Day Back

So I am back from my three day trip in San Diego. I didn’t do too badly with eating while I was there. I think that I stayed at the 2000 calories a day mark (if not lower) for all three days. I was hoping I would be able to get a few workouts in while I was there but I wasn’t able. I did have a taste of some nice greasy fries from El Pollo Loco. They might have been the best thing I tasted all weekend. It’s amazing how good salt and grease taste!

I ate at IHOP one of the days. Apparently in California they now put their calorie content next to each menu item. I was completely horrified! There were very few items under 1000 calories! If I had not seen this, I would have ordered a dish that had a whopping 1500 calories! For their base omelet, which includes just the eggs and cheese (this is before you add any other toppings) it was 890 calories! I could not believe this. Anyways, on the back on the menu they have a light menu! All the items were ranged around 400-500 calories and my dish tasted amazing. I wish that all restaurants, chains and mom and pops, listed calories for their items. It’s also amazing how just a little change cuts large amounts of calories. For example, in the dish I ordered, they traded normal bacon for turkey bacon, eggs for egg substitute, and 2 normal buttermilk pancakes (possible a sugar substitute was used, but they tasted amazing) and it was all only 400 calories! I also wish more places simply offered more substitutes.

For my first day back, I went to the gym and did the elliptical for 60 minutes. Woo hoo! For breakfast I had my oatmeal. For lunch I had 3/4ths a cup of pasta with ½ a cup of marinara sauce (total calories for the meal was 260). Then I had a snack of a Luna bar, around 160 calories. I unexpectedly had to babysit this evening, which messed up my dinner. I had a small bean and cheese burrito and then a small proportion of nachos (both had avocado and tomatoes on them). These were homemade, not from a restaurant. I added the values of the cheese, beans, tortilla and chips and it came to 510 calories. Plus whatever the avocado and tomatoes added. I think overall this was not bad. I was happy because the portion sizes were very small. I also had my hot coco (150 calories).

I stepped on the Wii today and it said I am 232 lbs. I guess this is okay, only a 1lb gain. However, it’s still a tad annoying because I didn’t go crazy in San Diego. What’s a girl to do?

I know tomorrow is going to be a high calorie day. I am making lunch for a friend, and then for dinner I am going out to a nice restaurant because my boyfriend is finally coming home (been gone 2 months)! So I am sure the restaurant and drinks will kill my day. However, I will be at the gym and try to eat a small proportion for lunch. We shall see!

A Good Day

Today was a nice day. I began with my oatmeal, followed by 60 minutes on the elliptical again. Thanks to Dan Brown’s new book for assisting with that. I then had lunch with a friend I haven’t seen in a while. I ate what I said I would last night, turkey with honey mustard on wheat bread (with lettuce and onions) and a side of mushrooms. The only down side was that when I looked at the mushrooms on the serving bar when I ordered they had no cream sauce. When I got my plate, a cream sauce was added. This can add a couple hundred calories easy. I still ate them though. I wasn’t even tempted by the bakery items!

I was really worried about my cravings today. When one burns a lot of calories, the body doesn’t want to lose weight, so increases signals saying you’re hungry. However, my cravings were minimal! Which was great. The two and a half hour nap from 2:30 to 5pm could have helped too.

In the evening I made a strawberry-banana smoothie. It was made with a cup of frozen strawberries, one banana and one cup of non-fat milk. It was SOOO good and super filling. I was not super hungry after that, so instead of having my oatmeal for dinner I ate a 100 calorie pack of popcorn.

The Wii says that I am 231! Woo hoo!

I am really excited about my cravings being so minimal recently. I am hoping that because I am eating small portions, that my tummy no longer feels like it needs to be super full to be satisfied.

Cravings

Today was a good and super hard day. I began my day as usual, with my oatmeal. I followed that up with a 60 minute work out on the elliptical (500+ calories burned)! It felt great! However, I’ve been hungry every since. I ate a Subway sandwich for lunch. No mayo, wheat bread. Total calories, 400. I then had a cup and a half of broccoli a few hours later. An hour later I had a cup of imitation crab meat. Then for dinner I had… oatmeal, followed by another ½ cup of crab meat. At the end of the evening I had my hot coco. I stayed up kind of late and then had a popsicle with my roommate. I did snack more than usual, however, I kept it pretty healthy. I REALLY wanted fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and a biscuit. Ahhh, it sounds so good. I would definitely say that today has been the worst cravings ever!

I also realized that my hot coco proportions were pretty large. I measured out my mug today and it holds 2 cups. So in my head I was thinking one cup of nonfat milk (90 calories) and really it was double, so 180 calories. Add on the 60 calories from the coco mix, and this little snack has 240 calories in it! This is how many calories are in my oatmeal! So now I will be using a smaller cup, so that my treat comes down to 150 calories, which I do not mind.

Tomorrow I am meeting a friend for lunch. This could possibly be a big no no because it’s easy to be super hungry after the gym and then to say f*it at the restaurant and order something pretty unhealthy. Like fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and a biscuit!! So I have looked at the menu and already decided what I should get. I am REALLY hoping that when it all goes down tomorrow I will have the strength to order my sandwich with veggies instead of the garlic potato rings that are offered. I wish that every restaurant showed what the calorie content of the food is. Because sometimes it is worth the extra calories, yet much of the time how much calories are really in a dish is astounding. This alone being displayed I think would help with better choices. I hope that this reminder will assist me in choosing the better choice (like honey mustard instead of the lowfat garlic mayo…).
Good luck (strength!) tomorrow!

9/14/09

Today was a pretty good day. I started with my oatmeal, followed by 40 minutes on the elliptical at the gym. This was exciting because since my ankle sprain I have been only able to be on the stationary bike. It was nice feeling like I did a good workout. However, judging by my ankle pain later in the day I don’t think the ankle appreciated the workout as much as I did. Anyways, for lunch I had a cup (dry) of pasta with half a cup of marinara sauce and ¾ a cup of imitation crab meat. After this meal I was having major cravings. I think it might be a combination of the good workout and the left over cravings from the pizza. Anyways, I did give in and had ¾ a cup of low fat vanilla frozen yogurt mixed in with a 100 calorie pack of chocolate wafers with hazelnut cream. For dinner I had oatmeal and later I had my hot coco.
After my lunch I checked in with the Wii and am at 233. I like seeing the numbers decrease like they have been. I know there will be a point in which they began to slow and I will plateau. However, I am glad that I am not there yet!
Overall, I think it was a good day. I am proud that I resisted the cravings to order out (pizza or Asian) as well as a slight one to have a drink. It will be interesting to see if these cravings increase throughout the week or if they will die down instead.

Pizza shall be the death of me

Today was…not the best. I knew that I would be eating pizza already. I began my day with my oatmeal. Then for lunch I had two pieces of Pizza Hut cheese stuffed crust pan pizza. I tired to look at the calorie content online, however, the files on the website are damaged for this particular menu item. Interesting… I was assisting my friend unpack at her apartment. I was there all day and ended up have two more pieces of pizza for an early dinner. I am estimating that these four pieces of pizza were at least 1,000 calories combined, easy. After eating them, I began craving more savory food when I got home. I then ate a 100 calorie pack of South Beach Diet chocolate wafers with hazelnut cream. I then had an once or so of mozzarella with 4 sundried tomatoes in olive oil. My evening snack was again my hot coco.
Overall, I know that again like yesterday I probably came out eating a normal calorie day. However, to loose weight I need to reduce calories. I didn’t even work out. I did do my abs though and I do expect I worked my muscles a bit with all the box moving.
Tomorrow will be a much better day. I will be going to the gym and back on my game. Four more days to go with the oatmeal experiment and then off to the wedding in San Diego.
Here’s to hoping tomorrow will be a step forward.

9/12/09

So today was an okay day. I knew that I was going to have brunch out, so for a light breakfast I ate a 60 calorie non-fat yogurt. For brunch I ate huevos rancheros (tortillas, two eggs, cheese and black beans) with water. I had half a cup of imitation crap meat for a snack, 70 calories. For dinner I had…oatmeal!!! I then decided that tonight would be my one night this week to drink. Looking back in hindsight I should have chosen another night, one in which my lunch was no such a high calorie one. This is hopefully a mistake that I will learn to remedy. Anyways, I had my usual evening treat of a large mug of nonfat milk with no sugar added hot coco. However, I added a shot of vodka to it (around 100 calories). I then had a White Russian, with nonfat milk, a shot of vodka, and half a shot each of kaluah and baileys.
While overall, with the oatmeal, I might be inclined to say I had a “good day”. However, looking at it overall I had a “the amount of calories one should intake” day. I think this is problem with weight loss that many people encounter. Two healthy meals can be completely ruined by a large restaurant meal and alcohol. I guess that it’s good that I did not go way over, however, I know I can do better.
As for exercise, I did use my Wii Fit for 30 minutes today, did my crunches, and took my normal Woman’s One a Day, Emergen-C packet, and vitamin D3 table.
Overall, I think that my cravings are becoming less prominent. For example, I was walking around the Haight today, and there were all of these amazing smells from so many different restaurants. However, that overwhelming craving did not seem to hit me. From past experience, I do really well with my eating during the day and in the evening I totally ruin it. However, even with the smell of rotisserie roasted chicken in the kitchen from my roommate’s dinner this evening, I was able to stick to my oatmeal.
Small steps.

The Beginning: Phase I

I’ve decided that I need to make a major change in my life. I’ve made a change before in the past and saw results. However, here I am, once again: 235 pounds. Last time, I was 255. I then lost 60 pounds. I was at 195 for two years. Then back up to 233 and then down to 209. Then a sprained ankle, school, stress and excuse, excuse, excuse and here I am again. In March, I was 245. Now at 235, I am here again. I have lost 10 pounds in the last few months, mainly due to calorie reduction and small amounts of exercise. Yet I want, no need, to see bigger and more permanent results.

So why exactly have I began this blog? I was to chronicle my ups and downs, my obsession (addiction?) with big proportions and food that is high in calories and low in nutrition. This blog might very well never be read by anyone other than my self. However, this will be a place where I can see patterns related to my food intake and simply discuss thoughts/ideas I have related to this. Additionally, it will quite possibly give my self not only reinforcement (be it positive or negative) but motivation. Hopefully, the combination of this and my Wii Fit will assist me in tracking my progress and will result in getting me back down to 195 by this spring. Even further, to 175 and stable by this time next year.

To jump start this, I have been walking, exercising at the gym, or using my Wii 30 minutes a day and reducing my caloric intake. I have begin my oatmeal experiment (I believe diet is a word that inevitably sets one up for failure). Perhaps “oatmeal phase” is a better term. I want to kick start my body into weight loss. Therefore, beginning on the 10^th of September I began eating a half cup of Quaker Oats with a tablespoon of brown sugar for both breakfast and for dinner. Lunch has and will consist of something bigger, though hopefully healthy too. Though, when I do decide to eat unhealthy (and I will) it will be for lunch. For example, today I am going to brunch and tomorrow I am having pizza for lunch. Yet Oatmeal will be there with me too. This phase of my project will last until next Friday morning (I leave town for a three day weekend for a wedding).

If anyone is actually reading this, and actually made it this far, you might be thinking “Oh God, another fat chick starting a failed weight loss blog.” This could very well be the case. I am unsure as to what this will turn into. Only time will tell. Yet I hope, if I am successful, I will be able to look back at this blog and be mindful for a future that will hopefully never see me above 200 pounds ever again.