Weigh-In

Hello All!! Anyone there??

I had a good weekend. I over-indulged a bit on Easter dinner. A bit - not too much. We had friends over, and I tried to enjoy their company more. But, the food was wonderful too. Mostly healthy, but I ate more than I should have. I beat myself up about it for a bit, then got over it.

I weighed in this morning at 227.6 lbs. That is a 1.4lb loss this week. I am happy. This week, I am going to continue to try to eat more veggies/fruits and also to eat in moderation and click pictures of what I am eating. In addition, I am going to try and be better about exercising this week. Last week, I did some, but not too much.

BREAKFAST

2 Egg scramble w. Cabbage, Carrots, Cheese; Banana

LUNCH

Quinoa w. Roasted Cauliflower and Shiitake Mushrooms; Cheese

SNACK

Snack bar. I like this bar since it is savory, unlike most snakc/protein bars.
Over the day, I also had a few other unphotographed snacks: 1 oz cheese, 1/4 cup cheez-it, 3 pieces Easter candy

DINNER

Rice, Curry, Guar Beans, Fried Yogurt Chillies
Unphotographed 1/2 cup Homemade Mexican Chocolate-Chilli Icecream

EXERCISE
NONE!!!!!!

Saturday This and That

Most of my eating today is not going to be at home. More eating out = less control over healthful options. I am hosting Easter dinner for a couple of friends tomorrow. However, they know I am vegetarian, and are not too fussy about what we eat, so I'm not cooking a heavy meat-rich meal. I haven't quite yet decided what I will make. However, I will try to make it healthy and flavorful.

And note to myself: Healthy does not mean I can over-indulge!!!!

BREAKFAST

Tea and Biscuits while reading VT

Community Breakfast at our local church: Strata, Homefries. Unphotographed Carrot Juice.
I ate about a quarter of this and saved the rest for dinner.

LUNCH
D and I went to BJ's for lunch today.

We shared a Pear Cider and Fried Artichokes w. Lemon Aioli

I had the soup and salad combo: Mozzarella-Tomato-Balsamic Salad

Tomato Bisque - so rich and so good!!!

DINNER
Leftover Stata and Homefries from this morning

EXERCISE
Does housework count?

It's Friday!

It's Friday! I love the weekend. However, it is over the weekend that I have the hardest time keeping up with my exercise/diet. I work 8-5 in the health field (so, high stress), and at the end of the week, I just want to enjoy myself. Dieting and exercising are not "enjoyable" to me. So, usually it goes out of the window.

I was doing okay until the evening. I had a dental appointment after work and then could not eat for a while. By the time I could, I was ravenous. It was a binge - but not a terrible one. Still, a binge!

BREAKFAST

D. made breakfast for me today. 2 egg scramble w. mozzarella; Pineapple

LUNCH

Leftovers at work from yesterday - Cabbage Slaw, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Tofu w. Peanut Sauce
Santa-Fe Rice and Beans. I am so glad to have leftovers to supplement this. Are these frozen entrees every enough to satisfy anyone????

SNACK

Pepperjack Cheese, Sweet Potato chips

DINNER
Unphotographed binge on - 2 frozen entrees, a medium bag of sweet potato chips, a handful of triscuits, 4 oz of sharp cheddar cheese

EXERCISE
None

Weighing Everyday

I know that weighing myself every day is a BAD idea. I try each morning to set a goal that I will not weigh myself until Monday morning. It does not work. For the last few mornings I have been stepping on the scale right before my shower. The scale reports positive results - this morning, I weighed in at 227.0 lbs. I know that it has only been a few days, and this is likely water weight - but it makes me happy and motivates me nevertheless. The interesting thing is that when I am not intentionally dieting or paying attention to what I eat, I can go months between weighing myself.

Do you weigh yourself every day? How do you manage to NOT do that?

BREAKFAST

Tofu Scramble, Veggie Sausage, Waffle w. Berry Compote and Whipped cream, Fruit, Tea
Breakfast and lunch were served at a mid-year retreat at my workplace.

LUNCH

Cabbage Slaw, Rice, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Tofu w. Peanut Sauce
They also served sodas. I don't usually drink sodas, but if it is served, I usually get some, and I did not have any today. (Even though I wanted to).

DINNER

Lentil Samosas w. Chutney (x2)
I had very little time between walking and the dance session, and so no time to cook - deli it was.

I shared a chocolate creme egg with D.

EXERCISE
1 hr walk after work with my friend L. followed by 1.5 hrs English & Scottish dance w. D. It's not vigorous exercise - but it was about the pace of brisk walking, and I was on my feet, so I am counting it!

Day #3

New month... hopefully off to a good start

BREAKFAST

Morningstar Egg & Cheese Sandwich, Unsweetened Applesauce; Coffee
This was the last of the sandwiches. It tasted better when I heated the egg and bread separately.
LUNCH

Leftover Veggie Enchilada; Rice w. Black Beans & Bell Pepper; Carrots

SNACK

Pepperjack Cheese

DINNER

Lentil and Veggie soup w. Rice. I had a second bowl of soup without the rice.

1/4 bar of peanut butter - dark chocolate truffle bar. Yumm!

EXERCISE
25 min walk at lunchtime.

April Goals

I am going to try to revive my monthly goals for well-being and weight-loss. Interestingly, my goals don't change much month to month - I wonder what that means? It probably means that I need new sources of motivation because these goals are not always met. I will try harder this month. If I mostly achieve this , I will treat myself to something nice. What it will be is TBD.

GOALS FOR APRIL

1. Walk or hike 4x/week
2. Do 10 pushups each day working up to 25 by the end of the month
3. On days I don't go walking or hiking, do a short dumbbell workout at home
4. Stick to eating 3 meals and 3 snacks each day
5. Cook three new recipes this month
6. Eat a serving of fruit and/or veggies with each meal
7. I am going out of town for a week this month - stay on track with eating
8. Make a healthy Easter Dinner for the two of us and friends
9. Call my parents once a week at least

Day #2

I stuck with the mealplan from yesterday, and plan on sticking with the plan today as well. I also thought I might post pictures:

BREAKFAST

Morningstar Egg & Cheese Sandwich, Unsweetened Applesauce; Tea
The Sandwich was awful, but I bought a box of 4 that I will not waste - one more to go.

SNACK and LUNCH

Hummus and Carrots
Leftover Brown rice, beans, pico, zucchini, Yumm sauce
I ate the hummus/carrots at 11am, and had the rest at noon

SNACK

Parmesan Garlic Twists, and later a piece of mozzarella

DINNER

Butternut Squash and Spinach Quiche w. Pineapple
I made the quiche lighter by using cottage cheese instead of heavy cream.

Day #1

I don't calorie count or allocate portion sizes. I tried to diet/count calories/points/carbs etc. It didn't work for me. So, I decided about 3 years ago that I would stop all that and just eat whatever I want in moderation. Moderation doesn't always work and I have maintained within the same 30lbs or so over the last 3 years. However, I have been much happier and much less stressed about eating.

Meals for today:

BREAKFAST: Scramble w. 1 egg, 1 tomato, 1/2 small onion in a Flour Tortilla; Tea
SNACK: Coffee, 1/4 cup Cheez-Its
LUNCH: Brown rice, beans, pico, zucchini, Yumm sauce
DINNER: 3 thin slices of cheese pizza, Thai Cabbage Salad

RESTART 2015

I haven't been blogging. Or dieting. Or exercising.

But, I have lost 7lbs this year without trying. Very odd - since usually I gain weight when I am not trying. However, I am not questioning it or knocking my luck. I am just hoping that this loss will give me a jump-start for the coming year. I am in the 220's again - 229.0lbs. Hope to lose another 5 lbs this coming month of April.

Goals:

#1 - Eat a portion of fruit or veg with each meal.
#2 - Exercise 3-4x/week
#3 - Drink plenty of water
#4 - Do meal planning

Ughhh

I caught sight of myself in the mirror today. Ughhh.

Now, "Ughhh" is not how I want to feel about my body. I do love myself and want to love my body more than I do now. The holidays have just been an excuse to laze and stuff my face. I don't want to start till new year to begin. So, here is my resolution for the week:

I will eat 3 healthy meals a day. Also, I will make sure to include a portion of fruit or vegetables with each of these meals.

GRRR!

I have not been cooking much at home. We have had some stuff going on that has necessitated lots of eating out. However, I need to get back to cooking at home. That is probably what both my waistline and my wallet need. Here is the plan for things to cook the next few days:

Root Veggie Roast: Potatoes, Carrots, Yams w. Spices
Mexican Rice and Beans
Pumpkin Ice-cream (I bought a new icecream maker)
Barley-Lentil Slow Cooker Soup
Salad w. Cheese Blend and Apples
Guacamole w. Chips
Green Bean Casserole
Baked Acorn Squash stuffed with Bulghur and spices.

Week #2 - Progress

So, I think I am going to update my progress on this log daily (if possible) - maybe that will keep me accountable. With notes below about other things this week also.

SUN: Rest - Done!
MON: 1/2 hr Cardio, 1/2 hr 45-min Weight-Training, 15 min stretching - DONE!
TUE: PiYo class - DONE!
WED: 1hr Walk over Lunch
THU: Rest
FRI: Cardio, Weight-Training like Monday
SAT: ZUMBA

Monday - Not as sore from the weight-lifting as I had been last week. And I did heavier weights and more reps too! This is a good sign. I made Mushroom and Black Bean enchiladas in green sauce. They were delicious! Have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Tuesday - Made a veggie/Brown Rice Casserole and Zucchini Bread. The casserole was not that great - I think I added too much milk and not enough cheese. The zucchini bread was yummy. Hubby ate about a half of it! Did the PiYo class again - I was SORE! But although it was difficult, I think it was easier than last week. That's a good sign.

Wednesday - Lower impact exercise today - walking with a friend over lunch.

Week #2

This is what happened to last week's goals:

SUN: Hiking w. L
MON: 1/2 hr Cardio, 1/2 hr Weight-Training
TUE: Weights (1/2 hour), ZUMBA Class PiYo class
WED: 1hr Walk over Lunch
THU: Rest
FRI: Alternate Cardio, Weight-Training w. Monday
SAT: Gentle Yoga, Alternate ZUMBA and Contra Dancing

So, I guess I did most of it. I wish I had stuck more closely with the schedule. Anyway, this is the plan for the coming week:

SUN: Rest
MON: 1/2 hr Cardio, 1/2 hr Weight-Training
TUE: PiYo class
WED: 1hr Walk over Lunch
THU: Rest
FRI: Cardio, Weight-Training like Monday
SAT: ZUMBA

RESTART - Plan for the Week

I hope to get back to exercising in a serious way starting this week. This is the plan:

SUN: Hiking w. L
MON: Alternate Cardio, Weight-Training
TUE: Weights (1/2 hour), ZUMBA Class
WED: Walk over Lunch
THU: Rest
FRI: Alternate Cardio, Weight-Training w. Monday
SAT: Gentle Yoga, Alternate ZUMBA and Contra Dancing

Let's hope this gets me into some sort of shape. D. said  that he would take me in tomorrow and show me around the weight-room. Pays to have a husband who works at a gym. Free gym membership and free personal training.

Sprained Ankle

Went on a hike up a local butte on Sunday and on the way back, I sprained my ankle REALLY BADLY! I could barely walk for the past couple of days, and today I can only hobble around. It is getting better, and I am thankful that it is not something worse - like a broken ankle. But no walking or exercise for a while now. Maybe next weekend?

Starting Metformin

I picked up my prescription yesterday, and am started taking Metformin today. I start with one pill in the morning for two weeks, and then up it to two daily (morning and evening) for 4 weeks, and then to three daily. My doctor thinks that in 6 months, my cycles will be regular, and I will be able to conceive. If not, we will consider infertility treatments. I hope things go well.

So, it appears that Metformin needs to be taken with food. This minimizes the side effects of nausea and diarrhea. What this means is that from now on, I will have to make sure to eat breakfast. Eating breakfast has always been somewhat of a challenge for me. While I enjoy making and eating a good breakfast, more often than not, I prioritize sleeping in another half hour. I'll have to be better about this.

I'm also planning on going with some friends to a Salad Roll workshop this evening. It is a free workshop. I hope they give us some salad rolls after to take home with us. That will be nice.

Also, talking about salad rolls, I suppose I should also make the effort to eat better and manage my blood glucose. I am not diabetic yet, but I am in the pre-diabetic range and should be careful because the incidence of birth defects are higher if the mother has higher blood glucose levels.

Here is what I ate/will eat today:

Breakfast. 8.00am
Cottage Cheese, Rice Crackers, Banana

Snack. 11:00am
String cheese, 2 snack-sized pieces candy (so much for sugar-control)

Lunch. 12.15pm
Thai Red Curry Vegetable Soup
Apple

Snack. 5:30pm
Salad rolls?

Dinner. 6:45pm
Enchilada Bowl and Chips
Popcorn w. Nutritional yeast at movie

Week 14: Weigh-in

Weigh in this week: 235.0 lbs. Not much of a difference.

I went on a long hike with a friend yesterday. Then I visited my friend Vanessa who is moving to California and had tea with her. Very sad.

I went to my gynecologist last week. I have PCOS which makes it hard for me to lose weight or get pregnant. She is going to put me on metformin which should help with regulating my menstrual cycle, and she said it also helps regulate blood glucose and helps with weight loss. Hope this is the case - that would be a welcome side-effect.

Week 13: Weigh-in

So much for the idea that I was going to restart yet again. Just checking in with my weight log this week.

Scale said: 234.6 lbs

Also, I have started to read a new book - Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. I have only just started, but find it very interesting thus far. I'll post more after reading more.

Week 12: Weigh-in

Not good - I'm up 1.8lbs since the last weigh-in and I skipped a week. I've been having TOM, guests, low motivation etc. I think I'm going to "restart" each time I post a weigh-in update. This time around I've got to start recording food intake as well. I'll try doing this in my paper journal, because I hate updating it all the time online. See how that goes...

Week 10: Weigh-in

Down 1.4 lbs this week. Nice!

I feel like I have not been able to find the motivation to post as often as I would like or as often as I want to. I think that I will stick to posting updates for now, and then when I feel more motivated, and have more to say, then I will also post more.

Still grieving from MIL's death.