New 30-Day challenge

I am back from vacation. I had an extremely teeny-tiny loss that is probably just water weight or the clothes I was wearing. I was not at all in an eat-healthy mindset when I was on vacation. Well, I hope to be back on track again this week.

Yesterday, my husband, "D" said out of the blue that he thinks we should eat less sugar. I don't think we eat a sugar heavy diet anyway (except for all the easter candy I ate the last couple of weeks). We eat a small amount of sugar (usually dessert after dinner). I asked him if he meant low-carb, and he said no - low sugar. I said that he was welcome to eat less sugar if he wanted to. I think I might try to aim for low carb. Not excessive carb-restriction since I have no intention of depriving myself of things I love. But I could eat a small scoop of icecream instead of two large scoops, or trade white rice out for rolled oats, or give away any remaining Easter Candy.

I also have to be mindful of exercise. I notice that unless I set very specific goals, I am not going to exercise. So, I have scrapped my GBA challenge since that was not happening. I am going to set a new 30 day challenge - exercise for 1 hour each day with one day of rest per week. This is what I will do this week:
SUN: 1.5 hr walk - DONE!
MON: 1 hr Body Sculpt class at the gym - DONE!
TUE: 1 hr walk after dinner
WED: Rest Day
THU: 1 hr walk with my friend L.
FRI: 1/2 hr cardio, 1/2 hr weights at gym
SAT: 1 hr walk

I brought my workout clothes to work today, and changed and headed to the gym right after work. No excuses!

BREAKFAST

I overslept and rushed out of the door with no time to make a proper breakfast.
Balance bar and Banana

LUNCH

Santa-Fe Rice and Beans; Baked Sweet Potato

SNACK

Pepperjack Cheese; Rice Crackers

DINNER

Oats, Curry, Mung Beans (Swapped white rice for oats)

Thai Tea flavored icecream. I will post the recipe tomorrow.

EXERCISE
1 hr Body Sculpt Class

Friday!

Yay! It's Friday! I have nothing much to report food-wise.

I ended up getting home late last night, and never did my GBA Challenge. Doing taxes today - turns out we owe more to the state than we are getting back from our federal return. :-(

I may not post for the next several days. I am traveling to Seattle, and may not get around to posting pics daily. I'll recap when I get back. Food -

BREAKFAST

Rushing out to work today. No time to make a leisurely breakfast
Peanut Butter Protein Bar. I ended up not eating the banana.

SNACK

Raspberry Scone. I should have eaten the banana. Unhealthy choice. But delicious one!

LUNCH

Had lunch out with a co-worker. Grilled Portobello Mushroom in a Naan with Garlic Aioli (Weird combination!!!! But tasted good); Fresh Sweet Potato Chips; Picked Radish

SNACK
Handful of m&ms

DINNER

Working late today. Santa-Fe Rice and Beans. Apparently, I eat this a lot!

Leftover Thai Tea Icecream from yesterday

EXERCISE
None!! Should I just plan on restarting GBA after I return from my vacation?

To Snack or Not To Snack

My diet downfall is very frequently snacks that are sneaked in between meals. Frequently, this happens before I have thought about it or weighed whether or not they are good snacks for me. Also, since they are not usually very large snacks, I dismiss them as not important enough to log or take pictures of. However, they add up over the day.

I have tried in the past to do 6-ish small meals a day. This did not work for me. I work in an 8-5 job with hour long appointments with little time between appointments. I can't find time to do multiple small meals. Also, small meals never satisfy me as much as the larger 3-meal-a-day meals. So, I am sticking with three main meals and small snacks in between.

How then do I manage to not snack so much? One idea I had was only keeping fruit or something like that around. But then I just end up feeling deprived. Should I give up snacking altogether? What do you all do? How do you keep snacking in check?

BREAKFAST

2 Egg Scramble with Asparagus and Goal Cheese Crumbles; Tea

SNACK

Rice Crackers w. Chipotle Cheese

LUNCH

Santa-Fe Rice and Beans; Banana

SNACK
Unphotographed Easter Candy - a handful - mini binge!!

DINNER

My friend L. and I go to dinner after our Thursday walks. We tried a new Chinese place. It looked very traditional and authentic. I had Spicy Tofu w. Noodles in broth.

Then we had dessert - I had Thai Tea Icecream

L. had a Tapioca dessert. This was much tastier than it looks

I did not finish the icecream, so they packed the rest to go on ice! So wonderful!!

EXERCISE
GBA Challenge: --
1 hr walk with my friend L.

30-Day Challenge

I am starting a 30 days Guns Buns and Abs challenge:

I did not hop on the scale this morning. That's good - sticking to the resolution so far!

I have noticed that over the last few days, I am eating a few snacks that are un-photographed. I don't know if this is because it is a pain in the backside to take pictures of absolutely everything I eat, or if I am avoiding taking pictures because I am eating them without thinking, or am too ashamed of taking these unscheduled and unexpected snacks. Probably a bit of both. Well, at any rate - I can log them even if I don't photograph them. But, I will try to photograph them anyway.

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal w. dried peaches, milk, sugar; Banana

SNACK

Rice Crackers and Chipotle Cheese

LUNCH

Quinoa & Curry

SNACK

Thai Savory Bar. I also had a handful of pretzels later.

DINNER

Veggie burger w. Mozzarella; Baked pinwheels; Seasoned Fries; Garlic Asparagus
Unphotographed Mexican Chocolate Chili Icecream and 5 pieces of Eater candy!!!!!!

EXERCISE
GBA Challenge - 50 squats, 5 pushups, 25 leg lifts

New Resolution for the week

Okay - I have decided that I am not going to weigh-in during the week. I frequently feel dejected at the end of the week because I choose to weigh in daily. I should be excited about a 1 lbs loss at the end of the week, but I don't because somewhere during the week, I would have had a 1.5lb loss. Then the 1 lb loss seems more like a failure than an accomplishment. So, this week I will choose to not weigh. My next weigh-in will be next Monday.

BREAKFAST

Same as yesterday - Egg scramble w. shredded cabbage, carrots and onions; Banana

SNACK
Unphotographed homemade sourdough bread w. pumpkin butter

LUNCH

Hummus, Carrots; Santa-Fe Rice & Beans

SNACK

Pepperjack Cheese; 1/4 cup Cheez-its

DINNER

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole; Seasoned Fries

2 pieces of Easter Candy; 1/2 cup Mexican Chocolate-Chili Icecream

EXERCISE
None

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.