SBD: Attempt 2, Day 2...then more crap about riding my bike

I'm happy to report that day 1 of my second South Beach diet attempt was almost completely on track. There was the oat bran substitution after my egg mishap, and a couple squares of dark chocolate after dinner, but everything else I ate was South Beachy-keen. (I'm so sorry.)

Day 2 has been a little more rocky. I didn't buy eggs last night and slept in this morning, so breakfast was from that place with the big red and yellow sign. I minimized the damage by throwing away the hashbrowns and barely sweetening the coffee, but still. I thought I'd last more than ONE DAY before hitting a drive-thru.

Anyway, to look on the bright side, the day from that point onward has been right on track. Also, I worked out at lunch today, and plan on going for a ride after work. My goal is to do my 16-mile after-work loop in under an hour. With stop signs and traffic lights, that means a 17-18 mph moving average...which is pretty much a sprint speed for me, at this point. If I meet that goal and don't die, I'll be very happy. I won't be wearing the heart rate monitor, as those numbers would only kill my buzz. :)

So, what lit a fire under my ass today? Well, since I set up a timer to record the Tour de France last month, my DVR has been capturing anything with "Cycling" in its title. Since every bike event on Versus has "Cycling" as the title, it's caught a variety of cycling events that I never would have watched otherwise. I don't even watch them now, usually, but last night I turned one on thinking it was the abbreviated coverage of the last week of the tour. Instead, I found myself watching summary coverage of the women's field in the Nature Valley Grand Prix. It's the first time I've ever seen women's racing, and I was pretty much riveted. All those tiny little bikes, and those girls are fast. And tough! There was this one girl that crashed three times in one of the crit stages, I think, and just got up and kept on going. I think she ended up in the top 10 overall. Now, I'm not saying that the men aren't tough...but it's just different. I expect men to be tough, hardcore, "it's just a flesh wound" sort of people. But these women...too cool. Plus, it was nice to see some other women who probably have trouble finding jeans to fit their waist and their thighs. (For totally better reasons, but you know.)

Now, that's not to say that I want to get out there and race, because I don't. I'm not sure I have the heart or the fearlessness for road racing, even if I do finally lose 60 lbs. I also have no head for tactics, and racing is all about knowing when to attack or form alliances or whatever, and also about working with a team. I've never been good at team sports, or with other people depending on me for anything. But I do want to be fast, and watching these badass women made me believe that maybe I could be. Not, you know, world-class fast, but maybe fast enough to not totally embarrass myself in an amateur race someday, if I ever screwed up the courage to try. Does that make sense? Maybe, maybe not.

So anyway, I watched women race last night, then I read 3 chapters of Floyd Landis's book, and now I'm going to take the world by storm. Or, you know, try to ride 16 miles at 18 mph without passing out. Everybody's gotta start somewhere, right? :)

UPDATE: 15.56 miles in 1:01, according to the display. And that includes a stop to take a phone call. It also includes some wind, which I think helped more than it hurt, though I can't really be sure. I'm happy with it overall.

UPDATE #2: Training Center and Motionbased both agree that the ride was 15.63 miles. Motionbased says that I was stopped for 4:41, so my time was 56:25, moving average was 16.6 mph. My overall average was 15.4, so eh...not even a personal best. But it is nearly 2 mph faster than the last time I rode this course. :)

a few announcements

1. I didn't intentionally neglect my musical duties. In fact, I even copied some files to my hard drive for posting "later". Then the holiday weekend came and went, and "later" didn't end up being anytime soon. Better late than never, though--they're in the extended entry.

2. I have a teammate for the Urban Assault Race! While I'm kind of sad that Noah didn't want to do it again, I'm excited about racing this year with someone who likes to ride as much as I do. I still don't have any delusions of winning, but I think we may be able to make a middle-of-the-pack showing in the women's division. Let the route-planning begin!

3. I know that I'm, like, a week late to the party on this, but you know what sucks? Watching 2 hours of boring, bloated crap, only to miss the two minutes of the Idol finale that I really wanted to see. And the official apology with the line comparing the live Idol finale to sporting events...please. A sporting event's run time is far less controllable than a variety/entertainment show. Most of the stuff in this show had zero effect on the outcome, and could easily have been cut when it looked like they were running short on time. I understand that they paid the artists to be there, even if they were horrible (I'm looking at you, Midler), but the Golden Idols? They were stupid and unfunny last year, too. Why give more airtime to the audition freak parade? It only encourages more of the crazy next year, and the audition episodes take up way too much time the way it is.

   That said, the episode may remain on my DVR for all time, just for that Doug E. Fresh/Blake performance. Awesome. I'm a little embarrassed to admit how many times I've watched it.

4. I've been very good with the food/exercise for about 4 days now. I probably shouldn't say that I have a handle on this again, because history has shown that such pronouncements are generally followed by an epic screw-up. However, I'm going to chance an "I might". Today, I even ended with my calories under 1500 (barely--1497, per sparkpeople)!

5. Inspired by this book (which I'm really enjoying, though the constant pop-culture similes are starting to wear on my nerves a bit), I've started walking for 30 minutes every day, whether I feel like it or not. I didn't today, however, because I went to my old sculpting class this afternoon instead. OH. MY. GOD. I was shaky from the neck down for about an hour afterward, and I didn't even use any weights over 5 lbs. During the lunges, the instructor walked by and said to me..."I think it's been too long since I've seen you in here." I was like, "yeah, me too." Dude...I am weak. I'm not at all sore right now, at least, but I see it coming in a day or two.

6. My left ankle is getting better, but it's a two steps forward, one step back sort of healing. The daily walking isn't doing it any favors, but it's not hindering enough that it's worth breaking the habit. The lunges were a little rough today, and I had to be really careful to skip/go easy on any stretches that caused any kind of discomfort for the Achilles. I think in another couple weeks, or maybe a month, it might be back to pre-running condition.

7. Of course, you know the reason I'm so gung-ho about the food and the strength training and the walking, right? I want to build my damned bike already. The Pilot is working fine, of course (except for a vexing issue with the front derailleur hitting the chain in the bigger gears...it's a cable adjustment thing, and while a kind soul at the club ride did fix it for me Sunday, it's back), but as it nears the 5000-mile mark, I'm starting to get antsy. I want to ride the Orca in the duathlon in October, and I have to lose 1.5 - 2 lbs/week in order to make that happen. Which means no more Ms. Nice Joy...if I have to kick my own ass every single day for 4 straight months, I am going to lose those 30 lbs. God as my witness and whatever.

UPDATE: Music links removed.

And here it is--the music I was going to post 4 days ago. As threatened/promised, it's all Idol-related. I tried to find one from every season I've watched (4, 5, & 6), but couldn't find any mp3s from the Taylor year. Mostly because I could not stand his spastic ass. So anyway, here you are...

Independence Day - Carrie Underwood

Within a Dream - Bo Bice

Somewhere Only We Know - Keane (yeah, not an Idol...but downloaded because of one)

You Give Love a Bad Name - Bl@ke Lew1s

Right-click, save-as, see you tomorrow.

I've been trying to write this for days

Okay, here's the thing.

In the beginning, this was a weight-loss blog. I did well with it the first couple years, lost over 40 lbs at one point, and was just a pound or two away from my lowest weight since before Noah was born. Then Christmas happened. Then the Elephant happened. Then something else, and something else, and before I knew it, I was up 25 lbs and holding.

I've had several fits and starts since March, trying to get my groove back. Since I haven't had much success, I found it difficult to come up with ways to talk about it here without sounding like a 24/7 failure-fest. So I just didn't talk about it at all, choosing instead to talk about vacations, or bikes, or music. The less I talked about my weight here, the less weight I lost, and the less I did about it. Occasional half-hearted efforts were the best I could muster, and they were usually cancelled out immediately by some spectacular weekend indulgence.

In the past few weeks, I've started pulling my life back together. The junk removal was part of that...it's been a major source of frustration for years, and I feel a lot calmer overall now that I'm not tripping over things that we don't need. I've also started back on a couple long-delayed home improvement projects. I finally got around to mounting curtain rods in the dining room and putting up drapes. With last quarter's fitness incentive certificate, I bought a deck chair for reading in the back yard. I'm shopping paint colors for the kitchen and living room. These seem like little things, but they're pretty big. I've lived for over two years in a house that hasn't seemed like my own. It's not that I wasn't comfortable...there was just no place in the house that felt right. It was a place cluttered with pending projects and white TV noise, with no room where I could really relax. I'm finally taking steps to change that, a couple little things at a time.

I've also been working on establishing a daily routine, which has always been helpful for me in sticking with any plan. Way down beyond the surface chaos, I'm a creature of habit. I like doing the same things at the same times, having everything in its place, knowing what's going to happen next. With a routine in place, sticking to a diet is easier.

And we're trying to conceive again. I waffled on whether or not I was really ready. On the one hand, I wanted to conceive again as quickly as possible, so that I could give myself a reason, however weak, that the earlier pregnancy failed. On the other, what if I miscarried again? I don't know how women survive through more than one, and I don't want to know. I do know that if we manage to conceive again, I'm going to be a wreck until around week 20. So, yeah. I need to make an appointment with my doctor, see what the best way to make this happen. I'd rather not get to the point of ovulation testing and charting and whatnot, but I'd also rather not wait another year. My cycles have been normal, at least, even with the weight gain. We'll see what happens, I guess, take it one month at a time.

With all of these things falling gradually into place, I think it's time to get back to concentrating on weight loss. None of my pants fit except a couple pairs of my "fat pants"...I tried putting on a pair of jeans the other day which used to be loose, and I couldn't button them without sucking in. It's time to stop fucking around here. Buying bigger pants is not an option.

Here is the plan:

Food

1. Three meals, two snacks. Also, vending machines will be avoided, and breakfast cannot come from Starbucks. I also plan to limit my latte consumption to twice a week. This will have the added bonus of making it more likely that I'll get to work on time.

2. 1400-1700 calories, though I'll only be counting for the first couple weeks. After that, it's all about portion sizing and food group choices. I'm still planning to follow the Portion Teller plan...beyond buying smaller dishes and eyeballing portion sizes for cereal, I haven't gotten very far with it yet. Lazy, lazy, lazy.

3. Only one lunch out per workweek. The rest of the time, it's salad or a Lean Cuisine. Or both, if the salad is all veggies.

4. No eating after 8 pm. Much like nothing good happens at high school parties after midnight, very seldom does anything healthy go into my mouth in the evenings.

5. Take a multivitamin every day. This is more about the TTC than the diet (Dr. recommended 400mcg folic acid, and why not get the rest while I'm at it?), though it helps both.

Exercise

1. Exercise every day. While I don't think exercising every single day is an absolute must for weight loss, I have to do it this way. Procrastinator + Underachiever = "I've still got time to get 5 workouts in this week...I'll do it tomorrow."

2. Bike-commute to work at least twice per week, weather permitting. This is an easy way to guarantee 90 minutes of exercise in a day. Like with the Starbucks thing, I've also found that it gets me to work on time more often.

3. Ride to the start of the Saturday club ride at least once a month. Adds at least 20 miles to my total distance, AND frees up a parking space at the Y for someone else.

4. Strength & flexibility workouts. I've been neglecting these things, because I sort of hate them. I don't know exactly how I'll work them in, but I'm sure I'll detail that later. Rob and I had talked about trying a yoga class together, so maybe that's part of the answer.

5. Get my work fitness incentives for Q3 and Q4. Mama needs some more deck chairs.

Goals

1. Lose an average of 1 lb. per week through the end of the year. That's 23 lbs (24 if I count the week that ends January 5th), which would bring me down below 175 again. Though honestly? With the way I've been clinging to 195-196 lately, I'll be happy just to finally get out of the 190s.

2. Fit back into my size 14s by the end of the year. #1 begets #2.

3. Get the odometer on my bike up to 4000 miles by the end of the year. Right now, I'm at 2150ish (happy birthday, Amelia! Didn't quite make 2200 in her first year, but I got close). If I put 44 commuting miles and 20 club ride miles on per week, I'll be nearly there. Throw in a few extra miles on Saturdays and a couple long charity rides, and 4000 is totally within reach.

4. Ride a damn century at the Space Race next year. The course is super flat, and it's in the spring, so weather shouldn't be an issue this time. Plus, I promise not to be a dumbass who slacks on the training till the last minute.

5. Have a baby. Not by the end of the year, obviously. Any time after April 2007 would be nice. Of course, achieving this goal might prevent me from pursuing the others, but that's totally fine with me. :)

Tomorrow is Day 1. Again.

*********************************

And on a side note...how AWESOME was stage 17?! I think Landis may be my new favorite cyclist (sorry, George.) I mean, seriously--how does he walk around...?

Food/Exercise log,11/23

I've been thinking again. Looking back on my weight loss over the past 3 years can be slightly depressing. The first year, I lost 26 lbs. The second, 6 lbs. That's a pretty drastic decline. This year, if I let things go on in their typical holiday way, my loss will be even less. It's a trend that I want to stop, as I mentioned in the last post.

In order to find out what works for me, I figure I need to review what worked in the past. I briefly considered doing a true analysis, charting weight trends and correlating them with whatever data I had recorded during that timeframe. Then I remembered that I am not a mathemetician, and in fact I failed college statistics that one semester because it was so insufferably tedious that I quit showing up for class. Anyway, point being that I have no clue how to create a reliable algorithm or logarithm or whatever sort of rithm to calculate which factors most affected my weight loss or lack thereof. So I decided that the best I can do is chart my losses from the weigh in posts, find the times I lost the most weight, and determine what I was doing then that I am not doing now. Essentially, go back to the beginning.

I have not done this yet, as it sounds like a lot of work, and anything that sounds like a lot of work is best put off until I have nothing better to do. However, one thing that I do know always makes me a better loser is to document my food and exercise. Because I have a tendency to lose interest in these logs about halfway through the week, I've decided it would be better to do daily log posts rather than one big weekly one. So, this is the first.

Oh, and in the spirit of audience participation...I encourage everyone to hound me in the comments on days when I don't post a log by noon, or if a log does not have a dinner entry by the next morning. The one exception to this is Saturdays, when I won't record anything and you can't make me. Girl's gotta have a free day, and anything I eat is counterbalanced by the long morning ride anyway.

Since I know that these things are generally boring to read, I've put it in the extended entry. I'm doing core, so points values are only included for non-core foods and those are bolded. Activity points are italicized.

Aaaand because I never follow any plan exactly to the letter, my core list includes low-fat dairy and flavored non-fat yogurt. Also, when I make a recipe that includes core and non-core items, I only count points on the meal for the non-core ingredients. And finally, I consider all meats core, so long as the fat is trimmed off or drained, and the skin is removed.

Food/exercise log for 11/23

Jimmy Dean skillet breakfast, 1/2 cup
2 egg whites
1 c. orange juice: 2

venti non-fat latte, w/2 splenda and cinnamon

walk: 3

caesar salad w/ff dressing & salmon: 2
bread: 4
diet coke

cheese & crackers: 5
almond granola bar: 3

rotisserie chicken

Total non-core points: 16
Total activity points: 3

Weekly point balance: 22

and lo, the earth split and the sky fell, and the world pretty much stopped spinning

After much deliberation over these past few days about the state of my diet situation, I've decided to...

...wait for it...

...go to a Weight Watchers meeting. There's one sort of near my house tonight at 7:00, so I'm going to go check it out and see if I can stand the people. If I can, I'm going to start going to meetings again for a while.

With my general dislike for chirpy women and meetings of any sort, you'd think that this would be a catastrophically bad option for me. However, I've decided that I'm just too prone to cheating when I'm doing everything by myself. If I have to go in at 7:00 pm every Thursday and step on a scale in front of other people, I may be more inclined to ease back on the sumo wrestler-esque diet "plan" I've been following lately. This meeting also has the advantage of being about halfway between my house and the gym, so I can stop on the way home and get a workout in.

This probably goes without saying, but if this meeting exhibits any signs of giggling, squealing, or group cheers, I am so out of there.

Review: Kraft To Go!

Some people would look at this product, which is essentially a serving of Kraft cheese and crackers packaged in a plastic tray and sold for $1, as a product for someone too stupid and/or lazy to slice cheese. As someone who regularly brings cheese and crackers to work, and as a fiend for single-serve packages AND wee things of all types, I look at it and say, "Geeeenius!"

I first saw them at Target last night, and as soon as I spied the baby triscuits, I knew I must try them. Not wanting the baby Ritz to feel neglected, I bought a 2-pack of each variety, for $1.89 each.

I brought one of the triscuit & co-jack packs to work today, and they were nearly everything I hoped they would be.

Pros:

They're fast. I'm perpetually running late, so it's nice to take the prep-work out of one of my favorite snacks.

They offer built-in portion control. With its relatively high fat content and small serving sizes, cheese is one of those foods that it's very easy for me to overdo. Hell, I could eat a whole box of triscuits and a block of cheddar in a single evening (and maybe even call it dinner). Having these in the house instead keeps me from doing that.

The triscuits are sealed off from the cheese, so the crackers don't get soggy or rubbery (like they do if I bring crackers and cheese in the same baggie). Both the crackers and the cheese tasted reasonably fresh.

The cheese was all the same size, and the crackers were all intact, which satisfied my more OCD tendencies.

The pieces are teeny. In addition to being cuter that way, it's somehow more satisfying to eat 20 mini-triscuits with cheese than to eat 7 big ones.

At 170 calories per serving, it's a sensibly-sized snack.

Cons:

At 11g of fat (6g saturated) per serving and only 1g of fiber, it's not exactly weight-watchers friendly. I don't know the points value since I don't do it anymore, but it's probably 3-4.

There was one more cracker than there were cheese bits, which aggravated my aforementioned OCD tendencies.

And finally, if you bought a box of triscuits ($3.75) and a block of cheese ($3.15) and made your own equivalent packages of cheese and crackers, you'd save about a quarter per serving* and possibly the Earth or something (plastic packaging, etc).

Overall, though, they get the Joy Seal of Approval.

*Of course, that could be said of a lot of things...If I bought my yogurt in 16 oz. tubs it would save money and packaging, I suppose, but it would go bad uneaten in the fridge much more often than my individual Yoplait Lights. I'm just sayin'.

today's accountability menu

Since the posting of my menu worked so well for me yesterday, I thought I'd do it again. Here's the plan for today:

Morning:
Fiber 0ne Honey Clusters w/milk
coffee
apple w/peanut butter

Afternoon:
Caesar salad w/low-fat dressing and salmon (L@ M@deleine, takeout on the way back from the gym)
strawberries
pistachios

Evening:
No idea, but I'll come up with something. Right now I'm leaning toward some variety of beef.

Calorie count, pre-dinner: 1162
Protein: 46
Fiber: 31

So, I need something pretty high in protein for dinner, around 400-600 calories. Any ideas?

The road to hell, revisited

let's talk about food, shall we?

If you've been watching my daily stats posts (which, you know, are ooooh so riveting), you may have noticed that I can't seem to keep the calories very low. While I'm not exactly mystified, I'm getting a little frustrated by this.

Take yesterday, for instance. Yesterday, my planned food was a completely acceptable 1533 calories. I had absolutely no problems following this plan until about 12:30. I walked into the lunch room after my run, grabbed my lean cuisine, started to nuke it, and then the trouble began. The trouble spoke in the voice of the office caterer.

"Do you want one of these salads? I'm not going to sell them, and I'll have to throw them away otherwise."

Apparently, she had seen me give the salads a once-over as I walked by toward the microwaves. They had caught my attention because they used different packaging this week. I didn't have any money with me, so I had no intention of buying one. But if they were giving them away...that grilled chicken one looked pretty tasty. And my protein count was low for the day...

"Sure." I chose the grilled chicken salad, thanked her profusely, retrieved my fully-cooked Lean Cuisine, and went back to my office. Once there, I dutifully entered the salad into fitday. Hey, it barely brought me up to 1800! I can totally handle that. And if I ate it right before I went home, I wouldn't need to eat dinner! I deleted my planned dinner from fitday and commenced to feeling smug.

Then came the training class. There was cake at this training class. Cake! I ate some cake. And then I sampled from the candy dish in the middle of the table, thinking, "well, now I won't need to eat my apple and peanut butter. I'm not hungry anymore."

The training class was over by 4, I resisted the apple with peanut butter, and packed it into my bag to go home. Soccer practice and a trip to the store later, we were running through the McDonald's drive thru...it was nearly 8:00, and American Idol!

I wasn't going to get anything at McDs. But then, I was a little bit hungry and I thought maybe a burger. But I don't like the regular burgers, so what the hell...let's go for the quarter pounder! But just the sandwich. After all, I didn't eat my apple & peanut butter.

Of course, you have to sample the fries on the way home, even if they're not YOUR fries, right? So I had a couple fries. Then a couple more at home. And the burger, of course.

Oh, and did I mention I bought cake at the store? No? Well, I bought cake at the store. After the burger, I ate a small slice of cake.

By the time I got back here this morning and totaled up the damages, my 1500 calorie day had morphed into a 2000+ calorie day. My 22g of fiber were reduced to 13g, my 54g of fat became 77g. My ratios turned out okay, but it was sort of in spite of myself.

I understand the reasons this sort of thing happens--disorganization, rushing from one place to the other, eating at irregular times, shopping while hungry, my aversion to saying no to anyone (including myself), my affinity for chocolate. Still, knowing why doesn't change the fact that my planned menu seldom matches my actual menu. If it did, I'd probably be at goal by now. If not for the amount of working out that I'm doing, my current eating habits would have put the first 30 lost lbs back again.

I've decided to concentrate all my efforts toward sticking to my plan today. Part of this is going to be listing my planned menu here, and reporting back tomorrow on how I did in sticking with it. So, here it is...the ones in italics are things I've already eaten:

Fiber One Honey Clusters w/1% milk

Pistachios (single serving packet)

Snickers Marathon low-carb bar (I'm not doing a low carb diet, and usually don't like to buy into the whole low-carb, low-fat, fake-food thing, but these energy bars are tasty, and have a decent amount of healthy packed into them...beats an actual Snickers, nutrition-wise)

Balsamic chicken w/mushrooms (I totally love this, make it once or twice a week.)

asparagus

1% milk

jello sugar-free pudding cup

Total calories: 1427
Breakdown (c/p/f): 38/27/31
Protein: 98g
Fiber: 39g (all hail Fiber 0ne)

I contemplated adding a can of tuna to this menu to get my protein up, but decided against it. I may still do it, though, so that would be an acceptable variation if it does show up tomorrow. The calorie count would go up by ~200 calories in that case, which is still in the good range.

snooty cheese

You know...I don't understand what all the fuss is about with Brie. I mean, I guess it's a decent cheese, but I can't see anything special about it. It's smooth, it's white, creamy, eh. Whatever.

I don't know if it's just my perception or what, but it always seems that brie is held up as some kind of highbrow cheese...the cheese you say you eat when you want to impress people with your sophistication (by your cheese choices? Yeah, I don't know where I'm going with this either). How did it get there? Is it because it's a French cheese? Because $10/lb or not, it still tastes like $1.95 processed cheese spread to me. Which, you know, nothing wrong with that...I just don't get it.

Maybe I've just never had a good Brie-ing. The only Brie I've eaten has been supermarket, or (in the case of today's sampling) part of a fruit and cheese platter.

So, Brie lovers...what's so great?

a survey

I didn't bring a lunch today, because the office caterer is serving barbecue sandwiches, and I like those. The whole meal looks like this:

BBQ chopped beef on bun
potato chips
baked beans
cookie

Very school lunch, I know. :) But they do make it well, sell it cheap, and offer unlimited pickles.

My question, though, is about my chip and bean eating methods. You see, the meal comes with a fork, but I don't like to use it. I use my potato chips to scoop up the beans like a dip.

So, nutritional values and calorie counts completely aside, is this gross? Not something a 31-year-old woman should be doing in public*? What's your take on it?

*Though, for the record, I'm alone in my office...I'm just feeling a little self-conscious all of a sudden. And not just because I dropped a chipful of beans on the floor just now.

they're poison...from Mexico

I love fresh strawberries. If I posted my diet logs, you would see them in alarming quantities in my daily menu, especially when they're in season (and therefore cheap). Strawberries with breakfast, strawberries for dessert, strawberries as a snack, waffles and strawberries, eggs with sausage and strawberries, strawberries and bananas, strawberries with strawberry topping, etc.

So you can imagine how happy I was when, during my last stroll through the produce section of my local grocery store, strawberries were on sale for 97 cents a lb. I bought 4 lbs. In the two days since, I've gone through nearly two of them, mostly a cup at a time, washed and cut in half. It's been all strawberries, all the time around here.

So, I'm sitting here eating my 6th or 7th cup of strawberries in 48 hours, and I remembered a story. It's not my story, so I might get it totally wrong. I'm definitely taking creative license with it, anyway. It's maybe one of those "had to be there" things, too. If you still want to read it, click OPEN WIDE.

In February, we took a weekend trip to visit my family in small-town Wisconsin. As you may remember from previous posts on the subject, these trips are usually stuffed so full of dinner invitations and Midwestern hospitality that we practically have to roll ourselves back onto the plane at the end of them.

One of the chief providers of said hospitality is my dad's girlfriend. Most trips we end up at their house about 60-70% of the time, and there is always food. She loves to cook, and she does it well. I'm pretty sure Rob has a little bit of a crush on her.

So anyway, one night we were scheduled to eat dinner out at their house, and we got there a little early. Erin wasn't there yet, since she had run to the Walmart to get some last minute stuff. We talked with Dad for a while, and then she came home. We helped her unpack the bags, including strawberries for the fruit salad (You knew they were going to factor somewhere in this story, right?)

So, we were just talking about the hazards of going to Walmart and how Walmart seems to attract all the trailer-park/freakshow customers (I'm paraphrasing). And that's when Erin told the strawberry story.

Apparently, she had been standing in the produce section looking at the strawberries when a woman came up behind her.

"Oh, I love strawberries." This total stranger then got a wistful look on her face, "But these are poison."

Erin's curiosity was piqued. "Why are they poison?"

"Well..." The lady leaned in, looked around, and broke out the conspiratorial whisper, "they're from Mexico."

Erin, now realizing she's dealing with a total nutcase, whispered back, "How do you know they're from Mexico?"

The lady pointed to the word "Fraises" on the label, and whispered triumphantly, "See...Spanish."

Hell, what more proof do you need, right? I mean, except maybe actual Spanish.

Erin considered for a second, nodded knowingly, then put a box of strawberries in her cart. "I'll take my chances."

Then she backed her cart away politely and made her escape.

I'm happy to say that we ate our Mexican death strawberries without any ill effects. But now every time I buy strawberries I can't help but whisper "...from Mexico" under my breath.

a survey

Um, does anyone else accidentally eat the produce stickers on their fruit about half the time?

Apples are the worst for me...I wash them, then cut them up with one of those apple corer things. By the time I think to remove the produce sticker, I've already eaten the piece (or pieces) it was on.

I wonder what's the nutritional info for adhesive plastic?

Dear Weight Watchers: it's not you, it's me

Dear WW 1nternational,

This is so hard for me to say.

You've helped me a lot over the past couple years, and don't think I don't appreciate that. However, it hasn't felt right for a while now, and I think we both know that. I'll always hold a special place in my heart for you, but I think it's best we part ways now, before things just get ugly and strained. I just need some space, to get my head sorted out, you know? It might not be forever, but I think it's best if we start to see other people plans. And, to be completely honest, I already have.

I've been seeing fitday for 2 weeks now, and it has been the happiest two weeks I've had since you've known me. You've probably noticed that I haven't checked in with you at all in those two weeks. Things are going so well that there's no reason to keep making the monthly investment to keep my relationship with you alive.

I'm sure you'll make a great plan for someone else...for plenty of others, actually. You're going to make someone millions of others very, very happy someday. We're just not right, and I think we both realized that a long time ago. At this point in my weight loss, I want to concentrate more on the details of what's in my food. You do that for me to some degree, but knowing how many points something is doesn't always give me the information I want. Fitday gives the information up for free. I like free.

I hope there are no hard feelings, and that we can cherish the memories we've made together. It's just time for me to be moving on.

I'll always remember you,

Joy

upping the limit

I've been mulling over the results of my vacation for the past few days, as well as going over past diet logs and early documentation (you know, back when this was actually WORKING) and researching calorie recommendations on various sites...including the one for the SELF challenge which I just joined. I've come to the conclusion, perhaps wishful-thinkingly, that the reason I've been plateauing so badly, even though I'm doing everything "right", is that I need to eat more. This is not really a new revelation, but something I'm revisiting.

In the beginning, I was eating 1200-1500ish calories per day, walking 3 miles per weekday, and losing like crazy. Things started to taper off, I joined WW, and have been struggling for every pound for over a year. A couple times in the last 2 years, I've noted that on weeks I ate more, I lost more.

Three times in the past 2 weeks, I've seen articles stating that an average woman needs approximately 12-15 times her body weight in calories in order to maintain her current weight. The multiplier is determined by her activity level--more active, higher multiplier.

Let's run those numbers, based on the past month. Right now, I weigh 187. Before my vacation, I was working out 4-7 times per week, about 30-60 minutes per day. Per the suggestion on the SELF challenge site, my multiplier would be 15. I'm going to dial it back to 14, just to be conservative. That puts my maintenance calories at 2618. So, to lose 1 lb per week, I'd need to reduce that by 500 per day--2118. Now, I know from experience that this is WAY high if I hope to achieve any kind of results. However, my WW POINTS target is about 1000 calories lower than that per day. Even if I eat all my flex and activity points, I'm still averaging about 1620 calories per day*. According to nearly every RMR calculator I've used, my body burns more than that sitting on the couch all day. And yet, my weight stays within the same 5 lb range.

So, here's what I'm going to try for the next month. Since I've joined this SELF challenge anyway, I'm going to follow their 90/10 plan and calorie recommendations. Since I still pay $15/month for WW online, I'm going to keep recording over there. However, I'm raising my personal daily target to 30, with 35 flexpoints and any activity points I may earn along the way. So, in a week earning 24 activity points, I would average a high of 1921 calories per day if I ate every point available. By SELF's recommendations, this would earn me about 1 lb. lost per week. Which, at this stage of the game, is completely acceptable to me.

Will this work better? Only time will tell, but it will certainly be easier. All I know is, what I've been doing for the past month isn't working as desired, and taking a vacation had some unexpected results. I'm willing to roll with it and experiment a little.

*Depending on fat and fiber content, WW points are roughly 30-50 calories per point. That puts my target of 24 in the 720-1200 range. I consistently hover around 26-35, which would put me at 780 - 1750. Average number above is based on 24 activity points + 35 flexpoints + 168 target points * 50, divided by 7.

I'll take "Where the hell did THAT come from" for $200, Alex

And the answer is: "Sit in front of the computer at midnight eating half a pint of Ben & Jerry's."

Question: "What is something I thought I would never do again?"

"What the fuck is the matter with you?" also would have been accepted.

In my defense, I've been very good for the past 3 days, using less than 5 flexpoints. Usually by this time in the week, I'm running a negative balance, so even with the ice cream I'm still doing better than most recent weeks.

As for the why, I think I can narrow it down to two reasons...frustration, and the notion that junk begets junk.

As I mentioned, I've been eating beautifully for the past few days. I've also been working out every day since Monday. And every day since Sunday, I've been heavier. 186.5 on Sunday, 187 on Monday, 188 on Tuesday & Wednesday, and a terrifying 189 this morning. (Yeah, weighing every day = bad, blah-blah, don't care.) This during a week that I've eaten less and exercised more than any other week in the past two months. I know I said that this was about getting healthier, and less about the scale, and I do mean that...but damn. Could the scale maybe validate me just a little bit, please?!

And the second reason was sort of a re-revelation for me. It's something I've noted before, but it seems that what I eat for breakfast determines how the whole day's eating will be.

On Monday and Tuesday, I started with cheerios. Cheerios begat salads and Lean Cuisines, which begat healthy recipes cooked at home. Yesterday I started out the day with coffee and a Kashi granola bar (which is not bad as a snack, and not unhealthy...just not breakfast material). By 11 am, I was seriously hungry, so I went to Chipotle. I skimped on the rice and ordered chicken, but it still was a good 15-20 point meal. On the way home, fish sounded like a good dinner, but then Rob didn't want fish. So I bought hot dogs. And chips. And baked beans. And, of course, a pint of Primary Berry Graham. By the time dinner was over, the damage was mostly done. Ice cream at midnight just seemed like a natural progression.

So, what have I learned? a) As much as I would like to be able to ignore the scale, it matters to me, and b) eat a decent breakfast, fer chrissakes.

speaking of food...

...I am totally in love with Lean Cuisine's new chicken in peanut sauce. And this from a girl who didn't really care for their old chicken with peanut sauce. Maybe it's just in my head (probably...the nutritional labels for them are exactly the same), but this one tastes considerably better to me. Maybe it's the new packaging. :)

I can't wait to try their other "spa cuisine" varieties (this was the only one the HEB had in stock--damn those New Year's resolutions people!).

WW Recipe: Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

Okay, that chicken I made last night? Best 3-point recipe ever. It was super easy, and a big hit with all three of us (and the cat who stole the 4th piece of chicken before I remembered that I left it on the counter--grr). The original recipe can be found here, or see my edited version below. My changes are indicated in italics.

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

POINTS Value: 3
Servings: 4
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 25 min*
Level of difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 tsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove(s), crushed
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast(s), four 4-oz pieces
2 cup mushroom(s), small, halved
1/3 cup canned chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

Instructions

1. In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp of oil.

2. In a medium bowl, mix 2 tbsp vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Add chicken and turn to coat.

3. Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. Saute chicken on medium to high heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm.

4. Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in skillet. Saute mushrooms for 1 minute. Add broth, thyme, and remaining tbsp of vinegar. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about 4 minutes longer.

5. Serve chicken topped with mushrooms.

*Note: The original recipe allowed about 6 minutes for the chicken, 3 minutes for the mushrooms, 10 minutes total. For whatever reason, (thickness/size of chicken, level of heat maybe) my version took 3 times as long, and the mushrooms about twice as long. Maybe if you're a better saute-er than me, or you have flatter chicken, it will be closer to the original times.

I served it with a green/wax beans, steamed and lightly seasoned. If the weight watchers numbers are to be believed, the whole meal was 3 points. The mushrooms were my favorite part, but the whole thing was wonderful.

Diet & Exercise log, Week 103 (12/20 - 12/26)

I'm going to try, try, TRY to complete a whole week. I ate way too much last week, and I think it was because I stopped keeping track. So now I start keeping track again.

It was also at least partly because my appetite has been weird for the last 4 days or so. I haven't been waking up hungry, but really thirsty and sort of nauseated. I drink some water, try to wait out the nausea, and then about 30 minutes later I'm totally starving. I eat, and it doesn't seem to make a difference--the hunger doesn't go away. So I eat more, wait, eat more, and then all at once I feel like I've stuffed myself (which I guess I have--5 pieces of toast in 20 minutes is probably not recommended). Repeat in 3 hours or so. I'm either slightly sick, overfull or famished all the time, and my body goes through those like there's a three-way switch. My stomach's never happy anymore, and I don't understand it at all.

Hopefully I can get a handle on it this week, especially with the holiday coming up. I'd like to be able to say I lost 10 lbs. this year, and I'm going to need to lose 4 more lbs in the next 2 weeks in order to make that goal.

Points eaten: 47
Points earned: 4
Flexpoints balance: 16

MONDAY

honey nut cheerios: 4
toast: 2

latte: 3

salad: 2
strawberries: 1
bread & butter: 3
sandwich: 12

walk/run, outdoor track, 3 miles: 4

cheetos: 3

meatloaf: 4
mashed potatoes: 4
green beans
biscuit: 3

Dove bar: 6

Food: 47
Exercise: 4
Flexpoints used: 19

TUESDAY

biscuit: 3
venti latte: 4

Diet & Exercise Log - Week 102 (12/13 - 12/19)

Points eaten (starts Wednesday): 37
Points earned (starts Monday): 8
Flexpoints balance (probably inaccurate): 25

MONDAY

sugar-free vanilla non-fat latte, grande: 3
cranberry muffin: 9
(410 calories, 20g fat, but man--do I ever love this muffin)

chocolate: 1

salad w/chicken and italian dressing: 10
water

45 min. Precor: 5

<>

WEDNESDAY

gingerbread latte: 5
muffin: 9

cookies: 5

La Madeleine chicken caesar salad w/low-fat dressing: 12
light lemonade
bread: 3

walk/run, treadmill, 3-5 mph, 25 minutes: 3

cookie: 3

an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of chocolate

oh, how it pains me to be this honest. It confirms a pattern I already knew, though--I start out with good intentions every morning, and it all goes to hell about mid-afternoon.

I really need to start focusing on preparation v. planning. It's one thing to say that I plan to do a certain workout later in the day, or that I'm not going to have any snacks in the afternoon. It's quite another to actually do those things. The key is going to be actively preventing myself from veering off the plan.

Take yesterday, for instance. I didn't make the best choices for breakfast, but I made up for it at lunch. Everything was going swimmingly...until the dude from purchasing brought me a gift from one of our vendors. A coffee cup full of chocolate. I hadn't planned on a snack, but the candy was hard to resist. Before I stopped myself, I had eaten two Reese's trees, a chocolate santa, and a kiss. Eight points, taking me into flexpoints for the day.

How could I have prevented this? I could have refused the gift. I could have thrown away the candy and kept the cup. I could have dumped the candy into a bag and taken it home to Noah. Hell, I could have put the cup in my desk drawer--out of sight, out of mind. But instead of doing any of those things, I set it directly in front of me on the desk. And ate 8 points worth of candy.

That wasn't even the end of it...I got home, and there was nothing to cook at the house. I didn't really feel like going to the store and then coming home to cook...besides, it was almost time for Lost. Rob suggested Outback after the show was over, and I jumped at it. Then Noah wanted cheese fries, there was bread, salad, steak...even making some wise choices (dressing on the side, easy on the cheese & croutons, small helping of cheese fries, barely-buttered bread, steamed veggies instead of potato, only eating half the steak...), I had a 17-point dinner.

What could have prevented that? Having a dinner planned in advance, and having groceries on hand. Also, having a healthier snack in the afternoon so that I wasn't so hungry when we went out. As much as I hate big shopping trips, I need to start shopping for more than two days at a time. That way, when I come home from work, all I have to do is thaw something and steam some veggies. Better for all concerned.

I also had exercise planned for last night, but didn't actually do any. It didn't even require going anywhere--just pop in a DVD, and put up with Leslie Sansone for an hour. And yet, by the time we got back from dinner, I had put exercise completely out of my mind. It was 9:00, I reasoned, and by the time I let my food settle, it would be time to go to bed. So instead of working out, I read a book.

How could I have prevented this? Well, I could have cooked and eaten at home, thus finishing much earlier. I could even have worked out BEFORE going out to eat. I could have changed my plan to a 1 or 2-mile DVD instead of the 4-mile, and still gotten some kind of workout in after dinner. It would have been better than nothing. The key here is making workouts a priority, rather than an afterthought.

So yeah...I really need to start preparing for these late afternoon derailments, since experience has shown over and over again that they're going to happen. It just comes down to making the right choices just as easy as the wrong ones.

Diet & Exercise Log, Week 101 - 12/6/04

Seriously, week 101--I counted. Holy shit.

Points eaten: 127.5
Points earned: 9
Flexpoints balance: -11.5

MONDAY

sugar-free vanilla nonfat latte, grande: 3
bran muffin: 7

burrito: 22
diet coke

pria bar: 2
diet coke

.5L water

Precor elliptical, interval course, resistance level 4, 50 minutes: 6

Culver's sourdough turkey BLT: 15
pepsi: 3

Food: 52
Exercise: 6
Flexpoints used: 22

TUESDAY

coffee: 1
pria bar: 2

pork chops: 7
rice: 2
broccoli
fruit salad: 2

sculpting class: 3

trail mix: 6

chicken breast: 4
asparagus
1/2 avocado: 4.5
cake: 5

Food: 33.5
Exercise: 3
Flexpoints used: 6.5

WEDNESDAY

non-fat gingerbread latte, no whip, grande: 5
bran muffin: 7

LC Margherita pizza: 5
diet pepsi

Reese's christmas trees: 5
Hershey's mini santa: 2
Hershey's kiss: 1
(Damn vendor gifts!)

5ish oz steak: 6
steamed veggies
salad: 4
bread: 3
cheese fries: 4
iced tea

Food: 42
Exercise: 0
Flexpoints used: 18

THURSDAY

grande sugar-free vanilla non-fat latte: 3
banana: 2
peanut butter: 3
clementine: 1

Food:
Exercise: 6
Flexpoints used: 0

God bless Quakers

I'm hardly an oatmeal connoisseur...I was more of a cream of wheat girl as a kid, and I don't really enjoy plain oatmeal. I'm strictly a microwaveable & flavored oatmeal eater, and I usually dress that up with sugar and a little milk. That said, this may be the best oatmeal I've ever eaten.

The one I tried was the apple raisin, nuked with water and then cooled with 1/4 cup of milk after cooking. It was sweet enough on its own that I didn't need to add sugar. Nice texture also, not terribly gluey like some instant oatmeals. No weird saltiness that you sometimes get with the flavored packets. At 150 calories, 2g of fat, and 3g of fiber, it weighs in at just 3 points, and has kept my hunger away for 3 hours and counting.

P.S. My post yesterday was right...the weigh-in yesterday was the top of the hill. I was down 1.5 lbs. this morning. I think it's a combination of my body getting used to the new pills and also finally growing convinced that I'm not going to dehydrate it on a whim (I'm sometimes bad about drinking water. Or drinking anything, really. I'm not much of a drinker).

one of these kids is doing his own thing, one of these kids just doesn't belong...

One of the other nice things about taking lunch to work is that I can eat at my desk while I work, and use the free time in the middle of the day for other things. Like, for instance, going to the grocery store to replenish my snack supply.

$22 later, I'm back at the office. See if you can spot the impulse purchase:

bag of granny smith apples
apple slicer/corer (I have a really badass one from pampered chef, but it stays at home. Needed one at work)
small jar of peanut butter (for apple dipping)
3 microwaveable soups
Reese's inside-out peanut butter cups
3 pria bars
fat-free pudding cups
Keebler pretzel and cheese snacks
Cheese Nips 100-calorie packs

If you guessed the Reese's, you're right! But, in my defense, the peanut butter is on the outside, people. I've only ever had the ones where the peanut butter was on the inside. Would it taste the same, I wondered? Curiosity overcame my better judgement. It could happen to anyone. :)

And, while I know that the other snacks aren't exactly stellar nutritional choices (except the apples), they're all 2 points or less except the peanut butter and the soups. I bought the soups as a meal for those days when I eat my sack lunch at 10:30 or something, and need something more substantial to tide me over till dinner.

I'm also happy to say that I only ate one peanut butter cup. And yes, it does taste basically the same, but has a slightly more peanut-butter-baking-chips taste to it. I prefer the original.

I do this every day

Me, taking a $5 out of my wallet to go to the office cafe: "Five dollars, five dollars..."

Inner fat girl: "But what if I want a cookie?"

Inner schoolmarm: "Young lady, you have about 16 fruit cups in your desk drawer, and an apple on your computer, in plain sight. You are about to go buy quesadillas from the cafe, which are SO SERIOUSLY NOT CORE. Are you really thinking about buying a cookie too?!"

Inner fat girl, hanging head and pouting: "I guess not."

[30 seconds pass, in which my hand hovers over the change pocket of my wallet and visions of cookies dance in my head]

Inner weight watcher, as I walk out of my office with only the $5: "Woohoo! I won!"

Inner child, upon discovering that the quesadilla meal includes a cookie: "Woohoo! I won!"

Inner schoolmarm and inner weight watcher: Sigh.

getting better, sort of

I've been going through a serious dry spell where motivation is concerned. I haven't been to weightwatchers.com in about a week, and I haven't exactly been missing it, Bob. Though I'm pleased to say that I've been eating sort of healthily. Sort of. There's been some truffles and cheese enchiladas (not in the same meal). Still, I haven't put on any weight, and the majority of my food has fallen into the "everyone thinks this is healthy" category. Fruit, lean meat, whole grain things. I'm doing well, even though I can't seem to give an ounce of flying fuck whether I am or not. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

The gym is another matter...I'm not even sure where my card is. I had it the last time I went, and then put it somewhere. That was a week ago. (Again with the not caring.) I do intend to get back with the running in the next week or so, because I think I can do it without hurting my knees now and it's starting to get cooler outside.

The whole gym-missing problem is not entirely due to my zero-motivation problem. I mean, it is, but it's also influenced by my 3-days-driving-home-from-the-Galleria-during-rush-hour problem, my church-meeting-every-night problem, my fresh-hell-of-Rob's-cluster-migraines problem (now with harrowing trip to the ER action!), my it's-been-six-damn-months-since-the-wedding-and-the-thank-yous-aren't-out-yet problem, and my holy-shit-is-my-bank-account-balance-depressing problem. I expect these things to be clearing up, though, since my Galleria training class is over, there are no more meetings till Sunday, Rob's migraines seem to have tapered off to once a day, I finally started on the thank yous at least, and I just got paid. Now, if the house would magically clean itself, and the laundry was self-folding and putting-away, I could officially declare myself out of chaos territory.

So, today I've been trying to turn the diet trend around. Everything I've eaten except for a lean pocket for lunch and a handful of M&Ms has been on my core list. I've planned a meal for tonight (this--I love you, foodfit--and possibly corn on the cob, if the HEB has nice-looking corn when I go to get the tomatoes and cilantro) that is totally core, and it actually sounds appetizing to me right now. This could change at any moment, but for right now things are looking up. I don't have any meetings or crises or horrendous traffic to deal with tonight, so I might actually make it to the gym too. Maybe while the chicken is marinating.

So, you folks on the weight loss wagon--see that speck on the horizon behind you, staggering all over the road, looks like it's maybe waving at you? That's just me trying to catch up again. There's still a lot of road between us, but I'm gaining on you.

The Question

This weekend wasn't really a food nightmare, but it wasn't good. Even with all my talk of recommitting to this healthy lifestyle, and meeting challenges, and seeing size 12 by 2005, I still ate myself sick 2 days out of 3. And even as my body screamed for something outside the grease, starch, and sugar food groups all day yesterday, I stuck my fingers in my ears and chanted "la, la, la...I can't hear you!" until dinner. Even then, I gave it the grilled salmon grudgingly (and with cheese fries).

Today, I woke up feeling capable, and ready to do this for real. I have focused a ridiculous amount of energy on The Question:

Am I hungry?

It's a simple question, really, and I always know the answer. In the past, the answer was almost always one of two options--"OMG, I'm starving!" or "eh, I could eat". Today, however, I replaced those answers with "YES" and "NO". My biggest struggle is believing myself when the answer is NO...which, unsurprisingly, is most of the time.

So far, it's going well. I've given in to three dark Hershey's kisses and a piece of whole wheat toast, but everything else I've eaten has been Core. And even though I really, REALLY wanted dessert at lunch, I didn't order it even when the waitress asked me again. Because the answer to The Question was NO.

I also went to the Kroger and picked up an insane amount of snacks to keep at my desk--fruit cups, applesauce (no sugar added), plain yogurt, string cheese (it's on my core list), apples. I have enough noshing supplies for a couple weeks, so long as I'm able to listen to my body, and stand by its answer to The Question.

two words...

...never again.

I mean, I love me some Culver's, but I think in the future I'm going to have to plan for it a little differently. I ate my salad at about 11:15, and then didn't eat anything else until 7:30. By then I was absolutely ravenous. It was one of those times when it actually felt like my body was trying to eat itself. My cheeks and elbows (Elbows?! what's that about?) got hot, and I started getting a little woozy. The plan to go to the gym before I ate was thrown forcibly aside by 6:30, and I swear last night was the longest commute ever.

I know what you're thinking, because I was thinking it too--it had only been EIGHT HOURS since lunch. I'm not sure what was going on with my body, but I guess it's been a pretty long time since I've forced myself to function on 300 calories for most of a day. If I actually stayed on plan consistently I'm sure it wouldn't have been that much of a shock, but I've gotten used to eating every 2-3 hours, and consuming 600-1100 calories before 3 pm. Cut that in half, and my body starts having a panic attack. What can I say--the body's a drama queen. I've got it so trained to never be hungry that if it goes eight waking hours without a snack, it thinks it may never see food again.

The lesson in this is that if I'm going to save most of my points for the evening, I need to either spread out my meals better, or I need to bring no-point foods for snacks.

The good news is that even though I was so hungry, I still ordered exactly as I planned. I did order fries, but I only ate about half of them, and I ended up throwing away half my frozen custard, too. Then we went straight from Culver's to the gym, where I burned off those fries. I ended up with a 28-point day and 6 activity points, which is the best WW day I've had in a loooong time.

discovery of the day

I like coffee.

I like yogurt.

I do not like coffee-flavored yogurt. In fact, it may be the nastiest substance known to man. Ugh.

diet gourmet reviews, meals 2 & 3

Well, here we are on day 3 of the Diet Gourmet food experiment. I already reviewed the herb-rubbed salmon on the first day, so let's go ahead with the next two meals...Buffalo burger and Santa Fe chicken dippers.

Buffalo Burger

I've never had buffalo before, but the burger's texture was suspicious...reminded me of those fake generic pressed-meat-product burgers that you can buy in the freezer aisle for a buck and a half ("now with more smoky flavor and realistic grill marks!"). I'm sure this was not helped by the fact that two minutes (the instructions indicated 1-2 minutes) in my microwave was way, WAY too long. Smooshy bun and sticky cheese everywhere after 1:08, at which time I took it out and cursed profusely.

Once it had cooled to a temperature less than the surface of the sun, I did layer it with the supplied veggies, a scosh of mayo, and some mustard and pickles from my fridge, and lo, it was good. Except for the aforementioned texture problem, that is.

Like with the salmon meal, the best part of this one were the side items. The little bag of baby carrots was pretty standard, but the apple-pineapple salad was awesome, and the dill cucumber salad was pretty good too. Even with the high acid content and my split lip (I haven't been drinking enough water), I ate them to the last yummy--if painful--bite.

The calories on this meal were a little higher--over 400 calories. Since I am a dolt and threw away the container before jotting down the exact numbers, I don't remember the fat content. I think it was around 10g. At 425 calories, 10g of fat, and oh, let's say 2g of fiber, it's still only a 9 point meal. And it kept me full for about 8 hours, so I guess it was worth it.

Santa Fe chicken dippers

Though the package did not indicate any cooking instructions, I threw the chicken in a coffee filter and popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds. (I only find cold chicken edible if it's fried and/or on a sandwich.) Thirty seconds were really just long enough to make it not-cold, but I was still too wary from the buffalo incident yesterday to stick it out for a full minute. Besides, I had to eat this with my fingers.

Even after the warming, I wasn't crazy about the meat. Again, texture (I'm beginning to think this is a recurring theme). The flavor was fine, and the lime-cilantro dipping sauce was excellent.

Alas, not as much luck with all the sides this time. There was this cup of coleslaw or something...to me, it tasted for all the world like someone had peed on some cabbage. Once I torpedoed that into the trash, the rest of it was okay. The wheat crackers and baby carrots were nice (and good with the dipping sauce!), but the highlight of the meal (besides the dipping sauce!) was the gold kiwi.

I didn't know such a thing existed. I've had (and loved) the green kiwi, and that's what I expected this to be when I spied it through the package. The produce sticker said "New Zealand GOLD", but I thought that was the brand, like Sunkist for oranges, or Chiquita bananas. When I peeled the thing, I was surprised to find that the inside was yellow. What the hell? Had my kiwi gone bad?! It didn't smell bad, or feel bad.

Being a geek at heart, I googled "new zealand gold kiwi" and got the scoop. Tropical, eh? Sweet, eh? Let's give this bad boy a try.

Best. Fruit. EVER.

It's got the basic awesomeness of a kiwi, but it's less tart. It reminds me a little of berries, and something else that I can't quite put my finger on. Whatever--it rocks. You should go buy one right now!

Ahem. So, anyway, the entire meal was 385 calories, 11.6g of fat. WW tells me this is 9 points at 0g of fiber. I'm guessing it actually has at least 2 grams, but possibly closer to 4-5g. Any fiber at all brings it down to 8 points, so that's what I'm going with.

So, 3 days into this experiment, things are going pretty well. The pickup was easy, despite the fact that they forgot my cooler. And while I have had texture issues with every one of the main courses so far, I think this is a factor that can be safely ignored by anyone who doesn't have bizarre food-feel issues. The taste of everything has been good (with the exception of the pee-cabbage), and the food seems to keep well in the fridge for at least this long. I still have pot roast and turkey chili on the menu for the next two days, so I'll let you know what I think of those on Friday.

and speaking of diet gourmet...

I went and picked up my first week of Diet Gourmet meals today. What an adventure.

when I signed up, my home zip code wasn't in the list of places they delivered, which is really just as well. They charge by mileage for delivery, so I imagine that going from SW Houston to the far NW suburbs would be pricey. So instead of having the meals delivered, I chose a pickup location that was semi-close to work and had workable hours. Never mind that I've never been down there before--how hard can it be, right?

I clicked on the map link for my pickup location, and made a note of the address and its relation to the major highways. Then I wrote the name of the place and the street address on a post-it and hopped in my car for what I thought was going to be a pretty straightforward trip.

Alas, no. First, I missed the exit from the beltway. Then I missed the next two good places to turn around, because I thought they were going to take me onto another tollway. Then I turned around, got honked at a bunch of times because apparently, waiting an extra 15 seconds in order to not get T-boned by a truck is considered waaay too cautious down there. I managed to get back to my road, and (miracles!) turn the right direction, but then (despite watching the numbers on the signs like a hawk) I overshot the shopping center by 3 blocks and had to turn around again.

By this time, I was totally starving, having worked out for 40 minutes on only an Egg McMuffin (shut up, I was running late) and an orange juice before 8 am. It was now noon, and I was contemplating how well I could drive with just my right hand if I decided to go ahead and gnaw off my left one. Thankfully, it didn't come to that, since I managed to locate the teeny-tiny store that was holding my food hostage.

The pickup was mercifully easy, except that despite paying $5 for a cooler, the DG folks did not send one. According to the clerk, they almost never do, even when a customer asks for one. Other than that, the pickup was lovely, and I was out of there in about 2 minutes. Once in the car, I looked at the food...not too shabby. Everything looked at least sort of appetizing. All the dishes were clearly labeled with the dish's name, and cooking instructions if needed. The bag was sturdy.

After an agonizing 30-minute trip back to the office, I took out the meal with the shortest shelf life (they have A, B, C, and D meals, and you can choose from all of the categories, multiple meals from one section, etc. They recommend you eat them in alpha order for maximum freshness), which turned out to be "herb-rubbed salmon". It was one of those meals that was technically a dinner, but chosen because the description sounded yummy.

It was attractively presented, with baby carrots in one compartment, broccoli in another, and the salmon in the middle sitting on top of a bed of white beans with a lemon wedge (that I wish I would have taken out before I microwaved it). I popped it in the microwave for the recommended 2 minutes, and it was ready.

I wasn't crazy about the herb rub, since refrigeration and reheating had turned it into a sort of green slime. The texture wasn't bad and the flavor was good, but it was hard to look at it and still want to put it in my mouth. The steamed veggies were good and firm, unlike other lunches-in-a-box that I have tried. I particularly liked the white bean stuff under the salmon. Even with the entree from the 1100-calorie menu, it was a lot of food.

According to the nutritional information, the whole meal was 343 calories, 12.6g of fat, and some stats on protein and carbs that I don't really care about (they were both around 30g). My one gripe is that they don't include fiber grams on their nutritional info, which makes WW points more difficult to calculate. I'm ballparking this meal at 5g of fiber, since beans are pretty high-fiber and the other veggies carry a decent amount too. With that, it comes to 7 points*. Not too bad for what was listed as an evening meal, which tend to be higher calorie for most people.

I'm withholding my verdict until I get through the entire week, and I'm still kind of pissed that they didn't send my cooler (and that I have to call them to tell them not to charge me for it--I hate calling people), but so far this is looking like a good option for me.

*If there was no fiber at all, it would be 8 points.

and in other news...

...I signed up for this today.

I only got 5 meals (3 lunches, 2 dinners), and I'm going to eat them all as lunches M-F. I just chose the items on the Monday pickup menu that looked most appetizing, and went from there. With 3 people at the house for dinners, it's just not practical to make individual evening meals. I can handle those on my own.

Mostly I just decided to do this to eliminate a variable. I go out to lunch just about every day, ranging from $4 at Jack in the Box one day to $14 (with tip) at Applebee's the next. The points range varies just as wildly--5 one day, 14 or (gasp!) 20 another. With both my weight loss efforts and my budget a little unstable right now, I think it will help to know how much lunch is going to cost from day to day, both financially and nutritionally.

Of course, this all hinges on the taste of the food, and the customer service at my first pick-up. If the people are rude or the food tastes like ass warmed over, then it will just be an experiment gone bad. There's no contract or anything, so I have nothing to lose for trying, right?

I'll let you know Monday.

ooh...cookie chips!

Sometimes, you just want cookies.

Last night, walking the aisles of the grocery store, I had one of those times. I stood there in the cookie aisle, box of chocolate creme store-brand Oreo knockoffs* in hand, when I remembered the 100-calorie packs of cookies that Nabisco just started selling. Once I found them hiding at the end of the cookie aisle, I picked up a box of Chips Ahoy and a box of Oreo crisps.

I haven't tried the Oreo variety, but the Chips Ahoy are really good. Since they're so thin and crunchy, they're almost like chips. Also like chips, they're not much good for milk-dunking. This is a little disappointing, since that is one of the defining characteristics I look for in a cookie. However, there are soo many cookies in each pack that for 100 calories (2 points), I feel like I'm totally cheating. Which I guess I am, since 20ish cookie crisps are not exactly the healthiest way to spend 100 calories...but they do take care of the average cookie craving quite nicely.

I'll have to be careful, though...if I ever bring more than one packet to work, it could get ugly. The "only 2 points" makes it so easy to justify an entire box in one day. :)

*HEB--unlike that Randall's knockoff with the penguins on the bag and the ass aftertaste, these could actually pass for Oreos. I still bought them as a fallback, but I don't think I'll need them.

Food/Fitness log, 7/17 - 7/23/04

Once again, starting this late. I should have recorded food this weekend, because I'm curious whether I broke even with all the activity points.

UPDATE: Hey, whaddya know--I did! (with about 6 to spare on Sat.)

Food points: 157
Activity points: 40
Flexpoints balance: 6.5

SATURDAY

running clinic (~4 hours of drills, running): 20

3 mini muffins: 4
2 pretzels: 0
trail mix: 5

2.5L water

cheesecake: 7
ham sandwich: 6
cupcake: 3

cheese enchilada: 5
chips: 6.5
1/2 beef enchilada: 3
diet coke: 0

pistachios: 2

Food: 38.5
Activity: 20
Flexpoints used: 0

SUNDAY

instant oatmeal: 4

30 mile bike ride, 4 hours with stops: 17

2 big pretzels: 3
1 oreo: 1
an orange quarter: 0
a slice of watermelon: 0
some powerade: 1

McDonald's quarter pounder w/cheese: 13
fries: 8
coke: 4

sleeping all afternoon....

cheesecake: 7

Food: 41
Activity: 17
Flexpoints used: 0

Note to self: Get the cheesecake the hell out of the house. Now.

MONDAY

pistachios: 2
lemon berry coffee cake: 6
latte: 3

Panera 1/2 ham & swiss: 7
1/3 classic cafe salad: 4
diet pepsi: 0

caffeine-free diet coke: 0
(because I couldn't find any water in the 1st & 3rd floor fridges, and the thought of walking out to the trunk of my car on my sore leg makes me want to cry)

a whole lotta crap (I threw away the leftovers): 21

Food: 43
Activity: 0
Flexpoints used: 19

TUESDAY

honey nut cheerios: 3
banana: 2

1L water

turkey burger: 11 (it's huuuge)
salad: 4
diet coke: 0

.5L water

--planned--

chicken breast: 4
broccoli: 0
milk: 2

cheese: 2
apple: 1
peanut butter: 2

Food: 31
Activity: 0
Flexpoints used: 7

WEDNESDAY

30m elliptical: 3
.5L water

latte: 3
LF blueberry muffin: 6.5
(dammit, I would have been better off with the coffee cake)

1L water

Applebee's sizzling chicken skillet: 7
diet pepsi

1L water

Wendy's Jr. bacon cheeseburger: 9
chips ahoy 100-calorie pack: 2
milk: 2

Food: 29.5
Activity: 3
Flexpoints used: 2.5

on food

I realized on the way back from lunch today that I forgot to journal two things I ate yesterday--cashews and 1/2 an avocado. That's 8.5 extra points, yo.

That makes 48.5 points yesterday, total. Yowsa. And then I whine about not losing anything.

Also, instead of having the Jack in the Box SW chicken pita, I went to Tortuga today. They have this chicken veggie quesadilla that they make with whole wheat tortillas, chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers, mushrooms and low-fat cheese--so good. When I ran my estimation of the ingredients through the pointifier, I got 5.5 points for half the entree (which is how much I ate). It's a little bit more of a drive, a little more expensive, and I have to consciously tune out the siren song of the chips and salsa, but it was a 1000 times better than the SW pita. And it's not really more expensive when you consider that I'll be eating it the other half for dinner tonight.

Food & Fitness log: 7/10 - 7/16

Since I said I was going to start doing these, and I was in MT anyway deleting spam comments and banning IP addresses (note to self: MT-Blacklist), I figured I may as well start this week.

Since I have no idea what went on earlier in the week (other than that I worked out some and ate a lot), let's just start with today.

Food points: 72.5
Activity points: 6
Flexpoints balance: -21.5*

*I'm pretty sure I used all of them (and then some) this weekend.

WEDNESDAY

vitamins

.5L water

walk/run, 2.5 miles, ~32 minutes: 3

SK small blueberry heaven smoothie w/extra protein: 7

1L water

Applebee's citrus chicken salad: 5
lemon berry "cheesecake": 5
iced tea: 0

pria bar: 2

cashews: 4
1/2 avocado: 4.5

*cough*6 oreos*cough*: 10
chicken with bacon, tomato and thyme: 9
asparagus: 0
milk: 2

Total food: 48.5
Activity: 3
Flexpoints used: 21.5

THURSDAY

latte*: 3
Low-fat lemon raspberry coffee cake**: 6

1.5L water

1/2 Tortuga chicken veggie quesadilla: 5.5
iced tea

1L water

-----planned-----

sculpting class: 3
.5L water

other 1/2 Tortuga chicken veggie quesadilla: 5.5
.5L water

2 mcnuggets (we had nephews at the house): 2
1/2 bag of smart pop popcorn: 2

*My usual: Grande sugar-free vanilla non-fat latte
**Starbucks provides no nutritional info on this guy, and neither does Dotti. I'm ballparking it at 6 points, since that's what the other low-fat coffee cakes are.

Total food: 24
Activity: 3
Flexpoints used: 0

FRIDAY

apple: 1
peanut butter: 4.5

2.5 mile walk/run, 30 minutes: 3
.5L water

pria bar: 2

1L water

chicken mcnuggets*: 6
french fries*: 5
diet coke*: 0

*McD's Mighty Kid's Meal...not terribly healthy, I know, but since eating the nephews' leftover nuggets last night, I've been wanting some. It's 11 points, I'm not going to sweat it.

Dear Starbucks,

I totally love you for this.

Yours,

Joy

(grande mocha, no whip--3 points, as opposed to the 6-point original. Rock. On.)

Review: McDonald's Fiesta Salad

When I got in my car at 11:30, I was on my way to Boston Market for their classic rotisserie salad. I was even looking forward to it, though the nearest Boston Market is about 10 miles away. But then, right about the time I approached the McDonald's, a McDonald's commercial came on the radio. I took this as a sign from God that I should try that new Fiesta Salad.

And lo, it was good. I was a little concerned about the meat, since we are talking McDonald's here...would it be seasoned well? As it turns out, it was pretty tasty. No less taco-ey tasting than, say, Taco Bell meat. The tortilla strips were sufficiently crunchy, the salsa not overly mushy, the lettuce looked fresh and varied, lettuce was more plentiful than the cheese, and the long wide strips of carrot made them easy to pick out and throw away (not a big fan of the carrots).

Overall, the salad was no better or worse than the average taco salad that you would get anywhere else, but at least the nutritional values on this one are good--With the salsa and sour cream, it weighs in at 450 calories (10 points). The fat content (27g) is a little high for people who care about such things, but I am not one of those people (at least not until it gets to 50g or more, and/or is swimming in grease). I also don't like sour cream, so my salad was less 5g of fat, and my calories were reduced to 390 (9 points). Considering that the Boston Market salad I was planning is 11.5 points with dressing (and half the provided dressing at that), I actually made a better points choice by going to McDonalds. Not necessarily a better nutrition choice, but again--as long as it's not heart-stoppingly unhealthy, I'm not too concerned. Also, since I got the happy meal, it came with a toy! Excuse me, "stepometer". I got a red one. :)

Overall, 2 thumbs up.

update on the stew

Forgot to mention...the crockpot stew turned out really good (caro, you were right!). If I had it to do over again (and I will in the near future), I would put in less onions and more water. After sitting on warm for 2 hours until we got home, the potatoes were sticking to the side a little, and the sauce wasn't quite as liquid as I would have liked. The flavor was very good, though, and it's a recipe I will definitely try again.

Next on the crockpot agenda--shepherd's pie. Then, on a weekend, I am going to try this turkey chipotle chili. (I can't do it during the week because it only has a 4 hour cook time.)

Lovin' that crockpot. :)

update on the stew

Forgot to mention...the crockpot stew turned out really good (caro, you were right!). If I had it to do over again (and I will in the near future), I would put in less onions and more water. After sitting on warm for 2 hours until we got home, the potatoes were sticking to the side a little, and the sauce wasn't quite as liquid as I would have liked. The flavor was very good, though, and it's a recipe I will definitely try again.

Next on the crockpot agenda--shepherd's pie. Then, on a weekend, I am going to try this turkey chipotle chili. (I can't do it during the week because it only has a 4 hour cook time.)

Lovin' that crockpot. :)

surprise, surprise...

...I'm abolishing the diet logs. I keep track of the same stuff at eTools, so I'm getting tired of writing it down twice. Instead, I'll just put my food total on the last post of the day. Like now:

Daily Stats 6/2/04 - Food: 29 Exercise: 4 Flexpoints used: 1

surprise, surprise...

...I'm abolishing the diet logs. I keep track of the same stuff at eTools, so I'm getting tired of writing it down twice. Instead, I'll just put my food total on the last post of the day. Like now:

Daily Stats 6/2/04 - Food: 29 Exercise: 4 Flexpoints used: 1

crockpot madness

We got a really pretty crockpot for a wedding gift, and it's been decorating our kitchen ever since. This week, I decided to actually use it, so I went to barnes & noble for a slow cooker cookbook. I think I looked at about 17 before settling on this one, because it had a good-looking beef stew recipe. (The amazon reviews don't look too promising, though, do they?)

So, last night I bought all the ingredients for the beef stew, and I followed the recipe exactly. Except...well, it said to put in the meat, then the liquid, then the veggies, put the cover on, and leave it for 8-9 hours. It didn't say anything about stirring. In our 6-quart oval, the liquid doesn't cover any of the veggies. I'm a little worried that I'm going to have beautifully stewed meat, topped with raw, dry vegetables.

So, to stir or not to stir, that is the question. I looked at the other stew recipes in the book, and they have directions to stir if stirring is required. So for today, I'm just going to leave it alone, but I just know I'm going to be nervous about it all day long.

UPDATE, 20 minutes later: Okay, I feel a little better...the steam is starting to rise up to the lid, so I think that might be what is going to cook the veggies. Man, I hope this doesn't suck.

crockpot madness

We got a really pretty crockpot for a wedding gift, and it's been decorating our kitchen ever since. This week, I decided to actually use it, so I went to barnes & noble for a slow cooker cookbook. I think I looked at about 17 before settling on this one, because it had a good-looking beef stew recipe. (The amazon reviews don't look too promising, though, do they?)

So, last night I bought all the ingredients for the beef stew, and I followed the recipe exactly. Except...well, it said to put in the meat, then the liquid, then the veggies, put the cover on, and leave it for 8-9 hours. It didn't say anything about stirring. In our 6-quart oval, the liquid doesn't cover any of the veggies. I'm a little worried that I'm going to have beautifully stewed meat, topped with raw, dry vegetables.

So, to stir or not to stir, that is the question. I looked at the other stew recipes in the book, and they have directions to stir if stirring is required. So for today, I'm just going to leave it alone, but I just know I'm going to be nervous about it all day long.

UPDATE, 20 minutes later: Okay, I feel a little better...the steam is starting to rise up to the lid, so I think that might be what is going to cook the veggies. Man, I hope this doesn't suck.

mmm....assy

I tried that KFC oven roasted strips meal today. In the immortal words of Mr. Horse on Ren & Stimpy: "No sir, I didn't like it."

I'm not sure which was worst...the shake-n-bakeish outer coating of the chicken, the gluey texture of the rice, or the--brace yourself--PIMENTOS IN THE GREEN BEANS.

THEY PUT PIMENTOS WITH THE BEANS. People, my hatred of pimentos runs deep. So deep that I don't even care enough to look up the word to see if I'm spelling it right (it's either pimentos or pimientos--those noxious red things with which green olives and lunch meat loaves are ruined). Those of you that know my spelling-bee-winning history know just how deep that is.

The biscuit was the best thing about the meal, and I had to pay extra for it. Sigh. I had such high hopes. At least I only wasted 8 points on it. Probably closer to 6, since I could only stomach about 1/3 of the rice and none of the beans.

(It should be noted that this was just one KFC, and the last time I had beans at a different KFC, they were pimento-free. That's still no excuse for the rest of the meal, which I'm sure is universally ass-tasting. But, your mileage may vary.)

mmm....assy

I tried that KFC oven roasted strips meal today. In the immortal words of Mr. Horse on Ren & Stimpy: "No sir, I didn't like it."

I'm not sure which was worst...the shake-n-bakeish outer coating of the chicken, the gluey texture of the rice, or the--brace yourself--PIMENTOS IN THE GREEN BEANS.

THEY PUT PIMENTOS WITH THE BEANS. People, my hatred of pimentos runs deep. So deep that I don't even care enough to look up the word to see if I'm spelling it right (it's either pimentos or pimientos--those noxious red things with which green olives and lunch meat loaves are ruined). Those of you that know my spelling-bee-winning history know just how deep that is.

The biscuit was the best thing about the meal, and I had to pay extra for it. Sigh. I had such high hopes. At least I only wasted 8 points on it. Probably closer to 6, since I could only stomach about 1/3 of the rice and none of the beans.

(It should be noted that this was just one KFC, and the last time I had beans at a different KFC, they were pimento-free. That's still no excuse for the rest of the meal, which I'm sure is universally ass-tasting. But, your mileage may vary.)

D&E log, 5/26 - 6/1

Can we make it two full diet logs in a row? Maybe, maybe not.

Points eaten: 99
Points earned: 5
Flexpoints used: 25

WEDNESDAY

low-fat granola w/milk: 4
grande mocha frappuccino, no whipped cream*: 6

banana: 2

J@son's deli turkey wrap: 8
fruit salad (strawberries & cantaloupe): .5
single-size box of Junior mints (4 pieces): .5

fried chicken-in-a-box: many
mashed potatoes: 4.5
corn: 1

Points eaten: 41 (the number that eTools gave me)
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 17

THURSDAY

2 egg whites, one whole egg (to cut the slimy-ness factor): 3
diced tomatoes
low fat cheese: 1
latte: 3

1.5L water

KFC roasted strips meal (roasted chicken strips, green beans, seasoned rice): 6
biscuit: 4
diet coke

1.5L water

pretzels: 2
peanut butter: 2

tilapia: 2
asparagus

yogurt: 3

Points eaten: 26
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 2

FRIDAY

honey nut cheerios: 3
latte: 3

chipotle burrito: 17
diet coke

1L water

hamburger on bun: 8
lettuce
tomato
mustard
pickle
chips: 4

1-hour walk: 5--DO IT OR DIE, JOY

Points eaten: 35
Points earned: 5
Flexpoints used: 4

*In the future, this will be listed as "mocha frap", and everyone will know what this means. (The description noted above, that is, not "a moment of weakness". But yeah--that, too.)

D&E log, 5/26 - 6/1

Can we make it two full diet logs in a row? Maybe, maybe not.

Points eaten: 99
Points earned: 5
Flexpoints used: 25

WEDNESDAY

low-fat granola w/milk: 4
grande mocha frappuccino, no whipped cream*: 6

banana: 2

J@son's deli turkey wrap: 8
fruit salad (strawberries & cantaloupe): .5
single-size box of Junior mints (4 pieces): .5

fried chicken-in-a-box: many
mashed potatoes: 4.5
corn: 1

Points eaten: 41 (the number that eTools gave me)
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 17

THURSDAY

2 egg whites, one whole egg (to cut the slimy-ness factor): 3
diced tomatoes
low fat cheese: 1
latte: 3

1.5L water

KFC roasted strips meal (roasted chicken strips, green beans, seasoned rice): 6
biscuit: 4
diet coke

1.5L water

pretzels: 2
peanut butter: 2

tilapia: 2
asparagus

yogurt: 3

Points eaten: 26
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 2

FRIDAY

honey nut cheerios: 3
latte: 3

chipotle burrito: 17
diet coke

1L water

hamburger on bun: 8
lettuce
tomato
mustard
pickle
chips: 4

1-hour walk: 5--DO IT OR DIE, JOY

Points eaten: 35
Points earned: 5
Flexpoints used: 4

*In the future, this will be listed as "mocha frap", and everyone will know what this means. (The description noted above, that is, not "a moment of weakness". But yeah--that, too.)

superfish

I'm a fish person. I like fish, any variety, anytime. Tuna sandwiches, fishsticks, baked cod, grilled snapper, grilled salmon...oh my god, salmon.

Today, though, I sing the praises of my new favorite fish--tilapia. I bought some on sale a couple days ago, and we broiled it last night. It would have been better the first day, but one of our (five!) cats got a little excited about the grocery bag o' meat, and stuck a paw through the plastic on the ground beef before we could get to it. So we had to bump the tacos up the schedule. The fish was still pretty damn good the second day, though. It's firm, not terribly fishy-tasting, doesn't flake apart when you try to take it off the pan. It also isn't filleted and sold with the skin on (the thing that grosses me out about cooking salmon at home).

I had around 5 ounces, and WW tells me that's 3 points. Three. I love tilapia. The only things I don't love about it are the price (about $8/lb.), the hit-and-miss availability at my local store, and the name. Tilapia is one of those words that gets stuck on my tongue, and no matter how many times I ask the guy, I can never remember how to pronounce it. I go into a panic at the seafood counter, trying to decide whether I should ask for a pound of till-a-PEE-a or ti-LA-pia. Then I figure that they're both wrong, and before I know it the butcher guy is rolling his eyes and fetching someone else some shrimp. Most of the time, I just point.

But other than that, it's nature's perfect food.

superfish

I'm a fish person. I like fish, any variety, anytime. Tuna sandwiches, fishsticks, baked cod, grilled snapper, grilled salmon...oh my god, salmon.

Today, though, I sing the praises of my new favorite fish--tilapia. I bought some on sale a couple days ago, and we broiled it last night. It would have been better the first day, but one of our (five!) cats got a little excited about the grocery bag o' meat, and stuck a paw through the plastic on the ground beef before we could get to it. So we had to bump the tacos up the schedule. The fish was still pretty damn good the second day, though. It's firm, not terribly fishy-tasting, doesn't flake apart when you try to take it off the pan. It also isn't filleted and sold with the skin on (the thing that grosses me out about cooking salmon at home).

I had around 5 ounces, and WW tells me that's 3 points. Three. I love tilapia. The only things I don't love about it are the price (about $8/lb.), the hit-and-miss availability at my local store, and the name. Tilapia is one of those words that gets stuck on my tongue, and no matter how many times I ask the guy, I can never remember how to pronounce it. I go into a panic at the seafood counter, trying to decide whether I should ask for a pound of till-a-PEE-a or ti-LA-pia. Then I figure that they're both wrong, and before I know it the butcher guy is rolling his eyes and fetching someone else some shrimp. Most of the time, I just point.

But other than that, it's nature's perfect food.

D&E log, 5/19 - 5/25 - Recommit week #4

Seriously, why do I even try to do these logs anymore? I never finish them.

(Well, because when I do, it works. When I try and fail about halfway through the week, it still kind of works. So I soldier on.)

I'm abandoning the Wendie plan, though, in favor of a meal plan. I don't have anything against Wendie, but history has shown that I don't do very well following it. I mean, I have no doubt it would work if I did. I just don't.

Instead, I've planned everything I'm going to put in my mouth and how I'm going to move my body from here until Sunday (by the time I planned Sunday, I was completely braindead and nothing sounded appetizing for Monday...I'll pick that up on Friday or Saturday). My points values still vary day to day, and they still fall within the limits of the Flexpoints plan. However, I'm not worried about hitting a specific target each day, or varying my numbers in any particular order. Saturday is still my highest day, but the other days vary. On my current plan, I use only 18 flexpoints between now and Sunday. To some, that seems like a lot...to me, it's a miracle.

Shutting up now.

Points eaten: 212.5
Points earned: 5
Flexpoints used: 42.5

WEDNESDAY

a NF-SF vanilla latte so badly prepared that I could only drink 2/3s of it: 2
scrambled eggs w/low-fat cheese and onions: 5

1L water

Boston Market classic rotisserie salad (no egg, no garbanzo beans, 1/2 the dressing): 11.5
big chocolate chip cookie: 5

1.5L water

1 hour walk: 5

1L water

broiled tilapia: 3
broccoli
brown & wild rice: 4

Points eaten: 30.5
Points earned: 5
Flexpoints used: 1.5

THURSDAY

NF-SF vanilla latte, grande: 3
banana: 1.5
vanilla la creme yogurt: 3

1.5L water

rotisserie chicken salad (lettuce, tomato, low-fat cheese, avocado, light dressing, chicken): 8

1.5L water

homemade pizza (boboli personal-size crust, sauce, turkey pepperoni, 1/2 c. mozzarella, green olives, onions, mushrooms): 15

Points eaten: 30.5
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 6.5

FRIDAY

egg white omelet: 3
coffee: 1

grilled chicken sandwich w/lettuce & tomato, a little mayo: 8
potato chips: 4
fruit salad: 1
cookie: 3

1L water

spaghetti tossed w/diced tomatoes & mushrooms: 4
.5L water

Points eaten: 24
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 0

SATURDAY

2-egg omelet (2 egg whites, low-fat cheese, pepperoni, onions): 4

1L water

popcorn: 3
diet coke

1.5L water

steak/chicken/shrimp kabobs from Pappasitos, and possibly a margarita: 25

Points eaten: 32
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 8

SUNDAY

coffee w/creamer & sweetener: 1
doughnut: 6

rotisserie chicken: 4.5
rice: 4
broccoli

6 oz. sirloin: 11
brussels sprouts

coffee w/creamer & sweetener: 1

Points eaten: 30*
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 6

MONDAY

honey nut cheerios: 3
SF-NF vanilla latte, grande: 3

1L water

apple: 1
peanut butter: 4.5

2L water

rotisserie chicken: 4
green beans w/almonds: 1
yogurt: 3
milk: 2

Points eaten: 21.5
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 0

TUESDAY

2 eggs: 4
low-fat cheese: 1
tomatoes
onions
pepperoni: .5
latte**: 3

1.5L water

jerk shrimp kabobs (10 shrimp): 5.5
fries: 6
iced tea

treadmill, random hills, 45 minutes @ 3.4 mph: 4

yogurt: 3
banana: 2

Chili's fajitas: 20 (shut up--I KNOW)
diet coke

Points eaten: 45
Points earned: 4
Flexpoints used: 0

*I know these (and possibly other) numbers don't add up right. What happened was, I updated at ww etools, then took the totals and dumped them over here without changing the food listings. I did not eat what I planned, but I ate mostly on plan. If that makes any sense.

**I only drink one kind of latte, in one size. Grande, sugar-free vanilla, non-fat. With a dash of cinnamon. I got tired of typing all that every day. :)

D&E log, 5/19 - 5/25 - Recommit week #4

Seriously, why do I even try to do these logs anymore? I never finish them.

(Well, because when I do, it works. When I try and fail about halfway through the week, it still kind of works. So I soldier on.)

I'm abandoning the Wendie plan, though, in favor of a meal plan. I don't have anything against Wendie, but history has shown that I don't do very well following it. I mean, I have no doubt it would work if I did. I just don't.

Instead, I've planned everything I'm going to put in my mouth and how I'm going to move my body from here until Sunday (by the time I planned Sunday, I was completely braindead and nothing sounded appetizing for Monday...I'll pick that up on Friday or Saturday). My points values still vary day to day, and they still fall within the limits of the Flexpoints plan. However, I'm not worried about hitting a specific target each day, or varying my numbers in any particular order. Saturday is still my highest day, but the other days vary. On my current plan, I use only 18 flexpoints between now and Sunday. To some, that seems like a lot...to me, it's a miracle.

Shutting up now.

Points eaten: 212.5
Points earned: 5
Flexpoints used: 42.5

WEDNESDAY

a NF-SF vanilla latte so badly prepared that I could only drink 2/3s of it: 2
scrambled eggs w/low-fat cheese and onions: 5

1L water

Boston Market classic rotisserie salad (no egg, no garbanzo beans, 1/2 the dressing): 11.5
big chocolate chip cookie: 5

1.5L water

1 hour walk: 5

1L water

broiled tilapia: 3
broccoli
brown & wild rice: 4

Points eaten: 30.5
Points earned: 5
Flexpoints used: 1.5

THURSDAY

NF-SF vanilla latte, grande: 3
banana: 1.5
vanilla la creme yogurt: 3

1.5L water

rotisserie chicken salad (lettuce, tomato, low-fat cheese, avocado, light dressing, chicken): 8

1.5L water

homemade pizza (boboli personal-size crust, sauce, turkey pepperoni, 1/2 c. mozzarella, green olives, onions, mushrooms): 15

Points eaten: 30.5
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 6.5

FRIDAY

egg white omelet: 3
coffee: 1

grilled chicken sandwich w/lettuce & tomato, a little mayo: 8
potato chips: 4
fruit salad: 1
cookie: 3

1L water

spaghetti tossed w/diced tomatoes & mushrooms: 4
.5L water

Points eaten: 24
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 0

SATURDAY

2-egg omelet (2 egg whites, low-fat cheese, pepperoni, onions): 4

1L water

popcorn: 3
diet coke

1.5L water

steak/chicken/shrimp kabobs from Pappasitos, and possibly a margarita: 25

Points eaten: 32
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 8

SUNDAY

coffee w/creamer & sweetener: 1
doughnut: 6

rotisserie chicken: 4.5
rice: 4
broccoli

6 oz. sirloin: 11
brussels sprouts

coffee w/creamer & sweetener: 1

Points eaten: 30*
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 6

MONDAY

honey nut cheerios: 3
SF-NF vanilla latte, grande: 3

1L water

apple: 1
peanut butter: 4.5

2L water

rotisserie chicken: 4
green beans w/almonds: 1
yogurt: 3
milk: 2

Points eaten: 21.5
Points earned: 0
Flexpoints used: 0

TUESDAY

2 eggs: 4
low-fat cheese: 1
tomatoes
onions
pepperoni: .5
latte**: 3

1.5L water

jerk shrimp kabobs (10 shrimp): 5.5
fries: 6
iced tea

treadmill, random hills, 45 minutes @ 3.4 mph: 4

yogurt: 3
banana: 2

Chili's fajitas: 20 (shut up--I KNOW)
diet coke

Points eaten: 45
Points earned: 4
Flexpoints used: 0

*I know these (and possibly other) numbers don't add up right. What happened was, I updated at ww etools, then took the totals and dumped them over here without changing the food listings. I did not eat what I planned, but I ate mostly on plan. If that makes any sense.

**I only drink one kind of latte, in one size. Grande, sugar-free vanilla, non-fat. With a dash of cinnamon. I got tired of typing all that every day. :)

D&E Log, 5/12 - 5/18 - Recommit week #3

I'm so, so tired of losing this same 2 lbs. over and over again. Nothing is going to change that pattern except getting back into a good diet/exercise groove. Part of doing that is keeping one of these logs. Not just on Wednesday morning, but every frickin' day.

So, to that end, I have made a trip to the store before work today for water, yogurt, and Lean Cuisine frozen insta-lunches. Having the box lunches will free up my eating hour to be my working-out hour, and since I found my work badge in one of the moving boxes last night (I didn't actually unpack anything, though...just rifled through a bunch of boxes), I'm ready to roll. I still haven't formulated a plan for dinners at home, or for the weekend, but I'll deal with that as it comes.

As an experiment that could prove disastrous, I've decreased my targets by 2 points each. The logic behind this is the same logic I use when I set all the clocks in my house 10 minutes ahead--if I think I'm late, I might actually be on time. In that same vein, I count myself on program without activity points if I don't go more than two over my target. By normal-people logic, this probably seems unnecessarily complicated...by my COCL logic, it's perfectly sane. I put the targets here because I will not remember them if I don't.

Wed: 24
Thurs: 22
Fri: 27
Sat: 37
Sun: 22
Mon: 26
Tues: 23

Points eaten: 57
Points earned: 4
Days at target: 1
Days exercised: 1

WEDNESDAY

Pria Carb Select bar: 4
Dannon La Creme vanilla yogurt: 3

1L water

LC Basil cream chicken with angel hair pasta: 5

1L water

30 minutes treadmill, random hills, 3.4 mph: 2
20 minutes stationary bike, random hills, 80-90 rpm: 2

1L water

yogurt: 3

boneless lean pork chop: 4
stovetop stuffing, 1c.: 4
asparagus
milk: 2

Food points: 25
Activity points: 4
Target met: yes

THURSDAY

NF-SF vanilla latte, grande: 3
rollitos: 3

fish tacos: 10
chips & salsa: 5

hamburger casserole: 8
diet pepsi

strawberry Dannon la creme yogurt: 3

Food points: 32
Activity points: 0
Target met: no

FRIDAY

low-fat granola cereal: 4
grande mocha frappuccino: 6

turkey burger: 11
salad: 3

--BLACK HOLE--

MONDAY

SF NF vanilla latte: 3
vanilla yogurt: 3

2L water

Lean Cuisine turkey dinner: 5
.5L water

35 min. treadmill: 3
10 min. bike: 1

.5L water

trail mix: 6
diet coke

rotisserie chicken: 4.5
rice: 4
asparagus
milk: 2

Food points: 27.5
Activity points: 4
Target met: yes

D&E Log, 5/12 - 5/18 - Recommit week #3

I'm so, so tired of losing this same 2 lbs. over and over again. Nothing is going to change that pattern except getting back into a good diet/exercise groove. Part of doing that is keeping one of these logs. Not just on Wednesday morning, but every frickin' day.

So, to that end, I have made a trip to the store before work today for water, yogurt, and Lean Cuisine frozen insta-lunches. Having the box lunches will free up my eating hour to be my working-out hour, and since I found my work badge in one of the moving boxes last night (I didn't actually unpack anything, though...just rifled through a bunch of boxes), I'm ready to roll. I still haven't formulated a plan for dinners at home, or for the weekend, but I'll deal with that as it comes.

As an experiment that could prove disastrous, I've decreased my targets by 2 points each. The logic behind this is the same logic I use when I set all the clocks in my house 10 minutes ahead--if I think I'm late, I might actually be on time. In that same vein, I count myself on program without activity points if I don't go more than two over my target. By normal-people logic, this probably seems unnecessarily complicated...by my COCL logic, it's perfectly sane. I put the targets here because I will not remember them if I don't.

Wed: 24
Thurs: 22
Fri: 27
Sat: 37
Sun: 22
Mon: 26
Tues: 23

Points eaten: 57
Points earned: 4
Days at target: 1
Days exercised: 1

WEDNESDAY

Pria Carb Select bar: 4
Dannon La Creme vanilla yogurt: 3

1L water

LC Basil cream chicken with angel hair pasta: 5

1L water

30 minutes treadmill, random hills, 3.4 mph: 2
20 minutes stationary bike, random hills, 80-90 rpm: 2

1L water

yogurt: 3

boneless lean pork chop: 4
stovetop stuffing, 1c.: 4
asparagus
milk: 2

Food points: 25
Activity points: 4
Target met: yes

THURSDAY

NF-SF vanilla latte, grande: 3
rollitos: 3

fish tacos: 10
chips & salsa: 5

hamburger casserole: 8
diet pepsi

strawberry Dannon la creme yogurt: 3

Food points: 32
Activity points: 0
Target met: no

FRIDAY

low-fat granola cereal: 4
grande mocha frappuccino: 6

turkey burger: 11
salad: 3

--BLACK HOLE--

MONDAY

SF NF vanilla latte: 3
vanilla yogurt: 3

2L water

Lean Cuisine turkey dinner: 5
.5L water

35 min. treadmill: 3
10 min. bike: 1

.5L water

trail mix: 6
diet coke

rotisserie chicken: 4.5
rice: 4
asparagus
milk: 2

Food points: 27.5
Activity points: 4
Target met: yes

D&E Log, 5/5 - 5/11 - Recommit week #2

Why do I have such trouble keeping one of these for an entire week?

Targets:

Wed: 26
Thurs: 24
Fri: 29
Sat: 37
Sun: 24
Mon: 28
Tues: 25

Here we go again...

Points eaten: 19
Points earned: 0
Days at target: 0
Days exercised: 0

* with activity points

WEDNESDAY

Dannon Light n Fit yogurt: 2
Hunt's Fat-Free pudding: 2
2 Dove dark chocolate eggs: 2

diet rite grape soda

spring mix salad greens w/tomatoes, cucumbers, bacon bits, parmesan cheese, and Kraft light italian dressing: 3
turkey burger: 8
swiss cheese: 2

track walking, 2.5 miles (5 laps), 45 minutes: 4

D&E Log, 5/5 - 5/11 - Recommit week #2

Why do I have such trouble keeping one of these for an entire week?

Targets:

Wed: 26
Thurs: 24
Fri: 29
Sat: 37
Sun: 24
Mon: 28
Tues: 25

Here we go again...

Points eaten: 19
Points earned: 0
Days at target: 0
Days exercised: 0

* with activity points

WEDNESDAY

Dannon Light n Fit yogurt: 2
Hunt's Fat-Free pudding: 2
2 Dove dark chocolate eggs: 2

diet rite grape soda

spring mix salad greens w/tomatoes, cucumbers, bacon bits, parmesan cheese, and Kraft light italian dressing: 3
turkey burger: 8
swiss cheese: 2

track walking, 2.5 miles (5 laps), 45 minutes: 4

D&E Log - Week of 4/28/04, Recommit Week 1

I'm going to continue to try the Wendie plan, and this time I'm going to actually, you know, um, follow it. None of this, "oops, I ate 40 points today so let's swap Wednesday and Saturday, but then oops, I ate 39 points on Saturday, so if I starve myself for the next two days it'll all be juuuust fiiiine" crap. Here are the targets:

Wed: 29
Thurs: 24
Fri: 26
Sat: 37
Sun: 24
Mon: 28
Tues: 25

If I meet the target every day this week, not only will it be the first time ever and a brand new threshold of self-control for me, but it will also earn me something from here. What, I have not yet decided. Probably a pen. I love pens.

Points eaten: 53
Points earned: 8
Days at target: 2*
Days exercised: 2

* with activity points

WEDNESDAY

grape nuts w/skim milk and 2 sugar packets: 6
SF NF vanilla latte, grande: 3

1L water

1/2 Panera smoked turkey on sourdough: 5
1/2 Panera caesar salad: 5
water

diet coke

1L water

15 minutes stationary bike, random hills, level 6: 2
30 minutes treadmill, random hills, 3.3-3.5 mph: 2

fruit snacks: 3
.5L water

4.5 oz chicken breast: 5.5
broccoli
diet coke

angelfood cake: 2
strawberries: .5

.5L water

Food points: 30
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

THURSDAY

coffee: 1
low-fat granola cereal: 5
cinnamon-raisin toast: 3

1L water

etouffee: 6
shrimp gumbo: 5
diet coke

1L water

sculpting class: 4

.5L water

rotisserie chicken: 3
green beans

angel food cake: 2
strawberries: .5

Food points: 25.5
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

FRIDAY

low fat granola cereal: 4
cinnamon-raisin toast: 2
SF NF vanilla latte, grande: 3

grilled chicken sandwich: 9
potato chips: 4
cookie: 2
cantaloupe: 1

30 minutes treadmill, random hills, 3.3-3.5 mph: 2
15 minutes stationary bike, random hills, 75-90 rpm: 2

Food points:
Activity points:
Wendie target met: yes*

D&E Log - Week of 4/28/04, Recommit Week 1

I'm going to continue to try the Wendie plan, and this time I'm going to actually, you know, um, follow it. None of this, "oops, I ate 40 points today so let's swap Wednesday and Saturday, but then oops, I ate 39 points on Saturday, so if I starve myself for the next two days it'll all be juuuust fiiiine" crap. Here are the targets:

Wed: 29
Thurs: 24
Fri: 26
Sat: 37
Sun: 24
Mon: 28
Tues: 25

If I meet the target every day this week, not only will it be the first time ever and a brand new threshold of self-control for me, but it will also earn me something from here. What, I have not yet decided. Probably a pen. I love pens.

Points eaten: 53
Points earned: 8
Days at target: 2*
Days exercised: 2

* with activity points

WEDNESDAY

grape nuts w/skim milk and 2 sugar packets: 6
SF NF vanilla latte, grande: 3

1L water

1/2 Panera smoked turkey on sourdough: 5
1/2 Panera caesar salad: 5
water

diet coke

1L water

15 minutes stationary bike, random hills, level 6: 2
30 minutes treadmill, random hills, 3.3-3.5 mph: 2

fruit snacks: 3
.5L water

4.5 oz chicken breast: 5.5
broccoli
diet coke

angelfood cake: 2
strawberries: .5

.5L water

Food points: 30
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

THURSDAY

coffee: 1
low-fat granola cereal: 5
cinnamon-raisin toast: 3

1L water

etouffee: 6
shrimp gumbo: 5
diet coke

1L water

sculpting class: 4

.5L water

rotisserie chicken: 3
green beans

angel food cake: 2
strawberries: .5

Food points: 25.5
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

FRIDAY

low fat granola cereal: 4
cinnamon-raisin toast: 2
SF NF vanilla latte, grande: 3

grilled chicken sandwich: 9
potato chips: 4
cookie: 2
cantaloupe: 1

30 minutes treadmill, random hills, 3.3-3.5 mph: 2
15 minutes stationary bike, random hills, 75-90 rpm: 2

Food points:
Activity points:
Wendie target met: yes*

food and hair

so, let's talk about food. More specifically, what I've been eating lately.

The short answer is "whatever the hell I want at any given moment." The longer answer includes caesar salad with chicken (I love the one at La Madeleine, 22 points be damned!), boneless buffalo wings, asparagus, mac & cheese, cranberry muffins, blueberry muffins, cheerios, pancakes, strawberries, milk, sugar-free non-fat vanilla lattes (several) with a dash of cinnamon, french fries, quesadillas, nachos, homemade pizza, ice cream, and fajitas. There was also chocolate, but not that much.

The thing is, though, even though my diet has been pretty carb-heavy, it hasn't been overly caloric. Sure, there have been mostly 30-50 point days (equiv. 1500-2200 calories, probably), but there's been some healthy choices in there too. I've been eating when I'm hungry, and sometimes I even choose wisely. Sometimes I don't, but it's really the "eating when I'm hungry" that's the accomplishment to focus on. That hasn't always been my M.O.

I mention this because I'm ready to jump back on the wagon. I think I've gotten the "I'm a grown woman and I can do what I WANT" bug out of my system, and I'm ready to shed the remaining 40-50 lbs. as fast as I can.

One of the ways I plan to do this is to cheat. I'm going to get a haircut. I haven't for around 3-6 months, mostly because I made the mistake of going to a Great Clips after a couple years of a real salon. I get used to telling a stylist what I want to accomplish, and having him/her understand the words coming out of my mouth. At Great Clips, it went a little something like this:

Stylist: "So, what do you want?"

Joy: "Well, I have a lot of hair, and it gets really heavy and frumpy-looking on the ends. I'd like a cut that makes it look less bottom-heavy." And maybe take off a couple inches."

Stylist: [blank stare]

Joy: "Uh, just a trim will be fine."

And then she proceeded to butcher my head. I only lost about an inch of length, but it never did lay right after that. I've been growing it out since then, because the wedding was coming up and I didn't want to risk another haircut from hell before that.

Now, though, the wedding has come and gone, and my split ends are horrifying (or would be to someone who spent more than two minutes on her hair...as it is, they're just mildly frustrating). My hair's constantly frizzy, and it's long enough to be in the way. It's time to cut it off.

For someone who is not much of a girly-girl, I'm very emotional about hair. I've been known to skip finals and drive home sobbing over a bad haircut (December 1995--older stylist + cheap salon - specific directions and/or picture = accidental mullet). I don't like small talk, so to avoid that I usually don't keep a regular stylist, but arm myself with pictures taken from the 100s of hair magazines that I've bought over the past 10 years.

I'm also one of those people who always seems to like the same thing, regardless of how much I think I want "something different". I have 3 tubes of lipstick, and stopped buying them when I realized that I kept buying the same color every time. Similarly, every haircut I've ever loved has been the same one--chin-to-shoulder-length bob with beveled ends, either with an upward or downward flip.

It's a pretty simple cut, but I've gotten exactly 5 good ones. Three of them were by the same stylist, who has since moved to Austin. I'm left, then, with going to somewhere moderately expensive. Luckily, I still have some money left on a gift certificate to a local day spa, so I think I'll see what they can do for me. They did a good job on my highlights about a year ago, and they were one of the other good cuts. We'll see how quickly I can get an appointment.

At any rate, right now my hair is just past my shoulders, and I have a lot of it. If I take it up to my chin, I should lose a couple pounds, at least. Sure, it's not real weight, but anything that will get me closer to that iPod is fine by me.

food and hair

so, let's talk about food. More specifically, what I've been eating lately.

The short answer is "whatever the hell I want at any given moment." The longer answer includes caesar salad with chicken (I love the one at La Madeleine, 22 points be damned!), boneless buffalo wings, asparagus, mac & cheese, cranberry muffins, blueberry muffins, cheerios, pancakes, strawberries, milk, sugar-free non-fat vanilla lattes (several) with a dash of cinnamon, french fries, quesadillas, nachos, homemade pizza, ice cream, and fajitas. There was also chocolate, but not that much.

The thing is, though, even though my diet has been pretty carb-heavy, it hasn't been overly caloric. Sure, there have been mostly 30-50 point days (equiv. 1500-2200 calories, probably), but there's been some healthy choices in there too. I've been eating when I'm hungry, and sometimes I even choose wisely. Sometimes I don't, but it's really the "eating when I'm hungry" that's the accomplishment to focus on. That hasn't always been my M.O.

I mention this because I'm ready to jump back on the wagon. I think I've gotten the "I'm a grown woman and I can do what I WANT" bug out of my system, and I'm ready to shed the remaining 40-50 lbs. as fast as I can.

One of the ways I plan to do this is to cheat. I'm going to get a haircut. I haven't for around 3-6 months, mostly because I made the mistake of going to a Great Clips after a couple years of a real salon. I get used to telling a stylist what I want to accomplish, and having him/her understand the words coming out of my mouth. At Great Clips, it went a little something like this:

Stylist: "So, what do you want?"

Joy: "Well, I have a lot of hair, and it gets really heavy and frumpy-looking on the ends. I'd like a cut that makes it look less bottom-heavy." And maybe take off a couple inches."

Stylist: [blank stare]

Joy: "Uh, just a trim will be fine."

And then she proceeded to butcher my head. I only lost about an inch of length, but it never did lay right after that. I've been growing it out since then, because the wedding was coming up and I didn't want to risk another haircut from hell before that.

Now, though, the wedding has come and gone, and my split ends are horrifying (or would be to someone who spent more than two minutes on her hair...as it is, they're just mildly frustrating). My hair's constantly frizzy, and it's long enough to be in the way. It's time to cut it off.

For someone who is not much of a girly-girl, I'm very emotional about hair. I've been known to skip finals and drive home sobbing over a bad haircut (December 1995--older stylist + cheap salon - specific directions and/or picture = accidental mullet). I don't like small talk, so to avoid that I usually don't keep a regular stylist, but arm myself with pictures taken from the 100s of hair magazines that I've bought over the past 10 years.

I'm also one of those people who always seems to like the same thing, regardless of how much I think I want "something different". I have 3 tubes of lipstick, and stopped buying them when I realized that I kept buying the same color every time. Similarly, every haircut I've ever loved has been the same one--chin-to-shoulder-length bob with beveled ends, either with an upward or downward flip.

It's a pretty simple cut, but I've gotten exactly 5 good ones. Three of them were by the same stylist, who has since moved to Austin. I'm left, then, with going to somewhere moderately expensive. Luckily, I still have some money left on a gift certificate to a local day spa, so I think I'll see what they can do for me. They did a good job on my highlights about a year ago, and they were one of the other good cuts. We'll see how quickly I can get an appointment.

At any rate, right now my hair is just past my shoulders, and I have a lot of it. If I take it up to my chin, I should lose a couple pounds, at least. Sure, it's not real weight, but anything that will get me closer to that iPod is fine by me.

Diet/Exercise log, 3/17 - 3/23

I will record an entire week this time.

Nothing will fall into the black hole this weekend.

I will eat what I plan.

Here's hoping that all these statements don't turn out to be bald-faced lies.

This week's targets:

UPDATE 3/18: Since I hit 37.5 on Thursday (oops), flipping the targets for Thursday and Saturday.

Also, I need to work out every day, because I really, really want my company fitness bonus this quarter.

Points eaten: 159.5
Points earned: 20
Days at target: 4*
Days exercised: 5

*with activity points

WEDNESDAY

venti non-fat, sugar-free vanilla latte: 4

chicken fingers: 8
green beans
cream gravy: 2
diet cherry coke

3 Dark promise candies: 3
1 cadbury mini-egg: 1
pistachios: 4

2L water

20 minutes stationary bike: 2
20 minutes treadmill: 2

whole wheat pasta: 3
diced tomatoes
mushrooms
water

Food points: 25
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

THURSDAY

something that was definitely NOT 5 dark chocolate candies, because it would be so wrong to eat that for breakfast: 5

1.5L water

Jason's Deli California club: 12.5
chocolate pudding: 1
gingerbread mini muffin: 4.5
fruit
diet coke

.5L water

pizza: 11.5
breadstick: 3

40 min. treadmill @ 3.4 mph, random hills: 3
10 min. stationary bike, random hills, 80-100 rpm: 1

.5L water

Food points: 37.5
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

FRIDAY

sugar-free, non-fat vanilla latte, 16 oz: 3

aerobics class: 4

1L water

1/2 Panera chicken salad sandwich on 9-grain: 7
1/2 Panera caesar salad: 4
iced tea

hamburger casserole: 12
chocolate: 4

diet coke

Food points: 30
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

SATURDAY

cranberry nut muffin: 7
nonfat latte: 3

Chili's 1/2 SW egg roll: 10
diet coke

30 minutes treadmill: 2
25 minutes bike: 2

Chili's 1/2 SW egg roll: 10

Food points: 30
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

*with activity points

SUNDAY

coffee: 2

bbq meats: 9.5
baked beans: 2.5
potato salad: 3
brownie: 5

25 min. treadmill, hills, level 6: 2
20 min. bike, Level 6 hills, 80-95 rpm: 2

coffee: 3
2 small cookies: 3
cheese: 6
crackers: 3

Food points: 37
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: aw, HELL no

MONDAY

scrambled eggs w/cheese & veggies: 6
toast: 2
coffee:2

yogurt: 2

roast beef sandwich: 8.5

50 minutes treadmill, hills, Level 6, 3.4 mph: 4

apple: 1
peanut butter: 4.5

whole wheat pasta: 3
diced tomatoes
mushrooms

Food points: 29
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

Diet/Exercise log, 3/17 - 3/23

I will record an entire week this time.

Nothing will fall into the black hole this weekend.

I will eat what I plan.

Here's hoping that all these statements don't turn out to be bald-faced lies.

This week's targets:

UPDATE 3/18: Since I hit 37.5 on Thursday (oops), flipping the targets for Thursday and Saturday.

Also, I need to work out every day, because I really, really want my company fitness bonus this quarter.

Points eaten: 159.5
Points earned: 20
Days at target: 4*
Days exercised: 5

*with activity points

WEDNESDAY

venti non-fat, sugar-free vanilla latte: 4

chicken fingers: 8
green beans
cream gravy: 2
diet cherry coke

3 Dark promise candies: 3
1 cadbury mini-egg: 1
pistachios: 4

2L water

20 minutes stationary bike: 2
20 minutes treadmill: 2

whole wheat pasta: 3
diced tomatoes
mushrooms
water

Food points: 25
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

THURSDAY

something that was definitely NOT 5 dark chocolate candies, because it would be so wrong to eat that for breakfast: 5

1.5L water

Jason's Deli California club: 12.5
chocolate pudding: 1
gingerbread mini muffin: 4.5
fruit
diet coke

.5L water

pizza: 11.5
breadstick: 3

40 min. treadmill @ 3.4 mph, random hills: 3
10 min. stationary bike, random hills, 80-100 rpm: 1

.5L water

Food points: 37.5
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

FRIDAY

sugar-free, non-fat vanilla latte, 16 oz: 3

aerobics class: 4

1L water

1/2 Panera chicken salad sandwich on 9-grain: 7
1/2 Panera caesar salad: 4
iced tea

hamburger casserole: 12
chocolate: 4

diet coke

Food points: 30
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

SATURDAY

cranberry nut muffin: 7
nonfat latte: 3

Chili's 1/2 SW egg roll: 10
diet coke

30 minutes treadmill: 2
25 minutes bike: 2

Chili's 1/2 SW egg roll: 10

Food points: 30
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

*with activity points

SUNDAY

coffee: 2

bbq meats: 9.5
baked beans: 2.5
potato salad: 3
brownie: 5

25 min. treadmill, hills, level 6: 2
20 min. bike, Level 6 hills, 80-95 rpm: 2

coffee: 3
2 small cookies: 3
cheese: 6
crackers: 3

Food points: 37
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: aw, HELL no

MONDAY

scrambled eggs w/cheese & veggies: 6
toast: 2
coffee:2

yogurt: 2

roast beef sandwich: 8.5

50 minutes treadmill, hills, Level 6, 3.4 mph: 4

apple: 1
peanut butter: 4.5

whole wheat pasta: 3
diced tomatoes
mushrooms

Food points: 29
Activity points: 4
Wendie target met: yes*

ugh.

Note to self: Don't skip the sculpting class for a week, then think you can just jump right back in.

I feel so totally weak right now. Granted, he intentionally targeted weak muscles today (tris, inner thigh, shoulders), but I still feel like I should have been stronger. Instead I was shaky, and I had to stop four times in the class, and leave in the middle of the ab workout. I couldn't hack it. And I was only gone a week. I guess it is true what they say...use it or lose it. I've got to make this a habit. I can't just quit whenever I feel like it, or take a week-long break...at least not if I want to improve.

Other than the shakiness, today's going pretty well. I've already drunk 2L of water, and eaten all the food I brought to work, which is typical. I eat everything by 1:30, and then around 3 pm, I wish I had something to nosh on. For instance, I could totally go for some chocolate right now. I've been really enjoying those Dove dark chocolate promise things...and I've even managed to keep my portions under control. For the past two days, I've been bringing just as many to work as I can afford to eat within my plan. Not exactly revolutionary...dieters have been doing this since the dawn of time. For me, though, it's good progress. I used to bring the whole bag and then tell myself that I could stop at one, or five, or whatever. (That was a complete lie, of course, but it was just lying to myself, so what's the harm, right? Right? *crickets*) This way works much better.

Also, Rob just sent a message that the bed people are coming tomorrow between 8:30 and 10 am. Finally. Of course, this means I need to finish painting the master bedroom tonight, but that should be no big deal. We did all but one wall over the past two weekends. The remaining wall is all high-ceiling, though, so we're going to be making heavy use of the ladder. And then there's the fact that we have no sheets or other bedding suitable for a king-sized bed, but that's just details. :) It's finally going to be here! Before the wedding, even.

Speaking of the wedding, it's in 18 days. We still haven't chosen music for the recessional (processional's covered--Jesu, Joy of Men's Desiring and Pachelbel's Canon, classical guitar arrangements), or talked to our pastor about the format of the ceremony. We have no reception playlist, either. I haven't rented the tables and chairs for the rehearsal dinner. I have bought no gifts. The bridesmaids' dresses have not come in yet. I have no shoes, no veil, no tiara, and no wedding night lingerie. Our casual after-reception party has not yet been catered. I still have to buy and assemble favor containers. I have no idea who we're going to ask to do our wedding video. I am moving out of my house after the wedding, and I have packed nothing. (In my defense on that one...we're not taking a honeymoon after the wedding, but I took the week off anyway. Planning to have the movers come that Thursday, since Friday is a holiday.) I'm not entirely sure we're going to be ready to do this in 18 days. But all my family has already booked their flights and hotels, so we'd better be. :) Besides, I always do my best work at the last minute.

Must. Not. Sample. Merchandise.

my package of personalized, wedding-favor mini Hershey bars arrived today. 100 little bars of chocolate with our names on them.

The words "Quality Assurance" keep coming to mind.

Be strong, Joy, be strong.

Diet/Exercise log - 3/10 - 3/17

I'm still in the Wendie trial period. I am neither encouraged nor discouraged by my fabulous no-loss last week, and ready to give this another go. However, I am decreasing the targets by two points per day. Nobody can snap back from 39 points on Saturday to 24 on Sunday. (Much like nobody can eat 50 eggs.) At least nobody in this room. I'm not sure that 37 to 22 is going to be any better, but we shall see.

UPDATE 3/11: Since I can't possibly remember what my targets are unless I write them down, here they are. I ate my super-high points yesterday (our friend Dale cooked steaks. If you had ever had Dale's steaks, you would understand), so some rearrangement was necessary. The adjusted plan is:

Note that I kept the 24-point low, partly due to Lori's comment. :) Next week I'll probably do the 37-24 plan.

Also, I'm thinking that I might just try to make it to 5 workout days this week. What the hell, there's a first time for everything.

Points eaten: 118.5
Points earned: 4
Days at target: 2
Days exercised: 1

WEDNESDAY

peanut butter sandwich: 5
1/2 banana: 1
coffee: 2
crunch egg: 1
milk: 2

turkey burger w/swiss cheese & mushrooms: 10
a couple fries (just a couple, I swear): 3
diet coke

steak: 10
baked potato: 5

Food points: 39
Activity points: 0
Met Wendie target: Yes

So, let's just make Wednesday my SHD for this week, shall we?

THURSDAY

grape nuts with sugar & milk: 7

1L water

Chipotle chicken tacos: 14
diet coke

tater tot casserole: 3
water

sugar-free, non-fat vanilla latte: 2

Food points: 26
Activity points: 0
Met Wendie target: no

*with activity points

FRIDAY

scrambled eggs w/cheese: 5

salmon: 4.5
wheat roll: 1
coke: 2
orzo salad: 2
lettuce salad: 1
cooked spinach
chocolate chip cookie: 2

chicken breast w/black bean salsa: 4
1/2 slice garlic bread: 2

ice cream: 4

Food points: 27.5
Activity points: 0
Met Wendie target: no

SATURDAY

grape nuts: 5.5
milk: 1

--BLACK HOLE--

MONDAY

Dove dark chocolate: 1
Cadbury mini-egg: 1

really must stop with the candy breakfasts.

apple: 1
peanut butter: 4.5

20 min. treadmill: 2
20 min. stationary bike: 2

roast beef sandwich: 5.5

pistachios: 4

chicken: 5
broccoli
dove chocolate: 4

Food points: 26
Activity points: 4
Met Wendie target: yes

TUESDAY

cadbury mini-egg: 1

apple: 1
peanut butter: 4.5

sculpting class: 4

salad w/chicken: 8
diet coke with lime

chocolate: 2
pistachios: 2

slimfast bar: 4

pork chop: 5
asparagus
water

Food points: 27.5
Activity points: 4
Met Wendie target: yes*

*with activity points

Diet/Exercise log - 3/10 - 3/17

I'm still in the Wendie trial period. I am neither encouraged nor discouraged by my fabulous no-loss last week, and ready to give this another go. However, I am decreasing the targets by two points per day. Nobody can snap back from 39 points on Saturday to 24 on Sunday. (Much like nobody can eat 50 eggs.) At least nobody in this room. I'm not sure that 37 to 22 is going to be any better, but we shall see.

UPDATE 3/11: Since I can't possibly remember what my targets are unless I write them down, here they are. I ate my super-high points yesterday (our friend Dale cooked steaks. If you had ever had Dale's steaks, you would understand), so some rearrangement was necessary. The adjusted plan is:

Note that I kept the 24-point low, partly due to Lori's comment. :) Next week I'll probably do the 37-24 plan.

Also, I'm thinking that I might just try to make it to 5 workout days this week. What the hell, there's a first time for everything.

Points eaten: 118.5
Points earned: 4
Days at target: 2
Days exercised: 1

WEDNESDAY

peanut butter sandwich: 5
1/2 banana: 1
coffee: 2
crunch egg: 1
milk: 2

turkey burger w/swiss cheese & mushrooms: 10
a couple fries (just a couple, I swear): 3
diet coke

steak: 10
baked potato: 5

Food points: 39
Activity points: 0
Met Wendie target: Yes

So, let's just make Wednesday my SHD for this week, shall we?

THURSDAY

grape nuts with sugar & milk: 7

1L water

Chipotle chicken tacos: 14
diet coke

tater tot casserole: 3
water

sugar-free, non-fat vanilla latte: 2

Food points: 26
Activity points: 0
Met Wendie target: no

*with activity points

FRIDAY

scrambled eggs w/cheese: 5

salmon: 4.5
wheat roll: 1
coke: 2
orzo salad: 2
lettuce salad: 1
cooked spinach
chocolate chip cookie: 2

chicken breast w/black bean salsa: 4
1/2 slice garlic bread: 2

ice cream: 4

Food points: 27.5
Activity points: 0
Met Wendie target: no

SATURDAY

grape nuts: 5.5
milk: 1

--BLACK HOLE--

MONDAY

Dove dark chocolate: 1
Cadbury mini-egg: 1

really must stop with the candy breakfasts.

apple: 1
peanut butter: 4.5

20 min. treadmill: 2
20 min. stationary bike: 2

roast beef sandwich: 5.5

pistachios: 4

chicken: 5
broccoli
dove chocolate: 4

Food points: 26
Activity points: 4
Met Wendie target: yes

TUESDAY

cadbury mini-egg: 1

apple: 1
peanut butter: 4.5

sculpting class: 4

salad w/chicken: 8
diet coke with lime

chocolate: 2
pistachios: 2

slimfast bar: 4

pork chop: 5
asparagus
water

Food points: 27.5
Activity points: 4
Met Wendie target: yes*

*with activity points

no. more. food.

Just when I thought I couldn't possibly eat more food, I OD'ed on Cadbury eggs, causing me to miss my Wendie goal by a point and a half. Damn that caramel-y goodness!

But look--I recorded a Saturday!

Now, to plan a Sunday...

regarding Wendie

Well, so far things are going well. I've stuck to (or pretty close to) my targets, and have met them 100% if I take activity points into account. I'm seeing some slight movement on the scale, but nothing really major--A pound down since Wednesday, but I was up a pound on Wednesday (recorded the weigh-in from Tuesday). So in other words, I'm still at the same weight as my last official weigh-in, but that's a pound less than I was two days ago.

The true test of this plan is going to come this weekend. I'm going to really enjoy my outrageously-high point day tomorrow (visions of Mexican food dancing in my head), but will I be able to throttle it back to 24 points on Sunday? And will I stay diligent with the planning and recording? History says it's doubtful, but I'm thinking with the more specific points goals it might be easier for me. Here's hoping.

Overall, I like this plan a lot. It's been easier not to dip into the flexpoints, knowing that I'm trying to hit a specific goal each day. I'm not sure why that is...I guess it's just that I see that 35 point balance on Wednesday and it seems like so much that I just want to spend it ALL. I never was good at saving anything. This way, it's kind of like the budget I keep for my bills. I know exactly how much money I can spend on non-bill stuff every 2 weeks, so I plan accordingly. Even thought the cushion varies from paycheck to paycheck, I can stick to that number. Too much flexibility makes me go all spendy.

Of course, this is only the first week of the Wendie plan...things don't generally unravel in the first week. And we'll see how well it works when I step on the scale on Wednesday.

Oh, and another bright spot--I'm wearing a shirt today that I bought this summer but couldn't wear in public. It's one of those tight little t-shirts with the cap sleeves, and it always made me very conscious of my tummy and flabby arms. I tried it on today, and either my standards are lowering or my arms and abs have improved substantially. Thank you, sculpting class. :)

O. M. G.

It might be just because I haven't had a burger in a while, but the turkey burger I just had at Fuddruckers almost made me cry, it was so good. Slice of swiss cheese, some brown mustard and just a smidge of mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, and a little onion. A slice of heaven, though probably a few more points than I needed. I wonder if they have whole wheat buns on request? I didn't think to ask. That would have made it the perfect burger, but I only ate about half of the bun, anyway.

I'm also happy to note that I ignored the siren song of the Fudd fries. The side salad was plenty satisfying. Another bite of anything, and someone may have had to roll me out of there. *burp*

...should be round, and hard, and burst in your mouth at precisely the right moment...

I didn't think I liked grape tomatoes, because I never liked cherry tomatoes. It was the texture that bothered me...all seedy and sort of slimy.

As it turns out, the grape kind are different. Their texture is almost pleasant. To think I've been picking them off my salads all this time...

Diet/Exercise Log - 3/3 - 3/9

Another week, another attempt, another method to try. This time, it's the Wendie Plan. I've been following along over at Yvonne's, and after reading the article over at the Donut, I think I'm ready to give it a shot. The biggest draw for me was that my 39-point day falls on Saturday. It's almost like having free weekends! It means going back to counting points, but I'm cool with that. I've renewed my subscription to WW online, and I'm ready to go.

So anyway, here are the point targets I'm shooting for on each day:

Wednesday: 24
Thursday: 29
Friday: 25
Saturday: 39
Sunday: 24
Monday: 28
Tuesday: 26

I'm also still trying for some sort of exercise 5 days per week. Activity points don't factor into the Wendie Plan at all, but I am happy to see that Thursday is a sort-of high day as well...I can use the energy for the evening sculpting class.

Let's see how this goes.

Points eaten: 177.5
Points earned: 11
Days at target: 3
Days exercised: 4

WEDNESDAY

raisin bran: 3
skim milk: 1

1L water
apple: 1

Wendy's Chicken BLT salad: 7
croutons: 3
1/2 packet of vinaigrette: 2.5
diet coke w/lime

20 minutes treadmill 3.3-3.5 mph, some hill: 2
20 minutes stationary bike, 80-90 rpm: 2
.5L water

Slimfast bar: 4

diet coke w/lime

1 1/4 c. whole wheat pasta: 3.5
1 c. canned diced tomatoes: 0
1/2 c. canned mushrooms: 0
.5L water
sugar free jello
whipped cream: 1
Food points: 25
Activity points: 4
Met Wendie target? Yes*

THURSDAY

1/4 c. egg beaters, cheese & chive: 1
1 egg*: 2
1 oz. reduced-fat cheese: 2
1 large coffee: 2

apple: 1
.5L water

turkey burger w/swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato: 12
dinner salad w/dressing: 4.5
diet coke

1L water

sculpting class: 4
.5L water

chicken breast: 4
broccoli
sugar-free jello
whipped cream: 1.5
diet coke with lime

*I don't like the texture of the egg beaters by themselves. They're sort of...slippery. Adding a real egg solves that problem, and only adds 1 point.

Food points: 29
Activity points: 4
Met Wendie target? Yes

FRIDAY

grape nuts: 5.5
sugar: .5
milk: 1

apple: 1
peanut butter: 2

Olive garden salad w/dressing: 4
minestrone: 1
breadsticks: 6
diet coke w/lime

broiled sole fillet: 3
asparagus
water

slim-a-bear: 2

Food points: 26
Activity points: 0
Met Wendie target? No

SATURDAY

toast: 4.5
milk: 2

2 fajitas: 8
chips & salsa: 4.5
1/2 cheese enchilada: 2.5
guacamole: 2
iced tea

32 oz. coke: 8
2 Cadbury eggs: 9 (should have stuck with one)

Food points: 40.5
Activity points: 0
Met Wendie target? No

SUNDAY

--planned--

painting half the bedroom: 2

1/2 pb & j sandwich: 3
nestle crunch mini-eggs: 3

diet coke
chili dog: 7
tater tots: 4

milk: 2
nestle mini-eggs: 2
peanut butter: 3

Food points: 24
Activity points: 2
Met Wendie target? Yes

MONDAY

pb & j sandwich: 7
milk: 1
nestle mini-egg: 1

1L water

steak sandwich: 12
green beans
slim-a-bear: 2

1L water
diet coke with lime

mac & cheese: 6
tuna: 2
crackers: 3

1-mile walk: 1

Food points: 34
Activity points: 1
Met Wendie target? No

TUESDAY

raisin bran: 3
milk: 1

slimfast bar: 4

sesame chicken: 10
rice: 2
diet pepsi

1L water

*w/activity points

Diet/Exercise Log - Week 50 (12/17 - 12/23)

POINTS eaten: 58
POINTS earned: 9
FlexPOINTS balance: 33

WEDNESDAY

raisin bran: 4
coffee: 2

5 mini Reeses: 5

spaghetti: 10

1 hour stationary bike, moderate to fast: 5

chicken breast: 3
rice: 4

food: 28
activity: 5
flexpoints used: 0

THURSDAY

coffee: 2
peanut butter banana sandwich: 6

cheeseburger: 8
coke: 2
fries: 5

LC chicken florentine lasagna, about 3/4: 5
caesar salad: 2
diet iced tea

circuit training class: 4

food: 30
activity: 4
flexpoints used: 2

FRIDAY

bagel: 3
cream cheese: 1
cookie: 3

margarita: 5
some mexican food: 15
water

treadmill, 45 minutes on hill @ 3.5mph: 4

Diet & Exercise Log - Week 49 (12/10-12/16)

Yep, these are back.

Points eaten: 78.5
Points earned: 6
Flexpoints left: 11.5

WEDNESDAY 12/10

2 clementines: 0.5
milk: 2
pb & j: 7
iced tea

tortellini soup: 2
LC roast turkey & cinnamon apples: 5
water

brisk walk, 35 minutes: 3

pizza: 32
salad: 1
coke: 2

Food: 51.5
Activity: 3

THURSDAY

cinnamon life: 4

gumbo: 6
crackers: 1
water
reeses mini cups (5): 5

reese's mini cups (5): 5
water

treadmill, 5% incline, 3-3.5 mph, 30 minutes: 2
weight training, upper body & abs: 1

LC meal of some kind: 6

Food: 27
Activity: 3

hmm...

WW online points tracker will not answer a search for "ho ho". However, if you do a search on Hostess, the ho hos are there. Interesting.

*cough* Not that I would have any reason for this search, or that I would ever let ho hos into my pantry.

(They were at Rob's)

Diet/Exercise Log - Week 45 (11/12/03)

Food points: 27
Activity points: 0
Flexpoints balance: 32

WEDNESDAY

pb & j: 7
1/2 Panera pumpkin muffin: 6
coffee: 1

LC sesame chicken: 7
water

apple: 1
water

chicken: 4
asparagus w/pine nuts: 1

Food: 27
Activity: 5

THURSDAY

ho ho: 3
egg: 2
toast: 1.5

caesar salad: 2
chicken/sausage gumbo: 10

3-mile walk, 50 minutes: 4

catfish: 6
green beans w/rice: 3

Food: 27.5
Activity: 4

Diet/Exercise log - Week 44 (11/5/03)

Food Points used: 219.5
Activity points earned: 22
Flexpoints balance: -1

WEDNESDAY

ice cream (I know, I know): 5
coffee: 2

apple: 1

chicken breast: 4
rice: 2

30 minutes stationary bike: 3
15 minutes treadmill: 1

pretzels: 2
coke: 3

catfish fillet: 5
asparagus w/pine nuts: 1
1/2 banana: 1
klondike mini: 2

Food: 29
Activity: 4

THURSDAY

35 minutes, 2 mile walk: 3

egg white omelet: 3
milk: 2

banana: 2

LC Chicken in peanut sauce: 6
coke: 3

30 minutes, stationary bike: 3
20 minutes, upper body weights: 1

fat-free pudding cup: 2

hamburger casserole: 10
milk: 2

Food: 30
Activity: 7

FRIDAY

life cereal: 4
toast: 2

Healthy Choice roast beef w/mushrooms: 4
potato soup: 3
banana: 2
water

grilled catfish: 5
green beans
mac & cheese: 3

Food: 24
Activity: 0 (break day)

SATURDAY

Food: 36
Activity: 3

SUNDAY

Food: 38
Activity: 0

MONDAY

1 peanut butter chocolate chip cookie: 2
Fruit Harvest cereal (new, tried, ick): 4
skim milk: 2

water
Marie Callender cheesy chicken breast and rice: 10 (but sooo good)

30 minute walk, 1.8 miles: 2
20 minute bike, fast: 3

apple: 1
cheese: 5

chicken: 4
zucchini & squash
rice: 2
biscuit: 4
root beer: 3

nilla wafers: 4

Food: 41
Activity: 5

TUESDAY

pb & j on wheat: 7

apple: 1

LC lasagna: 6
caesar salad: 2

banana: 1.5

stationary bike: 3

catfish fillet: 6
asparagus: 1

Food: 24.5
Activity: 3

Diet & Exercise Log - Week 43 (10/29/03)

I told you they were coming back. Only, I'm not going to have separate diet and exercise logs anymore...I'll just throw them all into one.

Points: 60.5
Activity points earned: 6
Flexpoints balance: 26
Water: 11c
Veggies: 2
<12-pt lunches: 1
Dinners @ home: 2

(side note--which is greater-than, and which is less-than (<>)? I learned in elementary school that the alligator's mouth should be "eating" the bigger number, and I think I've got a less-than sign up there for the lunches now. But since I've been doing it the other way for a while now, I'm all muddled.)

WEDNESDAY

chai latte: 6
muffin: 5

4 cups water

1/2 panera tuna salad: 9
baked potato soup: 6
1 cup water

40 minutes stationary bike: 3

3 turkey tacos: 10
diet pepsi

Points: 36

THURSDAY

peanut butter toast: 3
coffee: 2

diet pepsi

stat. bike, 30 minutes: 2
ab work, 10 minutes: 1

roast turkey: 4
cornbread dressing: 4
gravy: 0.5
sweet potato: 2
fruit: 1

you do not even know the kind of willpower it took to throw away half the sweet potato and most of the dressing. *stares longingly at wastebasket*

2 slices frozen pizza: 7
milk: 2

Points: 24.5

FRIDAY

egg white omelet: 3.5
milk: 2

1/2 Panera sierra turkey: 9
1/3 caesar salad: 3
raspberry tea: 3

caramel pecan brownie: 12.5

God bless Google

I was googling for something else today, and came across this interview about the Atkins diet. Pretty damn interesting. The guy being interviewed (Tom Venuto, author of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle) makes some points that I hadn't heard before.

I've never been a huge fan of Atkins or other ketogenic programs. They've worked for Rob in the past, but I knew I would never be able to do something that restrictive and maintain it. And the attitude of some of the Atkins fanatics (carbs are BAD! I can't believe you're still eating CARBS and trying to lose weight! Cooome to Aaaatkins!) turns me off.

The gist of what this guy is saying is that Atkins does work, but it's not the best diet for athletes and it's not a lifestyle program. He makes some good observations about natural food carbs v. refined sugars, and how not all carbs are created equal. It's a pretty good read, but probably not any new information for anyone who's done the research before. I liked it, though.

Diet Log - Week 40 (10/8/03)

Total points: 54
Flexpoints balance: 35
Water: 12c.
Fruits/veggies: 7
12-or-less lunches: 1
Dinners @ home: 2

WEDNESDAY

McDonald's fruit & yogurt parfait, snack size: 3
skim milk: 2

1/4 twix: 1

turkey wrap: 9
fruit: 1
junior mints: 1.5

steak: 7
asparagus
au gratin potatoes: 2

Points: 26.5

THURSDAY

blueberry muffin: 6
toast: 1

SK Peach slice plus smoothie: 14.5

grilled cheese (2 slices of light bread, 2 reduced-fat cheese singles, enough light margarine on the bread for it to brown properly): 4
tomato soup: 1
cheezits (put in the soup): 1

Points: 27.5

that's crazy talk

that wasn't ice cream. I don't know what you're talking about.

It was...um...broccoli. Yeah, that's it.

Rob's Diet & Exercise Log - Week 4 (10/1/03)

Starting this week, Rob's diet logs are going to look a little different. Rather than having all food documented (because he's already doing that in WW Online, and I'm just transcribing it here), we're going to just put the food and activity points each day, and the flexpoints balance.

I'm going to steal and modify Eve's format for documenting each day, because I like it a lot. I'll still keep all 7 days in one place, though, and a summary up here.

Weekly Totals
Total points: 187
Average points/day: 31.2
Total activity points: 9
Flexpoints balance: 22.5

WEDNESDAY

33 Points and 3 Flex Points used
0 Activity Points earned
32 Flex points remaining

THURSDAY

31.5 Points and 1.5 Flex Points used
0 Activity Points earned
30.5 Flex points remaining

FRIDAY

33.5 Points and 0.5 Flex Points used
3 Activity Points earned
30 Flex points remaining

SATURDAY

37.5 Points and 7.5 Flex Points used
0 Activity Points earned
22.5 Flex points remaining

SUNDAY

FREE DAY

MONDAY

24.5 Points and 0 Flex Points used
3 Activity Points earned
22.5 Flex points remaining

TUESDAY

27 Points and 0 Flex Points used
3 Activity Points earned
22.5 Flex points remaining

Diet Log - Week 39 (10/1/03)

Points: 219
FlexPOINTS balance: 7
Water: 30c.
Fruits/Veggies: 19
12-or-less lunches: 5
Dinners @ home: 6

WEDNESDAY

egg white omelet: 3
coffee: 1

Denny's buffalo strips, about a 1/3 of an order: 6
side salad: 1.5
cheesecake: 10.5

rest of cheesecake: 3.5

cinnamon breadstick: 2
slice of pizza: 4
wild rice & green beans: 2

Points: 33.5

THURSDAY

egg white omelet: 3
milk: 2
toast: 2

32 oz. Smoothie King blueberry heaven, extra protein: 10

WW creamy chicken pasta w/mushrooms: 8
milk: 2

Points: 27

FRIDAY

egg white omelet: 3
kiwi: 1
milk: 2
coffee

roast beef & cheese sandwich: 9
baked beans: 5
potato salad: 3

banana pudding: 7

fish sticks: 5

ice cream: 4
beer: 3

Points: 42

SATURDAY

bacon: 3
biscuits & gravy: 13
cinnamon & raisin biscuit: 9

broccoli
pork chop: 4

Points: 29

SUNDAY

milk: 2
cookies: 4

pork chop: 4
caramel apple: 9
mushrooms
caesar salad: 2

chicken: 4
potato salad: 3

Points: 28

MONDAY

milk: 2
coffee: 1
slim-a-bear: 2

blueberry heaven: 8
protein scoop: 2

peanut butter sandwich: 7

ice cream: 4

LC spaghetti: 5

Points: 31

TUESDAY

cinnamon life: 4

pretzels: 3

Subway honey-mustard ham sub w/swiss cheese, 6-inch, ate about 5 inches: 6.5
baked doritos: 3.5
diet pepsi

1/2 a twix (1 bar): 3.5

vanilla pudding: 2

chicken breast: 4
spinach

peanut butter: 2

Points: 28.5

damn.

not even 1 pm, and already I'm dipping into the flexpoints. guess I'll have to exercise tonight, after all.

Damn carrot cake.

Rob's Diet Log - Week 3 (9/24/03)

I never have anything to say up here in his logs. I think I'll start making him write the intros himself. :)

Total points: 62.5
Average points/day: 31.25
FlexPOINTS balance: 32.5
Lunches from home: 0
Home-cooked dinners: 0

WEDNESDAY

muffin bar: 3

Sonic grilled chicken wrap, no ranch: 8
tomato soup: 2

quizno's steak & cheese: 15

cream of wheat: 2

Points: 30

THURSDAY

Cream of wheat: 3.5
muffin bar: 3

Reese's peanut butter cup: 4
cheese: 1.5
sausage stick: 1.5

chinese food: 15
green beans
sirloin & veggie soup: 4

Points: 32.5

FRIDAY

tomato soup: 5

Diet Log - Week 38 (9/24/03)

This week must be better than last week. That's all I have to say about that.

Points: 181
FlexPOINTS balance: 1
Water: 24c.
Fruits/Veggies: 11
12-or-less lunches: 3
Dinners @ home: 2

WEDNESDAY

1 slice cold pizza: 5
two little cinnamon buns: 8

Stop the madness!

water

grilled salmon: 4.5
small piece of cornbread: 1.5
dinner roll: 1
rice: 2
salad: 1

ice cream: 4

tater tot casserole: 4
milk: 1
water

Points: 32

THURSDAY

egg white omelet (salsa, peppers, low-fat cheese): 3
bacon: 3
milk: 2

general tso chicken: 10
rice: 2
water

popcorn: 3

chicken w/black bean salsa: 4
green beans

Points: 29

FRIDAY

banana: 2
Nutri-grain yogurt bar: 3

diet peach tea snapple
quizno's turkey ranch & swiss, small: 12
carrot cake: 9.5

chips: 12
cheese enchilada: 5
beef taco: 5
guacamole salad: 2
salsa
iced tea

2 drinks: 5.5

Points: 56

SATURDAY

beef stroganoff: 10
milk: 2

water

cheese: 6
sausage slices: 4
pepperonis: 4
coke: 3
diet cherry coke

Points: 29

SUNDAY

1/2 banana: 1
1/2 orange: .5
small apple: 1

peanut butter sandwich cookies: 4.5
wheat bread w/peanut butter: 3
1/2 cornbread: 2
ham: 5
mac & cheese: 3.5
green beans

3-5 french fries: 2.5
cheeseburger: 7

Points: 35

yum

after all that thought about having a light dinner, I went out to eat. I stayed reasonably light, though--grilled snapper, didn't touch the pasta on the side (italian restaurant), only ate about half the salad. Noah ordered chocolate cake for dessert and couldn't finish it, so I had a couple bites of that. All of it was really, really good. It was our first time at this restaurant, which is right down the street. We'll definitely go back sometime.

I'm glad that we've been staying home to eat most of the time, but I had forgotten how nice it can be to go out and have a good meal. I think we'll have to start doing that once a month or so.

Rob's Diet Log - Week 2 (9/17/03)

Total points: 183
Average points/day: 30.5
FlexPOINTS balance: 18.5
Lunches from home: 4
Home-cooked dinners: 3

WEDNESDAY

ham sandwich: 6

turkey sandwich: 5
ice cream cone: 3

big baked potato: 3
shredded cheese: 3
ranch dressing: 4

Points: 24

THURSDAY

toast: 3

WW chicken mirabella: 3

Sonic grilled chicken wraps: 17

nutrigrain muffin bar: 3

tomato soup & black beans: 2

Points: 28

FRIDAY

banana: 2

LC chicken w/almonds: 6
nutrigrain muffin bar: 3

tomato soup w/black beans: 2

banana: 2
muffin bar: 3

3 fajitas: 24
chips: 5

Points: 44

SATURDAY

bacon: 0.5
pie: 4

fries: 8
Wendy's double with cheese: 16

Points: 28.5

SUNDAY

2 hushpuppies: 2.5
red beans & rice: 5
salad: 4

1/2 large baked potato: 1.5
broccoli & cheese: 2
sirloin steak: 8
ranch dressing: 2

kiwi: 1

Points: 26

MONDAY

1/2 kiwi: 0.5
nutrigrain muffin bar: 3

LC Roasted garlic chicken: 5

LC Chicken Fettucine: 6
quizno's steak & cheese: 15

McDonald's icecream cone: 3

Points: 32.5

TUESDAY

2 Nutrigrain muffin bars: 6

2 Sonic grilled chicken wraps: 17

Diet Log - Week 37 (9/17/03)

Week 37. Thirty-seven weeks I've been doing this, people. Criminey.

Total Points: 131
FlexPOINTS balance: -16.5
Water: 16c.
Fruit/Veggies: 16
12-or-less lunches: 3
Dinners @ home: 3

WEDNESDAY

honey nut cheerios: 3
banana: 2
1 piece cold fried chicken: 6
1 cup water

Smoothie King slim-n-trim chocolate, 32 oz: 8

cheddar cheese pretzel combos: 9 NOTE TO SELF: don't buy these anymore.
1 cup water

turkey taco salad: 4
2 cups water

2 cups water

Points: 32

THURSDAY

egg white omelet: 3
bacon: 3
milk: 2
2 cups water

small apple: 1
more of those effing combos (I just threw the rest away): 4

turkey taco salad: 4
WW strawberry yogurt pie: 4

candy: 6

grilled snapper: 5
bread: 3
a couple bites of cake: 2
grilled vegetables
caesar salad: 2
coke: 2

Points: 39

FRIDAY

raisin bran crunch: 4
mini milanos (evil!!): 2
toast: 1.5
coffee: 2

bbq sausage: 7
potato salad: 3
charro beans
banana pudding: 3
water

fruit salad (peaches, berries, and kiwi): 2
pork chop: 4
asparagus
milk: 2

Points: 30.5

SATURDAY

FREE DAY

SUNDAY

cake donut: 5
coffee

red beans & rice: 5
salad: 1
diet pepsi

kiwi: 1.5
raspberries

peanut butter: 7

sirloin steak: 8
broccoli w/lowfat cheese sauce: 2

Points: 29.5

MONDAY

kiwi: .5
nutri-grain twist bar: 3
cheezits: 4
apple: 1

beef brisket: 3
pulled pork: 2
chicken wing: 2
potato salad: 3
charro beans: 1
diet pepsi
blackberry cobbler: 5

5 Hershey's miniatures: 5

pizza: 11
milk: 2
ice cream: 5

Points: 47.5

TUESDAY

cinnamon life cereal: 4
hershey's miniature: 1

General Tso's chicken, 1/2 order: 10
rice: 2
a little hot & sour soup: 0.5

short coke: 2

Rob's Diet Log - Week 1 (9/10/03)

Total points: 159.5
Average points: 26.6
Adjusted average: 26.6
Lunches from home: 4
Home-cooked dinners: 6

WEDNESDAY

Jason's Deli Santa Fe chicken sandwich: 12
chips: 3
diet coke

WW chicken w/black bean salsa: 4
3 biscuits: 15
payday: 5

Points: 39

THURSDAY

tomato soup and rice: 8

2 tbsp peanut butter: 4

nutrigrain yogurt bar: 3
nutrigrain twist bar: 3

Points: 18

FRIDAY

nutrigrain bar: 3

chef salad: 18

salad w/black bean salsa, chicken: 4

Points: 25

SATURDAY

salad: 6

chips: 3

spaghetti: 18

Points: 27

SUNDAY

chicken sandwich: 6

WW Chicken carbonara - 6pts.
Milk - 2pts
Hearty Tomato soup - 4pts.
toast: 3

Points: 21

MONDAY

dry toast: 3

10 oz. sirloin: 14
rice pilaf: 2.5

2 turkey sandwiches: 10

Points: 29.5

TUESDAY

nutrigrain bar: 3

WW chicken rigatoni w/broccoli: 4

Smart Choice Swedish meatballs: 6

smoothie

I think I'm going to try a smoothie tonight for dinner. I've never had one.

I was going to go do Cajun for lunch today, by myself, but as I was walking out to my car, my friend Dale was driving by on the way to lunch. They were going to go to GNC, then grab something to eat and whatever. Did I want to come with them? Sure, why not?

They did their business at the GNC, then decided to go to Smoothie King, which is right next door to the GNC. I didn't feel brave enough to try a smoothie this afternoon, so I went on to the Subway, which is also in that same complex. But it did get my mind a-workin'.

I've never tried the smoothies, because I've never been a big fan of Orange Juliuses. I know they don't really have anything to do with one another, but for some reason, that's always what I think of when smoothies come to mind. I've also been afraid that I would get vapor lock in the ordering line, because there's so many choices and I wouldn't know which supplements to put in which drink, and it would become obvious to everyone in the smoothie store that I have no idea what I'm doing. They would all smirk and whisper amongst themselves..."look at the fat girl, fucking up her smoothie order.." (No, not the least bit neurotic...why do you ask?)

But as I was in the Smoothie King waiting for them to finish up their order, I started to look at the menu and realized that there were some pre-mixed ones that would require no concocting whatsoever. So I may try one of those angelfood smoothies that I've heard so much about. If I like it, maybe that'll be a good way to make sure I get all my fruit and veggie servings each day. Lord knows I need to find some way to do that...the tomatoes on my POINTS tracker keep taunting me every day.

Diet Log - Week 36 (9/10/03)

Total points: 221
Average points: 31.5
Adjusted average: 28.6
Water: 10L
12-or-less Lunches: 2
Dinners @ home: 7

WEDNESDAY

cocoa krispies w/milk: 3
banana: 2
.5L water

Subway red wine vinaigrette club: 7
ruffles: 4
diet pepsi

.5L water

hamburger casserole: 4
1/2 a WW chicken breast with black bean salsa: 2
WW chili-lime corn: 2
biscuit flake: 1
milk: 2

.5L water

Points: 27

THURSDAY

egg white omelet w/green peppers, tomatoes & low-fat cheese: 3
toast: 2
milk: 2

.5L water

angelfood smoothie: 10

5 hershey's miniatures: 5
.5L water

WW Skillet beef & beer stew: 5
1 slice lite garlic bread: 3
.5L water

.5L water

Points: 30

FRIDAY

egg white omelet w/green peppers, tomatoes & low-fat cheese: 3
yogurt: 2
.5L water
coffee: 1

shrimp gumbo: 5
bread & butter: 5
coke: 3

5 Hershey's miniatures: 5

WW Chicken w/black bean salsa: 4
corn: 2

.5L water

Points: 30

SATURDAY

egg white omelet w/green peppers, tomatoes & low-fat cheese: 3
3 slices bacon: 4
milk: 2

Banquet fried chicken: 10
corn: 2
.5L water

pudding: 4

spaghetti: 6

Points: 31

SUNDAY

BLT: 14
chocolate shake: 7

popcorn: 3
coke: 3

spaghetti: 7.5
milk: 2

Points: 36.5

MONDAY

egg white omelet w/salsa & cheese (low fat): 3
light yogurt: 2
milk: 2
coffee: 2

quizno's small beef & cheddar w/no mayo: 9
2 oz. carrot cake w/cream cheese icing: 4.5
diet snapple peach iced tea

2 oz. carrot cake w/cream cheese icing: 4.5

cookie: 1.5

WW chili-rubbed pork: 4
green beans

Points: 32.5

TUESDAY

egg white omelet w/tomatoes & low-fat cheese: 2
blackberry yogurt: 2
english muffin w/butter: 3
.5L water

3 slices pizza: 16
4 strawberries
2 chunks of cantaloupe: 1
cookie: 2
.5L water

cookie: 2
candy: 3
.5L water

grilled chicken: 3
asparagus
.5L water

Points: 34

Diet Log - Week 35 (9/3/03)

Total points: 223
Average points: 31.8
Adjusted average: 29
Water: 8.75L
12-or-less lunches: 3
Dinners @ home: 6

WEDNESDAY

honey nut cheerios: 3

.5L water

about 2 inches of Rob's meatball sub: 4.5
spaghetti & meatballs: 10
.5L water

pudding (fat-free): 2

mac & cheese: 9
pudding: 2
.5L water

Points: 30.5

THURSDAY

raisin bran crunch: 4
coffee: 2
.5L water

pork chop w/mushroom gravy: 6
rice: 4
dinner roll: 3
cherry crisp: 5

.5L water
gummi bears: 2

caesar salad mix w/half the dressing: 3
lemon pepper tuna: 1
fat free pudding: 2

Points: 32

FRIDAY

.5L water
4 potato chips: 2

about 1/4 of a grilled chicken salad: 2

2 sugarfree mini peanut butter cups: 1.5
8 junior mints: 1.5

8 oz. steak: 8
corn: 1
milk: 2
bread: 2
cupcake: 5
.75L water

Points: 25

SATURDAY

holy mega-breakfast, batman!: 31

fried shrimp: 3
french fries: 3
bread & butter: 6
coke: 2

Points: 45

SUNDAY

kolache: 5
coffee: 2

3 slices pizza: 16.5

2 tbsp peanut butter: 5

1.5L water

Points: 29.5

MONDAY

honey nut cheerios: 3
vanilla yogurt nutrigrain bar: 3

.5L water
sugar free peanut butter cups: 4

grilled salmon: 5
rice: 2
caesar salad: 2
cornbread: 3
iced tea

cheddar & sour cream ruffles: 4
diet coke

WW Skillet beef & beer stew: 5

Points: 31

TUESDAY

blackberry yogurt: 2
life cereal w/milk: 4

apple: 2

spring rolls (2): 3
vietnamese egg rolls (3): 4
coke: 3
fortune cookie: 2

.5L water
payday: 5

hamburger casserole: 5
green beans
.5L water

.5L water

Points: 30

Diet Log - Week 34 (8/27/03)

I need to eat healthier, that's really all there is to it. I didn't record any food yesterday because it was so unbelievably bad. There were buffalo wings, fries, about 6,000 mini M&Ms...not pretty. I'm not really sure what happened...I could blame the moodiness, I suppose. I just really wanted the fatty unhealthy food yesterday. I regretted it by about 5 pm, though, when I was all nauseated and blechy.

So I've been keeping track of my food over at WW online too, and the little water and tomato icons at the bottom of the journal have been haunting me (Those of you who don't do WW online--they indicate water and vegetable/fruit servings). I never get them all. On some days, I don't get any at all. I think that's another reason I've been feeling so icky lately.

Time for that to stop. I didn't do my latest 4-week report yet, but I think that one of the food goals there will be to make those 5 veggie/fruit servings a day. Hopefully, I'll start feeling healthier if I do that, because right now I just feel like I've been rode hard and put up wet, as they say here in TX. Or like I've been hit by a truck. Or choose your own analogy. :)

Oh, and one more thing--Flex POINTS. I don't know what I'm going to do about the WW plan change yet. I've been trying to get a feel for it, and there are some aspects I like and others I don't. Right now, I'm just going to keep things as they are. Shooting for an adjusted average of 30 or less.

Total points: 107
Average points: 35.6
Adjusted average: 34
Water: 4L
Fruit/veggie servings: 11
12-or-less lunches: 1
Dinners @ home: 3

WEDNESDAY

cookies: 5
milk: 2
nutrigrain bar: 3

Chipotle chicken burrito bol: 14 (took portions given at Dotti's and ran through WW online)
.5L water

M&Ms: 4

Chicken voila: 5
garlic bread: 5
.5L water

Points: 38

THURSDAY

honey nut cheerios: 3
.5L water

.5L water

Jason's deli Spud lite, about 3 bites because it was completely gross: 1
salad: 3
Burger King cheeseburger: 8
~8 oz. water

.5L water
Ruffles cheddar cheese & sour cream, minibag: 2

milk: 2
1/2 combination Totino's pizza: 9

Points: 28

FRIDAY

Life cereal w/skim milk: 4

CiCi's pizza: 23
salad: 2
lemonade: 2

honey-roasted payday (aka, candy of the GODS): 5

fat-free tapioca pudding: 2
caesar salad mix w/tuna: 3

Points: 41

SATURDAY

cheese, bacon, and tomato omelet, w/ eggbeaters: 4
hash browns: 3
bacon: 2
milk: 2

coke: 2

And the rest of it--FREE WEEKEND.

TUESDAY

coffee: 2
1 whataburger hashbrown stick: 1

sesame chicken: 9
rice: 4
2 spring rolls: 4
iced tea

gummy bears: 3

yumminess

I've been browsing the recipes on the WW website today, because I figure I'm going to get my 15 bucks worth out of this e-Tools thing. I don't really like to cook, but I'm thinking that I have a much better shot at staying within my points range if I eat at home more often.

Here's the recipes I'm going to try in the next few weeks:

Sesame chicken (5 points)
Tandoori chicken (4 points)
Orange chicken (5 points)
Beef stew (4 points)
Pork chops w/sweet potatoes & pears (6 points)
a green bean recipe
creamy chicken pasta (8 points)
baked turkey & jack chimichangas (5 points)
chicken & sausage gumbo (6 points)
chicken enchiladas (8 points)
chicken marsala (4 points)
fettucine with salmon (9 points)

That should keep me busy for awhile.

UPDATE: I went back and crossed out the ones I've tried.

The one small complaint I have about the recipe finder...it caps the results at 100, but has more than 100 recipes in each category (main meals, light meals, etc.). So if you don't choose keywords, you can never just browse all the recipes...unless there's some control I'm missing.

Diet Log - Week 33 (8/20/03)

Okay, time to get serious. I've been eating way too much the last two weeks, and it's time for that to stop. Shooting for adjusted average of no more than 30 here. And even that's high.

Total points: 161
Average points: 32.2
Adjusted average: 30
Water: 4.5L
12-or-less lunches: 3
Dinners@home: 4

WEDNESDAY

cinnamon life: 5

grilled salmon: 4
rice: 3
caesar salad: 2
iced tea

coke: 3

tortellini w/marinara sauce,
bread,
a little calamari,
a little spinach/artichoke dip: 12

Points: 29

THURSDAY

bagel: 4
cream cheese: 2
honey nut cheerios w/milk: 3

.5L water

stouffer's baked chicken dinner: 5
Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath bar crunch: 5

coke: 2
.5L water

sesame chicken, ww recipe: 5
rice: 2
green beans
.5L water

Points: 28

FRIDAY

bite of leftover steak: 1
diet coke
I know, I know...soooo healthy. :)

2 slices pizza: 16
popcorn: 5
coke: 3

.5L water

spaghetti: 6
garlic bread: 5

Points: 36

SATURDAY

there was barbecue. I may have had breakfast. I had tea and cake at a party. I don't know how to begin to estimate points on any of this.

SUNDAY

fajita omelet: 5
coffee: 2

california club, Jason's deli: 12
fruit: 1
pudding: 2
ice cream cone: 5

pork chops: 6
mashed potatoes: 5
grilled veggies: 1

Points: 37

MONDAY

blueberry muffin: 3
oreos: 6
milk: 2

chicken tetrazzini: 9
bread: 1
salad: 1
iced tea

WW fettucine with salmon, 1/2 serving: 5
ice cream: 4
.5L water

Points: 31

TUESDAY

coffee: 1
apple: 2
cinnamon life: 4

I really don't want to talk about it.

Diet Log - Week 32 (8/13/03)

I'll put something up here later.

Total points: 186
Average points: 37.2
Adjusted average: 36
Water: 4L
12-or-less lunches: 2
Dinners@home: 4

WEDNESDAY

cinnamon life cereal w/skim milk: 3
bagel: 3
cream cheese: 2

.5L water

chicken flautas (3): 24 (holy shit! I had no idea those were this bad for me!)
rice & beans: 3
iced tea
chips: 3

pork chop: 4
potatoes: 5
milk: 2

cookies: 6

Points: 55

THURSDAY

.5L water

raisin bran crunch: 4

steak & gravy: 7
rice: 4
roll: 3
salad: 1

.5L water

Snickers almond: 5

1/2 a pork chop: 2
cheesecake bites: 4

Points: 30

FRIDAY

southwest eggbeaters with cheese: 2
toast: 2
milk: 2

.5L water

vanilla latte: 5

wings & chips: 18

.5L water

chicken breast dinner: 5
cheesecake bites: 4

Points: 38

This weekend wasn't too bad food-wise, but I don't want to go back and list everything from memory. So, free weekend.

MONDAY

toast: 3
yogurt: 2

tuna salad sandwich: 7
triscuits: 2
sugar free jello
.5L water

tacos: 10
milk: 2
cupcakes (Yes, plural. Shut up.): 10

Points: 36

TUESDAY

cinnamon life: 4
coffee: 2

tacos: 10
cream puffs: 5
.5L water

pudding: 2

boca chick'n sandwich: 4
sugar free jello

Points: 27

Diet Log - Week 31 (8/6/03)

I'm going to try to limit my food to less than 75% junk. This would actually be an improvement over last week, I think.

Total points: 262
Average points: 37.4
Adjusted average: 35.1
Water: 6L
12-or-less lunches: 1
Dinners @ home: 5

WEDNESDAY

milk: 2
peach: 1

General Tso's chicken: 11 (1/2 order)
iced tea

trail mix: 5

gardenburger on bun: 6
corn: 1
milk: 2

1L water

Points: 28

THURSDAY

toast: 5
banana: 1

1L water

Stouffer's baked chicken breast dinner: 5
rest of the General Tso: 9

grilled chicken breast: 3
rice: 3
green beans

ice cream sundae: 10

1L water

Points: 36

FRIDAY

.5L water

nectarine: 2
cinnamon life cereal: 3

Chipotle free burrito (nothing special, just free): 16
diet coke

spaghetti: 9
garlic bread: 4
cream puffs: 5

.5L water

Points: 39 (yeep!)

SATURDAY

leftover spaghetti: 9
milk: 2

popcorn: 3
chili dog: 10
fries: 8

steak: 10
corn: 2
diet coke

Points: 44

SUNDAY

coffee: 1

roast beef: 14
potatoes: 4
carrots: 3
cake: 12

cheese crackers: 5

Points: 39

MONDAY

apple pie: 8
pudding: 2

salad: 4
chili: 4
brownie sundae: 8
diet coke

LC turkey dinner: 5
milk: 2

Points: 33

TUESDAY

cake: 6
milk: 2

chimichanga: 18
chips: 7

cream puffs: 5

ham&cheese potatoes: 5

Points: 43

overlunched

Thai buffet place, I curse thee! A pox on all your houses!

So full right now. Need a nap.

Diet Log - Week 30 (7/30/03)

Though I'm pretty sure that it's unrelated to food, I did gain 2 lbs last week. So I'm going to try to be a little more reserved this week, and strictly shoot for a 28 point adjusted average.

Total Points: 132
Average Points: 34
Adjusted Average: 31.5
Water: 3.5L
12-or-less lunches: 1
Dinners @ home: 2

WEDNESDAY

cereal: 4
milk: 2

chipotle burrito: 20
diet coke

1L water

BLT: 8

.5L water

Points: 34

THURSDAY

.5L water

Kashi GoLean crunch w/skim milk: 3
yogurt: 2

seafood gumbo: 6
diet coke
bread: 3

BLT: 8
taco: 4
corn: 2

.5L water

Points: 28

FRIDAY

toast: 4
peach: 1

Thai buffet place: 18

movie popcorn: 8
diet coke

Points: 31

I don't remember everything this weekend. I didn't do too badly, but it was not great, either.

MONDAY

honey nut cheerios: 5
banana: 2

1L water

salad: 3
turkey wrap: 8
fruit: 0 (the strawberries were nasty)
pudding: 2
water

payday: 7

lasagna: 6
bread: 2
milk: 2
skinny cow: 2

Points: 39 (!!)

TUESDAY

milk: 1
muffin: 5
coffee: 2

hamburger: 18
fried jalapeno slices: 5
coke: 3

have I completely lost my mind??

Diet Log - Week 29 (7/23/03)

Ok, trying to be good this week. Not starting out very well.

Total points: 225
Average points: 32.1
Adjusted average: 30.2
Water: 6.5L
12-or-less lunches: 3
Dinners@home: 4

WEDNESDAY

yogurt: 2
coffee: 2

1/4 pounder with cheese & small fry: 17

fun size milky way: 2

Chili's citrus fire chicken and shrimp: 8
some of Noah's chocolate shake (I'm weak): 1
some of my future MIL's margarita(see above): 1
iced tea

Points: 33

THURSDAY

honey nut cheerios: 5

Chipotle barbacoa burrito: 16
.5L water

apple pie: 8

Stouffers baked chicken breast dinner: 5
nectarine: 2

1L water

Points: 36

FRIDAY

cheerios: 4
coffee: 2

wings & fries: 18
iced tea

1L water

shrimp pasta primavera: 5
diet pepsi

ice cream: 6

Points: 35

SATURDAY

1L water

honey nut cheerios: 4

caramel sundae (McDonalds): 8

10 oz. steak: 10
baked potato: 6
salad: 1
bread: 1
cheese fries: 4

Points: 34

SUNDAY

banana: 2
kolache: 6
orange juice: 1

banana: 2

.5L water

cheese enchilada: 5
beef enchilada: 4
chicken enchilada: 4
chips & salsa: 5

1L water

Points: 29

MONDAY

honey bunches of oats: 3

vietnamese egg rolls: 8
shrimp, grilled pork, and rice: 6
iced tea

1L water

turkey tacos: 8
fudge bar: 1

Points: 26

TUESDAY

cheerios & milk: 4
blueberry muffin: 5
coke: 2

turkey taco: 4
diet pepsi

8 oz steak: 8
corn on cob: 2
waffle fries: 5
milk: 2

Points: 32

Diet Log - Week 28 (7/19/03)

Since I have abolished free weekends, diet log starts today. Due to an unfortunate hissy fit I threw this morning, it starts with about 25 points worth of pancake breakfast.

Total points: 107
Average points: 35.6
Adjusted average: 34
Water: 3.5L
12-or-less lunches: 2
Dinners @ home: 3

SATURDAY

.5L water
.5L gatorade

I'm ballparking this.
pancakes, eggs, bacon, ham, hashbrowns: 24
coffee: 1

I just had a meal that, when I was a kid, I would have viewed as a punishment. It was actually quite good, though.

lima beans: 1
tuna: 2
low sodium triscuits: 2

Points: 30

SUNDAY

2 bagels w/strawberry cream cheese: 8

I ate way too much today. I don't even know why--I'm not feeling bad, there were no special occasions that called for it. I just could not stop eating. Let's just call it a 45-point day and leave it at that.

Points: 45

MONDAY

the breakfast of champions (oreos & milk): 10

chicken noodle soup: 4
salad: 2

diet cherry limeade: 1
chips: 5

pork chop: 6
brussels sprouts
milk: 2
fun size milky way: 2

Points: 32

TUESDAY

banana: 1
honey nut cheerios w/milk: 5
milk: 2

Stouffers baked chicken breast dinner: 5
milk: 2

Diet Log - Week 27 (7/12/03)

NO. MORE. FREE. WEEKENDS. (After this one.) They're killing me.

Total Points: 141
Average points: 28.2
Adjusted average: 26
Water: 10.5L
12-or-less lunches: 4
Dinners @ home: 3

MONDAY

Team cheerios, 1 cup: 2
milk, 1/2 cup: 1

.5L water

vegetable beef soup: 3
chicken salad: 8

trail mix: 5
diet coke

5 oz. sirloin: 5
brussels sprouts in butter: free!
1/4 hershey bar: 1
sugar-free fruit popsicle
1L water

.5L water

Points: 25

TUESDAY

toast: 3
kiwi

1L water

wings & fries: 16
vanilla latte: 5
iced tea

trail mix: 5

chips: 5
1L water

Points: 34

WEDNESDAY

cereal & milk: 7

1L water

southwest soup: 5
chicken salad: 1 (it was nas-tay today, only ate a little)
diet coke

pizza, 3 slices: 12
breadstick: 2
diet pepsi

1.5L water

Points: 27

THURSDAY

.5L water

cold pizza: 4

1L water

gumbo: 6
1/2 tuna sandwich: 4

snickers: 6

Stouffer's baked chicken breast dinner: 5
milk: 2

.5L water

Points: 27

FRIDAY

mandarin oranges: 1
blueberry muffin: 5
coffee: 1
milk: 1

I was thrilled today to discover that Black-eyed Pea has a lunch menu. Still grilled salmon for me, but less of it. Woo! If my service hadn't been so crappy, it would have been the perfect lunch!

grilled salmon: 4
salad: 1
rice: 2
cornbread: 2
iced tea

1L water

turkey wrap: 8
fruit (the strawberries were nasty--just ate the melon):0
pudding: 1
a couple chips: 1
jr. mints: 1

1L water

Points: 28

Diet Log - Week 26 (7/5/03)

Had a holiday free-for-all vacation and didn't really recover on the first day back. So I'm pretending all those days don't exist, and starting the diet log today (Wednesday).

Total points: 90
Average points: 30
Adjusted average: 26
Water: 3L
12-point lunches: 2
Dinners @ home: 2

WEDNESDAY

fat-free pudding: 2

Chipotle steak burrito: 16
diet coke

1L water

m&ms: 5

Stouffer's baked chicken breast dinner: 5
sugar-free jello
water

Points: 28

THURSDAY

maple pecan crunch w/ 1% milk: 9

salisbury steak, gravy, rice: 12

trail mix: 5

pork chop: 4
caesar salad: 2
milk: 2

.5L water

Points: 34 (oops)

FRIDAY

.5L water

Golden Grahams w/cup milk: 4

caesar salad w/pork chop (can we say, leftovers?): 6
coke: 2

trail mix: 5

turkey wrap: 8
fruit: 1
pudding: 1
junior mints: 1
water

Points: 28

Diet Log - Week 25 (6/28/03)

I'm going to start recording weekends again week after next. Just so you know.

Total Points: 66
Average points: 33
Adjusted average: 28
Water: 1.5L
12-or-less lunches: 1
Home-prepared meals: 1

MONDAY

cheerios w/milk: 5
pudding: 2

1L water

turkey wrap: 8
fruit: 1
pudding: 3
water

trail mix: 5

stouffer's baked chicken breast dinner: 5
.5L water
sugar free jello: 0

Points: 29

TUESDAY

pudding: 2
blueberry muffin: 5

diet coke

wings & fries: 18

and I'm going out for steak tonight too. You can't stop me! Nyah. (banked 10 points especially for the occasion.)

10 oz. sirloin: 10
green beans: 0
bread: 2
iced tea

Points: 37

Diet Log - Week 24 (6/21/03)

If I thought really hard, I could probably recollect what I ate this weekend. But you know what? I just don't care. Starting this on Monday.

Total points: 159
Average points: 31.8
Adjusted average: 30.2
Water: 8L

MONDAY

little fruit cup (peaches): 1

bagel: 3
cream cheese: 1
coffee: 1

Chick-Fil-A 8 piece nugget: 6
waffle fries: 8
lemonade: 4

7 oz. sirloin: 8
brussels sprouts: 1
water

Points: 32

TUESDAY

milk: 3
peanut butter toast: 3
regular toast: 3

.5L water

Panera bread 1/2 smoked turkey on sourdough: 5
1/2 strawberry poppyseed salad: 2
1/2 the piece of baguette they put on the side: 2
water

chips & guacamole: 12 (I'm being charitable)
peanut butter & banana sandwich: 6

Points: 36

WEDNESDAY

banana: 2
.5L water

blueberry muffin: 5

grilled salmon: 7
rice: 2
spinach salad with diced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, feta cheese, blackberries and bacon (no dressing--it was this nasty blackberry vinagrette): 3
iced tea

.5L water

Lean Cuisine creamy chicken and vegetables rice bowl: 7
milk: 2

Points: 28

THURSDAY

milk: 2

.5L water

wings combo with fries: 18
celery w/bleu cheese: 1
frosty: 7

turkey,broccoli, cheese lean pocket: 5
water

Points: 33

FRIDAY

milk: 2

1L water

chipotle chicken burrito, half-tortilla: 16
diet lemonade

.5L water

hamburger casserole: 10
milk: 2

Points: 30

Diet Log - Week 23 (6/18/03)

*deep sigh* I wasn't going to do a journal this week. I actually forgot about it for the first few days, and then thought I might be able to control myself even if I didn't write anything down. It was sort of like a test...that I failed.

I haven't done too bad, but I've discovered that really need to journal in order to be consistent and accountable. Even though I don't really feel like it.

I'm not going to calculate totals this week, though, because it's going to end up being just 3 days.

WEDNESDAY

coffee: 1
muffin: 8

pulled pork sandwich: 10
little potato salad: 3
little beans: 1
root beer: 2

coke: 2
trail mix: 5

Points: 32 (I'm cutting myself off here, before I really get crazy. May throw in a bike ride tonight for good measure.)

THURSDAY

cereal w/milk: 7

grilled salmon: 6
rice: 2
salad: 2
ice cream: 6

southwest chicken caesar: 4
1/2 baked potato w/sour cream, chives: 3

Total: 30

Diet Log - Week 22 (6/7/03)

I must. not. eat. crap. this. week. That is all.

Total points: 156
Average points: 31.2
Adjusted average: 28.4
Water: 6L

SATURDAY

8 oz. sirloin: 10
1/2 a nasty peach--overripe and grainy
1L water

Bunch of other crap: 20ish

Total: 30

SUNDAY

mexican: 15

pizza: 20

a whole bunch of water

Points: 35

MONDAY

aw, fuck it. Free day. At the rate I'm going, it may turn out to be a free week.

TUESDAY

water
gum

chicken in white wine sauce: 14
rice: 4
salad: 2

6 oz steak: 6

Total: 26

WEDNESDAY

1L water
coffee: 1
croissan'wich: 14 (totally not worth it, but I had to eat something or my vitamin makes me sick)

soup: 3

diet coke

regular coke: 3

1/2 a gyro, mostly just the meat: 5
diet coke
.5L water

ice cream: 4

Total: 30

THURSDAY

.5L water
PB&J: 6
milk: 2

chipotle chicken burrito: 15
diet coke

diet pepsi

.5L water

pizza: 12

Total: 35

FRIDAY

yogurt: 2

2 spring rolls: 3
couple bites of inedible chicken lo mein: 1
fried rice: 6
iced tea

ice cream: 6

Diet Log - Week 21 (5/31/03)

Wow...already Monday. I really have been eating for the last three days...just been busy. I didn't really write anything down as I went, so my memory might have some holes.

Total points: 216
Average points: 30.8
Adjusted average: 30
Water: 10L

SATURDAY

beef jerky: 4
water

Wendy's cheeseburger: 11
fries: 8
coke: 3

a couple oreos: 6

water

Total: 32

SUNDAY

coffee: 1

3 inch subway sandwich: 4
chips: 3
2 cookies: 8
water

water
fat free pudding: 2
juice popsicle: 1

1/4 muffaletta: 6
chips: 3
pickle
water

Total: 28

MONDAY

coffee: 2
couple of Noah's hashbrowns: 1

1L water

movie popcorn, about 1/2 a medium bag: 3
diet coke

8 oz. sirloin: 10
garlic mashed potatoes: 3
salad: 2

raspberries: 0
1L water
peanut butter: 2

Total: 23

TUESDAY

whipped yogurt: 3
1L water

meatloaf w/gravy: 10
rice: 4
roll: 3
mixed veggies

cranberry juice: 2
payday: 7

pepperoni pizza lean pocket: 5
water

Total: 34

WEDNESDAY

coffee: 2
a food product so evil and seductive that I dare not speak its name: 11

grilled salmon: 6
rice: 3
salad: 2
iced tea

spaghetti: 10
1L water

Total: 34

THURSDAY

Kashi GoLean cereal w/whole milk: 4

1L water

sing a song of Chipotle: 18
.5L water

pretzels: 3

romaine & tuna salad, no dressing: 2
raspberries: 0
.5L water

SmartOnes fudge bars: 2

Total: 29

FRIDAY

.5L water
small peach: 1

.5L water

tuna melt: 12
diet coke

brownie: 6
lemonade: 1

.5L water
chips: 3

pizza: 6

cheeseburger: 7
.5L water

what the hell is wrong with me???

Total: 36

Diet Log - Week 20 (5/24/03)

what can I say? Another week. Last one before the 4-week report, even.

As I mentioned before, I'm not tracking vitamins anymore. I am, however, starting to track water again. I've gotten bad about that, and with summer coming up, it's about to become critical.

Once again, the main thing I'm looking for on this diet log is an adjusted average of 28 or less. As long as diet and exercise combined get me within my target range (22-27, but I'm fudging it up to 28 because I can), I'm happy.

Total points: 143
Average points: 28.6
Adjusted average: 26.6
Water: not nearly enough

SATURDAY

WW 2 points bar: 2

IHOP coconut pineapple pancakes: 4
hash browns: 4
2 eggs: 5
2 strips bacon: 2
orange juice: 2

apples and caramel dip: 2
1/2 chocolate caramel 2 points bar: 1

red beans & rice: 5
salad: 3
diet coke

Points: 28

Look...after this, it's all a blur until Monday afternoon. Holiday weekend, not recording anything. For the record, though, other than the margarita, the cheesecake, and that noxious corn dog from the snack bar, I didn't do too bad.

TUESDAY

.5L water

Taco cabana tacos: 8
chips and queso: 10
coke: 2

snickers: 5

hmm...show me the spinach salad tonight, eh?

spinach salad w/tuna: 2
cookie dough ice cream, single serve: 6

Points: 33

WEDNESDAY

.5L water

General Tso's chicken: 18
iced tea

turkey wrap: 8
fruit: 1
pudding: 1

Points: 28

THURSDAY

water

10 wings: 17
fries: 5
ice cream: 6

diet pepsi

Points: 28

FRIDAY (finally)

coffee: 2

Chipotle burrito: 16
.5L water

popcorn: 6
2 bites of Noah's hot dog: 2

Total: 26

Diet Log - Week 19 (5/17/03)

Nothing to say yet. I did really well on food last week, comparatively speaking, so I'd like to keep that trend going. Going for a 0 points bank at the end of this week.

I've added another metric to the summaries below--adjusted average. This is the average points per day with exercise points factored in. Since I don't keep the points bank from week to week, I've decided that I need a way to look back over time and see how close I was to goal on a given week.

Stats

Total: 246
Average: 35.1
Adjusted Average: 31.8
Vitamins: 7

SATURDAY

vitamin

WW Just 2 points peanut caramel bar: 2
doritos: 5
water

1/2 serving of cheezits: 2

peanut butter and m&ms: 4

turkey wrap: 8
fruit: 1

popcorn: 2

biscuits & chicken stew: 7
jello: 1

Points: 32

SUNDAY

vitamin

coffee: 2

chili dog: 16
fries: 3
hot fudge sundae: 9
iced tea

pepperoni pizza lean pocket: 5

Points: 35

MONDAY

vitamin

egg beaters with bacon & cheese: 5
orange juice: 2

taco bell: 14

apples and caramel dip: 3

tazo lemon tea: 1

sirloin steak: 7
raspberries: 0

Points: 32

TUESDAY

I don't want to talk about it. Really. I started out really well, and then...plunk. I don't even know how much I ate, but let's just put it at 50 points.

WEDNESDAY

vitamin

coffee: 2
kolache: 5

chicken & beef fajita buffet: 9
chicken crispito(?): 5
salad: 3
2 rolls w/butter: 6

hamburger casserole, about a cup: 8

Total: 38

Thursday will be better.

THURSDAY

vitamin

cereal: 5
coffee: 2

chocolate donut: 4

1/2 chicken salad sandwich: 6
lemon ice-box pie slice: 4
raspberries: 0
water

cheezits: 3

Stouffers roast pork dinner: 7

Total: 31

FRIDAY

dannon smoothie (ugh.): 2
coffee: 1
kolache: 5

turkey wrap: 8
fruit: 1
strawberry shortcake: 4

5 fish sticks: 7

Total: 28

Diet Log - Week 18 (5/10/03)

Since my range changed this week, with going under 200, I'm probably going to be over on points. It's only a 2 point difference, but since I'm such a creature of habit, and I have trouble hitting 29 points the way it is, it'll be a real challenge to shoot for 27. I'm going to try to exercise enough to make up for it, but I'll probably end up with a negative piggy bank for this week. Once I adjust, though, I'll be fine.

Then again, maybe I'll just go insane with the 0 point vegetables.

Total points: 206
Average points: 29.4
Vitamins: 7

SATURDAY

vitamin

WW Just 2 Points bar, chocolate/caramel: 2

Okay, Joy, what the hell? I can't believe I haven't entered anything here for 3 days. No wonder I've been eating more and more like crap as time goes on. When I'm not writing it down, my brain thinks I can do whatever I want.

wings: 15
celery: 0
bleu cheese: 1
couple fries: 2

nachos: 5
birthday cake: 4

Points: 29

SUNDAY

vitamin

coffee: 1

9 oz. steak: 10
baked sweet potato w/cinnamon butter: 5
2 slices bread w/honey butter: 6
iced tea

two slices of ham: 4
4 olives: 2

Points: 28

MONDAY

vitamin

raisin bagel w/ cream cheese: 6

wings combo with fries: 13
celery w/bleu cheese: 1

cheddar sour cream chips: 4

lean pocket turkey & broccoli: 5
pizza: 12

Got a little nutty yesterday...

Points: 41

TUESDAY

vitamin

Starbucks Tazoberry tea: 6

really crappy sandwich from Antone's Po Boys: 8
baked lays: 3
diet coke

coffee cake: 5

chicken breast: 3
sliced cucumber: 0
water

Points: 25

WEDNESDAY

vitamin

dippin' stix apples w/fruit dip: 3
1 oz. grilled chicken: 1
coffee w/creamer: 1

dippin' stix apples with caramel: 3

Jason's Deli turkey wrap: 8
fruit: 1
tiny box of Jr. Mints: 1
pudding: 2
water

Nature valley trail mix bar: 2

spaghetti. Really, I only meant to have a small portion: 10
bread: 4

Points: 36

THURSDAY

vitamin

kashi golean crunch w/milk: 4
banana: 2

water
dippin stix carrots w/ranch (only used about 1/3 ranch): 2

Panera turkey fresco sandwich, half: 6
water

apples with fruit dip: 3
diet coke

2 Hormel chicken breast & gravy: 6
1/2 cup rice: 3

Points: 26

FRIDAY

vitamin

Kashi GoLean Crunch w/milk: 4
1/2 banana: 1
coffee: 1
water

James Coney Island regular dog, new york style: 6
water

diet pepsi

Hormel chicken breast & gravy: 3
1/2 cup rice: 3
12 oz. milk: 3

Points: 21

Diet Log - Week 17 (5/2/03)

This week's diet log is going to be 8 days long, since it ends on the Friday before the next WW meeting. Also, this is the week where I stop recording calories and start with the points only method.

I'm lacking in ado today, so without further...

Total points: 255
Average points: 31.8
Vitamin: 6

FRIDAY

vitamin

coffee: 2
berry burst cheerios, with 1% milk: 3

baked potato w/sour cream, cheese, bbq beef, margarine, chives: 14
(mmm...starchy goodness)

payday candy bar: 6

deluxe grilled chicken sandwich: 9
chocolate milkshake: 7
water

Points: 41

SATURDAY

I didn't write anything down this weekend, but I didn't do too badly.

grande vanilla latte: 6

red beans & rice: 5
salad: 3
diet coke

2 slices pizza: 14
diet dr. pepper
koolaid orange drink: 2
chips: 3

Points: 33

SUNDAY

coffee: 2

Jason's deli turkey wrap: 8
fruit: 1
1/2 cup of chicken noodle soup: 2
chocolate/banana pudding: 3

popcorn: 3
diet coke

3/4 cup spaghetti w/ meat sauce: 10
diet pepsi

Points: 29

MONDAY

vitamin

bacon,egg,cheese biscuit: 11
orange juice: 2
1/2 hash brown: 1

grilled chicken salad: 6
iced tea w/ sugar: 1

hot chocolate: 4

4 chips: 1
7 oz. steak: 7
water

Points: 33

TUESDAY

vitamin

raisin bran w/ milk: 5

chipotle burrito: 16
low-fat lemon cookies (taste like lemon-esque cardboard, ugh): 2

pork chop, 4 oz.: 4
chips: 3
milk: 2

Points: 32

WEDNESDAY

vitamin

cottage cheese and peaches: 3

taco salad: 11
chips: 6

rest of those cookies: 2

8 oz steak: 8
milk: 2

Points: 32

THURSDAY

vitamin

corn pops w/ milk: 4
(note to self: corn pops have the Lucky Charms Effect. If you don't want to be starving by 10 am, keep away.)

grilled salmon: 10
rice: 2
salad w/ ranch dressing (though the server spread it on so thick I could only eat the half of the salad that wasn't swimming in dressing.): 4
iced tea

diet coke

pepperoni pizza hot pocket: 5
water

reduced fat ice cream cone: 3

Points: 28 (woohoo!)

FRIDAY

vitamin

eggbeaters w/tomatoes & low fat cheese: 3
toast: 3
coffee: 1

bbq brisket and sausage: 12
potato salad: 3
beans
diet coke

LC baked chicken: 5
water

Points: 27

note to self

baby spinach = yummy, low-calorie, zero points.
salsa = yummy, low-calorie, zero points

baby spinach + salsa = practically inedible, and one of the worst ideas you've ever had. But still low-calorie and zero points!

Diet Log - Week 16 (4/23/03)

On Noah's third or fourth Christmas, he got a toy semi-truck that made different sounds when you pressed various buttons. He loved this thing. His favorite button was one that emitted a gruff truck-driver voice that said "Let's get movin!" I heard that blasted thing about 20 times a day, and it's been burned into my psyche.

For the last 3 days, I've had a little truck driver in my head. It's time to get my butt back on track, folks. I didn't gain much after the holiday weekend, but it's still more than I'm happy about. And this is the last week before the 4-week report.

So..."Let's get movin'!"

Total calories: 12671
Total points: 303
Average points: 33.3
Vitamins: 9

(Oh, and since I'm changing the schedule, this week is 10 9 days long.)

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - yes

1 cup raisin bran: 190 (3)
1/2 cup milk: 50 (1)

pepperoni personal pan: 620 (14)
breadsticks: 130 (3)
diet pepsi

39 low-fat cheezits: 160 (3)

pizza: 700 (15)
diet pepsi

240 + 750 + 160 + 700 = 1850
Points: 39

THURSDAY

vitamin - yes

egg beaters (2 egg equiv.), scrambled with low-fat cheese & tomatoes: 140 (3)
toast, w country crock lite: 160 (3)
2.5 slices of bacon, microwaved: 100 (3)
orange juice: 110 (2)
(note: I misread the serving size on the bacon. I thought it was one slice, it was actually 2. Changing from 175 to 100, 5 pts. to 3.)

strawberry starburst, found in my desk drawer: 20 (0)

salad w/a little ranch dressing: 100 (2)
chocolate and banana pudding: 200 (5)
cottage cheese, about a tbsp: 40 (1)
canned peaches, 4 slices: 30 (1)
1/2 cup of broccoli cheese soup: 165 (4)
jr mints, mini-box, about 5 mints: 50 (1)

pepperoni pizza lean pocket: 280 (5)
diet lemonade

510 + 20 + 585 + 280 = 1395
Points: 30

FRIDAY

vitamin - yes

raisin bran: 285 (5)
milk: 150 (3)
coffee: 70 (2)

bbq beef sandwich: 211 (5) (fitday...probably a little low. I used half a beef barbecue sub, since the sandwich was a round)
potato chips: 155 (3)
baked beans: 193 (3)
cookie: 50 (1)
caffeine free diet coke

7 pts left, joy...let's see if we can stay on plan, eh?

lean pocket pepperoni pizza: 280 (5)
that hideous salad: 25 (0)
water
diet lemonade

505 + 509 + 305 = 1319
Points: 27

SATURDAY

vitamin - yes

egg beaters (2 egg equiv.), scrambled with low-fat cheese & tomatoes: 140 (3)
2 slices bacon: 80 (2)
orange juice: 110 (2)

3 cadbury caramel mini-eggs: 170 (4)

movie theater popcorn: 300 (7)
diet coke

6 wings: 450 (11)
celery and bleu cheese: 60 (1)
2 of Noah's smiley-face fries: 40 (1)
iced tea

sugar free jello: 10 (0)

330 + 170 + 300 + 550 + 10 = 1360
Points: 31

SUNDAY

vitamin - yes

sausage mcmuffin: 370 (9)

Macaroni grill teriyaki salmon w/orzo pasta: 350 (10) lunch portion, didn't eat much of the pasta
caesar salad: 200 (6)
bread: 110 (2)
strawberry & cream dessert: 255 (6)
2 bites of tiramisu: 40 (1)

apple: 80 (1)
cheese: 445 (11)
peanut butter: 95 (2)

370 + 955 + 620 = 1945
Points: 48 yowza. Macaroni Grill was totally worth it, though. McMuffin? Not so much.

MONDAY

vitamin - yes

coffee, with non-dairy hazelnut creamer: 90 (2)

grilled chicken salad: 400 (8)
coke: 140 (3)

mounds bar: 240 (5)

2 tacos (meat, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa): 770 (16) shoulda stopped at 1.
water

90 + 540 + 240 + 770 = 1640
Points: 34

TUESDAY

vitamin - yes

yogurt: 170 (4)
toast: 160 (3)
water

2 spring rolls (rice paper, veggies, vermicelli, shrimp and pork): 200 (4)
pork vermicelli: 500 (11)

Joy, 7 points left. You can do this. STAY ON PLAN.

taco: 385 (8)
water

330 + 700 + 385 = 1415
Points: 30 Sigh. Close enough.

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - yes

coffee: 70 (2)

chicken strips
mashed potatoes
green beans
roll
(950 cal, or thereabouts...20 points)

cadbury mini-egg: 57 (2)

chips & salsa: 200 (4)
many, many oreos. Somewhere between five and ten. Let's say 6: 320 (7)
12 oz. cherry coke: 150 (3)

70 + 950 + 57 + 670 = 1747
Points: 36 Huh...not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

THURSDAY

vitamin - yes

peaches and cottage cheese: 125 (3)
coffee: 70 (2)

29 cheezits: 120 (3) (in case you're wondering about the weird numbers--that's the serving size listed on the box. 29 cheezits. Yes, I counted them out before eating.)

Panera smoked ham and cheese 1/2 sandwich: 320 (7)
Garden vegetable soup: ~100 (2)
raspberry iced tea: 80 (2)
baguette roll: 140 (3)

7 points left for dinner, Joy. Try not to fuck it up.

pepperoni pizza lean pocket: 280 (5)
1 fishstick: 50 (1)
water

195 + 120 + 640 + 330 = 1285
Points: 28

Diet Log - Week 15 (4/16/03)

This is the first full week of counting points. I've been really good the last few days, and I'm hoping to keep up that trend all this week. I'll still be keeping track of calories, also, until the end of this 4 weeks (as I've stated elsewhere).

I've gone below 200 (yay!), which means that my points allotment will probably be going down in the next couple weeks. Since I weigh with clothes at WW, it will still be a little while before I'm in the 175-200 range on their scale. I'll take those 29 points as long as I can get them, definitely.

I was really surprised at the difference that eating a real breakfast yesterday made in the rest of my day. Since I had that dentist appt at 1:00 and the doctor at 3:00, I left work at 12:15 and skipped lunch. I didn't even really get hungry until about 2:30. I ended up eating again at around 4:30, and that was fine. It's not a schedule I'd like to repeat anytime soon, but it's nice to know that a good breakfast will sustain me like that. Of course, the Saturday morning parade of cereal commercials has been telling me this for years...

I totally derailed this week, on Saturday. I don't even want to consider how much I ate, and of what. Let's just make this a free week.

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - yes

2 slices brannola toast, w/country crock: 280 (5)
1 cup 1% milk: 100 (2)

grilled chicken salad w/ranch dressing: 416 (10)
diet dr. pepper

bag of m&ms: 240 (5)
3 cadbury caramel mini-eggs: 170 (4)

LC french bread pizza: 300 (6)
water

380 + 416 + 410 + 300 = 1506
Points: 32

THURSDAY

vitamin - yes

cadbury caramel mini-egg: 57 (2)
2 slices brannola toast, w/country crock: 280 (5)
water
coffee: 70 (2)

chicken alfredo with vegetables: 475 (11)
salad: 75 (2)
garlic bread: 95 (2)

diet coke

5 oz. steak: 193 (4)
asparagus: 25 (0)
cadbury caramel mini-egg: 57 (2)
water

407 + 645 + 275 = 1327
Points: 30

FRIDAY

vitamin - yes

egg beaters (2 egg equiv.), scrambled with low-fat cheese & tomatoes: 140 (3)
dry toast: 110 (2)
2.5 slices of bacon, microwaved: 175 (5)
orange juice: 110 (2)

caffeine free coke: 140
cadbury mini-egg: 57 (2)
skinny cow ice cream sandwich: 130

chili dog
fries
chocolate milkshake

WEEKEND FREE-FOR-ALL!! WHEE! (Though it wasn't intentional.)

MONDAY

vitamin - yes

dove bunny: 60 (2)

chipotle barbacoa burrito
diet coke

a bunch of &*%^# candy

lean cuisine chicken fried rice

Probably around 1600 calories, 35 or so points

TUESDAY

vitamin - yes

egg beaters (2 egg equiv.), scrambled with low-fat cheese & tomatoes: 140 (3)
dry toast: 110 (2)
orange juice: 110 (2)

1 large orange: 86 (1)

wings and fries: 650 (18)

starburst: 240 (5)
low fat ice cream, 1 scoop: 150 (4)

LC glazed turkey medallions: 250 (5)

360 + 86 + 650 + 390 + 250 = 1736
Points: 40 (crap)

Diet Log - Week 14 (4/9/03)

will try to be pithy and witty later when I'm not so damn tired. (UPDATE, 4/10: Or not.)

UPDATE: I joined weight watchers this week, so I'm going to start counting points on Saturday (my regular meeting day will be Saturday, though my first meeting was Thursday. That first week is going to be longish). Since I want to keep this journal as consistent as possible, and the format (Wed-Tues weeks, 4-week reports) has been working for me, I'm not completely sure how to make the transition to Saturday - Friday. After this week, I still have two weeks left in this set of 4, so I'm going to keep counting calories as well as points until that's over. This serves two purposes--it provides me with a comparison of the WW points plan and the count-only-calories self plan, and it keeps my 4-week report card consistent.

Total calories this week: 10367
Average points per day (on those when I was counting): 30
Vitamins: 6

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - yes

sourdough breakfast: 600
coffee: 70

soup: 300
salad: 180
crackers: 50
Mt. dew: 170

payday: 260

tuna sandwich: 430
diet lemonade: 20

670 + 800 + 260 + 450 = 2180

THURSDAY

vitamin - yes

coffee: 70

meatloaf: 200
scalloped potatoes: 215
roll: 100
salad: 100
coke: 140

stouffers oven bake chicken & rice: 410
lemonade: 20

70 + 755 + 430 = 1255

FRIDAY

vitamin - yes

coffee: 70

chinese buffet: 1000
iced tea

coke: 140

Stouffers chicken and rice: 410
water

70 + 1000 + 140 + 410 = 1620

SATURDAY

vitamin - yes

Fuddruckers "the works" burger, w/fries: 884
caffeine free diet coke
(POINTS: 21)

snack stuff at a party: fruit, cake, chicken nuggets, baked chips, etc.: 600
(calculated points with 600 cal, 15g fat, 4g fiber: 12)
diet coke
water

884 + 600 = 1484
Points: 33

SUNDAY

vitamin - no

pizza: 640 (14)
breadsticks: 340 (7)

chips, salsa: 130
brownie: 130
diet pepsi
water
(points: 8)

8 oz. sirloin: 308 (7)

980 + 260 + 308 = 1548
points: 36

MONDAY

vitamin - yes

4 oz. steak: 155 (4)
17 wheatable crackers: 140 (3)
coffee: 70 (2)

salad w/tuna, italian dressing: 273 (7)
chicken noodle soup, 1 cup: 127 (3)
5 crackers: 65 (1)
water
diet coke

pork chops (about 5 oz.): 295 (7)
spinach salad w/almonds and cherries: 80 (1)
water

365 + 465 + 375 = 1205
Points: 28

TUESDAY

vitamin - yes

tried something new this morning...
egg beaters (2 egg equiv.), scrambled with low-fat cheese & tomatoes: 140 (3)
milk: 100 (2)
toast w/country crock: 170 (3)

I really wish that wasn't 10 points. The eggs are pretty good, and I suppose if I skip the toast and go with skim milk instead of 1%, it would drop to 6 or so.. And if you compare it to the 18 points in a BK croissan'wich and my regular coffee...the nutrition is insanely better.
UPDATE: Hey, what do you know...it isn't. I was reading the nutritional info wrong. The eggs were actually 60 calories, not 120. Which would make the total calories for the egg thing 140, and 3 points, not 5. The whole meal is 8 points.

diet pepsi

jason's deli turkey wrap: 371 (8)
fruit: 50 (1)
diet coke

fruit & yogurt parfait: 130 (3)
2 cadbury caramel mini-eggs: 114 (3)

410 + 421 + 244 = 1075
Points: 23 (oops...under points)

Food 4/2/03 - 4/8/03

The goal is to average 2000 calories/day throughout the week.

Total calories:

Wednesday: Total Calories - 1456
5:45am:
2 apples - 250 Calories
1:00pm:
Premade salad - 275 Calories
2 Plums - 73 Calories
Milk - 300 Calories
5:15pm:
Lean Cuisine turkey meal - 250 Calories
7:00pm:
Sirloin - 308 Calories
Thursday: Total Calories - 1321
6:00am:
Apple - 81 Calories
12:30pm:
BBQ Sandwich - 539 Calories
Potato Salad - 425 Calories
6:30pm:
Salad - 275 Calories
Friday: Total Calories - 1384
7:00am:
2 Apples - 163 Calories
10:30pm:
Grilled Chicken salad - 210 Calories
12:15pm:
Chicken Sandwich - 436 Calories
6:30pm:
Salad with Canned Chicken - 575 Calories

Diet Log - Week 13 (4/2/03)

It seems like I can't do everything well at once. One week, my diet is really good, but my exercise sucks. The next, my diet habits plummet and my exercise soars. This week, I'm going for both. (Just like I do every week.)

Total calories for week: 11780
Total vitamins: 5

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - yes

bbq sausage and brisket: 500
potato salad and beans: 200
peach cobbler: 300
diet pepsi

8 oz steak: 320
honey nut cheerios: 300

1000 + 620 = 1620

THURSDAY

vitamin - yes

sausage mcgriddle: 410
coke: 140

2 spring rolls: 200
pork and shrimp vermicelli: 500
iced tea

spinach salad: 170
chips and salsa: 200

550 + 700 + 370 = 1620

FRIDAY

vitamin - yes

apple and peanut butter: 270
coffee: 70

grilled salmon: 300
dinner salad: 150
iced tea

pizza: 1000
breadsticks: 200

340 + 450 + 1200 = 1990

SATURDAY

vitamin - no

IHOP rooty tooty whatsit: 1000
coffee: 30

then I went and did some church stuff, and slept for the rest of the day. Seriously. I went to sleep at 1:00, woke up at 11 pm. So, since there wasn't really anything I could do about it, I went back to bed and slept till 7:30 am Sunday. I couldn't fall asleep now if I tried.

1030 = 1030

SUNDAY

vitamin - no

donut hole: 50
coffee: 20

fried jalapenos w/ranch: 300
fried crawfish & shrimp: 700
coke: 200

peanut butter: 190

grilled chicken: 200
baked potato: 200
diet pepsi
water

70 + 1200 + 190 + 400 = 1860

MONDAY

vitamin - yes

coffee: 70
chocolate milk: 250
donut: 300

grilled chicken salad: 450

hamburger casserole: 650

620 + 450 + 650 = 1720

TUESDAY

vitamin - yes

skinny cow ice cream: 130

10 wings: 750
cheese fries: 300
iced tea

coke: 140
ice cream: 350

LC roast turkey dinner: 270
water

130 + 1050 + 490 + 270 = 1940

note to self

can of tuna + baby spinach + Tony's + dash of lemon juice = yummy, high protein, and about 200 calories!

(Thanks to kelly for the inspiration, even though I couldn't get the clover leaf seasoned tuna here in TX and had to improvise.)

Food 3/26/03 - 4/1/03

The goal will be to average around 2200 calories a day. They won't be spread out evenly, so I'll track the weekly calories. What I really care about is ending up around 15,000 calories for the week.

Total Calories for the week: 13,252

Wednesday: Total Calories - 1965
6:45am:
Chicken Breast - 222 Calories
9:45am:
Chicken and Veggies - 390 Calories
12:45pm:
2 Chicken Fajita Pitas - 660 Calories
6:45pm:
8oz Sirloin Steak - 308 Calories
Brussels sprouts - 116 Calories
Bread - 79 Calories
8:30pm
2tbl Peanut Butter - 190 Calories

Thursday: Total Calories - 2039
6:00am:
8oz Sirloin Steak - 308 Calories
12:15pm:
Hamburger steak w/gravy - 864 Calories
Mashed potatoes - 162 Calories
3:00pm:
Candy bar - 260 Calories
7:00pm:
Seedless Grapes - 341 Calories
Spinach - 104 Calories

Friday: Total Calories - 1819
6:00am:
Salad with canned chicken - 525 Calories
10:00am:
Candy bar - 260 Calories
1:00pm:
Chef Salad with grilled chicken, ham, bacon, and cheese - 749 Calories
7:00pm:
Peanut Butter - 285 Calories

Saturday: Total Calories - 2352
10:00am:
Salad with canned chicken and an apple - 638 Calories
2:00pm:
Cheeseburger - 575 Calories
Fries - 389 Caloires
8:30pm:
Skillet Sensations Chicken and Vegetables - 750 Calories

Sunday: Total Calories - 1985
7:00am:
2 pieces of peanut butter toast - 233 Calories
11:45am:
2 pieces of bbq grilled chicken from Boston Market - 800 Calories
Creamed spinach - 260 Calories
Mixed vegetables - 30 Calories
Cornbread - 200 Calories
7:15pm:
12oz Sirloin steak - 463 Calories

Monday: Total Calories - 1583
12:30pm
Chicken strips - 565 Calories
Fries - 389 Calories
Corn on the cob - 155 Calories
7:30pm
Apples and Peanut Butter - 474 Calories

Tuesday: Total Calories - 1509
8:00am:
Cheeseburger - 575 Calories
Fries - 389 Calories
7:00am:
Chicken and vegetables - 420 Calories
Broccoli and butter sauce - 125 Calories

Diet Log - Week 12 (3/26/03)

Okay...deep breaths... In through the nose, out through the mouth... Try to stay calm...

I gained last week?! I GAINED???

okay--enough is enough. There's gotta be something wrong with my methods here. Either it's my methods or my math, but either way my body is totally disappointing me right now. I don't know what to do.

So in the absence of a real, healthy, sensible plan, I'm going for what worked before. 9400 calories this week. I'm sick of this roller coaster shit.

Total calories this week: 12770.6
(guess I didn't stick to the plan very well, huh?)
Total vitamins - 7!

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - yes

coffee: 70

big-ass Chipotle burrito: 750
diet coke

zingers (shut it): 480

Wendy's spring mix salad: 450

70 + 750 + 480 + 450 = 1750 (would have been fine if not for those freakin' zingers. Moment of weakness.)

THURSDAY

vitamin - yes

coffee: 70

wings & fries: 645
celery
bleu cheese dressing: 75
iced tea

reese's fast break: 360

spinach salad with tuna: 210
jello: 10
.5L water

70 + 720 + 360 + 220 = 1370

FRIDAY

vitamin - yes

coffee: 70
skinny cow ice cream: 130

quarter pounder, no onions:530
diet coke
(bastards forgot our fries. I was so looking forward to those.)

2 jello: 20

2 slices pizza: 380
spinach salad with tuna: 210

200 + 530 + 20 + 590 = 1340

SATURDAY

vitamin - yes

IHOP, super huge breakfast: 1000
Milk: 150

spinach salad w/tuna: 210
breadstick: 90
taco bell taco supreme: 220

1150 + 520 = 1670

SUNDAY

vitamin - yes

doughnut: 300

hamburger: 400
chips: 150
diet coke

quarter pounder: 530
fries: 540
coke: 50 (didn't drink much)

fried chicken: 300
cinnamon apples: 100
chips: 100
salsa: 30

300 + 550 + 1070 + 530 = 2450

MONDAY

vitamin - yes

raisin bran w/milk: 400
coffee: 70

wings & fries: 645
celery
bleu cheese dressing: 75
iced tea

ice cream: 450

I wasn't going to eat anything else, and then I totally lost my mind.

mac & cheese: 600
cadbury caramel egg: 190

470 + 720 + 450 + 790 = 2430

TUESDAY

vitamin - yes

caramel egg: 190 (damn you, Cadbury...damn you to HELL!)

whatacatch: 813.6 (I swear, that number was listed on Whataburger's website)
small fry: 257
diet coke

almond joy: 220

spinach salad w/dried cherries and almonds, italian dressing: 180
mac & cheese: 100

190 + 1070.6 + 220 + 280 = 1760.6

Diet Log - Week 11 (3/19/03)

Ok, screw this 10,500 stuff. I'm obviously not going to hit it at all during these 4 weeks, because I apparently have no willpower when faced with pizza. Going to bring the goal up to 11,500. Still less than what I've been eating for the last two weeks, but gives me another 1000 to work with.

Also, I'm not tracking water anymore. I haven't been drinking a lot of it lately, but I get enough, I think. I was tracking it so that I could be more conscious of it, but it's just stressing me out that I can't remember to write it down. So, let's not write it down anymore. It is hereby stricken from the record!

Total calories for week: 11145
Total vitamins for week: 3

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - coffee: 70

Lunch - chicken strips, potatoes, green beans: 950

Dinner - 10 oz sirloin: 400
about 8-10 pringles reduced fat: 70
caesar salad: 100
diet lemonade: 20

70 + 950 + 590 = 1610

THURSDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - coffee: 70
banana: 100

Lunch - gumbo: 385
salad w/italian dressing: 100

Candytime - cherry pie: 470

Dinner - pork chop: 320
chips: 140
jello: 20
lemonade: 20

170 + 485 + 470 + 500 = 1625

FRIDAY

vitamin - no

Breakfast - coffee: 70

Lunch - 1/3 small quizno's traditional: 200
doritos: 140
M&M cookie: 160
.5L water

Dinner - pasta and meat sauce: 500
milk: 150
jello: 10

chips: 70

70 + 500 + 660 + 70 = 1300

SATURDAY

vitamin - no

Breakfast - peanut butter and banana sandwich:380

Lunch - two utterly vile fish fillets (Gorton's grilled "Cajun blackened"--I thought they'd be good. I have never been more wrong): 200
Milk, to mask and wash away the horrible taste: 150

Dinner - 8 oz. steak: 320
cheese fries: 400
bread: 200
iced tea

380 + 350 + 920 = 1650

SUNDAY

vitamin - no

Lunch - red beans and rice: 300
salad: 200
hush puppy: 25
diet pepsi

Dinner - 8 oz. steak: 320
Caesar salad: 100

snack - about 6 cadbury caramel mini-eggs, spaced throughout the day: 360

525 + 420 + 360 = 1305

MONDAY

vitamin - no

Breakfast - coffee: 40
water
apple: 80
peanut butter: 250

Lunch - Panera smoked turkey, 1/2 sandwich: 230
1/2 caesar salad: 200
raspberry iced tea: 100
chunk of baguette bread: 120

Dinner - Popeye's chicken: 430
red beans and rice: 270
biscuit: 250
lemonade: 20

370 + 650 + 970 = 1990

TUESDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - berry burst cheerios w/milk: 265
coffee: 70

Lunch - grilled chicken salad w/italian dressing: 450
coke: 140
5 soda crackers: 50

Candytime - 10 jellybeans: 40

Dinner - leftover pasta: 500
milk: 150

335 + 640 + 650 + 40 = 1665

Diet Log - Week 10 (3/12/03)

Diet went all to hell last week, so I'm trying to do better. I'm sticking with 10500 calories this week, but if the goal looks like it's going to be an impossible one for two consecutive weeks, I'll take it up to 11000 next week. I'm all about the flexibility, baby.

Total calories for week: 12060
Vitamins: 6
Water: Undocumented for most of the week.

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - peanut butter & jelly sandwich: 380
coffee: 70

Lunch - grilled chicken salad w/italian dressing: 450
diet coke

Candytime - cherry pie: 470

Dinner - Sonic extra-long cheese coney meal w/tater tots: 925
water
diet coke

450 + 450 + 470 + 925 = 2295
(not starting out too well, am I?)

THURSDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - cherry pie: 470

Lunch - guacamole salad: 100
cheese enchilada: 225
chips & salsa: 200
queso puff: 100
iced tea

Candytime - pepsi: 150

Dinner - (because I sooo wanted to be around 1500 today)
Ramen noodles: 180
skinny cow: 130
water

470 + 625 + 150 + 310 = 1555

FRIDAY

vitamin - yes

Lunch - (we slept till 10) Jason's deli turkey wrap: 375
fruit: 50
a couple of Noah's chips: 30
spoonful of chocolate mousse: 50
coke: 100
small packet of jr. mints: 70

Dinner - buffalo wings, 10: 750
garlic bread: 200

675 + 950 = 1625

SATURDAY

vitamin - no

Lunch - 12 buffalo wings: 900
some fries: 100
celery and bleu cheese: 20
mozzerella stick: 100

apple: 80

Dinner - LC chicken with bowtie pasta: 240
apple w/ peanut butter: 270

1120 + 80 + 510 = 1710

SUNDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - vanilla latte: 275

Lunch - Boston Market teriyaki chicken meal, w/green beans and potatoes: 650

Dinner - Pizza, 4 slices: 800
milk: 150

1L water

275 + 650 + 800+ 150 = 1875

MONDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - coffee: 70

Lunch - coke: 140
spaghetti & meatballs: 500
salad w/italian dressing: 60
roll: 100

Dinner - dinty moore beef stew: 250
water

70 + 800 + 250 = 1120

TUESDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - coffee: 70

Lunch - grilled chicken salad w/italian dressing: 450
coke: 140

Candytime: 20 jellybeans: 40
Snickers bar: 280

Dinner - Pizza: 900
water

70 + 590 + 320 + 900 = 1880

Diet Log - Week 9 (3/5/03)

I'm not sure what to put here yet. Usually I've got some sort of intro planned, or some commentary to add to the diet log, but I really don't feel like it today. 10500 calories in a week. Let's roll.

Yikes! Went a little nutty with the food this weekend. By Sunday, I had racked up 9770 calories. I don't think I'll be making the goal this week.

Oh well, it's good for me every once in a while. Reminds my body that it's not starving, or something.

Total calories for week: 13190
Vitamins for the week: 4
water: just over 1L/day (8L total for week)

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - apple: 80
coffee: 70

.5L water

Lunch - veggie beef soup: 200 (had a pint, but only ate the potatoes, carrots, and meat. I'm such a kid.)
salad: 100
.5L water

Candytime - .5L water
Twix: 280

.5L water

Dinner - Pizza Hut cheese personal pan: 630
Breadsticks: 160
diet pepsi

150 + 300 + 280 + 630 + 160 = 1520
2L water

THURSDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - coffee: 70
skinny cow ice cream sandwich: 130

.5L water

Lunch - chicken and beef fajitas (2): 760
.5L water

Candytime - 20 jellybeans: 80
.5L water

Dinner - chips and salsa: 200
.5L water

70 + 130 + 760 + 80 + 200 = 1240

FRIDAY

vitamin - no

Breakfast - coffee: 70
Jello: 10

.5L water

Lunch - cheeseburger: 800
potato salad: 80
pickle
caesar salad: 50
chips:70
salsa: 15
cookie: 150
Shiner bock beer: 150?

snack - skinny cow ice cream sandwich: 130
.5L water

Dinner - doritos: 260
quizno's turkey bacon guacamole, small: 750
diet peach iced tea

80 + 1315 + 130 + 1010 = 2535

SATURDAY

vitamin - no

Breakfast - stuffed french toast: 500
hash browns: 80
bacon: 100
sausage: 60
milk: 250
eggs: 200

Lunch - catfish, baked potato: 900
diet pepsi

Dinner - chicken salad sandwich: 300
cookie: 50
lemonade: 80

1190 + 900 + 430 = 2520

SUNDAY

vitamin - no

did the space race this morning--25 mile bike ride. Didn't eat anything before I started, but during the ride I had the following while at the rest stops:

1 orange: 90
1 single serve pack of cheezits: 220
1 reebok fitness water, citrus: 30
1 pack of mcdonald's animal cookies: 100

Lunch - western whopper, no mayo, no onion, value meal (I KNOW--1400 calories of exercise completely negated. But I was hungry and in a strange suburb across town. Burger King was a beacon of familiarity.): 1000

Dinner - (or, snacks at a meeting) about 20 pretzels: 115
potato chips: 50
slice of apple pie (OMG--homemade, still warm. Incredible.): 300
dr pepper: 50 (about 4 oz.)

440 + 1000 + 515 = 1955

MONDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - really shitty coffee: 20
2 donuts: 520

Lunch - 3 vietnamese egg rolls: 150
grilled pork and vermicelli, with a couple peanuts and veggies: 300
iced tea

Candytime - pretzels: 180
diet pepsi

Dinner - 10 oz. steak: 450
asparagus: 80
water

540 + 450 + 180 + 530 = 1700

TUESDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - coffee: 70
.5L water

Lunch - meatloaf w/gravy, rice, salad, roll: 700
.5L water

Candytime - 10 jellybeans: 40
.5L water

Dinner - pizza, 4 slices: 800
milk: 100
jello: 10
.5L water

70 + 700 + 40 + 910 = 1720

note to self

bringing an 8 oz. bag of jelly bellies to work is a Bad Idea. 4 calories per bean isn't much better than a Snickers bar if you eat 50 damn beans.

(but boy, are they good. Especially the peach and coconut ones.)

Diet Log - Week 8 (2/26/03)

Well, I jumped off the wagon and made a break for it early last week, and it was good for me. I was really demoralized by the weight gain, and I needed to take a break to soothe my frustration.

But now I'm back on track, with a new plan. I don't think my body really uses 2500 calories a day, and I think overestimating my maintenance calories was part of my problem. I'm not going to try to calculate them again, because I think that any calculator I use is going to overestimate them. So, rather than try to get a scientific number based on general trends, I'm just going to pull a number out of the air: 2200. That's how many calories I need to maintain on an average day.

2200 x 7 = 15400. 15400 - 6000 = 9400. 9400/7 = 1342. So I'm trying to average 1350/day, ballpark. Good enough for me. I was losing at that before, so I can lose at that now. Go me!

(Weekly calorie goal = 9450)

UPDATE, 3/3: I'm at 9230 and I've still got a day left. I don't think I'm going to make that goal. *sigh* Stupid pizza.

Total calories for week: 10955

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - coffee: 70
cake: 50

Lunch - veg. beef soup: 300
salad - 150
diet coke

Candytime - Snickers: 280

Dinner - 10 oz steak: 400
asparagus: 100
sugar free jello: 20

Snack - reduced fat pringles: 70

70 + 50 + 300 + 150 + 280 + 400 + 100 + 20 + 70 = 1440

THURSDAY

vitamin - no

Breakfast - fun size milky way: 90
coffee: 70
jellybean: 4
(mmm...candy and coffee--breakfast of champions)

10:45 - 10 jellybeans: 40
.5L water

Lunch - salisbury steak (kind of) mushroom gravy, some potatoes, and salad: 950
.5L water
10 jellybeans: 40

Candytime - 39 jellybeans: 156
.5L water

Dinner - pork chop: 160
asparagus: 50
ice cream - 160

204 + 950 + 40 + 156 + 160 + 50 + 160 = 1720

FRIDAY

vitamin - no

I forgot to track this on Friday, and I have no idea what I ate. Just that I ate a whole lot of it. I did drink all the water, though.

I'm going to put Friday's calorie intake at...1900?

SATURDAY

See also, Friday. Let's see what I can recall...

Breakfast - peanut butter - 200

Lunch - turkey sandwich: 350
chips: 140
cookie: 200

Dinner - a whole lotta pizza: 1000

200 + 690 + 1000 = 1890

SUNDAY

Breakfast - Coffee: 40
muffin: 300

Lunch - Wendy's taco salad: 610

Dinner - pig in a blanket: 150
chips: 200
dip: 100

340 + 610 + 450 = 1400

MONDAY

Breakfast - jello: 10
chips & salsa: 200

Lunch - LC chicken pasta thing: 370
jello: 10

Dinner - LC 3-bean chili: 280
chips: 175
jello: 10

210 + 380 + 465 = 1055

TUESDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - coffee: 70
fun size milky way: 90

Lunch - chicken breast with tomato sauce: 240
pasta: 150
salad: 80
diet coke

.5L water

Candytime - 10 jellybeans: 40

Dinner - hamburger casserole: 750
milk: 100
jello: 10

160 + 490 + 40 + 860 = 1550

Diet Log - Week 7 (2/19/03)

I am not at all happy with my last weigh-in. I met both major goals last week, and did everything right. By my calculations, I should have lost 2 lbs. Even if my calculations were off, I should have lost something. But alas, no. I gained 1.2 lbs.

It's really tempting to go to one extreme or the other after a disappointment. Part of me wants to just say "screw this!" And the other extreme wants to go back to 1200 calories.

And then there's the rational part of me that says, "Sheesh. Grow up, Joy. It's one week. You ran at a 1200-calorie deficit for 4 weeks...your body has to recover from that and readjust. You'll start losing again." (actually, that part of me sounds a lot like Rob, except for the "grow up" part.)

So here I am. I'm sticking to the by-the-numbers approach this week, too. 11500 or less in food, 1000 calories burned in exercise. Here I go, plugging away....

UPDATE (2/24/03): We're just going to pretend this week didn't happen. No further diet details will be recorded, and I'll pick this back up on Wednesday.

Of course, the rational side didn't kick in until the "screw this!" had eaten a plate of chicken fingers and mashed potatoes, as well as the rest of my dozen mini caramel eggs today. Fucking Cadbury. Easter season's gonna be the death of me.

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - apple: 80
.5L water

.5L water

Lunch - chicken fingers: 700
mashed potatoes and gravy: 200
green beans: 30
4 mini-eggs: 227
.5L water

Candytime - 4 mini-eggs: 227
3 peanut M&Ms: 30
.5L water

Dinner - LC chicken caesar pasta: 290
Jello: 10

80 + 700 + 200 + 30 + 227 + 227 + 30 + 290 + 10 = 1794

THURSDAY

vitamin - no

Breakfast - chips and salsa: 170
coffee: 70

Lunch - smoked pork, rice, salad: 700
roll: 150
.5L water

Diet Log - Week 6 (2/12/03)

I can't believe this is the sixth week already. I think this is the longest I've stuck with any kind of regimen. Yay me!

Due to some excellent suggestions on my last exercise post, I've decided to do something a little different for the rest of this 4 weeks. Instead of shooting for a daily calorie goal (since that doesn't seem to be working all that well), I am going to be shooting for a weekly calorie goal. I want to run at a 7000 calorie deficit, giving me a 2-lb loss per week (ballpark, ymmv, etc.). That deficit will be mostly diet for now, since I can't seem to get my ass to the gym regularly.

When I did my maintenance calorie calculation here (thanks, Mary!), I came out to 2500 calories/day for an average Sunday. Since that is my activity level most days, I'm taking that as my maintenance level. That would give me 17500 as my maintenance for the week, and if I go 6000 less than that, we've got 11500. The other 1000 can be made up through exercise, provided that--once again--I actually do some.

So this week, the calorie counts will be less uniform. As long as I come out to a 7000-calorie deficit in the end (when combined with the exercise), it's all good.

Why am I doing this? Partly because of the weakness I've been feeling lately. I've been running at such an extreme deficit for a month now, that I have no strength or stamina in my upper body. After a super short chest/triceps workout on Monday, my muscles have been sore for two days. This is not normal for me, and a bit disturbing. I used to have more endurance than that. I have also not been feeling very well the last few days. That may or may not be related to the diet.

I'd just like to try another way, where I have some days when I'm not eating below maintenance. I'm also going to try to cut back on the fat, and get some more carbs in there. The last few times I've run the diet through fitday, I've discovered about 50-70% of my calories coming from fat. So, I may have been eating a whole lot less these last few weeks, but I still eat like crap.

Hopefully, this new way will help my body to not freak out so much. I'm not totally sure that this is going to help, but it's worth a shot.

Total calories for week: 11447

WEDNESDAY

vitamin - no

breakfast - Starbucks grande vanilla latte: 270
.5L water

dove chocolate hearts, 2: 75

Lunch - 6 buffalo wings and some fries: 570
celery and bleu cheese: 100
iced tea

1 L water

Dinner - Jason's deli turkey wrap: 450
Fruit cup: 50
16 oz. water

Total cal: 270 + 75 + 570 + 100 + 450 + 50 = 1515

THURSDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - bagel, with cream cheese and strawberry jam: 250
coke: 140

Lunch - Chicken and sausage gumbo, 16 oz.: 385
water
3 soda crackers: 50

Candytime - Butterfinger: 290

Dinner - 2 hamburgers, on buns: 900

3 confounded little valentine nestle crunch candies, assorted varieties: 150

250 + 140 + 50 + 385 + 290 + 900 + 150 = 2165

FRIDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - Starbucks vanilla latte: 270
one caramel: 50

Lunch - Veggie beef soup, pint: 360
1/2 a small salad, italian dressing: 100
diet coke

about 10 of those f**king valentine crunch candies: 500

Dinner - NY strip steak, about 10 oz: 400
3 sugar free jello cups: 30
M&M Ice cream cone: 230

270 + 50 + 360 + 100 + 500 + 400 + 30 + 230 = 1940

SATURDAY

vitamin - yes

Brunch - apple: 50
peanut butter: 200

Lunch - fried chicken: 500
milk, about 2 cups: 200

Dinner - Salmon - 150
rice - 100
dinner salad: 120

50 + 200 + 500 + 200 + 150 + 100 + 120 = 1320

SUNDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - rice, 3 pieces of general tso's chicken: 250

Lunch - red beans and rice: 250
Salad: 210
hush puppies: 75
2 tbsp peanut butter: 200
chocolate: 100

Dinner - raw veggies: 50
Pasta salad, with ham: 300
bbq beef: 150
coke: 140

250 + 250 + 210 + 75 + 200 + 100 + 50 + 300 + 150 + 140 = 1725

MONDAY

vitamin - no

Breakfast - coffee: 70
muffin: 250

Lunch - chicken noodle soup, with crackers: 300
Dr pepper: 150

Dinner - Jason's Deli california club: 725 (estimate)
lemonade: 100
fruit: 50
Noah's chips: 70
banana pudding: 75

70 + 250 + 300 + 150 + 725 + 100 + 50 + 70 + 75 = 1790

TUESDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - coffee: 60
beef jerky: ~75
Cadbury mini Caramel egg: 57

Lunch - grilled chicken salad, italian dressing: 300
diet coke

Candytime - 3 mini caramel eggs: 170 (my math is fine. The nutritional information for these things has a serving size of 3 eggs. 1 mini caramel egg = 1/3 of 170, which is about 57. Don't start with me.)

Because it was in the car - beef jerky: 50

Dinner - LC Roast turkey breast dinner: 270
Sugar-free jello: 10
1L water

60 + 75 + 57 + 300 + 170 + 270 + 10 = 992

Diet Log - Week 5 (2/5/03)

My new calorie target is 1500, since I am planning on upping the exercise. Hopefully, this will be much easier to maintain than 1200, and will require less willpower on my part. Because, let's face it--my quantities of that are pretty limited.

I'm not sure how to track the vitamin. I can't really do it like the temperature reading, because there's no specific time that I have to do it. If I remember to take the vitamin 5 minutes before I go to bed, it still counts. So I guess I could treat it like any other food...but then I have to go searching for it when I go to grade myself on the goal in 4 weeks. I think I'll put it on the top of each day, which will have the added bonus of reminding me to take it, if I haven't by the time I go to log the food.

Total calories for week: 10895

WEDNESDAY

Vitamin - yes

Breakfast - Coffee: 70
Half a blueberry bagel, with a little butter: 200

Lunch - 3/4 Roast beef asiago sandwich (Panera): 550
about 5 chips: 25
pickle
10 oz. water

Candytime - Junior mints: 210

Dinner - hamburger casserole: 600
12 oz water
Jello cup with mandarin oranges: 100

70 + 200 + 550 + 25 + 210 + 600 + 100 = 1755

THURSDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - Coffee: 70

Lunch - leftover casserole: 350
tiny bagel pizza: 50

Mid afternoon - chocolate shake: 300
2 chicken strips: 250
cookies: 270
Milk: 100

can't...stop...snacking!!

Dinner - Chips: 150
Salsa: 30

70 + 350 + 50 + 300 + 250 + 270 + 100 + 150 + 30 = 1570

FRIDAY

vitamin - no

Breakfast - banana: 90
peanut butter: 190
Coffee: 60

Lunch - baked potato with a bunch of crap on it (not literally): 600

Candytime - sugar-free jello: 10

Dinner - 4-5 oz steak: 180
handful of tostitos: 170
salsa: 30
sugar free jello: 10

90 + 190 + 60 + 600 + 10 + 180 + 170 + 30 + 10 = 1340

SATURDAY

vitamin - yes

1L water

Lunch - peanut butter & banana sandwich (born on elvis's birthday--what can I say? At least I don't fry them): 375

Afternoon - chips: 340
salsa: 60

Dinner - LC Baked chicken: 240
Jello: 20
.5L water

2nd dinner - (I'm feeling hobbity today) fried chicken: 500

375 + 340 + 60 + 240 + 20 + 500= 1535

SUNDAY

vitamin - no

Breakfast - Berry burst cheerios, milk: 200
Peanut butter spoon: 95
banana: 90

Lunch - Boston Market chicken carver: 640
side of corn: 180
1/2 cornbread: 100
diet coke

Dinner - chips and some kind of bean dip: 250 (I was at a meeting...dip was homemade--I have no idea what was in it. I'm giving it a ballpark of around 100 cal.)
Tiramisu: 150 (guessing...fitday didn't have it)

200 + 95 + 90 + 640 + 180 + 100 + 250 + 150 = 1705

MONDAY

vitamin - yes

Breakfast - Banana: 90
Coffee: 70

Lunch - grilled chicken salad: 400
water

Candytime - Snickers almond: 240

Dinner - Panera smoked turkey: 460
1/2 bag of chips: 70
raspberry iced tea, sweetened: 100
.5L water

90 + 70 + 400 + 240 + 460 + 70 + 100 = 1430

TUESDAY

vitamin - no

Breakfast - coffee: 70

Lunch - sausage, some kind of potato thing: 750

Candytime - ring pop: 170

Dinner - beef stew w/biscuit: 280
Klondike bar: 290

70 + 750 + 170 + 280 + 290 = 1560

Food 2/5 - 2/11

I think for the month of Febuary, I'm going to do 1000 calories a day. It seemed to work well for Joy, and I'd like to get a kick start. I've been hovering at this weight a while. I'm going to take my waking temperature each day too. I don't really expect to see anything. I think my thyroid is fine, but if I'm going to suffer through 1000 calories a day, I might as well do all the things the book Joy has suggests.

Since Joy does her diet logs Wed. to Tues., and I haven't entered anything for this week since Saturday, I'm going to start Wednesday instead.

Total Calories for the week: 7083

Wednesday Total Calories: 995
7:00am: 1 Apples - 63 Calories
1 Bagel - 260 Calories
12:15pm: 1 Orange - 86 Calories
2 Apples - 125 Calories
1 Plum - 36 Calories
7:30pm: Salad with canned chicken - 425 Calories

Thursday Total Calories: 997
5:30am: 1 Plum - 36 Calories
6:00am: 2 apples - 125 Calories
Noon: 2 Oranges - 173 Calories
1/2 apple - 31 Calories
1 Plum - 37 Calories
6:30pm: - Sunflower Ranch Salad - 595 Calories

Friday Total Calories: 817
6:30am: 1 Orange - 86 Calories
11:15am: Chicken flavored rice - 295 Calories
1:00pm: Chicken Sandwich - 436 Calories
7:00pm: Small Sirloin - 193 Calories
9:00pm: Peanut Butter - 95 Calories

Saturday Total Calories: 824
10:45am: Apples - 219 Calories
3:00pm: Chicken Carbonara frozen dinner - 260 Calories
7:00pm: Premade Salad - 275 Calories
1 slice of bread - 70 Calories

Sunday Total Calories: 984
Waking Temp: 97.1
7:30am: 1 Bananas - 93 Calories
1:30pm: Chicken Carver Sandwich - 640 Calories
4:30pm: 1 Orange - 62 Calories
7:30pm: Lean Cuisine Pot Roast - 190 Calories

Monday Total Calories: 998 Calories
5:00am: 1 Apple - 63 Calories
7:00am: 1.5 Apples - 94 Calories
8:45am: 1 Orange - 86 Calories
Noon: Chicken Fajita Pita - 330 Calories
7:30pm: Premade Salad - 275 Calories
Canned Chicken - 150 Calories

Tuesday Total Calories: 1468 Calories
5:00am: 2 Pieces of dry toast - 138 Calories
12:45pm: Whole freaking bag of pretzels - 450 Calories
1:30pm: Lean Cuisine lasagna - 280 Calories
8:30pm: Beef Stew - 600 Calories

Diet Log - Week 4 (1/29/03)

The last week at 1200 calories! I've been debating over whether I should stick with a 1200 calorie goal for the rest of the diet, since it has been working so well. But I think I am going to up it to 1500 and make sure the exercise goes up. That should come out to about the same results.

Oh, and I've stopped taking my temperature. I've done the preliminary math, and it doesn't look like I have an underactive thyroid. In fact, based on 9 lbs. in 3 weeks, it may be a little overactive. Turns out I've just been eating too much and not moving around enough for 12 years. (Heh...who knew?) I'm still going to be keeping up the recommended diet for the next week, but I already know I'm normal so there's no point in remembering to do a temperature reading.

Total calories for the week: 10290

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast - Coffee: 60
Bagel w/cream cheese and strawberry jam: 250

Lunch - Grilled chicken salad: 400
Diet coke

Candytime - M&Ms. Lots of M&Ms. A whole freakin' bag of M&Ms: 250

Dinner - 10 oz. steak: 400
2 jello cups: 20
chips: 70

250 + 60 + 400 + 250 + 400 + 20 + 70 = 1450

THURSDAY

Breakfast - Coffee: 60
Bagel w/cream cheese and strawberry jam: 250

Lunch - small salad w/italian dressing: 150
Chicken and sausage gumbo, 16 oz.: 385
diet coke

Candytime - 8 m&ms: 80
Coke: 140

Dinner - LC french bread pizza: 330
Pringles: 100
Water

60 + 250 + 150 + 385 + 80 + 140 + 330 + 100 = 1495

FRIDAY

Breakfast - medium-to-large apple: 90

Lunch - bbq beef sandwich: 350
baked beans: 60
potato salad:110
iced tea

Candytime - water

Dinner - cheeseburger and french fries: 870
diet coke

90 + 350 + 60 + 110 + 870 = 1480

SATURDAY

Breakfast - 1 egg: 90

Lunch - 2 tablespoons peanut butter: 380
2 bananas: 200

Mid-afternoon - orange: 65

And then I completely lost all willpower.

Dinner - 3 pepperoni rolls: 1000, easy
Small slice of pizza: 150

90 + 380 + 200 + 65 + 1000 + 150 = 1885

SUNDAY

Breakfast - Banana: 100
Tablespoon peanut butter: 190

Lunch - Red beans and rice: 250
Salad (iceberg lettuce, bleu cheese, salad dressing): 210
Hush puppies: 55
Diet coke

Candytime - Klondike Oreo ice cream sandwich: 230

Dinner - Pepperoni roll: 400

100 + 190 + 250 + 210 + 55 + 230 + 400 = 1435

MONDAY

Breakfast - Coffee: 70
Blueberry muffin: 200

Lunch - Grilled chicken salad: 300
Chicken soup: 100
Hawaiian punch: 180

Candytime - Snickers Almond: 240

Dinner - LC 3-bean chili: 280
diet iced tea
Peanut butter: 190

70 + 200 + 300 + 100 + 180 + 240 + 280 + 190 = 1560

TUESDAY

Breakfast - coffee: 70

Lunch - roast pork, rice, broccoli: 500

Candytime - 1/2 charity candy bar: 145

Dinner - Apple: 80
Peanut butter: 190

70 + 500 + 145 + 80 + 190 = 985

How to group meals

I'm going to start listing the times I eat foods instead of trying to group them into meals. I'm better off eating more than 3 times a day anyway, and there are also times I don't eat until lunch. I think this will give me a much better idea of how my calories are being spread out. Have any of you seen any significant benefit based on when and how often you eat? Any opinions on how best to spread the calories? I know some people that don't believe in ketogenic diets that still believe that eating carbs after 5-6pm is a bad idea. Any ideas on that?

01/25 - 01/31 Food

It's time to start tracking food intake much better than I have been. I finally looked at Fitday as Joy suggested, and it is really going to be a great resource. I'm going to use it to try to estimate calories burned during exercise as well.

Total Calories for the week : 13507
Average per day: 1930

Saturday Total Calories - 1567
Breakfast :
1 Blueberry bagel - 180 Calories
1 Tbs of Peanut butter - 95 Calories
1 6.5" bananna - 93 Calories
Total Calories for Breakfast : 368

Lunch:
Red beans and rise - 500 Calories
Caesar Salad - 167 Calories
3 small hushpuppys - 82 Calories
Total Calories for Lunch : 749

Dinner:
Quiznos Sandwich - 450 Calories (Estimated based on other sandwiches)
Total Calories for Dinner : 450

Sunday Total Calories - 3759 Calories
10:45am: 2 Honey Wheat Bagels (Sara Lee) - 500 Calories
1 Tbs Peanut Butter - 95 Calories
1:00pm: 1 bananna - 93 Calories
2:00pm: Caesar Salad - 167 Calories
Red Beans and Rice - 500 Calories
2 Hush Puppys - 55 Calories
7:00pm: Big Ribeye - 1008 Calories
Pasta Salad - 287 Calories
Sausage - 648 Calories
Pie - 406 Calories
(I told you this was going to be bad.. 2349 Calories.. More than all of yesterday.)
Monday Total Calories - 1001
6:00am: 1/2 of a Honey Wheat bagel - 125 Calories
7:25am: Honey Wheat Bagel - 250 Calories
3:00pm: Chicken Sandwich - 436 Calories
7:30pm: 2 tbs of Peanut butter - 190 Calories

Tuesday Total Calories - 1651
6:45am: 3 blueberry bagels - 540 Calories
10:30am: Banana - 93 Calories
2:30pm: Popeye's large order of Red Beans and Rice. - 500 Calories
7:00pm: Orange - 85 Calories
Brownie - 243 Calories
9:00pm: 2 tbs Peanut Butter - 190 Calories

Wednesday Total Calories - 1434
7:45am: Large Wheat Bagel from Kroger Bakery - 254 Calories
1:00pm: Large Poppy Seed Bagel from Kroger - 255 Calories
3:00pm: Chicken Fajita Pita - 330 Calories
7:00pm: Red Beans and Rice - 500 Calories
Biscuit - 94 Calories

Thursday Total Calories - 1666
5:30am: apple - 81 Calories
10:00am: Blueberry Bagel from Kroger - 245 Calories
11:45am: Large Bagel from Kroger - 254 Calories
2:00pm: Chicken Sandwich - 436 Calories
2 Cups of Potato Salad - 650 Calories
(I should have looked before I ordered it. I got the sandwich plate today, and it comes with two sides. I figured double potato salad instead of any of the other sides.Missed that one, huh? I guess the calories count whether you realize you're getting them or not though.)

Friday Total Calories - 2429
6:30am: 2 brownies - 486 Calories
Joy was evil enough to leave them at my house.
1:30pm: Chicken Sandwich - 436 Calories
Potato Salad - 650 Calories
7:30pm: Double Quarter Pounder w/cheese - 858 Calories

Diet Log - Week 3 (1/22/03)

I didn't stick to the 1200 calories very well last week, so I'm really going to try to focus this week. I'm thinking I need to take the same approach to this as I do to getting to work on time in the morning--set my clocks ahead 15 minutes. Or in this case, tell myself I need to stick to 1000 calories. Sometimes I might actually make that goal, but most times I'll be somewhere slightly above that.

UPDATE 1/23: Oh, and I am definitely not drinking enough water. My eyes are starting to feel dry and scratchy, and I'm breaking out like crazy. So...changing my goals to 1200 calories and at least 2L water/day (Starting Thursday).

Total calories for week: 9891

WEDNESDAY

Temperature: 97.2

Breakfast - most of a can of chicken: 200
Coffee: 60

Mid-morning - Other half of Snickers Almond: 120

Lunch - Buffalo wings - 650

Candytime - jellybeans: 75

Dinner - LC Pot roast: 190
Peaches: 150

1L water

200 + 60 + 120 + 650 + 75 + 190 + 150 = 1445

THURSDAY

No temperature reading

Breakfast - Coffee: 70
Banana: 100

Lunch (all lunch counts by fitday) - Ham & swiss sandwich: around 400
Potato salad: 137
1/2 big oatmeal raisin cookie: 56
1/2 big chocolate chip cookie: 96
assorted fruit: 40
.5L water
total: 729

1L water

Dinner - Salad bar at Jason's deli. two trips, minimal cheese, about 2 tbsp ranch dressing: 200
little bit of pudding: 100
~6 oz. diet coke

.5L water

Total: 170 + 729 + 300 = 1199 Woo hoo!

FRIDAY

Temperature: 97.0

Breakfast - Coffee: 60
those little cinnamon rolls: 500(!)

Lunch - veggie beef soup: 255
crackers: 65
.5L water

Dinner - Spinach salad: 140
Spaghetti and meat sauce, about 200 (serving size less than a cup)
Snapple diet peach tea

.5L water

60 + 500 + 255 + 65 + 140 + 200 = 1220

SATURDAY

Temperature: 97.4

Breakfast - IHOP (Cheat alert! Cheat alert!): 989 (fitday)
Coffee: 25
8 oz. water

1L water (housecleaning is thirsty work)

Lunch - leftover spaghetti: 300
snapple diet peach tea

Dinner - LC Grilled chicken w/pasta:250
.5L water

989 + 25 + 300 + 250 = 1564

SUNDAY

Superbowl baaad for diet.

Breakfast - honey nut cheerios w/milk: 190

Lunch - Red beans and rice: 250
Salad (iceberg lettuce, bleu cheese, salad dressing): 210
Hush puppies: 55
Diet coke

Superbowl - 6 slices of grilled sausage: 527
10 oz. grilled sirloin steak: 566
Pasta side dish: 152
oreo mousse cake: 200 (estimate)
2 diet cokes

Total: 190 + 250 + 210 + 55 + 527 + 566 + 152 + 200 = 2150

MONDAY

Breakfast - Coffee: 60

Lunch - grilled chicken salad, light italian dressing: 400
diet coke

Candytime - half a $1-for-charity chocolate bar: 145

Dinner - 2 pork chops (about 8 oz.): 320
12 Pringles reduced fat chips: 105
2 sugar free jello cups: 20
3 pickles: 8

.5L water

60 + 400 + 145 + 320 + 105 + 20 + 8 = 1058

TUESDAY

Temperature: 97.3

Breakfast - cup of sugar free jello: 10
couple spoonfuls of brownie batter: 50
Coffee: 60

Lunch - Panera smoked turkey sandwich: 460
Clearly canadian blackberry (8 oz.): 100
1/4 bag of chips: 35
pickle: 0
total: 595

Two brownies: 300
8 plain M&Ms: 80

Dinner - pork chop: 160
snapple diet iced tea

Total: 120 + 595 + 300 + 80 + 160 = 1255

in case you were wondering

I've been noticing that this site gets a decent number of hits from search engines, looking for nutritional information on various restaurants. So, in case anyone's wondering where I get my calorie counts...

Jason's deli: I only eat the sandwiches whose calorie counts are listed on the menu. (Anything labeled "heart healthy", generally)

Quizno's: their website only lists nutritional info for their lite sandwiches. Anything else I eat from there, I make an educated guess, or look up the ingredients individually. (Fitday is good for this, although I've found it a bit tedious for everyday use. If I were tracking more than calories, I would probably use it more.)

Panera (aka, my happiest lunch place on earth): Their website has none. When I googled for it, I found this site had the most comprehensive list. Also, she has info on a ton of other restaurants, and weight watchers point values for these places as well (if you're into that sort of thing).

McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, etc. values are all taken from the nutritional information posted on their respective websites. If they don't have nutritional info on the particular thing I happen to be eating, I make an estimate based on another food that they do have in their list.

When I cook meat at home, I eat the separable lean parts only, and use a value of 37 - 40 calories per ounce. For pizza, I use a scale based on Tombstone's nutritional info for their sausage/pepperoni combo (380 for 1/4 pizza, or 190/slice). Delivery pizza varies, of course, but I figure that's close enough. Everything else that I eat at home comes from a box, carton, or bag with nutritional info on the label. I'm no gourmet. :)

Diet Log - Week 2 (1/15/03)

It occurs to me that I should be tracking water intake. In the past, I haven't been recording anything with no calories...since the majority of my drinks are 0 calorie, I haven't really been tracking hydration very well. So that'll start this week.

Total calories this week: 9565

WEDNESDAY

Temperature: 97.3

Breakfast - 1 0.5L bottle of water
Coffee: 70
Eeevil McDonald's sausage McGriddle: (McD's had no nutritional info on this--probably because it's relatively new. For my purposes, making it the same as the sausage biscuit) 410

Lunch - diet coke: 0
grilled chicken salad: 425

Candytime - I don't know what the hell is wrong with me today--craving the junk food. Peanut M&Ms: 250

Dinner - well, if I'm going to blow the diet today, may as well not worry about it. about .75L water
Panera Bread smoked ham and cheese sandwich (I ordered it with cheese, but they forgot it): 550
Pickle: 0
1/2 bag of chips: 70
Bite of Noah's lemon poppyseed bundt cake: 10
Total: 630

Later - .5L water

Total: 70 + 410 + 425 + 250 + 630 = 1785 Yikes.

(Note to self: Even on days when you're not totally blowing the diet, Panera might not be a bad place to go. They have a "Pick 2" option, where you can do a 1/2 sandwich and 1/2 salad...should be around 400 if you go easy on the dressing. And their sandwiches are yummy. There's one in that new shopping center with the Office Depot, too.)

THURSDAY

Temperature: 97.5

Breakfast - Coffee: 60

Lunch - 1/2 Smoked turkey sandwich (Panera): 230
1/2 Classic cafe salad (Panera): 180
Lemonade: 80 (I don't actually know--the consensus around the 'net seems to be about 70 - 100)
total: 490

Candytime - diet coke, 7 peanut M&Ms: 70

Dinner - 2 1/2 slices of pizza: 450
1 cup milk:120

Later - .5L water
Total: 60 + 490 + 70 + 450 + 120 = 1190

FRIDAY

Temperature: 97.5

Breakfast - Coffee: 60

Lunch - I'm, like, totally falling off the wagon this week. I probably had a 900 calorie lunch today. That's all I have to say about that.

Candytime - .5L water (trying to make up for lunch)

Dinner - Quizno's Tuna (small): they have no nutritional info for this guy, so let's say...550?
Diet peach tea snapple: 0

Total: 60 + 900 + 550 = 1610 Tomorrow, I think I'll just eat a couple of salads to make up for the last couple days. Damn. It's only the second week! I can't be slacking off now!

SATURDAY

Temperature: 97.6

Breakfast - 2 cups honey nut cheerios, w/1 cup whole milk: 390

Lunch - 2 tbsp. peanut butter: 190

Dinner - General Tso's chicken, 1/2 order: 700
~32 oz. water

Total: 390 + 190 + 700: 1280

SUNDAY

Temperature: 96.7

Lunch - 4 slices pizza: 1000

1L water

Dinner - single pack baby carrots: 40
1 cup milk: 120

2 cups popcorn: 110
Diet coke

1000 + 40 + 120 + 110 = 1270