For some reason I seem to weigh more than I expect following exercise days, so I was bracing myself for my weight to be up again this morning. But it wasn't!! I weighed 169.0 -- the lowest number I've seen since I was pregnant!
Yesterday Daniel and I cycled at the gym again, and I put the machine at a higher level than I have the past couple of times. It felt great, and I burned more calories (according to it -- but I don't completely believe it, since the higher level on the recline cycle feels easier than the same level on the upright cycle, and it seems to base calories burned entirely on weight and level of difficulty). Today I'm planning to dig out Jane Fonda and do the upper body weight training on there; it's a segment I've always enjoyed doing.
My food yesterday was reasonable but almost too boring to report. I had the usual breakfast, a sandwich for lunch (I tried fat-free cheese but I also had lettuce and I discovered I couldn't even tell the cheese was there, so next time I'll leave it off), a quarter of a canteloupe (on sale this week!), and chicken-chili stew for dinner (low fat except for the cheese I put on top of it, and yummy) with tortilla chips. I had a very small scoop of orange sherbet for dessert (fat-free and tasty, and sweet enough to take care of my craving even in a small serving) followed by a banana because I was hungry an hour later. Oh, I had a glass of milk with lunch, but I drank a small glass of white wine with dinner -- it just looked really good to me!
We've inspired Daniel -- not only is he keeping me company at the gym, but he has started weigh-ins. He's not reporting the numbers to me, though! But he's setting his own goals.
I agree with Sarah's post yesterday that this shouldn't be about meeting a certain weight by a certain deadline but about making lifestyle changes that will persist even after the weight is gone. That's sort of why I keep having ice cream and sherbet every night -- I don't feel so bad about having it, because I know I have room for the calories, but I feel guilty when I report it!
The real change I've been working on making so far is in portion control -- I keep eating anything I want, but I'm eating a lot less instead of bingeing on the foods I'm craving, and I'm trying to focus on whole grains and fruits instead of empty calories. I'm finding my real weakness is not sweets but starchy foods. I love sweets but in the end they're easy to limit or dismiss entirely. When I wander around looking for food, out of boredom or real hunger, I find myself wishing for a big, chewy bagel or some cookies or crackers. So I need to find a way to eat foods like that in moderation, and to get healthy versions thereof.
Oh, and I still need to remember that when I think I'm hungry, most of the time I'm really just thirsty. Why is so hard to remember to try water first?
1 comment:
Hey Emily!
Try Triskets or Wheat Thins. They are both whole grain - and reduced fat versions taste just like the regular. Katie and I packaged ours up into serving sizes and it is a great way to hit that carb craving - but with something that isn't totally useless calories. Also - Pistachio nuts or almonds are good for that. They are crunchy and have the same feel as straight carbs - but have protein and the good kind of fat.
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