Thursday, May 26, 2011

No idea how many days its been...7 months or so

I've been stuck for several weeks now. Not motivated, not moving forward.

Interesting how that works...

Been busy with keeping my head above water at work, been busy with juggling my family's issues...sickly, aging family memebers, a wayward child, a child in bootcamp, and a child struggling in high school....

So not thinking about where I am.....

Justy trying not to backslide. Standing still is better than moving backwards, right?

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Well, seems like I've gotten off track...

Been so caught up with the daily crap, really not been on task lately, not blogging, not drinking the water like I should, not eating right. Work has been a bitch lately, and there is no end in sight. Only going to get worse for the next few months.

And it's showing. Up 3 lbs.  Sometimes its just effing hard to want it bad enough to choose correctly.

gah...

Back to business, back to taking care of me. Back to focusing on the things that matter in the long run, and not the dumb crap that won't matter in 6 months, a year...5 years. But my health will...so that is where my focus should be.

Hubby and I went walking last night. Going again this afternoon.


That's it for now....

Monday, April 18, 2011

(239) Feeling much better! Yay!

Until I looked out the window this morning! Holy Cow! More friggin snow!!!

I hope my sprouting Iris's don't freeze to death!

Food is good, but weight is holding steady. Water is ok. Activity is too low. Trying to stay motivated and focused. Still hacking a bit, although I am feeling substantially better than last week. Hope this last round of stuff from the doc does the job, with no relapses.

Swamped at work, as always.

Have a great day!

Friday, April 15, 2011

(236) Finally Some Relief...

Back to the doc again yesterday...this time for some more effective cough syrup and a steroid bomb to kick this thing in the butt.

The syrup makes me loopy, but really does the job on stopping the endless hacking.

The steroid made me want to **leap** out of bed this morning. I take that as a agood sign.

Meanwhile, the weather looks good and I am hoping to be outside sometime this weekend...if the rain holds off. I'd like to get a walk or two in, as long as the coughing is under control. I need some fresh air!

Hope you all have a nice weekend

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

(234) Getting better?!? Doesn't seem like it...

Last week, the office bug finally caught up with me, and I did a pretty good job, keeping it short. Went to the doc for an antibiotic last monday, and by friday, I was feeling a lot better.

Until yesterday.

Seems to be coming back with a vengeance.

Started sneezing like crazy around lunchtime, and for the rest of the evening, it was a bloody faucet. It almost seems like allergies, since it all seems to be the running nose, sneezing, itchy throat business.

Pain in the butt.

Took a Zertec this morning. Hope it works soon...

That's all I got.

You?

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

(233) Water Line-Up

Good morning, good morning.

Got my second bottle of water lined up. Finishing the first. More to follow.

Getting my act back together now.

Shaking off the last bits of whatever virus it was that finally managed to nab me. Everyone at work has been passing something around for the last 4-5 months. I've been lucky.

Or maybe its that I've gotten healthier over the last 4-6 months.

In any event, I've had a shorter recovery than usual, so I'm glad for that.

Busy as hell at work, so back to it.

Have a good day, all.

Monday, April 11, 2011

(232) Reviving Myself

Well, I sure have been away for awhile.

So, what's been happening?

Spent most of last week being sick....missed a few days of work, in bed and unconscious, which we all know what that means...huge piles upon returning.

Meanwhile, on the homefront. My aunt was just diagnosed with dementia and had spent the better part of two weeks hospitalized for testing/observation, and all that crap. Other medical issues included. She's 80.

My mom is frazzled, and her other sister is in a tailspin.

Kids....well....that's a whole 'nother story....

Trying desparately to keep my focus and my motivation.

I have fallen off on the water, and it seems that I have hit a wall/standstill with the weight loss.

As Allen has hammered into us all along...DRINK THE EFFING WATER!!!!

So I went and got more bottled water this weekend, and am getting my act together.

(hangs head in shame...)

I've only got a moment to type this update, as my phone is ringing off the hook, and my work email inbox blew up last tuesday, and I'm still sorting through the rubble.

Best wishes to all of you, and I hope you are all doing well with the losses. I'm pulling myself together...slowly.

Monday, March 28, 2011

(218) Wow! I'm dropping stuff off the table!

So  busy, swamped at work and at home, so just a quick check in.

Down 23 lbs. Did my check-in at the doc's on Friday and all went well. For hubby too!

BP is good, BMI is good and neither of us smoke, so we made the requirements for the "enhanced" benefit...which means lower cost to us. Yay!

back to work....

Hope everyone is doing well and eating right!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

(210) Happy Sunday

The in-laws are out of town for a couple weeks and we are watching their place while they're gone. As a bonus, we have free access to their treadmill, stationary bike and this weird piece od exercise equipment that you sit on, pull back on the handlebars and push on the foot pads.

Anyway, we stopped over yesterday and I did an hour on the treadmill, at an incline on 9, and burned 500 calories. It felt really good.

I wish we had a treadmill. I hope to get one this year. Meanwhile, its getting much more tolerable outside for walking, so I won't feel so unmotivated to get out there.

Loss is very slow. I'm frustrated, but I just have to keep reminding myself that I've changed my habits, and that's the important part. The loss is still coming. I will get there.

Hubby has lost 20lbs too, and we are both feeling much better about it.

I took my physical for our healthcare on Friday. That went really well. I meet all the criteria for the lower cost benefits. Hubby takes his next week, and I'm sure he will meet them as well.

Life is good.

Good luck to everyone on your weigh-ins.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

(206) Things are Pretty Slow...but only in the loss arena

I'm am swamped at work, with more to do than I have time to get done. Working a lot of late days, and spending most of my time either on my feet, running back and forth across my building, or up to my eyeballs in paperwork, with lots and lots of juggling!

Weight loss is crawling along. Looks like I'm losing a pound every couple weeks or so. But it is still going in the right direction.

This Friday, I have my apt with the doc for the insurance check in...to make sure my bp is good, my BMI is good and that I'm a non-smoker. I'm feeling pretty good about it. After my total loss to date of 22lbs, it puts me in the right brackets for not having my rates jacked up. My bp has always been good, and I don't smoke, so I'm clear there.

So, back to work...

Monday, March 14, 2011

(204) Almost Empty Next Anxiety

I knew that my kids would leave home one day. And I always said it was my job to teach them to do so.

I just never knew it would feel so bad when they did.

I have one left at home, and she's 16, and that means I'm an idiot right now.

So much fun.

And all I want is pasta.

Help

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

(200) New Recipe on My Menu

I made this for dinner last night and really enjoyed it. The family liked it. I've just emailed Allan a copy of the recipe, to get his feedback.

I don't much care for the fact that Nutrition Data uses mixed units on their site (grams/ounces). That makes it confusing when trying to read the recipe, so here it is in all English units:

12 ounces of very lean sirloin, medalions if you can get them, otherwise cut into 4 ounce pieces resembling a hamburger patty.
One can of stewed tomatoes.
One small onion
One clove of garlic
2 cups fresh green beans
1-2 tsp Emeril's Original Essence
Salt & pepper to taste.

If you try it, let me know what you think!

Monday, March 7, 2011

(198) Lite and Thin

Food today was light and minimal: 3 clementines, salad, fresh steamed green beans (twice), a bit of jasmine rice, V8 juice, water, coffee.

Very busy at work, did my moms taxes right afterward, spent time with the troupes, and now its time to watch Stargate Universe!! 

Sunday, March 6, 2011

(197) Back to Solid Food

After a couple days of weird stomach aches I decided to switch to drinking just juices and water for a couple days. The stomach seems to have settled down, I logged another pound lost, and yesterday I had a salad for lunch. No issues, so I call that a good sign.

I'm switching back to regular Phase 5 food today, although I have some of the juices left from the last couple days. I'll probably use the rest of the veggie juice in place of veggies and fruit juices in place of fruit.

Not much else to report. Going to do my mom's taxes today, and then go visit.

Happy Sunday to you.

Friday, March 4, 2011

(195) TGIF!! ....Wait.....I just read that somewhere.....

Oh yeah! It's from the daily email I get from Allan for being in the Phase 5 challenge.

I don't know about all of you, but that little email helps keep me going. I know the other day he was on the verge of stopping them, and then I read that there was some grumbling from the troups, so that must mean I'm not the only one that gets a boost from them. Yeah, I know....I may not check them daily. And especially last week, I hardly checked at all....due to the crap at work. But I just feel like those little notes of encouragement make me feel like I'm part of something bigger than my own little journey...like I'm part of a team.

Ya feel me?

:)

Anyway, I'm feeling better with the juice thing. Lost another pound this week, and the stomach seems to be settling down and not giving me such grief. I'm going to continue the juice for at least the rest of today, possibly tomorrow as well. Then Sunday I will be back on the Phase 5 diet plan.

Did I mention that I hate tuna?

< < < shudder > > >

Sorry, but I substitute with chicken whenever that one pops up.

____

Yesterday's consumption was: 85 ounces of water, 24 ounces of V8, 12 ounces of Green Goodness, 16 ounces of Berry Boost, and 8 ounces of Vanilla Chai Tea. 790 calories.

____


I'm glad to be done with this week. It was better than last week, so that's good. And I'm ready for the weekend.

How about you?

Thursday, March 3, 2011

(194) Takin' It Easy

Thank you to Karen and Sandra for your concerns and suggestions. To elaborate just a bit, that feeling seems to move around, sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right, but always right along the bottom of my ribcage. Weird, huh?

Another thing that's going on is lots of people at work have been getting sick over the last several weeks. Something is going around and it seems to be making a rather slow circuit of it. One or two people at a time. I can't really say that I'm "sick", cus my discomfort is pretty isolated to evenings, after dinner.

Not sure what it is, so I've decided to just take it easy for the next two days. I went to the grocery store last night and bought juices for the next 2-3 days. I'm going to stick to an all-liquid diet, in small quantities, just to see if my stomach settles down. So here's the menu for 2-3 days: Absopure water and V8 & Bolthouse Farms juices.



The juices have a calories-per-serving amount that ranges from 70 to about 140. I'm sticking to 2-3 servings of the V8 (70 calories), and probably one serving each of the other juices. The vanilla chai is soy based, so it has lots of protein in it. The other two have lots of whole servings of fruit and vegetables in each bottle. Seems pretty healthy to me, and minimum stress on the tummy. Probably going to lay off the morning cup of coffee as well. I'm going to alternate throughout the day, with 17 ounces of water, followed by 8-12 ounces of juice, more water and so on.

Admittedly this is not the menu plan for Phase 5, but I've got to get this stomach thing under control, and if its a flu bug or something that I'm trying to fight off, maybe the juices will prevent me from really having problems.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

(193) Checkin' In

I think stress is getting to me or something. Food consumption has been fine, water is ok, but for the last 4-5 nights in a row, after dinner I've had a stomach ache. Not the "indigestion" type, rather a weird crampy pain right up under my rib cage.

Not sure what's going on, and it may be some kind of a bug, since everyone at work has been sick lately, but its unnerving.

Just trying to stay focused and not let the junk at work get too out of hand.

I hope all of you are having a good week.

Monday, February 28, 2011

(191) An NSV this morning...

I mentioned briefly yesterday that I'm down a pound. Not much of a change, but I'm still approaching goal, so that's a good thing.
Trying to keep the frustration at bay with these tiny little changes.

But this morning, I had to tighten the belt another notch, which means things are happening!  I guess my weight is redistributing itself, or else I lost that entire pound around my waist...not likely.

But I'll take it.

Hubby is also dieting, and he's down 14 pounds in 2 weeks.

We have this new "deal" through our health insurance: if your weight is too high, your blood pressure is too high, or you smoke, you have to go through some "remedial" corrective actions prescribed by your doctor. If you don't, your rates get jacked way up.  Such a deal, huh?

Fun, fun.

So the pressure is on to meet the deadline of March 31st. I know we will meet the criteria, but hubby is worried, so he's trying to lose his weight a bit more rapidly.

My goal is to change how I eat, how I think about eating, and how much I eat. And lets not forget the "why" I eat. I'm trying to be very conscious of the tendency to eat from boredom, anxiety, frustration, anger, etc. It's tough. Last week was really crappy, and I was obsessing over pasta....for days. The urge has passed, as has the intense feelings and acute frustration, but I really need to be more aware of how that heightened emotional crap plays into my desire to eat.

How about you guys? Tell me how this plays out for you.....

Sunday, February 27, 2011

(190) Sunday Weigh In

I am down another pound, yay! Things are creeping along slowly but still going in the right direction, and for that I am glad.

Not much to say today, so I guess I'll just say hi to you all, hope you all had good weigh-ins today, and wish you a good week ahead.

Friday, February 25, 2011

(188) Wow! It's Been Half a Year!

I have this one-pager calendar that I use all the time at work, and way-back-when, when I started this journey, I started pencilling in the days that I have been working on losing weight.

My goal, then as well as now, has been to make life-style changes that would be healthier for me and my family.

So now it's been half a year in the process and here is some of the the progress I've made. (And while my numbers aren't nearly as dramatic as Allan or Patrick or Karen, Anne H, Jack, Kelly, or Christine, it's still an accomplishment.) (And by the way, there are so many more of you that are doing a fantastic job!)

I don't drink pop anymore.
I don't go to McD's anymore (or Wendy's, Taco Hell, Arby's, BK Lounge....)
I don't get a bucket of McDonald's sweet tea every afternoon, or ANY afternoon for that matter.
I order water to drink on the very rare occassion that I eat out.
I rarely eat out anymore.
IF I eat out, I order salads or something off the low-cal menu.
I eat fresh fruit every single day, usually several pieces.
I eat more fresh veggies.
I drink far less sugary fruit juice.
I drink vegetable juice now.
I drink lots of water every day.
I eat significantly smaller portions at every meal, (no more than 4-6 ounces of meat (split into two meals) per day, sometimes less)
I don't eat chips, cake, cookies, candy, ice cream, donuts, pastries.....
I don't eat french fries
I eat much less pasta

There are more things I do differently, but these are the most significant

As a result.....

I weigh less...15% less than I did 6 months ago.
I feel SOOO much better.
I don't have "stomach issues" anymore
Trips to the bathroom are uneventful, as opposed to urgent, irregular (either too often or too seldom) and uncomfortable
Stairs are easier
Exercise is easier
No more "head rushes" in the afternoons from the excessive sugar in the sweet tea.

And next month I go in for my check up: bp, cholesterol, weight, etc. I am expecting good results!!

So....six months into this, I am feeling pretty good about my results. I have made more changes than I expected, and they have been easier than I thought they would be. I was really worried at the beginning. I was afraid that it would be too hard to give up the things I loved and ate and had gotten used to. I was afraid that I would fail, that I wouldn't be able to force myself into new habits, or that it would be too difficult.

There have been some moments....oh boy! just this week was one of them! I wanted to over-indulge in the worst way! But I did something else instead, and the urges passed....and I felt much better about it afterward. And that is how much of this has been. Stick it out for a little while, and it gets easier. And easier.

Six months, lower weight and lots of new habits. And its the habits that make all the difference, because that is what will help me maintain my lower weight...forever.

Yay!  :)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

(186) My JOB......

I love my f**king job......

No really.

I love it.

I LOVE it.

Its challenging on a daily basis.

I get to work with wonderful people.

Who love to cooperate.

And they all get along with each other. Every day.

And I get paid.

Its great.

And I get to do this for 12 more years.

And sometimes I have moments that really make me feel like my contributions are worthwhile.

And sometimes I get an "Attagirl" for something special I did.

And sometimes my boss will (would) pull me aside and say things like "I wish I had 10 more of you!"

And sometimes I get appreciative notes from my "customers".

It has its moments.

And I need to focus on the good ones.

And I need to create more of them.

(186) Confessions of a Night of Food Fantasy

So Last night I went home in tears, after having another day-from-hell at work. Hubby patiently listened and offered advice, while I ranted about broken equipment, lack of information, and feelings of being a target.

Then, I started fantasizing about pasta.

Normally on Tuesdays hubby and I do some work together in the evenings, so we don't typically have an "official" family dinner together. Its usually a fend for yourself kind of thing. But last night, hubby had pulled out some stuff from the freezer and wanted that for dinner. Not something I was interested in.

It wasn't pasta.

And all the while, I was just pacing around the house, trying to figure out a way to get out of cooking/eating at home. What I really wanted was Johnny Carino's.

Bowtie Festival


With the spicy romano sauce instead (cayenne pepper! yum!) Normally it comes with some bland creamy sauce.

Bowtie pasta, grilled chicken, diced tomato, onion and bacon, tossed with a spicy Romano cheese sauce, topped with some fresh grated Parmesan. A little hot fresh bread on the side. With butter.

That's what I really wanted. And I paced around the house for, oh....at least 30 minutes debating with myself, trying to come up with an excuse I could justify...or at least live with.

And then hubby went into the kitchen and started talking about his plan for dinner.....

And I caved. I caved into staying home and eating healthier. And eating a healthy sized serving, instead of a giant bowl of pasta.

No I didn't cave. I prevailed.

And I felt better for it.

(186) Back to Business

Good morning all...

Reviving the food log today.

Brkfst: coffee, water, whole wheat english muffin with low-sugar raspberry preserves
Snack: an apple, water
Lunch: plain turkey sandwich, 3/4 cup of chicken soup, water
Snack: 3/4 c of raspberries, water, coffee
Dinner: 3.5 ounces lean pork roast, 1/2 cup potato, water
Snack: 2 clementines, water

_____________________

I've gotta find some kind of positive motivational input. Too many things going on lately that have me in an emotional dump, and thats ALL I focus on. Somewhere on this blog I posted "....and I'm tired of hearing myself complain about it". That was originally in reference to the weight/health business. But it applies to my mindset as well. Seems like all I have to talk about lately is the crappy, depressing, irritating bunch of b.s. that is going on all around me in my life.

I've had enough....I'm tired of hearing myself complain about that as well. I don't want to grow old, being one of those people who isn't happy unless they're bitchin. I have GOT to break this cycle. I'm becoming painfully aware that nearly everthing that comes out of my mouth lately is some kind of negative comment, viewpoint, perspective...whatever. I'm not even sure how it all started, but its got to end. I don't want to be one of those bitchy, miserable people who never has anything positive to say about anything.

So without further ado, here's a start:

  • Hubby made me coffee and breakfast this morning.  :) That was very sweet.
  • And it meant that I had a few extra minutes this morning just to sit with him and chat.  Even though it was only 10 minutes, it was nice.
  • I just sent hubby a couple txts to tell him I appreciate him, and thank him for the favors this morning.
  • I am lighter today than I was last month, and the month before.
  • I feel better physically
  • Hubby has lost 10 lbs as well
Its a start....and its a habit I need to form.

Monday, February 21, 2011

(184) Well Hello Everyone....

Long time, no hear....

I'm back in my office at work, and back to having a moment to breathe.

I've been swamped and *in a swamp* as you might have noticed from the few and gripey posts over that last week or two. Up to my ears in muck, so to say.

But being back to my desk is a step in the right direction to getting things back on track. Once I have unburried myself from the things that went untouched from last week, I should have more than a moment to breathe again.

I've been good in the eating department (as far as calories go), with the possible exception of the water part. Since I've not been counting or monitoring much this last week, I'm not sure I've actually gotten my requisite amount of water in. I know the food has been on track, since hubby is also dieting now too, so the trips to the grocery store have been for healthy, low fat, low calorie stuff. (Kiddo is still eating some junk, but most of that is gone from the house by now.)

One night last week, my dinner consisted solely of brussel sprouts, with a sprinkle of parmesan on top. Thats it. Plus water.

Lunches have been a plain sandwich with 1.5 to 2 ounces of turkey. Also eating lots of grapefruit lately. At least one a day, sometimes 2. Juice, as I mentioned a few days ago, has been restricted to V8 (low sodium). Dinners have been really lean beef, or grilled chicken, or steamed shrimp, with steamed veggies. Breakfasts have been whole wheat english muffins with low sugar preserves, or a hard-boiled egg.

One night I made a quick onion soup from sliced onions, a couple sprays of "olive oil Pam", and beef broth, topped with one Tbsp of shredded mozarella.

Last night I made a low-fat chili from 96% lean ground beef (75 cal per ounce), three cans of tomatoes (diced/stewed/diced chili-ready), 3 small onions, and seasonings. I plugged it into nutritiondata.com and it came out to 19 calories per ounce, and I ate one cup.

I can honestly say that my taste for food is changing. I'm spending a lot less time thinking about food. The snacks don't hold the same power over me that they used to. I'm not even craving them much anymore. (I confess I had to practically run down the "chips and snacks aisle" the other day, but I won! No snacks in the cart!

So, I apologize for the absense. I'm back and I'm sticking to the plan!

____________

Oh yeah, one more thing: I'm on bottle number two so far. I had coffee and a grapefruit for breakfast, and a turkey sandwich and water for lunch.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

(183) In a Holding Pattern Again

After the week from hell, I guess accept the fact that I have not budged one bit on the scale.

Its better than gaining, I guess. But I'm not happy about it.

I'm really trying to get back on the bloggy-bandwagon. I'm still working the plan, for the most part, but I've just been too busy to write anything or keep track of much.

I've been so stressed out at work, and still having some on-going issues on the family front...mostly outside of my house...meaning that it's all about the extended family.

I'll be back soon....just know that I'm thinking about you all and hoping you are doing well and staying on track.

If anything, watching some of the crap that my mom and her sister's are experiencing is making me want to stay on track all the more.

Aging sucks.
Aging badly sucks more.
Aging badly, with a crappy diet, no exercise and smoking...well, that's just a nightmare...

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

(179) I think thats the right number...???

I'm in training at work this week.

And that means that all of the stuff I need to do on a regular basis still has to get done.

And that means that after sitting in the training class for 9 hours each day, I leave there, drive across the work campus to my building, and spend another couple hours trying to catch up on the ever-growing pile over there....

So I just wanted to let you all know that I haven't fallen off the planet, nor have I fallen of the bandwagon....

Matter of fact, I'm so busy and so tired that I'm eating less than normal, despite the fact that I haven't been logging it in.

One thing I have changed this last week is I have cut out the fruit juice pretty much completely and replaced it with V8. Far fewer calories and much more nutrition. Hopefully I'll keep liking it for awhile.

So, no morning OJ...just V8 instead.

And low sodium too.

I'll be back.....going to pass out now....

Friday, February 11, 2011

(174) A Romantic Night Out

I just remembered that I wanted to share this with you all.

A few nights ago, hubby and I ran drove to the grocery store to pick up a few things. (too friggin cold to run, walk, or do anything else outside, as it has been in the single digits during the day, and hovering around zero at night! That's zero in English units, not metric. In metric that would be negative 17. Holy crap!)

So as we are perusing the aisles, everything we pick up we are reading the labels on, calories, fat....comparing, counting. How many ounces in this one? How many serving per container in that one.

What happened to a nice romantic, dare I say "sexy" night out?

Well, at least we didn't block the aisle with our cart, shuffle down the aisle in slow motion, and have little glasses perched on the ends of our noses....cuz if we had, it may have been time for the Depends aisle...

(174) Well I Need to Check In....

Yeah, I know it's been sparse around here lately. It's not for my lack of participation in Phase 5, its just that I have a lot on my plate right now...and I don't mean food. That the good part. It's not the food.

The rest is just that I'm so overwhelmingly busy. I thought that once I'd finished school last May, things would settle down, I'd have more free time, things would be more relaxed.

But NO!! For all the lack of classes, homework, studying, group studying....more things have popped up in their places....and a lot of it is stuff I don't like. At least I enjoyed school. But this kind of stress is for the birds.

But, I'm learning how to juggle better, and I'm honing my organizational skills, so hopefully I will be a little more on top of this crap in the not-too-distant future.

The good news this week is my weigh-in. Getting on the "more accurate" scale at work, I'm down 2 LBS this week! WOOHOO!!

As you might have guessed from my sparse posts, and my grumbling in the last one, I didn't get around to doing the cupboard purge last weekend like I'd planned, so that is on the list for this weekend.  I promised pics and I will deliver.

But for now, I have to get busy, cuz the plate is overflowing at the moment....

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

(171) The Last 3 Days Fell into a Void...

Sorry for being away for the last few days. I wasn't feeling all that well on Friday, and when I got home, well....between that and more friggin snow, and...some worries I've had going on, and my sinuses acting up, and EVERYBODY at work passing around some bug or other, I just ended up having a lay-around-and do nothing sort of weekend. If only I'd gotted to do that completely...still had some errands to run, but once I was home, I just didn't feel like doing much of anything else.

I did not over-indulge in the lead-up to Phase 5, though. Matter of fact, I did some juicing and kept the calorie intake very low, partly because I didn't feel good, and partly because I'm so happy with my loose pants. Now its time to follow the plan.

So for all of you Phase 5 challengers, good luck!

For anyone else, well lets see how this works,  since this blog is about me discovering what works and what doesn't.

Friday, February 4, 2011

(167) I Hate to Open My Cupboards

Yesterday  I was talking about purging my cookbook shelf, and that got me thinking...

I need to purge the cupboards too.

Since I've been dieting, I just dread opening up the cupboards. I hadn't really realized how much it had been bothering me...just one of those things where I'd walk in the kitchen and pace a bit before opening the doors, one by one, unhappy with what I find, each and every time.

There's stuff in there I can't have. Stuff I have no intentions of making. But it plagues me nonetheless. For example, hubby pulled out two boxes of chocolate cake mix the other day. Him and youngest were discussing making brownies, but we don't have any mix. So they found the cake mixes instead. Ugh!! They haven't made the cakes yet, so those boxes are still sitting there...

There are also some caramel-apple wraps. You know...those thin sheets of caramel that you are supposed to wrap around an apple and microwave for a few seconds. I could just eat the caramel. But I'm not.

And then there is the pasta.

Pasta is a weakness of mine. It's one of those things that I have made very seldom since I started this weight loss journey. I just have such a hard time moderating it. I LOVE it, and I want to eat LOTS of it. So I don't make it at all. Well, hardly at all... Which is why I have a cupboard-full. Spaghetti, linguine, farfalle, rotini, lasagna, vermicelli, orzo, macaroni, egg noodles, spatzl, and enough flour to make dumplings for an army.

Sigh.....

This is the one I really struggle with. I want to get to a place where I can eat a healthy amount and really enjoy it. But I'm not there yet.

So there it sits. Do I just throw it all away? I suppose I could donate the unopened containers. But that still leaves plenty. And there are the other people in my house to consider. Youngest isn't dieting. She's a very healthy weight, and her eating habits aren't terrible. Probably too many carbs and too much fat, but she also eats plenty of veggies and some fruit, so she's doing ok.

There is a part of me that just wants to empty out everything and start over. Get rid of all the pre-packaged crap, and stock up on just the healthy, low fat stuff, nutritional stuff. I guess I need a plan.

Hmm.....where to begin?

I think that I will start with one cupboard this weekend and take everything out, spread it out on the counter and start evaluating. I'm sure there are some things in there that just need to be pitched because they've been around too long. Thats a start. Then I'll separate the "truely junk food" from the marginal and questionable. If its junk and its been opened, its getting pitched. If its marginal, and unopened, I'll discuss with the family and pin them to a "you eat it by..." date else I'm throwing it away. If its an ingredient, I guess I'll have to take that into consideration.

So, the steps are:

1. empty
2. sort
3. purge crap
4. re-sort remainder
5. hold questionables for a short time
6. organize what's left
7. make a "pantry list" of healthy replacements

Anyone else have any suggestions? How have you handled your cupboards after starting a diet?

(167) Daily Food Log

Brkfst: coffee (40 cal), water
Snack: pear (96 cal), water
Lunch: leftover salad from last night (about 200 cal), grapefruit, (120 cal), coffee (40 cal)
Snack:
Dinner:
Snack:

Totals:

Thursday, February 3, 2011

(166) Not Fixating on Flavor

One of the things I've noticed, by comparrison, is that, over the last couple months, I'm spending a lot less time thinking and daydreaming about food.

Or more to the point, before I started this diet/weight loss journey, I'd gotten very comfortable spending time thinking about food, planning meals, browsing through cookbooks, or even better, browsing through magazines with pretty pictures or watching the Food Network and all their shows about delicious gourmet foods.

It all sorta crept up on me.

Not too long ago I bought a magazine-style cookbook by Paula Dean. In it, there is a recipe for mac n' cheese. Initially is sounded so good! Lots of cheese, bacon, and half & half added for extra creaminess. I decided to make it, and everyone looked forward to it.

The evening arrived when I'd planned it for dinner. I got out all the stuff and got busy. Here are the ingredients:

5 Bacon Slices

1/4 C. Butter
1/2 C. All Purpose Flour
4 C. Half & Half
3 C. Shredded Smoked Cheddar Cheese, divided
3 C. Shredded Parmesan Cheese, divided
2 (8oz) Pkgs. Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground Red Pepper
1 Pound small Penne Pasta or Macaroni, cooked, drained & kept warm
1 (4oz) jar Diced Pimentos, drained

Holy COW!!!! I started getting a little worried about it while I was mixing it all up. Yes, those numbers are correct, unless Paula's publisher needs to fire the copy editor...

Really???!?!! 8 cups of cheese for one pound of pasta?!?!

But I soldiered on.....

When it was done and we sat down to eat, everyone....EVERYONE...was overwhelmed by it, and not in a good way. The kids, who ordinarily love cheese, were pretty much grossed out. Hubby agreed.

Seriously, there was enough cheese in this dish to choke a horse. (no offense to horses)

After dinner, I got to thinking about that recipe and why in the world I didn't look at it from the beginning and realize how ridiculous it was. That, my friend, is a recipe for death. No one, no body, not a single person has any business or need to consume that much fat in one dish, at one time. EVER.

What possessed Paula to come up with that recipe is far beyond me. The ratios are insane. It was unnecessary to put that much cheese into the dish. It could have had muck less in it and still been tasty.

Which brings me back to the whole bit about food-daydreaming. All the picures and tv shows make these recipes look so damn good, but if you allow your brain to kick in and really absorb what's going on, the warning bells should have been going off like crazy before I made this!!

Its no wonder that we have a weight problem.

So my meals have gotten much simpler and much more boring. I'm am trying very hard not to fixate on flavor, and just stick to utility. Get in the nutrition, even if its a bit bland and boring. I'm consciously avoiding thinking about food and meal planning from the perspective of taste, and trying to think only from the perspective of calories and flavor.

At some point in the future, I would like to enjoy the food I eat, without eating things like Paula's baked death in a bowl. I want to be able to make tasty dishes that are, in the first place, healthy, and second, of the right proportion.

I believe it is time for me to purge the cookbook shelf.

(166) Daily Food Round Up

Brkfst: coffee (40 cal), water
Snack: grapefruit (120 cal), water
Lunch:  peanut butter sandwich (whole wheat/1Tbsp PB/1Tbsp low sugar preserves) (240 cal), coffee (40 cal)
Snack:  pear (96 cal) water
Dinner: salad with lettuce, tomato, celery, fresh mozzarella, & vinaigrette (350 cal), coffee (40 cal)
Snack:  grapefruit (120 cal) coffee (40 cal) and water

Totals: 1086 cal 98 ounces

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

(165) So Much for 13" of Snow.....& food log for the day

I was a bit skeptical about the numbers they were predicting last night. I kept looking at the radar and satellite images and saw this swirl of cool dry air that was pushing right up through the middle of that storm. The more I watched it, the more it looked like it would split up that storm and spread it out.

Then I kept looking outside and the ***BIG*** flakes just weren't coming. You know the kind....clusters of fat, wet snowflakes that look like a cartoon cuz their so big.

Nope. Not here. It started yesterday with a sort of misty-sleety snow, and just got a little more dense and started blowing sideways.

Never gonna get 13" of accumulation out of that...only a bunch of drifts.

Sure enough, it looked like we got half of the predicted amount this morning. Just enough to make it miserable on the roads, and for the snow plows to make messes of all the intersections.

And for them to block in my driveway....

funfunfun

Brkfst: coffee, water
Snack: clementine, water
Lunch: salad with lettuce, tomato, olives, celery, green pepper and lite Italian dressing, water
Snack: none
Dinner: 2 homemade tacos, lotsa veggies, minimal cheese/beef, water
Snack:

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

(164) K...I'm confused

Allan is sending out notes to his Challengers about helping a few stumbling participants. I hear the disappointment and discouragement....And then I read his latest post about the Challenge being closed.

And what I'm hearing...or at least what I think I'm hearing...is a man who has made a decision to change his life for the better, who wants to share what he's learned so that others can learn what he has, who has opened his heart and his blog to folks that claim they want it.......and is heartbroken when they won't get it. Even if he doesn't say so in so many words.

I get this. I get this in a different sort of way. I get bending over backwards to try and help, guide, teach, mold, and shove someone in the right direction.....and then to have it all come flying back in your face.

I get it.

Why should I kill myself, drag myself through the emotional minefield, put myself out there, and spend so much energy trying to help someone who is unwilling to help themselves???

Why???

I've asked myself that a ga-gillion times.

And all I can come up with is this:

1.) by teaching you, I teach myself
2.) by helping others, I set an example to them
3.) by being successful, I show others what success looks like
4.) not all lessons are learned on the first try
5.) sometimes we plant the seed, but someone else picks the fruit
6.) sometimes lessons take a long time to sink in.


Allan, you keep writing your blog for you. I'm sure you will anyway, regardless of what anyone else says. But know that your intentions are clear to many, even if there are a few haters out there, and a few who just don't get it.

Everyone else who joined his Challenge: guess who needs some support?

Monday, January 31, 2011

(163) The Stairs Are Easier, and So Is Everything Else

So, way back when I started this blog, one of my very first comments was "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired".

I put that on the side bar of my blog....over there>>>>>>>>> just as a reminder to myself of why I'm doing this.

I'm not to my goal yet, but I'm on my way.

And I feel better. All over.

Going up the steps is easier. Getting up in the morning is easier. Staying on my feet at work is easier.

I'm no longer getting the 2pm sleepies every afternoon while my lunch digests (unlike before, when the hi-carb lunches would make me crash every afternoon)

I'm no longer getting the headrushes and weird dizziness after drinking 32 ounces of McDonald's sweet tea for lunch.

My digestive system has settled down into a fairly normal routine, albeit less often. Which beats the heck out of the wildly swinging pendulum I used to experience, where it went from one extreme to the other.

And "going" is non-eventful, as opposed to "crampy, painful, and urgent", or "crampy, painful, and difficult". (Hubby was beginning to nag me about seeing the doc cuz he kept insisting that my bathroom visits weren't normal. In retrospect, I'd gotten used to having an upset stomach on a fairly regular basis. Now that I am eating healthier food in healthy proportions, I rarely, if ever, have a stomach ache.

I'm getting quite used to eating less. Cravings are getting less frequent. And it feels good.

(163) Daily Food Round Up

Brkfst: coffee (50 cal), water
Snack: clementine (35 cal)
Lunch: 2 oz turkey sausage (90 cal), 9 crackers (160 cal), one slice of munster (80 cal), water
Snack: banana (70 cal), clementine (35 cal), water
Dinner:
Snack:

totals: 520 cal, 62 oz

(163) Shopping Success

Yesterday I mentioned that I was heading out to do some shopping for some new pants. I needed something for work, as I was constantly pulling up my pants lately. (Wow it feels good to say that!!)

So my best friend and I went shopping and I found a nice pair of Dockers and a pair of Lee's that are a size smaller than I've been wearing, and they fit great!! Except for the length, which is always a problem. I buy the "short" version and they are still too long. I have to hem pretty much anything I buy for the bottom half.

I also bought a cute pair of shoes and some new socks, and everything was on sale. Plus, I had a couple of gift cards, so that made the shopping a whole lot less painful!

While we were shopping, my friend even mentioned that she could see a difference in my face, since I started losing some weight. Woohoo!! My big square jaw doesn't need any extra padding, so that felt really good to hear.

It will be nice to be able to wear some smaller shorts this summer!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

(161 & 162) Catching Up

Well, yesterday hubby and I had to make a long drive out of town and back, so I didn't have any time to get online and blog/update.

Food yesterday was 3 cups of coffee, a low-cal English muffin with low-sugar preserves, 2 oz of corned beef on plain bread, 4 bottles of water, 2 clementines, 2 grapefruit, and about 2 cups of microwave popcorn with butter flavored sprinkles.

Didn't add up the calories, but I know I'm within goal.

Today, so far; coffee, english muffin, grapefruit, water.

And I'm off to go shopping with my best friend for some NEW SMALLER PANTS!!! WOOHOO!!!

___________

The rest of yesterday: 2 more cups of coffee, water, 1/4 c of almonds, 1 c of unsweetened applesauce, 1/2 bunch of steamed broccoli with 2 Tbsp shredded mozzarella, more water.

Friday, January 28, 2011

(160) Daily Food Round Up

Brkfst: hard-boiled egg (71) and an 8oz glass of OJ (100 cal), coffee (40 cal)
Snack: banana (70), water
Lunch: chopped iceburg lettuce (15 cal), 2Tbsp balsamic viniagrette (100 cal), one har-boiled egg (71 cal), water
Snack: grapefruit (120 cal), water X2
Dinner:
Snack:

Totals: 587 cal, 86 ounces

(160) Calories? Numbers?

I just read Allan's post over here.  Misty, Kristen....and a bunch of comments about Kristen's going off plan.

Is 500 calories a day more dangerous than forgetting the last couple binges and just moving on? Is 900 better than 500? Is 1000 the right number, like they do on biggest loser?

How about 1200?

Ya know what?!

I don't think 500 calories a day for a week is gonna kill anybody. Read Christine's post about consuming 100 calories per day for 70 days. That's right. One hundred calories ( mostly diluted juice ) for seventy days.

She didn't die. Near as I can tell, aside from some initial headaches and blurry thinking, she managed just fine. (I'm not advocating this approach, nor do I think she would either. She chose another route after that, and was much more successful. But that is beside the point.)

So no, eating only 500 calories a day for a week or so probably won't do any harm at all.

Ya know what **does** do harm?

NOT putting the fork down.

Why, why, WHY is it so necessary for some folks to advocate "more food"???

Have a plan, stick to the plan, and have enough patience to let the plan work over the long haul. When you fall down, stand back up, brush yourself off, and get back on the plan. And keep moving.

And feel your own feelings instead of "stuffing" them, or turning them into something else.

(160) Well I Did It...

I've got one really good thing to feel good about: I did not eat my way to feeling better yesterday in the aftermath of the latest installation on the family drama channel.

Things are calm at least, even if there isn't much talking going on. And I'm just not feeling all that hungry.

Food has been really boring lately, mainly cuz I'm trying not to think about it. So I'm in a sort of autopilot mode, I've got my food narrowed down to some really simple stuff, and I'm sticking to it.

We are cooking up hard boiled eggs periodically and then have them available for a couple days. When we go grovery shopping and get fruit, I'll have 2-4 pieces a day. Breakfast is simple: either oatmeal, and egg, or toast/english muffin. Lunch is often a salad or sandwich.

I've stopped thinking about all the tasty recipes I have, and all the old food I'm used to eating. I'm settling into the idea that I just eat different stuff now, and its kinda boring.

I'm afraid to starting thinking about ways to make my boring stuff more appealing, cuz then I'm just spending time thinking about food in general...not a good idea.

Really in a dull place right now...

Thursday, January 27, 2011

(159) So Angry....

I'm SOOOOOO mad right now...

And so very sick and tired of "family drama". 

And so very, very tired of these attitudes:

  • I'm not willing to listen to anything you say
  • I'm not willing to consider that you might have a valid point
  • I'm not willing to learn how to behave myself and act with some decency
  • I'm not willing to take responsibility for my actions
  • I'm going to continue to take advantage of the people around me becasue they let me.
  • If I can't take advantage of one, I'll move on to the next and blame the last
  • I'm not willing to let you teach me anything, and then when I fail, I'll be mad at you
  • I don't care if I hurt your feelings. I have an opinion and I'm gonna let you know what it is
  • If I hurt your feelings, you're too thin skinned. If you tell me I hurt your feelings, then you're saying I'm a horrible person.
  • I'm not gonna try. You try.
  • Nobody's going to tell ME what I can and cannot do!
  • It's not my job
  • (I'm ignoring you)
  • I'll yell if I want to
  • You can't blame me for getting mad! It's your fault!! You MADE me angry! You MADE me lose my temper!
  • Oh, poor me!

Oh Holy **CK!!  GROW UP!!!!

And its not just one person!!! Can you say 4-way tug of war?

____________________

no food......not gonna think about food.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

(158) Slowly Clawing My Way Out and Food Log

Getting things under control at work, and moderately keeping the "sickies" at bay...not entirely, but I haven't succumbed entirely to being sick....its all very low grade.

But now hubby is getting sick, so we are sleeping at opposite ends of the house, so as not to compound the germies...

Food today:

Brkfst: coffee (40 cal)
Snack: grapefruit (120 cal), water
Lunch: 2 pieces of whole-wheat toat with low-sugar raspberry preserves (190 cal)
Snack:
Dinner:
Snack:

Still don't have much of an appetite...my head is aching and I just want to take a nap....ugh!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

(157) Food and not much else today...

Brkfst: coffee (40 cal)
Snack: clementine (35 cal), water
Lunch: turkey sandwich (240 cal), coffee (40 cal), water
Snack: banana (71 cal), water
Dinner:  turkey sandwich (240 cal), water, grapefruit (120 cal)
Snack:  1/2 oz of pistachios (80 cal), water
6 cough drops (90 cal)

Totals:  956 cal 94 ounces

_____

Having a crappy day emotionally, kid issues, overloaded at work, just don't have it in me to blog today.

More tomorrow....

Monday, January 24, 2011

(156) I'm REALLLLLLY Sick of this Weather!!!

Warning! Just a bit of a rant....

I have this nifty cradle for my cell phone. It charges the phone, but also prompts the phone screen to appear like an alarm clock while its charging.

Very cool.

The added benefit is that it also displays the weather and a few other useful bits. I've started using it as my alarm clock, just cus it's convenient, and because the alarm isn't as obnoxious as my other clock.

_____

Side story...I'm coming out of the bathroom yesterday morning and *severely* stub my left big toe on the marble threshold.....so much so that the end of my toe now has a deep purple bruise, and I ripped 1/3 of the nail up, but only on the right side. OWOWOWOWOW!!!!!

_____

So last night, I'm rolling around trying to get comfortable without irritating this toe. Took me awhile...

And at some point I roll over and look at the clock....you know....the one that displays the weather.

And some time after 1 or 2 am, it says ......(   5 degrees    )

Five effing degrees...and its the middle of the night...and my toe hurts...and I know now that I'm really not going to get a good night's sleep....and I have to deal with the *broke thing* as soon as I get to work....

And hubby's car wouldn't start this morning, so he had to drive me to work so he'd have a car.

5 degrees.....

5 effing degrees....

yuck

(156) Daily Food Round Up

Brkfst:  coffee (40 cal)
Snack:  grapefruit (120 cal) coffee (40 cal) water
Lunch:  Soup: 1 cup chicken broth, 3oz grilled chicken, 1/2 cup of cannelini beans, seasoning (250 cal)  water
Snack:  Clementine (35 cal), water, coffee (40 cal)
Dinner: 2 cups of that lame soup (500 cal???...doubtful...)
Snack:  coffee (40 cal), tea (45 cal)

Totals: 1110  90

(156) I'm Off to See the Wizard....

Hopefully there will be no fire and green smoke....

After Friday's....er...mishap, I've been dreading going to work today. Time to fix the mess I made and try to figure out where I went wrong in the robot programming.

yay.

Still feeling a bit under the weather. Not a full-on cold or anything, just some sinus crap, low grade headache and no appetite. I'll update yesterday's food log, but quite frankly, there's nothing much to report. I was way under calories (although I did finally make that salad I'd intended for Saturday), cuz I just haven't had an appetite this weekend. I feel like I'm fighting off what ever is going around...and that's a good thing, cuz a few folks at work are looking a little green around the gills.....need to keep my distance from them.....they've got/had the pukies....

Happy Monday everyone.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

(155) Daily Food Round Up

Brkfst: coffee (40 cal) water
Snack:  2 pieces of toast (110) 2 pats butter (72 cal)
Lunch:  banana (71 cal) water
Snack:  coffee( 40 cal)
Dinner:  Salad of (40 cal): iceburg, spinach, celery, carrot, with 3 oz grilled chicken (150 cal) and 2 Tbsp low fat dressing (44 cal), water
Snack:  1 ounce of low-fat chips (160 cal), water

Totals:  727  92

plus a dozen cough drops ...

Saturday, January 22, 2011

(154) Daily Food Round Up

Brunch: 2 poached eggs (142 cal), two slices toast (110 cal), 2 tsp butter (72 cal), 2X coffee (80 cal)
Snack: grapefruit (120 cal), water
Dinner: Another grapefruit (120 cal) and a banana (71 cal), water
Snack:  clementine (35 cal) crackers (160 cal), water, lemonade (90 cal)
Other: 2 Coldeeze (18 cal) and 6 cough drops (96 cal)


Total:   1024 cal, 88 oz

So, apparently some useless calories today. Feeling like I'm fighting off a cold. Not a lot of good food, but not terrible. I'd planned on making a salad topped with grilled chicken, but just wasn't very hungry, and didn't feel like standing in the kitchen to make it. So, I tried to pick some healthy stuff...the fruit. Could have skipped the crackers, but at least I'm not over my calories.

Friday, January 21, 2011

(153) One Foot in Front of the Other

I just visited Pam's blog tonight. She's a new follower to mine, so I thought I'd stop by. Her post sounds like so many I've read, where folks are getting discouraged and depression is setting in.

That's a pretty common theme in weight loss blogs....

And so I shared with her a story that my friend teaches in that course I told all of you about last weekend. (The Living Course).

Say you are driving to the coast (whichever one is furthest from you). It's dark out when you get in the car, you know what your destination is, but you have no idea what the road ahead looks like. You've never driven that far before, and you've never been to the coast, but you know what direction it is.  You start the car, turn on the lights, and pull out of the driveway. Your headlights only shine so far, right? But they shine far enough for you to make it to the freeway and pick the right direction.

So you drive for awhile, but still have now idea how to get THAT far....to THAT strange place. But the lights on your car light up enough road for you to keep going. You'll be able to see the signs and follow the road that takes you to your destination. And as long as you know where you are going, all you need to worry about is the next few yards (or steps) in front of you.

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Even baby steps can get you where you want to go, as long as you are facing the right direction. Choices....its all about choices.

(153) And It Was All Down Hill From There....

I started the week off with an AWESOME weekend, came back to work on Tuesday, ready to kick some butt (figuratively off course) and then things started going wrong. Too many meetings, not enough time to get my work done, staying late just about every night, and to top it all off, I ruined something at work today. First time in 18 years on my job....and this thing is toast. Ready for the dumpster. And I feel like crap about it. I know I did something wrong, but I don't know what....I'll find out on Monday, when the "expert" comes back from being off sick. Not happy about having to tell him this. Told the boss right away, and of course he was consoling. Not the end of the world.

But I absolutely HATE screwing something up. And I "guilt" over it forever.....

Ugggghhhh......and the worst part is that I don't even know how I did this.

Can you say "robot programming"? .........................damn.

(153) Daily Food Round Up

Brkfst:  one slice of bread w/ one Tbsp peanut butter (150 cal) 2X coffee (80 cal) water
Snack:  water
Lunch: 7.5 oz lettuce (30 cal), 3.6 oz chicken (grilled on the george foreman grill, no oil/spray, 115 cal), 3 Tbsp Ken's Healthy Choice Italian dressing (67 cal), water
Snack:  Cheese stick (71 cal), water
Dinner: clementine (35 cal), grapefruit (120 cal), 5.4 ounces baked fish ( 300 cal), 2 ounces potato w/ butter (88 cal)
Snack:  water,

Totals:  1056 cal, 118 ounces

Thursday, January 20, 2011

(152) BTW...Welcome!

I meant to say this earlier....

I noticed I have some new followers, so I wanted to say Welcome, and thank you for stopping by!

I've been crazy-busy, but I will be stopping by your blogs in the next few days to say hi to you too.

(152) OMG!! I'm So Effing BUSY!!!!

No time! No time to do a damn thing! I'm so busy at work and home is running a close second!! I'm not getting the snacks in and I'm feeling too hungry at mealtime, and have found myself putting more on my plate. I've caught myself, and dumped things back, got the measuring cups and scale out and did my thing. I'm just losing my edge!!

Gotta get back to attention to detail!!

One good thing I'm doing right is drinking the water. In fact, I'm finding it easier and easier. I have several water bottles at work and always have one with me. Each time I pass one of the water coolers, I refill. I'm actually drinking more than my goal, so yay for me!

Going home tonight to do some meal planning and grocery list making, so I can get some healthy snacks and make dinner easier.

(152) Daily Food Round Up

Brkfst: whole wheat English muffin w/ 1 tsp butter (193 cal), coffee (40 cal), water
Snack:  HOLY COW!!!! WHO HAS TIME FOR SNACKS?!?!?  water, water, water
Lunch:  3oz broiled steak (leftovers) (190 cal), 1/2 cup cabbage/onions (60 cal), 1/3 cup peas (40 cal), water
Snack: 2 clementines (70 cal
Dinner:  oatmeal (160 cal) with 2 tsp maple syrup (32 cal), water, 2 Tbsp almond slices (80 cal)
Snack:  Cup of tea with 2 tsp honey (32 cal), 1/2 c of unsweetened applesauce (50 cal)

Totals: 947 cal, 120+ ounces

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

(151) Daily Food Round Up

Brkfst: 14oz Coffee (40 cal), water
Snack:  water
Lunch:  peanut butter & low-sugar rasp. preserves sandwich (230 cal), 16oz water, 14 oz coffee (40 cal)
Snack: 1/2 pkg of ramen noodles (95 cal), water
Dinner:  4 oz broiled round steak, 3/4 cup steamed cabbage & onions
Snack: 1/2 can (drained) of apricots in pear juice (100 cal)

Totals: 833 cal  92 oz

(151) Re-Ordering Some Things

So, Allan has been harping on us about getting the water in early, and I must admit that all I can think about in the morning is getting in that first cup of coffee. n.o.t.h.i.n.g.....e.l.s.e.....m.a.t.t.e.r.s.........

Case in point. I woke up this morning, feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. Hubby came to bed late last night, then forgot to let the dog in, and got up to take care of that. When I woke up, I had to pee (all that water!!) and then he had trouble sleeping, so he went to the couch somewhere around 3 or 4am. So, sleep was crappy, and then when we did get up, hubby is on the fast train of verbal engagement....something I just can't do. So while he is chattering away, I'm in slow motion, trying to keep focused on getting ready for work, and all the while, all I can think about is getting to the kitchen to get that first cup of coffee.....

But.....BUT!!! This morning, I had my first bottle of water AT the bedside, ready for when I woke up. And that is the first, ok the second thing I put my hand on as I woke up, the alarm clock being the first.

So I am actually on my SECOND bottle of water, and it's not even 9am.

So that's the new plan, water by the bedside.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

(146-149) Catch Up

So, as promised, I'm going to list, as best I can, the things I ate this weekend while I was away. Note that the meals (breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, plus dinner Saturday were included in the course, so I was limited on choices)

Friday night was a turkey sandwich in the car, plus water and a fruit smoothie. An Asian pear for snack.
Saturday: 2 (3") pancakes with strawberries on top (unsweetened) (NO syrup), coffee, grapes.
Lunch was a salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, topped with 3 ounces of grilled chicken, plus iced tea and water to drink.
Dinner was 3 ounces of beef brisket with 1Tbsp BBQ sauce, cole slaw, and tossed salad with vinegar and oil dressing. Snack was a fruit smoothie and a banana.
Sunday was a 3" square of veggie baked egg dish thingie, coffee, oj, and grapes. Snack was more grapes. Lunch was another salad topped with chicken, plus raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
Dinner was a tiny cup of chili (actually about 3/4 cup)

Monday, back at home.

Breakfast was coffee and water. ( I was so not hungry)
Snack:...
Lunch was a roast beef sandwich, plain, plus water
Snack: coffee
Dinner: a potato
Snack: cup of tea.

Crappy eating on Monday. I'm certain I didn't go over on calories cuz I barely ate anything...but that's not particularly healthy either. I just wasn't hungry.

(150) Daily Food Round-Up

Brkfst: 14oz Coffee (40 cal), toast with 1 tsp butter (91 cal), 16 oz water
Snack: clementine (35 cal), 16oz water
Lunch:  peanut butter & low-sugar rasp. preserves sandwich (230 cal), 16oz water, 14 oz coffee (40 cal)
Snack:  cheese stick (71 cal)
Dinner: 2 oz spaghetti (200 cal) 1/2 cup sauce (91 cal), 4 oz grilled chicken (200 cal) 16 oz water
Snack:  2 peaches (120 cal)

Totals: 1118 calories, 92 oz

(150) WowWowWow!!!

I had an absolutely awesome weekend!!! If you read my post from Friday, you know that I attended a workshop as an assistant this weekend. Its a workshop that I originally attended about 5 years ago, and once you've attended, you are encouraged to come back and assist to keep your momentum going and to share your learning experience with the new students. I've done this a number of times, and each time I do, I am amazed at how much I learn and how far I've come since my first class.

This weekend, the piece of the course that really hit home for me was about empowerment. Specifically, that
I am EMPOWERED by my CHOICES!!

Now, before you start thinking about how cliche' that sounds, lets talk a little bit about that. When it comes to weight loss, it is precisely the "choices" that you make that determine your success or failure. The word "choice" implies some kind of action, and action in the right direction is exactly what will get you where you want to go: toward a healthier you. You are not EMPOWERED by your decisions, you are not empowered by you opinions, you are not empowered by what you daydream about, talk about, or bitch about. You are ONLY empowered by your actions, and you cannot act without making a choice.

Alan's email this morning to his Phase 4 participants talked about the tendency to brood over how we got fat, how we bitch about the things in our lives that cause us mental stress with the subsequent "eating to stuff feelings" behavior, and the cheating we do because we "just can't help ourselves". He rounds out his encouragement by simply stating "...move forwar, follow the plan...".

And moving requires making a choice. You're not gonna run that 5k without making the choice to get up off your butt and start putting one foot in front of the other. Go visit Kelly and see all the great things she has accomplished by doing just that! The amazing part about Kelly is that she "just decides". She doesn't always know whether she'll complete the goal, or how she will complete it, but she just makes the decision to get up and get going. And you know what happens? She does it. She chooses. And she has become very empowered!!

You're not gonna lose inches and pants-sizes by eating nachos instead of a low-fat turkey sandwich. You're not going to get to goal weight by "splurging a little bit here and a little bit there". You will lose the inches and the pants sizes by CHOOSING the path to health. By CHOOSING to drink water instead of pop. By CHOOSING to put down the pizza and eat the salad instead.

CHOOSING is the requirement for being empowered. Choosing is an action. You can decide in your mind all day long that you want to be thinner, that you want to be healthier. But its the choices you make that will get you there. CHOICES ARE ACTIONS.

I AM EMPOWERED BY MY CHOICES!!!

Read that line again. And this time, put the emphasis on the word "I".

Now read it again with the emphasis on "empowered".

Now read it again with the emphasis on "my".

Now read it one more time with the emphasis on "choices".

Now, stand up from your computer and yell that last line at the top of your lungs. Seriously. Do it. Yell it 5 or 6 times and move the emphasis around.

Now yell it with your fists raised!

Now yell it with joy and exuberation!

Now yell it one more time, fists in the air, and jumping up and down.

......WHEW!!!.....

Wow!! Didn't that feel great!!! Doesn't that statement alone make you feel more powerful, more capable?

You did do it, didn't you?

Go ahead, try it. Seriously!! If you have to wait until no one is home, then do so. But I really, REALLY think you should do this. What have you got to lose?

And if you try it, send me a comment and tell me how it made you feel.

Friday, January 14, 2011

(146) Busy Day and Busier Weekend...at TLC

So, lots to do today. Very busy at work, and shortly thereafter I'll be heading out of town for a couple days. I'll be attending a weekend workshop called The Living Course, on which I'll be an assistant. I've taken the course previously and once taken, you are invited to come back as an assistant, which is a great way to continue the learning process and keep your momentum going.

I originally attended the course about 5 years ago, and it has changed my life!! It's given me the insight to address all kinds of things that have interferred with both my personal life and my work life. I attended with my daughter the first time, because we were experiencing a lot of turmoil in our house sprouting from a rebellious teen, and the whole step-parent situation, and her absent father. Then my son attended, and finally my husband attended. Our youngest attended the Kids Course, because she hasn't been old enough to attend the adult course.

The course is very "experiential" in that you will explore all kinds of ways in which your behavior, choices and feelings cause many of the problems you experience in life, and hold you back from achieving your dreams and best relationships in life. It helps you see how your feelings and reactions keep you locked in a cyclical pattern that prevents real growth and can keep you feeling miserable, frustrated and discouraged.

Throughout the course, there are opportunities to learn new tools, share in other's experiences to which you relate on a very personal level, and work through your own feelings, in order to break old habits and move toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

There are always 2 instructors on the course, one man and one woman, and who those instructors are varies from course to course. There are specifically 6 people that I know that teach this course, and they are all extremely talented, dynamic, and insightful. There are usually between 6 and 16 students, and usually 25-45 assistants. Once at the course, each student will be assigned 2-3 assistants, who have all attended the course previously, and who act as a mini-support system for each student during the weekend. They share their own experiences, give gentle guidance and insight, and ensure that each student always has someone to answer questions, make them comfortable, and accompany them to lunch and dinner throughout the weekend.

I always look forward to assisting on this course, of which there are about 6 per year. I don't make it to all of them, but I try and make it to at least 2 or 3 each year. I learn something new about myself each and every time I attend, and I have the added benefit of reconnecting with some amazing people and meeting new ones each time I go. I know there are other courses like this one in other states, but I've never attended any of them. I believe there are courses in New York, Florida, California and of course, Michigan. There used to be one in Cleveland, but the owner of that center passed away, and I don't know if that course continues with other instructors or not.

This will be a very busy weekend, as it gets started this evening about 6pm and runs till about 10:30. It goes all day tomorrow, and most of the day on Sunday. Student graduation is Sunday evening, about 7:30 or so, and afterward there is usually much socializing. I usually don't get home on Sunday until about 11pm.

I'll not be posting much this weekend, as I'll have very limited access to my blog, and that will only be through my phone. I WILL be staying on plan, I just won't have an easy way of calculating calories. But I'm taking my measuring cups and spoons, and will at least write down what I eat. I'll update when I get back.

I'll be back briefly this afternoon, and then I'll be off....

Meanwhile, I hope everyone has a great day and a great weekend! Keep it healthy and stay on plan!

Allan, I'll be sending you my weight today, cuz I doubt I'll be near one on Sunday.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

(145) Its All About Patience...and Feeling Better

Right?

K, so as I peruse other blogs, and as others post comments in response to my frustration with the non-moving scale, a few things keep floating to the top:

Be patient.
Be patient...
Stick to the plan
and be patient.

Today, Allan wrote about percent decreases in calorie intake versus percent slow-down in metabolism...and that is all boils down to sticking to the plan and being patient.

OK, ok....I'll be patient.

But, really....as much as I want to get on the stupid scale every frickin day and see some lower number, what I am really doing here is trying to feel better.

Read that >>>>> over there>>>>

"I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. And I'm tired of hearing myself complain about it."

That's what I wrote the day I made this blog. And that's what I have to keep reminding myself.

Back then I was feeling like crap. Tired all the time. Going up one flight of steps was uncomfortable and made things hurt, my knees, my back, my lungs. I had no energy. For lack of a better way to put it, everything just felt thick and congested and bloated. Bending over hurt.

And all I kept thinking about was how I used to feel so much better...back when I moved around more, and carried less. Back when I could *run* up a flight of steps. Back when I could jog a mile or two...or more. back when I could jump.

For God's sake!!! I'm not an old woman!! I sound like my mother!!

But....even though the scale is slowing down, and I'm not seeing the numbers change like I did at the beginning, I am eating way less crap. And more importantly, I am feeling better. And I know that each day I stay on target, I am taking better care of myself. I'm not overloading my system with excess fat, I'm not bombarding my pancreas with tons of sugar, and I'm decreasing my chances of getting diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke.

Thats the real goal.

Screw the scale numbers....I just want to be smaller and healthier, and the smaller pants tell me I'm getting there.

(145) Passing On the Blog Award!

Ok, back to business. Yesterday, Patrick sent me this blog award....
...with these requirements:
1. Post and link back to the person who awarded you this award;


2. Share 7 things about yourself;

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers (or as many as you can); and

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won!

 
So here goes:
 
1. (check)
 
2. Seven things.....
 
1.)  My favorite snow-related activity: making snow angels at midnight
2.)  Paula Dean's eyes freak me out.....so does her "Ya'll"
3.)  I wish the rest of the world operated on my internal clock schedule (Lets all get up at 9am and stay up til 2 am.)
4.)  My favorite book series is currently "A Game of Thrones", by George R.R. Martin, and HBO is making it into a TV series which starts in April. OMGOMGOMG!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!
5.)  I think Sean Connery looks better as an older man, than he did as a younger man.
6.)  If I had to pick one famous person that I could look like, it would be Catherine Zeta Jones.
7.)  I have never watched a complete episode of American Idol, and probably never will.
 
3. 15 bloggers....
 
Sweet Pea @ Hopes, Dreams, and New Beginnings
Karen @ Sunshines Heart
Allan @ Almost Gastric Bypass
Paula @ PaulaWannaCracker
Debbie @ Becoming an Ex Yo-Yo Dieter
Anne @ Carb Tripper
Jury @ Diet chic on a mission...
Olivia @ But you  have such a Pretty Face
Kimberly @ The Woman Inside Me
Kelly @ Kelly is Losing Weight
Journey Beyond Survival
Suzi @ spunkysuzi working towards a healthier me
Lanie @ Healthy Schmealthy
Kristi @ Losing, Loving and Living in Tx
Christina @ I am Sick of Being as Big as a House
Tamzin @ One Inch as a Time
 
And I'm off to tell them...

(check)

___

Ok, 16 bloggers....
 
 
 

(145) Daily Round Up

Brkfst: Coffee X2 (80 cal), raisin English muffin (160 cal) with 2 tsp butter (66 cal), water
Snack:
Lunch: turkey sandwich (170 cal), 1.2 c unsweetened applesauce (50 cal), cheese stick (71 cal) water
Snack: coffee (40 cal), water
Dinner: 5 ounces chicken (250 cal), 1/2 baked potato (60 cal), 8 oz juice (120 cal)
Snack: One piece of chocolate, (47 cal)

Totals: 1114 cal, 84 ounces

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

(144) A Blog Award!

So, first up: Patrick, over at Responsibility 199 gave me a sweet Stylish Blogger Award...its over there >>>>  and down a bit .

And I'm in the process of passing it on to some other awesome bloggers. So, stay tuned while I collect the info and links and stuff....and post more about it.

Also, I have a question: does anyone have experience with kohlrabi? I've only had it once, quite awhile ago, and it was served raw with a dip. I've heard that it can also be cooked, but I have no idea how. (Haven't done any research yet) So I was wondering if any of you have any healthy recipes for it? Really don't want to go the "dip" route.

Thoughts? Ideas?

(144) Busy Day Ahead and A NSV

Got lots to do today, both at work and at home. Just sending a quick "Hi" out to you all this morning, and wishing you a healthy day.

I had an NSV this morning. I got into a pair of pants that I haven't been able to wear in probably a year. I slid them on and buttoned them with no effort at all. Not snug, not binding in any way.

Slide, zip, button, WOOHOO!!!

(144) Daily Round Up

Brkfst: Coffee (40 cal), hard-boiled egg (55 cal), grapefruit (120 cal), water
Snack: 1/2 c of applesauce (50 cal), water
Lunch: turkey sandwich (170 cal), 8 oz oj (110 cal)
Snack: 2 peaches (120 cal), coffee (40 cal)
Dinner: turkey sandwich (170 cal) and a hard boiled egg (55 cal), water
Snack: cheese and crackers (200 cal)

Totals: 1130 cal and 84 oz

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

(143) My Take on Intuitive Eating

I'm a noob to this term. I got a little feedback from Sweat Pea, Allan, and Karen on this yesterday. Interesting comments, and from what they write, it sounds like its an excuse to excuse your bad behavior....

Over the years, I've had periods of time where I craved one particular kind of food for a limited time. But during that time, that's all I wanted, and couldn't get enough of it. And then it was over.

Ok, well that's not so bad when the food I crave isn't bad for me.

For example, I had a "spell" of craving tomatoes for awhile. Lasted about a month, but I just couldn't get enough tomatoes. Ate them every day, several times a day.

No problem. I would bet that someone might have called that intuitive eating.

One time is was barbecued chicken. Not just any barbecued chicken, but a particular chicken, from a specific restaurant, that made their own sauce. Now, admittedly I couldn't eat that several times a day. It just wasn't practical. I couldn't afford it, and I didn't have the time to drive there that often. But I did make it there nearly every day, for about a month.

Then it was over.

Another time it was bacon. Luckily I was about 16 at the time, and didn't have a weight problem then. But I just couldn't get enough bacon. I'd eat a pound of it at a time. Several times a week. My mom was going nuts! She'd buy a couple packages and freeze them, and then I'd eat them before she knew it. And then it was over.

I think about eating a whole pound of bacon and just the thought makes me nauseous.

People I've mentioned this to over the years have said things like "well, your body must have been needing something in that food", or " maybe you were missing some vitamin or something".

Seriously.

Bacon? Cuz bacon is such a wealth of nutritious goodness......

Maybe, just maybe, something went a little haywire for a short period of time? Eh?

I can see tomatoes....but not bacon, sorry. 

My take on intuitive eating is that portion control should become intuitive...SMALL portions.

(143) Sleep is Getting Better & TV

Slowly but surely I am getting my sleep schedule back on track. Still taking the melatonin at about 9pm, so I will be ready to sleep by 11. Did some chores around the house last night, made dinner, and later on we watched Lie To Me and then Hoarders.

Anyone watch Lie to Me? I love that show!!! LOVELOVELOVE it! Tim Roth is awesome in that roll. He's so quirky. And I love how the women in his life will call him on his shit. Maybe not *quite* enough, but they do. I like all the characters on that show!

Anybody else a Lie To Me fan?

How about Hoarders? Last night's episode had a guy on there that had rats. Ugh!!! And lots of them. He started out with 3, and somewhere in there his wife died. 3 rats ended up turning into over 2500. They ran him out of his own home, and took over everything: the furniture, the walls, everything. It took a Semi and a couple dozen people to capture them all and take them away to a shelter. 2500 rats.

OMG!!

It is painful to watch people that have had some kind of trauma in their lives, and have turned that trauma into some kind of excessive behavior. And the hardest part as an on-looker, is knowing that they can't see the situation the way everyone else can.  If only they could see...if only they understood...if only it were as simple as telling them that the problem started with "such and such" and that dealing with that original problem will solve this other one....but I'm rambling...and its never simple.

We are always our own worst enemies, aren't we?

(143) Daily Round Up

Brkfst: 16 oz coffee ( 70 cal), oatmeal (110 cal)
Snack: banana (71 cal), water (16 oz)
Lunch: 2 oz Boar's Head Salsalito turkey (60 cal) on bread (110 cal), plus one string cheese (71 cal), orange juice (8 oz, 110 cal)
Snack: water, 16 oz
Dinner: Another turkey sandwich (170 cal), water
Snack: grapefruit (120 cal), water, hard-boiled egg (77 cal) and a slice of bread (55 cal)

Totals: 1024 cal and 88 oz

Monday, January 10, 2011

(142) Can't Stop Thinking About Chickadee...

This is Chickadee.....


And she needs a therapy dog. She struggles with something called Rett Syndrome, that makes it increasingly difficult for her to eat, swallow, walk, talk and move.

Caring for Evalyn is a more-than-full-time job for her momma. Doctor visits take hours and hours. Rarely is there such a thing as a full night's sleep. And her illness is progressive.

A therapy dog would make life easier for momma, easier for Evalyn, and happier for the whole family. A therapy dog would help little Evalyn with hand movement and motor skills. It would help with socialization. And it would alert Evalyn's family if she were experiencing some kind of distress, like aspirating, or seizures. Evalyn can't communicate like other children her age, so having a therapy dog would be like giving her a voice.

Therapy dogs are very expensive, more than many of us could possibly afford. Including Evalyn's family.

I read her momma's blog, Journey Beyond Survival, and since I found out about their need for a therapy dog, and what it would do for little Evalyn, I just can't stop thinking about her.

So, please...consider a donation to little Chickadee and her therapy dog. Doesn't every little girl deserve a puppy? Especially if that puppy could save her life?

(142) WHAA???

Will somebody PLEASE tell me WHAT THE CRAP IS INTUITIVE EATING??!?!?

I often see people comment about their "intuitive eating" or others making scathing remarks about intuitive eating, and still others wish they could eat intuitively....

I must have missed the boat on this one, cuz I have no idea what this is....

A little help please? Comment away.....

(142) Daily Round-Up

Brkfst: coffee (40 cal), water (30 ounces)
Snack: crackers & peanut butter (190 cal), water (16 ounces)
Lunch: cereal with a banana (259 cal) and coffee (40 cal) (14 ounces)
Snack: grapefruit (120 cal) and water (16 ounces)
Dinner: 2 oz shrimp (56 cal), 1 cup pasta (220 cal), 1/2 c of steamed broccoli (27 cal), 1 c of steamed cabbage/onions/garlic (62 cal), 12 oz oj (165 cal)
Snack: water (16 ounces)

Totals: 1179 & 104 ounces

(142) The Swinging Pendulum

So...just wondering if anyone is sharing my shifting food-mood swings. I am finding that I'll go from one extreme to the other in wanting to eat a crap load of something, and then not wanting anything at all.

I've really been on track as far as calories are concerned, and I'm eating the right stuff, but I'm having these moments of wanting to eat a ton of junk. And when that happens, I'm grabbing a piece of fruit or a water, so that's ok. But then I'll swing to the other side and not want to eat anything at all. I'll go for half the day and not want anything at all. Then all of a sudden, I'm starving!

As far as breakfast goes, I'm having a hard time getting into the habit of eating at the right time. My meals are getting stretched out....sometimes, instead of having breakfast in the morning, I'll have it at lunchtime, and then the rest of the day is shifted by a couple hours.

I guess my biggest problem is trying to become consistent and scheduled. Anyone else having this problem?

About the most consistent thing in my day is my first cup of coffee every morning. After that, its a toss-up.

I'm back to using the melatonin at night, and it is definitely helping me get to sleep at a more reasonable hour. Last night, however, I woke up numerous times. Hubby was hot/cold/hot, and kept waking up to put the covers on, take them off, open the door, shut the door, go to the bathroom....and then I had to go. So sleep was crappy and I am dragging butt again on a Monday morning.

yay.

I need some sunshine.

So far today, just coffee...I was running behind this morning and didn't have time to get breakfast. I think I'll run down to the lunchroom and see if they have any oatmeal.

Hope everyone has a good day today.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

(141) Jus' Checkin In...(all added up now...)

I need to add up the calories, but here is the run-down for the day:

Oatmeal made with water (110 cal), 2 tsp maple syrup (40 cal) , coffee (sugar free) (40 cal)
A pear (103 cal), a grapefruit (120 cal), a banana (105 cal).
2 cups mixed greens (25 cal)  with lo-cal greek dressing (110 cal), tomatoes (15 cal), cucumbers and celery (10 cal).
4 ounces grilled chicken (200 cal).
2 more cups of coffee (1 decaf) (80 cal)
4 bottles of water
And a cup of tea with lemon and one tsp sugar (16 cal)
One Club cracker (110 cal)

Totals: 1084 cal and 120 ounces

(141) It's Chilly Willy....and the Coffee is Hot



I went to let the dogs out this morning and the window on my back patio door looked like this. Not sure that the beauty really comes through in the photo, but it's very cool.

So one of the things I've been struggling to let go of has been my coffee creamer (sweetened). Allan has given me some crap about using Creamora instead of the stuff I've been using. So I went and bought some...Coffee-mate actually, since that's what i was able to find at the grocery store. And I've been cutting back on the amount of sugar I put in there. And it has been a struggle.

A couple weeks or so ago, my best friend and I went to Starbucks for a coffee, and I ordered a Cinnamon Dolce latte, SUGAR FREE. And you know what? It wasn't bad.

Problem is, I'm not about to drop $3 on a cup of coffee every day. It's a treat every once in awhile, but come on?!? So, I bought a bottle of the syrup instead.

$7.95

That just covered the cost of two cups of coffee, and I can get dozens out of this bottle. And using the coffee mate gets my calories down to about 40 per cup. That's a helluva lot better than the 140 I was drinking with the International Delight stuff. I do miss it. A lot. But this is an acceptable alternative.The syrup is sugar free, so its zero calories. And Coffee-mate is 10 cal per tsp.


YAY!!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

(140) Makin Bacon....But not for me

I'm in the kitchen right now, making breakfast....or should I say brunch, for the troupes. Bacon, potatoes, and eggs. But I'll only be having the poached eggs (1 poached egg, 71 cal), not the over-medium that they like. And no bacon for me. I actually "prefer" turkey bacon, but we are out, so that's a good thing (Cuz I'm the only one that **really** likes the turkey bacon, and that means I'll eat waaay too much of it). Likewise, I won't be having potatoes either. Plain toast for me (55 cal). Plus coffee (80 cal) and water.

___________

Later....

Lunch was a grapefruit (120 cal) and a banana (71 cal) and coffee (80 cal) plus water.

___________

Dinner: 4 ounces of left-over roast (200 cal), 1/2 cup potatoes (75 cal), and a string cheese (70 cal). More damn coffee (80 cal) plus water...

totals: 902 cal and 90 ounces.

Friday, January 7, 2011

(139) Final Tally for the Day

Dinner: 3 ounces of lean roast beef (150 cal), 1/2 cup of roasted potatoes (75 cal), 2 Tbsp of corn (50 cal), water, a pear (103 cal), and 1 c. of popcorn (113) for a snack tonight. Water and orange juice (165 cal) to drink

Total: 1203
Fluids: 88

(139) Here Comes the Snow....



Oh joy.....