Wednesday, July 25, 2012

If You Bite It, Write It

If I had to give one piece of advice to someone who wanted to lose weight, it would be to journal your food. It doesn't matter if you count calories, points, or exchanges, just keep track. When I track calories, I lose weight. When I don't track, I don't lose.

When I don't track, I slip in extra snacks, "just one more bite," or another cookie. It's much easier to eat an extra few hundred calories a day if I'm not aware of each bite. It's easier to say, "It doesn't matter." or "I'll be good tomorrow."

There have been studies that show that this plus not skipping meals and eating out less can improve weight loss results.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Struggling with Food and Depression

At least I didn't gain this week.

I'm determined to get "back in the game" and eat clean. This means staying within my calorie range. I didn't track my food over the weekend and certainly overate. Nothing horrible, but enough that I didn't lose anything.

I finally found a good blog by someone who has lost a lot of weight by eating healthy and exercising. It's The Anti-Jared. I like that he shares his emotional journey and I'm going to try to do the same. He's lost 200 pounds so he's a success story for inspiration both for weight loss and to be a better blogger by sharing more of what is going on in my life.

I hurt so much right now. My husband is fighting depression. Add that to my on-going depression and it's like living in a constant fog of pain. I feel worthless. He feels worthless. And we feed on each other's misery. I don't know how to get out of this. Anti-depressants don't work for either of us. They simply don't work for me and they give him horrible side effects. We've both tried numerous brands. We've both starting therapy. I can only hope it will help.

I need to lose weight so I can go back to work so we can get out of this financial hole. It's an absolute misery. I'm on disability and he's hardly making anything. We have just enough to keep a roof over our heads and to feed ourselves. He needs glasses. We both need dental work. The house needs major repairs as does his truck. We haven't been on a vacation in over a decade. We can't get assistance because he makes too much. But he doesn't make enough for us to get the things we need.

Is it any wonder we're depressed?

Monday, July 16, 2012

No, No, No - Wrong Way!

I'm not happy with my weigh-in today. A three-pound gain.

I might have been a little high in calories but not THAT high. All I can think of is since I'm peri-menopausal my cycle is irregular and I haven't had my "friend" for the last two months. I think I'm going to be hit with a vengeance this month since I'm feeling very bloated. My female cycle can also cause me to be irregular in another way which can also cause "bloat."

That plus having lost 50 pounds over the last two months and my body just needs time to adjust. I had started a break on tracking my food but this put a kabosh on it. I need to be super careful over the next week. I do NOT want to start back sliding! Also, my exercise plan has me adding a song to my chair dancing routine and marching in place for 20 seconds every time I get up. Lastly, I'm drinking some extra water. I hope to turn this around right away.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Just Watch Me!

Both my mother and my husband laughed at me.

I told them that doing a triathlon was on my bucket list. They both laughed. Now, I'm not talking about the Ironman Triathlon. I'm talking about what's called a "sprint" Triathlon. It usually includes a half mile swim, a twelve mile bike ride, and a 3 mile run. Or in my case, walk.

Okay. So I weigh over 500 pounds, am pushing 50, and have never been athletic, but, darn it, this is not entirely out of the realm of the possible.

My current exercise routine is chair dancing for two songs and every time I get up, I march in place for 10 seconds. Also, once or twice a week I go to the pool for an hour of exercise.

Next week I'll do two songs in the morning and one song in the afternoon and 20 seconds of marching in place each time I get up. And so forth. The plan looks a little like this:

Week 1: 2 songs/10 secs
Week 2: 2 songs + 1 song/20 secs
Week 3: 2 songs + 1 song/30 secs
Week 4: 2 songs + 2 songs/40 secs
Week 5: 2 songs + 2 songs/50 secs
Week 6: 2 songs + 2 songs/1 min
Week 7: 2 songs + 2 songs/1 min
Week 8: 3 songs + 2 songs/1 min 10 secs
Week 9: 3 songs + 2 songs/1 min 20 secs
Week 10: 3 songs + 2 songs/1 min 30 secs
Week 11: 3 songs + 2 songs/1 min 30 secs
Week 12: 3 songs + 3 songs/1 min 40 secs

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Food Journal in Pictures - Sunday

Breakfast (279 calories):



Oatmeal - 1 serving (150 calories)
Skim Milk - 1 cup (80 calories)
Sugar - 1 Tbsp (49 calories)

AM Snack (369 calories):


Duplicate pictures

Cashews - 11 (99 calories)
Lean Pocket Garlic Chicken White Pizza (270 calories)

Lunch (578 calories):


Goulash - 1 serving (376 calories)
Parmesan - 2 Tbsp (60 calories)
Apple - 1 small (63 calories)
Pecan Sandie - 1 (80 calories)

PM Snack (222 calories):

Duplicate picture from Monday

Turkey Snack Bites - 2 servings (160 calories)
Grapes - 1 cup (62 calories)

Dinner (921 calories):


Chicken Breast - 5 oz (156 calories)
Swiss Cheese - 2 slices (100 calories)
Angel Hair Pasta - 3 ounces (315 calories)
Prego Mushroom - 3/4 cup (150 calories)
Steam Fresh Vegetables - 1 cup (56 calories)
Parmesan - 3 Tbsp (90 calories)
Dove Chocolate - 1 piece (54 calories) Not shown

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Food Journal in Pictures - Saturday

Breakfast (279 calories):


(Someone decided she wanted to be in the picture, too.)

Oatmeal - 1 serving (150 calories)
Skim Milk - 1 cup (80 calories)
Sugar - 1 Tbsp (49 calories)

AM Snack (307 calories):



Duplicate images

Cashews - 11 (99 calories)
Turkey Sandwich - 1/2 (206 calories)

Lunch (566 calories):

Duplicate from Monday

Goulash - 1 serving (376 calories)
Parmesan - 2 Tbsp (60 calories)
Mott's Natural Applesauce - 4 ounces (50 calories)
Pecan Sandies - 1 (80 calories)

PM Snack (222 calories):

Duplicate picture from Monday

Turkey Snack Bites - 2 servings (160 calories)
Grapes - 1 cup (62 calories)

Dinner (833 calories):


Parmesan Tilapia (5 oz tilapia, bread crumbs, parmesan, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter) (387 calories)
Honey Glazed Carrots - 1 serving (90 calories)
Pasta Roni Angel Hair with Parmesan Cheese - 1.25 servings (388 calories)
Dove Chocolate - 1 piece (50 calories) Not shown
Fla-vor-ice - 1 piece (15 calories) Not shown

Total: 2206 calories

Food Journal in Pictures - Friday

Breakfast (238 calories):

Duplicate image from Monday

Special K - 1 cup (120 calories)
Skim milk- 1 cup (86 calories)
Sugar - 2 tsp (33 calories)

AM Snack (369 calories):


Duplicate pictures

Cashews - 11 (99 calories)
Lean Pocket Garlic Chicken White Pizza (270 calories)

Lunch (640 calories):


Meals on Wheels
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce - 2 cups (480 calories)
Carrots - 1/2 cup (27 calories)
Garlic Bread - 1 small slice (53 calories)
Pecan Sandie - 1 (80 calories)

PM Snack (253 calories):

Duplicate picture

Apple - 1 (63 calories)
Laughing Cow Light - 2 (70 calories)
Triscuits - 1 serving (120 calories)

Dinner (886 calories):


Bottom picture duplicate

Goulash - 1 serving (376 calories)
Parmesan - 2 Tbsp (60 calories)
Caesar Salad - 1 serving (2 cups lettuce, 2 Tbsp dressing, 1 serving croutons, 1 Tbsp Parmesan) (205 calories)
Market Pantry Chocolate Eclair - 1 serving (170 calories)
Fla-vor-ice - 1 serving (15 calories) Not shown

Notes: The dinner entree picture is really out of focus when you look at the large version. There was no way to tell on the camera. Sorry!

Total: 2386 calories



Food Journal in Pictures - Thursday

Breakfast (285 calories):

Duplicate picture

Shredded Wheat - 1 cup (167 calories)
Skim Milk - 1 cup (86 calories)
Sugar - 2 tsp (33 calories)

AM Snacks (312 calories):


Duplicate pictures

Almonds - 15 (104 calories)
Turkey sandwich - 1/2 (208 calories)

Lunch (771 calories):


Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken - 1 serving (334 calories)
White Rice - 1 cup (205 calories)
Mixed Vegetables - 1/2 cup (33 calories)
Brownie - 1.5 ounces (half shown) (198 calories)

PM Snack (253 calories):

Duplicate picture

Apple - 1 (63 calories)
Laughing Cow Light - 2 (70 calories)
Triscuits - 1 serving (120 calories)

Dinner (628 calories):


Goulash - 1 serving (376 calories)
Parmesan - 3 Tbsp (9o calories)
Stream Fresh Broccoli - 1 cup (30 calories)
Brownie - 1 oz (other half from lunch) (132 calories)

Snack (15 calories):

Fla-vor-ice - 1 (not shown) (15 calories)

Notes: I guessed what lunch and the dessert was. The dessert was some time of chocolate/peanut butter bar so I just called it a brownie. The brownie was intense enough that I could split it between lunch and dinner. The entree was sweet with pineapple. So, I'm guessing it was teriyaki.

Total: 2263 calories

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Food Journal in Pictures - Wednesday

Breakfast (238 calories):

Duplicate image from Monday

Special K - 1 cup (120 calories)
Skim milk- 1 cup (86 calories)
Sugar - 2 tsp (33 calories)

AM Snack (374 calories):

Duplicate image from Tuesday

Almonds - 15 (104 calories)
Lean Pocket Garlic Chicken White Pizza (270 calories)

Lunch (566 calories):

Duplicate from Monday

Goulash - 1 serving (376 calories)
Parmesan - 2 Tbsp (60 calories)
Mott's Natural Applesauce - 4 ounces (50 calories)
Pecan Sandies - 1 (80 calories)

PM Snack (253 calories):



Apple - 1 (63 calories)
Laughing Cow Light - 2 (70 calories)
Triscuits - 1 serving (120 calories)

Dinner (931 calories):



Chicken Caesar Salad (5 oz chicken, 2 cups leaf lettuce, 2 Tbsp Parmesan, 3 Tbsp dressing, 1 1/2 servings croutons) (531 calories)
Rye bread - 2 slices (160 calories)
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter - 1 Tbsp (70 calories)
Market Pantry Chocolate Eclair Bar - 1 (170 calories)

Total: 2362 calories

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Food Journal in Pictures - Tuesday

Breakfast (285 calories):


Shredded Wheat - 1 cup (167 calories)
Skim Milk - 1 cup (86 calories)
Sugar - 2 tsp (33 calories)

AM Snacks (312 calories):


Almonds - 15 (104 calories)
Turkey sandwich - 1/2 (208 calories)

Lunch (762 calories):



Meals on Wheels
Cheeseburger - bun, 5 oz beef, low fat swiss, ketchup (not shown) (402 calories)
Corn - 1/2 cup (60 calories)
Lays Potato Chips - 1 serving (150 calories)
Lemon Bar (?) - 1 serving (140 calories)

PM Snack (222 calories):

Duplicate picture from Monday

Turkey Snack Bites - 2 servings (160 calories)
Grapes - 1 cup (62 calories)

Dinner (1109 calories):


Papa Murphy's Medium Pizza w/ Chicken, Parmesan, Zucchini, Double Spinach, Mushrooms and Creamy Garlic Sauce - 4 slices (2 shown) (1040 calories)

Dessert (69 calories):



Dove is duplicate from Monday.

Dove - 1 (54 calories)
Fla-vor-ice (15 calories)

Notes: Meals on Wheels typically does MUCH better than this but they originally sent me Mexican food and I can't do spicy. When I called to ask if I could get a replacement, this was the best they could do. I added the cheese. The dessert was a mystery. It tasted lemony and sour creamy and had a graham cracker base, so I guessed.

The last two times we had Papa Murphy's I was overly full with four pieces, next time I'm going to see if I can restrain myself and have three pieces especially as a pizza trip typically sends me over my calorie range of 2200 to 2400 calories.

TOTAL: 2689

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Food Journal in Pictures - Monday

For the next week, just for something different, I'm journaling my food in pictures. My range is 2200 to 2400 calories per day. Enjoy!

Breakfast (238 calories):


Special K - 1 cup (120 calories)
Skim milk- 1 cup (86 calories)
Sugar - 2 tsp (33 calories)

AM Snacks (312 calories):


Almonds - 15 (104 calories)
Turkey Sandwich - 1/2 (208)

Lunch (566 calories):


Goulash - 1 serving (376 calories)
Parmesan - 2 Tbsp (60 calories)
Mott's Natural Applesauce - 4 ounces (50 calories)
Pecan Sandies - 1 (80 calories)

PM Snack (222 calories):



Turkey Snack Bites - 2 servings (160 calories)
Grapes - 1 cup (62 calories)

Dinner (1124 calories):


Ballpark Franks - 2 (280 calories)
Bread - 2 slices (140 calories)
Hormel Chili w/Beans - 2/3 cup (174 calories)
Cheddar - 1 1/2 ounces (171 calories)
Potato Salad - 1/2 cup (less than shown, 179 calories)
Leaf lettuce - 2 cups (16 calories)
Thousand Island - 2 Tbsp (80 calories)
Croutons - 2 Tbsp (30 calories)
Dove Chocolate - 1 (54 calories)

Notes: Next time we won't have the potato salad. It was too much food.

TOTAL CALORIES: 2462

Monday, July 2, 2012

Finally a Decent Weight Loss Book!

I've been hunting around for years trying to find a book by someone who has lost at least 200 pounds and has good advice. Either they haven't lost a lot of weight. Or it's mostly memoir and very little help. Or they've lost the weight through surgery or in an unhealthy manner.

Finally Thin! by Kim Bensen was just what I was looking for. About a third of the book is about how she gained 200 pounds, lived as an obese person and finally lost and maintained the weight. The second third gives sound advice on how to lose weight that allows that we are all unique people and that one size does not fit all. The final third is recipes.

About the only thing I didn't like was her reliance on highly processed low-fat and no-fat foods. I personally believe they aren't very healthy. But in general, this is the best book I've found on the subject.