Still on hold

I've lost my zeal for calorie counting.

And, not only that, right now I don't have the time to do it.

And, not only that, I am finding that the "delicious" little lunch I was eating every day seems to be as distasteful to look forward as going back on the South Beach was.

I had lost well on the South Beach diet but when I went off of it because of a change in my life, I just couldn't bring myself to go back to the "deprivation" of it. That is why I chose to count calories.

So, now I'm trying to think of something that will get me through the winter -- like that plain ol' sandwich and veggies got me through from July until September. I think it's going to be Progresso soup. I chanced upon some bargains at Kroger and stocked up and find that I am enjoying them in this cooler weather.

Now I've just got to find something to get me through the evenings. I'm working long hours or have other things that are taking my time so I need to have something easy and healthy. I bought some pre-done dinners for my DIL when she had her baby and they really looked good. I might just have to go by Wal-mart and get some of those for myself.

I'd really like to lose ten more pounds THIS YEAR. For sure, I do not want to regain.

I have also been thinking that if I'd just hold my weight loss and increase my activity level I could move down some that way.

I haven't given up...

But a good sign that you've taken too long to do another post is that you almost forget your password to sign in.

Now that would be bad.

I went on vacation first-- and gained weight. I got that off.

Then I started working overtime to catch up at work.

Now, this week, we're having revival.

One thing I've said about counting calories is that "it's like taking on a second job". I haven't had the time to sit down here and hunt down my calories.

Besides not having time to put a lot of thought into what I eat, some pundit at work has decided it will be a "good idea" for us to have pot luck dinners every other Wednesday. The damaging thing about that is all the desserts that get brought in that sit around for a couple days afterwards.

Anyway, it is my plan as soon as this revival is over (Do I really mean TOMORROW?), I am going BACK ON my calorie counting eating plan.

I am not unhappy with the results of being "off" my diet. I have pretty much kept my weight down close to what I lost to. Maintained is the popular word. Anyhow, I don't think it hurts to maintain awhile, then go back to losing more.

I may not be able to lose another twenty before I go back into maintenance again. (Inventory time is overtime again.) But hopefully , I can lose another ten.

Monday 10-8

I fasted twenty four hours, from 2:30 yesterday until 2:30 today.

I did that because Wednesday is not a good day for me to fast and that is our "designated" fast day for the revival. The work I have to do on Wednesday is just too strenuous for me to do without eating.

I did okay with my fast but evidently there is something about eating that keeps me energized. I have wanted to go to sleep ever since I got home from work.

I had already had my lunch break when my fast time was up. (I prayed on my lunch break.) But at 2:30 I took a 15 minute break and ate an apple with yogurt, four snack crackers with peanut butter, some sugar free lemonade, and some kind of strange confection that a co worker had brought in. I don't really know what it was. It was not too sweet. But it was definitely in the pastry "family". Lightweight. Crispy. I wish I did know what it is.

I went by Walmart to buy coffee and also got some lowfat sour cream and nonfat cream cheese. I am trying to get adjusted to the taste of lower fat stuff. I was never willing to even try to do that before.

When I got home, I ate a piece of toast with pimiento cheese spread (and some olive oil spread) and later I had some chicken (the rotisserie chicken Walmart sells) dipped in Hellman's lowfat mayo mixed with Hot sauce.


Also about a half cup of milk.

I'm trying to stay awake long enough to make out a dinner plan.

Well, I guess this is easy enough. I just need to keep my memory jogged. I looked back to my older posts and it looks like I have already tried to set myself up for success.

Two Week Meal Plan
Fish twice a week
Monday (Work 8-4:30) -- fish
Tuesday (Work 12-close)--chicken breast
***
Wednesday (Work 8-4:30)--fish
Thursday (Work 8-4:30)-- Vegetable plate (beans, potato, etc)
***
Friday (Work 12-Close)
***
Saturday (Off)
Sunday (Off--Company for dinner)

Monday (Work 8-4:30)--fish
Tuesday (Off)--chicken breast
Wednesday (Work 8 -4:30)--fish
Thursday (Work 12- Close)
***
Friday (Work 12-Close)
***
Saturday (Work 9-5:30)--taco salad
Sunday (Off)

***Snacks after working until close (Sandwich at supper time):
low calorie soup, or
salad, or
cottage cheese and pineapple, or
greens and boiled egg, or


Snacks after eating evening meal at home
popcorn and milk
cereal and milk
piece of toast with marmalade and milk

C. Low Calorie Entrees (commercial)
It also wouldn't hurt me, now that I've been doing this a few weeks, to write myself up a two week plan for eating (as a guideline.) Breakfast is a no-brainer... and so is lunch (at work) and my snacks (at work). But meals at home and evening snacks tend to be a pitfall for me. If I knew ahead of time what I was going to eat, it would help.

One way to do this would be to investigate low calorie entrees I could buy and add something to them.

Healthy Choice

Lean Cuisine

* Cafe Classics
* Cafe Classics Bowls
* Casual Eating Classics
* Comfort Classics
* Dinnertime Selects
* One Dish Favorites
* Spa Cuisine Classics
* Casual Eating Favorites

Smart Ones
South Beach

Counting Calories is like having a second job

And for TWO MONTHS I worked my second job faithfully. And lost over 20 pounds.

But then I went to campmeeting.... no time nor expediency for counting calories.

Then when I came back, I had work to catch up on at my first job...which involves overtime. That not only took the time I would sit here and search for calories, it also meant I did not have time to go shopping for the "right" foods to eat.

Also something came up in the family that required more of my "second job" time.

So, I've not been counting my calories.

I did get the gain off that I had during campmeeting... and I am maintaining that. So I'm not discouraged.

But, I don't foresee that in the near future I'm going to have any more time as we are having a revival coming up and I may continue to work overtime until then.

Hopefully from around the third week of October until the Thanksgiving I can jump back on the wagon and get a few more pounds off.

As I see it, the way I am going to be able to proceed with my weight loss is to make out some menus for myself to follow (precounted menus) so that I don't have to sit here and search out calorie counts.

I pretty much eat the same things in rotation anyway so it shouldn't be hard to come up with some Breakfasts, Lunches, Suppers, and Before Bed Snacks that keep me in the range of calories I want to be in.

And I need to find some stuff to keep on hand so that when I get the "munchies," I have some low calorie munchers. Like rice cakes. Or 94% fat free popcorn. Or celery and carrot sticks.

Sun (9-30) Over the top again....

Coffee
Fried egg and cinnamon swirl toast with some olive oil margarine

Hard candy: three pieces

Excellent and delicious dinner at Sister Katie's--an unexpected invitation which came after I got home and had already pulled out salad fixing's
I ate as much as I wanted of everything.
Ham, Macaroni and Cheese, Salad with Ranch Dressing, and Cornbread
I also had one half of an ice cream sandwich and another cup of coffee (decaf) with creamer

After church I ate again.

Popcorn and milk.
A couple or so radishes.
A carrot.
A piece of celery.
Oh, and the hearts of a bunch of celery.
(I was cutting up my radishes, celery, and washing the carrots so fixing lunch would be quicker this week as I'm in for a really busy week.)
I ate some of the baked snack mix that Sam's was passing out samples of. It's 120 calories for 2/3 cup.
I also ate one cookie and drank milk with my popcorn, snack mix, and cookie.
I ate some snack crackers too.

I very much thrilled that I got my campmeeting weight gain back off.
And I was able to get to Sam's Saturday after work to restock my lunch meat and cheese so I can get back to eating my basic lunch of sandwich and veggies -- which runs less than 300 calories total. I also got more yogurt.

I can make it pretty good through my days by snacking between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and supper.

It came to me that I'm up something over 16 hours every day and I'm targeting to limit myself to 1600 calories. That means I can only eat the equivalent of 100 calories an hour. If I eat 300, that's three hours.

It's going to be VERY IMPORTANT to have alot of LOW CALORIE FOOD in the plan. That's the only way to keep from feeling deprived. I don't want to be thinking about hunger. And if I'm hungry, I do.

Sat (9-29)

Coffee (40)
Two boiled eggs and one piece cinnamon swirl toast (300)

Chunky Chicken Salad Frescata 460

Nuts (100)
Luna Bar (180)
Banana (105)
Egg Sandwich (300) 1/4 cup milk (40)
Taco Bell Burrito Supreme (440)

To this point: about 1965 That's NOT a diet.

Nutrition Facts: Luna Bar
Serving size 1 bar (48g)
Calories 180
Calories from fat 45
Total fat 5g 8%
Sat Fat 2.5g 13%
Dodium 125 mg 5%
Potassium 190 mg5%
Total Carb 26g %
dietary fiber 3g 12 5
Insoluble fiber 1g
Sugars 9g
Other carb 14g
Protein 9g

Fri (9-28) Looks like 1950

Coffee (40)
Scrambled egg, toast with scant margarine and sugar free marmalade (260)
String cheese (60)
Seven Layer Salad from Walmart Deli (5 serving @225 each serving=1125-210=915=150=1065) I think the dressing was most of that because it was 210 for every serving of 2 Tbsps and they included 4 servings. I probably didn't eat but three so I guess I could minus 210 from that 1125 BUT I just remembered, I ate snack crackers with it at 15 calories a whack. So add 150 back.
Yogurt & apple (110+85=195)
Frosty (330)
That's all I remember right now.

At campmeeting I ate pretty much what was fixed plus desserts with each main meal. I gained about six pounds.

I came home and cut back but not to below 1600 and quickly lost five pounds. Right now I'm sitting at 188 and staying in that area even though I have not cut my calories back to "diet" level. I probably won't do that until week after next because this week and next week I am still working more (overtime) and I don't want to figure out what I can eat that is lower in calories. Besides I'm running out of lunch meat and I haven't had time to go to Sam's. I can do that after work today.

Taking a "maintenance break" might not be such a bad idea anyway. It gives my body time to get used to being 20 pounds lighter. I have about twenty more to get off. It is probably not going to come off quickly.

What I am going to have to do is TAKE TIME to write me up an eating plan and make sure I have the food HANDY so that I don't have to figure all this stuff out every day.

By now I should have an idea of what I can and cannot eat.


Nutrition Facts: Great Value Reduced Fat Snack Crackers
Serving size 10 crackers (31g)
Servings per container about 10
Calories 150
Calories from fat 45
Total fat 8%
Saturated Fat 1.5 g 8%
Cholesterol 0%
Sodium 270mg 11%
Potassium 35mg 1%
Total Carb 21 g 7%
Dietary fiber less than 1g 3%
Sugars 3g
Protein 2g

Thu (9-27) TOTAL CALORIES: 1525

Coffee (40)
Breakfast: Toast with a little butter and sugar free marmalade (150)
Small apple (85)
Lunch: Subway BLT with black olives and jalepenos. No mayo. (340)
Snack: Yogurt (110) Nuts (100)
Supper: 7 layer salad(200) with carrots (20)
After work: Fried egg sandwich (300)
Home snack: 94% fat free popcorn milk (180)
Total: 1525

Nutrition Facts: Baby Carrots
Serving size 3 oz (85g, about 14 pieces)
Serving per container 5
Calories 40
Calories from Fat 0
Sodium 45 mg 2%
Potassium 305mg 8%
Total Carb. 9g 3%
Dietary fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 5g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 290%
Vitamin C 10%
Calcium 2%

Wed (9-26) Shame on me--over 2500

I didn't even write it down. Two days later and I can't remember.

Tue (9-25) TOTAL CALORIES: 1785

So, now's the time to decide how to go forward with weight loss when my schedule does not co-operate.

I just took a week off from my diet when I went to campmeeting.

And I gained six pounds.

WOW.

I was wondering how long it would take for me to get back to where I was before vacation. Two days made a difference. I was back down by FIVE POUNDS this morning! That was pretty good, but then I went into work at 7AM and didn't take lunch with me.

That didn't mean I didn't get hungry. My eating today has not been "on track"

Coffee (40)
Honey 'n' Oats bar (180)
Coffee (40)

Two boiled eggs (200) and Lemonade (10)

Mixed nuts ... I dipped in about three times. (300???)

A banana (105)

A hot dog (180) and a smoke sausage (230) from Kangaroo's (the buns would be 220)

Looks like I'm at 1505 at this point.

Yesterday I ate pineapple and fat free cottage cheese. Something unexpected happened. I really didn't drink anything after work. But I had to get up TWICE in the night.... and I got rid of a lot of fluid.

I was wondering if it was because of the pineapple and cottage cheese. It seems like I remember reading the one day water loss diet had pineapple and cottage cheese.

I had another round of pineapple and cottage cheese (280). So that shoots me over 1600







-

Mon (9-24) maybe 1500

Coffee 40
Breakfast: Luna bar and coffee 180 + 40
Later: a banana 105
Lunch: Sandwich and carrots and radishes 240 + veggies (30)
4:30 Several Peanut butter crackers (probably half a dozen anyway, say 350) , an apple (100) and lemonade (10)

I was told I could work overtime and I didn't bring anything to eat, thus, I ate peanut butter crackers--which I had in my locker.

Home: Cottage cheese (160) Pineapples slices (120) a few nuts (probably 100)

Sun (9-23) TOTAL CALORIES: 1531

Today's fare
Coffee, two cups (80)
Breakfast: Raisin Bran Cereal (1 cup probably-188 calories) with one banana (105) and milk (122)
Lunch: Steak(260) with green peppers(20) and onions(41), Asparagus(47), pears (70)
I put some of that Hellman's light mayo on the asparagus (80) Milk (122)
Cup of coffee (80)
Candy (20)
After Church: Healthy Choice Soup. I think it was some kind of gumbo. It was 200 calories for the whole can. I added Tabasco sauce, one packet of sweetener and a dash of salt. I ate less than 100 calories of wheat saltines (12 calories each, probably about 84-96 altogether)

So I did okay. Not great, but okay.
80+188+105+122+260+20+41+47+70+80+122+80+20+200+96= 1531

By the way, I gained right around five pounds on my vacation.

A Week without Counting

is a week of GAINING....

We're not talking about a little lapse here.

We are talking about a week of eating everything put before me. I ate what was fixed and had desserts with it. I did choose to drink water with most meals until the last couple days.

Of course, I gained. I'm going to wait until in the morning and tell you how much then.

BUT...
starting tomorrow, I'll be back to my old vigilance. I will get the gain off and I will lose what is left to lose until I get down to 170.

VACATION IS OVER... and I won't get another one until .... for MANY months.

Even Thanksgiving and Christmas will not be shoving as much food at me as going to campmeeting did.

On vacation Sept 16-23

I started my vacation from work today. I'll be out of town all week and probably not have access to a computer. I won't be listing my calories here, although I have thought it would be a good idea to go see what a place like Book A Million might have that is SMALL, gives calorie counts, and a place to record daily calories.

I suppose I could make my own.

Now, why tell me if you can, was the first thought I got after I typed the above: "I can go eat what I want to and nobody will know." I'm serious. I actually had that thought go through my mind. JUST HOW RIDICULOUS IS THAT!!!!! But it gives me an insight into one thing. Keeping this record has helped me keep myself "in line".

That is something that it is good to be aware of. NOT counting calories could make me lax about what I eat. Hmmmm. I guess I'll just have to find a way to easily keep track of what I eat in a BROAD way for the rest of my life on MOST days.

I'm getting pretty good at estimating how many calories I'm getting in what I choose to eat. And I joke with myself about it that I'm warding off Alzheimer's because calculating and recalculating all these food values in my mind all day is really MENTAL exercise.

From Obese to Overweight

I notice on my ticker bar that the calculation for my BMI has gone from 32.4 to 29.0

I suppose that is something I should shout about. I can now say I'm "overweight." I'm NO longer "obese". At least that's what the folks who figure these things out say.

I will have to reset my goal weight to get to what they are willing to call a "healthy weight". The highest they will allow me to carry is a lot further down than I have any intention of trying to reach at this point. (I'd have to go down to 158 and I really don't have any desire to WORK to get there.)

I'm running out of steam at chasing down the caloric value of every bite that goes in my mouth. But I have a plan.

I have counted calories long enough now that I know I have a general idea of how much is in what I eat NORMALLY. I can make out some meal plans that keep my calories in a certain range MOST DAYS.

If I can eat as much as I did on Friday and THEN GO BACK TO REASONABLE EATING and not gain weight--which I didn't-- then I think I should be able to have a day a week that I just don't have to watch what I eat.... within limits. I mean, I don't need to eat 10,000 calories or anything like that.

When I make it to a point on the scales that I get on it three times and it says the same thing, I claim that position. I do that even though my weight goes back up a pound or two during the day, or even stays up after a splurge day. I figure I must have done something right or I could never have gotten DOWN to that point, so I claim it. And I find that as I keep on watching what I eat I keep going down.

I'm determined to not "burn out" on this diet. I have to keep this weight off. MY KNEES ARE SO MUCH HAPPIER NOW. Actually I feel better in every way. Not only that, I feel more like exercising. I'm not doing it as much as I hope to later. I'm hoping to switch the time I spend searching for caloric values to exercise time later on.

Sat (9-15) 1510

Coffee 40
Two bananas 210
Luna bar 180
7 layer salad 200
Sandwich 230 Veggies 30
Nuts 100
Total so far: 1080

Scrambled eggs 200
Mushrooms 30
Onions & peppers 30
Margarine 70

Milk 1/2 cup 60
Cereal 1/4 cup 40 (Golden Graham)
Total: 430

Grand total 1510


I can see that one thing I'm going to have to figure out a way to deal with is what to do when I get the "munchies". I don't get them every day. But when I do, I just want to keep on eating on something... first one thing and then another.

Riding home from work today, I noticed that eating the celery sticks and baby carrots I had left from lunch seemed to satisfy my desire to munch. But what I'd really like is a BIG bowl of cereal. Or popcorn. With MILK.

I wonder sometimes if it is brought on by putting off my snacks and working until I get worn out-- like I did today. I really wanted to go buy me a candy bar. But I did NOT do it. I told myself that I needed to remember how many calories I ate YESTERDAY and not go for a repeat performance.

Nutrition Facts: Mushrooms, canned
Serving Size 1/2 cup with liquid (121g)
About 2 serving per can
Calories 25
Fat Calories 0
Total fat 0
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 400mg
Total carb 3g
Fiber 1g
Sugars 0
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 2%
Iron 4%

Fri (9-14) Maybe 2850

It's going to be hard for me to count my calories today.

I ate some leftovers Josh brought in from Olive Garden. I don't even know what it was and he couldn't remember what it was called either. It was very good. It seemed to have some kind of dumpling like ingredient in it and chicken and red (sweet) peppers in a sauce.

WOW!! I looked up what Olive Garden has to offer and it looked like the Chicken & Gnocchi Veronese. (Sautéed chicken with traditional Italian dumplings and roasted red peppers in a parmesan and ricotta cheese.)


Later I had a grapefruit. But that Olive Garden stuff took me way,WAY, WAY up.


PLEASE GO SEE WHAT THE DAILY PLATE SAYS ABOUT HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN THIS DISH!!! It's no wonder we have a whopper size population in this country. Even if what Josh brought home was just HALF of it, it would have still taken me over 1600 calories!!

NO WONDER IT TASTED SO GOOD......
Coffee (40)
Olive Garden chicken and gnocchi (1750)

Later: I ate a grapefruit before I went to work but that wasn't enough to keep me from getting
hungry until lunch time. (120)

So I ate some yogurt and an apple. 110 + 100 (210)

Then later I had lunch. 110+50+70 or 230 for a sandwich plust veggies (30)

When I came home, I got pretty hungry. I figured since I'd blown my day anyway, I might as well cook myself a hamburger(400)...which I did, eating it with a glass of milk. (200) Then I ate FOUR peanut butter cookies. (200)

Down 22 pounds this morning!!!!! 1418

Goodie for me.


However, having said that, I can still tell I have some more to go to get back to where I WAS in 2004!

By the way, I did a run down on my calories and the median amount of calories that I have eaten is 1429. I'm not sure what the average is, if it falls lower or higher, but I've eaten as many above 1429 as I have below. However, that also means that half of those days I ate BELOW 1429.

I didn't break my fast until 11AM. Then I had a grilled chicken breast (260) , slaw (50) , and pears with a little cheese and mayonnaise on top. Hellman's lite. (130)

At work I had my usual sandwich and veggies (270) and later one string cheese (60)

Total 'til now: 670 plus a cup of coffee, making it 710

No wonder I'm beginning to feel very hungry tonight. I think I'll go have me a baked potato with onion and cooked bacon and green peppers (240)

That will get me up to 950 so I guess I'll drink a cup of milk with it. That will get me up to 1062.

That would have been good, if I would have stopped there. But I ate one tortilla chip because Josh left the bag right where it had tempted me MUCH while I was fasting. And I had MORE than a cup of milk. Probably more like two cups. (Add 122) And I had more than one slice of bacon. (Add 70) And a couple tablespoons of cashews. (1 oz is 160. ) I'm not sure how that translates into Tbsps.

Add 352 to 1062 ... I guess that will be close enough. 14 18

So what does that add up to? Hmmmm. The bacon was probably 70 more. 122 for the milk.

***************

There is ONE THING I noticed as I was walking around work today. (We have aisles of huge mirrors that I pass from time to time.) I noticed when I glanced at myself walking by that this skirt I'm wearing was actually LOOSE around the rear. It has NOT been before. It wasn't tight, but it sure didn't have any looseness. And I could actually pull it out from me and see that there was room to spare. GREAT!

Like my co-worker said awhile back: "It looks like you're carrying less luggage in your caboose."

Wed (9-12) TOTAL CALORIES: 1298

Today we fast for campmeeting but I can't really start my fast this morning because of it being freight day at work and because I have a HUGE order to get out. Much of my freight is heavy to deal with (boxes of albums, paper and paper packs) and I heft it around all morning. That is, after we get everyone's freight to the floor. Until about 10 o'clock I'm "hefting" everyone's freight. Then I have mine. Okay, now that I've explained that, you will understand why I am eating much early and then nothing later.

Coffee (40)
Breakfast: Steak (406) on a hamburger bun(110) with a glass of milk (122)
Morning Snack: Two Luna bars (360), Lipton Green Tea (160), Cashews (100)
Total Calories at this point: 1298

Can this be right?

Nutrition Highlights

Rib-eye steak (cooked), 8oz. (227g)
Calories: 260.9
Protein: 21.2g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Total Fat: 18.9g
Fiber: 0.0

The Daily Plate doesn't agree.

According their assessment, each ounce would be 58 calories, or 464 for an 8 oz. rib-eye. Mine was probably more like 6 oz., or 348. Just in case, I'll split the difference and call it 400 for 7 oz.

Diet Bites makes it even higher. 191 for three ounces or about 64 each. About 448 for 7 ounces.

BY THE WAY.... this site at Diet Bites looks like it could be a very helpful site for information counting calories of beef products and there is other helpful information they offer there as well.

Tues (9-11) TOTAL CALORIES: 1680 estimate

Coffee (40)
Banana (100)
Breakfast bars and more coffee (180 +40)
Yogurt and an apple (210)
Luna Bar and a diet Mtn Dew (180)

From Walmart Subway-- getting an oil Change-- a Veggie Delite in a wrap. (230)

SO FAR SO GOOD: 980

spaghetti (400)

Grapefruit: about three (240)

Celery: I got the "munchies" and wanted to just eat something so I got out my celery and ate and ate and ate. Probably three or four stalks.

Mon (9-10) TOTAL CALORIES: 1632

Coffee, two cups (80)
Breakfast bars (180)
Banana (100)
Lunch: Progresso Chowder soup (400) crackers (100)
Cookies: (40)
Yogurt (110) Apple (100)
Sandwich and Veggies (270)
Popcorn and milk (130) and (122)

Sun (9-9) TOTAL CALORIES: 1690 approx.

Coffee, two cups (80)
Breakfast: 1 fried egg and two pieces of cinnamon swirl toast with margarine (320)
Hard candy: three pieces, and a few cheddar cheese potato chips (200)

Lunch: Hamburger with onion, cheese, ketchup, mustard, mayo and dill pickles
Salt and Onion Potato chips...hmmmm, maybe a good handful. Diet Mtn Dew (750)

Caffeine free coffee (40)

I finished up my evening with a snack of half of a hamburger patty, with onions on one slice of wheat bread. (300)

Of course, I bounced up a little after what I ate on Saturday, but I noticed I was coming back down this morning. Monday Morning: back down more.

I am not looking on these high calories days as "failures" in my diet, but as "reality" days. Without having some places to "indulge", I am sure that I could not keep this up long term and even if I have a small backset because of eating high calories for one day or two, I feel that I will be "setting myself up for success" by building in days when I don't feel like I'm depriving myself. One reason I was not able to go back on my former diet was because--AFTER I STOPPED WATCHING THE CARBS-- I could never bring my mental state back to a point that I was willing to say YOU ARE NOT GOING TO EAT THAT. That is why I chose to count calories this time. I don't tell myself I CAN'T EAT anything. BUT when I look at how many calories are in some things, I CHOOSE to forgo lots of things that I gobbled on down before because they take up too much of my "spending allowance".

Sat (9-8): NO WAY Day

I was DOWN TWENTY POUNDS this morning!!!!

Coffee, two cups
Two pieces of toast with marmalade
Later: two peanut butter crackers
Lunch at Ruby Tuesday's. I had their quiche-- which was wonderful-- and an awesome salad.

No way I can figure out how many calories were in that salad I had at Ruby Tuesday's
I took several kinds of lettuce, added cucumbers, two kinds of peas, cherry tomatoes, a sprinkling of cheese, about a teaspoon of sunflower seeds and of dried cranberries. Then I dipped into the avocado ranch dressing, and the honey mustard dressing, and another dressing and drizzled them all around. It was DELICIOUS.

I went into work after lunch. I had a Luna bar around 6 o'clock.

At home I had Tyson chicken wings, cooked apples, and a stick of celery with MILK. Any time I feel like I've "blown" my diet, I say to myself: I might as well just go ahead and have a glass of milk. I love milk.

Sat, Sep 08 2007
Ruby Tuesday's quiche 735
Tyson Hot Wings, 6 440
Ranch done right, 2 Tbsp 24
Celery - Raw 6
milk 122
Cooked apples with a cookie 210
Luna Smores bar 180
Toast, 2 slices with sugar free marmalade 220
crackers, 4 48
Peanut Butter, Chunk Style 94
Ruby Tuesday's Salad 400
Total Calories Consumed 2,479

Fri (9-7) TOTAL CALORIES: 1352

Coffee (40)
Breakfast: Oats n Honey Bars (180)
Coffee(40)
Lunch: 4 oz ground beef patty, baked potato with onion, collards Milk
Coffee (60)
Snack: 2 string cheese (120)
Snack at home: Cereal with banana & milk

Calorie Count Log:
Fri, Sep 07 2007
collards 35
baked potato, small 100
Onions - Raw 29
Oats&Honey Breakfast bars 180
coffee 40
coffee 40
Milk, 2% 183
coffee 60
1 string cheese 60
1 string cheese 60
Golden Graham cereal, 1 cup 160
Bananas 90
milk 122
Beef, Ground, 85% Lean Meat Patty - Cooked, Pan-broiled 193
Total Calories Consumed 1,352

Thu (9-6) TOTAL CALORIES: 1263

Coffee(40)
Breakfast: Fried egg, one piece of toast (193)
Snack: Protein bar(200)
Lunch: Sandwich and veggies (270)
Snack: String cheese,(60)
Supper: Fish (125), Collards, 1/2 baked potato with bacon, onion, green pepper


Calorie Count Log:
Thu, Sep 06 2007
coffee 40
Egg, Fried 93
toast 100
coffee 40
protein bar 200
Sandwich and veggies 270 270
1 string cheese 60
collards 50
fish 125
potato, 1/2 75
bacon 50
onions and peppers 40
grapefruit 120
Total Calories Consumed 1,263



Nutrition Facts: Kellogg's Special K Protein Meal Bar
Serving size 1 bar (45g)
Calories 1990
Total fat 5g *%
Sat Fat 4g 20%
Choles 5mg (2%)
Total Carb 25 g (8%)
Fiber 2g (9%)
Sugars 17g
Protein 10g (20%)

Wed (9-5) TOTAL CALORIES: 1334

Coffee
Breakfast: 2 fried eggs, 2 pieces toast with Fleishmann's margarine
Coffee
Lunch: sandwich and Veggies
Supper: tilapia fillet, slaw, asparagus
After a nap: one cookie and a tiny bit of milk
After church: Glory cooked cabbage --the whole can 4 servings at 25 calories each

Calorie Count Log
Wed, Sep 05 2007
Egg, Whole - Cooked, Fried 93
Egg, Whole - Cooked, Fried 93
Toast 2 slices 200
Fleischman's olive oil margarine 70
coffee 40
coffee 40
Sandwich and veggies 260 260
Lipton Green Tea 160
Lemonade 10
tilapia, 1 fillet 49
slaw 70
asparagus 35
asparagus 35
cookie 50
milk 30
Total Calories Consumed 1,234
Glory cooked cabbage 100
Total calories consumed 1334

Announcement: I'm over half way there!!!

I was 188 this morning. That means I've lost 19 pounds. I have 18 to go to make it to my goal of 170. That's 19 pounds in 7 weeks. Ten the first two weeks, eight in the next five, which calculates to just over 1 1/2 a week. I had hoped to lose 20 by the time I went on vacation on the 16th. I might just make it.

Goodie for me. "So far so good."

Caffeine content in soft drinks

According to an article ( by Kate Brumback, AP writer, Sept 4, 2007) citrus sodas' caffeine content tops cola. I already knew that. What I didn't know was that store brand content of caffeine is not consistent with that of national brands.

Caffeine content of well-known national brands include: Coca-Cola (33.9 milligrams), Diet Pepsi (36.7 milligrams), Dr Pepper (42.6 milligrams), Diet Dr Pepper (44.1 milligrams), Diet Coke (46.3 milligrams), Mountain Dew (54.8 milligrams) and Diet Mountain Dew (55.2 milligrams).

By comparison, according to the American Beverage Association Web site, a 12-ounce cup of coffee has between 156 and 288 milligrams of caffeine, and the same amount of tea has 30-135 milligrams.

When I started to work, I started drinking Mtn Dew because it was not an easy task to find a cup of coffee. I didn't particularly like Mtn Dew when I started doing this but I knew that my taste would change over time because of the desire to get the caffeine. It did. I'd generally just drink one in the mid-afternoon. Looks like it would have taken me drinking three or more to get me back up to what I was getting with my "cup" of coffee. (Since most cups have switched to mugs these days, I'm not sure just how that plays out.)

Tue (9-4) TOTAL CALORIES: 1163

Coffee (40)
"Breakfast": Chicken breast, broiled (260)
Lunch: Sandwich and veggies (250) one small piece of cheese (35), Lipton Green Tea (80)

Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino (340) They say there two 8 oz servings in the bottle of 170 each. Hogwash. Whose gonna share?

Total Calories at this point: 1005

I got up in the middle of the night and ate some raisin bran with milk. (158)

I learned something inadvertently. I've had this "miserable head cold" so I took something to dry up my dripping nose and running eyes so I could go on into work. I'm not sure what the ingredients are in the medication I took (It's OTC stuff) but it definitely suppressed my appetite as well as my fluid flow. And there are no ill side effects that I can tell except I have dry mouth which I have taken care of by drinking more water.

I didn't even want to stop working to eat my snacks today. I'm not super hungry even now. My mouth is still somewhat dry so I feel like I'd rather drink than eat.

LABOR DAY : Miserable head cold day

Coffee, two cups (80)
Breakfast: Scrambled egg (100), 2 slices bacon (70) , piece of toast with marmalade (90)
Mid-day: Bacon on one piece of bread (225)
Afternoon: 6 oz Rib-eye steak( ), 1/3 cup baked beans, 1/3 cup potato salad, 4-5 no bake cookies with oatmeal
Later: 1/4 cantalope


About 2:30 or 3 AM popcorn (regular, small bag) and milk (probably 10 oz.)


However, I'll give it a stab.

Coffee (40)
Two fried eggs (200) and two pieces of buttered toast (It's freight day.) (280)
Lipton Sweetened Green Tea (180)
Snack: String cheese (60)
Lunch was Progresso chicken noodle soup (200)
Snack: A luna bar (peanut butter) (180)
After work: Banana (105)

Supper: Steak (with onion and steak) sauce sandwich (just the bread is 240. I use Arnold's Health Nut) (500)

I think I probably had a couple cookies after the sandwich (100)
After church: Bowl of cereal (bunch of honey with almonds, probably TWO servings and milk)
(460+122=582)

I usually run high on my calories on Wednesdays--for energy's sake-- and this was no exception. I was running to close with my time to record everything and now I know I'm not remembering all that I did eat.

I'd say I was at least 2500 calories ... possibly more if I dipped into my mixed nuts. I can't remember.

Nutrition Facts Canned Baked Beans
Serving size 1/2 cup (135g)
Servings Per container about 6
Calories 160
Caloires from Fat 10
Total fat 1g 2%
Sodium 21%
Total Carbs 30g 10%
Dietary fiber 5g 20%
Sugars 11g
Protein 7g
Calcium 4%
Iron 10%

Setting Myself up for Success ABCs

Having made up my lists of breakfasts, lunch/snacks, and meals, I now need to make myself out a list of food items to stay stocked up on so that I will NOT run out of that which will enable me to stay on my diet plan.

A. Groceries List
Eggs, eggs, and more eggs
High fiber cereal or oatmeal
Oats 'n' Honey bars
Sugar Free Marmalade

Bananas
Apples
Other fruit--nectarines, cantaloupe, etc
Radishes, celery, baby carrots, green pepper, onions
Cucumber & tomato, lettuce
Cabbage
Potatoes (small ones)

Low fat lunch meat
Low fat lunch cheese
Low Fat shredded cheese
Cottage Cheese


Hellman's lite mayonnaise
Jalepeno peppers (for the hot vinegar as well as the peppers)

97% fat free popcorn
sugar free jello (pre-packaged)
Activia Yogurt
String cheese

Asparagus
Green Beans
Pintos
Glory Rice & Beans
Glory Tomatoes & Okra
Glory Collards
Canned tomatoes, diced


Progresso or Healthy Choice Soups
Chicken Noodle, etc

Fish fillets
Lean Ground beef ( form into small portions and freeze)
Frozen chicken breast
Frozen stir fry vegetables

Whole wheat noodles
Cheese crackers, 5 calories each of snack crackers 10 calories each


B. Two Week Meal Plan
Fish twice a week
Monday (Work 8-4:30) -- fish
Tuesday (Work 12-close)--chicken breast
***
Wednesday (Work 8-4:30)--fish
Thursday (Work 8-4:30)-- Vegetable plate (beans, potato, etc)
***
Friday (Work 12-Close)
***
Saturday (Off)
Sunday (Off--Company for dinner)

Monday (Work 8-4:30)--fish
Tuesday (Off)--chicken breast
Wednesday (Work 8 -4:30)--fish
Thursday (Work 12- Close)
***
Friday (Work 12-Close)
***
Saturday (Work 9-5:30)--taco salad
Sunday (Off)

***Snacks after working until close (Sandwich at supper time):
low calorie soup, or
salad, or
cottage cheese and pineapple, or
greens and boiled egg, or


Snacks after eating evening meal at home
popcorn and milk
cereal and milk
piece of toast with marmalade and milk

C. Low Calorie Entrees (commercial)
It also wouldn't hurt me, now that I've been doing this a few weeks, to write myself up a two week plan for eating (as a guideline.) Breakfast is a no-brainer... and so is lunch (at work) and my snacks (at work). But meals at home and evening snacks tend to be a pitfall for me. If I knew ahead of time what I was going to eat, it would help.

One way to do this would be to investigate low calorie entrees I could buy and add something to them.

Healthy Choice

Lean Cuisine

• Cafe Classics
• Cafe Classics Bowls
• Casual Eating Classics
• Comfort Classics
• Dinnertime Selects
• One Dish Favorites
• Spa Cuisine Classics
• Casual Eating Favorites

Smart Ones
South Beach

Sun (9-2) TOTAL CALORIES: 1783

Coffee, 2 cups
Breakfast: Fried egg and 1 piece cinnamon swirl toast with sugar free marmalade
Hard candy during church
Lunch: Barbeque pork, potato salad, baked beans, slaw, diet Pepsi, 2 pieces of cake-- chocolate and yellow (Groom's cake and Bride's cake) I forgot that I also drank one cup of punch. It was probably about 50-80 calories
More candy
After church: Soup concoction to take care of my hungry feelings without very many calories.
1 chicken broth (10)
1 package Lipton mushroom/onion soup mix (35)
1 stalk of celery, about 7" long (7)

I should have gone to bed then. I was developing a miserable head cold and I had two grandkids with me that wanted to snack. So I ended up eating some crackers and milk and a little peanut butter also. SO 1783 is NOT the REAL TOTAL.

Calorie-count log
Sun, Sep 02 2007
B Beans, Baked, Home Prepared 127 192
B- Potato Salad, Home-prepared 125 179
B- Cole Slaw - Sides (Individual) 65 95
B- Pork, Fresh, Loin, Whole - Separable Lean And Fat, Cooked, Roasted 85 211
B+ Sauce, Barbecue Sauce 19 14
B+ Rolls, Dinner, Plain, Commercially Prepared - (Includes Brown-and-serve) 28 84
C- Cake, Chocolate, Commercially - Prepared With Chocolate Frosting 64 235
C- Cake, Yellow, Commercially Prepared - With Vanilla Frosting 64 239
B- Egg, Whole - Cooked, Fried 46 93
toast with sugar free marmalade 90
coffee 40
coffee 40
coffee 40
mints 7 hard candy 100
soup 52
Punch 80
Total Calories Consumed 1,783

BREAKFASTS: 7/17-8/31

Eggs:
Two Hard boiled eggs (156)= 156

Fried Egg (93) and toast (80) = 173

Egg in a "nest" Fried egg(93), toast with butter (170) =263

2 slices bacon (103), fried egg (93), toast (100) =296


Sandwich: Sausage(220), fried egg(93), lettuce, tomato(7),
wheat bread (138), mayo (27)= 485


Peanut butter toast. 1 Tbsp Peanut butter (94), Arnold's bread (120),
sugar free marmalade (10)=224

Cereal:
Quaker's packaged oatmeal:  Apples and Cinnamon (130), milk (63)= 193

Post with Almonds (130) and a Banana (105), milk (63) =303

1 1/2 cups raisin bran (285), banana (105), 1/2 cup milk (63)= 453

 


At home mornings (tide me over until lunch)
Banana (105) blended with 1/2 cup 2% milk (63) = 168

Toast (120) with sugar free marmalade (10) =130

Nature Valley Oats 'n' Honey Breakfast Bars (180) = 180

LUNCH /SNACKS: 7/17-8/31

LUNCH: Sandwich and veggies-- almost every day.

Sandwich: The bread varies, therefore the calories vary accordingly.
The meat is from the Subway Sandwich packs that come from Sam's-- four slices of meat, two each of ham and turkey. (50) One piece of cheese (70) Sometimes lettuce, most of the time none.

Veggies: 1 7" stalk of celery (cut in pieces), about 4 radishes, 4 baby carrots


SNACKS:

1. Activia Yogurt (110) and an apple (65-85)
2. String cheese (60)
3. Banana (105)
4. Nature Valley Oats "n' Honey bars (180)
5. Green Tea, sweetened (80)
6. Peanuts, 1 Tbsp (108)
7. Nectarine (65)
8. Sugar free jello (10)
9. 1 peanut butter cracker-- 1 Tbsp peanut butter (47), 2 snack crackers (50)
10. Milk (63) Cereal (130)
11. 97% fat free Popcorn (120) and diet coke
12. 1 peanut butter cookie (50), 1/2 cup milk (63)

MEALS 7/17- 8/31

1. Ground beef patty (211) with Mushrooms (22) and Onions (46); Asparagus (30) with Fleishman's margarine (70) = 379
2. 2 Breaded fish fillets (320)
   Green beans (27)
   Slaw (21 for cabbage) made with vinegar, sweetener, 1 tsp mayo (20)= 388
   
3. Soup: 1 1/2 cups -- a can of Healthy choice Garden Veg mixed with Campbell's _?_Gumbo. One would have been 120 calories per cup, the other 140. I mixed them and ate a cup and a half =195
   
4. Salad made with lettuce (6) , radishes (1) , cucumber (1) , tomato (6) , 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds (50) , 1/4 cup grated cheese (110), 1 Tbsp Hellman's light mayo (50), vinegar & sweetener= 224
5. Homemade Bean Soup (2 cups =200)
   1 can chili beans
   1 can diced tomatoes
   1 can chicken broth
   2 Tbsp hot salsa
   1 large sweet onion
   diced green pepper, 1/4 cup
   chopped celery leaves
6. Taco salad made with lettuce, tomatoes, some mozzarella cheese and ground turkey cooked with taco seasoning and onion. Lettuce (8), Hunt's Original Diced Tomatoes (20),
   1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (110), Onions (34), Ground Turkey ( 225) = 397
7. Tuna Salad (500 for the whole thing!!)
   One can of Starkist Tuna, drained
   Celery, cubed about 3/4 cup
   1 slice onion, grated
   2 boiled eggs
   1 pickle, chopped
   1 Tbsp pickle juice
   4 tsp. Hellman's light mayonnaise
   
   I figured the calories for everything that went into it and came up with total calories of about 500. I ate the whole thing as a breakfast/lunch combo before going into work at 12.
8. Tilapia (93) , slaw (40) , and green beans(18) and sugar free lemonade = 151
   Slaw
   Grated cabbage
   Diced Green pepper
   Minced Onion
   Salt, Pepper
   Jalepeno vinegar
   Hellman's Light Mayo, 2 Tbs
   Slaw made four servings
   about 40 calories each
9. Grilled Chicken breast (320) with Allegro sauce (12) and stir fry veggies (40) = 372
10. Beef ( 3.5 oz beef 315) and stirfry vegs = 400
11. Great Northern Beans ( 1/2 cup, 110), Baked Potato (163) , and Slaw ( 80) = 353
12. Salmon Salad
    1/2 cup canned salmon (180)
    2 stalks celery chopped
    2 Tbsps chopped onion
    2 chopped radishes
    1 Tbsp raisins
    1 Tbsp Hellman's light mayo
    1/2 jalapeño pepper chopped
    jalapeño pepper juice
    1 packet sugar substitute
    Total calories all ingredinets: 272
13. Glory Tomatoes and Okra over spaghetti noodles (220) topped with Parmesan cheese (40) = 260
14. Healthy Choice Chicken Noodle Soup (200) with some onion (16) and celery (9) added= 225
15. Glory Red Beans and Rice (3/4 c -135) and Slaw with green pepper, onion, mayo (83) =218
16. Progresso Chicken Noodle soup, 2 cups = 180
17. Spaghetti: Noodles (178) and meat sauce (1 cup 250) = 428
18. Broiled Tilapia (98) and Vegetable mixture (203) =301
    

    I wanted a potato. So I cleaned and cut one (128) into small pieces (chunky slices) and started cooking it in about a teaspoon and half of Fleishmann's olive oil spread (35). Veggies - green pepper, onion, three baby carrots,celery and some jalapeño peppers (40).

19. Baked Potato (110) with bacon (35) , onions and green peppers (50) = 195. Small baked potato (warm water added for moisture),
    salt and pepper and a topping of
    1/3 cup green peppers, chopped
    1/3 cup chopped onions
    1 small jalapeño pepper sautéed with
    1 slice of bacon
20. Glory Collard Greens (40) and a boiled egg (78)= 118
    
    

Post workover

I can see that if my "diet journal" is going to be any help to me, I'm going to have to go back and re-work the way I have things listed so that I can more easily find the calorie content of something I prepared for myself in the past.

Either that or I can go back and do a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly listing. Maybe I'll do it that way.

Comments

I'm not trying to work out my "Carb Cycling Turbo" days or even my "Wendie" days so that they actually fit the framework that someone has created that seems to know more about what they are doing than I do. (By the way, the Wendie plan is supposed to be an acceleration for Weight Watchers and the Carb Cycling Turbo plan I linked to is supposed to accelerate loss on a LA WeightLoss diet. Both feel the concept can be adapted to other diet plans.)

What I am doing by having "low carb" days and "Wendie" days is keeping myself from getting "burned out" over how I am eating. I am doing this because I know that I am going to have to figure out a way to make watching my weight something I do for the rest of my life. I do NOT want to get so tired of depriving myself that I just give up on it all.

So this is how I figure it: If I can splurge a day a week -- or change to another "plan" so that I can eat something I'd like to eat that the plan I am using is depriving me of -- and NOT gain lasting weight because of it, then it will help me to stick to a long term plan for getting my weight down to where I want it to be and KEEPING IT THERE.

While it would be nice to just stick to something and see the weight come off faster, I would not really be gaining anything by doing that if --when I reach my goal-- I'm so sick of watching what I eat that I stop watching and go back to eating whatever I want to eat.

I'm trying to set myself up for long-term success rather than reaching a certain point on the scales and then throwing weight watching out the window. That is what I did in 2004 and I ended up bigger than I was before I went on that diet. I DO NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

Sat (9-1) TOTAL CALORIES: 1141

Coffee, two cups
Breakfast: Oats 'n' Honey bars
Snack: 1/4 medium cantaloupe
Lunch: Sandwich and salad

Sandwich was on two 100 calories each slices of bread with 50 calories of meat
Salad was 80 calories of Ranch done right dressing and the rest and estimate of the salad ingredients

Snack: Yogurt
Snack: 2 string cheeses

Supper: Tilapia fillet, broiled and slaw

Slaw (94)
1 cup cabbage (21)
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (7)
2 T onion, chopped (8)
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (4)
4 baby carrots, chopped (14)
1 Tbsp Hellman's lite mayo (4)
lemon juice
packet sugar substitute

1/8 piece of cantaloupe

Calorie Count Log:
Sat, Sept 1, 2007
coffee 40
coffee 40
Oats&Honey Breakfast bars 180
1/4 Melon, Cantaloupe 47
1 string cheese 60
1 string cheese 60
Sandwich 250
Salad 120
Yogurt 110
Total Calories Consumed 907
Cabbage - Raw 89 21
1/4 cu chopped Peppers, Sweet, Green - Raw 7
2 Tbsp Onions - Raw 8
1 Pepper, Jalapeno - Raw 4
4 Medium Baby Carrots, Raw 14
1 Tbsp mayo 40
4oz Tilapia Fillet 93
1/8 of cantaloupe 46
Total Calories Consumed 1,141

Fri (8-31) Low Carb

Coffee, two cups
Breakfast: Two boiled eggs topped with a dollop of mayo and mustard
About 2 Tbsp of mixed nuts
Snack: Kellog's Special K Protein meal bar (25 carbs)
The store I stopped at didn't have Luna bars (I'm not sure who does) and I was having to pick quick. The bar has 190 calories


Lunch: combination of chicken salad and 7 layer salad from Vincent's deli. I couldn't eat it all at lunch time. I finished the rest when I got home

Snack: 2 more Tbsp of mixed nuts

At home: rest of the salad and about 3/4 cup of milk

Thu (8-30) TOTAL CALORIES: 1229

I was 189.5 this morning!!! My scales play tricks with me. I have to get on twice to get a good reading. The first one was 188.5 WOW! wouldn't that have been nice??? But I guess I can conclude I didn't sabotage my diet with what I ate yesterday.

Coffee, 2 cups
"Breakfast": Broiled chicken breast and slaw. I seasoned the chicken with garlic salt and a little Cajun seasoning.

 Slaw
scant cup of shredded cabbage
3 Tbsp chopped green pepper
3 Tbsp chopped onion
1 small apple cut in chunks
2 baby carrots shredded
1 Tbsp Hellman's light mayonnaise
2 packets sugar substitute
jalapeno vinegar

Cut up chicken and add to "slaw"

Snack: Two pieces of string cheese.

Lunch: Sandwich and veggies

Snack: Yogurt and a small apple

After work: Small baked potato (warm water added for moisture),
salt and pepper and a topping of
1/3 cup green peppers, chopped
1/3 cup chopped onions
1 small jalapeño pepper sautéed with
1 slice of bacon (nutrition facts given)

Calorie Count Food Log:
Thu, Aug 30 2007
Chicken Breast, 1/2 broiled 260
Salad 140
coffee 40
coffee 40
Total Calories Consumed 480
Sandwich 240
4 Carrots, Baby - Raw 14
4 Radishes - Raw 3
Activia Yogurt 110
1 string cheese 60
1 string cheese 60
apple 65
Total Calories Consumed 1,032
1/3 cup Peppers, Sweet, Green - Raw chopped 10
1/3 cup Onions - Raw 22
1 slice bacon 35
1 small Potatoes, Baked, Flesh And Skin - With Salt 128
1 small Pepper, Jalapeno - Raw 2
Total Calories Consumed 1,229

Exercise

The reason I began this diet in the first place was because my weight had become TOO HEAVY for my knees. Maybe I should have cared, but I did NOT care that my weight affected my appearance. AT least I didn't care enough to do anything.

But as my weight creeped up, my knees began to complain about it. Especially did they complain if I picked up extra water weight. Something about fluid gain makes you miserable all over. It even affects your moods.

One day when I clocked out at work, my knees actually started SCREAMING. I was afraid I was not even going to be able to walk out of the store to my car. A fellow worker who was leaving at the same time had an empty shopping cart she was going to push to the front. I asked to "use it". I used it as a "walker" to get myself out of the store. By the time I got to the front, the pain in my knees had alleviated enough that I was able to walk across the parking lot without the aid of the shopping cart.

That day my weight had "bounced up" to 210.5. It's not unusual for me to sometimes pick up a fluid gain of 3-5 pounds. But adding that fluid to 207 was just TOO MUCH.

That "crisis" --needing the cart to get me out of the store-- was my "wake up call". I knew I had to quit preferring my taste buds over my knees.

First, I got serious about my knees. I thought I needed to strengthen them. Then, it occurred to me that probably what I needed to do was NOT to workout my knees, but to strengthen my legs --above and below the knee-- so that they were doing more of the work. I began doing some leg strengthening exercises intermittently. I also did some "light-weight" stuff to help my knees.

A friend gave me a DVD of Leslie Sansome Inhome One Mile Walk. That really worked well for me because, with my knees tending to give out SUDDENLY, I was afraid to GO FOR a walk that took me very far from the house.

When I started this One Mile Walk, I could hardly get through half of it. I've done it enough now that I can make it through and even do the arm movements. It has been a great energizer for me. I'm not sure if it has helped in my weight loss. I really don't seem to get around to doing it but about two or three times a week. And it's only 16 minutes, so it can't be helping weight loss a lot. But IT HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS AID TO MY ENERGY LEVELS.

Energy to do what you have to do just makes life better all around.

Wed (8-29) NOT COUNTING

Wednesday is freight day and I work hard. I've decided I'm not going to be so hard on myself on Wednesdays. I had already determined that I walk about a mile on Wednesdays just taking freight to the floor.

Coffee
Breakfast: Two fried eggs, two pieces of (100 calorie each) toast with some Fleishmann's Spread and marmalade on half of the last one (NOT sugar free)
Snack: About 2 Tbspoons of peanuts and a small apple
Lunch: Sandwich and Veggies (celery, radishes, baby carrots)
Snack:
I intended for my snack to be a yogurt and a cheese stick, BUT....

Panera Bread has opened a new location not far from where I work and they sent in this huge tray of complimentary items: bagels, muffins, cookies, toppings, GOOD STUFF. I tried as much of it as I felt was "allowable" given the fact that I just happened to be taking a break when it was brought in and it was brought for ALL of the people who are working--not just a few.I ate four different cookies and half of a bagel with Hazelnut topping on it.

I ate two cheese sticks after I got home. (60 calories each)

Supper: Spaghetti--probably a cup and a half (pasta and meat sauce combined) so I would say it would be around 400 calories. Two pieces of Texas Toast (150 calories each) After church I'm going to eat some popcorn and milk. That is one thing I have deprived myself of on this diet.

Snack after church: Milk (probably 20 oz of 2%) and Mini Bag of Act II Butter popcorn (210 calories). I could have chosen the lesser calorie version--975 fat free. I have it here. It's 130 calories. But I didn't

I'm sure I'm way over 2000 calories in what I ate today. Tomorrow and Friday are going to be low carb days for me like with the Woman's Day Carb Cycling Turbo Diet menu

I had several soft peppermints(20 each) and some Altoid peppermints. My throat tickled all the way through church and I thought they might help. They didn't. Now it feels like it's getting sore.

Probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500-2600

Tue (8-28) TOTAL CALORIES: 1073

Coffee, two cups (By the way, I only list drinks that have calories. I put enough creamer in my coffee that I have to count it.)
Breakfast:Toast with sugar free marmalade

Early Lunch: Homemade soup

Snack: Apple
Coffee
Late Lunch: Baked Potato with bacon, onion, and green pepper. 1/2 cup milk

I fried the bacon and cooked the onion and green pepper in the bacon grease. I put it on top of the baked potato. It was good.

I learned a long time ago that one way to keep a baked potato from being so dry-- instead of adding sour cream and butter-- is to add water, a teaspoon full at a time. Mash it into the potato and it gives enough moisture that the lack of butter and sour cream are not as noticeable.
Later: Collard Greens and a boiled egg


Tue, Aug 28 2007
coffee 40
Toast and sugar free marmalade 110
soup 250
Apples - Fresh Fruit 80
coffee 40
baked potato 110
bacon, one slice 35
onion and pepper 25
onion and pepper 25
Fleishmans olive oil margarine 30
coffee 40
milk 1/2 cup 60
Total Calories Consumed 845
toast with sugar free marmalade 110
Collards, 1 cup 40
Egg, Whole - Cooked, Hard-boiled 78
Total Calories Consumed 1,073

Responses to this blog

I didn't even think of putting a counter on my blog when I began it six weeks ago, but this week I did. I have been quite amazed at how many people are dropping by. Not like for someone "famous" or anything, but certainly more than I'm getting daily on my baSfsoGp blog.

Anyhow, I got a comment this morning from Big Daddy D so I went right over and checked out his site. It looks like it will be a wonderful resource and motivation for continuing on my diet. And I appreciated his comments.

*******************

Postscript: I went back and delved further into his site plus went to some of the links of those who commented there and it looks like I have been provided with a positive "gold mine" of information.

This is really going to help me because I've been thinking ahead to how I am going to maintain my weight loss and I'm convinced that I will HAVE TO watch what I eat MOST days. That means I need a good supply of alternative eating than what I usually indulge in.

Back in 2004 I lost the weight I am trying to lose again. I used what I called a "modified South Beach" approach. (I watched my carbs but not my fats. I worked to keep my carbs at around 100 a day.)

It worked.

Maybe it shouldn't have, but it did.

I lost around 25 pounds.

The problem was that I went back to eating like I had always eaten after I lost it and I went back with "gusto" I guess because I ended up heavier than I was before.

All this weight stuff has been a problem for me because up until I was in my mid forties, I was very satisfied with my weight. (I was about 155 in 1992. And I liked being that size. It was 15 pounds less than what I'm going for now--as seen in my goal weight picture.) I could eat like I wanted to and not worry about weight.

When I started gaining (at the rate of 3/4 a pound a month), I had this misconception in my mind that-- since I'd never had a problem with my weight before-- I would reach a plateau and stop. That didn't happen. I just kept going up to the tune of about 8 pounds a year.

Up until then I had done a lot of walking but I began to have problems with my feet and had to stop that. No doubt that was one of the reasons I had been able to keep my weight down. Without the walking to offset my eating, I kept on gaining. By 1999 I had gained over fifty pounds!!!

In 2004, using that "modified South Beach" approach, I lost down to 170.

That may sound like a lot (and it still throws me into the "overweight" range) but it is really as far as I care anything about going down to. (It is the weight I was in my goal picture). I doubt I'll change my mind about that.

If I can get back to the size I am here, I will be happy regardless of the fact that 170 SOUNDS big.

But after I got the weight off, I had a birthday and a number of my friends -- at different times-- took me to my favorite Mexican restaurant. And I ate everything I wanted to eat.

I could not bring myself to go back to limiting my carbs. It was such a radical change from what I wanted to eat. I like Mexican food. I like corn. I like buttered bread. I like popcorn. I like cornbread and pintos. I like baked potatoes--loaded. And from time to time I like a big ol' piece of chocolate cake with plenty of icing. Or cobbler.

So when I'd think of losing my weight, the thought of not enjoying my carbs held me back. That is why I ended up taking the calorie counting approach.

Silly.

Because when you start counting calories, it doesn't take long to realize that a whole lot of what is high in calories is high in carbs. So if you are going to be successful, guess what?! You have to cut carbs. The cakes, cookies, doughnuts, and cobblers have to go. You can't just eat all the corn on the cob you'd like to eat heaped with butter. You have to pass on the loaded baked potato (not the potato, just the load).

The thing I liked about my "modified South Beach" diet was that I didn't have to count calories. I was watching WHAT I ate, not how much. I don't remember getting hungry when I did that diet.

But I learned a VERY IMPORTANT LESSON that I'm trying hard to keep in mind now. I cannot just diet and then be done with it. If I really want to keep my weight down, I will have to be careful about what I eat MOST OF THE TIME for the rest of my life. (LA-Lifestyle Adjustment)

And that is one reason I am thrilled to have been given this resource, and this one, and this one, and this one to find good recipes that will satisfy my taste buds and not blow my diet and also the motivation to keep on watching what I am eating.

Mon (8-27) TOTAL CALORIES: 1229

I WAS DOWN SEVENTEEN POUNDS THIS MORNING..... 17 pounds in six weeks!!!

I am so happy for that. And, if you look at my calories on a daily basis, you'd have to admit that whether it was intentional or not, I've NOT kept them on an even level. Perhaps that is one reason I've had the success I've had-- to hear these who believe in spiking your intake one day and then dropping it another as the Wendie plan promotes.

Anyway today is the last day of Week Number Six and I've lost 17 pounds.

Coffee
Breakfast (I overslept): Oat 'n' Honey bars
The picture is blurry because the bars were still in the wrapper when I scanned them and I suppose the bulk caused it to blur.

Snack: Yogurt
Another snack: about a Tbsp on peanuts

I couldn't understand why I was getting hungry AGAIN after the first snack. I was sure the yogurt would hold me until lunch time. FINALLY, when lunch time came and I went to clock out I realized MY WATCH HAD STOPPED. It was way past my lunch time.

Lunch: Sandwich and veggies and 1/4 of a cantaloupe (left from my Women's World low-carb day)

Snack: Two string cheese sticks

Home: Coffee-- while I add up my calories so I can see how much I can eat for supper.

At this point I'm up to 928 calories.

Supper: Broiled Tilapia cooked with Cajun Seasoning and a Concoction of my own.

I wanted a potato. So I cleaned and cut one into small pieces (chunky slices) and started cooking it in about a teaspoon and half of Fleishmann's olive oil spread (or whatever they call it). I added pieces of veggies I had left in my crisper drawer: green pepper, onion, three baby carrots,celery and some jalapeño peppers. I let them all cook together until the fish was done.

It was really quite good.

I think almost anything is improved by adding a jalapeño pepper.

I liked the fish with the cajun seasoning too.





C-C Food Log:

Mon, Aug 27 2007
Melons, Cantaloupe 69
coffee 40
coffee 40
Oats&Honey Breakfast bars 180
Activia Yogurt 110
Peanuts, All Types, Oil-roasted - With Salt 108
Sandwich, with one slice 120 calorie bread 240
Radishes - Raw 1
Celery - Raw 6
Carrots, Baby - Raw 14
1 string cheese 60
1 string cheese 60
Total Calories Consumed before supper 928
tilapia 98
Potatoes, Flesh And Skin - With Salt 128
Fleishmans olive oil margarine 35
Other veggies 40
Total Calories Consumed 1,229

By the way

I am now tired of trying to figure out calorie counts.

I read on a blog that I checked on for awhile-- she's quit keeping it up now-- that trying to figure out the foods you could eat while on a diet was like having a second job.

That really "rang a bell" with me because I had come to the conclusion myself that it was such a huge "project" that left no time to do anything else. Whatever other stuff I would like to get done has been "put on hold" while I figure out the number of calories I'm putting in my mouth.

I certainly can see why some people would rather just pay to have someone else decide what they can eat every day.... if you have that kind of money to spend.

But as I've worked my way through this, I'm really trying to keep an eye on the future when I reach my goal and want to maintain the weight loss. I want to be able to put together for myself a "scrapbook" of meal ideas and recipes so that I can just pick it up and look through it for something that I know I'll like that is SIMPLE to fix. Something that will already have the calories figured out for me based on the ingredients I've used.

I read once that most people eat basically the same menus week after week, that is, they have about TEN different things they fix and then cycle back through those same ones over and over AS A RULE. They may use a slight variation on the "theme" but basically it's the same. (For example, spaghetti OR lasagna or something that is pasta with a sauce.) So I figured if I could come up with two weeks of menus for things that I LIKE that are low calorie, I'd be setting myself up for success.

Why do I tantalize myself surfing through these food pages? The pictures on this site take awhile to load but they give a step-by-step picture of every inch of the progress toward creating what you see here.

Sun (8-26) TOTAL CALORIES: 1464

Coffee, 2 cups
Breakfast: Fried egg, Toast with sugar free marmalade
At church: 2 peppermints, 1 hard candy, Oat n honey bars
Lunch: Spaghetti and meat sauce with 1/2 piece garlic bread and salad with about 2 TBsp dressing (One low fat)
counted as 9/10 cup of noodles and 1 cup of meat sauce
It was VERY HARD to find a source to give me the calorie count of meat sauce by the cup. I ended up getting it here and subtracted what they said the noodles were.

One chocolate chip cookie
10 crackers and 1/4 cup salmon mixed with onion, celery, jalapeño and mayo

After church snack: wrapped 1/2 piece cheese and 1/2 dill pickle in a piece of ham and the same in a piece of turkey. It was good.

Food Log:
Sun, Aug 26 2007
Spaghetti - Cooked, Unenriched, Without Added Salt 178
meat sauce, 1 cup 250
coffee 40
coffee 40
Egg, Whole - Cooked, Fried 93
Oats&Honey Breakfast bars 180
toast 100
salad with dressing 50
choc chip cookie 90
Peppermints , two 20
Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Original Assortment 6 23
garlic bread, 1/2 slice 75
salmon with celery, mayo, onion, jalepeno 1/4 cup 100
Crackers 10 calories each 100
ham & turkey wraps, w/cheese & dill pickle 95
one hard candy, one peppermint 30
Total Calories Consumed 1,464

My Pyramid Plan

The USDA Food Pyramid for ME

Sat (8-25) LOW Carb Day Number Two

More Information on Carb Cycling -- excerpts from the site (by Roman Malkov)

"By alternating between low carb and higher carb days, my clients have been able to get the lean, strong bodies they have always wanted. They also enjoy the luxury of eating the foods they love, as long as they eat them at the right time. It takes a little discipline at first, but it is far easier and healthier than low-carb, restriction diets.

How can you try it at home? During normal carb days, I recommend eating between 350 to 400 grams of carbohydrates. That’s about what you probably are already eating. Keep in mind that you should focus on eating unrefined carbs from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These carbs are packed with healthy compounds that help ward off disease and keep your body young. Limited refined carbs from sugar and processed white flour. This includes white bread, crackers, and all processed junk food. Remember, all carbs are not created equally!

On limited carb days, do not eat any foods containing sugar or white flour. Try to keep your carbs under 300 grams a day. You should never starve yourself or feel hungry, even on limited carb days. Sound tricky? It’s not! Counting carbs is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. I suggest picking up a carb counting book, like the ones used by diabetics.

The small extra effort it takes to carb cycle can bring a huge payoff. If you combine carb cycling with exercise, you will protect yourself from countless age-related illnesses, such as osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, and even form of cancer. You’ll also look and feel great."

*********************

I thought I had really blown it when I got on the scales before bed last night. I was UP to 195.5.

THIS IS NOT GOOD.

However, I went on to bed. What surprised me next was how many times I had to get up in the night. By morning I had got rid of every bit of the extra fluid I had picked up. I was back at 192. Before morning was done, but also before I ate breakfast, I was down to 190.5 That was five pounds gone in just over 12 hours! So, at least there was no harm done. And when I weighed in at 190.5, I actually thought it might have HELPED.

And I got to eat more meat and drink more milk.

Today I'm going to go up to Food-4-Less and buy me a rib-eye. I don't eat them much but every now and then I want one and the Food-4-Less way is the cheapest.




Later: I ended up eating another broiled chicken breast and some slaw for "breakfast". I needed to go take care of some errands (get gas, pick up a magazine they were holding for me at Friends of the Library) so I figured I'd just get my steak while I was out instead of having it for breakfast.

I lucked out because when I came back by F-4-L, they had a "family package" of rib-eyes (five) for less than $10. (They come through and mark meat down mid-morning.) I also chanced upon another of their "get rid of the Arnold's bread" carts. I had hoped this week I'd be able to get some as my bread supply was getting lower than I liked for it to. You can't beat getting that kind of bread for 75¢.

Today's food
Coffee, 2 cups
Breakfast: Grilled Chicken breast and slaw
Lunch: Rib-eye steak MILK
Later: 1/4 cantalope
Coffee
More cantalope
A few mixed nuts
Later: a salad and more mixed nuts

I guess I'm getting carried away on the milk. I noticed the carbs in it are higher than I realized. And yesterday I looked up the carbs on that yogurt and found that they were 19 for one serving.

Fri (8-24) LOW Carb Day

I decided to try an alternative.

I read in Woman's World that LA Weight Loss has this accelerator plan where two consecutive days a week you cut back on carbs significantly.


It gives your system a "jolt" or some such thing. Anyway, it keeps your body from hitting a plateau because you are on the same level day in and day out. (Probably similar to the idea of the Wendie plan.)

If it works, I'll like it because it will give me a chance to eat some stuff I don't get to eat when I'm just counting calories. Like more milk. And more meat.

Today's eating was like this:
Coffee
Breakfast:Grilled chicken breast with collard greens and slaw. MILK
Snack: Didn't eat one. I wasn't hungry.
Lunch: A salad I picked up at Vincent's deli in the Southern Market. I actually combined their 7 layer salad with a chicken salad. It was very good.
Snack: Yogurt and string cheese
After work: Salmon with mayo, jalepeno pepper, celery, onion and a pickle.

I sure hope this idea works because it would help me not get tired of what I have to eat the other five days if I could eat more protein and milk a couple days a week.

By the way, LA's basic plan for weight loss is more of carb/calorie control plan. Your eating is charted out for you so that it actually controls both.

Women's World, August 28. 2007 issue (Carb-Cycling Turbo Diet)

Excerpts from the article:

For many months now, [LA has] been slipping clients a special two-day menu plan that's so powerful, it accelerates by-the-book weight loss to the tune of 300%. Wow!

Most of the time [with the LA plan] you follow a filling good-carb plan that falls neatly within the USDA Food Pyramid guidelines. Here's the magic part: Two days a week you use a special acceleration menu. It's nothing fancy-- just a mix of ordinary super-market foods. The key is that they're low-carb, low-calorie and, most important a shock to your system....

WHY IT WORKS

Most people eat the same way every day with little variation, and our bodies very quickly adapt to these eating patterns. Any change in diet will shake up the metabolism and make it work harder....That means more calories burned and lots more weight loss.

I don't know how to check out if this is so, but here it says the LA of LA
Weight Loss stand for Lifestyle Adjustment.

Thu (8-23) TOTAL CALORIES: 1679

Coffee
Breakfast: Toast with marmalade
On the way to work: Banana
Snack: Oats and Honey bars
Lunch: Sandwich crackers
Snack: Yogurt crackers Another banana
Supper: Chili made with pintos, chick peas, onion, green pepper and canned tomatoes
4 hushpuppies
2 soft peppermints




Calorie Count Lo:
Thu, Aug 23 2007
coffee 40
Toast and sugar free marmalade 130
Bananas 105
Sandwich 320
crackers 5 calories each 35
Activia Yogurt 110
Bananas 105
Breakfast bars 180
Crackers 10 calories each 100
Hush Puppies 204
Chili, 2 cups 330
Peppermints , two 20
Total Calories Consumed 1,679

Wed TOTAL CALORIES: 1688

Coffee
Breakfast: One piece of "good" toast, lightly buttered, with a couple teaspoons peanut butter and some sugar free marmalade
Snack: Mixed nuts and an apple (large)
Lunch: (at Rosie's Tacqueria) One beef quesadilla, two chips
(There was about 3 Tbsps of sour cream on the quesadilla)
Late Supper: Sandwich and veggies
Home: Bowl of French Toast Crunch cereal

Wed, Aug 22 2007
coffee, 3 cups 120
Peanut butter/marmalade toast 190
apple 120
B- Mixed Nuts, Oil Roasted - With Peanuts, With Salt Added 28 173
beef quesidilla and two chips 500
Sandwich and veggies 260
French Toast Crunch. 1 cup 325
Total Calories Consumed 1,688

Tues TOTAL CALORIES: 1880

I was down to 192 this morning. That's 15 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coffee, two cups
Breakfast: Egg and a piece of white bread toast at Jeni's
Lunch: Healthy choice vegetable soup before I went to work
Snack: Banana bread muffin and a cheese stick
At work Lunch: Sandwich and veggies
Starbucks Coffee: Josh brought it to me at my request.
Snack: apple and yogurt, string cheese


C-C log:
Tue, Aug 21 2007
coffee 40
coffee 40
Bananas 105
Egg and toast 180
Healthy Choice Vegetable Soup 220
1 string cheese 60
Sanwich and veggies 270
Activia Yogurt 110
1 string cheese 60
apple 120
Starbucks White Mocha 16 0z 470
Glory Red Bean and Rice 180
Very small crackers,5 25
Total Calories Consumed 1,880

Notice I missed counting the banana bread muffin. That means 1880 is NOT right.

Mon (8-20) TOTAL CALORIES: 1137

Coffee
Breakfast: two hardboiled eggs
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Sandwich and veggies
Snack: Mixed fresh fruit (given to me by a co-worker)
Supper: Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup, 2 cups
Later: Salad

Calorie Count Log:
Mon, Aug 20 2007
coffee 40
2 large hard boiled eggs 156
Bananas 105
Sandwich 240
veggies 25
Mixed Fresh Fruit - Ukrop's Grill/Side Dishes 50
Progresso Chicken Noodle soup 180
Mixed Fresh Fruit - Ukrop's Grill/Side Dishes 50
apple 65
Mayo 40
Pecan 50
salad 50
Mixed Nuts - Without Peanuts, Oil Roasted, With Salt Added 86
Total Calories Consumed 1,137

Sun TOTAL CALORIES: Over 2000

Coffee, 2 cups with flavored creamer

Breakfast Egg and Toast with diet jam

Snack: About three peppermints
Before lunch: Numerous baby carrots
Lunch: Salad with Ranch Dressing (40 calories for 2 Tbsp) and some Feta cheese sprinkled on it (Maybe 2 Tbsp)
Whole wheat spaghetti, probably half a cup and MEAT SAUCE, probably 3/4 cup anyway
Drink: Water with lime juice and artificial sweetener.

Everything was pretty good until cheese cake time came. One slice has 610 calories. And I had some sliced strawberries and real whipped cream with it. Also later I had two cups of decaf coffee with flavored creamer.

After church I intended to eat a boiled egg and greens, but the top broke off one of the eggs as I was removing it from the carton so I fried it. I ended up putting it (92) on one slice of bread (120) with a piece of cheese (70) and some leftover chicken breast (deskinned) with milk (about 100)

Probably if I could just not count the cheesecake my calorie count would be within the right range.

Anyway, I figured after TWO days of over the top eating, my weight would jump up. But when I got up and weighed Monday morning it was okay. I was 193. Still down 14 pounds.

By the way, I averaged out my calories over the time period I've been dieting and as an average my daily calories have been more in the 1400 range than in the 1600. However, I have not done that purposely. It's just that when I would look at how many calories were in various things I was tempted to eat I would realize I didn't want them for the "price" I would have to pay to get them.

I suppose it could be compared to going shopping without regard to the price of the items there. Who of us does that? We know we have a limit and we stay within it. From time to time we might splurge on something, but we know if we do that we have to make adjustments in other areas to cover it.

Eating without even giving heed to how many calories you're taking in is like going shopping with a credit card and not looking at the price. You end up in a mess financially. With calories, you end up in a mess physically.