Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 40

Calories for Day 40 (December 30th 2008):

M - 2 Double Cheeseburgers (convenience store type, plain, with 4tsp of Mustard) = 956
S - 3 pieces (45g) of red Licorice = 150
M - 170g Barbeque Chicken Panini = 400
S - 3 pieces (45g) of red Licorice = 150
Total calories: 1656

Exercise for Day 40:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: I did great on calories today! I'm really on a licorice kick for my snacks, but at 50 calories and about 1/3 of a gram of fat per stick (1 serving is 3 sticks) it's a better choice than most, even though it has no real nutrition value. But, that's why it's a snack, snacks can be fun and don't have to be carrots and celery. My opinion anyways. ^^ So, I'm doing good, and staying postive!

~M

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 39

Calories for Day 39 (December 29th 2008):

M - 255g Lasagne Frozen Dinner = 300
S - 2 pieces of Licorice = 100
S - 56g bag of Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies = 280
M - 90g of Pork, 90g (dry) of Rice, 1 can of Mushroom Soup, 30g of Cheese = 817
S - 50g of Potato Chips = 270
Total calories: 1767

Exercise for Day 39:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Better with calories today.

~M

Monday, December 29, 2008

Weekly Weigh-In #6

Previous Weight: 369.4
Current Weight: 367.6
Pounds Lost This Week: 1.8
Total Pounds Lost: 15.4 (in 38 days)

Next Weigh-In (#7): Monday, January 5th 2009

Last Word: Another week with a less than 2 pound loss..ugh! I'm trying to think of it in a positive light though, anything lost is lighter/healthier/smaller than I was the week before! I mean, being .2-.6 of a pound under goal each week won't ruin my chances at weight loss, right? I'm staying under 2000 calories a day, it's all I can do right now is to stay consistant. Change will happen in time, or should I say bigger change. So, 15.4 pounds lost in 1 month and 1 week! (But about 10 pounds was in the first 3 weeks and now just about 5 pounds in the second 3 weeks, but I'll stop complaining now, lol.) Moving on, keeping to my calorie plan, with the hopes of getting outside for some exercise more often once all this snow is gone...I can do this!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 38

Calories for Day 38 (December 28th 2008):

M - 227g Cheese Tortellini Frozen Dinner = 330
S - 3 pieces (45g) of red Licorice = 150
S - 48g of Ranch Corn Nuts = 220
S - 2 pieces of red Licorice = 100
M - 2 BBQ Chicken Crustinis = 640
S - 13g Ferrero Rocher Chocolate = 74
S - 2 pieces of Licorice = 100
S - 50g of Potato Chips = 270
S - 17g Chocolate Turtle = 90
Total calories: 1974

Exercise for Day 38:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Kind of high on calories again, but still under my limit. My caloried when I first started averaged more around 1600 or so, now they are 1900 or so...I hope I don't have to drop my calories more just to lose an average amount of weight each week.

~M

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 37

Calories for Day 37 (December 27th 2008):

M - Tuna Melt (1 Bagel, 120g of water-packed Tuna, 60g of Cheese, 1tbsp of low-cal Mayo, 1tbsp of Ranch Dressing) = 765
MM - 1 DoubleCheeseburger (convenience store type, plain, with 2tsp of Mustard) = 478
MM - 1 DoubleCheeseburger (convenience store type, plain, with 2tsp of Mustard) = 478
S - 5 pieces of Licorice = 250
Total calories: 1971

Exercise for Day 37:
20-25 minutes of mall walking.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: I was very close to my limit for the day, but still under 2000, and doing good! Also, I got some exercise in, walked around the mall for about 20 minutes, but then there was some slow strolling, aka browsing, lol, for quite a while after that, too. Was a good day. :-D

~M

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 36

Calories for Day 36 (December 26th 2008):

M - 170g Steak Panini = 380
S - 50g of Potato Chips = 270
M - Christmas Dinner Leftovers! (132g of roasted, no fat, no skin, white meat Turkey, 186g of stove-top Stuffing, 168g of Mashed Potatoes, 1/2cup of baby Peas) = 656
S - 17g Chocolate "Turtle" = 90
S - 17g Chocolate "Turtle" = 90
S - 373ml of Chocolate Milk = 234
Total calories: 1720

Exercise for Day 36:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Was a good day! I'm happy with my calories, and my food was yummy, so all is well. :-D

~M

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 35 (Christmas!)

Calories for Day 35 (December 25th 2008):
~*CHRISTMAS DAY!*~

S - 13g of Honey Roasted Peanuts = 78
M - 2 (128g each) Barbeque Chicken Crustinis = 640
S - 500ml of Chocolate Milk = 320
M - Christmas Dinner!! (105g of roasted, no fat, no skin, white meat Turkey, 1/2cup of low sodium Stove-Top Stuffing, 1/2cup of Garlic Mashed Potatoes, 1/2cup of Corn, 85g of Green Beans, 50g of Cranberry Jelly) = 640(!!)
Total calories: 1678

Exercise for Day 35:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: I had a great day at home with my guys and our pets. My calories were awesome for today, I'm so glad I kept things under control, and my dinner was filling for so few calories! Everything was cooked without any extra fat or calories. It was so yummy, too! If I can stay within my calorie range on Christmas, then anything is possible! So, I'm off now, getting tired after a long day. Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night! (LOL!)

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 34

Calories for Day 34 (December 24th 2008):

M - 170g Turkey Bacon Club Panini = 390
S - 50g of Potato Chips = 270
S - 17g Chocolate "Turtle" = 90
M - 2 Burritos (2 Whole Wheat Tortilla Shells, 148g of Extra-Lean Ground Beef, 60g of Cheese, 60g of low-fat Sour Cream, 11g of Taco Sauce) = 951
Total calories: 1701

Exercise for Day 34:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Happy with the calories for Day 34! Happy Holidays everyone!

~M

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 33

Calories for Day 33 (December 23rd 2008):

M - 170g Barbeque Chicken Panini = 400
S - 50g Potato Chips = 270
S - 17g Chocolate "Turtle" = 90
M - 2 Burritos (2 Whole Wheat Burrito Shells, 133g of Extra-Lean Ground Beef, 60g of Cheese, 60g of low-fat Sour Cream, 30g of Taco Sauce) = 930
Total calories: 1690

Exercise for Day 33:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: On plan again, whee! There is SOOOOO much snow here, LOL. 14" or so now and a forecast for 8-9" just today! Yikes...! Happy Holidays!

~M

Monday, December 22, 2008

Candycane Nails!


I love my nails so much that I decided I would post a pic of them, hehe! Cute, aren't they? :-D

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 32

Calories for Day 32 (December 22nd 2008):

S - 250ml of Chocolate Milk = 160
MM - 128g Cheeseburger Hot Pocket = 300
M - 2 Burritos (2 Whole Wheat Burrito Shells, 200g of Extra-Lean Ground Beef, 60g of FF Sour Cream, 60g of Cheese, 30g of Taco Sauce) = 1030
S - 116ml of Homemade Chocolate Milk (Skim Milk/Chocolate Ice Cream) = 60
S - 25g of Potato Chips = 135
S - 1 (17g) Chocolate "Turtle" = 90
Total calories: 1775

Exercise for Day 32:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Did good with calories today! I ran out of chocolate milk (my "snack" of the week, lol) and tried to make some at home with skim milk and a 100 calorie ice cream cup...it was so nasty, lol, it made about 2 cups and I only drank 60ml (1/4 cup) of it...never again, lol. Oh, and instead of having a full serving of chips for a snack, I only had a 1/2 serving! Whoot, go me, lol! It wasn't even 1oz, so I'm very proud of my portion control for that. :-D Feeling good, and still on track! \m/

~M

NSVs

So I have some NSV's (Non-Scale Victories) to share! I was so bummed out with my last 2 weigh-ins (especially this weeks), not to mention my measurements....so, I decided to make a post listing anything positive my weigh loss has brought me, thus far.

NSVs
- I can now walk around stores without having back pain badly enough that I'd need to sit down.
(I visited 3 different stores, over 2 hours of standing/walking, and didn't have any noticeable back pain!)
- I feel more confident.
(Even though I may not look any different, just knowing I will is giving me confidence to feel good (or at least better, lol) about my body while in public.)
- I have been happier since starting my new life.
(It can get frustrating and stressful trying to improve your health/appearance/lifestyle, but I'm still happier, in general, than I was months ago.)
- I am starting to take more pride in my looks, and compliment my appearance.*
(My weight may be an issue with me, but I've recently started taking even more pride in my outer appearance, such as doing my hair instead of just putting on maekup. After I've taken that time for myself, and I see my final product, I feel good enough to say "Hey, Lookin' good!" most every time.)
- I am learning self-control with food.
(I don't just mindlessly eat now, I make informed and controlled decisions on what I eat.)

*Speaking of taking pride - and time! - with my looks; a couple days ago I put alot of time and effort into making my nails candycane striped for the season! They are beyond cute! They look perfect (to me at least, heh), I'm so excited about them, lol, maybe I will post a pic someday. :-D

Well, I had one more and I lost the thought, lol, 10 minutes later and I still can't remember it, so...lol, I'll save it for my next NSV post I guess. Until next time...!

~M

Weekly Weigh-In #5

Previous Weight: 370.8
Current Weight: 369.4
Pounds Lost This Week: 1.4
Total Pounds Lost: 13.6 (in 31 days)

Next Weigh-In (#6): Monday, December 29th 2008

Last Word: Not so happy with this weeks weigh-in...2 low weeks in a row now, ugh. But I am glad it's something, and hopefully I have a nice big loss next week!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 31

Calories for Day 31 (December 21st 2008):

S - 250ml of Chocolate Milk = 170
MM - 128g Meatball Hot Pocket = 320
MM - 176g Chicken Nuggets and Fries Frozen Lunch w/ 19g of Ketchup = 336
S - 3 Chocolate "Turtles" = 270
S - 250ml of Chocolate Milk = 160 (different brand, 10 fewer calories, lol)
S - 30 Grapes = 102
M - 170g Barbeque Chicken Panini = 400
Total calories: 1758

Exercise for Day 31:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: On track, had a great day!

~M

Not Seeing Progress Off The Scale

So...I have offically...scrapped the 1 month measurements, lol. I got soooo annoyed trying to do them. Some places where I measured said I was the same, some had a small (0.5") difference, and some came out bigger...like, wtf, lol. And I usually measure a couple times per spot so I can make sure I get an accurate number, and this time I got a different number each time, ughhh! Annoying! And I don't mean different by a quater inch either, I mean like...1-2 inches! So there could be a few different thing going on. A) I haven't lost any size yet B) I couldn't measure the exact spot as last month C) Who knows?? LOL. So...I'm going to try again on January 21st 2009, and I hope hope HOPE I can see a distinct drop in numbers at that point. Cause after 2 months...the numbers better be going down by then! Or else, lmao. Yeah, so I hate to cancel the plan I made for myself, but I was just way to frustrated trying to hit the same area to measure to even want to bother writing down the results. Okay, so, hopefully I have something to say next month, ha! If not, I'll admit it, I'd be crushed. One month...I can kinda understand if my overall size hasn't started to shrink yet, but after 2 months...cmon, there's gotta be something happening by then, right? Okay, well I'm just blabbering and stressing right now...thinking I'm never gonna get smaller, sigh. Enough for now...I need to post yesterdays (it's 3am, so...) calorie recap, so I'm off.

~M

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 30

Calories for Day 30 (December 20th 2008):

S - 30 Grapes = 102
S - 1 can of Potato Soup = 273
M - (Subway) 12" Turkey/Ham Sub (with Cheese, low-cal Mayo, Dijon Mustard, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Green Peppers on Herb and Cheese Bread) = 846
M - Turkey Bacon Club Panini = 390
S - 1 (17g) "Turtle" (chocolate) = 90
Total calories: 1701

Exercise for Day 30:
25+ minutes of walking while shopping, etc.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Got some nice groceries while out shopping today. I made sure to get things that would fit nicely into my daily calories. I even got in some exercise by hoofing it around several stores, everything counts, right? I could use a little snack right now, but instead I'm going to go to bed. Oh, and tomorrow is my (1 month on track!) measurements check-in...eek!

~M

Blabber About Inches

So I found it useless to do my measurements after 3.5 weeks as planned, because I didn't see any change when I checked. But, I was thinking I would go by months for my measurements, not by weigh-ins. I started this on November 21st 2008, so then my first measurements would be taken tomorrow, on December 21st 2008, and again on January 21st 2008, etc. I don't know really, I'm just trying to find something that will work. I don't want to be bothered to do them if there is no progress to report on. I was going to do them on the 15th but I forgot to, then I snuck a peek the next day or so and saw no change. So..who knows. If 4 weeks/1 month is too small of a timeframe to see inches lost (in my case, I guess) then I can always wait until the 2 month mark, or even 3 month mark to do them. Then do them every 2 or 3 months after that. Leaves a bigger gap. Once a month would be nice, but I don't think anything will show in that amount of time. Yeah, I'm rambling as usual, lol. Tomorrow, the 21st, I will see if there's anything to report in that area, and if there is I will stick to 1 month at a time, if not, I will wait a month and check again, heh. I better be losing inches, and if I'm not then I better start soon, lol, I want to be smaller! I'm so tired of not being able to fit into chairs, not being able to breathe out when I put on a super tight seatbelt, and sooooo much more. I'm doing what I can at the moment, I just hope it starts paying off in more ways than just pounds. So, send me some good vibes! :-D I'll keep doing this, it's not a matter of if I lose inches, it's WHEN!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 29

Calories for Day 29 (December 19th 2008):

M - 1 Tuna Melt = 725
M - (McDonalds) Big Extra w/ Cheese, Large Fries, Large Diet Coke = 1217
Total calories: 1942

Exercise for Day 29:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Only had 2 meals again, but this time I treated myself to a restaurant meal. Calories were still on track; doing good!

~M

Friday, December 19, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 28

Calories for Day 28 (December 18th 2008):

M - 1 Tuna Melt = 725
M - Pasta Dish w/ 255g (dry) Penne Pasta and Homemade Sauce = 1081
Total calories: 1806

Exercise for Day 28:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Only had 2 meals for Day 28. Overall a good day still.

~M

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 27

Calories for Day 27 (December 17th 2008):

M - 170g Steak Panini = 380
M - Pasta w/ Homemade Sauce (255g (dry) of Penne Pasta, 2 cloves of Garlic, 1/4 of a medium Onion, 1tbsp of low-fat Cream Cheese, 2tbsp of low-fat Sour Cream, 1/4cup of Skim Milk, 1/2tsp of Chicken Oxo, 1/2tsp of Black Pepper, 15g of Cheese) = 1071
S - 65g of Potato Chips = 350
S - 1/2 of a Chocolate Bar = 128
Total calories: 1929

Exercise for Day 27:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Well, I wish I would've tried harder to get in some exercise, but I did get to enjoy a nice bowl of pasta with John's suuuuper yummy homemade sauce and still stay under my calorie limit. Overall a decent day! :-D

~M

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Change Of Plans?

The whole measurements thing is annoying me. I took a quick peek at my waist and hips and I don't think they've changed at all yet!! Ugh!! So, I'm going to stick to doing them alot less, maybe I will see results if I only check every 2-3 months. Hopefully I will start to see some size difference soon, after all that's what I really care about. If in the future I've lost 100 pounds but only 2" off my waist I'm going to be seriously ticked off, lol, so inches are what I really want. Maybe some strength training will help? I'm going to try to remember to fit in some time with my exercise band, do some arm curls, some squats, just the basics. It could help with the inches, and it couldn't hurt, for sure! Send me some good vibes, lol, I need them. Gotta stay motivated until the inches start coming off!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 26

Calories for Day 26 (December 16th 2008):

S - 1 Chocolate Cookie = 90
S - 30 Grapes = 102
S - 53g Bran Muffin = 140
S - 65g Bran Muffin = 171
S - 30 Grapes = 102
S - 136g of Yam Fries (baked with 0 calorie cooking spray and 0 calorie seasoning!) = 158
S - 100g of Yam Fries = 117
S - 172g of Yam Fries = 200
Total calories: 1080

Exercise for Day 26:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Umm, lol...I wasn't too hungry, but I was craving yams, can you tell? LOL! Well, after last weeks higher average of calories I'm kind of glad to have a low-cal day. All is good!

~M

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Forgot

Yup, I forgot to do my 4 week measurements yesterday, but that's okay, I might do them tonight. I was thinking of just doing my waist, bellybutton, and hips (maybe calves, too) monthly, and save the whole production for once every 3 months or so. I don't think I'll see a big difference in things like my wrists, forearms, etc, every month anyways, but I did write them down because I wanted to have everything as a starting point. So, I think that's what I will do. Hopefully tonight I will remember, lol.

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 25

Calories for Day 25 (December 15th 2008):

S - 1 wedge of Grapefruit = 5
S - 30 Grapes = 102
M - 1 Frozen Dinner (Lasagne Alfredo) =350
M - Toasted Ham Bagel ( 1 Bagel, 1 serving of Ham, 1tbsp of low-cal Mayo, 2tsp of Mustard, 60g of Cheese) = 615
S - 175g French Vanilla Yogurt = 200
M - Toasted Ham Bagel ( 1 Bagel, 1 serving of Ham, 1tbsp of low-cal Mayo, 2tsp of Mustard, 60g of Cheese) = 615
Total calories: 1887

Exercise for Day 25:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Nothing much to say...on track!

~M

Monday, December 15, 2008

Weekly Weigh-In #4

Previous Weight: 372.6
Current Weight: 370.8
Pounds Lost This Week: 1.8
Total Pounds Lost: 12.2 (in 24 days)

Next Weigh-In (#5): Monday, December 22nd 2008

Last Word: I can't say I'm pleased with this weeks weigh-in, but at least it's something. Hopefully it just the after effects of TOM, or something else, who knows. But I will keep on working at it! 12.2 down, (1)87.8 to go, LOL!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 24

Calories for Day 24 (December 14th 2008):

S - 1 Chocolate Ice Cream Cup = 100
M - 1 Barbeque Chicken Panini = 400
S - 30 Grapes = 102
M - Toasted Ham Bagel ( 1 Bagel, 1 serving of Ham, 1tbsp of low-cal Mayo, 2tsp of Mustard, 60g of Cheese) = 615
MM - 2 bites of a Pasta Dish = 100?
S - 65g of Potato Chips = 350
S - 1/2 of a Chocolate Bar = 121
Total calories: 1788

Exercise for Day 24:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Good day for calories, had myself some yummy snacks and still under 1800!

~M

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Worried

I'm kind of worried about my weigh-in on Monday morning. Not to mention my first measurements, after 3.5 weeks! I have a bad feeling that I'm only going to be down about 1 pounds or something, and have no inches lost in nearly a month. Maybe I'm just paranoid/nervous, or maybe I'll be right, who knows. I know I have had higher calories lately, around 1800-1950 or so, instead of my starting average of around 1600, but I should still be dropping pounds easily at anything under 2000, even 1999! TOM could be to blame I guess. We shall see. I have been having sweets as well, but in moderation, and not that many calories a day either. I'm hoping I'm just stressing out for no reason, could just be TOM making me feel heavier and bloated, TMI, I know, lol. Well, we shall see how it goes on Monday. Wish me luck!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 23

Calories for Day 23 (December 13th 2008):

M - 2 Sandwiches (4 slices of Bread, 1 serving of Turkey, 1tbsp of low-cal Mayo, 2tsp of Mustard, 28g of Green Pepper) = 459
M - 1 Tuna Melt (1 Bagel, 120g of Tuna, 1tbsp of low-cal Mayo, 1tbsp of Ranch Dressing, 60g of Cheese) = 695
S - 1/2 of a Chocolate Bar = 140
S - 1/2 of a Chocolate Bar = 116
MM - 170g Turkey Bacon Club Panini = 390
Total calories: 1800

Exercise for Day 23:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Not much to say about today...I had 3 meals and 2 snacks, and I stayed on track, all is good!

~M

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 22

Calories for Day 22 (December 12th 2008):

S - 1 Chocolate Fudge Pudding = 130
M - 1 Tuna Melt (1 Bagel, 1 can of Tuna, 1tbsp of low-fat Mayo, 1tbsp of Ranch Dressing, 60g of Cheese) = 695
S - 1/2 of a Chocolate Bar = 155
M - 2 Barbeque Chicken Crustini's = 640
S - 1 Peach Popsicle = 60
S - 1 bag of Popcorn = 300
Total calories: 1980

Exercise for Day 22:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: Under my calorie limit, but barely, lol. Still on track!

~M

Friday, December 12, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 21

Calories for Day 21 (December 11th 2008):

M - 1 McDonalds Big Extra Burger with Cheese, 1 McDonalds Large Fries, 1/2 of a McDonalds Barbeque Sauce, 1/2 of a McDonalds Large Diet Coke = 1194
S - 175g Strawberry Yogurt = 180
M - 170g (6oz) Barbeque Chicken Panini = 400
S - 1/2 of a Chocolate Bar = 105
Total calories: 1879

Exercise for Day 21:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: I treated my TOM cravings to a fast food meal today, but I still stayed on track, yay! Overall a fine day for calories. \m/

~M

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 20

Calories for Day 20 (December 10th 2008):

M - 170g (6oz) Steak Panini - 380
S - 118ml Chocolate Ice Cream Cup - 100
MM - 61g of Pork, 45g (dry) of Rice, 1/2 can of Mushroom Soup, 15g of Cheese - 429
D - 695ml Arizona Fruit Punch - 278
MM - 62g of Pork, 45g (dry) of Rice, 1/2 can of Mushroom Soup, 15g of Cheese - 432
S - 1/2 of a Chocolate Bar - 123
S - 1/2 of a Chocolate Bar - 145
Total calories: 1887

Exercise for Day 20:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: I can't remember if my dinner was 61 and 61 grams of meat or 61 then 62 grams, so I'm just rounding up a few calories to cover either, lol. I'm happy that I stayed under 1900 calories even with TOM cravings, and I even got to enjoy some chocolate, too! (The 100 calorie ice cream cups from Breyers are amazing!! I have the chocolate brownie fudge one and it is insane! I need to buy more, lol, so few calories it's not even a "treat", hehe!)

~M

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 19

Calories for Day 19 (December 9th 2008):

M - 170g (6oz) Turkey Bacon Club Panini - 390
S - 30 Grapes - 102
M - 256g (9oz, for 2) Barbeque Chicken Crustini's - 640
S - 118ml of Chocolate Ice Cream - 100
M - 170g (6oz) Barbeque Chicken Panini - 400
S - 1/2 (approx. 30g) of a Chocolate Bar - 149
S - 175g of Boysenberry Yogurt - 170
Total calories: 1951

Exercise for Day 19:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5

Notes: I was getting a little too close for comfort to that 2000 calorie maximum, but still didn't go over! TOM is giving me mega hunger so I really have to stay strong this next little while to keep on plan and stop myself from overeating. I want to have a good weigh-in next week! I didn't check my weight today but I will tomorrow morning I think. If I'm up then I want to watch my choices this week, I don't want TOM to give me a gain, or even no loss. I could be having better foods, but I'm still within my calorie range, which is my main goal. Overall an okay day, probably my worst so far, though. But TOM will leave and I will lose weight next week! I plan on it. (And, yes, I plan to write some "notes" about my daily food intake each day, if there is something to say about it, lol. Easier than making a whole new post for a few sentences.) \m/

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 18

Calories for Day 18 (December 8th 2008):

M - 170g (6oz) Turkey Bacon Club Panini - 390
S - 118ml of Chocolate Ice Cream - 100
M - 170g (6oz) Barbeque Chicken Panini - 400
S - 118ml of Chocolate Ice Cream - 100
M - 170g (6oz) Turkey Bacon Club Panini - 390
S - 30g of Cheese - 90
S - 50g of Cheetoes - 290
S - 2 pieces of Gum - 5
Total calories: 1765

Exercise for Day 18:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5!

~M

Monday, December 8, 2008

Weekly Weigh-In #3

Previous Weight: 375
Current Weight: 372.6
Pounds Lost This Week: 2.4
Total Pounds Lost: 10.4 (in 17 days!)

Next Weigh-In (#4): Monday, December 15th 2008

Last Word: I'm okay with my loss this week. It seems small in comparison to other weeks, but as long as I lose 2lbs a week consistantly I should be okay. Plus, when you look at the total in 17 days it looks pretty darn good. :)

~M

Sunday, December 7, 2008

My Little Restaurant NSV

At lunch today with my guy I treated myself to a cheeseburger that I've been craving for a few days now. I was going to get the burger, a small order of fries, and a zero calorie drink. But I decided to only choose one high calorie part to my lunch, so I chose a garden salad with light dressing to go with my burger, instead of the fries! My whole lunch was only 582 calories! My guy got fries and I didn't even have one, I'm quite proud that I could show portion control out at a restaurant. Realistic Moderation! I enjoyed my lunch and stayed on plan all day. I got in some treats, something that I was craving, and stayed within my calorie limit again, yay! \m/

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 17

Calories for Day 17 (December 7th 2008):

S - 175g of Strawberry Yogurt = 180
S - 51g (about 1/3) of a Chicken Fajita Crustini = 96
M - (A&W) 1 Teen Burger, 1 Garden Salad, 1 Light Ranch Dressing Packet = 582
S - 1 Strawberry Yogurt Popsicle = 50
M - 170g Turkey Bacon Club Panini = 390
S - 1 stick of Gum = 3
S - 4 "wedges" of Grapefruit = 18
S - 50g of Cheetoes = 290
Total calories: 1609

Exercise for Day 17:
30 minutes of walking.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5!

~M

New Format, Etc

I was thinking of making a new format to my Calorie Recaps. Instead of listing "Meal 1", "Snack 1", etc, I will just write S for snack, M for meal, and MM for mini-meal. Also, I picked up more Stouffer's Turkey Bacon Club Paninis for my meals, as well as some of their Barbeque Chicken Crustinis! YUM! On top of all that I also picked up some low-cal snacks, such as, frozen peach and strawberry yogurt popsicles, and 100 calorie chocolate ice cream cups. The yogurt popsicles are a good size and only 50-60 calories each!
Tomorrow is weigh-in #3 already! 2.5 weeks on plan and it has just flown by! Wish me luck for tomorrow. I'm getting a little hungry so I might go grab a little snack. Until next time..!

~M

Panini Review!

Today I had the 2 paninis that I bought on Friday, one was disgusting, and one was the best thing I have ever tasted!! So I thought I'd do a little review. Here's what they were:

Lean Cuisine Steak and Mushroom Panini
170 grams.
340 calories per 170 grams.
9 grams of fat per 170 grams.
Appearance - 2.5/5
Price - 2/5 ($4.49 per serving)
Taste - 0/5
Will I Purchase Again? - NO!
Notes: The look of it frozen told me I probably wouldn't like it already, lol, and the cooked appearance only looked slightly more tasty. The smell was very nasty as well. The spices on it were terrible and it was all I could taste. I knew as soon as I saw it it was going to be gross. I just wish I never tried it, lol, and never wasted the calories on it! Never again.

Stouffer's Bistro Smoked Turkey Club Panini
170 grams.
390 calories per 170 grams.
15 grams of fat per 170 grams.
Appearance - 5/5
Price - 2/5 ($4.49 per serving)
Taste - 5/5 (I really mean 10/5, lol!)
Will I Purchase Again? - YESSSS! MANY TIMES, LOL!
Notes: Looks appealing straight away. Smells yummy. Generous cheese and meat, great spread on the tasty bread. Well worth the calories. I wish I has this lunch everyday of the week!

So there you have it. Both were expensive for an everyday lunch, but the Stouffer's was well worth it, lol, plus I've seen them on sale here for $3.49 sometimes. The Lean Cusine should be discontinued, lol! If I could afford to through away brand new food then I would have after the first bite. So if anyone who comes across this is looking for a low calorie lunch and/or is interested in the microwaveable paninis then I highly (Can you tell? LOL!) recommend checking out the Stouffer's lunch line. I am also a big fan of the Barbeque Chicken...umm I don't know what they are called but they look like yummy flakey Hot Pockets, in Stouffer's Bistro line as well. Sadly, they are rarely in stock. But, I stock up when I can, heh. Enjoy!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 16

Calories for Day 16 (December 6th 2008):

Snack 1 - 175g of Boysenberry Yogurt = 170
Meal 1 - 170g of Turkey Club Panini = 390
Meal 2 - 170g of Steak and Mushroom Panini = 340
Snack 2 - 30 Grapes = 102
Snack 3 - 12g (1 ball) of Lindor Chocolate = 74
Snack 4 - 1 Vanilla Cookie = 90
Meal 3 - 255g Frozen Dinner (Lasagne) = 300
Total calories: 1466

Exercise for Day 16:
None.

Caloric Outcome: 5/5!

~M

Saturday, December 6, 2008

I Went Grocery Shopping

So, yes, I went grocery shopping. My guy and I picked up some of my staples, such as bread, soup, lean pork chops, a couple frozen dinners, zero calorie drinks, etc. Also, we bought some Cheetos and a few chococlate bars. Now before you spit your drinks out, lol, let me explain. When we got home I portioned all of it into ziploc baggies, perfectly weighed portions! So I can have them if I really feel like them, but just one serving. I even did this with the chocolate, I opened them, and cut them in half. Even though a full one is a serving I decided to make half portions for the chocolate! Each one is about 22-35g, or averaging about 1 ounce, and around 150 calories on average, or so. The Cheetos are in 50g servings, each being 290 calories. So those will be saved for days where I'm not nearing 2000, lol. I am standing firm in my slogan: REALISTIC MODERATION! Yes I can have chips, chocolate, ice cream, fast food, but it no longer defines my meals, it is no longer my staple, or my crutch, or my emotional support! I enjoy these foods now because I want the taste, not because I need them to make me feel better. As long as I know the difference, all is good. I have made such a fast turnaround in the past 2 weeks, it's amazing. It was like I woke up one day and said to myself "No, you don't need to overeat anymore, just eat when you are truely hungry." And then that's what happened. Not once have I been hungry and not been able to measure, calculate, and then enjoy my meals. I'm not going to lose weight eating dry salmon and celery because as soon as I want one cookie, one cheeseburger, one bowl of pasta, one hotdog, I'd be screwed. So "Realistic Moderation" is all about eating your "forever foods" just in smaller portions, and taking in fewer calories so that weight loss is possible. This is maintainable, and I really hope that I can do this.

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 15

Calories for Day 15 (December 5th 2008):

Snack 1 - 175g of Strawberry Yogurt = 180
Meal 1 - 1 "Blue Menu" (aka healthy/lower fat/lower calories) Chicken and Red Pepper Frozen Pizza = 920
Snack 2 - 30 Grapes = 102
Snack 3 = 1/2 (approx. 35g) of a Chocolate Bar = 168
Total calories: 1370

Exercise for Day 15:
Walking for Grocery Shopping - 20+ minutes

Caloric Outcome: 5/5!

~M

Friday, December 5, 2008

Catching Up

I thought I would drop by and catch up before I get doing other things. Yesterday my food may not have been too great (I had 4 chicken strips and 6 onions rings for dinner - with salad, though, lol!) but the overall calories were good, and it's not an everyday thing to have fried foods. I think I've have "splurdge" dinners only 2 times in 14 days, so, I don't see it as a problem. At the moment my opinion is, a calorie is a calorie, some are better choices and healthier, but eating 300 calories of onion rings won't have you lose weight less than 300 calories of carrots, because a calorie is a calorie. Like I said though, it's not something I think is "good", and it won't happen very often, but I'm on track with calories, doing really good every single day, so I'm feeling good for now. :)
Oh, a couple days ago I walked 40 minutes!! I went up to the mall with my guy and I bought some cream eye liners (soooo nice by the way, lol) and we walked back together, took us about 52 minutes but I stopped half way to rest my back for 10 minutes and we had a nice talk, so it was good. :) Anyways, I think that's all for now. I will be back later with my calorie counts, as always! \m/

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 14

Calories for Day 14 (December 4th 2008):

Meal 1 - 1 can of Potato Soup, 2 Ham Sandwiches (4 slices of Bread, 65g of Ham, 30g of Cheese, 1tbsp of low-cal Mayo, 2tsp of Mustard) = 726
Snack 1 - 30g of Cheese = 90
Snack 2 - 1 Vanilla Cookie = 90
Meal 2 - 199g (4) of breaded Chicken Strips, 88g (8) of breaded Onion Rings, 3 cups of Salad (3cups of mixed Lettuce, 1/4cup of Cucumber, 2tbsp of Ranch Dressing) = 902
Total calories: 1808

Exercise for Day 14:
None.

Caloric Outcome: * * * * *

~M

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 13

Calories for Day 13 (December 3rd 2008):

Snack 1 - 2/3 of a 6" Subway Sandwich (2/3 of a 6" Wheat Bun, 2/3 of a serving of Roast Beef, 1 serving of Monteray Jack Cheese, 1tbsp of low-cal Mayo, Lettuce) = 270 (12.6)
Meal 1 - 255g Frozen Dinner (Mac N Cheese) = 300 (9)
Drink 1 - 1/2 (348ml) of a Arizona Fruit Punch = 139 (0)
Snack 2 - 10g of shredded Mozza Cheese = 30 (2)
Meal 2 - 4oz (approx.) of Boneless Skinless Boiled Chicken, 90g (dry) of Rice, 1 can of Mushroom Soup, 50g of shredded Mozza Cheese = 820 (30)
Snack 3 - 1 Vanilla Cookie = 90 (4)
Total calories: 1649 (57.6g of fat)

Exercise for Day 13:
40 minutes of walking!

Caloric Outcome: * * * * *

~M

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Yummy Dinner!

Yesterday was good, got really close to 2000, but didn't go over or anything. I've been feeling really good about counting calories, no problems so far. It can get annoying to have to pretty much plan your whole day in advance so you don't go over your limit though, but it's not a big deal. If anyone is reading this, here's a little dinner tip for you. Take your choice of lean meat, about 100-200 calories worth, you don't need alot for this, cook it up and cut it into little cubes. Cook up a serving or 2 of rice as well. Then take a can of mushroom soup, make it up as if you were having soup, but keep it creamier by adding only 1/2 a can of water, not a whole one. Then measure out 1/2-1 serving of shredded cheese. Here's what you do. Make a bed of rice on your plate, sprinkle it with your cut up meat, pour your mushroom "gravy" over that, then sprinkle some cheese on top and heat it up just enough so the cheese melts. It is the BEST dinner ever, lol. I have about 75 grams of meat, 2 servings of minute rice, and 1 serving of cheese, with the can of soup, but I serve myself 1/2 at a time. It makes me eat slower when I serve it in 2 parts for some reason. The way I make mine it is usually 800something calories, but for those on lower calorie budgets then do this: cook up your one serving of lean meat, around 3 ounces, 1 serving of minute rice, about 1/2 a cup or 45 grams dry, 1 can of mushroom soup, and a 1/2 serving of shredded cheese, about 15 grams. All these things can be cooked with NO added fat or calories!! Start your dinner with a hearty salad with low-cal dressing, like low-fat Italian (which is only around 5-10 calories per tablespoon!!), and you've got a dinner of around 515 calories total! And it's so creamy and yummy you'll feel very satisfied. I need a bit more food to feel satisfied so I go for my full servings, but it still within my calorie limit, it's about 850-875 for me, and I still have more than enough room for the rest of my food that day. So if anyone reads this, lol, then try it out! It's sooo good, it's been my dinner staple, lol. I should work out my average fat grams one day. I think I will later, heh. Well that's all for now folks. \m/

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 12

Calories for Day 12 (December 2nd 2008):

Snack 1 - 1 can of Vegetable Soup = 182
Snack 2 - 30 Grapes = 102
Snack 3 - 1 Vanilla Cookie = 90
Meal 1 - 2 Ham Sandwiches (4 slices of Bread, 1 serving of Ham, 30g of Green Pepper, 30g of Cheese, 1tbsp of low-cal Mayo, 2tsp of Mustard) = 579
Meal 2 - 75g of Pork, 90g of Rice, 1 can of Mushroom Soup, 30g of Cheese = 873
Snack 4 - 1/5 of a Salad = 35
Snack 5 - 30 Grapes = 102
Total calories: 1963

Exercise for Day 12:
None.

Caloric Outcome: * * * * *

~M

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

13 Days Away

My first check-in for my measurements is in 13 days! I don't know if I will lose any size by then, but I sure hope so. Lazy morning today, so not much to say, lol. Wish me luck for the day!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 11

Calories for Day 11 (December 1st 2008):

Meal 1 - 1 can of Potato Soup, 2 Ham Sandwiches (1 serving of Ham, 4 slices of Bread, 1tbsp of low-cal Mayo, 2tsp of Mustard) = 726
Snack 1 - 2 servings (170g) of raw Baby Carrots, 2tbsp of Ranch Dressing = 210
Meal 2 - 1 McDonalds Double Cheeseburger, 1 McDonalds Medium Fries = 790
Total calories: 1726

Exercise for Day 11:
None.

Caloric Outcome: * * * * * /5

~M

Monday, December 1, 2008

Weekly Weigh-In #2

Previous Weight: 380
Current Weight: 375
Pounds Lost This Week: 5!
Total Pounds Lost: 8

Next Weigh-In (#3): Monday, December 8th 2008

Last Word: I'm very happy with my 5 pounds this week! Yay!! 8 pounds total in 10 days! Now I just need to keep it up, heh. \m/

~M

Sunday, November 30, 2008

One More Sleep

Yup, one more sleep and then I jump onto my scale for my first full week weigh-in! (Also a 10 day on plan or 1/3 of my first month weigh-in, lol.) I'm actually really excited, lol, so we will see what happens. *Fingers Crossed*

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 10

Calories for Day 10 (November 30th 2008):

Snack 1 - 2 Chocolate Puddings = 240
Meal 1 - 103g of Pork, 1 can of Mushroom Soup, 90g (dry) of Rice, 30g of Cheese = 937
Snack 2 - 175g (total) of Salad (Lettuce Mix, 1/4 of a medium Tomato, 1/8cup of Cucumber, 1/10cup of shredded Carrot, 1.5tbsp of Ranch Dressing) = 145
Snack 3 - 30 Grapes = 102
Snack 4 - 30 Grapes = 102
Total calories: 1526

Exercise for Day 10:
None.

Outcome: Fantastic!!

~M

About Yesterday...

I know my calories were only 840 yesterday, and that is both very good and not so good. (To clarify, I gave my "outcome" a postive remark because I was under my calorie limit, by alot, yes, but I was not starved or hungry. Read on for additional insight.) Once in a blue moon it's fine if I only eat one meal, as long as I'm not doing that on purpose to cut calories. But I do NOT want to make this a regular occurance, and it won't be, and I will tell you why. I usually try to eat lunch and dinner, and a snack or 2, I don't eat breakfast and that is because of my insomnia I'm never able to get to sleep at a resonable hour, therefore, I'm not up in those morning hours for breakfast. I wake up, have my first meal, have a snack, and about 6-8 hours after lunch I have my dinner meal, then an after dinner snack. This is my usual. You can tell by my Calorie Recaps that I didn't set out to starve myself yesterday, and I didn't. I had my first meal, hours went by and I wasn't hungry for a snack, then my neighbours were being VERY loud with their music, gave me a headache so I went to bed, and I did something I normally don't, which is sleep for a long time, lol. So I had a good rest, but I slept through dinner, etc. So, nothing shocking, I didn't try to starve myself, lol. But, that's that. Back to normal meals today, as I am up and awake, heh. I *might* have a small serving of fast food today, but I'm not sure yet. It's only calories I'm worried about, and not eating to excess. If I do decide to have a small meal of fast food the calories will be within my plan, and it will not be an excessive amount of food. Realistic Moderation, remember? I think that should be my lifestyle slogan, heh. Until next time...!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 9

Calories for Day 9 (November 29th 2008):

Meal 1 - 301g (10.75oz) of Oven Baked Pizza (cooked from frozen) = 840
Total calories: 840

Exercise for Day 9:
None.

Outcome: Fantastic!!

~M

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Odds And Ends

Just catching up! So my calories have been great lately, I'm very happy with myself. I've noticed that my next meal is rarely on my mind anymore, where before I was constantly thinking "What can I eat next, and when?" So it feels great to not revolve around food, especially excess food. My calories for yesterday, Day 8, were nice and low so I got to have a higher calorie treat that I normally wouldn't have room for, I had 2 cookies, and they were super yummy, lol. As long as I'm not having, like, 4 cookies everyday, lol, then I think whatever fits into my calorie limit should be good moderation. I've averaging maybe 5% of my weekly calories for "junk food", which is only some cookies so far, so I think I'm doing fanfreakingtastic, lol. Plus it helps me from feeling deprived then ending up having a junk food binge, so if I want a serving of junk food, and my calories allow it after meals are accounted for, then I will have it. Realistic moderation.
Oh, before I forget, on the morning of Day 7 I weighed myself just so I could see my full first week total. I was -5 pounds from my starting weight. I think 5 pounds the first week is great, I'm pleased with it. I'm hoping for a 3 pounds loss on this week, bringing me to 377, down 6 pounds overall. 2 pounds is my goal each week though, but I've been so good on calories that I'm aiming a little bit higher. That will be 6 pounds in just 10 days. A good start I'd say! So wish me luck for Monday! I also had a NSV yesterday! I chose to stop adding 1/2-1 serving of cheese on my sandwiches, so it saves me 60-120 calories now! And it tastes just as good, so now I can save that serving of cheese for something more worthy, heh. Anyways, I think that covers everything up until now. \m/

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 8

Calories for Day 8 (November 28th 2008):

Meal 1 - 1 can of Potato Soup, 2 Ham Sandwiches (4 slices of bread, 1 serving of Ham, 36g of Green Pepper, 1tbsp of low cal Mayo, 2tsp of Mustard) = 734
Snack 1 - 10z (approx. total) of Salad (Mixed Leaf Lettuces, 1/2 of a medium Tomato, 1/4cup of Cucumber, 2.5tbsp of Ranch Dressing) = 208
Snack 2 - 2 Chocolate Cookies - 180
Meal 2 - 2/3 of a 133g Three Cheese Pasta Packet (2/3 of a 133g dry Pasta Packet, 2/3cup of Skim Milk) = 400
Total calories: 1522

Exercise for Day 8:
None.

Outcome: Awesome!

~M

Friday, November 28, 2008

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 7

Calories for Day 7 (November 27th 2008):

Snack 1 - 1 Chocolate Pudding = 120
Meal 1 - Mac N Cheese (1 box of Mac N Cheese, 1tbsp of low cal Margerine, 2tbsp of Taco Sauce) = 900
Meal 2 - 2 servings (90g dry) of Rice, 1 can of Mushroom Soup, boneless/skinless Chicken Breast, 30g of Cheese = 790
Total calories: 1810

Exercise for Day 7:
None.

Outcome: Awesome!

~M

Thursday, November 27, 2008

I Had A Great Day!

Well today went great! 1644 calories and I finally got in a wee bit of exercise! My guy and I went for a walk up to the grocery store to get some pork chops for dinners. The first half is uphill, eww, but it's gradual, but still, for me it felt like my lower back and my back lower left hip area were about to pop out of me. I want to walk without pain again! But I'm so glad I did it, I didn't get as far as I had originally planned, but I still went I good distance for my current weight. Normally I'm sore just walking to a different room in the house, and very sore just getting outside of the house. A couple good things on the walk though, I got further than I have in about 10 months before I had to stop and take a breather. Also, about half way into it I told my guy I couldn't walk uphill any longer and that I had to turn back, then about 1 minute later I started walking again - and it wasn't to go home! I know cardio is an important part to losing weight, but I don't want to push myself, my hip and back gets very painful, and too much pain isn't going to help me to do anything good for myself. Like I've said before, it should only take about 30, or so, pounds before my pain load starts easing off, and then I can try to be more active without hurting myself. I might try to use my exercise band at home, different form of exercise, but still calorie burning, and good for the muscles. That way I can strength train even if I can't do cardio, and strength training is important to helping your body have a better shape as you lose weight, and not just look like a (smaller) blob, lol. The exercise band gives alot of variety to the exercises you can do with it, so I shouldn't be at a loss for ideas. I have lots of bicep/tricep/shoulder/chest/back exercises in mind, and if on a strength training day I feel like I have enough energy then I could through in some ab exercises, too. I'm not too concerned with lower body strength training at the moment, I feel sorry for my legs for having to carry around 380 pounds as it is, no need to make them do more work than that right now, lol. So anyways, I'm full of future ideas, hehe, I'll never be at a loss for what to do next. As for what to do now...same thing I've been doing, calories under 2000, move my body whenever I can, and hope for the best! \m/

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 6

Calories for Day 6 (November 26th 2008):

Snack 1 - 77g bag of Light Popcorn = 300
Meal 1 - 2 Mini Tuna Melt Buns (75g of (2) Dinner Rolls, 120g of waterpacked Tuna, 1tbsp of low cal Mayo, 1tbsp of Ranch Dressing, 30g of Cheese) = 591
Meal 2 - 67g of boneless Pork Chop, 128g of Green Beans, 332g of (2) Baked Potatoes with skin, 30g of low cal Margerine, 60g of low cal Sour Cream = 653
Snack 2 - 1 Chocolate Pudding Cup = 120
Total calories: 1664

Exercise for Day 6:
15-20 minutes of walking.

Outcome: Excellent!!!

~M

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Food Scale

I couple months ago I was smart enough to purchase a food scale. It has been a saving grace for me, I love it! I measure everything out exactly, my rice, sandwich veggies, meat, and especially, cheese. Cheese is something that most people would over estimate the look of 1 serving, and with cheese, you to be careful since it packs alot of calories into a tiny serving. I'm thinking from now on I'm going to list grams on my food journal instead of converting it to ounces from now on. I weigh everything in grams, cause I feel it's more precise. For things like meat, though, I think it's easier to judge by ounces. But I've been measuring out everything I have, on the food scale, with measuring cups, and with measuring spoons. I like to avoid measuring cups whenever I can though, there's too much wiggle room when you use them. So for my rice tonight, I needed 1 cup dry, so I weighed out the grams for it (based on the serving chart on the box). So I knew I had exactly what my serving was suppossed to be, not an approximation. My guy even weighed out the grams of the green pepper slices than went on my sandwiches! Now that's precise. Today all I wanted was CHEESE, lol, so my guy and I measured out 100 calories of it so I didn't go crazy with it. If you're curious...100 calories was 25g of pre-shredded cheese; a full serving is 120 calories, which is 30g, just a teeny bit over 1oz(28g).
Well, lastly, a little bit about how today went. 1788 calories as you can see in the previous post! I'm really happy with that, I'm a tiny bit hungry right now, but that's just because I recently woke up from a little nap, lol. So all went well, another OP day! Oy...I want a cookie, lol. I was going to have a cookie as a between meal snack earlier but I went with a serving of cheese instead, so now my cookie craving is still around, lol. That's okay, I will fit one into my calories tomorrow if I still want it. \m/

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 5

Calories for Day 5 (November 25th 2008):

Meal 1 - 1 can of Potato Soup, 2 Ham Sanwiches (4 slices of Bread, 1 serving of Ham, 1oz of Green Pepper, 1/8cup of Cheese, 1 tbsp of low-cal Mayo, 2tsp of Mustard) = 778
Snack 1 - 1oz of Cheese = 100
Meal 2 - 2 servings (1cup total, measured dry) of Rice, 1 can of Mushroom Soup, 5.5oz of boneless/skinless Chicken Breast, 1.5oz of Cheese = 850
Snack 2 - 1 Popsicle = 60
Total calories: 1788

Exercise for Day 5:
None.

Outcome: Awesome!

~M

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Identity

"I'm...The Big Girl"
I came across something that made me think. I've always been the big girl, in grade school, in high school, and now as an adult. When I go shopping I'm the biggest person I see. When I get together with family for a holiday I'm the biggest person I see. When I go to a restaurant I'm the biggest person I see. Anyone in any of those situations looks at me and see "the big girl". What I've been wondering is...once I lose weight and start blending in size wise to those around me...what will people see me as? If someone pointed me out in a restaurant, at a family gathering, at the mall, in a classroom, at the park, what would say to identify me? "She's the big girl." ...Or something along those lines, something to do with my weight/size. So after my weight loss, what am I if I'm not "the big girl"? How would an outsider describe me? What would define me? What would my identity be? What is underneath me? Who am I if I'm not "the big girl"? I wonder what qualities of mine will come through once the "go to" attribute ("She's the big girl." "She's the chubby girl." "She's the biggest one.") is gone. I wonder how someone would describe me now if they couldn't mention my size. What is it that I will make myself?

"That's the girl."
"What girl?"
"Right over there."
"Which one are you talking about?"
"The one who is __________________."

Who will I be? How will I be seen?
Hmm...time will tell.

~M

Hungry?

Look at those calories!!! 1881, 1900, 1210, and now 1223!!! OMG! I thought I'd be at 1999 everyday and have my stomach growling up a storm all evening. You know what...I'm not really hungry! My tummy growls a bit if I nap between meals and it's a long wait, but then I go make my next meal and I'm not even scarfing it down because I'm starving. I think my stomach is shrinking, lol. I had my lunch today then fell asleep later on before dinnertime and woke up hours past my usually dinnertime, and I was quite hungry, so I heated up my serving of dinner I had regulated for myself earlier and by the time I ate 1/2 of it and had some salad I was full enough that I gave my guy my last slice of pizza! (Each slice was about 2oz.) I used to eat the whole thing (about 14oz total) for just a lunch, and now I had it between 2 meals, and shared some! I'm feeling really good about that right now. It might not seem like anything to other people, but it was a huge NSV for me. I just can't get over how satisfied I've been under 2000 calories a day so far; not to mention half of them before barely over 1200 calories! I really hope I can keep this up. Even if I have 1999 a day I would be happy. Before I used to have probably...3000 or more a day, so, big change. I'm trying to concentrate on portion control, and not eating if I'm not hungry. So, hopefully I can get some success with the 2000/day plan! I didn't exercise again today though, but as long as my eating is on track, I don't want to push my luck, lol. My body get exhauted enough just walking around the house right now. The time will come when I will exercise regularly, but it's not right now, maybe next week, maybe 3 months, who knows, but I'm happy with what I'm doing so far. Once my body loses some of its mass it should be easier to get out walking again, maybe dancing, maybe strength training. Even at about 340 pounds I was walking an hour a day to try to lose weight before, so once the pain in my lower back subsides a bit, maybe in as little as 10-20 pounds, then I will try my best to do both food and exercise control. Ugh, I remember when I was walking an average of 70-80 minutes a day, was eating under 2000 calories a day and allowed myself NO junk food of any kind. It was too strict, lasted about 6 months, lost a few inches off my waist and hips, and 31 pounds total, but I couldn't sustain it. I want to do it right this time. Work up in baby steps. I'm trying not to make myself feel like I have to do it all or nothing. I can't wait for my back pain to go away!! I remember when I walked over 5 miles nonstop with my guy, just to say I could do it, and I did! I want to be able to get outside and move my body again. There's nothing I like more than taking my doggie, my tunes, and looking at the beautiful nature as I take a walk. Someday I will be there again. Oh, but a do have a little NSV already! Showering is easier already, my back only just starts to hurt before I get out, before I was in alot of pain, so much that I had to rest my back, about halfway into my shower. So, changes are coming, and I can't wait for more! Wow, that turned out longer than expected, lol! I should've renamed it 'Hungry? And Another Hour Worth Of Rambling" LOL!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 4

Calories for Day 4 (November 24th 2008):

Snack 1 - 5 Crispy Minis = 38
Meal 1 - 5.5oz Oven Baked Pizza = 373
Meal 2 - 8-9oz Oven Baked Pizza, 10oz (total) Garden Salad (Leaf/Spring/Romaine Lettuce, 1/8cup of Carrots, 1/2 of a medium Tomato, 1/4cup of Cucumber, 2tbsp of Ranch Dressing) = 812
Total calories: 1223

Exercise for Day 4:
None.

Outcome: Awesome!

~M

Monday, November 24, 2008

Afternoon Rambling

Bored...just came on to talk about how Day 4 is going so far. Almost 2:30pm, I cooked up a pizza for lunch/dinner, I used to eat the whole thing in one meal, but today I decided to have 1/3 for lunch and save 2/3 of it for dinner. I weighed out the portions so they were correct for calories. Lunch was 373 calories, the rest, I'm assuming for my dinner, is 747 calories. Not the best "diet" choice, but I want to lose weight realistically, where I'm not cutting out anything mildly "bad" for you. Because I know I won't be able to sustain that, and as soon as I have a craving, or go back to eating those kinds of foods, I will be ruining my progress. So I'm trying to get progress, with normal eating: Anything in moderation! Having only 1/3 of the pizza (5.5oz, it was a small serving, probably would be 1.5 restaurant slices) was a great feat for me, but, yes, I am still a bit hungry since that is only 1/3 a "before" lunch for me. It feels great though, the moderation makes me feel like I'm doing something really good. Which I guess I am. So far today my calories are at 38 (5 crispy minis) + 373 (5.5oz pizza) = 411. After dinner (if I don't snack before dinner...) 411 + 747 = 1158. So still some room for a snack. Lookin' good! Off to read some success stories and hopefully motivate myself to do some exercise later on.

~M

Weekly Weigh-In #1

My first official weigh-in! Even though it has only been 3 days on plan. But that's okay. Let's jump in.

Highest/Starting Weight: 383 pounds
Current Weight: 380
Pounds Lost This Week: 3!
Pounds Lost Total: 3

Next Weigh-In (#2): Monday, December 1st 2008 (once a week, on Monday)

Well pretty good for only 3 days I say! I'm anxious to see how my first full week goes!

~M

Calories/Exercise Recap: Day 3

Calories for Day 3 (November 23rd 2008):

Snack 1 - 1/6 of a Banana, 29 grapes = 121
Snack 2 - 2oz of a Apple, 30 grapes = 103
Meal 1 - 1 can of Potato Soup, 2 Turkey Sandwiches (4 slices bread, 1 serving of Turkey, 1 serving of low-cal Mayo, 1oz of Green Pepper, 1/8cup of Cheese, 2tsp of Mustard) = 776
Snack 3 - 1 spoonful of Mac n Cheese = 30
Snack 4 - 2 cookies = 180
Total calories: 1210

Exercise for Day 3:
None.

Outcome: Awesome!

~M

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Temp. Food Log

Just logging my food calories so I don't forget.
121, 103, 273, 300, 100, 45, 5, 45, 8.

Oh, and tomorrow is my first official Monday weigh-in! Wish me luck!

~M

Fruit And Dinner Ideas

This morning I had about 2 small bites of a banana and 29 grapes, calories totalling 121 calories. For a meal today I'm hoping I can treat myself to pasta, maybe. Pasta is very high in calories if you eat a serving that is filling enough. Although soup and sandwiches sound good right now, too. But, my main meal, or meals, aren't until much later on. It's almost 8:30am and I haven't slept yet. So I'll wake up for dinner I'm assuming. I'm tired, getting a headache, so I'm off to nap for a bit. Until next time...!

~M

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

I love a good list, lol! Especially when it can be motivating. So, I'm going to list the reasons I want to lose weight, the things I want to be able to do, the things I used to be able to do and can't anymore, things that could improve by losing weight and getting healthly, and things like that. Let us begin!

THE BAD:

  • I get sore from walking VERY quickly.
  • I can't take my doggie out for long walks or to the park.
  • Alot of seatbelts barely fit me, some don't at all.
  • I can't stand/walk long enough to enjoy shopping.
  • I can't ride a bicycle anymore.
  • I can't cross my legs.
  • I'm not in shape to play sports.
  • I have insomnia.
  • I have little energy.

THE UGLY:

  • I feel I look disgusting to others.
  • I can't wear the "in" styles because they don't come in my size.
  • No stores in my town carry my size.
  • Plus size clothes are more expensive then regular sizes.
  • I rarely feel sexually attractive (TMI, I know, lol.)
  • I don't feel as girly as I could be.
  • I feel people judge me by my appearance.

THE GOOD (benefits of weight loss):

  • I'd be in better health.
  • I would feel sexier.
  • I would have more confidence.
  • I could get around easier.
  • I could handle working, and therefore make money.
  • I could wear high heels.
  • I would sleep better.
  • I would feel I fit in better in public.
  • I would feel more accepted, and not feel pre-judged.
  • I could do more things with my man, and my doggie.
  • I wouldn't have to worry about fitting into booths/seats or seatbelts.
  • I would sleep better.
  • I would have more energy.
  • I would be able to ride a bicycle, and play sports.
  • I could (probably, lol) cross my legs.
  • I would have a wider/better looking/cheaper variety of clothing choices.
  • I'd have pride in myself.
  • I'd be happier with myself!

I'm sure there are more to each list but what I can think of at the moment. Hopefully one day I will be able to own some of those good qualities!

~M

Ramblings Of The Day

Well as you can see from my Day 2 Recap post today has been good! I'm thinking about making little goals along the way, not weight or size goals, but more like something I have to do, or not do, for a certain amount of days. And once that time limit is up, I give myself another challenge. And since my favorite number is 13, I could do 13 day challenges, or if that's too long I could just do one week at a time. Some ideas for the challenges:
- No fast food
- No "junk food"
- Limit of 1 serving per food per meal
- Must exercise 5+ minutes
Yeah, so there's some ideas of things I could strive to do daily. I'd also like to kind of set weight/size goals for myself too, but I don't really know what to expect. Weight wise, my goal would probably be 2 pounds a week, every week. Size wise I'd say 1" off both my waist and hips every time I take my measurements, every 4 weeks. A girl can dream, right? As I lose weight I can also make clothing size goals. The largest size my town sells is size 22-24 jeans...which even at around 340 pounds or so were way too tight to get on! I think the button was about 7" away from doing up, and they were skin tight on me, too, lol, not gonna happen. I don't think I'd fit them comfortably for quite some time, maybe 100 pounds from now. Oh, I have an important list I'd like to make a new post for. Until next time...!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 2

Calories for Day 2 (November 22nd 2008):

Meal 1 - 2 Cinnamon Waffles (plain), 1 Crustini = 470
Snack 1 - 2 Popsicles = 120
Meal 2 - 2 servings of Rice, 1 Chicken Breast, 1 can of Mushroom Soup, 1 serving of Cheese = 789
Snack 2 - 1 bag of Mini Rice Cakes, 1 Cookie = 521
Total calories: 1900

Exercise for Day 2:
None.

Outcome: On track!

~M

Saturday, November 22, 2008

So Far Today...

So far I've done pretty good today, I don't want to jinx it though, lol. No exercise, but as long as I'm close to 2000 calories then that will be good for now. So far I've had 1 meal, 1 snack, and just about to have dinner, calories at the moment are: 240, 230, 120, 300, 80, 275, 100. For a total of 1345, but I will be having a snack after dinner most likely. My planned snack is a bag of mini flavored rice cakes, which is 431 calories. For a total of 1776! We shall see how on plan I stay.
Okay, just wanted to get these written down before I forgot what I ate, lol, maybe I should keep a journal at home with me and not just on here. Well, I like to come here to blabber a bit before my full daily recap anyways, heh. Almost dinnertime now, so I'm off.

~M

My Motivating Pictures

If I had to choose a picture that would be my "perfect-in-my-dreams-ideal-goal-size" this would be it. PERFECT! And the boots, ahh! I need to think about these to motivate me to exercise, LOL!


Done with another post that I'm sure if anyone is reading this they are now sorry they did, lmao, yeah, I'm blog-happy alright. You could say I'm...blappy! ^^ LOL!

~M

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

I am obsessed with both blogging and my goal numbers at the moment, LOL. So here I go rambling on another post. (Better than having my head in the fridge! LOL!)
The 4 things I am basing my success on: Weight, Waist Size, Hip Size, Clothing (Jeans) Size.
So where am I starting with those...

Weight: 383lbs
Waist: 55"
Hips: 67"
Clothing Size: 30

Estimating my size for my 3 goals...

Modest Goal:
Weight: 283lbs (-100lbs)
Waist: 45"
Hips: 57"
Clothing Size: 24

Optimistic Goal:
Weight: 233lbs (-150lbs)
Waist: 42"
Hips: 52"
Clothing Size: 20

In My Dreams Goal:
Weight: 183lbs (-200lbs)
Waist: 36"
Hips: 46"
Clothing Size: 16

Well those are my guesstimates, just going with whatever knowledge of sizes I have, since I personally haven't been in those sizes in many, many years, lol. Anyways, enough of my ramblings for now. ^^

~M

About Me

Since it's nearly 2am and I'm bored and can't sleep...here's a general post all about ME.

Name: Melissa
Age: 20s
Status: Commonlaw, been together for over 4.5 years now, we have 2 "children" - a 13 year old cat, Munchkin, and a 2 year old Chihuahua, Jasmine.
Location: BC, Canada

Interests/Hobbies: Photography (I love photographing nature, and my pets!), music (I listen to every genre, but I love rock, pop, and soothing classical.), TV/movies, writing, reading, playing games on Pogo, dog training (my Chihuahua is too smart for her own good, LOL!), astrology, magazines, Bleach (only anime show I will watch), storms, stars, tattoos, nature, and everything spooky and mystical!

"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”

~M



Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 1

Calories for Day 1 (November 21st 2008):
(Calories go in a 24hr span from 12am to 12am since my sleeping is so irregular. I will try to recap each day after 12am.)

Meal 1 - Potato Soup, 2 Turkey Sandwiches = 843
Meal 2 - 2 “Meatloaf” Burritos = 938
Drink 1 - 2/3 Pineapple Drink = 100
Total calories: 1881

Exercise for Day 1:
None.

My daily calorie goals are 2000 without exercise, and up to 2200 when I get in some sweatin’, LOL. So I’m happy with day 1! Let's hope tomorrow goes just as well!

~M

Measurements: My Starting Point

I’ll be keeping track of ALL my measurements. Even though alot of them may seem useless it helps me get motivated, so, whatever works!

Starting Measurements: November 21st 2008
Neck: 18″
Chest: 53.5″
Bust: 59.5″
Ribcage: 54″
Upper Arm: 19″ / 18″ (Right/Left)
Forearm: 16″ / 15″
Wrist: 9″ / 8.5″
Waist: 55″
Bellybutton: 58.5″
Hips: 67″
Upper Thigh: 38″ / 38″
Above Knee: 31.5″ / 32″
Calf: 25.5″ / 24.5″
Ankle: 11.25″ / 11.5″

Next measurements (#1): December 15th 2008


My measurements will be taken every 4th weigh-in (every 4 weeks). My first measurements check-in will be about 3.5 weeks from now though, but I don't think it will make any difference.
So, that's how my measurement check-ins will go.
Both my weekly weigh-in and my monthly measurement check-in will be posted in RED so they stand out.

~M


Weight: My Starting Point

Here is my starting info in the format I plan to use for now.

Highest/Starting Weight: 383+ pounds
Current Weight: N/A
Pounds Lost: N/A

Pounds Lost Total: N/A

Next Weigh-In (#1): Monday, November 28th 2008

So there's an idea of how each weekly weigh-in will look. My #1 weigh-in will only be 3 or 4 days in though, but that's fine, hopefully I'll see a loss no matter how small it may be.

~M

A New Beginning

So this is the beginning of my weight loss journey. Yesterday, November 21st 2008, I made the decision to give it another try. I’ve decided to blog about it in hopes it will keep me on track, or at least give me something to look back on to see where I went wrong. (I don’t expect anyone but me to be interested enough to read this, but readers are welcome, but you’ve been warned, LOL!) My ultimate goal is that I’d like to lose 1/2 my weight, but I’d settle for anything at the moment, LOL. My weight has been flucuating 10-15lbs back and forth within a few days of each other, therefore I might not know real progress until I lose a good amount. The most I’ve lost, ever, was 31 pounds, about 2 years ago, and I was very strict and worked very hard even for just that amount. Then, at Christmas my guy and I went to visit my family for the holidays. For the first week I resisted all temptations then suddenly I went off track and never got back on…and I’m about 50 pounds heavier than I was at that time. This year I was holding at 350 pounds or so for months then one day I got on the scale and WHAMO! Somehow I was up about 20something pounds…I didn’t even notice. I measured myself too, and found I had a new biggest size to cry over. My waist had gone up about 2″. Not to mention everything else too. Well, here are my important numbers so I know where my starting point is.

Date: November 22nd 2008
Height: 5′4.5"
Highest Weight: 383+ pounds
Current Weight: 380.6 pounds
Lowest Weight: 325.5 pounds (after losing 31 pounds in 2006)

My Weight Goals: Well, I’m very OCD when it comes to numbers, but I like to calculate and recalculate, some people might think this would hinder me, but it actually helps. So, here’s my list, yes, list, of weight goals, and their signifigance.

350 - Under my old highest weight / Starting into the nicer side of the 300s
333 - 50lbs lost325 - Lowest adult weight in years
299 - Under 300283 - 100lbs lost
250 - Half way out of the 200s landmark
233 - 150lbs lost
199 - Under 200lbs
191.5 - Half my highest weight
183 - 200lbs lost

So there are my goals, from basic to my ultimate. Once I get some rest I will get my “official” starting weight for the week, as well as my starting measurements. Weight I will check once a week, inches once a month. I am going to try to count calories, trying for 2000 a day or so. My sleep is VERY irregulat so I will count calories in a 24hr chunk since I don’t have a regular schedule, sleeping or otherwise. I don’t work either, so I am making my health/weight loss my job, LOL. Exercise will be just as hard as portion control for me, I have bad lower back pain that makes it VERY sore for me to walk/stand for more than a couple minutes - literally, so I will try to do some strength training using a resistance band, and some in home walking/dancing, etc. Even 5 minutes I will be happy with for now! One step at a time, right? Well, that’s all for my intro post. I will post more with my starting weight/measurements.

~M