Thursday, September 27, 2007
ach
well we knew it would happen. at least, i did. on the road, and it all goes to hell.
anyway.
yesterday was september 26th.
weight was goal + 18.5
good, right?
ok. not for long.
what i ate:
breakfast:
go lean crunch with skim milk (245), coffee with skim & splenda (30)
coffee on the plane (45), kashi bar (140)
lunch: shrimp & broccoli from tgi friday's (300), a beer (180)
dinner: bread & butter, garlic toast with spinach artichoke dip, roasted veggie flatbread, diet coke (don't even want to try to calculate the caloric content)
because you need three kinds of bread at one meal.
i'm so disappointed.
and then blew it again today. you'll get to read that tomorrow, i guess.
oh and did i mention? no exercise whatsoever.
anyway.
yesterday was september 26th.
weight was goal + 18.5
good, right?
ok. not for long.
what i ate:
breakfast:
go lean crunch with skim milk (245), coffee with skim & splenda (30)
coffee on the plane (45), kashi bar (140)
lunch: shrimp & broccoli from tgi friday's (300), a beer (180)
dinner: bread & butter, garlic toast with spinach artichoke dip, roasted veggie flatbread, diet coke (don't even want to try to calculate the caloric content)
because you need three kinds of bread at one meal.
i'm so disappointed.
and then blew it again today. you'll get to read that tomorrow, i guess.
oh and did i mention? no exercise whatsoever.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
on the road again
well, today i am on the road. i wasn't yesterday.
yesterday was september 25th.
weight was goal + 18.5
what i ate:
breakfast: kashi go lean crunch with skim milk (245), coffee with splenda & skim milk (30)
snack: more coffee, splenda & a creamer (40)
lunch: mattar paneer (320), cherry zero coke (0)
snack: apple (60), string cheese (70), then coffee with sugar and milk (75)
dinner: scallops (150), small baked potato (120), green beans (50), small glass of red wine (100)
dessert: chocolate chip cookie bar (100)
exercise : none whatsoever.
well the eating part is going ok, i have been rocking the house as far as avoiding the junk etc. (case in point: went to a funeral today where they served BANANA SPLITS at the reception, and all i had was coffee.) but it is hard to fit in a workout between work and other duties. well, i did mow the lawn, which required mild exertion, but it only took about 20 minutes.
hmm.
anyway it is encouraging to see the scale moving. fer sure.
yesterday was september 25th.
weight was goal + 18.5
what i ate:
breakfast: kashi go lean crunch with skim milk (245), coffee with splenda & skim milk (30)
snack: more coffee, splenda & a creamer (40)
lunch: mattar paneer (320), cherry zero coke (0)
snack: apple (60), string cheese (70), then coffee with sugar and milk (75)
dinner: scallops (150), small baked potato (120), green beans (50), small glass of red wine (100)
dessert: chocolate chip cookie bar (100)
exercise : none whatsoever.
well the eating part is going ok, i have been rocking the house as far as avoiding the junk etc. (case in point: went to a funeral today where they served BANANA SPLITS at the reception, and all i had was coffee.) but it is hard to fit in a workout between work and other duties. well, i did mow the lawn, which required mild exertion, but it only took about 20 minutes.
hmm.
anyway it is encouraging to see the scale moving. fer sure.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
yesterday
it's hard to figure out what to call these posts. since it's pretty much the same post every day.
anyway.
yesterday was september 24th.
weight was goal + 19.5
moving in the right directions!
what i ate:
breakfast: kashi go lean crunch with skim milk (245), coffee with splenda and skim milk (30)
lunch: palak paneer (270) cherry zero coke (0)
snack: luna bar (190)
dinner: TONS of raw veggies, 4 little bruscettas, and 3 little crab cakes. one chocolate chip cookie bar for dessert.
so i had big success at the meeting and dinner tonight- ate only my own food (politely refusing the BOWLS OF CHOCOLATE that were on every table) at lunch and at the happy hour dinner thing, had only water to drink, and took it very easy on the snacks.
exercise:
none whatsoever. i guess i should have gotten up early and gone to the gym before work. didn't get home until after 8, and i'm a slug at night. :o(
anyway.
yesterday was september 24th.
weight was goal + 19.5
moving in the right directions!
what i ate:
breakfast: kashi go lean crunch with skim milk (245), coffee with splenda and skim milk (30)
lunch: palak paneer (270) cherry zero coke (0)
snack: luna bar (190)
dinner: TONS of raw veggies, 4 little bruscettas, and 3 little crab cakes. one chocolate chip cookie bar for dessert.
so i had big success at the meeting and dinner tonight- ate only my own food (politely refusing the BOWLS OF CHOCOLATE that were on every table) at lunch and at the happy hour dinner thing, had only water to drink, and took it very easy on the snacks.
exercise:
none whatsoever. i guess i should have gotten up early and gone to the gym before work. didn't get home until after 8, and i'm a slug at night. :o(
Monday, September 24, 2007
good beginning
yesterday was september 23.
weight was goal + 20
what i ate:
breakfast: special k cereal with skim milk (155), coffee with skim milk and splenda (30)
snack: string cheese (70), corn tortilla (40)
lunch: veggie lasagna (400?)
dinner: slice of toast (90), bbq soy protein (210) (MUCH tastier than it sounds!)
snack: apple (60), 12 almonds (80)
exercise: 3 mile walk with mom
also mom made a big pan of chocolate chip cookie bars, and i decided not to have any. how about that.
so a couple of you have mentioned that you think 1200 calories is on the low side, which i think is probably right. i calculated my bmr (that is, basal metabolic rate) a few months back and i actually should be eating around 1400 to support my goal weight. so i'll aim for around that. i will start counting the calories of what i am eating, as a reference. i don't want to get super control-freaky about counting calories, but on the other hand, that is the simplest formula... as amyz pointed out, it takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound of fat. so that means cutting or burning that many calories... 500 a day to lose a pound a week. 1000 a day to lose 2 pounds! eesh, that sounds like a lot. but if i eat 500 less and do my hour of exercise, it's reasonable.
this week is going to be tough as far as exercising and eating well... help me out. we have meetings all day today and tomorrow including evening outings for dinner/drinks. then wednesday - saturday i am traveling, which makes both eating and exercising so much harder. here's what i've done so far to prepare: brought my lunch today despite the fact that lunch is provided. i'll do the same tomorrow. tonight at dinner: no alcohol (which will make everyone ask if i am pregnant- so annoying), and i'll try to stick with a smart dinner, maybe skip the appetizers altogether? i brought my workout clothes in the hope that we'll get done tonight early enough for me to swing by the gym on the way home, but that will be unpleasant at best after a long day and dinner out... we'll see. as far as being on the road- i'll bring exercise clothes and hopefully there is a gym at my hotel? i am not super crazy about going running in an unfamiliar town.
other ideas?
weight was goal + 20
what i ate:
breakfast: special k cereal with skim milk (155), coffee with skim milk and splenda (30)
snack: string cheese (70), corn tortilla (40)
lunch: veggie lasagna (400?)
dinner: slice of toast (90), bbq soy protein (210) (MUCH tastier than it sounds!)
snack: apple (60), 12 almonds (80)
exercise: 3 mile walk with mom
also mom made a big pan of chocolate chip cookie bars, and i decided not to have any. how about that.
so a couple of you have mentioned that you think 1200 calories is on the low side, which i think is probably right. i calculated my bmr (that is, basal metabolic rate) a few months back and i actually should be eating around 1400 to support my goal weight. so i'll aim for around that. i will start counting the calories of what i am eating, as a reference. i don't want to get super control-freaky about counting calories, but on the other hand, that is the simplest formula... as amyz pointed out, it takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound of fat. so that means cutting or burning that many calories... 500 a day to lose a pound a week. 1000 a day to lose 2 pounds! eesh, that sounds like a lot. but if i eat 500 less and do my hour of exercise, it's reasonable.
this week is going to be tough as far as exercising and eating well... help me out. we have meetings all day today and tomorrow including evening outings for dinner/drinks. then wednesday - saturday i am traveling, which makes both eating and exercising so much harder. here's what i've done so far to prepare: brought my lunch today despite the fact that lunch is provided. i'll do the same tomorrow. tonight at dinner: no alcohol (which will make everyone ask if i am pregnant- so annoying), and i'll try to stick with a smart dinner, maybe skip the appetizers altogether? i brought my workout clothes in the hope that we'll get done tonight early enough for me to swing by the gym on the way home, but that will be unpleasant at best after a long day and dinner out... we'll see. as far as being on the road- i'll bring exercise clothes and hopefully there is a gym at my hotel? i am not super crazy about going running in an unfamiliar town.
other ideas?
Sunday, September 23, 2007
beginning
yesterday was september 22
weight was goal + 21
what i ate:
breakfast: special k cereal with skim milk, coffee with splenda and skim milk
snack: gatorade and a carbBoom energy gel
lunch: 1 slice whole wheat toast with peanut butter and honey, and a plum
snack: a small pear and 12 almonds, peach iced tea
dinner: vegetarian lasagna, a spinach & tomato salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and a glass of wine.
exercise: 30 mile bike ride
pretty good, right? i'm not sure of the calorie content of that lasagna... but everything else was pretty low-cal, and moderately portioned. i also drank a lot of water.
thanks to those of you who have already jumped in to encourage me! here we go!
weight was goal + 21
what i ate:
breakfast: special k cereal with skim milk, coffee with splenda and skim milk
snack: gatorade and a carbBoom energy gel
lunch: 1 slice whole wheat toast with peanut butter and honey, and a plum
snack: a small pear and 12 almonds, peach iced tea
dinner: vegetarian lasagna, a spinach & tomato salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and a glass of wine.
exercise: 30 mile bike ride
pretty good, right? i'm not sure of the calorie content of that lasagna... but everything else was pretty low-cal, and moderately portioned. i also drank a lot of water.
thanks to those of you who have already jumped in to encourage me! here we go!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
welcome back
wow i can't believe it has been three months since my last post on here. three months and at least that many pounds. huh.
well anyway here i am again, still aghast and dismayed when i step on the scale every morning. but i feel ready to tackle this issue again, with (again) the hope that maybe this time, i can tackle it once and for all.
which is why i have invited you along, my darlings, to join me in this effort. how about we start with a little background?
so i was relatively trim and fit up until the middle of college, when i stopped rowing crew and working out twice a day, but didn't stop eating like i was. gained a lot of weight. then i got married, and gained a lot more. then i ran a couple marathons, and lost a lot. then i stopped running and gained some back. and on and on. about a year ago i was doing well, at my goal weight, eating right, exercising, all that good stuff. well then i got divorced, which is apparently no easier on your waistline than it is on your heart. so in the last year, i've gained about 20 pounds. it's not the end of the world, it's not like i am hugely obese or anything, and as everyone says, i'm tall, i can hide it. which i personally think is one big load of hooey. but who am i to say.
anyway. i absolutely agree that one's weight has nothing to do with one's worth and all that (yadda yadda yadda) so let's not start a support group for my self esteem. what i DO think, is that i have been eating more and curling up with a book instead of exercising because it FEELS good and is comforting and who can blame me for that? it's been a rough year, after all. so there is no criticism or self-flagellation or any of that. i am just at the point of saying, ok, i comforted myself with food, and that is ok, and i'm ready to be done with it. and yes, i would probably feel quite a bit better about myself if my clothes fit better and these cute little (little! hah!) jiggly arms were a bit firmer. not to mention my thighs. (oh please, let us not mention the thighs.)
i've dieted a LOT over the years and i know a whole bunch of tricks and quick fixes and guaranteed ways to lost 10 pounds in a week. all of which are so healthy and completely sustainable over the long term. ahem. but what i need now is a better way of living, and a reasonable diet and fitness regimen that i can live with long term.
so, i've put together a multi-facted strategy to help me in this effort. a plan including goals, rewards, encouragement, support, etc. i wish that i had the willpower just to not eat dessert and do lots of exercise instead, but at least for me it takes more than willpower!
so here is the plan, in no particular order.
my goal is to lose 21 pounds. let's be more specific. my goal is to lose 21 pounds by christmas. i would like to lose 13 of those pounds by october 27th. that is 5 weeks from today.
let's apply the scientific method to this goal. a goal should be SMART- that is, specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. specific? yep, it is 21 pounds by december 25. which is the same as measurable, i guess. i will know when i have achieved the goal. attainable? yes. i believe in myself that i can attain it. realistic? that is, am i willing and able to meet this goal? i have been at that weight before. i am physically able to exercise, have the resources to provide myself with the right food. my goal is a reasonable and healthy weight for someone of my height, age, and body type. timely? yep- i've got a clear timeframe.
ok so that is part one. having a clear and realistic goal with a clear timeframe. now the question is, how do i get there? what are the steps and the tools?
a reasonable approach to weightloss is to aim for a loss of 1-2 pounds per week. my initial goal is slightly more aggressive (13 pounds in 5 weeks) but we all know that the first few weeks of a weightloss attempt usually result in more like 3 pounds a week. and my final goal is more than attainable- 21 pounds over 13 weeks.
the basic forumla of course is deceptively simple. eat less, exercise more. easier said than done.
let's take them one at a time.
eat less.
my goal will be to eat around 1200 calories per day.
i will keep a food log of everything i eat (published daily on this blog)
i will drink at least 64 ounces of water per day (two nalgene bottles)
i will brush my teeth or chew gum when i have a craving for something sweet.
i will think carefully about my diet and the most effective calories i can comsume. more about this later, but the question is, how can i get the biggest bang for my buck within these 1200 calroies? should i choose cereal or yogurt for breakfast, for example?
exercise more.
for health, you should exercise for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. for weight loss, you should exercise for 1 hour, 5 days a week.
so, i will exercise for an hour, 5 days a week. join the gym in my neighborhood when it finally opens. in the meantime, go for walks or runs or bike rides or go to the other gym pretty much every day.
other things- take the stairs at work. walk or bike places instead of driving (hmmm, like, to work?) stuff like that.
ok, how are we doing? you still with me? wow- congratulations, if you are!
ok so that is the nuts and bolts. but i need more than just this. so. i have a few non-scale-related goals. my goal piece of clothing- these amazing pink velvet jeans from guess, that i have been able to wear all of one time (yep, a year ago) and that i am dying to wear again. i will feel awesome when i can put those on again.
i am also a big fan of rewards. i planning some rewards-along-the-way for the intermediate achievements. when i lose the first 8 pounds, i get a new pair of running shoes. 5 pounds later, i get to buy the ring i have been longing for from the sundance catalog. that is the 13 pounds i am aiming for by october 27th. after that i will still have 7 pounds to go. i haven't decided on a final reward for reaching my goal... i'll have to give that some thought.
oh and did i mention that i am very sticker-motivated? i get a star sticker in my calendar every day that i exercise. :o)
the other thing i am going to do is read a book that i have called 'the beck diet solution' which is more of a psychological approach to dieting. since it's not so easy as just, eat less exercise more. i started it a few months ago, and one good thing i pulled out is to create a 3x5 card which lists your personal top 10 advantages of being at a lower weight. things like, maybe, i will be able to wear those awesome pink velvet jeans. so i'm going to make one of those.
now comes the fun part. the part where you get to help me :o)
so one part of being overweight is this tendency to skulk around feeling embrrassed and ashamed and pretending like everything is fine when really you want to crawl in a hole. well that's no good, right? you people like me no matter how much i weigh. so i am just going to come out and tell you, i'd like to lose weight, and i'd love your help.
will you encourage me along the way? will you go for walks or bike rides with me, or go to the gym with me? (when it finally opens, stupid stupid non-opening gym) if we go out to eat together, will you help me make good choices? if i live with you, will you suggest fruit instead of ice cream for dessert? if you live far away, can i call you when the cake shop is beckoning to me? and will you share YOUR success with me, so that i can learn from you? i would love your advice!
will you read this blog every once in a while, so that i feel like i am being accountable to people as far as my eating less and exercising more is concerned?
or do you even want to join me? i know at least one of you out there has a goal (and a plan, which is so inspiring to me!) we can support each other and cheer each other on!
so there you have it. thanks for reading this far, if you actually read this far. and let me know if you want to help me :o)
check back tomorrow for the day, and what i ate.
cheers!
well anyway here i am again, still aghast and dismayed when i step on the scale every morning. but i feel ready to tackle this issue again, with (again) the hope that maybe this time, i can tackle it once and for all.
which is why i have invited you along, my darlings, to join me in this effort. how about we start with a little background?
so i was relatively trim and fit up until the middle of college, when i stopped rowing crew and working out twice a day, but didn't stop eating like i was. gained a lot of weight. then i got married, and gained a lot more. then i ran a couple marathons, and lost a lot. then i stopped running and gained some back. and on and on. about a year ago i was doing well, at my goal weight, eating right, exercising, all that good stuff. well then i got divorced, which is apparently no easier on your waistline than it is on your heart. so in the last year, i've gained about 20 pounds. it's not the end of the world, it's not like i am hugely obese or anything, and as everyone says, i'm tall, i can hide it. which i personally think is one big load of hooey. but who am i to say.
anyway. i absolutely agree that one's weight has nothing to do with one's worth and all that (yadda yadda yadda) so let's not start a support group for my self esteem. what i DO think, is that i have been eating more and curling up with a book instead of exercising because it FEELS good and is comforting and who can blame me for that? it's been a rough year, after all. so there is no criticism or self-flagellation or any of that. i am just at the point of saying, ok, i comforted myself with food, and that is ok, and i'm ready to be done with it. and yes, i would probably feel quite a bit better about myself if my clothes fit better and these cute little (little! hah!) jiggly arms were a bit firmer. not to mention my thighs. (oh please, let us not mention the thighs.)
i've dieted a LOT over the years and i know a whole bunch of tricks and quick fixes and guaranteed ways to lost 10 pounds in a week. all of which are so healthy and completely sustainable over the long term. ahem. but what i need now is a better way of living, and a reasonable diet and fitness regimen that i can live with long term.
so, i've put together a multi-facted strategy to help me in this effort. a plan including goals, rewards, encouragement, support, etc. i wish that i had the willpower just to not eat dessert and do lots of exercise instead, but at least for me it takes more than willpower!
so here is the plan, in no particular order.
my goal is to lose 21 pounds. let's be more specific. my goal is to lose 21 pounds by christmas. i would like to lose 13 of those pounds by october 27th. that is 5 weeks from today.
let's apply the scientific method to this goal. a goal should be SMART- that is, specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. specific? yep, it is 21 pounds by december 25. which is the same as measurable, i guess. i will know when i have achieved the goal. attainable? yes. i believe in myself that i can attain it. realistic? that is, am i willing and able to meet this goal? i have been at that weight before. i am physically able to exercise, have the resources to provide myself with the right food. my goal is a reasonable and healthy weight for someone of my height, age, and body type. timely? yep- i've got a clear timeframe.
ok so that is part one. having a clear and realistic goal with a clear timeframe. now the question is, how do i get there? what are the steps and the tools?
a reasonable approach to weightloss is to aim for a loss of 1-2 pounds per week. my initial goal is slightly more aggressive (13 pounds in 5 weeks) but we all know that the first few weeks of a weightloss attempt usually result in more like 3 pounds a week. and my final goal is more than attainable- 21 pounds over 13 weeks.
the basic forumla of course is deceptively simple. eat less, exercise more. easier said than done.
let's take them one at a time.
eat less.
my goal will be to eat around 1200 calories per day.
i will keep a food log of everything i eat (published daily on this blog)
i will drink at least 64 ounces of water per day (two nalgene bottles)
i will brush my teeth or chew gum when i have a craving for something sweet.
i will think carefully about my diet and the most effective calories i can comsume. more about this later, but the question is, how can i get the biggest bang for my buck within these 1200 calroies? should i choose cereal or yogurt for breakfast, for example?
exercise more.
for health, you should exercise for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. for weight loss, you should exercise for 1 hour, 5 days a week.
so, i will exercise for an hour, 5 days a week. join the gym in my neighborhood when it finally opens. in the meantime, go for walks or runs or bike rides or go to the other gym pretty much every day.
other things- take the stairs at work. walk or bike places instead of driving (hmmm, like, to work?) stuff like that.
ok, how are we doing? you still with me? wow- congratulations, if you are!
ok so that is the nuts and bolts. but i need more than just this. so. i have a few non-scale-related goals. my goal piece of clothing- these amazing pink velvet jeans from guess, that i have been able to wear all of one time (yep, a year ago) and that i am dying to wear again. i will feel awesome when i can put those on again.
i am also a big fan of rewards. i planning some rewards-along-the-way for the intermediate achievements. when i lose the first 8 pounds, i get a new pair of running shoes. 5 pounds later, i get to buy the ring i have been longing for from the sundance catalog. that is the 13 pounds i am aiming for by october 27th. after that i will still have 7 pounds to go. i haven't decided on a final reward for reaching my goal... i'll have to give that some thought.
oh and did i mention that i am very sticker-motivated? i get a star sticker in my calendar every day that i exercise. :o)
the other thing i am going to do is read a book that i have called 'the beck diet solution' which is more of a psychological approach to dieting. since it's not so easy as just, eat less exercise more. i started it a few months ago, and one good thing i pulled out is to create a 3x5 card which lists your personal top 10 advantages of being at a lower weight. things like, maybe, i will be able to wear those awesome pink velvet jeans. so i'm going to make one of those.
now comes the fun part. the part where you get to help me :o)
so one part of being overweight is this tendency to skulk around feeling embrrassed and ashamed and pretending like everything is fine when really you want to crawl in a hole. well that's no good, right? you people like me no matter how much i weigh. so i am just going to come out and tell you, i'd like to lose weight, and i'd love your help.
will you encourage me along the way? will you go for walks or bike rides with me, or go to the gym with me? (when it finally opens, stupid stupid non-opening gym) if we go out to eat together, will you help me make good choices? if i live with you, will you suggest fruit instead of ice cream for dessert? if you live far away, can i call you when the cake shop is beckoning to me? and will you share YOUR success with me, so that i can learn from you? i would love your advice!
will you read this blog every once in a while, so that i feel like i am being accountable to people as far as my eating less and exercising more is concerned?
or do you even want to join me? i know at least one of you out there has a goal (and a plan, which is so inspiring to me!) we can support each other and cheer each other on!
so there you have it. thanks for reading this far, if you actually read this far. and let me know if you want to help me :o)
check back tomorrow for the day, and what i ate.
cheers!
