Comments
- I am very encouraged to see that if I stick with the diet and exercise as planned, I can already see results in decreasing bodyfat and increasing muscle mass. More so than that though, I am definitely feeling physically better (which I attribute to the diet - I never feel heavy or bloated now) and I feel stronger and more energetic (which I attribute to the diet and exercise).
- Getting more sleep and continuing the consistency are my goals for the next week.