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

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

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

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

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.