Barb, I'm with you completely! I had no problem keeping out of the candy until tonight, but once it was in the bowl for trick-or-treaters I lost my restraint. I've had two packages of Skittles, two or three of M&Ms, some gummy Savers, a bunch of Alexander's popcorn (the movie theater downtown was handing that out), and a lollipop I inherited from him as well. Actually, now that I write it out, it doesn't seem as bad as I thought it was, but it's still not good. But I think it was a lot worse last year. When I bought candy this year, I thought about what the kids would eat forever rather than what I wanted to eat forever, and I bought a lot less chocolate than usual. I still bought too much -- I keep hoping we'll get a lot of people, but this year was our slowest yet. Phooey.
Before I feel too pleased with myself about what I've bought and eaten, I need to 'fess up to the IBC Cream Soda I'm drinking, too. I bought these in August and have only had one since our diet started in September, but there were still two left, and with all the other sugar around I was craving one, so I caved. Sad how easily I caved, too.
I don't remember all my food from yesterday, but I kept it mostly reasonable. Dinner was a little higher fat than usual, because we had an African-themed dinner as part of a social studies lesson, and it consisted of chicken legs (cooked with a fig-based sauce), papaya stir-fried rice (actually papaya and pineapple, because I couldn't find just papaya, but it was very yummy), and fried plantains (kind of bland, so I only ate two or three slices, but Mary loved them). And I had a slice of cake for dessert (there were two dessert recipes, but both involved dates, and Mary doesn't care for dates). Today I had my usual breakfast, lunch of a turkey, provolone, and lettuce sandwich on whole wheat, and leftovers of last night's dinner. I had no planned snacks, just the junk food.
I haven't exercised since Saturday morning, except for trailing after the kids in the downtown trick-or-treating, which isn't exactly strenuous, except on the soles of my feet!
My weight has been solidly down all week, so I hope tomorrow's number won't be too bad. We'll see!
Monday, October 31, 2005
Halloween hell
Hi everyone,
I just handed out my hundredth candy to the trick-or-treaters and I swear I am eating one for everyone I hand out. But then I vowed to come in here and post something to make myself accountable. Every year at this time I feel like I am trying to lose weight...last year I was getting ready for our son's November wedding.
I think I posted about a week ago and I was just getting started and feeling totally positive. I had a fair weekend and started cheating with the candy last night. Today at school the kids had the party at 1:oo and I kept my hands and mouth away from the refreshments. Came home and took the dog on a 3 mile walk and felt pretty good. Now I am determined to take the extra Halloween candy to school tomorrow and pawn it off on the kids. I feel like whenever i start with any sugar I am like an alcoholic with bourbon or scotch ot whatever.
Okay, my short term goal is to lose 5 pounds AND KEEP IT OFF by Thanksgiving.
I wish you all a happy halloween.
Barb
I just handed out my hundredth candy to the trick-or-treaters and I swear I am eating one for everyone I hand out. But then I vowed to come in here and post something to make myself accountable. Every year at this time I feel like I am trying to lose weight...last year I was getting ready for our son's November wedding.
I think I posted about a week ago and I was just getting started and feeling totally positive. I had a fair weekend and started cheating with the candy last night. Today at school the kids had the party at 1:oo and I kept my hands and mouth away from the refreshments. Came home and took the dog on a 3 mile walk and felt pretty good. Now I am determined to take the extra Halloween candy to school tomorrow and pawn it off on the kids. I feel like whenever i start with any sugar I am like an alcoholic with bourbon or scotch ot whatever.
Okay, my short term goal is to lose 5 pounds AND KEEP IT OFF by Thanksgiving.
I wish you all a happy halloween.
Barb
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Weekend update
I can't remember when I posted last. Thursday, I think? I had a pretty good week, although my evenings were consistently bad as far as food goes. I was able to keep up with exercising, though, and even though I didn't have the healthiest food, I at least didn't eat too much of any of it. My Friday trip to the gym was cut short by a call from daycare, this time Claire's daycare. She was feverish, chills, white as a ghost, and needed to be picked up. I was five minutes from finishing my run on the treadmill when I got the call, but at least I had bumped up the speed not long before that, so I ended up burning as many calories as I would have in my normal workout. My weight stayed in the low 148-range, twice getting down to below 148 during the week.
Saturday was nearly a complete bust--I didn't have any real meal until dinnertime. Up until then, I kind of snacked all day, only some of it healthy (half a melon, nutri-grain bar) and too many girl scout cookies. I put the rest of the cookies into the freezer. Dinner was decent--fish with mango salsa, saffron rice, asparagus, and tomato and pepper salad, but then I had TWO beers and half a bag of microwave popcorn while watching a movie.
This morning I vowed to be better. I got up and went for a run early, ate one waffle for breakfast (not the best, but Claire didn't want both of hers), crackers, a slice of cheese, and a quarter of a melon for lunch, and almonds for snack. I also did a pilates workout because I was feeling so bad about not exercising on Saturday. I can really tell a difference in strength now when I exercise--I'm able to get through the workouts fairly easily and have started working on increasing resistance and improving my form to make them more effective. I noticed last night when Connor was making us do Wiggles songs that I can do the dances now without getting exhausted! And when I go running, I am able to actually run most of the route. There's only one long stretch (the uphill bit of Frederick Road) that I walk most of the way, so I'm probably running at least 3/4 of the route.
And now I have to get back to Halloween preparations!
Saturday was nearly a complete bust--I didn't have any real meal until dinnertime. Up until then, I kind of snacked all day, only some of it healthy (half a melon, nutri-grain bar) and too many girl scout cookies. I put the rest of the cookies into the freezer. Dinner was decent--fish with mango salsa, saffron rice, asparagus, and tomato and pepper salad, but then I had TWO beers and half a bag of microwave popcorn while watching a movie.
This morning I vowed to be better. I got up and went for a run early, ate one waffle for breakfast (not the best, but Claire didn't want both of hers), crackers, a slice of cheese, and a quarter of a melon for lunch, and almonds for snack. I also did a pilates workout because I was feeling so bad about not exercising on Saturday. I can really tell a difference in strength now when I exercise--I'm able to get through the workouts fairly easily and have started working on increasing resistance and improving my form to make them more effective. I noticed last night when Connor was making us do Wiggles songs that I can do the dances now without getting exhausted! And when I go running, I am able to actually run most of the route. There's only one long stretch (the uphill bit of Frederick Road) that I walk most of the way, so I'm probably running at least 3/4 of the route.
And now I have to get back to Halloween preparations!
Long Time No Post!
Hey guys!
It has been a while since I posted - I know - but I still read almost every day. It has been particularly busy at work the past few days - and I have been worried about getting ready for Halloween when I am at home. We also had two gigs this weekend - so that kept us busy also.
Katie and I have been JUST AWFUL about exercising. Last week I think we only worked out twice (maybe three times). I have been busy and on my feet a lot (which, for me with a desk job is actually a good thing) but we really can't count that as exercise. I have to get moving again. The painting project was great for exercise, but it got us out of the habit of REAL exercise. I can tell you right now that tomorrow for Halloween I probably won't do an formal exercise, but I can promise you I will get plenty of walking in.
Today I am at TESSCO. I am (on) the Halloween committee and so Kristy and I are meeting this morning to decorate the airlock on the way into the building. We are turning it into a Haunted House - but I don't think we actually have enough supplies - so we will probably spend time running around trying to find hang-y things and fog machine juice.
My weight is still on its way down. This morning it was 204.2!! Yippee!!! I feel great! I keep telling myself that it really isn't THAT good. When I first hit the 200's I am SURE I didn't think it was a good thing. For so long my weight has been steadily creeping up. When I started at TESSCO 6 years ago I was maybe in my 180's - which, of course, was too high. I gained actively for about 4 years. Then I really started trying to watch my weight and I slowed the increase down in the past two years. For my annual this year my weight was very slightly lower than last year and last year was about the same as the year before. SO - I was gaining about 10 pounds a year for a while. THAT means losing 10 pounds in 2 months really is great progress for me. I just hope I can keep it up! I would love to be 160-ish again - or even lower. I can say that my clothes are definitely fitting better - and my face looks slightly thinner. That was one of the things I didn't like about my weight gain - my face was so saggy looking. I have always had a perfect oval face - and now it is like a long rectangle. Soon - soon, maybe it will be oval again. My extra chin is almost all gone now too. Maybe I will start to be photogenic again. 8-) See - I have lots of goals, all accomplished through this one major task!
Eating has still been consistent with me - although we desperately need to go grocery shopping. We are out of about everything! I didn't eat enough vegetables yesterday - or fruit for that matter, but I got some of each of them, which is again MAJOR progress for me. I haven't eaten ANY of the $50 worth of Halloween candy we have in our living room - but I ate 3 Tagalongs yesterday. Remember guys - three cookies (or 4 even) is NORMAL. It is the BOX or two that is not right. That we have all stopped doing. We are making progress!!
It has been a while since I posted - I know - but I still read almost every day. It has been particularly busy at work the past few days - and I have been worried about getting ready for Halloween when I am at home. We also had two gigs this weekend - so that kept us busy also.
Katie and I have been JUST AWFUL about exercising. Last week I think we only worked out twice (maybe three times). I have been busy and on my feet a lot (which, for me with a desk job is actually a good thing) but we really can't count that as exercise. I have to get moving again. The painting project was great for exercise, but it got us out of the habit of REAL exercise. I can tell you right now that tomorrow for Halloween I probably won't do an formal exercise, but I can promise you I will get plenty of walking in.
Today I am at TESSCO. I am (on) the Halloween committee and so Kristy and I are meeting this morning to decorate the airlock on the way into the building. We are turning it into a Haunted House - but I don't think we actually have enough supplies - so we will probably spend time running around trying to find hang-y things and fog machine juice.
My weight is still on its way down. This morning it was 204.2!! Yippee!!! I feel great! I keep telling myself that it really isn't THAT good. When I first hit the 200's I am SURE I didn't think it was a good thing. For so long my weight has been steadily creeping up. When I started at TESSCO 6 years ago I was maybe in my 180's - which, of course, was too high. I gained actively for about 4 years. Then I really started trying to watch my weight and I slowed the increase down in the past two years. For my annual this year my weight was very slightly lower than last year and last year was about the same as the year before. SO - I was gaining about 10 pounds a year for a while. THAT means losing 10 pounds in 2 months really is great progress for me. I just hope I can keep it up! I would love to be 160-ish again - or even lower. I can say that my clothes are definitely fitting better - and my face looks slightly thinner. That was one of the things I didn't like about my weight gain - my face was so saggy looking. I have always had a perfect oval face - and now it is like a long rectangle. Soon - soon, maybe it will be oval again. My extra chin is almost all gone now too. Maybe I will start to be photogenic again. 8-) See - I have lots of goals, all accomplished through this one major task!
Eating has still been consistent with me - although we desperately need to go grocery shopping. We are out of about everything! I didn't eat enough vegetables yesterday - or fruit for that matter, but I got some of each of them, which is again MAJOR progress for me. I haven't eaten ANY of the $50 worth of Halloween candy we have in our living room - but I ate 3 Tagalongs yesterday. Remember guys - three cookies (or 4 even) is NORMAL. It is the BOX or two that is not right. That we have all stopped doing. We are making progress!!
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Talking to myself
This blog gets mighty quiet on the weekends! But I'm still going to post today just to keep myself honest. I did exercise today -- I went to the gym this morning and did 40 minutes on the bike at level 7. My legs were a bit tired from yesterday so I wasn't able to bump the level up as I went along at all, especially since my heart rate went over 180 on the last big spike in the workout. It's been so satisfying to see the level increase steadily over the last seven weeks, but I think I'm going to have to stick to 7 for a long time now.
I got four days of exercise total this week. I'm starting to get back to a more substantial exercise schedule at last -- I can't believe how much this virus set me back, in so many ways.
I ate my usual breakfast, and for lunch I had a PB&J sandwich and a glass of milk. (I've been wanting peanut butter for a while now but the regular stuff is too high in fat, so yesterday I bought lower-fat peanut butter. But when I got home I discovered the calorie level is exactly the same in both!! It is lower fat, and it tastes exactly the same to me, so it's probably better than the usual stuff. But to save on calories I just had to cut way back on how much I used on the sandwich, and it wasn't as good as a sandwich that's heavy with peanut butter.) I had a small box of raisins, a banana, and I think some almonds for snacks. And a marshmallow -- the marshmallows in our cabinet are starting to get stale, which tells you how good I've been lately, since normally I eat them up long before this point! I took the kids to a friend's house while I cantored tonight, and when I got back the kids had already eaten, so they offered me some dinner as well. So I had some very yummy beef stew and two slices of pizza without sauce (just cheesy bread, I guess) -- they were tiny wedges, and she served me two so I didn't feel it would be polite not to eat them.
My weight was still under 160 this morning, so the loss appears to be real!
I got four days of exercise total this week. I'm starting to get back to a more substantial exercise schedule at last -- I can't believe how much this virus set me back, in so many ways.
I ate my usual breakfast, and for lunch I had a PB&J sandwich and a glass of milk. (I've been wanting peanut butter for a while now but the regular stuff is too high in fat, so yesterday I bought lower-fat peanut butter. But when I got home I discovered the calorie level is exactly the same in both!! It is lower fat, and it tastes exactly the same to me, so it's probably better than the usual stuff. But to save on calories I just had to cut way back on how much I used on the sandwich, and it wasn't as good as a sandwich that's heavy with peanut butter.) I had a small box of raisins, a banana, and I think some almonds for snacks. And a marshmallow -- the marshmallows in our cabinet are starting to get stale, which tells you how good I've been lately, since normally I eat them up long before this point! I took the kids to a friend's house while I cantored tonight, and when I got back the kids had already eaten, so they offered me some dinner as well. So I had some very yummy beef stew and two slices of pizza without sauce (just cheesy bread, I guess) -- they were tiny wedges, and she served me two so I didn't feel it would be polite not to eat them.
My weight was still under 160 this morning, so the loss appears to be real!
Friday, October 28, 2005
Pounding the pavement
Today was exhausting. I ate irregularly and was on the go most of the day, after only 6 hours of sleep. Around 5:30 I had a frustrating conversation with amex about some of those false charges and after that I felt awful. I couldn't face the idea of dressing for the gym, loading the kids in and out of the van, and sitting on a bike staring at VH1 or some other drivel for 40 minutes. On the other hand, I found that I desperately wanted -- wanted! -- to get some exercise. I wanted to escape the house and the kids and the day. It was the sort of mood for which a month or two ago I would have wanted to eat every piece of candy or junk food in the house! So I put on a video, changed to a t-shirt, and told the kids I was going outside. I was planning to just get moving, maybe by running around the house, but by the time I was halfway into the driveway I knew that wouldn't do it. So I took off running down the side street next to our house, ran to the end (two blocks), and came back, then did the same on the other side street. I had thought I'd hit my usual lack of enthusiasm after 10 minutes at best, but instead I just wanted to keep moving. After 15 minutes (by which time I was walking instead of running) I popped my head into the house to tell Mary what I was doing and how she could track me down, and then I went out for another 20 minutes, mostly walking, but running the last segment again. ("Run" is a relative term -- my running is probably slower than my walking, but it's higher energy overall.) The whole outing felt great. My heart rate didn't get as high as it does when I bike, and it wasn't a full 40 minutes, but it was fun and it made me feel so much better. I'm really excited that I actually wanted to exercise. And this is the first time I've gone jogging since Mary was born, I think; I've tried before, but my chest bounces, and it can be uncomfortable but moreover I'm self conscious about it. Tonight I decided I just didn't care -- it didn't hurt, for some reason (is that because I'm more fit? -Wishful thinking) and I don't know most of these neighbors, so if I look odd they can get over it.
Let's see -- the usual breakfast, and yogurt and canteloupe for lunch, and dinner was a slice of cheese pizza and a glass of milk. My snacks were a real hodgepodge -- I had the usual string cheese and almonds, and I let myself have a fun pack of some M&Ms and a beer after dinner. But I also ate bits of the "witches' brew" from the preschool Halloween party -- about 4 mini pretzels, two mellocreme pumpkins, a couple of M&Ms, six or eight raisins, several mini marshmallows, and probably other things I've forgotten. But I resisted taking a big cupful and filling up on it, and except for marshmallows I've stayed out of the bag the kids brought home. It hasn't been a very nutritious day, but it could have been a whole lot more caloric, so I'm not very distressed.
Oh! And I broke the 160 barrier today! It's not official until Tuesday, but I was glad to see it all the same.
Let's see -- the usual breakfast, and yogurt and canteloupe for lunch, and dinner was a slice of cheese pizza and a glass of milk. My snacks were a real hodgepodge -- I had the usual string cheese and almonds, and I let myself have a fun pack of some M&Ms and a beer after dinner. But I also ate bits of the "witches' brew" from the preschool Halloween party -- about 4 mini pretzels, two mellocreme pumpkins, a couple of M&Ms, six or eight raisins, several mini marshmallows, and probably other things I've forgotten. But I resisted taking a big cupful and filling up on it, and except for marshmallows I've stayed out of the bag the kids brought home. It hasn't been a very nutritious day, but it could have been a whole lot more caloric, so I'm not very distressed.
Oh! And I broke the 160 barrier today! It's not official until Tuesday, but I was glad to see it all the same.
Friday
I haven't managed to get out for a walk for several days! We have been making daily midday trips to Manor Care to see Kirsten, and by the time we get home we are cold and tired. On the exercise front, Dick and I went out to Maple Lawn Farms in Fawn Grove, PA and picked tow bushels of apples, so that counted as some exercise. I walked back and forth to the car from the far end of the grove three times, carring a half bushel of apples each time, and made one more run to go back to pick up the apple picker. Dick did most of the picking with the picker while I carried the basket and picked what was within reach. Then this evening we went to County Home Park to watch the first half of EJ's football game. That also involved some walking up and down the field, and shivering! Dick got so cold we left at the half.
I have been eating sensible breakfasts and lunches, but yesterday I made a large turkey pie with turkey, gravy, carrots, potatoes and mushrooms for dinner that we had again tonight. Furthermore this morning I made a batch of cookies from refrigerated, purchased cookie dough and managed to eat four of them over the course of the day--shame on me! To compound the felony we had hot chocolate when we came home from the game. I also made a batch of applesauce this morning and had some of that with dinner. I only used one cup of sugar in the batch, but it wasn't a very big batch!
This morning I was up a half pound to 147, and I hate to think what tomorrow will be!
I have been eating sensible breakfasts and lunches, but yesterday I made a large turkey pie with turkey, gravy, carrots, potatoes and mushrooms for dinner that we had again tonight. Furthermore this morning I made a batch of cookies from refrigerated, purchased cookie dough and managed to eat four of them over the course of the day--shame on me! To compound the felony we had hot chocolate when we came home from the game. I also made a batch of applesauce this morning and had some of that with dinner. I only used one cup of sugar in the batch, but it wasn't a very big batch!
This morning I was up a half pound to 147, and I hate to think what tomorrow will be!
Thursday and Friday
I have been off work yesterday and today trying to take care of things around the house to get ready for winter. Yesterday I spent the majority of the day digging and planting bulbs for spring. This morning has been more of the same, and when Joe gets back from whe hardware store awe are going to attempt to stain the deck, which I am dreading because it is 16' x 33' and 9' in the air. Excellent.
So needless to say my exercise has been in the form of chores. Yesterday I ate yogurt and granola for breakfast, but we went to Messinas's for lunch and I had a small chicken parmesan sub and 2 cheese sticks. It was delicious. For dinner I had toast. Today I had a waffle for breakfast, and I just snacked on a few almonds, and I have no idea what the rest of the day will bring.
Joe just got home...gotta run...
So needless to say my exercise has been in the form of chores. Yesterday I ate yogurt and granola for breakfast, but we went to Messinas's for lunch and I had a small chicken parmesan sub and 2 cheese sticks. It was delicious. For dinner I had toast. Today I had a waffle for breakfast, and I just snacked on a few almonds, and I have no idea what the rest of the day will bring.
Joe just got home...gotta run...
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Please don't be offended
I saw this on another site and thought it was an excellent public service announcement as we head into this weekend: http://www.swansonkids.com/pumpkinbutt.htm
OK, on to the real post: I've continued to eat junk, mostly in the evening. I can't even remember what I had for dinner last night, but I know I fit in four girl scout cookies before and after, so that wasn't really good. I did hit the gym yesterday to use the treadmill, and I ate well throughout the day, but just didn't feel like healthy cooking at night. Tonight was more or less the same thing--ate well all day, then had starch with fat, more starch with fat, with a slab of fat on the side for dinner (corn on the cob, bread and butter, and fresh mozarella--a dinner entirely cobbled together out of what Claire thought looked good at the grocery store). I really need to go find something green to eat.
OTOH, my weight is doing good--today I was at 148.2, so again I'm thinking that the 148.6 on Tuesday was probably accurate. Good for me! Tonight is more pilates, then the treadmill again tomorrow. Now that I have a routine to my exercise, it's a lot easier to do (sort of like when I make up menus, I tend to eat better).
OK, on to the real post: I've continued to eat junk, mostly in the evening. I can't even remember what I had for dinner last night, but I know I fit in four girl scout cookies before and after, so that wasn't really good. I did hit the gym yesterday to use the treadmill, and I ate well throughout the day, but just didn't feel like healthy cooking at night. Tonight was more or less the same thing--ate well all day, then had starch with fat, more starch with fat, with a slab of fat on the side for dinner (corn on the cob, bread and butter, and fresh mozarella--a dinner entirely cobbled together out of what Claire thought looked good at the grocery store). I really need to go find something green to eat.
OTOH, my weight is doing good--today I was at 148.2, so again I'm thinking that the 148.6 on Tuesday was probably accurate. Good for me! Tonight is more pilates, then the treadmill again tomorrow. Now that I have a routine to my exercise, it's a lot easier to do (sort of like when I make up menus, I tend to eat better).
Getting tired of 160s!
Every night for the several days I've weighed myself and I've been close to 160 (anywhere from a half pound to two pounds over), which meant with enough water loss and nursing overnight I could see 159.5 or lower in the morning, if I got lucky. But every day -- despite a baby who has nursed all night, every night -- I'm still just over, or at 160.0. I'm having the imodium effect without the imodium, and I think that's the reason. But it's very annoying.
I exercised yesterday -- 35 minutes on the bike at level 7, for about 10.5 miles -- but not on Tuesday, because Tuesday I found myself in motion non-stop for most of the day and I genuinely didn't find the time. Today I didn't exercise; I have to finish Cecilia's costume if I want her to wear it to the preschool party tomorrow, but it's barely started! It is all cut out, though, and that's the most tedious part. But I needed to go to Joann's and get snap tape, and that slowed me down as well. Grumble. Tomorrow I will exercise.
Yesterday I had my usual breakfast, and I had a skim latte (and a bite of Mary's cookie, and a sip of her hot chocolate) mid-morning. For lunch I had some lunchmeat and a couple of whole wheat waffles (but only one with margarine and syrup) -- the waffles were a treat for Mary's birthday. I don't think I had any snacks after lunch; I was running around for a good portion of the afternoon. For dinner I had spaghetti and meatballs -- but a small portion of spaghetti and only three meatballs -- and a caesar salad and some cucumber slices. And milk to drink. Dessert was cake, of course, and I didn't have a super-small piece but it could have been worse. Then I was totally stuffed.
Today I had my usual breakfast (I chose raisin bran cereal in the hopes that my intestines will resume normal function) and for lunch I had lunchmeat and raisin bread, toasted with margarine. I had snacks of canteloupe, almonds and a piece of string cheese (but Alexander ate a lot of the cheese). Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs again, the same amount as yesterday, with a side of green pepper slices (about a third of a pepper -- Mary ate several pieces of the half I cut up). Again, I'm stuffed. Spaghetti is a heavy dinner! I will allow myself a piece of cake again, mostly to see that it gets used up, but I'm going to wait on that. Daniel is out of town now until Monday so I'm less likely to find myself eating chips before bedtime, so I can afford dessert once in a while. :)
I exercised yesterday -- 35 minutes on the bike at level 7, for about 10.5 miles -- but not on Tuesday, because Tuesday I found myself in motion non-stop for most of the day and I genuinely didn't find the time. Today I didn't exercise; I have to finish Cecilia's costume if I want her to wear it to the preschool party tomorrow, but it's barely started! It is all cut out, though, and that's the most tedious part. But I needed to go to Joann's and get snap tape, and that slowed me down as well. Grumble. Tomorrow I will exercise.
Yesterday I had my usual breakfast, and I had a skim latte (and a bite of Mary's cookie, and a sip of her hot chocolate) mid-morning. For lunch I had some lunchmeat and a couple of whole wheat waffles (but only one with margarine and syrup) -- the waffles were a treat for Mary's birthday. I don't think I had any snacks after lunch; I was running around for a good portion of the afternoon. For dinner I had spaghetti and meatballs -- but a small portion of spaghetti and only three meatballs -- and a caesar salad and some cucumber slices. And milk to drink. Dessert was cake, of course, and I didn't have a super-small piece but it could have been worse. Then I was totally stuffed.
Today I had my usual breakfast (I chose raisin bran cereal in the hopes that my intestines will resume normal function) and for lunch I had lunchmeat and raisin bread, toasted with margarine. I had snacks of canteloupe, almonds and a piece of string cheese (but Alexander ate a lot of the cheese). Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs again, the same amount as yesterday, with a side of green pepper slices (about a third of a pepper -- Mary ate several pieces of the half I cut up). Again, I'm stuffed. Spaghetti is a heavy dinner! I will allow myself a piece of cake again, mostly to see that it gets used up, but I'm going to wait on that. Daniel is out of town now until Monday so I'm less likely to find myself eating chips before bedtime, so I can afford dessert once in a while. :)
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Oh--my exercise...
Yesterday I walked (in the rain) between City DPW and SHA for my exercise. It is a 20 minute walk each way, so I counted that as my daily exercise.
Not sure what I'll do today...
Not sure what I'll do today...
An update on yesterday, plus today
I didn't go home and have Moroccan beef stew for dinner again. I was tired of it, so I had tuna on toast and a handful of plain potato chips. I had one pirouette cookie stick before bed too. Which is a small victory in itself because I used to eat 2 or 3.
Today has been the same--all natural yogurt with granola stirred in for breakfast, a banana for my mid morning snack, and I just ate my carrots out of boredom while I am waiting on a report to run. I have pb & j again...BUT...I am a little bored with that today so I may try to get a sandwich out somewhere. Subway is probably my only reasonable option if I do head out at lunch time. Every where else serves garbage disguised as food.
I also didn't stop and get a scale. I ended up leaving work much later than I had planned, and I had a very annoying headache, which I later attributed to the fact that I had consumed no caffeine all day long. I haven't had any yet today either...the headache should start around 2:30...
Do any of you log your weight fluctuations through the day? Yesterday morning I weighed in at 164, but last night before bed I was 167. I am going to keep track of it for a few days just out of curiosity. 3 lbs seems like a lot, especially since I really didn't eat a lot yesterday.
Today has been the same--all natural yogurt with granola stirred in for breakfast, a banana for my mid morning snack, and I just ate my carrots out of boredom while I am waiting on a report to run. I have pb & j again...BUT...I am a little bored with that today so I may try to get a sandwich out somewhere. Subway is probably my only reasonable option if I do head out at lunch time. Every where else serves garbage disguised as food.
I also didn't stop and get a scale. I ended up leaving work much later than I had planned, and I had a very annoying headache, which I later attributed to the fact that I had consumed no caffeine all day long. I haven't had any yet today either...the headache should start around 2:30...
Do any of you log your weight fluctuations through the day? Yesterday morning I weighed in at 164, but last night before bed I was 167. I am going to keep track of it for a few days just out of curiosity. 3 lbs seems like a lot, especially since I really didn't eat a lot yesterday.
I ate junk
Last night I came home and ate nothing much at all, and most of what I ate was really not very good for me--I started with a couple of Thin Mints, then had french fries for dinner (it was the only part of the dinner that appealed to me), then an apple with soynut butter when I realized at the kids' bedtime that I hadn't eaten much of anything (the french fries were 150 calories of baked fries). Before bed, I had tea and cafe cookies again.
I did exercise, though. Pilates is so cool in that I never feel like doing it that late at night--I'm always tired and last night was particularly bad in that Connor was being the Child From Hell all night (getting into the china cabinet, dumping water on the floor, getting into goodies, and finally vomiting in the sink while the water was running, causing the sink to back up and getting the vomit all over himself, toothbrushes, toys, etc.), but once I start, I never feel like quitting halfway through and always feel better afterwards. I did the 50-minute "advanced" workout last night for the first time, and it wasn't nearly so difficult as I expected. The level of difficulty was about the same as the other videos, but it was just longer and targeted more areas. It also included a lot more warm-up/stretching exercises, so the pace was good.
This morning the scale tells me I weight 147.8. I don't believe that, but it makes yesterday's 148.6 a bit more believeable.
I did exercise, though. Pilates is so cool in that I never feel like doing it that late at night--I'm always tired and last night was particularly bad in that Connor was being the Child From Hell all night (getting into the china cabinet, dumping water on the floor, getting into goodies, and finally vomiting in the sink while the water was running, causing the sink to back up and getting the vomit all over himself, toothbrushes, toys, etc.), but once I start, I never feel like quitting halfway through and always feel better afterwards. I did the 50-minute "advanced" workout last night for the first time, and it wasn't nearly so difficult as I expected. The level of difficulty was about the same as the other videos, but it was just longer and targeted more areas. It also included a lot more warm-up/stretching exercises, so the pace was good.
This morning the scale tells me I weight 147.8. I don't believe that, but it makes yesterday's 148.6 a bit more believeable.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Sarah's a big loser!!
OK, so Sarah and I seem to REALLY be parallelling on this weight loss thing. I got up and got on the scale this morning and weighed 149.4. Which I was very excited about. It's been quite some time since I've seen the 140s! Never, actually, come to think of it, because I didn't weigh myself between 135 and 158! But anyway, I digress. So I was all happy, then it occured to me that I hadn't gone potty yet, so I did and (because I, too, am obsessive) weighed myself again and it said 148.8. WOO HOOO!!!!! But that still puts Sarah at a lower weight than me, 149.2 OR 148.6, she's beaten me by 0.2 pounds. That hardly seems fair, but now she gets a present. Maybe I'll check out the new scrapbook store in Hampsted (which is SO not new, but I've never managed to go there when it's open). Maybe I'll get me a present too.
So I'm nearing the 10 pound mark. I think I've passed the 10 pound mark, since the scale was all wonky and I think I started around 160, but I can't officially claim it until I beat 148 because my first weigh-in was 158. Soon though, right?
So, what's it like to have a job where you can work out in the middle of the day? I get about 10 or 15 minutes for lunch and I'm technically not allowed to leave school grounds, so I am very jealous of all of you being able to pick up and go to the gym or out for a walk in the middle of the day. I think I'd have a lot of success with the splitting-up-the-exercise concept, but it's really hard to get motivated to work out twice after I get home from work. *sigh* I'm making excuses. I could go home and work out right now (it's about 5:40) and then again when Amy comes home at around 7:30, but that doesn't really seem like splitting it up! Oh, well, I'll give it a try.
Congrats on so many success stories this week. Keep up the good work, girls!!
So I'm nearing the 10 pound mark. I think I've passed the 10 pound mark, since the scale was all wonky and I think I started around 160, but I can't officially claim it until I beat 148 because my first weigh-in was 158. Soon though, right?
So, what's it like to have a job where you can work out in the middle of the day? I get about 10 or 15 minutes for lunch and I'm technically not allowed to leave school grounds, so I am very jealous of all of you being able to pick up and go to the gym or out for a walk in the middle of the day. I think I'd have a lot of success with the splitting-up-the-exercise concept, but it's really hard to get motivated to work out twice after I get home from work. *sigh* I'm making excuses. I could go home and work out right now (it's about 5:40) and then again when Amy comes home at around 7:30, but that doesn't really seem like splitting it up! Oh, well, I'll give it a try.
Congrats on so many success stories this week. Keep up the good work, girls!!
160.5
That's a half pound higher than the lowest I've seen and a pound lower than last week -- so I'm still making progress but I could have done better if I'd eaten better and exercised more all week. Today I have to figure out what to do for exercise, since the gym is WAY too boring by myself and I already went there alone yesterday. I have to make myself do aerobics (which means making myself clean up the stuff all over the living room floor, too. Ugh).
146.5!!!!!
Woo hoo!!!!! I was really careful with my eating yesterday, but my dinner sounded a bit excessive to me. I roasted a turkey breast and had some of it with mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, and gravy. No dessert, no alcohol, and no bedtime snack, even though I was really hungry at bedtime!
No time to write--we have to go grocery shopping on this nasty, rainy day. We already went out this morning. I have to see my doctor every three months for a blood pressure review, and it was good. He also noted I have lost seven pounds, according to his charts. We then stopped in to see Kirsten for about an hour, and then came home for lunch--I had a low fat peach yogurt and a glass of milk and a cookie. I'll have half an apple later and some almonds, and more turkey for dinner. With what, I don't know yet!
You are all doing great! I hope we hear from Katie and Barbara today, too.
I like Julie's suggestion of a glass of water morning and night.
No time to write--we have to go grocery shopping on this nasty, rainy day. We already went out this morning. I have to see my doctor every three months for a blood pressure review, and it was good. He also noted I have lost seven pounds, according to his charts. We then stopped in to see Kirsten for about an hour, and then came home for lunch--I had a low fat peach yogurt and a glass of milk and a cookie. I'll have half an apple later and some almonds, and more turkey for dinner. With what, I don't know yet!
You are all doing great! I hope we hear from Katie and Barbara today, too.
I like Julie's suggestion of a glass of water morning and night.
Take your pick
When I weighed in this morning, I was 149.2--down over a pound and a half from last week. Then I took a shower and afterwards, because I'm obsessive, I weighed myself again because I was curious about how much my wet hair weighs. I was 148.6. I moved the scale and tried again. 148.6. Is that weird, or what? All I can figure is that the steam from the shower must have sweated off any excess water weight I had (either that or the steam from the shower makes the scale inaccurate!), although you'd think it would be compensated for by the wet hair. It's not as if I have short, thin hair. In any event, I'm going with the first weight as my official Tuesday weight (unless, of course, Katie came in lower, in which case I'll go with 148.6!).
Sounds so far as if everyone is seeing good news today! Great job, everyone!
Did I already post my theory of exercise here? OK, I did last Thursday--it's the theory that says that the reason exercise makes the stress of the day disappear is because the exercise itself is more stressful than anything else that you can't get beyond your current misery to think about other problems. So true. I hate exercising too, but I'm managing a lot more than I thought I'd be able to by breaking it into two sessions most days (which the magazines assure me is every bit as good as or even better than doing it all at once). Half an hour midday, then another 20 minutes at night. I'm also finding that the worst part of any exercise session is the first half of it. I always figure that that's because it takes my body a while to adjust to what I'm doing to it!
I made tacos with the ground beef last night. We only had huge, burrito-sized tortillas, so I tore one in half and Claire had one half and I had the other. I loaded on the lettuce and tomato and only put a small amount of cheese. Before bedtime, I had a cup of tea with four of the G.S. cafe cookies (which are really good dipped in tea). I also did the pilates abs video. I wonder if it's physically possible to do a move called "the teaser?" I don't think my body goes in that position! I think I'm going to pull out the "advanced" pilates dvd tonight--I haven't even taken the plastic off of it yet, and I hear it's a killer (it's 50 minutes instead of the usual 20 to 25 minutes).
Sounds so far as if everyone is seeing good news today! Great job, everyone!
Did I already post my theory of exercise here? OK, I did last Thursday--it's the theory that says that the reason exercise makes the stress of the day disappear is because the exercise itself is more stressful than anything else that you can't get beyond your current misery to think about other problems. So true. I hate exercising too, but I'm managing a lot more than I thought I'd be able to by breaking it into two sessions most days (which the magazines assure me is every bit as good as or even better than doing it all at once). Half an hour midday, then another 20 minutes at night. I'm also finding that the worst part of any exercise session is the first half of it. I always figure that that's because it takes my body a while to adjust to what I'm doing to it!
I made tacos with the ground beef last night. We only had huge, burrito-sized tortillas, so I tore one in half and Claire had one half and I had the other. I loaded on the lettuce and tomato and only put a small amount of cheese. Before bedtime, I had a cup of tea with four of the G.S. cafe cookies (which are really good dipped in tea). I also did the pilates abs video. I wonder if it's physically possible to do a move called "the teaser?" I don't think my body goes in that position! I think I'm going to pull out the "advanced" pilates dvd tonight--I haven't even taken the plastic off of it yet, and I hear it's a killer (it's 50 minutes instead of the usual 20 to 25 minutes).
Yay Julie!!
Good Job!
It sounds like what you have eaten recently is exactly what Katie and I have been shooting for each day. It seems to really make a difference.
I do believe what the French woman says - to a certain degree. I couldn't do an hour of exercise a day either - I get WAY too bored. And you are right, it is worse than a chore. It isn't so bad once you get going - but about 10-20 minutes into it I am OVER the exercise thing. I do think that if you increase your activity even a little bit each day that it will make a difference in the long run. Katie and I do about 10-25 minutes each day (when we DO get ourselves in the groove). That seems to be enough for right now - along with our better eating. But - a few months from now - if we keep ourselves going on this path - 10-20 minutes a day WON'T be enough, because our bodies will be used to that much exercise on a daily basis. Same with the French chick - her daily walking would really show if she suddenly stopped doing it - but as long as she is still doing it, it IS just part of her daily routine. If she decided to lose weight she would have to do something extra.
Katie - what was your weight last Tuesday (or Monday or Wednesday - whatever you use as your weigh-in day)? I am missing that from my chart.
Barb - I am an Excell junkie... If you want me to track your weekly progress, let me know what you want to use as your starting number, and then if you post your weight each Tuesday I will track it on my lovely, color coded chart. (What is your favorite color?)
It sounds like what you have eaten recently is exactly what Katie and I have been shooting for each day. It seems to really make a difference.
I do believe what the French woman says - to a certain degree. I couldn't do an hour of exercise a day either - I get WAY too bored. And you are right, it is worse than a chore. It isn't so bad once you get going - but about 10-20 minutes into it I am OVER the exercise thing. I do think that if you increase your activity even a little bit each day that it will make a difference in the long run. Katie and I do about 10-25 minutes each day (when we DO get ourselves in the groove). That seems to be enough for right now - along with our better eating. But - a few months from now - if we keep ourselves going on this path - 10-20 minutes a day WON'T be enough, because our bodies will be used to that much exercise on a daily basis. Same with the French chick - her daily walking would really show if she suddenly stopped doing it - but as long as she is still doing it, it IS just part of her daily routine. If she decided to lose weight she would have to do something extra.
Katie - what was your weight last Tuesday (or Monday or Wednesday - whatever you use as your weigh-in day)? I am missing that from my chart.
Barb - I am an Excell junkie... If you want me to track your weekly progress, let me know what you want to use as your starting number, and then if you post your weight each Tuesday I will track it on my lovely, color coded chart. (What is your favorite color?)
I DID IT
Well - PART of it... I was 205.2 this morning. That is OFFICIALLY more than 10 pounds lost!! Yippee!! I was very pleased this morning. I always try to "guess the number" while the scale is thinking about it. I guessed 206.2 this morning - but I was off by a pound! Hee hee. So this is 3.8 pounds down from last week's weight - which, I am sure, was a false reading. It is 3.2 down from my previous Tuesday weight - so that is 1.6 per week - which is RIGHT on track with what I have been doing all along.
Emily - I don't know if this is possible for you to do or not, but what Katie and I do for our food is each night after dinner we pack our "lunches" for the next day. In reality this is all the food we are allowed (and sort of required) to eat during the day. We pack everything from our skim milk and cereal up through our late afternoon snacks. We always include two fruits, two veggies, one more interesting snack (cheese stick, and crackers - or something) as well as lunch and breakfast. Then, we have a normal dinner with a vegetable. IF we are still hungry we are allowed an evening snack (ie yogurt, pistachio nuts, or something). Most time we each come home with SOMETHING in our lunch bags, so we will eat that after dinner instead - or pack it up again the next morning. This has been a great system for us, because after the first week or two we didn't really have to count the calories anymore, because it is always the same number. All of the stuff we take - combined with our dinner - usually comes out between 1200 and 1500 calories. This also makes our "cheating" harder to do (if we are munchie we check what is left in our bags) but also we mentally know we have about a 200 calorie buffer. That makes it easier to have appropriate treats once in a while to help keep us sane - or to figure in an evening snack. We find that we have to eat about every two or three hours to actually get rid of all of the food. We also measure everything into the recommended serving size. That way we know exactly how many calories we are consuming with each snack. You would be surprised how much an ounce of Bakes Lays are.
Katie and I do this even if we are not going anywhere the next day. You and Daniel could do the same and that way you won't feel compelled to eat the same things your kids do. You will also be able to control the balance of your daily intake. And - after the first week or so - it only takes Katie and me about 10 minutes to pack up a days worth of food. It is a chore once in a while - but for the most part packing our lunches is kind of fun.
Emily - I don't know if this is possible for you to do or not, but what Katie and I do for our food is each night after dinner we pack our "lunches" for the next day. In reality this is all the food we are allowed (and sort of required) to eat during the day. We pack everything from our skim milk and cereal up through our late afternoon snacks. We always include two fruits, two veggies, one more interesting snack (cheese stick, and crackers - or something) as well as lunch and breakfast. Then, we have a normal dinner with a vegetable. IF we are still hungry we are allowed an evening snack (ie yogurt, pistachio nuts, or something). Most time we each come home with SOMETHING in our lunch bags, so we will eat that after dinner instead - or pack it up again the next morning. This has been a great system for us, because after the first week or two we didn't really have to count the calories anymore, because it is always the same number. All of the stuff we take - combined with our dinner - usually comes out between 1200 and 1500 calories. This also makes our "cheating" harder to do (if we are munchie we check what is left in our bags) but also we mentally know we have about a 200 calorie buffer. That makes it easier to have appropriate treats once in a while to help keep us sane - or to figure in an evening snack. We find that we have to eat about every two or three hours to actually get rid of all of the food. We also measure everything into the recommended serving size. That way we know exactly how many calories we are consuming with each snack. You would be surprised how much an ounce of Bakes Lays are.
Katie and I do this even if we are not going anywhere the next day. You and Daniel could do the same and that way you won't feel compelled to eat the same things your kids do. You will also be able to control the balance of your daily intake. And - after the first week or so - it only takes Katie and me about 10 minutes to pack up a days worth of food. It is a chore once in a while - but for the most part packing our lunches is kind of fun.
164? Is that possible?
I have seen a significant drop this week. 164.0 this morning. Having said that, I am going to stop at Target on my way home and get a new scale. But I also have to admit this is the first week I have been extremely vigilant with my eating. Emily may think she's the worst eater, but I tend to post at my most virtuous point in the day, and then forget about the garbage I eat by the next time I post. I have good intentions...it's just a matter of following through and sometimes I fail at that.
I have been managing what I eat better this week, and following some tricks in the French women don't get fat book. This one seems to work for me--drink a glass of water before bed and then another first thing in the morning before eating breakfast. And no cheating--tea or coffee doesn't count. Plain old water. For whatever reason (magical properties of water?) it has really helped me keep from being starving before lunch. Maybe because I fill up on water and then push my breakfast back until right when I get to work? That is anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour later than before. And at night I don't have the urge for the pre-bedtime snack. I've been doing this for the last week and maybe that is contributing to my big change. I plan to keep it up and see if it really is that or just a complete fluke.
I spent 15 minutes on the stair climber yesterday, and then did part of a Denise Austin video until Joe came upstairs and I had an audience... While I like the idea of spending an hour a day exercising, it just isn't realistic because I really don't enjoy it at all. It is worse than a chore. So I figure that I am going for an amount per day I can actually keep up over the long haul. I have also been trying to sneak some walking in at work, but this darn rain doesn't help me there. Plus the French lady book swears you don't have to spend an hour a day on the treadmill to maintain a reasonable weight and level of health. She says it's all about moderation. Not sure if I've totally bought into that part of the book yet...I think additional exercise is needed. The woman lives between NYC and Paris--I think she forgets she goes everywhere on foot during the day.
Food yesterday: all natural yogurt w/3 tbsp of granola for breakfast, grapes for a morning snack, pb & j on 7 grain bread (pepperidge farm light--try it--I really like it!), 100 calorie pack of chips ahoy crisps, an apple and carrots for my midafternoon snack, 2 hershey kisses, and moroccan beef stew over cous cous with a biscuit for dinner.
The plan is the same for today. I am loving pb & j for lunch on that bread. It is a little odd because I usually tire really quickly of my lunches...
And the veggie lasagna really isn't that bad unless you are eating a gigantic portion--yes it is loaded with cheese, BUT it is still only 6 weightwatchers points which is a little light for an evening meal. Most tend to be around 8. I ate that stuff 4 days last week and weighed in at my lowest point since May. Joe & I got 8 servings out of the 9 x 13 lasagna tray. We had it 3 nights for dinner, and we each took it 1 day for lunch as well.
I have been managing what I eat better this week, and following some tricks in the French women don't get fat book. This one seems to work for me--drink a glass of water before bed and then another first thing in the morning before eating breakfast. And no cheating--tea or coffee doesn't count. Plain old water. For whatever reason (magical properties of water?) it has really helped me keep from being starving before lunch. Maybe because I fill up on water and then push my breakfast back until right when I get to work? That is anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour later than before. And at night I don't have the urge for the pre-bedtime snack. I've been doing this for the last week and maybe that is contributing to my big change. I plan to keep it up and see if it really is that or just a complete fluke.
I spent 15 minutes on the stair climber yesterday, and then did part of a Denise Austin video until Joe came upstairs and I had an audience... While I like the idea of spending an hour a day exercising, it just isn't realistic because I really don't enjoy it at all. It is worse than a chore. So I figure that I am going for an amount per day I can actually keep up over the long haul. I have also been trying to sneak some walking in at work, but this darn rain doesn't help me there. Plus the French lady book swears you don't have to spend an hour a day on the treadmill to maintain a reasonable weight and level of health. She says it's all about moderation. Not sure if I've totally bought into that part of the book yet...I think additional exercise is needed. The woman lives between NYC and Paris--I think she forgets she goes everywhere on foot during the day.
Food yesterday: all natural yogurt w/3 tbsp of granola for breakfast, grapes for a morning snack, pb & j on 7 grain bread (pepperidge farm light--try it--I really like it!), 100 calorie pack of chips ahoy crisps, an apple and carrots for my midafternoon snack, 2 hershey kisses, and moroccan beef stew over cous cous with a biscuit for dinner.
The plan is the same for today. I am loving pb & j for lunch on that bread. It is a little odd because I usually tire really quickly of my lunches...
And the veggie lasagna really isn't that bad unless you are eating a gigantic portion--yes it is loaded with cheese, BUT it is still only 6 weightwatchers points which is a little light for an evening meal. Most tend to be around 8. I ate that stuff 4 days last week and weighed in at my lowest point since May. Joe & I got 8 servings out of the 9 x 13 lasagna tray. We had it 3 nights for dinner, and we each took it 1 day for lunch as well.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Make that a snowy Monday
Not real snow, though -- we had sleet around noon and then rain and snow mixed together for a few hours in the afternoon. Just a mess. I had no interest in leaving the house. But Daniel called and told me he was coming home so I could go to the gym, so when he got here I went. I did 40 minutes on the recumbent bike at level 7 and it was tough -- I'm not sure if this is the effect of pushing myself a bit too hard on Saturday or if this bike is tougher than the one I was on last week; I wouldn't be at all surprised if the bikes were a bit inconsistent. But I made myself finish (actually the hardest part was about a minute before the halfway point -- I couldn't quite handle the spike in the routine there) so I can start feeling like I'm back on the wagon now.
Except for food, that is. I had the normal breakfast and I had lunch of yogurt and a slice of (apparently) partially whole wheat raisin bread, toasted (the loaf was a friend's contribution to Saturday's party, and lucky for me only half of it was eaten), and milk to drink. I had canteloupe and almonds for snacks. For dinner I ate a good-sized salad (with dressing, not low-fat, I'm sorry to say -- curse the day I ever discovered Caesar dressing) and a smallish slice of pepperoni pizza, but I was still hungry so I ate a slice of cheese pizza. I also had a medium glass of riesling. I didn't have a dessert but I did have a very small handful of Doritos just before I posted here.
My weight has been fluctuating between 160 and 162 since last Tuesday, so I don't know what I'm going to see tomorrow. I think I'm the worst eater on the blog! I don't get good balance (though I can tell I'm not overeating on the starchy foods as much as I did before) and I don't count calories. It's a wonder I'm losing weight at all!
Except for food, that is. I had the normal breakfast and I had lunch of yogurt and a slice of (apparently) partially whole wheat raisin bread, toasted (the loaf was a friend's contribution to Saturday's party, and lucky for me only half of it was eaten), and milk to drink. I had canteloupe and almonds for snacks. For dinner I ate a good-sized salad (with dressing, not low-fat, I'm sorry to say -- curse the day I ever discovered Caesar dressing) and a smallish slice of pepperoni pizza, but I was still hungry so I ate a slice of cheese pizza. I also had a medium glass of riesling. I didn't have a dessert but I did have a very small handful of Doritos just before I posted here.
My weight has been fluctuating between 160 and 162 since last Tuesday, so I don't know what I'm going to see tomorrow. I think I'm the worst eater on the blog! I don't get good balance (though I can tell I'm not overeating on the starchy foods as much as I did before) and I don't count calories. It's a wonder I'm losing weight at all!
Pumpkin Latte
Oh! Just in case you think Katie and I talked Sarah out of the Pumpkin Latte because we are good, virtuous, moral supporty sisters - it is not true. Katie and I had pumpkin lattes last Saturday and they were gross!!! We talked her out of it simply because there are better ways to blow 360 calories and five bucks!. Also - the skim vanilla latte is better.
Me too biting nails!!
Today my weight was 205.4 - that is officially 10 pounds down from my starting weight. However, like Sarah I can find no consistancy in how I feel, what I have done, and what I weigh.
I was feeling VERY heavy today - but my weight was great! I didn't officially exercise all weekend, I ate blueberry "butt"kle all yesterday AND since last Tuesday I have probably eaten about a dozen mini candy bars. And yet my weight has gone down everyday since Thurday. It makes no sense. It is like my post drinking plunge. Everytime I go out drinking I weigh less the next day. It is enough to make me want to bar hop everynight. Same thing with the food... Now I am thinking that I should have dessert for breakfast EVERY day!
Katie reported the food for today already. We have to get back into our exercise routine too. Currently the painting projects are all done. We just have to rescue our living room so we have space to kickbox and pi-late. (Actually we have agreed that we HATE the pilates workout - 2 minutes and we are DONE!) I was trying to get Julie to join my gym today so we can go together. The treadmill is considerably less boring when there is someone to talk to. Regardless, I have to get myself back into the gym routine. I used to make time for it everyday - I don't THINK I am any busier now than I was then - just lazier. That will be my goal for this week.
I was feeling VERY heavy today - but my weight was great! I didn't officially exercise all weekend, I ate blueberry "butt"kle all yesterday AND since last Tuesday I have probably eaten about a dozen mini candy bars. And yet my weight has gone down everyday since Thurday. It makes no sense. It is like my post drinking plunge. Everytime I go out drinking I weigh less the next day. It is enough to make me want to bar hop everynight. Same thing with the food... Now I am thinking that I should have dessert for breakfast EVERY day!
Katie reported the food for today already. We have to get back into our exercise routine too. Currently the painting projects are all done. We just have to rescue our living room so we have space to kickbox and pi-late. (Actually we have agreed that we HATE the pilates workout - 2 minutes and we are DONE!) I was trying to get Julie to join my gym today so we can go together. The treadmill is considerably less boring when there is someone to talk to. Regardless, I have to get myself back into the gym routine. I used to make time for it everyday - I don't THINK I am any busier now than I was then - just lazier. That will be my goal for this week.
OK, I REALLY have to get better about this!
It has officially been TWO WEEKS since I've posted! I normally manage to at least read it every day or two, and post at least once a week, but these past two weeks have been really bad! I don't know what happened to me, except that we've had standardized testing for the last week and I was helping with that in the other classrooms. Today was the last day of testing, and I didn't have anywhere else to be helping out for a change, so I managed to sit here the entire time. And did I post? Nooooooooo. But I am now.
Hey Barb! Welcome!
OK, so last week's weigh-in was 152.4, I believe. Something like that. This week I've been hovering around the 151 mark, with a low today of 150.2. This means that I'm bound to have my typical weigh-in day jump, and I'll be back in the 152s tomorrow. Sigh. Ah, well. Sarah and I have agreed that if we both break the 150 mark the same weigh in day, the person with the lower weight wins. I'm inclined to think that will be Sarah, but maybe the Girl Scouts will come to my rescue! =)
Today I managed to oversleep (my alarm didn't go off, and though I normally leave at about 7:30, I woke up at 7:33 today--and STILL managed to be at work by 7:45--how amazing is that?) and so I forgot to grab my lunch on the way out the door. Fortunately I had the break all morning, so I went home and got it and some coffee. So I've had oatmeal for breakfast, leftover spinach lasagna for lunch (which Let's Dish calls "Three Cheese Lasagna" but Amy and Julie and I all seem to think that calling it Vegetarian or Spinach lasagna will save us on the fat!), blueberries for a snack (yes Amy finally got them!) , string cheese and Wheat Thins for another snack. I've still got carrots and V8 and applesauce to ingest before dinner.
I, too, have been doing the calorie-counting thing, on and off. I was aiming for less than 1800 calories a day, but I've been finding that it's a push to even take in 1500 calories in a day. And therein lies the danger for me--10 o'clock at night, I find out I've only eaten 1400 calories, and suddenly I think "huh! I can still have another 400 calories!! Where's that beer? (or ice cream, or cookies, or fruit snacks or whatever)" I need to just stop at the 1400 calories and call it a day.
Oh! The string cheese Amy and I got has trivia questions on it! Here's your question for today:
What is a pig's gruntle?
Hey Barb! Welcome!
OK, so last week's weigh-in was 152.4, I believe. Something like that. This week I've been hovering around the 151 mark, with a low today of 150.2. This means that I'm bound to have my typical weigh-in day jump, and I'll be back in the 152s tomorrow. Sigh. Ah, well. Sarah and I have agreed that if we both break the 150 mark the same weigh in day, the person with the lower weight wins. I'm inclined to think that will be Sarah, but maybe the Girl Scouts will come to my rescue! =)
Today I managed to oversleep (my alarm didn't go off, and though I normally leave at about 7:30, I woke up at 7:33 today--and STILL managed to be at work by 7:45--how amazing is that?) and so I forgot to grab my lunch on the way out the door. Fortunately I had the break all morning, so I went home and got it and some coffee. So I've had oatmeal for breakfast, leftover spinach lasagna for lunch (which Let's Dish calls "Three Cheese Lasagna" but Amy and Julie and I all seem to think that calling it Vegetarian or Spinach lasagna will save us on the fat!), blueberries for a snack (yes Amy finally got them!) , string cheese and Wheat Thins for another snack. I've still got carrots and V8 and applesauce to ingest before dinner.
I, too, have been doing the calorie-counting thing, on and off. I was aiming for less than 1800 calories a day, but I've been finding that it's a push to even take in 1500 calories in a day. And therein lies the danger for me--10 o'clock at night, I find out I've only eaten 1400 calories, and suddenly I think "huh! I can still have another 400 calories!! Where's that beer? (or ice cream, or cookies, or fruit snacks or whatever)" I need to just stop at the 1400 calories and call it a day.
Oh! The string cheese Amy and I got has trivia questions on it! Here's your question for today:
What is a pig's gruntle?
Biting my nails
I don't seem to have any real sense of how I'm doing from day to day--my mind and body are saying one thing and the scale always seems to show another. I wasn't very careful overall this weekend (waffles! s'mores! cookies! beer! It's just a big empty calorie fest!), or as active as I'd like to have been, and last night and this morning I was feeling sluggish and bloated, so I expected to see a spike on the scale this morning. Instead, I was at my lowest point yet (in this process, not in life!). But in previous weeks, I'd be feeling pretty good about things--sticking to my healthy/low-cal eating, working out vigorously and often and that's when I'd see my weight seem to jump overnight. It just doesn't make sense.
All of this is setting me up to not be disappointed tomorrow--with my weight so low today, I really don't know what to expect tomorrow, but I'm worried there will be another spike, and I know from previous experience that NOTHING I do today will make any real difference in tomorrow's weight (except avoiding Immodium).
In any event, today was cereal for breakfast, then Amy and Katie talked me out of a pumpkin spice latte, but I still wanted something (being freezing here again today and I only got four hours of sleep last night, again thanks to Connor!) so I had a skim vanilla latte (half the calories). Lunch was spinach salad, yogurt, and pretzles. I'm eating an apple now. I don't know what dinner will be yet, but it'll involve ground beef.
I put in 2.2 miles on the treadmill, and tonight I'll do one of the pilates videos. I also keep meaning to measure the distance I walk in a day--it's a pretty fair hike from the parking area to my building and back, and another hike to the gym.
All of this is setting me up to not be disappointed tomorrow--with my weight so low today, I really don't know what to expect tomorrow, but I'm worried there will be another spike, and I know from previous experience that NOTHING I do today will make any real difference in tomorrow's weight (except avoiding Immodium).
In any event, today was cereal for breakfast, then Amy and Katie talked me out of a pumpkin spice latte, but I still wanted something (being freezing here again today and I only got four hours of sleep last night, again thanks to Connor!) so I had a skim vanilla latte (half the calories). Lunch was spinach salad, yogurt, and pretzles. I'm eating an apple now. I don't know what dinner will be yet, but it'll involve ground beef.
I put in 2.2 miles on the treadmill, and tonight I'll do one of the pilates videos. I also keep meaning to measure the distance I walk in a day--it's a pretty fair hike from the parking area to my building and back, and another hike to the gym.
Rainy Monday
I'm not sure whether I'm going to manage exercise today -- Cecilia still sounds terrible even though she's almost certainly not contagious anymore, so I don't know if she'd be all that welcome at the gym. And Daniel is sick so he probably won't want to go. I need to talk myself into doing some other exercise today -- it will have to be something indoors since it's so rotten outside.
Yesterday I ate my usual breakfast, and lunch of one slice of pepperoni pizza. I managed not to eat the chips and such that were around all day, and instead I ate almonds and canteloupe. Daniel was late getting home and I was starved, so I got out the salad bag and snacked from there for a long time -- but lettuce is as low cal as you can get. I was very proud of myself for eating it, too -- once I started I wasn't interested in the junk food. Dinner was one slice of sausage pizza and a glass of Zinfandel. After dinner and after I put the kids to bed I had a beer and a reasonable portion of chips, plus I ate the half of Mary's cupcake that she hadn't eaten, instead of digging out more sweets for me to eat too much of. It wasn't the most well-balanced day I've ever had but it could have been a lot worse. I didn't exercise at all, shame on me!
Tomorrow is weigh-in day -- I've seen numbers as low as 160.0 this week but I'm not counting on that showing up tomorrow.
Yesterday I ate my usual breakfast, and lunch of one slice of pepperoni pizza. I managed not to eat the chips and such that were around all day, and instead I ate almonds and canteloupe. Daniel was late getting home and I was starved, so I got out the salad bag and snacked from there for a long time -- but lettuce is as low cal as you can get. I was very proud of myself for eating it, too -- once I started I wasn't interested in the junk food. Dinner was one slice of sausage pizza and a glass of Zinfandel. After dinner and after I put the kids to bed I had a beer and a reasonable portion of chips, plus I ate the half of Mary's cupcake that she hadn't eaten, instead of digging out more sweets for me to eat too much of. It wasn't the most well-balanced day I've ever had but it could have been a lot worse. I didn't exercise at all, shame on me!
Tomorrow is weigh-in day -- I've seen numbers as low as 160.0 this week but I'm not counting on that showing up tomorrow.
Another Monday
Hi Barb! I'm the pseudo-family member also participating in the blog.
This weekend was one of the best I have had foodwise in a while, and we even ate out on Saturday. I thought I picked the omlette that DIDN'T have the cheese sauce over it but I made a mistake because it came with cheese all over it. I scraped as much off as possible--I don't like egg-colored sauces over my eggs...I can never tell when they aren't cooked if the runny part that is sauce looks just like runny egg.
I decided to buy all natural yogurt yesterday at the grocery store--I had read this article that most fat free yogurts just load up on gelatin and fake sugars in place of the fat so they aren't as healthy as they seem, so I decided to give it a shot since I am an advice column junkie. (You'd think I'd be in great shape if I took all the advice that I read...) Well, all natural yogurt is weird. Much tangier tasting than the other stuff, and very lumpy. It even separates a little in the container when you first open it. I managed to eat it with a few tablespoons of granola stirred in, but I am not sure if I could do it otherwise.
The veggie lasagna from Let's Dish is excellent. We ate that last week. Only 6 WW points per serving too. I made the Moroccan beef stew yesterday and that was also delicious. I think Lets Dish has been helping us (Joe & I ) managed our portion sizes since I usually package things in 2's, or if I don't, I know how many nights it has to last so I divvy it up better.
Still my downfall is the time between when I get home from work and when you gets home and we can actually have dinner. I need to fill that time up better.
Some of those Girl Scout cookies are mine...they are going straight to the freezer!
This weekend was one of the best I have had foodwise in a while, and we even ate out on Saturday. I thought I picked the omlette that DIDN'T have the cheese sauce over it but I made a mistake because it came with cheese all over it. I scraped as much off as possible--I don't like egg-colored sauces over my eggs...I can never tell when they aren't cooked if the runny part that is sauce looks just like runny egg.
I decided to buy all natural yogurt yesterday at the grocery store--I had read this article that most fat free yogurts just load up on gelatin and fake sugars in place of the fat so they aren't as healthy as they seem, so I decided to give it a shot since I am an advice column junkie. (You'd think I'd be in great shape if I took all the advice that I read...) Well, all natural yogurt is weird. Much tangier tasting than the other stuff, and very lumpy. It even separates a little in the container when you first open it. I managed to eat it with a few tablespoons of granola stirred in, but I am not sure if I could do it otherwise.
The veggie lasagna from Let's Dish is excellent. We ate that last week. Only 6 WW points per serving too. I made the Moroccan beef stew yesterday and that was also delicious. I think Lets Dish has been helping us (Joe & I ) managed our portion sizes since I usually package things in 2's, or if I don't, I know how many nights it has to last so I divvy it up better.
Still my downfall is the time between when I get home from work and when you gets home and we can actually have dinner. I need to fill that time up better.
Some of those Girl Scout cookies are mine...they are going straight to the freezer!
Sunday, October 23, 2005
By the way
Welcome aboard Barb! Lucky you for only having to lose 20 pounds... 8-) I am the one who has the farthest to go - I am shooting for 55 pounds. Ugh - I am close to 10 right now.
Amy
Amy
Blueberry Buckle
OK... Today I ate a lot of blueberry buckle. Katie and I did Let's Dish yesterday (we counted that as our exercise - we are such cheaters, but that is hard work for two plus hours!!). Anyway - we needed to make room in the freezer, so I took out a tin of blueberry buckle to make up in the next few days. This morning we had no milk, (I should have stopped after church, but I really didn't think of it) and I didn't want my oatmeal made with water. While I was scrounging for breakfast I stuck the buckle in to bake. Then I got distracted - so, the buckle finished baking before I ate breakfast. IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME! It has lots of blueberries, and oatmeal - OK, so there is a lot of sugar and white flour too... I should say HAD and WAS - because it is all gone now. Please remember that Katie and I divide our dishes up for just the two of us - so eating a whole tin of blueberry buckle in one day is really just eating two (a little more actually) servings. OK! OK! I feel horribly guilty. (But it was very yummy.) I had that for breakfast (fruit and grain). Then I finished off the rest of it around 4pm. Sigh.
I had a heathy lunch - grilled salmon, veggies, and a very little pasta in a pesto sauce. Again - Let's Dish last month. It was very good and I am sorry that was the last of it. That is all I have eaten so far today.
This morning (before I blew it with the buckle debacle -?? Spelling, but good alliteration) I was down to 205.8. Yippee! But, I am sure I will be up again on Tuesday - that seems to be my fate.
I am going to make vegetarian lasagna for dinner tonight... At least there is no more buckle around to tempt me. Good thing I ate it all! (How is that for Catholic justification?)
I had a heathy lunch - grilled salmon, veggies, and a very little pasta in a pesto sauce. Again - Let's Dish last month. It was very good and I am sorry that was the last of it. That is all I have eaten so far today.
This morning (before I blew it with the buckle debacle -?? Spelling, but good alliteration) I was down to 205.8. Yippee! But, I am sure I will be up again on Tuesday - that seems to be my fate.
I am going to make vegetarian lasagna for dinner tonight... At least there is no more buckle around to tempt me. Good thing I ate it all! (How is that for Catholic justification?)
15 cases of Girl Scout Cookies
That's what's staring me in the eye as I write this--we picked up our cookies this morning and they take up a lot of floor space! I'm going to try to get them divided up into individual orders and out the door (except our own 12 boxes!) within a couple of days. It took Connor about five minutes to find the Thin Mints. That child has an excellent memory!
Welcome, Barb! I'm glad you joined us--I think that that the more people I think are "watching" me (and the more support, of course), the better I behave.
So yesterday was rainy and cold so I didn't get out for a run in the morning, then I spent forever at Joann's getting fabric for Connor's Halloween costume--I had to wait in line for an hour and a half just to get the material cut! I called Brian while I was waiting and asked him to put together something healthy for me to eat for lunch since I knew I'd have just enough time to eat before heading out again, but when I got home he hadn't made anything so I ended up eating the leftover chicken and sesame noodles. I spent the afternoon in the rain at a Brownie campfire. We were under a pavilion, but everything was damp to sodden (including the firewood). But we had fun, and I ate a s'more. You can't NOT eat a s'more at one of these things. But it was the tiniest s'more I had ever seen--one graham cracker, one marshmallow, and 2 squares of chocolate). Dinner was stir fried chicken and a ton of vegetables with steamed rice, and Connor snagged my Skinny Cow right out of my hand, so I didn't get dessert. Good boy. In the evening I forced myself to do a pilates video--I was more tired than usual (Connor had me up from 2 till 4 in the morning, completing a full week of not sleeping normally at night) and didn't feel like moving, but it turned out to be my best session yet--I was able to do almost all of the moves with good control.
This morning I got up, vacuumed, made coffee, ran 3.5 miles, came home and had breakfast (Nutrigrain bar), took a shower, and finished getting dressed right around the time the rest of my lazy family was dragging themselves out of bed. I'm SO virtuous. These Thin Mints are really good. Do you know there are four of them in a serving?
I made really good time with my morning run, thanks to a large German shepherd that chased me part of the way. Why don't people keep their dogs contained and teach them that the road isn't their property? It's bad enough that every dog barks like I'm a home invader, but this dog I think had been let out to do his business by owners who were too lazy to get dressed and take the dog outside themselves--he came running at me across two yards (at which point I quickly crossed the street and slowed to a walk) and followed me until I passed his house, then he went back to his yard and stayed in front of the porch. The owners probably think he's a good dog because he sticks close to home. Idiots. But the adrenaline surge kept me going pain-free for a while!
Welcome, Barb! I'm glad you joined us--I think that that the more people I think are "watching" me (and the more support, of course), the better I behave.
So yesterday was rainy and cold so I didn't get out for a run in the morning, then I spent forever at Joann's getting fabric for Connor's Halloween costume--I had to wait in line for an hour and a half just to get the material cut! I called Brian while I was waiting and asked him to put together something healthy for me to eat for lunch since I knew I'd have just enough time to eat before heading out again, but when I got home he hadn't made anything so I ended up eating the leftover chicken and sesame noodles. I spent the afternoon in the rain at a Brownie campfire. We were under a pavilion, but everything was damp to sodden (including the firewood). But we had fun, and I ate a s'more. You can't NOT eat a s'more at one of these things. But it was the tiniest s'more I had ever seen--one graham cracker, one marshmallow, and 2 squares of chocolate). Dinner was stir fried chicken and a ton of vegetables with steamed rice, and Connor snagged my Skinny Cow right out of my hand, so I didn't get dessert. Good boy. In the evening I forced myself to do a pilates video--I was more tired than usual (Connor had me up from 2 till 4 in the morning, completing a full week of not sleeping normally at night) and didn't feel like moving, but it turned out to be my best session yet--I was able to do almost all of the moves with good control.
This morning I got up, vacuumed, made coffee, ran 3.5 miles, came home and had breakfast (Nutrigrain bar), took a shower, and finished getting dressed right around the time the rest of my lazy family was dragging themselves out of bed. I'm SO virtuous. These Thin Mints are really good. Do you know there are four of them in a serving?
I made really good time with my morning run, thanks to a large German shepherd that chased me part of the way. Why don't people keep their dogs contained and teach them that the road isn't their property? It's bad enough that every dog barks like I'm a home invader, but this dog I think had been let out to do his business by owners who were too lazy to get dressed and take the dog outside themselves--he came running at me across two yards (at which point I quickly crossed the street and slowed to a walk) and followed me until I passed his house, then he went back to his yard and stayed in front of the porch. The owners probably think he's a good dog because he sticks close to home. Idiots. But the adrenaline surge kept me going pain-free for a while!
Lessons learned
1. Children at birthday parties only eat potato chips and icing.
2. Parents don't eat or drink anything at all when they are keeping up with their children.
We learned these lessons because we ended up with about twice as much pizza as we needed and about thirty-six times as much beer as we needed, and about eight times as much wine as we needed. We expected to have leftover soda because we wanted to offer a decent variety, but we had a greater variety than necessary -- surprisingly, many of the adults drank Hawaiian punch even though better options were available. The good thing is that soda and alcohol keep a long time if sealed, and we put most of the pizza into the freezer, but if you see me saying that I had a slice of pizza for dinner or lunch a LOT over the next few weeks, you know why.
My eating was every bit as bad yesterday as I expected. I had a half a banana and a half a white bagel for breakfast (after staring at the table in disappointment for a couple of minutes wondering if something whole grain would spontaneously appear -- I genuinely found plain bagels unappealing! Progress!) and then completely forgot to eat until nearly party time, except for the occasional bit of icing which got on my fingers. Daniel even tried to remind me around 2:30 but I was too busy! I did finally grab a handful of almonds when I headed upstairs to change. For dinner I ate one slice of pizza, and eventually I inhaled a can of root beer (which had sat for an hour after I'd opened it, because I was interrupted so I could keep the kids entertained). After the party left I ate a generous slice of cake, though in the end I wasn't all that keen on that, and I think I had a couple of chips as I cleaned them up. And about ten grapes -- I forgot about those! So I did eat something vaguely healthy.
The difficulty today is that I'm surrounded by opened bags of chips and sweets and I have the post-party munchies. I'm trying to break myself of the mindset that this food has to be eaten -- I ate a normal breakfast and I had a handful of almonds as a snack, and now I'm having my ONE slice of pizza for lunch. There is fruit in the fridge and we have tons of leftover salad, so I don't need to eat the junk food!
I did get my one-mile exercise yesterday. I walked hard for that mile (and it was hilly, and the road was slick) so it was more than a mile of effort, plus I was carrying Cecilia in the sling, and I continued to walk around and carry Cecilia for another hour or so after the walk, until Daniel's race was also done. Alexander decided he wanted to do the fun run instead of riding in the stroller, and he actually jogged the entire way!!! To my knowledge he has never walked a mile without help before this. He got a prize for being the youngest participant -- anyone younger than him was in a stroller or carrier.
Barb, welcome! I assume you know the rules -- we announce our weight to the blog on Tuesdays, and no one is allowed to quit, even if we fall off the wagon. That's about it for official rules. We try to post frequently, if not daily, to report our eating and exercise. And our goals are not just about weight loss -- though, for all of us, that's a necessary component of achieving health -- but about making long-term life changes toward eating healthy and improving fitness. We're glad you're joining us!
2. Parents don't eat or drink anything at all when they are keeping up with their children.
We learned these lessons because we ended up with about twice as much pizza as we needed and about thirty-six times as much beer as we needed, and about eight times as much wine as we needed. We expected to have leftover soda because we wanted to offer a decent variety, but we had a greater variety than necessary -- surprisingly, many of the adults drank Hawaiian punch even though better options were available. The good thing is that soda and alcohol keep a long time if sealed, and we put most of the pizza into the freezer, but if you see me saying that I had a slice of pizza for dinner or lunch a LOT over the next few weeks, you know why.
My eating was every bit as bad yesterday as I expected. I had a half a banana and a half a white bagel for breakfast (after staring at the table in disappointment for a couple of minutes wondering if something whole grain would spontaneously appear -- I genuinely found plain bagels unappealing! Progress!) and then completely forgot to eat until nearly party time, except for the occasional bit of icing which got on my fingers. Daniel even tried to remind me around 2:30 but I was too busy! I did finally grab a handful of almonds when I headed upstairs to change. For dinner I ate one slice of pizza, and eventually I inhaled a can of root beer (which had sat for an hour after I'd opened it, because I was interrupted so I could keep the kids entertained). After the party left I ate a generous slice of cake, though in the end I wasn't all that keen on that, and I think I had a couple of chips as I cleaned them up. And about ten grapes -- I forgot about those! So I did eat something vaguely healthy.
The difficulty today is that I'm surrounded by opened bags of chips and sweets and I have the post-party munchies. I'm trying to break myself of the mindset that this food has to be eaten -- I ate a normal breakfast and I had a handful of almonds as a snack, and now I'm having my ONE slice of pizza for lunch. There is fruit in the fridge and we have tons of leftover salad, so I don't need to eat the junk food!
I did get my one-mile exercise yesterday. I walked hard for that mile (and it was hilly, and the road was slick) so it was more than a mile of effort, plus I was carrying Cecilia in the sling, and I continued to walk around and carry Cecilia for another hour or so after the walk, until Daniel's race was also done. Alexander decided he wanted to do the fun run instead of riding in the stroller, and he actually jogged the entire way!!! To my knowledge he has never walked a mile without help before this. He got a prize for being the youngest participant -- anyone younger than him was in a stroller or carrier.
Barb, welcome! I assume you know the rules -- we announce our weight to the blog on Tuesdays, and no one is allowed to quit, even if we fall off the wagon. That's about it for official rules. We try to post frequently, if not daily, to report our eating and exercise. And our goals are not just about weight loss -- though, for all of us, that's a necessary component of achieving health -- but about making long-term life changes toward eating healthy and improving fitness. We're glad you're joining us!
Correction
The serving size of Honey Nut Shredded Wheat is one cup, not eleven squares. I've got to read things more carefully! So I actually had less than one serving this morning!
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Welcome, Barb!
I'm so glad you decided to join us!
I'm not serving as a very good example lately, I know. I was up to 149 this morning--probably due to the fact that we finished off the crumb cake yesterday, and we had fried perch for supper, as well. I had planned on doing something healthier with it, but I couldn't think what--and Dick told me that frying is the way to go with perch. I did have a small baked potato with only a little Smart Balance on it, and asparagus and a green salad. We have decided for heart health to have a daily glass of wine, preferably red, although we both prefer white. Then we read that people who drink more fruit and vegetable juices have less cancer (than what, I wonder?), so I think I should up my juice intake. But those things add calories. The weather is keeping us from walking, and my joints scream when I consider joining you young'uns in exercise videos. (I cantored this afternoon and one of the altar boys stole my red kneeling cushion, so I was kneeling on bare marble. I should have pushed him off!)
Today I ate my normal breakfast and lunch, and then I didn't want to face the leftover fried fish yet, so we had pizza for dinner and I ate two pieces. I also had broccoli and a green salad and we finished off the bottle of wine--a glass and a third each--. For snack this afternoon I had about ten almonds. I found out yesterday that the serving size of shredded wheat is 11 squares. They don't even cover the bottom of the bowl! I must eat a double serving. maybe I can gradually cut back.
Barb, is it a Houston niece who is getting married in Philadelphia? The only single niece I can figure you have on the Froman side is Ally, and so far as I know she is single but not engaged. And she doesn't live in Philadelphia. But if you are going to Philly, I hope you will come see us--we are not very far away and have plenty of room for visitors!
I'm not serving as a very good example lately, I know. I was up to 149 this morning--probably due to the fact that we finished off the crumb cake yesterday, and we had fried perch for supper, as well. I had planned on doing something healthier with it, but I couldn't think what--and Dick told me that frying is the way to go with perch. I did have a small baked potato with only a little Smart Balance on it, and asparagus and a green salad. We have decided for heart health to have a daily glass of wine, preferably red, although we both prefer white. Then we read that people who drink more fruit and vegetable juices have less cancer (than what, I wonder?), so I think I should up my juice intake. But those things add calories. The weather is keeping us from walking, and my joints scream when I consider joining you young'uns in exercise videos. (I cantored this afternoon and one of the altar boys stole my red kneeling cushion, so I was kneeling on bare marble. I should have pushed him off!)
Today I ate my normal breakfast and lunch, and then I didn't want to face the leftover fried fish yet, so we had pizza for dinner and I ate two pieces. I also had broccoli and a green salad and we finished off the bottle of wine--a glass and a third each--. For snack this afternoon I had about ten almonds. I found out yesterday that the serving size of shredded wheat is 11 squares. They don't even cover the bottom of the bowl! I must eat a double serving. maybe I can gradually cut back.
Barb, is it a Houston niece who is getting married in Philadelphia? The only single niece I can figure you have on the Froman side is Ally, and so far as I know she is single but not engaged. And she doesn't live in Philadelphia. But if you are going to Philly, I hope you will come see us--we are not very far away and have plenty of room for visitors!
Okay, so this is the first time I EVER have posted anything on a blog site and I can't believe the tilte (which I am, by the way) Aunt Mary told me about this and I am desperate to get serious about my last 20 pounds to lose (the same 20 that keep reappearing every few years) I have been laughing at the last few posts and realize that I don't know you guys very well at all, considering we are first cousins, etc. We have plenty in common, obviously fat butts, husbands and in some cases, kids. I teach third grade and our last child is at U of Iowa doing his junior year.(Tim) Emily invited me to join...thanks Emily.
We put our home on the market last night and the second the real estate agent left, Doug and I hopped in the car to find somewhere to eat. I woke up hungry and have tried to stick to some plan today. In fact as soon as I finish this, I am going to the gym to walk the treadmill. I just bought Capote by Clarke this morning at Borders and have read about two chapters....his craziness is fascinating. It'll give me something to read as I walk. I am going to dinner tonight with friends and I plan to keep my meal somewhat carb free. Our niece is getting married on Memorial Day weekend in Philadelphia and I want to be at my goal by then. Thanks for letting me in...more tomorrow
Barb
We put our home on the market last night and the second the real estate agent left, Doug and I hopped in the car to find somewhere to eat. I woke up hungry and have tried to stick to some plan today. In fact as soon as I finish this, I am going to the gym to walk the treadmill. I just bought Capote by Clarke this morning at Borders and have read about two chapters....his craziness is fascinating. It'll give me something to read as I walk. I am going to dinner tonight with friends and I plan to keep my meal somewhat carb free. Our niece is getting married on Memorial Day weekend in Philadelphia and I want to be at my goal by then. Thanks for letting me in...more tomorrow
Barb
Friday, October 21, 2005
I'm lurking
I'm not going to make this a real post -- I couldn't say for sure what I ate today, but I'm certain it wasn't enough food, because I was so busy all day. And exhausted. And the only exercise I got today was running errands -- does an hour and twenty minutes on my feet in Walmart count as exercise? Last night was rough, too -- Mary was up with a bout of croup that had us wondering whether we should take her to the ER. Fortunately she the ibuprofen kicked in just as she and Daniel were backing out of the driveway, so they went to Kroger and got a chest rub instead. But the three of us lost well over an hour of sleep during the night.
Tomorrow I'm not going to be officially tracking my food, either. We're going to the St. Mary's 5k/fun run tomorrow (I'm doing the fun run-walk, Daniel's doing the 5k) so I will get a little exercise, if it isn't pouring. In the evening we're having Mary's birthday party, so that means I'll be eating pizza, cake, and possibly ice cream, and I'll probably be drinking something unhealthy as well. So there's no hope of a balanced diet tomorrow. (This party is nuts -- we only decided at the last minute to invite people over for a party, so I just issued a general invitation to my Bible Study friends and their families, figuring nobody much would be interested on such late notice, especially given our track record on parties. But instead almost everybody is coming, and now there are going to be fifteen or so adults and about twenty kids, exactly the kind of party I usually complain about. But it's really only about six or seven families; they're just all CATHOLIC families!). Don't expect me to post tomorrow!
Tomorrow I'm not going to be officially tracking my food, either. We're going to the St. Mary's 5k/fun run tomorrow (I'm doing the fun run-walk, Daniel's doing the 5k) so I will get a little exercise, if it isn't pouring. In the evening we're having Mary's birthday party, so that means I'll be eating pizza, cake, and possibly ice cream, and I'll probably be drinking something unhealthy as well. So there's no hope of a balanced diet tomorrow. (This party is nuts -- we only decided at the last minute to invite people over for a party, so I just issued a general invitation to my Bible Study friends and their families, figuring nobody much would be interested on such late notice, especially given our track record on parties. But instead almost everybody is coming, and now there are going to be fifteen or so adults and about twenty kids, exactly the kind of party I usually complain about. But it's really only about six or seven families; they're just all CATHOLIC families!). Don't expect me to post tomorrow!
Friday temptation
Today I got to work, gym bag in hand, with plans to go to the gym at lunch. But at 9:30 my boss said that he and a couple of other people in the president's office were going to order chinese for lunch--did I want to join them? Well, yes. I'm having such a hard time getting to know people at work since I'm fairly isolated in my cubicle and I didn't want to pass up the first lunch invitation I had! So I didn't go to the gym at lunch--I ate chicken with cashew nuts in a conference room (but I only ate half of the order). Then I felt so sluggish, not to mention guilty, that I took another break and went to the gym at 3:30 and put in a half an hour on the treadmill. So I did at least get my exercise in, but didn't stick to my healthy, low-fat eating!
Now I'm home, it's 6:51, and I have no idea what to make for dinner. Something quick, obviously, that Claire would eat, which isn't so easy. I have to go back to making up menus--it's too easy to skip it, come home and made some nugget-based food for the kids. I know we have some green beans and broccoli--my intention was to make a chicken stir fry, but I don't feel like it after the chinese food for lunch.
Amy--congratulations on your weight getting back down to where you thought it should be! I think that's a lesson to all of us to stay away from Immodium! Nasty stuff.
I think when people say "have you lost weight?" it's just an acknowledgement of the fact that you look particularly good that day and that the person saying it thinks of losing weight as the ultimate beauty secret. Other people say "you look good--have you changed your hair?" or "is that a new outfit?" It has more to do with what they value than what they see. But if they say it now, you say "yes, I've lost a bunch of weight, thanks." I have the same body image problem--other people think they're fat when they aren't, but I still think of myself as very thin (too many years of trying to GAIN weight) and pretty athletic, so just coming to terms with being overweight and out of shape has been a process.
Now I'm home, it's 6:51, and I have no idea what to make for dinner. Something quick, obviously, that Claire would eat, which isn't so easy. I have to go back to making up menus--it's too easy to skip it, come home and made some nugget-based food for the kids. I know we have some green beans and broccoli--my intention was to make a chicken stir fry, but I don't feel like it after the chinese food for lunch.
Amy--congratulations on your weight getting back down to where you thought it should be! I think that's a lesson to all of us to stay away from Immodium! Nasty stuff.
I think when people say "have you lost weight?" it's just an acknowledgement of the fact that you look particularly good that day and that the person saying it thinks of losing weight as the ultimate beauty secret. Other people say "you look good--have you changed your hair?" or "is that a new outfit?" It has more to do with what they value than what they see. But if they say it now, you say "yes, I've lost a bunch of weight, thanks." I have the same body image problem--other people think they're fat when they aren't, but I still think of myself as very thin (too many years of trying to GAIN weight) and pretty athletic, so just coming to terms with being overweight and out of shape has been a process.
OK - getting better
This morning I was 206.4. I was 206.4 last night at about 10:30 pm (shortly after I ate dinner) - so, either the scale is broken, or I am back on track. This is OK, and it leaves me over 2 weeks to lose permanently 1 more pound to get me to my five pounds a month goal. I ended the first month down 5.6 (I was up a little on the first day of the new month). Still - this is really good. I know I am skirting around the same points for the past few weeks, but in reality I have lost almost 10 pounds!! This is pretty impressive for ME who NEVER loses weight.
Like Julie, I know this is a lifelong thing... I remember being in the 3rd grade thinking I was "chubby" and then in the 5th or 6th grade being embarrassed having to wear shorts in gym because my thighs were big (or so I thought). NOW, I don't mind being curvey - but I don't like being fat. I am still almost 10 pounds away from being just plain overweight instead of obese - and I am really excited to make it to that goal!
I do wonder though - most people who lose 10 pounds or more you can TELL that they have lost weight. I know 10 pounds is just a small % of my total weight - but I wonder how far I will have to go to have people notice a difference. I am already imagining what to tell people who DO notice... What do you say to someone who says "Have you lost weight?" In the past I was always mildly offended (mostly because NO I haven't lost weight). I would always wonder how fat those people were picturing me in their minds. If I looked like I lost weight when I hadn't, that means they must be remembering me as a fat person (with glasses - people notice my glasses too...). Sigh. I have such a sexy, svelte picture of myself in my mind. I might as well acknowledge I am NOT sexy or svelte.
I had a funny experience today - and it isn't the first time I have noticed this. I went to the desk of a woman (who I always picture as overweight with glasses - but I AM prettier than her, I know that!!! 8-) She was eating her lunch of chicken tenders and French fries. It looked SO unappealing to me. I am glad of that because normally I would see that and then crave the same sorts of foods. I was happy to come back to my desk and eat my fresh broccoli and yogurt. (Then I had a mini Almond Joy - DAMN Halloween!!!)
Like Julie, I know this is a lifelong thing... I remember being in the 3rd grade thinking I was "chubby" and then in the 5th or 6th grade being embarrassed having to wear shorts in gym because my thighs were big (or so I thought). NOW, I don't mind being curvey - but I don't like being fat. I am still almost 10 pounds away from being just plain overweight instead of obese - and I am really excited to make it to that goal!
I do wonder though - most people who lose 10 pounds or more you can TELL that they have lost weight. I know 10 pounds is just a small % of my total weight - but I wonder how far I will have to go to have people notice a difference. I am already imagining what to tell people who DO notice... What do you say to someone who says "Have you lost weight?" In the past I was always mildly offended (mostly because NO I haven't lost weight). I would always wonder how fat those people were picturing me in their minds. If I looked like I lost weight when I hadn't, that means they must be remembering me as a fat person (with glasses - people notice my glasses too...). Sigh. I have such a sexy, svelte picture of myself in my mind. I might as well acknowledge I am NOT sexy or svelte.
I had a funny experience today - and it isn't the first time I have noticed this. I went to the desk of a woman (who I always picture as overweight with glasses - but I AM prettier than her, I know that!!! 8-) She was eating her lunch of chicken tenders and French fries. It looked SO unappealing to me. I am glad of that because normally I would see that and then crave the same sorts of foods. I was happy to come back to my desk and eat my fresh broccoli and yogurt. (Then I had a mini Almond Joy - DAMN Halloween!!!)
Thursday, October 20, 2005
I'm worn out
I just posted a comment to Amy below about Connor's sleep schedule this week--he keeps staying up really late or waking up at 4 or 5 a.m. (depending on what his temperature is doing). Today he was up at 3:50 a.m. (and so was I, obviously) then didn't fall back to sleep until just after 7, by which time I had to be well on my way to getting ready for work. And today's schedule was brutal--work from 8:30 to 11:00, go to Connor's IEP meeting (where we were told that his fine motor abilities and self-help skills are that of a 12 month old), back to work for another meeting, home to take over so Brian could go to work, immediately left again to take Claire to Brownies, come home to make food for the investitute potluck, then back to Brownies to spend two hours chasing Connor around in a noisy, crowded room, and finally home in time to start getting the kids ready for bed. Right now I'm supposed to be overseeing getting Claire in bed, but instead I'm typing this. I hate days like this. It doesn't help that I'm p.m.s.'ing so I have to really struggle to not get completely crabby and to avoid blowing up at stupid things.
Food today: one boiled egg and toast with apple butter for breakfast, almonds, piece of leftover pizza for lunch, apple for snack, potluck for dinner--I had salad with no dressing, one bite of tomato and mozzarella salad (it wasn't very good), a small serving of Chinese sesame noodles and chicken, lemonade, and two and a half sugar cookies (Katie had the same number of cookies--they were really good!). I came home and had a glass of milk.
If I can get the kids asleep in the next hour, I'm going to do the pilates 20 minute workout.
Last night I did the Buns of Steel Platinum 2000 workout--it dates from when having "2000" in your title meant that you were really cutting edge. The video is about 12 years old and is led by ex-cheerleaders on speed. They all have chisled hair and make-up (and jewelry!) and are wearing electric blue or magenta leotards with the leg holes cut up to their waists. And they NEVER stop smiling. What's wrong with these people? All that stuff you hear about how exercise makes you forget the stress of the day and makes you leave all your worries behind is true--but only because you're so bloody miserable while you're exercising that it eclipses all other pain and suffering. But anyway, it was a good workout--30 minutes of aerobics followed by 20 minutes of toning (about a hundred squats and lunges), although the pace of the toning was very fast, so it kept my heart rate up. I was sweating like a pig by the end. Adding to the excitement was having a coffee table, a thousand toys, and Connor underfoot.
Food today: one boiled egg and toast with apple butter for breakfast, almonds, piece of leftover pizza for lunch, apple for snack, potluck for dinner--I had salad with no dressing, one bite of tomato and mozzarella salad (it wasn't very good), a small serving of Chinese sesame noodles and chicken, lemonade, and two and a half sugar cookies (Katie had the same number of cookies--they were really good!). I came home and had a glass of milk.
If I can get the kids asleep in the next hour, I'm going to do the pilates 20 minute workout.
Last night I did the Buns of Steel Platinum 2000 workout--it dates from when having "2000" in your title meant that you were really cutting edge. The video is about 12 years old and is led by ex-cheerleaders on speed. They all have chisled hair and make-up (and jewelry!) and are wearing electric blue or magenta leotards with the leg holes cut up to their waists. And they NEVER stop smiling. What's wrong with these people? All that stuff you hear about how exercise makes you forget the stress of the day and makes you leave all your worries behind is true--but only because you're so bloody miserable while you're exercising that it eclipses all other pain and suffering. But anyway, it was a good workout--30 minutes of aerobics followed by 20 minutes of toning (about a hundred squats and lunges), although the pace of the toning was very fast, so it kept my heart rate up. I was sweating like a pig by the end. Adding to the excitement was having a coffee table, a thousand toys, and Connor underfoot.
Remember when?
Mom - sometimes I wish for the good old days when you would pack our lunches, tells us what snack we could have after school and then feed us a healthy dinner. We had treats and desserts, but they weren't unlimited. It is like Julie said - they were treats! I wonder, however, if that somehow affected my psyche though. It was great - in retrospect - to have a controlled diet, but I wonder how much the whole "did I get MY share" attitude we had as siblings led to the "hide in my room and eat the whole box of cookies" I tend to have now.
Good job on walking at work Julie!! I wish I could plan my days better! I keep saying I am going to start walking - but never do. Then I find that it is 6:45 and I am still at work and haven't taken a lunch break yet. Sigh.
I have (had) trouble with my shins hurting when I walk too! I asked the cute trainer boy at the gym about it and he gave me a miracle cure for the problem. He said all it is is your shin muscles aren't as developed as your calf muscles. SO what you do is a VERY simple exercise that you can do sitting right at your desk. Point your toe straight out in front of you and draw each letter of the alphabet in the air with your big toe. Then do it again on the other side. It took just one or two sessions of this to cure me of my shin problem that I have had ALL of my life.
Good job on walking at work Julie!! I wish I could plan my days better! I keep saying I am going to start walking - but never do. Then I find that it is 6:45 and I am still at work and haven't taken a lunch break yet. Sigh.
I have (had) trouble with my shins hurting when I walk too! I asked the cute trainer boy at the gym about it and he gave me a miracle cure for the problem. He said all it is is your shin muscles aren't as developed as your calf muscles. SO what you do is a VERY simple exercise that you can do sitting right at your desk. Point your toe straight out in front of you and draw each letter of the alphabet in the air with your big toe. Then do it again on the other side. It took just one or two sessions of this to cure me of my shin problem that I have had ALL of my life.
bads days are to be expected
I don't plan on quitting either. I think that when you hit a plateau or things aren't going as well as hoped (or were going) you tend to look at all the negatives. Weight has been a lifetime struggle for me, and even if I lose every pound I need to its not like it is going to get any easier to maintain it. I might be 90 and still need to tap into this blog every day for moral support and reality checks! I'll just have to figure out waht my true equilibrium weight is and be happy with that. The Gap is never going to call me and beg me to model their low riders, that's for sure! It's the usual ebb and flow--you get really excited and gung-ho about something at first, and then the novelty wears off and you have to readjust your plans based on what's realistic.
Yesterday and today I did ok with eating. I am planning for today to go better than yesterday. Too many snacks. Both days I took a 20-25 minute walk at lunch time as well. I need to get some different shoes though...my shins kill me after I am done from walking on the sidewalks. Something with better shock absorption...
I haven't been counting calories, but I have been trying to stick within my WeightWatchers points range. I've also been reading that book called "French Women Don't Get Fat" for motivation. It's pretty good. She's all about quality over quantity and not taking all your indulgences away, just limiting them. That's the part I need to get better at--working myself away from what she calls "offenders"--the sugary, fatty yummy stuff that I just love so that they are treats and not the norm.
Yesterday and today I did ok with eating. I am planning for today to go better than yesterday. Too many snacks. Both days I took a 20-25 minute walk at lunch time as well. I need to get some different shoes though...my shins kill me after I am done from walking on the sidewalks. Something with better shock absorption...
I haven't been counting calories, but I have been trying to stick within my WeightWatchers points range. I've also been reading that book called "French Women Don't Get Fat" for motivation. It's pretty good. She's all about quality over quantity and not taking all your indulgences away, just limiting them. That's the part I need to get better at--working myself away from what she calls "offenders"--the sugary, fatty yummy stuff that I just love so that they are treats and not the norm.
I am not a quitter!!
Just a loser. Hee hee. REALLY corny joke - sorry guys. Anyway - I have no intention of quitting either. I have been enjoying the process for the most part - I LIKE eating more healthy foods. I like seeing the numbers go down (except this week - up is REALLY bad) and I do feel better.
Today I was 209 again. I didn't get my blueberries yet...
Sarah, NO WONDER you have no energy eating only 1300 calories a day. That isn't enough for someone of your height and build - and who has two kids that keep you running!! You need to eat at least 4 more servings of veggies, or 3 of fruit. You know - once you get conditioned to eating healthy snacks and stuff it becomes HARD to increase your calories without feeling like you are eating ALL OF THE TIME! Ok - so add in one beer or candy bar a day instead!
Today I was 209 again. I didn't get my blueberries yet...
Sarah, NO WONDER you have no energy eating only 1300 calories a day. That isn't enough for someone of your height and build - and who has two kids that keep you running!! You need to eat at least 4 more servings of veggies, or 3 of fruit. You know - once you get conditioned to eating healthy snacks and stuff it becomes HARD to increase your calories without feeling like you are eating ALL OF THE TIME! Ok - so add in one beer or candy bar a day instead!
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
The scale doesn't show all the progress
I'm not interested in quitting anytime soon! I am losing weight still (this morning notwithstanding), though I am not convinced it's because of any effort on my part. I was thinking about this today -- even if I'm not succeeding at reducing calories dramatically, I have been making exercise part of my life, so I'm in much better shape than I was, and I hope I can keep that up. I also have stopped hunting for the junk-food snacks all day -- when I get the munchies, there's always something on hand that is nutritious and that will satisfy the craving. I've gotten much better at quitting with "just one" -- like the one chocolate square every day for two weeks, and the one mini cupcake yesterday (and today). And I'm trying to learn to leave food on my plate, though I'm still working on this one. I did pretty well on that at the restaurant yesterday! So even though I beat myself up over days like yesterday, I still feel like I'm making progress, and I'm enjoying the ride.
It's not fair to call me the biggest loser -- my numbers need to be cut in half for purposes of comparison, since Cecilia's eating away my pounds. And I'm curious to see if the weight will continue to come off at the same rate now that I've hit my pre-pregnancy weight, or if things will slow down after this. With each of the last two, I lost the weight without trying, and kept losing for a few more pounds before I settled into a weight (and then after Alexander a whole bunch came back). So I don't have a pattern to follow this time, since I'm actually putting conscious effort into losing weight.
Anyway, today I did exercise -- after yesterday I felt guilty for not exercising when Cecilia really wasn't all that sick, so today when she just seemed to have mild cold symptoms I saw no reason not to try the gym. On the way to the gym I heard a bark of a cough that had me worried, but she was in a good mood when I got there, so we left her. But 22 minutes into our 45-minute bike ride, the sitter came to find us and told us that she'd been crying nearly the whole time, and it was all that barking sound! I nursed her and got her to fall asleep quickly, and then I managed to squeeze in 10 minutes more on the bike before we had to leave for swim lessons, but I felt horribly guilty for having brought my poor sick baby to a sitter! So until the barking stops (Ce-Seal-ia, Mary is calling her) I need to stay away from the gym. I did get 30 minutes of exercise, if not continuous, and then after swim lessons I walked the half mile from the pool to the church, where Daniel was burning a few zillion more calories by laying down mulch with the preschool parents.
Food: Today I had my usual breakfast, and for lunch I had yogurt (but I can't remember if I ate anything else!). I had a mini-cupcake for dessert, and then I had snacks of raisins, string cheese, and almonds. At the church when I went to meet Daniel I had an apple and a handful of pretzel nuggets (about half a serving, according to the bag), and then for dinner I ate the rest of last night's steak and a few more bites of potato. I had some ice cream for dessert, but not much (felt good on my throat, which is sore again, though). I had absolutely zero vegetable matter today. I'm not normally that bad. At least I had extra fruit because of the apple.
I haven't been counting calories -- I keep a vague mental record of servings from food groups, because that's easier. If I find myself feeling munchy or hungry I go through the list to see what I can still get away with eating (and it's usually not anything from the breads and cereals group, although I'm eating far less from that area than I was before we started the diet). Unfortunately I don't often think, "Gee, I'm short on vegetables" and grab a carrot or some broccoli! I need to do that more often...
Sorry this is such a long post. I'll try to keep things short and sweet tomorrow!
It's not fair to call me the biggest loser -- my numbers need to be cut in half for purposes of comparison, since Cecilia's eating away my pounds. And I'm curious to see if the weight will continue to come off at the same rate now that I've hit my pre-pregnancy weight, or if things will slow down after this. With each of the last two, I lost the weight without trying, and kept losing for a few more pounds before I settled into a weight (and then after Alexander a whole bunch came back). So I don't have a pattern to follow this time, since I'm actually putting conscious effort into losing weight.
Anyway, today I did exercise -- after yesterday I felt guilty for not exercising when Cecilia really wasn't all that sick, so today when she just seemed to have mild cold symptoms I saw no reason not to try the gym. On the way to the gym I heard a bark of a cough that had me worried, but she was in a good mood when I got there, so we left her. But 22 minutes into our 45-minute bike ride, the sitter came to find us and told us that she'd been crying nearly the whole time, and it was all that barking sound! I nursed her and got her to fall asleep quickly, and then I managed to squeeze in 10 minutes more on the bike before we had to leave for swim lessons, but I felt horribly guilty for having brought my poor sick baby to a sitter! So until the barking stops (Ce-Seal-ia, Mary is calling her) I need to stay away from the gym. I did get 30 minutes of exercise, if not continuous, and then after swim lessons I walked the half mile from the pool to the church, where Daniel was burning a few zillion more calories by laying down mulch with the preschool parents.
Food: Today I had my usual breakfast, and for lunch I had yogurt (but I can't remember if I ate anything else!). I had a mini-cupcake for dessert, and then I had snacks of raisins, string cheese, and almonds. At the church when I went to meet Daniel I had an apple and a handful of pretzel nuggets (about half a serving, according to the bag), and then for dinner I ate the rest of last night's steak and a few more bites of potato. I had some ice cream for dessert, but not much (felt good on my throat, which is sore again, though). I had absolutely zero vegetable matter today. I'm not normally that bad. At least I had extra fruit because of the apple.
I haven't been counting calories -- I keep a vague mental record of servings from food groups, because that's easier. If I find myself feeling munchy or hungry I go through the list to see what I can still get away with eating (and it's usually not anything from the breads and cereals group, although I'm eating far less from that area than I was before we started the diet). Unfortunately I don't often think, "Gee, I'm short on vegetables" and grab a carrot or some broccoli! I need to do that more often...
Sorry this is such a long post. I'll try to keep things short and sweet tomorrow!
I'm not gloomy!
My good news is great news as far as I'm concerned, and my bad news is that fitting in exercise today will be tough--but I'm still going to manage it.
Is anyone other than me actually counting calories? I've found that that's the single most helpful thing for controlling my intake. The recommendation for weight loss is 1500 calories a day in order to lose a pound a week. Usually I've been doing about 1300 calories, and except for the one week where my weight stayed the same, I've seen a slow and steady decline so I'm pretty happy with the changes I've made. By targeting a specific caloric intake, it's been pretty easy to manage weekends, parties, goodies at home, etc. It's one thing to say "well, it's just a little snack" and another to have to write down those 400 calories worth of french fries (which is what a medium order of fries from McDonalds is) and see how it completely threw off your total.
I think today has been my most cheerful day yet on this program! There's no way I'm quitting! If today's weight was accurate, then I've lost 8 pounds--two more and I get another "treat." Ten more and I'm at my pre-pregnancy weight--if I've lost 8 pounds in seven weeks and I can keep up this rate of loss, then by next summer I shouldn't have to worry about looking like a pig at the Brownie swim night!
Editing to add: if I've done my math right, as of yesterday the bunch of us together have lost 38.5 pounds. Emily's the big winner with 12 pounds lost; the rest of us are averaging 6 to 7 pounds lost. Not too shabby!
Is anyone other than me actually counting calories? I've found that that's the single most helpful thing for controlling my intake. The recommendation for weight loss is 1500 calories a day in order to lose a pound a week. Usually I've been doing about 1300 calories, and except for the one week where my weight stayed the same, I've seen a slow and steady decline so I'm pretty happy with the changes I've made. By targeting a specific caloric intake, it's been pretty easy to manage weekends, parties, goodies at home, etc. It's one thing to say "well, it's just a little snack" and another to have to write down those 400 calories worth of french fries (which is what a medium order of fries from McDonalds is) and see how it completely threw off your total.
I think today has been my most cheerful day yet on this program! There's no way I'm quitting! If today's weight was accurate, then I've lost 8 pounds--two more and I get another "treat." Ten more and I'm at my pre-pregnancy weight--if I've lost 8 pounds in seven weeks and I can keep up this rate of loss, then by next summer I shouldn't have to worry about looking like a pig at the Brownie swim night!
Editing to add: if I've done my math right, as of yesterday the bunch of us together have lost 38.5 pounds. Emily's the big winner with 12 pounds lost; the rest of us are averaging 6 to 7 pounds lost. Not too shabby!
temptation
What a gloomy bunch of possts today! Remember, you all, that no one is allowed to drop out!
I was up a half a pound today. yesterday I had orange juice and shredded wheat for breakfast--a small bowl becuase it was late when I had breakfast, a 6 oz low fat yogurt and a glass of milk with a cookie for lunch. For dinner I had spaghetti with meat sauce again, a green salad with my usual no dressing, a glass of Lambrusco (for my heart), honeydew melon for dessert and a half of eclair later in the evening. Oh, and I had a half a lrge apple mid-afternoon.
This morning I had the same breakfast, but for lunch I had a small whole wheat pita with Egg Beaters scrambled egg and a slice of Swiss cheese. Afterwards I had a slice of crumb cake with a glass of milk, so I bet I'll be up again tomorrow. Furthermore, Dick dug out what he thought were some strips of beef to make stew but turned out to be three pork ribs, which I'll bake tonight in barbecue sauce, just to get rid of them. We got freebie potato chips at Wegman's, so I'll serve those and try to restrain myself. I'll do veggie and salad and probably have wine and crumb cake again. I guess we'd better stay away from bakery specials!
I was up a half a pound today. yesterday I had orange juice and shredded wheat for breakfast--a small bowl becuase it was late when I had breakfast, a 6 oz low fat yogurt and a glass of milk with a cookie for lunch. For dinner I had spaghetti with meat sauce again, a green salad with my usual no dressing, a glass of Lambrusco (for my heart), honeydew melon for dessert and a half of eclair later in the evening. Oh, and I had a half a lrge apple mid-afternoon.
This morning I had the same breakfast, but for lunch I had a small whole wheat pita with Egg Beaters scrambled egg and a slice of Swiss cheese. Afterwards I had a slice of crumb cake with a glass of milk, so I bet I'll be up again tomorrow. Furthermore, Dick dug out what he thought were some strips of beef to make stew but turned out to be three pork ribs, which I'll bake tonight in barbecue sauce, just to get rid of them. We got freebie potato chips at Wegman's, so I'll serve those and try to restrain myself. I'll do veggie and salad and probably have wine and crumb cake again. I guess we'd better stay away from bakery specials!
Jumping on the bad news bandwagon...
I'm back to where I started already. 167.5. It certainly takes a lot of effort to eat well and exercise. I need to find a job where exercise is built into the day, like being a mailman or maybe I will find a farm somewhere to work on :)
It isn't right - it isn't fair!
OK - NOW - you may all get a taste of why I hate diets. Last week I was very close (.8 of a pound away) to the 10 pounds lost mark. TODAY - I get on the scale and I was 210.4!!!!!!!!!! That is just FIVE pounds down from where I started. WHY? I haven't changed my eating habits. I have gotten better if anything. Ok - Honestly - Yesterday we made up the candy bags for the DC trick-or-treating and I DID eat a couple of pieces of candy... But that doesn't mean I should gain a pound and a half!!!
Exercise lately has been exclusively painting - but that has been a good workout - I can FEEL it in my arms and legs! I am still having the storing problem from the Imodium on Sunday (I will never take THAT again I can tell you) but I think even if I ate a bag of prunes I wouldn't lose 5 pounds. I am so discouraged right now!
I am going to get some fresh blueberries. They seem to do the trick for me - and they are so good for you... Sigh, I will keep you posted tomorrow - but if my weight isn't down I don't know what I will do!
Exercise lately has been exclusively painting - but that has been a good workout - I can FEEL it in my arms and legs! I am still having the storing problem from the Imodium on Sunday (I will never take THAT again I can tell you) but I think even if I ate a bag of prunes I wouldn't lose 5 pounds. I am so discouraged right now!
I am going to get some fresh blueberries. They seem to do the trick for me - and they are so good for you... Sigh, I will keep you posted tomorrow - but if my weight isn't down I don't know what I will do!
Just bad news
My weight was up this morning, by a pound. No surprise there, though, since yesterday we ate out (had an Outback certificate to use up), and I overate -- I had some of the bloomin' onion, a caesar salad, a slice of bread with butter, a steak, and a baked potato. The only thing I can be proud of is that I drank water and I left a lot of food behind -- I only ate one smallish slice of bread, half the salad, half the steak, and a few bites of the potato. Daniel said, as we sat down to order, "It's Tuesday! We have a full week to lose it!" For shame. ;-)
When we got home there were cupcakes to decorate -- Alexander has been dying to make the Halloween cupcakes from the cover of Family Circle. So I doubtless ingested several bites of icing and at least one or two gumdrops, plus I ate one mini-cupcake (barely a mouthful) that didn't fit into the tupperware afterwards. And Daniel made ice cream (by then it was 3.5 hours after dinner) so I had some of that, too!
I wasn't as bad during the day, although I didn't exercise because Cecilia ran a low fever during the day (and the night before) and I thought she might be getting Alexander's bug, so I didn't want to expose the gym nursery to her illness. But she seemed fine by dinner time (she was in a great mood through most of it) so we figured she was OK for the restaurant. (I know; I'm just rationalizing!) I had my usual breakfast, lunch of yogurt and a few bites of macaroni, and snacks of a banana and some almonds. Could have been worse, I guess. Today we WILL exercise, between piano and swimming time!
When we got home there were cupcakes to decorate -- Alexander has been dying to make the Halloween cupcakes from the cover of Family Circle. So I doubtless ingested several bites of icing and at least one or two gumdrops, plus I ate one mini-cupcake (barely a mouthful) that didn't fit into the tupperware afterwards. And Daniel made ice cream (by then it was 3.5 hours after dinner) so I had some of that, too!
I wasn't as bad during the day, although I didn't exercise because Cecilia ran a low fever during the day (and the night before) and I thought she might be getting Alexander's bug, so I didn't want to expose the gym nursery to her illness. But she seemed fine by dinner time (she was in a great mood through most of it) so we figured she was OK for the restaurant. (I know; I'm just rationalizing!) I had my usual breakfast, lunch of yogurt and a few bites of macaroni, and snacks of a banana and some almonds. Could have been worse, I guess. Today we WILL exercise, between piano and swimming time!
Good news/bad news
Good news: my weight this morning was below 150!!!! 149.8 to be precise, and I know that this isn't official until it happens on a Tuesday and I know that it's entirely likely that I won't see that weight again for some time, but nonetheless, it was exciting.
Bad news: Connor is sick again, which means I'm skipping a lunch break today to go home early without taking too much sick time (I'm already running a sick-time deficit at work from Connor's last illness), which means that I won't get to the gym today. I won't get there tomorrow either because we've got Connor's IEP meeting at 11:30. He's a very time-consuming kid. If he isn't too miserable, I might take him for a long walk in the jogging stroller when I get home, or dust off one of my old Tamilee Webb Buns of Steel videos.
Connor was up until 1:30 a.m. so I ended up doing my pilates workout with him underfoot, literally. It's all mat work with a resistance band, and he thought it was a great challenge to try to remove the band from my foot while I was doing the exercises. He never got the band, but he was plunked down at the end of the mat through half of the workout, so it wasn't much of a workout.
Food yesterday was a repeat of my usual, although I had an actual sandwich for lunch (chicken, lettuce, and tomato on multigrain bread) instead of yogurt. I was just saying to Katie last night that I thought that eating well and exercising was supposed to give you MORE energy. It doesn't seem to be working that way with me. I'm every bit as tired and dragged out now as I was when I was a slug who ate junk. So why not get my daily calories from Milky Way bars and a vitamin?
Bad news: Connor is sick again, which means I'm skipping a lunch break today to go home early without taking too much sick time (I'm already running a sick-time deficit at work from Connor's last illness), which means that I won't get to the gym today. I won't get there tomorrow either because we've got Connor's IEP meeting at 11:30. He's a very time-consuming kid. If he isn't too miserable, I might take him for a long walk in the jogging stroller when I get home, or dust off one of my old Tamilee Webb Buns of Steel videos.
Connor was up until 1:30 a.m. so I ended up doing my pilates workout with him underfoot, literally. It's all mat work with a resistance band, and he thought it was a great challenge to try to remove the band from my foot while I was doing the exercises. He never got the band, but he was plunked down at the end of the mat through half of the workout, so it wasn't much of a workout.
Food yesterday was a repeat of my usual, although I had an actual sandwich for lunch (chicken, lettuce, and tomato on multigrain bread) instead of yogurt. I was just saying to Katie last night that I thought that eating well and exercising was supposed to give you MORE energy. It doesn't seem to be working that way with me. I'm every bit as tired and dragged out now as I was when I was a slug who ate junk. So why not get my daily calories from Milky Way bars and a vitamin?
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Oops
I somehow managed to miss weighing myself this morning. Probably because we got up super late and Joe & I were both running around like crazy trying to get going. I will weigh in tomorrow.
I can guess, however, that my weight is either even or up from last week. 2 parties this weekend did me in. Amy--the curtains are all yours as soon as my new ones come, which should be this week. I'll being them by Tessco with the necklace I was telling you about at Kristy's house.
I ate ok today. Dinner was probably a bit too much but it was very good--veggie lasagna from Let's Dish. We had a salad with it. I had vegetarian chili for lunch, and yogurt and granola for breakfast. Snacks today were a banana, some carrots and one of those 100 calorie packs of the chips ahoy snacks.
My exercise has been completely lacking. I HAVE to figure a way to add it into the middle of my day. it's just not happening when I wait until I get home. I am going to take some tennis shoes to work tomorrow and see if I can manage a 20 minute walk at lunch time.
I can guess, however, that my weight is either even or up from last week. 2 parties this weekend did me in. Amy--the curtains are all yours as soon as my new ones come, which should be this week. I'll being them by Tessco with the necklace I was telling you about at Kristy's house.
I ate ok today. Dinner was probably a bit too much but it was very good--veggie lasagna from Let's Dish. We had a salad with it. I had vegetarian chili for lunch, and yogurt and granola for breakfast. Snacks today were a banana, some carrots and one of those 100 calorie packs of the chips ahoy snacks.
My exercise has been completely lacking. I HAVE to figure a way to add it into the middle of my day. it's just not happening when I wait until I get home. I am going to take some tennis shoes to work tomorrow and see if I can manage a 20 minute walk at lunch time.
147.5
At last I reached 147.5 on a weigh-in day! I haven't eaten as well as I should have the past few days, and last night Dick and I split a large eclair for dessert, after having spaghetti for dinner! My daytime eating has been good, or at least as good as usual. I have switched to shredded wheat for breakfast, and part of the time I am eating a lower calorie yogurt for lunch. Yesterday we went out to the North Central Trail for the first time since the heart attack. It was such a gorgeous day that we ended up doing 3 1/2 miles instead of our planned two miles, with about three stops to rest on a bench. We then went shopping at Wegman's (hence the eclairs plus a crumb cake--we had a $2 off coupon for $8 spent in the patisserie) and Food Lion. We were so worn out we didn't make it to the hospital to see Kirsten last night.
I haven't heard any objections, so I am going to invite Barbara to join us.
I haven't heard any objections, so I am going to invite Barbara to join us.
Everyone needs a nursing baby
I was 161.5 this morning, my lowest yet. I've never gone on a diet while nursing before because you need to keep up the calories to be able to feed the baby, and it's tough to find the balance (and it was a good excuse to eat whatever I wanted, truth be told). But I've been keeping up the calories by not really dieting much, just switching out unhealthy snacks for healthy ones (and I've stopped thinking about the junk food during the day, I've found), and I've been focusing more on exercise (though this past week is a bad example). And I have to say -- losing weight with a baby at the breast is SO EASY! I need to keep knocking myself out to stay on the diet and exercise kick while she's still getting most of her nutrition from me, because I love seeing the pounds melt away this way.
I have officially reached my pre-pregnancy weight (and passed it by a tiny bit), and now I can start aiming for my next goal -- my pre-Alexander weight of 157ish. Then I need to aim for my post-IS THAT WHAT I WEIGH???-low of 151 (last seen in March of 2003), and then my post-honeymoon weight of 145 (last seen in 1994), and then it's a straight shot to my wedding day weight of 135. I should see that sometime next summer, if all goes well. Ha.
I have officially reached my pre-pregnancy weight (and passed it by a tiny bit), and now I can start aiming for my next goal -- my pre-Alexander weight of 157ish. Then I need to aim for my post-IS THAT WHAT I WEIGH???-low of 151 (last seen in March of 2003), and then my post-honeymoon weight of 145 (last seen in 1994), and then it's a straight shot to my wedding day weight of 135. I should see that sometime next summer, if all goes well. Ha.
IT'S NOT FAIR!!!!!
OK... I have been so darn good with my food! (With a few acceptable non-good things, very rarely - but strategically done so I don't give up.) I wasn't great with exercise last week, but I have done virtually nothing for the past three days but strip wall paper and paint walls, doors, and more freaking ugly brown trim (painting it white) than you can possibly imagine. I am so sore today I can barely move...................... But what did the scale say this morning? 209! UP! I have gone UP .6 of a pound.
What really isn't fair is that on Friday I was 206.6, Saturday I was 206.2. Sunday I forgot to weigh myself. I know what happened. I had such an upset stomach on Sunday (I think maybe because of paint fumes? Maybe it was drinking the night before, but Katie had it too - and she wasn't drinking on Saturday (at least not with me). The paint also had a particularly strong smell to it too... ANYWAY - before I left for Dad's birthday party, I took an Imodium AD. That did the trick on Sunday, and everything is just stock piling now. Shoot! You know, if I had just kept running I would be 204 today!! Sigh.
So the painting is coming along nicely. We finished the kitchen last night (at 11:30pm!) and got a good start on the hall. The trim is what is holding us up. The ugly grey, brown that it was before is taking about 12 coats of white to cover it up. It is very slow going... But we have at least two coats on all of it now - so just need to do a few more. We started on the green by the front door and the wall by the kitchen, so you can see what it is going to look like. It is so much less dreary than the wall paper. Julie - You didn't get rid of your old curtains yet did you? They would probably be perfect in my new kitchen. I will have to take a look at them again...
What really isn't fair is that on Friday I was 206.6, Saturday I was 206.2. Sunday I forgot to weigh myself. I know what happened. I had such an upset stomach on Sunday (I think maybe because of paint fumes? Maybe it was drinking the night before, but Katie had it too - and she wasn't drinking on Saturday (at least not with me). The paint also had a particularly strong smell to it too... ANYWAY - before I left for Dad's birthday party, I took an Imodium AD. That did the trick on Sunday, and everything is just stock piling now. Shoot! You know, if I had just kept running I would be 204 today!! Sigh.
So the painting is coming along nicely. We finished the kitchen last night (at 11:30pm!) and got a good start on the hall. The trim is what is holding us up. The ugly grey, brown that it was before is taking about 12 coats of white to cover it up. It is very slow going... But we have at least two coats on all of it now - so just need to do a few more. We started on the green by the front door and the wall by the kitchen, so you can see what it is going to look like. It is so much less dreary than the wall paper. Julie - You didn't get rid of your old curtains yet did you? They would probably be perfect in my new kitchen. I will have to take a look at them again...
Tuesday again
Today's weight: 151 even. The scale flashed on 150.8 for a second, but settled on 151. I was hoping for better (dammit, I ran FIVE times last week AND did pilates four times (maybe five? Can't remember) and kept my calorie intake reasonable most days) but I guess I can't complain about a 1.4 pound drop from last week. At least I'm headed in the right direction.
The treadmill yesterday nearly killed me. I didn't have any problems last week, but yesterday my calves and shins started aching five minutes into the workout and didn't stop. Running rather than walking helped, but then my thighs started aching. I think that taking no break after Sunday's run was overdoing it a bit. Next Monday I might try one of the bicycles or elliptical trainers instead, just to be doing a different movement. I did the pilates abs workout in the evening.
Food was the same as usual: cereal and coffee for breakfast, almonds for snack, cottage cheese and pears with pretzles for lunch, grapes and one cracker for snack, half of a chicken pot pie for dinner (Claire's daycare woman mentioned that she had made a pot pie for dinner, which got me craving some, but my frozen pot pies are 640 calories, so I only ate half) and spinach salad. Milk or water to drink. I haven't been calorie counting quite so religiously as I did at the start, but my internet was back up again last night (yay!!!!!) so I entered all of this--it came out to just under 1300 calories.
I don't think I have any pitfalls to avoid this week--no special trips with food involved, no parties to attend, no business lunches. Oh, I take that back--Claire's Brownie induction is on Thursday and I know they are making sugar cookies for that, but they aren't a big temptation for me. BTW, you all are invited and I'd love it if someone could attend--Brian has to work and I won't be able to get many pictures if I'm the only one there to corral Connor. It's at 6:00 on Thursday and she'll wear her beanie.
The treadmill yesterday nearly killed me. I didn't have any problems last week, but yesterday my calves and shins started aching five minutes into the workout and didn't stop. Running rather than walking helped, but then my thighs started aching. I think that taking no break after Sunday's run was overdoing it a bit. Next Monday I might try one of the bicycles or elliptical trainers instead, just to be doing a different movement. I did the pilates abs workout in the evening.
Food was the same as usual: cereal and coffee for breakfast, almonds for snack, cottage cheese and pears with pretzles for lunch, grapes and one cracker for snack, half of a chicken pot pie for dinner (Claire's daycare woman mentioned that she had made a pot pie for dinner, which got me craving some, but my frozen pot pies are 640 calories, so I only ate half) and spinach salad. Milk or water to drink. I haven't been calorie counting quite so religiously as I did at the start, but my internet was back up again last night (yay!!!!!) so I entered all of this--it came out to just under 1300 calories.
I don't think I have any pitfalls to avoid this week--no special trips with food involved, no parties to attend, no business lunches. Oh, I take that back--Claire's Brownie induction is on Thursday and I know they are making sugar cookies for that, but they aren't a big temptation for me. BTW, you all are invited and I'd love it if someone could attend--Brian has to work and I won't be able to get many pictures if I'm the only one there to corral Connor. It's at 6:00 on Thursday and she'll wear her beanie.
Monday, October 17, 2005
'Twas the night before weigh-in
Not that I'm expecting tomorrow to be Christmas-like, or anything. But my weight does seem to be down again this week, despite my overall lack of exercise. Today I'm back on track, eating reasonably well (as well as ever, anyway, which isn't saying much) and exercising. We went to the gym and I did 40 minutes on the bike -- I anticipated it being rotten because I haven't moved much in a week, but Daniel commented going into it that I might find the rest did me good, and he was right. I ended up doing it at the same level as I was using the last time, ages ago, and it seemed easier than it had been then.
I had my usual breakfast today, and for lunch I had tuna and toast. I had raisins and almonds for snacks in the afternoon, and for dinner I had chicken (leftover white barbecue grilled chicken breasts; I ate less than half a breast, because the breast pieces you can buy these days are so huge) and a half a baked potato, plus a caesar salad and several cucumber slices. And I had a marshmallow and two chocolate chips. My chocolate from my birthday is gone -- I ate it one piece a day and enjoyed every piece thoroughly, and it lasted until yesterday. :-)
I don't remember all I ate this weekend; on Saturday we went to a cookout and I felt like I ate an enormous quantity of food, although a large portion of it was healthy -- grilled chicken, asparagus (in garlic and probably a lot of butter, so not *that* healthy), a pasta salad with a lot of vegetables (and not much pasta) -- it was scrumptious. I did eat apple crisp with ice cream for dessert, and I did have a beer, so maybe that's why I felt so full. I also ate two waffles at breakfast yesterday morning, but, then, we don't eat much lunch on Sundays, so that wasn't that huge of a meal in the grand scheme of things. But I was relieved to arrive at Monday and be able to get back to a normal diet and exercise routine!
I had my usual breakfast today, and for lunch I had tuna and toast. I had raisins and almonds for snacks in the afternoon, and for dinner I had chicken (leftover white barbecue grilled chicken breasts; I ate less than half a breast, because the breast pieces you can buy these days are so huge) and a half a baked potato, plus a caesar salad and several cucumber slices. And I had a marshmallow and two chocolate chips. My chocolate from my birthday is gone -- I ate it one piece a day and enjoyed every piece thoroughly, and it lasted until yesterday. :-)
I don't remember all I ate this weekend; on Saturday we went to a cookout and I felt like I ate an enormous quantity of food, although a large portion of it was healthy -- grilled chicken, asparagus (in garlic and probably a lot of butter, so not *that* healthy), a pasta salad with a lot of vegetables (and not much pasta) -- it was scrumptious. I did eat apple crisp with ice cream for dessert, and I did have a beer, so maybe that's why I felt so full. I also ate two waffles at breakfast yesterday morning, but, then, we don't eat much lunch on Sundays, so that wasn't that huge of a meal in the grand scheme of things. But I was relieved to arrive at Monday and be able to get back to a normal diet and exercise routine!
Barbara
I have been corresponding with my niece (and godchild) Barbara Froman Houston. She says she would love to join this group. She wants to lose 20 pounds, and she is a lot of fun, so I would love to have her join.
Let me know if anyone objects.
Let me know if anyone objects.
Shivering burns calories, right?
I'm freezing today! This office has just gotten colder and colder since I started. Today the thermostat says that it's 55 degrees in here. I'm drinking coffee just to keep my hands warm. But in the downstairs offices, it's too warm so we can't warm it up here without smoking them out of their offices. I need a space heater.
Katie and I have a new challenge going, just between ourselves: we've both been hovering between the same two numbers on the scale--151.6 and 152.4. So we decided yesterday that the first one of us to break the 150 mark on a Tuesday weigh-in wins a $5 prize from the other one of us.
Of course if I keep eating like I did this weekend, that'll be a long time from now for me! At the Friday picnic the food was disgusting, so I ate a roll, a salad, and a slice of turkey. Then because I was really hungry and they looked really good, I had a brownie smothered in chocolate chips. I came home on Friday and was like The Very Hungry Caterpillar--I ate a piece of chicken barbeque pizza, two small slices of apple pizza, cider (the N/A kind), a bowl of popcorn, and two Hershey's kisses. Saturday, knowing I'd be going pumpkin picking, I kept breakfast small and then had a pulled pork barbeque for lunch (with a Diet Coke), pretzles for snack in the afternoon, and black beans and rice with a spinach salad for dinner. Then more popcorn while we watched a movie that night. On Sunday I went running in the morning so I didn't have breakfast. I had a soynut butter sandwich for lunch, pecan pie mid-afternoon, and an omlette with spinach and tomatoes for dinner. Before bed I was still hungry, so I had a nutri-grain bar.
My exercise plan for this week is pretty much the same as last week--I'll go to the gym Monday, Wednesday, Friday and do pilates at home four or five days during the week. Oh, I also decided that since I'm not losing weight quickly, I'd need another way to measure progress, so I took body measurements on Friday to track shrinkage, if any. I had measured a few weeks ago when I set up My Virtual Model, but I tried logging on today and couldn't find those measurements, so I'm not sure if I've made any progress in the past couple of weeks in that area.
Katie and I have a new challenge going, just between ourselves: we've both been hovering between the same two numbers on the scale--151.6 and 152.4. So we decided yesterday that the first one of us to break the 150 mark on a Tuesday weigh-in wins a $5 prize from the other one of us.
Of course if I keep eating like I did this weekend, that'll be a long time from now for me! At the Friday picnic the food was disgusting, so I ate a roll, a salad, and a slice of turkey. Then because I was really hungry and they looked really good, I had a brownie smothered in chocolate chips. I came home on Friday and was like The Very Hungry Caterpillar--I ate a piece of chicken barbeque pizza, two small slices of apple pizza, cider (the N/A kind), a bowl of popcorn, and two Hershey's kisses. Saturday, knowing I'd be going pumpkin picking, I kept breakfast small and then had a pulled pork barbeque for lunch (with a Diet Coke), pretzles for snack in the afternoon, and black beans and rice with a spinach salad for dinner. Then more popcorn while we watched a movie that night. On Sunday I went running in the morning so I didn't have breakfast. I had a soynut butter sandwich for lunch, pecan pie mid-afternoon, and an omlette with spinach and tomatoes for dinner. Before bed I was still hungry, so I had a nutri-grain bar.
My exercise plan for this week is pretty much the same as last week--I'll go to the gym Monday, Wednesday, Friday and do pilates at home four or five days during the week. Oh, I also decided that since I'm not losing weight quickly, I'd need another way to measure progress, so I took body measurements on Friday to track shrinkage, if any. I had measured a few weeks ago when I set up My Virtual Model, but I tried logging on today and couldn't find those measurements, so I'm not sure if I've made any progress in the past couple of weeks in that area.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Friday
This morning I was 148.5, despite having eaten a bacon double cheeseburger at McDonald's las night! The rest of the day I had eaten reasonably. At Mickie Dee's I also had a Sprite, and I came home and had an Oreo cookie for a combined bedtime snack/dessert. I think I had milk with it--
This morning I had shredded wheat with skim milk and a small glass of orange juice. For lunch I had a yogurt and glass of milk with an oatmeal cookie, and after we went out to run errands and visit Kirsten I had a half of a large apple. Tonight we are doing the shrimp/broccoli/pasta thing for dinner.
I guess we should get out for a walk this afternoon.
This morning I had shredded wheat with skim milk and a small glass of orange juice. For lunch I had a yogurt and glass of milk with an oatmeal cookie, and after we went out to run errands and visit Kirsten I had a half of a large apple. Tonight we are doing the shrimp/broccoli/pasta thing for dinner.
I guess we should get out for a walk this afternoon.
Hanging in
It's been a pretty good week for me, although maybe about to be messed up by a not-so-good weekend! So far I've exercised every day since Sunday (one more session and I get me an embellishment!) and have stuck to healthy eating. Last night after a long evening picking up Claire in Cockeysville, going to Barnes and Noble and then to the hospital, I got home at 9:30 absolutely famished--I hadn't eaten anything since my string cheese at 3:30. Brian and the kids had gone to McDonald's for dinner, but fortunately didn't get anything for me! I made myself a spinach salad and cottage cheese with pears and that filled me up sufficiently for the night. This morning my weight was 150.4, but I don't expect it to stay that low--that much of a jump from one day to the next isn't sustainable.
Today is the college-wide picnic to celebrate the 35th anniverary of the college, so I'll be eating whatever they serve. The good news is that these sorts of events rarely have really tempting food for me, so I'm not too worried. Tomorrow we're going pumpkin picking with the kids and I already know that I'm going to get their shredded pork barbeque sandwich. Yum. It probably has 10,000 calories and a million grams of fat, but I'll make up for it somehow! It's unfortunate how many once-a-year treats there are in October. OTOH, if I can keep up my weight loss and still indulge in these treats (within reason), then I'm doing pretty well.
Exercise tip-of-the-day--I read this in Fitness yesterday and thought it was a good trick. They said to look ahead at your next week and find your busiest day, then plan to fit in exercise on that day (schedule it somehow--even if it's walking the stairs at work for ten minutes in the morning and ten more in the afternoon followed by three minutes of jumping rope before bed--that's a pretty good workout). If you can fit exercise into your busiest day of the week, then you'll be more likely to also fit it in on other days when your time isn't so packed. I realize that I've been doing that all week--most days I'm up at 6:20, work all day, get home at 6:00 (on a good day), out again for various things in the evening, then get home and help put kids to bed, fill out school/daycare forms (there are always a ton of them--what's with that?), pack lunches, pack backpacks, straighten a bit, do the dishes, etc. It's been an insanely busy week by any standards, but I've still managed to exercise every day, and I was one of these people a few weeks ago saying "I don't have time to exercise--I have too many other responsibilities and I'm not going to get up any earlier than I already do." Well, sure, I don't have time to do an hour-long workout every day, but I've been able to fit in exercise in smaller increments and it's working pretty well.
Today is the college-wide picnic to celebrate the 35th anniverary of the college, so I'll be eating whatever they serve. The good news is that these sorts of events rarely have really tempting food for me, so I'm not too worried. Tomorrow we're going pumpkin picking with the kids and I already know that I'm going to get their shredded pork barbeque sandwich. Yum. It probably has 10,000 calories and a million grams of fat, but I'll make up for it somehow! It's unfortunate how many once-a-year treats there are in October. OTOH, if I can keep up my weight loss and still indulge in these treats (within reason), then I'm doing pretty well.
Exercise tip-of-the-day--I read this in Fitness yesterday and thought it was a good trick. They said to look ahead at your next week and find your busiest day, then plan to fit in exercise on that day (schedule it somehow--even if it's walking the stairs at work for ten minutes in the morning and ten more in the afternoon followed by three minutes of jumping rope before bed--that's a pretty good workout). If you can fit exercise into your busiest day of the week, then you'll be more likely to also fit it in on other days when your time isn't so packed. I realize that I've been doing that all week--most days I'm up at 6:20, work all day, get home at 6:00 (on a good day), out again for various things in the evening, then get home and help put kids to bed, fill out school/daycare forms (there are always a ton of them--what's with that?), pack lunches, pack backpacks, straighten a bit, do the dishes, etc. It's been an insanely busy week by any standards, but I've still managed to exercise every day, and I was one of these people a few weeks ago saying "I don't have time to exercise--I have too many other responsibilities and I'm not going to get up any earlier than I already do." Well, sure, I don't have time to do an hour-long workout every day, but I've been able to fit in exercise in smaller increments and it's working pretty well.
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