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