YEEESSS!

I have wondered about this whole "calorie in vs. calorie out" thing of losing weight for a long time. I received an email from SparkPeople today----READ THIS ARTICLE if you have the same question I do/did!!

If by some chance you cannot get/ or don't want to go to the link....here's the answer!!


Question:

Can you explain to me in simple terms the concept of "burning more calories than you consume" in order to lose weight? If I'm eating 1400 calories a day, but only burning 500 a day exercising, how can this be making progress?

Answer:

It sounds like you’re referring to a "calories in vs. calories out" type of equation. One pound of fat is made up of roughly 3,500 extra calories. To lose 1 pound of fat, you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories.

Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the calories burned by your body on "idle". This is the minimum amount of energy needed by the body at rest in the fasting state. This includes the body functions such as circulation, breathing, generating body heat, transmitting messages to the brain, cellular metabolism, and the production of body chemicals.

A simple way to determine your BMR is using the basic "rule of ten". Multiply your weight by the number 10 and this is your BMR. For example a person weighing 150 pounds would have a BMR of 1500 calories. (150 x 10 = 1500).

This BMR number is about 60% of your total calorie needs for the day. The digestion and absorption of nutrients makes up 10% and the other 30% comes from your physical activity. This includes anything from blinking your eyes, getting dressed, washing the car, to running a marathon. For example, a person weighing 150 pounds would need:

Basal Metabolism…………........60%………1500 calories
Digestion and Absorption…...10%……… 250 calories
Physical Activity……………......30%……… 750 calories

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Energy use for the day……. 100%……….2500 calories

Therefore to lose weight, one needs to consume fewer calories than are needed each day. (Your SparkPeople diet plan has taken your BMR into account IN ADDITION to your current normal activity level -whether you checked off sedentary or very active, etc in your preferences during setup. The caloric range you need to stay in to lose weight was given to you.)

Basically, you create a deficit of calories in 2 (or 3) different ways:

Eating Less Calories than you Burn each Day.
Eat anything less than what you use each day (1500 cal BMR, 250 cal digestion= 1750), consistently, and you will lose weight. So, if you eat 1200 on this day (a 550 calorie deficit), and all week long like this, you will lose 1 pound (3500 calories) in about a week.

Exercising More
Keep your caloric intake the same (1750) and create your deficit by burning extra calories. So, if you burned 500 calories through exercise alone, you will still lose 1 pound in about a week.

A Combination of Both Diet and Exercise
This is the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off.
Say you cut your calories by 300 and burn 250 calories with exercise. There is your 550 calorie deficit—with much less deprivation and work.

You could speed it up by cutting more calories and exercising more—whatever works best for you. Some people hate to diet, others hate to exercise, so maybe you’ll do more or less of either one.

Of course, the example above was just for simplicity. You can cut any number of calories from your diet (more or less than the 500 in the example) and you can burn more or less than the example illustrates. As long as you are consistent, your deficit will "add up" over time…and you’ll slim down.

Which is better? Naked or swim suit?

Food:
Not a whole lot to post. I'm still cruising along with this diet thing. I have found that I am a much pickier eater than I originally thought. There are certain things that I just cannot eat and it really limits what I can make/fix for meals. I cannot/will not eat:

green or red peppers
mushrooms
whole wheat pasta of any sort
slimy tomatoes (any tomato that is not firm I will not eat)
fat free cheese
peas of any kind


I have also discovered that I really love Lean Cuisine pizzas. So much so that I have eaten them just about every day for lunch!

Exercise:
On an exercise note, I have ridden my bike with both kids in tow AND walked almost every evening. Clayton is back and I am a very happy camper! :-)

Weight:
My weight is still at 193. I keep hoping for that 192 sometime this week. My next goal is the 180's :-) My daughter's 1 st birthday is in three and a half weeks........I want someone to say, "you look like you have lost weight." NO ONE in my family knows I'm in the process of loosing weight. It should be interesting. Honestly, I'm not sure what I will say in response to a comment. I'll have to play that by ear.

Motivation:
You know what I want? I want to be one of those people that goes running in the morning. I WANT to be one of those people that says, "Hey, let's go for a run." AND MEAN IT! Not to mention being able to do it....I want to be one of those people that can jump up a flight of steps and not be winded. I want to be comfortable in a bathing suit again. I have two kids that I know would LOVE to be at the pool and I just cringe at the thought of it right now. I'm not sure I would feel much worse if someone said I had to go naked!!! Isn't that awful to feel that way about the way you look??? Crazy....

So, my motivation is this...to know that this process can help me turn in to this person I really WANT to be rather than the person that I am today.

My Mom

My mom is.......well, I'll just stick to the subject of dieting and food in regards to my mom. :-)

My mom always mentions weight about someone. And let me tell you, it's ALWAYS negative. Here are some comments that you WILL hear from my mom on any given day.

"S (one of my brothers) needs to loose weight. He's getting a big belly on him. He needs to loose that weight."

"Dad eats all the time. His belly is getting so big! He eats because he's bored. He'll go out just to buy some candy and eat the whole bag in one day!"

"You need to really watch your weight, Shannon. You are getting at the age that you need to be very careful with what you eat. You REALLY need to try to drop all of your weight because the older you get the harder it is to loose it."

"Look at that belly!"

Now, here's some more of her goofy comments that truly drive me insane. I have attempted to have conversations with her in the past about "proper eating". It's amazing to me what she thinks. She'll cook green beans and add 5 TBSP of BACON GREASE. I'll WATCH her do it, then later she'll say, "Oh it wasn't that much. It was barely a teaspoon. Besides, you HAVE to have SOME fat in your diet."

She herself should probably lose a little bit of weight but she's certainly not FAT by any means. I bet she's about 180 or so but I can never get her to fess up.

I guess I should say this...my mom is truly the most pessimistic person I have ever known or met. Even if there isn't a way to make something sound bad, she will. AND, if you are REALLY excited about something, she will have a way to make you feel awful by the end of the conversation. Drives me insane. Both of my brothers have learned to just listen and walk away...I am WAYYYYYYYYY too stubborn for that most of the time and end up fighting/arguing with her.

She also suffers from SEVERE panic attacks, which she has been dealing with since she was about 20 or so. BUT, that's another blog entirely!!

Is there a point to this post? I guess....it's more of a venting venue than anything. I get very much annoyed at her thought process and when I'm trying to lose weight inevitably I hear things that are NOT supportive at all. I guess that's why NO ONE knows I'm even doing this except for the readers of this blog. Not even really my husband. He doesn't even know this exists yet (the blog or the weight loss).

Two french fries

I am an every day weigher. Some people weigh once a week...that's not enough accountability for me...I like looking at that scale every morning to see what it chooses to say (notice how I take on the silly student mentality and act as though I have NOTHING to do with it....just like a kid in school who says, "Mrs. So-in-so GAVE me a 78." Who earned that grade, mister???"---Definitely the teacher side of me coming out, eh?) BUT, I digress.

I am very ritualistic with it too....get up, potty, remove PJ's... voila...weight check. It really makes me wonder how on earth a body can fluctuate so much in a day. I have varied as much as three pounds!!! Pick up THREE POUNDS of anything, and you're telling me my body can actually gain and lose THAT much weight in any given 24 our period?? That's baffling to me. I also have noticed....

before I go on, bodily functions are going to be mentioned...if offended, move on... :-)

Bowel movements have something to do with it as well. DUH. It weighs something too. I guess my point is I'm one of those people that doesn't have to go very often, so when I do, it definitely shows up on the scales!! HA!!! Funny, but true :-) Enough of that....

So yesterday, I HAD to get out of the house. I had cabin fever so bad it was awful. Since both of my kids are somewhat feeling better I decided to go out and run a couple of errands. My son asked if we could eat at Mickey D's. I hesitated because.....well, for obvious reasons. FRENCH FRIES. CHEESE BURGER. BIG MAC. BUT, when we got there, I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich they have which was actually GREAT! I wiped off 3/4 of the mayo and really couldn't even eat but about 3/4 of it. I also got apples with it, even though I was DIEING for those awesome french fries. Here's a funny.......after I was finished, I went to put my garbage in the bag and I had a 'treat' in the bottom....two little french fries saying, "SHANNON, EAT ME!!!" So, I did :-)

Breakfast:
Coffee, FF creamer & splenda
Quaker Oatmeal- Apples and Cinnamon reduced fat and sugar
2/3 cup of milk in the oatmeal

Down Another!

As of this morning, the scale was cooperating with me and said I was down another pound! YEAH! I truly wasn't expecting that since I have not been to the Y in several days because of the kids being sick. I HAVE been riding the bike and walking but I have no way of keeping up with calories, time, etc. I know I burned something cleaning yesterday :-) Who knows how all that works anyway.

Which brings me to another point...

THEY...whoever THEY are.....say that if you eat less calories than your body burns, you lose weight. Well, come on people, do ANY of you really know how many calories your body burns in a day? Walking to the car...taking a shower, vacuuming, opening the fridge, changing a diaper, doing laundry?? Anyway, you get my point. I understand to keep the calories down and exercise, it just annoys me when I hear vague statements like that.

I just recalculated my BMI (over on the left) and figured out that when I get to 179 pds. I will only be "OVERWEIGHT" as opposed to "OBESE". Just like Oinkstop was saying in an earlier past of hers, who knew one would be happy to say, "YEA!! I"M OVERWEIGHT!"

HAHA!! he hem...OK, maybe I'm the only one finding that funny. There HAS to be humor in this somewhere, right?!?

Dad is GREAT!! Give us the Chocolate Cake!!

(This title is from Bill Cosby's "CAKE" routine. If you are not familiar with it, it's on his OLD "Bill Cosby Himself" standup.)

Not a lot to say today, really. Hubby is out of town so it's just me and the kiddos, both of which are sick--AGAIN. I did manage to begin the "cleaning sweep" that needs to be done before my daughter's first birthday (in one month). It's actually Spring Cleaning/Katie's b-day preparation :-) But nonetheless, the end result is still the same---WONDERFULLY CLEAN HOUSE.

On a WAY side note....I attempted to wash a few walls and realized THE PAINT WASHES OFF!!! What kind of moron would paint a wall with paint that washes off???? (Apparently the previous owners of our house---that's who!) It's not WATERCOLORS people?!?! So now I'm stuck....how do you clean off little finger smudges, dirt, etc. without washing off the paint?!!

When was the last time you washed your china?? Yeah, that's what I did most of the day today...dust, wash--CAREFULLY, put things back in their spot, organize like crazy....etc. As I was reorganizing the pantry there was one thing in particular that stared at me the entire time...an oooeee---gooey chocolate cake mix. LORD help me get through this day without whipping this cake up.......THEN, I found a cake set that my mom got me for Christmas, TWO YEARS AGO, that allows you to add fun things in the middle of cakes.....OH THE TEMPTATION!!! I abstained....very irritated about it, but I didn't do it. I wanted to...but I didn't. Oh boy did I want to :-)

Food Diary

Breakfast:
Coffee, FF milk, splenda
Kashi Go Lean Crunch w/ FF milk

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine 3 meat pizza
cherries
1/2 small container of no sugar applesauce

Snack:
Kashi Cinn. & Raisin w/ FF milk

Dinner:
Lean Cuisine Sweet & Sour Chicken
added a little lite mozzarella cheese

2 bottles of water

64 oz, ARE YOU SERIOUS???

Water


So far, I find it almost impossible to drink 8 glasses of water in a day. I walk around with a bottle of water with me every where I go and I cannot seem to get 64 oz of water in me during a day. It's like a reach a limit and my body says, "NO MORE." I know there are arguments out there about whether or not 8 glasses is too much, etc. I hate to be a whiner, but good grief! I don't want to throw up just to get the water down! Maybe it'll get easier as time goes on. Part of my issue is that I HATE to drink if I'm not thirsty.

Do YOU drink 64 oz of water a day? Does it bug you?



Food Diary

Breakfast:
2 cups coffee, 2 TBSP of whole milk (out of creamer), splenda
Kashi Raisin bran crunch
1 cup skim milk

Lunch:
PB&J (natural PB and sugar free jelly)
few Natural Doritos
small bowl cherries

Dinner:
Tuna sandwich
1 sm. peach
Quaker caramel rice cakes

2 bottles of water so far (9oz each)

Must Read...

I read a GREAT post today over at Pasta Queen's blog. If you haven't already read it, I suggest that you do! It's entitled, "Motivation Schmotivation"

One of my biggest pet peeves with people (including myself) is "EXCUSES". I think my new motto needs to be,

"JUST SHUT UP AND DO IT, ALREADY!"

If you live in the south, you have to add the phrase "Bless her heart" to make it okay to say this phrase :-)

Exercise: Rode my bike for 1 mile then walked the dog for 15 minutes.


Food Diary:

Breakfast:
Starbucks Non-fat Grande Carmel Machiato
2 Kashi Peanut Butter chewy granola bar

Lunch:
Lean Pocket Ham and Cheddar
1/2 Apple
pretzels

Dinner (from Cracker Barrel):
Grilled chicken
green beans
yellow corn

2 bottles of water
Dt. Caf. Free. Dr. Pepper

Whole Wheat Pasta, anyone?

DISGUSTING! I have tried it before and promised to give it a try again. I bought the angel hair pasta (Dodgon or something like that). I literally had to control my gag reflex when I took the first bite. I don't know what the issue is with it but I cannot stand it. I would rather go for the rest of my life without putting one piece of pasta in my body than to eat that stuff again. I have two boxes here at our house if anyone wants it!


I will say that my husband, who is ANTI anything diet, said it wasn't THAT bad so for you out there reading this and think you might want to try it.....TRY IT!!!! Just because my taste buds abhor it doesn't mean yours will! :-) And for those of you that like it.....hail to you!!


On a different note, my husband will be going out of town for 4 days which means I can eat whatever I want (diet wise of course) and not have to cook big meals!!! This will be good for me!


Exercise...

Last year, no no....two years ago, I bought me a bike in hopes that I would ride it! (great concept, right?!) Well, I got pregnant with our second child and needless to say, the bike has sat in our garage for 2 years. We also bought a bike trailer that goes on the back that looks like a miniature tent that kids can ride in. Well, last night, my 3 year old and I went to Wal Mart to buy a bike pump so now we are set and ready to go! Tonight, we cruised around the neighborhood for about 40 minutes. I did better than I thought I would especially with a 35 pd 3 year old in the "tent"! (Here's a generic pic. online I found of this "contraption")

Eating Because He Does

I have noticed that I eat because my husband eats. I'm trying really hard not to do that, but here's what happens in our house....

I may not want a big meal for dinner. I COULD be satisfied with a bowl of cereal w/ some fruit, but I know my husband would not, which in turn, means that he'll stop by McDonalds or Pei Wei on the way home from work. Sometimes when I'm REALLY not in the mood to cook, I will tell him this...but most of the time I end up having to concocted something that I CAN eat along side with something that he WILL eat (he HATES everything fat free, or at least he THINKS he does---he carries this stigma that EVERYTHING FF is awful. I will agree that a LOT of it does taste AWFUL but some does not and some can be hidden.)

Anyway, there's my thoughts for today so far!

Food Diary:

Breakfast:
Coffee/FF creamer/Splenda
8oz FF milk
1 c. Kashi Crunch cereal
small banana

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine 3 meat pizza
bowl of fruit (2 HUGE strawberries, some cherries)
1/2 small container of Dannon Light & Fit yogurt)

Dinner
1 sm. chicken patty
Marinara sauce
whole wheat pasta (AWFUL!!)
small bowl of cherries

snack: caramel rice cakes w/ all natural peanut butter

2 1/2 bottles of water so far

Outside vs. Inside

My 10 month old daughter, Katie, is a little under the weather. She had the flu about a month ago and never really shook off the cough that accompanied her illness and last night her temp went up to 101.1. I know that body temps usually are elevated in the evenings anyway but I knew this cough was probably becoming an infection of sorts. So, I tell you that to say I didn't go to the Y this morning, but rather, went for a walk around the neighborhood. I have clocked a path that is exactly one mile, and that is what I walked. As I was walking it made me wonder, surly you burn more calories if you are walking outside rather than on a treadmill---here's my logic (which could be way goofed up)---a tread mill's belts keep running no matter what. When you are walking on the pavement, YOU have to create the momentum it takes to keep going....is this my brain's way of phyching me out?!? :-) I'd be curious of your thoughts on this one....

I do know that you can keep your walking pace WAY more consistent when you are on a treadmill. No matter how your body feels, those belts keep on a truckin', where as when I was walking up a little incline my body said to me, "HEY!!! This takes more work!!" Of course I was pushing a stroller too, but anyway.....your thoughts???

Another very STUPID question I have is this.......when "THEY" say you should drink 8 "GLASSES" of water a day......what constitutes a glass? I'm assuming 8 oz. Again, what are your thoughts?

Breakfast:
Coffee w/ FF creamer & Splenda
Kashi TLC (Tasty Little Chewies) Peanut Butter Bar

snack: Kashi TLC Peanut Butter Bar

Dinner:
small grilled chicken breast
salad w/ lite ranch and crumbled blue cheese
7 large shrimp w/ a little cocktail sauce
1/2 banana
small bowl of cherries

snack: small hand full of pretzels

Water: 3 bottles of water
1 dt. caffeine free Dr. Pepper

Man, changing habits is hard!

I don't know about you guys out there, but Sunday mornings are just INSANE at our house. Trying to get all four of us up and out the door for church is a ridiculous task....you would think that we would have developed a routine of sorts, but NOOOOOOOOO. I'm truly lucky to be able to gulp my coffee while I'm shoving baby food at my daughter, while commanding my son to finish his breakfast. We just got back and the morning seems like a whirl wind!

Now on to food things...we went out to eat after church at this old country restaurant (Couser's). Almost everyone there is over the age of 70! I LOVE IT! It's very good, inexpensive food and every older person stops to talk to the kids. It drives my husband insane, but I love it. I love old people so any opportunity to talk with them, I'll take!

However, at a food establishment like this, it's hard to order off of the menu because you have: BBQ, fried chicken, fried okra, mashed potatoes loaded with lord knows what, sweet tea (my absolute downfall) WHITE ROLLS!!(also my downfall). As you will read below with my daily food diary, I only gave in to the sweet tea. I realized next time I'm going to ask for unsweet tea and use the artificial sweetener...I didn't think about that until after the fact. CHANGING HABITS IS A VERY HARD THING TO DO!!!

Breakfast:
coffee w/ creamer & splenda
cup of Kashi crunch (dry) Ate it out of a cup, in the car, on the way to church.

Lunch:
small grilled chicken patty
green beans
small salad w/ regular ranch
sweet tea

Dinner:
Chicken Noodle soup (left overs from Wednesday)
3 HUGE strawberries

Snack: Quaker Granola bites (90 calorie snack pack)

3 bottles of water (9 oz each)

Ruff day...

Today I'm really not up for a post other than my food diary. We had to put one of our dogs to sleep this morning. That's tough....really tough.

I am down one pound this morning, so there's a glimpse of good news.

Breakfast:
Coffee w/ creamer & splenda

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine Pizza (3 meat)
few cherries
few pretzels

snack:
left over cherries from lunch
left over pretzels from lunch

dinner:
meatloaf (recipe below)
yellow corn
salad


2 bottles of water so far.


MAMA'S MEATLOAF (I got this off of the internet--It was really good! I cannot stand green peppers so I omitted that from the recipe. I also used whole wheat bread)

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
3 Tbsp. minced parsley
1 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 slice white bread, torn into small pieces (or 1/3 cup bread crumbs)
1 1/2 pounds ground round
1/3 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the onion, green pepper, parsley, ground pepper, salt,
egg, and bread crumbs until the crumbs are moist. Crumble beef over the onion
mixture and stir until just blended. Pack the mixture into a 9x5 loaf pan coated with
cooking spray. Spread ketchup over the top of the meatloaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or
until meat loaf registers 160 on a meat thermometer. Let stand in the pan for 10
minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and cut into slices.

6 servings, 5 POINTS each

A Great Way to Begin the Weekend

I went to the Y this morning with both kids. 3 1/2 year old boy and 10 month baby girl. JUST to get things together and get out of the house seems to take enough energy to burn a TON of calories! THEN, once you get there you have to distribute the kids to their appropriate destination...THEN, and only then can you work out! :-)

They offer an aerobics class called Zumba which was going on when we got there. It really looked fun! I hope if I keep walking for at least another month that I will be able to go and enjoy that class. (I don't think I could last 10 minutes in there right now and I don't want to be a wuss! ha!) They looked like they were dancing and having a ball. There were TONS of people in there so it must be a good class!

On a side note, I'm curious if exercise has an effect on sleeping? I have NEVER had a problem going to sleep, but here over the past two weeks, I have a boost of energy in the evening which makes it hard to wind down and go to sleep! So, for two nights in a row I was up until about midnight, then up by 6. The funny thing about it is that I haven't been tired??? Anyway, could be a coincidence, but I just find it odd.

EXERCISE TODAY:
I walked for 42 minutes at 3.0 burned 167 calories and walked 2.1 miles.

Breakfast:
Kashi Cinna-Raisin Crunch in a cup (dry)

Snack: Kashi Cherry/Choc. snack bar

Lunch:
PB&J (natural Peanut butter and sugar free jelly)
pretzels
4 white cheddar dorito chips (yes, I know but I couldn't resist)
small bowl of cherries

Dinner:
Lean Cuisine pizza (Roasted Garlic Chicken)
Lite & Fit Dannon Yogurt I added a handful of blackberries
Dessert: Keebler Mini Fudge Stripes 100 calorie pack

2 bottles of water so far

Ho hum....

Part of dieting that annoys the crud out of me is having to think so much about what you are going to eat. I'm not even sure men think about sex this much! HA! Sometimes I just want to eat---mindlessly. Unfortunately, that is what got me here so that habit has to change. I guess once the NEW habit is created of having healthy things be my first choice, then things won't be so annoying/difficult.

Anyway, this morning I would have LOVED to fix a HUGE bowl of real, fattening oatmeal with tons of REAL brown sugar and REAL butter and eat until I felt stuffed. BUT that's not an option so back to reality :-)

Food diary:

Breakfast:
3/4 cup Kashi go lean crunch w/ blueberries
3/4 cup FF milk

Lunch:
ham & cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread w/ spicy brown mustard
small bowl of cherries
7 (yes, that's 7 counted chips) Doritos (I talked about them in an earlier post).

snack:
Kashi cherry/chocolate TLC bar

Dinner:

Lean Cuisine Lasagna

salad w/ crumbled blue cheese and ranch dressing

2 bottles of water so far

Oils/Butter

What's the best oil to cook with? A recipe I was cooking last night called for Canola oil. I thought Olive oil was the best to use? We have extra virgin olive oil but honestly I know know what the EXTRA VIRGIN even means!

Also, what's the best kind of butter or a butter want-a-be to use? Margarine, butter, Smart Balance, etc.

Anyone out there have any answers to these questions?

Convenience

That's a huge problem not only with me but society. Everything is about "convenience" and not so much about what the RIGHT thing to do is. "What makes my life easier" is usually the path I choose, however, when it comes to food, that's NOT a good thing. Eating right just doesn't seem very convenient to me. Maybe it's just my bad habits that make it seem so INconvenient. Anyway, I just thought I would point that out because today, while I was going crazy trying to get out of the house on time to get my son to preschool, I was STARVING but didn't have time to eat or have my coffee---both of which are bad for anyone who has to deal with me :-) I poured some cereal in a plastic cup and grabbed a bottle of water and off we went. On my 4 mile trek down ONE street to get to my son's preschool, I pass 6 fast food restaurants. Do you know how good a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit would taste rather than my Kashi Crunchy cereal?! It just irritates the crud out of me to TRULY WANT something but trying to be disciplined enough to not have it.

There's nothing in my life, other than food, that I feel this way about. Would it be NICE to have a HUGE vehicle that both of the kids AND all of their STUFF could fit in?? SURE. But do I think about a LOT. NO. I don't EVER think about it because our little Camry gets us around and does the job.

Clothes---I don't care about this really either. Just as long as I can have clothes on while I'm staying at home with my kids, and don't have to wear the same pair of dress pants every Sunday to church, I'm fine.

I know you get my point but I just don't get it. I don't GET why my taste pallet almost CRAVES things that are BAD for me. A sausage, egg and cheese biscuit is as good as a fillet mignon!

I'm just filled with issues, aren't I? :-)

Chips:

I bought some chips at the store yesterday in hopes that they are OK to eat. I have not done much research on chips but I really really do like chips. I like the salt more than anything. I bought these Doritos that are called "Natural White Nacho Cheese Doritos". They taste GREAT, however I'm sure they aren't a great snack....because I like them :-)
I also bought some Keebler Right Bites which are fudge covered shortbread cookies in 100 calorie snack packs. I LOVE these things! Good for you? Look HERE. You be the judge...I'm sure they are not but for a once a week treat, I'm okay with this. (I think ;-)

Food diary:

Breakfast:
Kashi crunch cereal
1 cup of FF milk before I ran out the door

Lunch:
20 fresh cherries (LOOOOVE THEM!)
Lean Cuisine 3 meat pizza
Chips (as discussed above)
Dessert: 100 calorie snack pack of cookies

Dinner:
Quick Chicken and noodles (recipe below)
small bowl of cherriessalad with blue cheese added

Drinks:
2 bottle of water
3/4 can of Dt. Caffeine Free Dr. Pepper

Quick Chicken and Noodles

Prep: 5 min - Cook: 25 min

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) Swanson Chicken Broth (1 3/4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
2 cups dry medium egg noodles


In medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken 10 minutes or until browned. Sprinkle with garlic powder and paprika. Set chicken aside.

Add broth, basil, pepper and vegetables. Heat to a boil. Stir in noodles. Return chicken to pan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

Makes 4 servings

Nutritional Values Per Serving:
Calories 245, Total Fat 4g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 91mg, Sodium 528mg, Total Carbohydrate 18g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Protein 32g

YEAH BABY!!!

DOWN 3 POUNDS!! Yep, you read it right....down three this morning :-) That's a wonderful incentive to continue....

To continue avoiding fast food (my husband ate McDonalds last night for dinner...you think I didn't want those fries??? BUT, I didn't even look at them. Out of site out of mind, maybe??)

To continue trying to eat more healthily.

To continue exercising which is something for ME. This doesn't happen very often, if at all.

To continue setting a better example for my kids (and husband, I guess)

To continue doing something that makes me feel good about myself.

It's truly amazing how awful being overweight makes me feel.

I went grocery shopping today. It was my first BIG shopping spree since I began this. I had everything plotted out all the way down to having a grocery list printed from Excel, organized by isles (because I know Kroger that well! ha). Shopping healthy is expensive! I'm used to the .89 loaf of bread, instead, I have to buy a loaf for $3.89 because it's the only whole wheat bread I can tolerate. I did get some things to try so as these next 7 days roll by, I am going to comment on the items I purchased and let you know if I liked them or not, in addition to what they are.

No walking today.

Breakfast:
coffee/creamer/splenda
cream of wheat made w/ water and blueberries

Lunch:
PB&J (natural Peanut butter and sugar free jelly) on whole wheat
1/2 apple
pretzels w/ honey mustard to dip (very little)

Dinner:
Sesame Pork
WW Recipe 6 pts (this makes 4 servings)

Ingredients
2 TBSP sesame seeds
2 tsp canola oil
1 lb. boneless pork chops, cut into large bite size pieces
4 c. broccoli (I used fresh broccoli, could use frozen)
1/2 c. prepared stir-fry sauce

Instructions:
Stir sesame seeds in large skillet over high heat 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and reserve.

Heat oil in same skillet over high heat. Add pork and stir until browned.

Add broccoli and stir-fry sauce; cover and cook for 5 minutes.Toss with sesame seeds.

Special Notes: Could serve w/ rice, though we didn't.

Beverages today:
1 1/2 bottles of water
1 dt drink

Food on the Brain

One weird thing about my brain is this.........FOOD...WHEN CAN I HAVE IT?? WHAT CAN I HAVE?? HOW MUCH?? It's really crazy. It's like it's on my mind 100% of the time. It's also like I think ahead, "I'm not going to be full, therefore I'll be hungry."

I HATE being hungry so I guess that explains why I feel this way, though I still think it's very strange to be so preoccupied with food consumption. I remember when I was in college sometimes I would literally forget to eat and begin to wonder why I was feeling so badly. I wish I could get that back somehow!

MOVING ON :-)

I went to the Y this morning to walk. (35 min. @ 3.0) I really, really enjoy these TV's! It seriously takes your mind off of exercising and on to whatever you are watching. If I could get a treadmill in our home that was okay, I could walk two hours which is the time it takes to get ready, go to the Y, walk and get home. AND, I wouldn't have to watch commercials :-) (yes I am addicted to TiVo).

Today's food diary:

Breakfast:
1 cup Kashi Mighty bites, dry (in the car)
coffee w/ creamer & splenda

(went to walk & got hungry afterward!!)

snack:
1 cup Kashi Go Lean w/few blue berries & craisins
1 cup FF milk

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine Sweet & Sour Chicken
pretzels w/very little honey mustard to dip

Dinner:
1/2 tuna sandwich
1/2 apple
pretzels
kidney beans w/a little relish


drinks:
2 Dt. drinks
2 bottles of water

Mother's Day

Good grief. Eating right can be tough when you do not have good choices in front of you. For instance, at the last minute my two brothers and I (and our families) decided to bombard my mom and dad for Mother's Day :-) The menu for lunch? BBQ, coleslaw and potato chips. ALL of which I love. I don't mean kind of like either.

I didn't use a bun, ate a small portion of BBQ and a little bit of coleslaw. Dessert...chocolate cake and pineapple upside down cake. I ate four bites of each and actually felt okay. Obviously this is NOT the meal of choice while trying to drop weight but at least I didn't binge on everything...I kept it under control.

Breakfast:
Kashi Mighty Bites dry
Coffee, creamer & splenda

Lunch:
BBQ
coleslaw
cake

Dinner:
PB&J (all natural peanut butter and sugar free jelly on wheat bread)
pretzels
1/2 apple

1 bottle of water
dt dr pepper

EXCELLENT!!!

Saturdays are going to be my fun day at the Y. WHY, you ask? Well, check this out. I walked into the wellness center (child free, I might add)--feeling good that I'm at the Y on a Sat. afternoon. There were not a lot of people there, thankfully, so all of the equipment was available. I have walked twice in there already, and due to a shuffling of work out equipment since the last time I had been there (over a year ago), I spotted treadmills and walked directly to them. Well, Saturday, because it was so slow and I didn't feel so rushed I was way more observant. Check this out........they have treadmills with TV's built right in!!! Over 100 channels to choose from. I had my shuffle with me to listen to the christian group, Acapella, but heck, if I can watch a movie---I'm sold! 40 minutes later, I looked down and was shocked to see that I had been walking for 38 minutes!!!!!!!!!!! YYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!! I wish I had one of these things in my house....I'd be a size 8 in about a month at that rate! :-) So, yet another encouragement for me to go to the YMCA. UNinterrupted TV time......AND get my exercising in! WOO-HOO! I think next time I will time it out to get there "on the hour" so I can catch the beginning of something and just walk for an hour. :-)

Today's food diary:

Breakfast:
Kashi Go Lean
FF Milk
Coffee w/creamer & splenda

Lunch:
1/2 PB&J sandwich
pretzels
two slices of apple
few almonds

Dinner:
baked salmon
sweet potato w/ cinnamon & splenda
salad w/ FF Catalina dressing w/ almonds & craisins

2 bottles of water today

This Is What I Want To Do

Well, it's Friday. I have made it through a few days and feel that I am doing pretty well! I was not able to walk yesterday but I did Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thoughts for today:

Change is difficult. Especially when you are "going it alone" in your home. Here's a 'for instance'. I asked Clayton if he wanted to do anything special tonight for dinner (if we go out to eat, it's on Friday night or Sunday after church). His response was, "Why don't I pick up Pei Wei on the way home and we can relax and eat in." Humph....I don't think there's much I can eat. So, four days into this process and I'm faced w/ my first dilemma. I'm sure you are thinking, "What's the big deal? Just tell him he can pick up his own and you'll fix something for yourself at home." That creates a frustration for him because he'll get irritated and say, "Then never mind. I'm not going there to just pick up dinner for me." Petty, I know. But still frustrating for me.

Menu for today

Breakfast:


Kashi Go Lean w/ 1/2 cup of blackberries
1 cup of FF milk
cup of coffee creamer/splenda

snack:
10 almonds w/ craisins (cherry flavored)



Lunch:




Lean Cuisine Deep Dish Pizza (I really liked this!)
Strawberry yogurt (Dannon Lite & Fit)
handful of pretzels
Quaker rice snacks (5)

Dinner:

Sweet & Sour Chicken w/ pineapple and onions

handful of rice cakes (4-5 minis)

Drinks for the day:
Raspberry Crystal Lite mixed with Black Cherry Shasta
Water 1 bottle





Picture for the day...


This is what I want to do.... (this is my son w/ a neighbor running their tails off chasing bubbles)

1 for 1!

Well, dinner last night passed the CLAYTON TEST! :-) EXCELLENT!! The casserole was very tasty, I have to admit. It took a little bit longer to fix than "instant" food but it was very good. Not to mention it passed the CLAYTON test :-) That's big people...that's big! (recipe in the post below if you are interested)

Weight in this morning: 197 (hmmm...down a pound! Cannot beat that!)

Thoughts of the day:

I feel so incredibly motivated it's nuts. However, I know this is the 'norm' for me. I begin with lots of "gusto" but before long the gusto is gone. So, now I'm on a war-path to figure out how to keep the gusto gusting :-) There's a small seed deep inside of me that wants to be a runner. A REAL runner. One who runs marathons. Those people are amazing to me. I tried running when I was in college just because the guy I was dating at the time was a health nut and wanted me to. I didn't care much for it and gave it about 1/2 the 'umph' I should have. But now, I see the discipline it takes and what it can do for your body and....don't laugh at this one....but running all of the time allows you a little more liberty with eating things that are....well, not quite so good for you. Because you burn so many calories running (assuming you run almost every day) a "once-in-a-while" goodie wouldn't kill you. I'm not a dessert person but once in a blue moon a HUGE chocolate fudge brownie with chocolate syrup is just amazing!

Another point:

I want our children to be healthy. I want them to WANT to run and play and have fun. I WANT them to be sports people. I WANT them to love exercising and eating right. Why? Just like the "Dave Ramsey financial philosophy" I want to change my family tree. I want to pass the baton on to them to live a healthy life so when they get older and have their own family they won't have obesity issues like most of our society has today.

Downer for yesterday:

Last night after I got both kids in bed, I saw Clayton get a carton of ice cream out of the freezer. Did I want some? Actually, no. So what's the problem you ask? I want him to be as motivated as I am about loosing weight. I want a partner in loosing weight so I'm not doing this alone in my house. That's a lot to wish for, I know but hey, you can always wish....right?? Maybe one day.

Food Diary:

Breakfast:
Coffee w/ creamer & splenda
1 1/2 cups Kashi Mighty bites w/ FF milk

Lunch:
Kashi Sweet and Sour Chicken frozen entree (It was actually pretty good!! Except for the green beans, they were pretty nasty.)
handful of pretzels
10 salted almonds

3.5 grams of fat

Dt. Mt. Dew
1/2 bottle water

Getting rid of temptation.... (Clayton brought these home last week)

Take a guess how many fat grams are in one of these babies?? TWENTY-SIX!! 660 calories, too! Whew....a happy goodbye to you!

Dinner

Left overs from last night

chicken casserole & salad

small handful of pretzels

Dt. Pepsi

1 bottle of water

snack

5 caramel flavored rice cakes (small bite size)

The Morning After

Today is the second day I've gone to the Y. It feels good to be doing something for me for a change.

Andrew went to preschool today and Katie stayed in the Y nursery while I walked.

35 minutes walking on the treadmill-- 1.6 miles (speed=3.0)

Today while I was walking on the treadmill, I was curious how all of these moms do it. They look like they are a size 2, with three children! I want to be like that. I want to be thin. Sometimes I feel like I'm doing this for the wrong reason. I get that I should be doing it for ME and for my health---I am---but I still want to look cute in a little black dress, again. Is this wrong? Right now, whatever will help with my motivation is all I care about!

Grocery shopping
I hate trying to shop 'healthy'. Most of the time it's more expensive, but that's not my biggest annoyance. It's my lack of knowledge that drives me insane. How much of this? How many calories are ok? What's good...what's bad? High protein, low protein.....lots of carbs, not a lot of carbs....no sugar....fat free..........UGH!!! And the way they market things drive me insane, too. It appears to me that they want to add FAT FREE, HEALTHY, or 33% less calories than the leading brand. I spend more time reading labels than actually shopping! Grrrr.....

I bought fresh parsley for the first time today. Let's hope I use it correctly! ha I also bought two new spices. I have to admit I haven't bought any spices since....before our wedding? (we just celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary, so that shows you how often I buy them :-)

I also bought wheat pasta. I have tried this before and HATED it. Jenny--I bought the angel hair pasta per your request...I'll let you know how it turns out!

Food Diary:

Breakfast:
1 1/2 cups of dry cheerios

snack:
1 cup Kashi "Mighty Bites"

Lunch:
PB & J (sugar free preserves)
whole wheat white bread
15 pretzels
Craisins (cherry flavored)--THESE ARE GREAT!

Dinner:
Chicken/(brown) rice casserole (recipe below)
Salad w/Italian dressing
fruit bowl (strawberries/blackberries/blueberries)

snack:
handful of mini-marshmallows

Liquid consumed

Dt. Mt. Dew

2 bottles of water



Chicken Rice Casserole with Mozzarella

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1-1/2 medium red bell peppers, diced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked brown or white rice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons non-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 ounces skinless, diced cooked chicken or smoked turkey
3 ounces part skim milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup chopped parsley


Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 1-1/2 quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the bell peppers, corn 1/4 cup of the broth, the thyme and black pepper, and continue cooking until the bell pepper begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup broth, the rice, sour cream, and mustard. Add the chicken, remove from the heat, and stir until well combined. Stir in one-third of the mozzarella and the parsley.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole. Spread the mixture evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese has melted.


Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition Information:Values are approximate per serving: 378 calories, 28 g protein, 12 g fat, 39 g carbohydrate, 63 mg cholesterol, 557 mg sodium.

A New Beginning

I have made a personal decision to begin a weight loss regimen that will take me down to a much healthier weight, regardless of what I have to do to get there. I am tired of being overweight. I have been at the point for some time now. I no longer feel good about what I look like, which in turn affects everything and everyone around me. I want to become disciplined enough to do this for myself because I deserve it. I want to be able to run and play with both of my children and not get tired. I want to feel good about myself and feel the confidence I had many years ago.

Please follow along with me as I begin this grueling process of losing weight.

For my benefit, I will journal every morsel of food that goes in my mouth until I get things right.

Beginning thoughts:

I hate non-fat foods. They, almost always, taste awful to me. Non-fat cheese is like eating cardboard. My goal is to be able to create food menus that have taste, not a lot of fat, and will allow my husband to eat without running the other direction.

I am also a carb lover. Wheat pastas are awful. I will try anything once. Wish me luck.

I also love bread. I have discovered that Pepperidge Farm has a white whole wheat bread that I actually like. THIS IS GOOD!

Some fat free dressings are ok. Lots of low-calorie dressings are ok as well.

I am a big fan of potatoes

I love diet drinks

I love fruit--all of it!

I love some veggies...broccoli, potatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, banana peppers, spinach (depending on how it's fixed)

I cannot tolerate mushrooms, bell peppers, slimy tomatoes,


Here are my stats as of May 8, 2007
Height: 5’5”
Beginning weight: 198

Clothing sizes:
Shirts 14/16
Pants 18

Food Diary for Shannon

May 8, 2007

Breakfast:
Coffee w/ creamer & splenda
1 cup dry cereal (honey nut cheerios)

Lunch:
6” tuna sub on Italian Herb & Cheese bread w/ cheese, lite mayo, spicy mustard, onions, olives, lettuce, tomato (ate about 2/3’s of it)
Dt. Coke
Baked Lays chips

Dinner:
2 cups Raisin Bran Crunch
1 cup 2% milk
2/3 cup chopped up strawberries

snack: 1 1/2 cups of 2% chocolate milk

1 cup of popcorn

Total water consumed: 1 bottle.

EXERCISE
30 minutes walking on the treadmill @ the Y
147 calories burned
1.4 miles walked

By the way, going to the Y entailed taking both children (10 months & 3 1/2 years).