I know I should not watch the scales as much as I do but it is tough not to. It hasn't budged much in August and Sept and October has been a slow loss month so far. Even though the pounds have not been falling off, I know my pants size has decreased. Last summer I was solidly into size 22 pants. In fact, I was so solidly in them, I considered buying a couple of 24s to be comfortable. When I started work at my new job last August, all the pants I bought were 22s with expandable waists. Last week I knew I had to do something because, even with a belt, I was having trouble with my pants staying up. I can fold a large piece of them around me in the waist.
I tried going to Sears where I shopped last year but found nothing in plus size that I would even consider trying on. So this weekend I stopped by the Goodwill. I found two pair of size 18 pants and just for motivation I bought a 16 so I could work on getting into them. The 18s fit really well and surprisingly, I can get the 16s on also. They are not comfortable but I can actually wear them if I needed to. This is the size I was wearing when I retired from the military so the size is coming off much faster than the weight. I dug back into my closet to the two suits I bought when I first went to work after retiring and I can wear those comfortably too. I am glad I bought the 16s to try. It gives me more assurance that what I am doing is working.
Looking back, I have been blogging for a little more than 4 months. In that time, I have lost 20 pounds. If I am going to reach my 53 pound goal by my birthday, I have to pick up the pace a bit. I tried to do that through exercise tonight. I bumped the two mile walk up to three miles. I won't be able to do this every day but hope I can get three miles in a couple of times a week.
I also have returned to a modified version of Scarsdale. Today I had a piece of crustless quiche for breakfast, a salad for lunch and some ham, broccoli and another salad for dinner. I drank almost 64 ounces of water and hope for I can increase water intake this week also.
My current weight is 192.7. I have been this weight for three days. I hope tomorrow morning I can drop at least the .7.
//k//
Monday, October 8, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
S is for Staph Struggles, Sleepless, Stressed out but Still Here
August and September were just lousy months. I know that is not a great way to start my first blog post in a few weeks and it will probably seem like a bunch of excuses but that's how it is right now. First though, I am still here. I am still doing what I can to lose what I need to lose. I am holding my weight under where I was, and at times have even thought I might see 190 lbs soon...only to see the next day's reading up 3 or 4 pounds.
I got follow up results from the blood work I did and the white blood cells are back to normal or at least close to it. But I am still struggling with energy levels. My thyroid numbers are good and I am not anemic so the decision is that for now I just keep pushing forward and see if it gets better. The doc said I have to remember this was a major situation. I know it took me down hard but I am used to bouncing back faster than this. I also know that MRSA is no joke and often can linger in your system. I try not to be paranoid about it but the slightest little sore that doesn't heal quickly is a bit alarming to me still.
Top that concern off with extra work hours for year end, the stress of worrying about my mom's health (she did wonderful here with us and I will be so sad to see her go home), woes from deceased job hours for the other half, and a rental house going empty. I guess it is no wonder I am not sleeping...can't sleep because I am exhausted and stressed and am more exhausted and stressed because I am not sleeping. It is a big circle that won't end.
But through all of this, I have maintained my walking as best as I can. Most nights, I try to walk two miles. My fitbit puts me close to 10,000 steps a day when I can get my head together enough to remember to wear it. Next week I am going to start walking in the time they will allow me to use during work hours because it is getting dark by the time I get home. If I were not walking with an infant stroller and a dog, I'd just take a flashlight but I think I will try the day time walking first since the weather is finally down in the 80s.
Sunday, my mom is going home. Sunday afternoon my plan is to hit the grocery store and restock the things I was eating on Scarsdale. I am happy I could hold my weight and not go up any further but not happy about so many weeks with no progression. I refuse to give up so the best thing for me to do is cut out the things which may be making my weight swing up and down and see if I can boost the loss again.
I will be back to regular daily blogging starting on Monday. Hope to be able to have positive results but need to be writing no matter what the result is.
//kj//
I got follow up results from the blood work I did and the white blood cells are back to normal or at least close to it. But I am still struggling with energy levels. My thyroid numbers are good and I am not anemic so the decision is that for now I just keep pushing forward and see if it gets better. The doc said I have to remember this was a major situation. I know it took me down hard but I am used to bouncing back faster than this. I also know that MRSA is no joke and often can linger in your system. I try not to be paranoid about it but the slightest little sore that doesn't heal quickly is a bit alarming to me still.
Top that concern off with extra work hours for year end, the stress of worrying about my mom's health (she did wonderful here with us and I will be so sad to see her go home), woes from deceased job hours for the other half, and a rental house going empty. I guess it is no wonder I am not sleeping...can't sleep because I am exhausted and stressed and am more exhausted and stressed because I am not sleeping. It is a big circle that won't end.
But through all of this, I have maintained my walking as best as I can. Most nights, I try to walk two miles. My fitbit puts me close to 10,000 steps a day when I can get my head together enough to remember to wear it. Next week I am going to start walking in the time they will allow me to use during work hours because it is getting dark by the time I get home. If I were not walking with an infant stroller and a dog, I'd just take a flashlight but I think I will try the day time walking first since the weather is finally down in the 80s.
Sunday, my mom is going home. Sunday afternoon my plan is to hit the grocery store and restock the things I was eating on Scarsdale. I am happy I could hold my weight and not go up any further but not happy about so many weeks with no progression. I refuse to give up so the best thing for me to do is cut out the things which may be making my weight swing up and down and see if I can boost the loss again.
I will be back to regular daily blogging starting on Monday. Hope to be able to have positive results but need to be writing no matter what the result is.
//kj//
Monday, September 17, 2012
When Weight Loss Progress is Discouraging
Remember my blog from yesterday? It was the one about the large number of calories burned and not so large number consumed? I was sure the scale would tilt in my favor this morning but I was wrong. I know I should be happy I did not gain but holding exactly the same was not what I expected. I've had many people tell me over time that I should not watch the scale every day. I realize that works for some people but not for me. I need to know which days I am doing what pushes my body to lose and which I am not.
Of course this morning it would have been nice to not have see that same number again. But if I followed the group who only weigh once a week I would not have seen that I loss and regained 3 pounds during the week last week. I would not have been in tune with the fact that the sodium count was what knocked me off the loss path. And because of things like this, I weigh every day.
I know any goal has set backs, I just need to stick with it and do a better job not getting derailed. So that was my focus today, forget the lack of loss and concentrate on more exercise and eating right. Let's hope tomorrow the scale reflects that I did these things.
What I ate today:
1 cup raw cauliflower
1 square homemade crustless quiche
1 spinach salad
1 hamburger patty (lean ground beef)
1 sandwich thin
1 4 oz cup yogurt, Dannon Light and Fit Diabetic Friendly
Exercise:
Total steps just short of 10,000
Once around the building on my way into the office
1/2 mile at lunch to get the salad
2 miles tonight after dinner
And with that I am hitting publish on this post and heading to bed for some much needed rest.
///k///
Of course this morning it would have been nice to not have see that same number again. But if I followed the group who only weigh once a week I would not have seen that I loss and regained 3 pounds during the week last week. I would not have been in tune with the fact that the sodium count was what knocked me off the loss path. And because of things like this, I weigh every day.
I know any goal has set backs, I just need to stick with it and do a better job not getting derailed. So that was my focus today, forget the lack of loss and concentrate on more exercise and eating right. Let's hope tomorrow the scale reflects that I did these things.
What I ate today:
1 cup raw cauliflower
1 square homemade crustless quiche
1 spinach salad
1 hamburger patty (lean ground beef)
1 sandwich thin
1 4 oz cup yogurt, Dannon Light and Fit Diabetic Friendly
Exercise:
Total steps just short of 10,000
Once around the building on my way into the office
1/2 mile at lunch to get the salad
2 miles tonight after dinner
And with that I am hitting publish on this post and heading to bed for some much needed rest.
///k///
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Zero Gain Week
Today I weight about .2 pounds less than this time last week...not enough to call a loss but not a gain. Unfortunately, everything that I ate Friday and Saturday did me in for the loss factor. At one point this week I was at 193 lbs. This morning I was 196. To many salty foods and not enough water.
Today I have eaten more like I should and exercised. I hope tomorrow morning the scale shows a bit of an adjustment. My goal next week is to increase water intake and cut the sugar from my diet again.
Today I ate:
1/2 carton plain Greek yogurt
4 slices tomato
2 slices oven roasted turkey
large salad for lunch, no dressing
1 cup butternut squash soup
Sandwich using Pepperidge Farm Light Oat bread, turkey, and cheese
For exercise I:
Rode tandem bike for 2 miles
1 mile walk pushing stroller
3 hours yardwork - dragging palm fronds and picking up clipped grass and limbs
Today I have eaten more like I should and exercised. I hope tomorrow morning the scale shows a bit of an adjustment. My goal next week is to increase water intake and cut the sugar from my diet again.
Today I ate:
1/2 carton plain Greek yogurt
4 slices tomato
2 slices oven roasted turkey
large salad for lunch, no dressing
1 cup butternut squash soup
Sandwich using Pepperidge Farm Light Oat bread, turkey, and cheese
For exercise I:
Rode tandem bike for 2 miles
1 mile walk pushing stroller
3 hours yardwork - dragging palm fronds and picking up clipped grass and limbs
Thursday, September 13, 2012
A Decent Day
My day started off nicely with a 1.9 lb loss. I did make it out the door with my lunch but still forgot the fitbit. Maybe tomorrow I will get both things since it is the last chance of the workweek.
I walked 1.5 miles tonight. It was tougher than the last few times and even two hours later I am still feeling pretty winded from it. But I did it. I would have pushed on to the 2 mile route but we were walking with the dog and she was having a tougher time than I was.I think her arthritis is giving her fits again.
I ate a bit more than normal today but stayed within healthy limits on what I had.
This was today's food intake:
Thin bagel with 2 tablespoons peanut butter
20 grapes
1 square of quiche (1 egg with spinach, cheese)
1/2 cup steamed veggies
1 grilled drumstick
4 slices tomato
1/2 tossed salad with 1/4 tuna salad
1/2 cup steamed broccoli
I walked 1.5 miles tonight. It was tougher than the last few times and even two hours later I am still feeling pretty winded from it. But I did it. I would have pushed on to the 2 mile route but we were walking with the dog and she was having a tougher time than I was.I think her arthritis is giving her fits again.
I ate a bit more than normal today but stayed within healthy limits on what I had.
This was today's food intake:
Thin bagel with 2 tablespoons peanut butter
20 grapes
1 square of quiche (1 egg with spinach, cheese)
1/2 cup steamed veggies
1 grilled drumstick
4 slices tomato
1/2 tossed salad with 1/4 tuna salad
1/2 cup steamed broccoli
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Lack of Organization Kills Healthy Lifestyle!
I have always been proud of being organized and getting things done before they were due. That sure seems to have changed since a hospital stay upset my routine. Monday I forgot the Fitbit...I can do without it but prefer knowing what it tells me. Yesterday, I rolled out of bed thinking about getting it immediately so I would not forget it. Progress right? Nope, I managed to walk out the door without my lunchbox. I could not believe it. I have worked in this office for more than a year and almost every day have taken my lunch. My son bought me a nice thermos polka-dot printed lunch box for Christmas. It goes with me every morning. Well, every morning EXCEPT yesterday I guess! So today I made a special point of getting the lunch box and forgot the Fitbit again. Tomorrow I am determined to get out the door with both.
My problem with forgetting things lately is most likely caused by change in routine. When I got out of the hospital, school had already started. My mother-in-law was transporting the kids so I fell into her routine and got used to it. Then I went back to work and needed to do everything an hour earlier.
I normally hit the floor at quick pace just to get all the things I need to do done. I try to get up by 5am but this past week I have been tired to the point of exhaustion so the snooze button has gotten a work out. I did see a doc yesterday and am waiting on blood test results to see if I am anemic or have another infection.
My daily routine includes making three lunches while the coffee brews. I normally get dressed before I even come to the kitchen and make my rounds to wake the kids up before I start the food prep. Along with coffee and lunches, I pop a ham and cheese sandwich in the foreman grill for the teen who prefers that type of breakfast. By the time lunches are made and coffee is in the cup, the baby is normally awake. On a good day, he sleeps until I am done so I can grab him from the crib, change and dress him and sit him in the high chair to snack on dry cereal while I consume the coffee in a few swallows before we head out the door. I normally leave the house carrying him, my purse, my lunchbox and whatever else the kids need for school that they didn't get.
This week my mom is visiting so in addition to the above, I am putting a load of laundry in the washer and getting it started so she can dry and fold it during the day. I also try to figure out what is for dinner so she can start part of it before I get home, and I wait to see what her blood sugar numbers are before I leave. Yesterday it seems we were all on the wrong schedule and running behind so the big kid took the baby and put him in his car seat while I waited for the sugar number. So when I headed out the door I was empty handed, no baby and no extra stuff. I didn't even notice my lunch box on the washer.
The downside of forgetting it is that my food choices without it are lousy. I grabbed an oatmeal from my desk drawer for breakfast but it was way to sweet for my tastes these days. For lunch my only real choice is Burger King as I only get 30 minutes for the meal. I had grilled chicken wraps. I didn't think anything else on the menu sounded even close to healthy.
Today I had dry cheerios for breakfast in hopes of not ruffling an upset stomach any further. I had a spinach salad for lunch and a piece of chicken breast and some cole slaw for dinner.
I walked 2 miles last night and tonight I cut grass and raked. Cutting didn't expend many calories because I was on the riding mower but it was a chore that had to be done since today, by some miracle, it did not rain!
My weight tracking for this week:
Monday: 196.7
Tuesday: 196.6
Wednesday: 195.6
I hope now that I am back to walking a bit I can continue to move down the scale. August messed up my plan but I hope to be back on a regular tracked for the rest of this month.
My problem with forgetting things lately is most likely caused by change in routine. When I got out of the hospital, school had already started. My mother-in-law was transporting the kids so I fell into her routine and got used to it. Then I went back to work and needed to do everything an hour earlier.
I normally hit the floor at quick pace just to get all the things I need to do done. I try to get up by 5am but this past week I have been tired to the point of exhaustion so the snooze button has gotten a work out. I did see a doc yesterday and am waiting on blood test results to see if I am anemic or have another infection.
My daily routine includes making three lunches while the coffee brews. I normally get dressed before I even come to the kitchen and make my rounds to wake the kids up before I start the food prep. Along with coffee and lunches, I pop a ham and cheese sandwich in the foreman grill for the teen who prefers that type of breakfast. By the time lunches are made and coffee is in the cup, the baby is normally awake. On a good day, he sleeps until I am done so I can grab him from the crib, change and dress him and sit him in the high chair to snack on dry cereal while I consume the coffee in a few swallows before we head out the door. I normally leave the house carrying him, my purse, my lunchbox and whatever else the kids need for school that they didn't get.
This week my mom is visiting so in addition to the above, I am putting a load of laundry in the washer and getting it started so she can dry and fold it during the day. I also try to figure out what is for dinner so she can start part of it before I get home, and I wait to see what her blood sugar numbers are before I leave. Yesterday it seems we were all on the wrong schedule and running behind so the big kid took the baby and put him in his car seat while I waited for the sugar number. So when I headed out the door I was empty handed, no baby and no extra stuff. I didn't even notice my lunch box on the washer.
The downside of forgetting it is that my food choices without it are lousy. I grabbed an oatmeal from my desk drawer for breakfast but it was way to sweet for my tastes these days. For lunch my only real choice is Burger King as I only get 30 minutes for the meal. I had grilled chicken wraps. I didn't think anything else on the menu sounded even close to healthy.
Today I had dry cheerios for breakfast in hopes of not ruffling an upset stomach any further. I had a spinach salad for lunch and a piece of chicken breast and some cole slaw for dinner.
I walked 2 miles last night and tonight I cut grass and raked. Cutting didn't expend many calories because I was on the riding mower but it was a chore that had to be done since today, by some miracle, it did not rain!
My weight tracking for this week:
Monday: 196.7
Tuesday: 196.6
Wednesday: 195.6
I hope now that I am back to walking a bit I can continue to move down the scale. August messed up my plan but I hope to be back on a regular tracked for the rest of this month.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Day 1: Back to Food Tracking
In spite of still working with an energy shortage, I have decided to start tracking what I eat again and how many calories I am expending. Of course after making this decision, I forgot my Fitbit so I do not have a steps walked or calories expended update. I did manage to get away from my desk pretty much every hour today but lightning storms prevented me from walking outdoors today. I took my mom to get some prescriptions filled so I did about 30 minutes of walking thru the store.
Today I ate:
Greek yogurt, 8 oz
Roast beef, turkey and cheese sandwich
Mixed steamed vegetables
1/4 cup stewed potatoes
1biscuit
Definitely not a good food day for me. I didn't eat enough of the right stuff and should not have had the biscuit or potatoes. Tomorrow will be better!
Today I ate:
Greek yogurt, 8 oz
Roast beef, turkey and cheese sandwich
Mixed steamed vegetables
1/4 cup stewed potatoes
1biscuit
Definitely not a good food day for me. I didn't eat enough of the right stuff and should not have had the biscuit or potatoes. Tomorrow will be better!
Friday, September 7, 2012
Trying to Get Back to Normal
It has been a month since my body decided to let me know it had been invaded by a staph infection. I am trying to get myself back to normal but it has been tough. The infection had canaled through my armpit as it grew while they decided what to do. I healed fairly quickly incision wise but getting my strength back has been a battle. I went back to work last week full days but by mid aftenoon ech day I am struggling. I still have not managed to get back to a regular evening walk.
I did walk to the dining hall today so that is progress but not as much as I would like. I am still at a weight under 200 but have slowly gained almost back to that point. I hope another weekend with extra rest will get me back to a level I can walk some.
I am still battling a yeast rash from the amounts of antibiotics they ran thru me. I have been released by the surgeon but plan to see my primary doc next week to see if she can pinpoint any cause for the extreme fatigue or confirm that I just need more time to heal.
I hope next week I can start to post updates about getting back on the weight loss path.
I did walk to the dining hall today so that is progress but not as much as I would like. I am still at a weight under 200 but have slowly gained almost back to that point. I hope another weekend with extra rest will get me back to a level I can walk some.
I am still battling a yeast rash from the amounts of antibiotics they ran thru me. I have been released by the surgeon but plan to see my primary doc next week to see if she can pinpoint any cause for the extreme fatigue or confirm that I just need more time to heal.
I hope next week I can start to post updates about getting back on the weight loss path.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Recovery and Maintaining Weight Loss
Last Saturday, the weekend doc decided they had waited on antibiotics long enough and called the surgeon in to look at the swelling under my arm. Later that day, they drained the abscess. I am thankful they knocked me out to do it. Although the incision is less than two inches, the surgeon said the amount of infection was extensive and healing will be a long process.
Sunday they let me come home after blowing two more veins trying to get more vancomycin in me. They sent me home on antibiotics and with pain pills. Tuesday I went to the wound care center to have the packing removed and repacked. Not a pleasant process! When the packing was finally out, the nurse measured it - 52 inches of two inch gauze had been used to pack the canal area the infection had created.
I am now set up for home health to come change the packing daily to keep the incision open so the wound can heal from the inside out. The surgical culture was positive for staph infection even though I had no external wound/sore. I am hoping the healing goes quickly. Right now my big challenge is dealing with the tape and sore spots it is creating.
I am not back to exercise yet but have been trying to keep my diet healthy.
My goal tomorrow is to get back to 32 oz of water and work back to 64. My current weight is 197 lbs so I am not gaining and hope when I can walk again, I can start losing again.
Sunday they let me come home after blowing two more veins trying to get more vancomycin in me. They sent me home on antibiotics and with pain pills. Tuesday I went to the wound care center to have the packing removed and repacked. Not a pleasant process! When the packing was finally out, the nurse measured it - 52 inches of two inch gauze had been used to pack the canal area the infection had created.
I am now set up for home health to come change the packing daily to keep the incision open so the wound can heal from the inside out. The surgical culture was positive for staph infection even though I had no external wound/sore. I am hoping the healing goes quickly. Right now my big challenge is dealing with the tape and sore spots it is creating.
I am not back to exercise yet but have been trying to keep my diet healthy.
My goal tomorrow is to get back to 32 oz of water and work back to 64. My current weight is 197 lbs so I am not gaining and hope when I can walk again, I can start losing again.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
About My Silence and Healthier Hospital Food
Sorry about my silence for a while. I have had a rough August so far. I wasn't feeling great as we started getting into lease signing furniture moving days but things got worse from there. I thought in all the sweating I had done, a hair follicle under my arm had formed a boil. It really was only a red spot a little bigger than a pencil eraser. But it never came to a head and by the time the work week was coming to an end (a week ago) I though it was gone. I guess the effects were not. A week ago I woke up with pain in my arm pit. Not a little pain, one of those show-stopping, wonder if you can continue pains. I looked but could not see anything. It reminded me of the pain when I had costochondritis and the lining of my rib cage was inflamed.
I took motrin and tried to continue with the day. By evening, my underarm was a little swollen and I was sick to my stomach. In hind site, the sick probably came from the infection building. I slept on the couch, close to the bathroom, with heat pads on my arm. It should have been a telling sign that I needed to use the bathroom every 30 minutes or so that night. By Sunday morning the pain was pretty persistent but there wasn't much swelling and no fever, just a painful arm. I managed hot packs off and on as we prepared for a birthday party.
Monday morning I headed to work for a half day with the last of school registration to be done in the afternoon. Standing in the registration line, my body turned flush and the heat turned on. I felt like my fever had to be 105 or more all the sudden but in reality it was just 99 but my armpit area was basically squishy all over and really swollen. I took the kids home and went to urgent care. They looked, agreed it was really swollen but there was no central point where it originated, no absess that he could tell and no way to know where to drain. So he loaded me in antibiotics and sent me home. the fever broke but the pain didn't. Before the night was over the redness started.
Tuesday morning was more of the same only the pain or infection would not let me keep anything down. By afternoon the fever started and the redness began to spread starting my journey to the ER. It took the PA one look to say she was admitting followed by a list of blood cultures she wanted along with a CT scan. I eventually learned the blood cultures were negative and the CT scan showed cellulitis. But one week later I am still here with a massive hard spot under my arm. I have been on heavy antibiotics all week and finally this morning the weekend doc asked why it had not been drained. I asked this earlier but the approach was to reduce it with the antibiotics. He is going to contact a surgeon to look. I hope they come soon. I rank the pain of cellulitis on the scale of having bunion surgery. It definitely exceeds the pain of childbirth for me.
So this has been the reason for my silence. I try not to write (or talk to people) when in a pain drug cloud. I am almost at the point where my meds have worn off so I will talk about how healthy the food is here in another message. When I got here I weighed 198' no clue what I weight today but I have definitely burned fewer calories lately. Hoping to see that surgeon soon so I can get home and back to normal.
I took motrin and tried to continue with the day. By evening, my underarm was a little swollen and I was sick to my stomach. In hind site, the sick probably came from the infection building. I slept on the couch, close to the bathroom, with heat pads on my arm. It should have been a telling sign that I needed to use the bathroom every 30 minutes or so that night. By Sunday morning the pain was pretty persistent but there wasn't much swelling and no fever, just a painful arm. I managed hot packs off and on as we prepared for a birthday party.
Monday morning I headed to work for a half day with the last of school registration to be done in the afternoon. Standing in the registration line, my body turned flush and the heat turned on. I felt like my fever had to be 105 or more all the sudden but in reality it was just 99 but my armpit area was basically squishy all over and really swollen. I took the kids home and went to urgent care. They looked, agreed it was really swollen but there was no central point where it originated, no absess that he could tell and no way to know where to drain. So he loaded me in antibiotics and sent me home. the fever broke but the pain didn't. Before the night was over the redness started.
Tuesday morning was more of the same only the pain or infection would not let me keep anything down. By afternoon the fever started and the redness began to spread starting my journey to the ER. It took the PA one look to say she was admitting followed by a list of blood cultures she wanted along with a CT scan. I eventually learned the blood cultures were negative and the CT scan showed cellulitis. But one week later I am still here with a massive hard spot under my arm. I have been on heavy antibiotics all week and finally this morning the weekend doc asked why it had not been drained. I asked this earlier but the approach was to reduce it with the antibiotics. He is going to contact a surgeon to look. I hope they come soon. I rank the pain of cellulitis on the scale of having bunion surgery. It definitely exceeds the pain of childbirth for me.
So this has been the reason for my silence. I try not to write (or talk to people) when in a pain drug cloud. I am almost at the point where my meds have worn off so I will talk about how healthy the food is here in another message. When I got here I weighed 198' no clue what I weight today but I have definitely burned fewer calories lately. Hoping to see that surgeon soon so I can get home and back to normal.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Ending July with Just One "C"
This has been a really long month. Pneumonia, pain issues the doc thought was shingles, pink eye or allergies, sick kiddos, and more. But it is ending on a high note. A few days ago, I asked Grand#1 to read me something and her comment was that she didn't how to read Roman Numerals. I guess that is not something that gets emphasized any more.
So here is my Roman Numerals lesson for the day. The number 201 is written CCI (hope I got that right!). My good news is that for today, there is only one C showing on my scale. It took two months to drop 13.5 pounds but this morning the scale said 199.8. I hope to be able to get it below the CC point forever. I know my weight bobs up and down so if I do go back up I will retain my focus to get back to single C status.
I'm pretty tired tonight. I walked 2.6 miles tonight which put my total step count today over 12,000 and my total miles walked at 5.1. My right foot is still bothering me so I hope it will be better by morning so this doesn't wind up being the only real walk this week.
I know I did not eat enough today but I have no appetite. I had a cup of raw cauliflower for breakfast, two cups of smoked chicken breasts for lunch and a grilled lean burger patty on a sandwich thin for dinner. I should have had something else but I just could not make myself eat. I have been sneezing a lot today so the allergies may be kicking back up again. Gotta love pollen.
//k//
So here is my Roman Numerals lesson for the day. The number 201 is written CCI (hope I got that right!). My good news is that for today, there is only one C showing on my scale. It took two months to drop 13.5 pounds but this morning the scale said 199.8. I hope to be able to get it below the CC point forever. I know my weight bobs up and down so if I do go back up I will retain my focus to get back to single C status.
I'm pretty tired tonight. I walked 2.6 miles tonight which put my total step count today over 12,000 and my total miles walked at 5.1. My right foot is still bothering me so I hope it will be better by morning so this doesn't wind up being the only real walk this week.
I know I did not eat enough today but I have no appetite. I had a cup of raw cauliflower for breakfast, two cups of smoked chicken breasts for lunch and a grilled lean burger patty on a sandwich thin for dinner. I should have had something else but I just could not make myself eat. I have been sneezing a lot today so the allergies may be kicking back up again. Gotta love pollen.
//k//
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Weight Loss When You Eat the Wrong Stuff
It has been a few days since I had the strength at the end of the day to actually write. I know I overdid it on the exercise earlier this week because by Thursday walking was beyond painful. My feet were swollen so I had to wear sandals to work since they would not fit in my tennis shoes. That might sound reversed; it would seem I would always wear the dressier shoe to work but my feet are so bad that wearing sandals for the day can easily throw me into a sleepless night of massive bone pain and foot cramps. I didn't walk a lot. I took lunch with me and I stayed at my desk most of the day only getting up to go to the bathroom. I guess the swelling and extra fluid prompted my body to want me to flush it out because Thursday and Friday both I was constantly thirsty.
My Thursday morning weight was .7 lbs lighter than Wednesday. I really thought it would have been even less but with the feet swelling I am lucky to have recorded a loss at all. Even though I did no walked on Thursday other than the routine stuff, I did stay on track with me food intake and drank more than 80 ounces of water. My Friday morning weight was a tenth of a pound higher than Thursday.
Friday I had a prepackaged Cesear salad for lunch. Even though the package said it was 230 calories, the sodium count must have been high. I did not even finish it because it was just to salty to eat. I had another salad on Friday night because we were out and had to grab something to eat on the run. My best choice was an Apple Pecan Chicken salad from Wendy's. I got the half size and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was only 170 calories. The dressing they offer would have added another 60 calories and they forgot to give me the pecans so I did not have to count those extra calories or fat. I added a little balsamic dressing to the salad but again, it just seemed so salty. I think this "everything tastes salty" stage was telling me I was dehydrated, though I can't figure out how since I was drinking so much. Thankfully the swelling in my foot was decreasing so at least the fluid was not mounting there.
I thought with two salads and a protein breakfast I would have at least held a steady weight on Saturday morning but I was wrong, I gained .8 lbs. Things like this make no sense to me but it could be anything that causes that small of a gain I suppose.
I started off Saturday thinking I needed to get myself back on track walking wise or get in the pool. My feet instantly said no to the pool in the a.m. because it was cold. My toes cramped up almost immediately and I could not work them out to release without getting out of the water. I thought I would get back in as the heat of the day rose but the lightning storms rolled through ruling that out. By last night, I ached all over so for the third day in a row, I skipped exercise and went to bed. To top off the fact that I could not get myself to the exercise mode, for the first time since setting this goal and changing how I eat, I went off the deep end food wise. Maybe it was the pain, maybe the boredom, or maybe just a weakness over the sugar cravings. In addition to munching on dried mangoes(dried with honey on them) all day long, I caved in and had my first ice cream in a couple of months. Sadly it was not even that good so I don't know why I finished the bowl. I fully expected after gaining from eating salads the day before, this step would put me up multiple pounds. Strangely enough, when I stepped on the scale this morning, I was exactly the same as yesterday.
So my first weight of the day as of July 29, 2012 is 201.5.
Today when I woke up, my entire body hurt. I started to just stay in bed but I know from having had a Psoriatic Arthritis flare this bad before that laying in bed just makes it worse. So I got up, started the coffee and listened to the news. Weather forecast said heat index of 103 today and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Since the swelling in my feet had gone down, I decided if I planned to walk, I had better get it done. So I started the day with a 1.5 mile walks. I took it slow and did not even consider the longer route. I came home and cut the back yard using the riding mower and then did some raking. Later in the afternoon, I took my granddaughter shopping. All total, my fitbit says I walked 6.5 miles today. Thankfully it was spread over the day and my feet are not yelling as loud as the other days. Hopefully tomorrow gets me back to a normal pain threshold.
I'd love to see the scale tomorrow show at least a 1.5 lb loss and show me the 200 or below numbers. I am not holding my breath through. Even though what I have eaten doesn't come close to the calories I have burned, I know from experience that means nothing to my body.
//k//
My Thursday morning weight was .7 lbs lighter than Wednesday. I really thought it would have been even less but with the feet swelling I am lucky to have recorded a loss at all. Even though I did no walked on Thursday other than the routine stuff, I did stay on track with me food intake and drank more than 80 ounces of water. My Friday morning weight was a tenth of a pound higher than Thursday.
Friday I had a prepackaged Cesear salad for lunch. Even though the package said it was 230 calories, the sodium count must have been high. I did not even finish it because it was just to salty to eat. I had another salad on Friday night because we were out and had to grab something to eat on the run. My best choice was an Apple Pecan Chicken salad from Wendy's. I got the half size and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was only 170 calories. The dressing they offer would have added another 60 calories and they forgot to give me the pecans so I did not have to count those extra calories or fat. I added a little balsamic dressing to the salad but again, it just seemed so salty. I think this "everything tastes salty" stage was telling me I was dehydrated, though I can't figure out how since I was drinking so much. Thankfully the swelling in my foot was decreasing so at least the fluid was not mounting there.
I thought with two salads and a protein breakfast I would have at least held a steady weight on Saturday morning but I was wrong, I gained .8 lbs. Things like this make no sense to me but it could be anything that causes that small of a gain I suppose.
I started off Saturday thinking I needed to get myself back on track walking wise or get in the pool. My feet instantly said no to the pool in the a.m. because it was cold. My toes cramped up almost immediately and I could not work them out to release without getting out of the water. I thought I would get back in as the heat of the day rose but the lightning storms rolled through ruling that out. By last night, I ached all over so for the third day in a row, I skipped exercise and went to bed. To top off the fact that I could not get myself to the exercise mode, for the first time since setting this goal and changing how I eat, I went off the deep end food wise. Maybe it was the pain, maybe the boredom, or maybe just a weakness over the sugar cravings. In addition to munching on dried mangoes(dried with honey on them) all day long, I caved in and had my first ice cream in a couple of months. Sadly it was not even that good so I don't know why I finished the bowl. I fully expected after gaining from eating salads the day before, this step would put me up multiple pounds. Strangely enough, when I stepped on the scale this morning, I was exactly the same as yesterday.
So my first weight of the day as of July 29, 2012 is 201.5.
Today when I woke up, my entire body hurt. I started to just stay in bed but I know from having had a Psoriatic Arthritis flare this bad before that laying in bed just makes it worse. So I got up, started the coffee and listened to the news. Weather forecast said heat index of 103 today and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Since the swelling in my feet had gone down, I decided if I planned to walk, I had better get it done. So I started the day with a 1.5 mile walks. I took it slow and did not even consider the longer route. I came home and cut the back yard using the riding mower and then did some raking. Later in the afternoon, I took my granddaughter shopping. All total, my fitbit says I walked 6.5 miles today. Thankfully it was spread over the day and my feet are not yelling as loud as the other days. Hopefully tomorrow gets me back to a normal pain threshold.
I'd love to see the scale tomorrow show at least a 1.5 lb loss and show me the 200 or below numbers. I am not holding my breath through. Even though what I have eaten doesn't come close to the calories I have burned, I know from experience that means nothing to my body.
//k//
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Low Carb, Low Sugar, Low Fat, High Cardio
So far my analysis of what works best for me loss wise are the things in title. I've know for years I felt better when eating low carb. Now that I have cut major amounts of fat from my diet and cut out sugar almost completely, the weight is slowly disappearing. The exercise part of the title is what I think is making the most difference right now. Unfortunately, my feet are not happy with the exercise and tomorrow will probably be a down day from walking. Today I walked 2.4 miles in 40 minutes and then spent some pool time afterwards. I passed 12,000 steps on my Fitbit ultra. My steps were up because I walked around the building before going to by desk this morning, did the same walk inside the hallways twice, and walked outside at lunch. Yes, my feet are screaming!
For food today I had toast and cottage cheese for breakfast. I had leftover meatloaf with a piece of quiche for lunch and for dinner I grilled some pork chops and had steamed vegetables and sliced tomatoes. I had a slice of cheese for a snack.
I was very happy to see another loss on the scale this morning. Today's weight was 201.3, an 8/10 pound loss from yesterday.
I'm beat, bedtime for this tired girl!
//k//
For food today I had toast and cottage cheese for breakfast. I had leftover meatloaf with a piece of quiche for lunch and for dinner I grilled some pork chops and had steamed vegetables and sliced tomatoes. I had a slice of cheese for a snack.
I was very happy to see another loss on the scale this morning. Today's weight was 201.3, an 8/10 pound loss from yesterday.
I'm beat, bedtime for this tired girl!
//k//
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Evening Coffee, Increased Water, and Weight Loss
It would sure be nice if I could equate an evening cup of coffee with weight loss but I don't see that ever happening so today's title is about the three parts of today's post. A few days back, I wrote that I would not give up the cream in my coffee but I thought about it and the days I was drinking black coffee were the days I lost. That is not the only thing that could have prompted a loss those days but it is one factor. So I made a new decision. I drink my day time coffee at work black with a bit of splenda. I don't drink as much as I used to and I try to drink more water instead. When I come home, I enjoy one cup of coffee with a small amount of powdered creamer. It has 10 calories per tsp and I'm willing to take the chance on that small amount for the relaxation I get just by sitting down to drink it. I might reassess again but for this moment, this is my coffee plan. I talked to someone today who mentioned that if she gave up her nightly wine or sangria, she might lose more. I don't drink wines or beers etc so coffee is my vice!
On to the water...I have been noticing that I do tend to at least lose something (even if it is only a half pound) on the day after I have consumed more fluids. Most days when I hit the 64 ounce mark, I am losing something. With the coffee at work, I am not allowing myself to refill it until I finish the waterbottle beside it. I don't always make it to the 64 ounce mark. Today I have only managed a bit more than 40 ounces and I don't think that will change much before I call it a day. We'll see if the lower amount of fluids has an impact on the scale tomorrow a.m.
And now for the last title subject. I saved the best for last. This morning the scales made me happy. I am 202.1 as of this morning which is a 1.5 pound loss since yesterday. Today I had basically the same meals as yesterday and I walked for 2.2 miles this evening in 30 minutes. I've increased my distances and my speed both but boy are my feet screaming at me.
Today I ate:
1 cup raw cauliflower
2 slices light bread (45 calorie each)
Cranberry Walnut salad
2 broiled hamburger patties (93% lean)
3 slices tomatoes
1 cup steamed broccoli
I will probably have a boiled egg before I go to bed if I am hungry at all. Eating a small amount like this helps me to not wait up munchy during the night. Hope the scales are happy with my exercise today and show me nice results again tomorrow!
//k//
On to the water...I have been noticing that I do tend to at least lose something (even if it is only a half pound) on the day after I have consumed more fluids. Most days when I hit the 64 ounce mark, I am losing something. With the coffee at work, I am not allowing myself to refill it until I finish the waterbottle beside it. I don't always make it to the 64 ounce mark. Today I have only managed a bit more than 40 ounces and I don't think that will change much before I call it a day. We'll see if the lower amount of fluids has an impact on the scale tomorrow a.m.
And now for the last title subject. I saved the best for last. This morning the scales made me happy. I am 202.1 as of this morning which is a 1.5 pound loss since yesterday. Today I had basically the same meals as yesterday and I walked for 2.2 miles this evening in 30 minutes. I've increased my distances and my speed both but boy are my feet screaming at me.
Today I ate:
1 cup raw cauliflower
2 slices light bread (45 calorie each)
Cranberry Walnut salad
2 broiled hamburger patties (93% lean)
3 slices tomatoes
1 cup steamed broccoli
I will probably have a boiled egg before I go to bed if I am hungry at all. Eating a small amount like this helps me to not wait up munchy during the night. Hope the scales are happy with my exercise today and show me nice results again tomorrow!
//k//
Monday, July 23, 2012
More Than a Half Pound
Yesterday, I mentioned that it would be nice to see more than a half pound loss after days where I ate right and exercised. Well the scale fairies were listening I guess - I weighed in this morning a big SIXTH TENTHS of a pound less! Don't get me wrong. I am happy for any loss but I thought it was just funny that since I asked for more than a half pound loss, I got a tenth of a pound more.
Loss is loss and for that I am thankful. My weight today was 203.6 so I at least got to see the 3 again. I am anxious to see the 3.6 gone and reintroduce myself to the 100 series again.
Today I started back on the Scarsdale Medical Diet phase. I decided my breakfast of two bananas is not helping my weight loss effort. The plan says a grapefruit or other in-season fruit so I have been having bananas because they are readily available and portable. I had grapefruit until I wound up on a medicine that contradicted with it. I considered going back to grapefruit but it is hard to eat at my desk. Something I was reading about Scarsdale adaptations suggested cauliflower as a substitute breakfast item. I know a lot of people who could not handle cauliflower in the morning but I love it so that is what I did today. I intended to have my protein toast with it but we had a morning briefing so I was late eating and bumped the toast to lunch.
My lunch was a salad which was pretty good but the packaging uses a classic marketing tool that I should not have fallen for. The front of the package in big letters IDed the calorie count as 210. That was a good count as far as I was concerned. What I neglected to do after seeing the 210 was turn the package over to notice the salad had 15 grams of sugar. Of course if I had read that before I used the vinaigrette, I would have skipped the sugary sauce all together.
I snacked on some carrots this afternoon and drank more water. I finished the day with about 65 ounces. Dinner was meatloaf made from a lean ground beef with onions, seasonings, a bit of ketchup and egg. I used pork rinds instead of bread crumbs or oats. I realize this isn't on the SMD plan but it worked for me when I did Atkins years ago. I had steamed broccoli and sliced tomatoes with it.
After dinner, Johnnie and I took a 2 mile walk. It felt good and without pushing the stroller I was able to walk at a good pace. I would still like to pick it up more but we finished the two miles in less than 30 minutes. My right foot, which is normally my good one, is giving me fits tonight though. It aches and now I think it has blisters on the sole. I can't see them yet but it sure is tender. Hope it feels better by morning.
//k//
Loss is loss and for that I am thankful. My weight today was 203.6 so I at least got to see the 3 again. I am anxious to see the 3.6 gone and reintroduce myself to the 100 series again.
Today I started back on the Scarsdale Medical Diet phase. I decided my breakfast of two bananas is not helping my weight loss effort. The plan says a grapefruit or other in-season fruit so I have been having bananas because they are readily available and portable. I had grapefruit until I wound up on a medicine that contradicted with it. I considered going back to grapefruit but it is hard to eat at my desk. Something I was reading about Scarsdale adaptations suggested cauliflower as a substitute breakfast item. I know a lot of people who could not handle cauliflower in the morning but I love it so that is what I did today. I intended to have my protein toast with it but we had a morning briefing so I was late eating and bumped the toast to lunch.
My lunch was a salad which was pretty good but the packaging uses a classic marketing tool that I should not have fallen for. The front of the package in big letters IDed the calorie count as 210. That was a good count as far as I was concerned. What I neglected to do after seeing the 210 was turn the package over to notice the salad had 15 grams of sugar. Of course if I had read that before I used the vinaigrette, I would have skipped the sugary sauce all together.
I snacked on some carrots this afternoon and drank more water. I finished the day with about 65 ounces. Dinner was meatloaf made from a lean ground beef with onions, seasonings, a bit of ketchup and egg. I used pork rinds instead of bread crumbs or oats. I realize this isn't on the SMD plan but it worked for me when I did Atkins years ago. I had steamed broccoli and sliced tomatoes with it.
After dinner, Johnnie and I took a 2 mile walk. It felt good and without pushing the stroller I was able to walk at a good pace. I would still like to pick it up more but we finished the two miles in less than 30 minutes. My right foot, which is normally my good one, is giving me fits tonight though. It aches and now I think it has blisters on the sole. I can't see them yet but it sure is tender. Hope it feels better by morning.
//k//
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Pendulum
Up and down, down and up...a pound here and a half pound there. This whole weight swinging thing is tough. I know I gained it a little at the time but some days when I feel like I worked harder than normal at calorie burning and refrained from things which are not good for me food wise, a little loss would be promising. But that has not been the case lately.
This morning I weighed 204.4. That is a tenth of a pound lower than Saturday but still higher than the earlier 203 weigh in.
Tomorrow I am starting back on the stricter food regiment of the Scarsdale diet. I hope to add at least a mile walk every day. Scarsdale says average loss in the two week period should be between 7 and 14 pounds. That would be nice, but I'd be happy with anything more than the 2 pounds a week I have been seeing.
Today was furniture moving day. It was not a lot, just the remaining items we had at the house on base. I cleaned the fridge out, packed some boxes, loaded the vehicle and did a good bit of walking from house to car to get everything done. The process was repeated in reverse to unload it all.
I also managed to get a two mie walk in tonight after the storms rolled through. I topped 13,000 steps today according to my fitbit ultra which equals 5.6 miles. My feet feel it for sure.
Hopefully the exercise produces scale movement in the right direction!
//k//
This morning I weighed 204.4. That is a tenth of a pound lower than Saturday but still higher than the earlier 203 weigh in.
Tomorrow I am starting back on the stricter food regiment of the Scarsdale diet. I hope to add at least a mile walk every day. Scarsdale says average loss in the two week period should be between 7 and 14 pounds. That would be nice, but I'd be happy with anything more than the 2 pounds a week I have been seeing.
Today was furniture moving day. It was not a lot, just the remaining items we had at the house on base. I cleaned the fridge out, packed some boxes, loaded the vehicle and did a good bit of walking from house to car to get everything done. The process was repeated in reverse to unload it all.
I also managed to get a two mie walk in tonight after the storms rolled through. I topped 13,000 steps today according to my fitbit ultra which equals 5.6 miles. My feet feel it for sure.
Hopefully the exercise produces scale movement in the right direction!
//k//
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Just Can't Predict Weight Loss
Some things just continue to mystify me. My ability to gain and lose weight is definitely one of them. Yesterday was a lousy day. I went back to the doc to have my eyes checked again. She agreed it seemed the previous treatment was not giving me any relief and also agreed it seemed more like allergies. So I got new eye drops and a referral to an ophthalmologist just to be sure this is not the psoriatic arthritis flaring up in my eyes instead of my feet where it usually rears its ugly head.
I needed to go get the paperwork for turning water on in the house where we'll spend the school year and do some other stuff so I took the afternoon off so I could get those things done, get home and get the drops in. I won't do the first eye drops sitting at my desk staring at the computer screen waiting for a possible reaction.
Because my appt took nearly 3 hours and I still needed to get the prescription, my packed lunch, which was sitting in the steaming car, was not consumable. On my way to the water company, I stopped by McDonald's and grabbed lunch. I ordered a grilled chicken club sandwich. Some day I will learn to say "Hold the Mayo!" but yesterday was not the day. I took off most of the offending sauce by removing the lettuce but there was still some left to be consumed. I have only had fast food once in the past couple months so you would think I would have enjoyed it. Quite the opposite was true. The sandwich was just so salty I could hardly finish it.
When I logged my food last night and added that chicken sandwich, I was shocked to see that it was more than 500 calories and almost 1500 mg of sodium. WOW. I could have eaten a double cheeseburger for fewer calories and less sodium. Granted the cheeseburger is higher in fat but since neither is a good choice, it would have been less expensive and I would have enjoyed it more. There wont be any more McDs stops any time soon.
I fully expected to see a weight gain of a pound or more this morning but in spite of the McD intake, more than a cup of cheerios late last night, and not getting a walk in, I weighed 3/10 of a pound less than the previous two days. Like the title says, I just can't predict weight loss.
Today I remembered my FitBit Ultra so I was able to see how my activity level rated for the day. I was able to walk 1.2 miles tonight but it got to dark for a swim before I was done so I had to leave that off today. I managed to cross the 10,000 step mark again today. For breakfast I had a banana, for lunch I had steamed zucchini, green beans and a slice of pizza topped with veggies. Dinner...I don't think I actually ate dinner and that is not good. I had a headache when I got home and that normally curbs my appetite more than anything. It is really to late to eat but maybe I will have some cottage cheese or something lite like that. If I were reviewing this day, I would say there is a good chance the scale could show positive results in the a.m. But with the way my body responds, the more likely scenario is that I will be a pound or two heavier! Let's hope not.
//k//
I needed to go get the paperwork for turning water on in the house where we'll spend the school year and do some other stuff so I took the afternoon off so I could get those things done, get home and get the drops in. I won't do the first eye drops sitting at my desk staring at the computer screen waiting for a possible reaction.
Because my appt took nearly 3 hours and I still needed to get the prescription, my packed lunch, which was sitting in the steaming car, was not consumable. On my way to the water company, I stopped by McDonald's and grabbed lunch. I ordered a grilled chicken club sandwich. Some day I will learn to say "Hold the Mayo!" but yesterday was not the day. I took off most of the offending sauce by removing the lettuce but there was still some left to be consumed. I have only had fast food once in the past couple months so you would think I would have enjoyed it. Quite the opposite was true. The sandwich was just so salty I could hardly finish it.
When I logged my food last night and added that chicken sandwich, I was shocked to see that it was more than 500 calories and almost 1500 mg of sodium. WOW. I could have eaten a double cheeseburger for fewer calories and less sodium. Granted the cheeseburger is higher in fat but since neither is a good choice, it would have been less expensive and I would have enjoyed it more. There wont be any more McDs stops any time soon.
I fully expected to see a weight gain of a pound or more this morning but in spite of the McD intake, more than a cup of cheerios late last night, and not getting a walk in, I weighed 3/10 of a pound less than the previous two days. Like the title says, I just can't predict weight loss.
Today I remembered my FitBit Ultra so I was able to see how my activity level rated for the day. I was able to walk 1.2 miles tonight but it got to dark for a swim before I was done so I had to leave that off today. I managed to cross the 10,000 step mark again today. For breakfast I had a banana, for lunch I had steamed zucchini, green beans and a slice of pizza topped with veggies. Dinner...I don't think I actually ate dinner and that is not good. I had a headache when I got home and that normally curbs my appetite more than anything. It is really to late to eat but maybe I will have some cottage cheese or something lite like that. If I were reviewing this day, I would say there is a good chance the scale could show positive results in the a.m. But with the way my body responds, the more likely scenario is that I will be a pound or two heavier! Let's hope not.
//k//
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Lightning, Storms, Windshields and Painful Eyes
Today was one of those days where I would have preferred to stay in bed. It was gloomy a lot today and started raining about noon. Rain is ok but lightning and thunderstorms are a pain. I had some paperwork to do this afternoon so I didn't take my normal route home. I crossed a different causeway. The last time I drove that causeway in a storm, this was my experience:
Yes, that is the Durango windshield with a huge tunnel grooved into it. Lightning struck one of two power lines on the causeway, the line snapped and came down across the windshield. We were very lucky to not be hurt. But today, watching those lightning strikes and the rain pour as I passed the location where this occurred was a stressful moment for sure. In those few moments of stress spent crossing the bridge, I wondered how our military guys and gals who have been through so much trauma can cope when they find themselves in a circumstance that reminds them of something horrible they encountered. My little experience doesn't even come close to the stress those folks are going through.
The lightning and storms continued until it was to late to get my afternoon walk or swim in. I hope for drier days tomorrow.
I've had a month of health woes so far and it is only mid July. After the pneumonia battle, followed by what they thought was shingles pain, and the kiddo with major congestion and ear infections, I either picked up the viral or bacterial pink eye (which the pediatrician says he may or may not have had) or my eyes decided to take part in the allergies which were driving my nose and throat crazy. Either way, last week my right eye was very painful and red. I went to see a doc and was given eye drops and an ointment. I used them religiously and was very cautious about reusing washclothes or tisues or scratching the other eye without washing my hands. Yesterday, the left eye started hurting and today it is red. The right one is still blood shot. I remember reading about the possible link between psoriatic arthritis and eye issues before so I booked another appointment for tomorrow. I have not seen this many docs in such a short period of time in many many years.
So anyhow, back to the weight and food intake part of this blog. Although my calorie intake was not very high today, I don't expect a loss tomorrow morn because I did not exercise.
July 17 weight: 203.8 (.3 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Two bananas
One cup chicken thighs sauteed with green peppers and onions
One cup mixed vegetables
One lean broiled hamburger with a slice of cheese on a sandwich thin
One cup cheerios
//k//
Yes, that is the Durango windshield with a huge tunnel grooved into it. Lightning struck one of two power lines on the causeway, the line snapped and came down across the windshield. We were very lucky to not be hurt. But today, watching those lightning strikes and the rain pour as I passed the location where this occurred was a stressful moment for sure. In those few moments of stress spent crossing the bridge, I wondered how our military guys and gals who have been through so much trauma can cope when they find themselves in a circumstance that reminds them of something horrible they encountered. My little experience doesn't even come close to the stress those folks are going through.
The lightning and storms continued until it was to late to get my afternoon walk or swim in. I hope for drier days tomorrow.
I've had a month of health woes so far and it is only mid July. After the pneumonia battle, followed by what they thought was shingles pain, and the kiddo with major congestion and ear infections, I either picked up the viral or bacterial pink eye (which the pediatrician says he may or may not have had) or my eyes decided to take part in the allergies which were driving my nose and throat crazy. Either way, last week my right eye was very painful and red. I went to see a doc and was given eye drops and an ointment. I used them religiously and was very cautious about reusing washclothes or tisues or scratching the other eye without washing my hands. Yesterday, the left eye started hurting and today it is red. The right one is still blood shot. I remember reading about the possible link between psoriatic arthritis and eye issues before so I booked another appointment for tomorrow. I have not seen this many docs in such a short period of time in many many years.
So anyhow, back to the weight and food intake part of this blog. Although my calorie intake was not very high today, I don't expect a loss tomorrow morn because I did not exercise.
July 17 weight: 203.8 (.3 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Two bananas
One cup chicken thighs sauteed with green peppers and onions
One cup mixed vegetables
One lean broiled hamburger with a slice of cheese on a sandwich thin
One cup cheerios
//k//
Monday, July 16, 2012
Settling in with the New Scale and Pedometer
I have to admit I was a bit frustrated when I stepped on the FitBit Aria scale on Saturday morning. I feel like I struggle for every pound I lose so seeing the numbers higher than the old scale was tough. But I've decided that knowing what an accurate weight is would be better than thinking I weighed less. Maybe now when I go to the doc, their scales will be a closer match to mine.
So my Monday morning weight count, first blogged weight from the new scale is 204.1.
I am happy with the FitBit Ultra. I don't find the stair counting feature to be useful but the steps taken and the distance walked is good. And since I can either clip it on my bra or on the waistband it is easy to see progress through the day. Tonight I waled 1.24 miles. I thought I was making good time but it took 22 minutes so I think I really need to improve and walk faster. I sure wish my feet did not hurt so bad. Maybe as the weight comes off, they will hurt less. My total steps today exceeded 10,000 again. I hope to be able to keep this as a goal.
After the walk, I swan for 45 minutes. I wasn't as paranoid about the deep end but I think I get more exercise when I am in the shallow end concentrating on the movement I am doing. In the deep end, I concentrate on how fast I can get out of there, no matter how I do it.
I was a little low on calorie intake today in spite of eating a bag of baked potato chips (the 1 oz size) so I had a bowl of cheerios with some fiber one tonight. I hope the scales show positive results tomorrow.
What I ate today:
Breakfast:
2 Bananas
1 sandwich thin
Lunch:
Spinach salad with egg, beets, broccoli, carrots and a splash of vinegar
Snack
Baked chips
Dinner
Small amount of baked chicken breast, no skin
1 cup mixed vegetables
Snack
1 Cup cheerios, 1/2 cup Fiber one and 1/2 cup 2% milk
Tired tonight so getting in bed before 11 pm...a rare occassion!
//k//
So my Monday morning weight count, first blogged weight from the new scale is 204.1.
I am happy with the FitBit Ultra. I don't find the stair counting feature to be useful but the steps taken and the distance walked is good. And since I can either clip it on my bra or on the waistband it is easy to see progress through the day. Tonight I waled 1.24 miles. I thought I was making good time but it took 22 minutes so I think I really need to improve and walk faster. I sure wish my feet did not hurt so bad. Maybe as the weight comes off, they will hurt less. My total steps today exceeded 10,000 again. I hope to be able to keep this as a goal.
After the walk, I swan for 45 minutes. I wasn't as paranoid about the deep end but I think I get more exercise when I am in the shallow end concentrating on the movement I am doing. In the deep end, I concentrate on how fast I can get out of there, no matter how I do it.
I was a little low on calorie intake today in spite of eating a bag of baked potato chips (the 1 oz size) so I had a bowl of cheerios with some fiber one tonight. I hope the scales show positive results tomorrow.
What I ate today:
Breakfast:
2 Bananas
1 sandwich thin
Lunch:
Spinach salad with egg, beets, broccoli, carrots and a splash of vinegar
Snack
Baked chips
Dinner
Small amount of baked chicken breast, no skin
1 cup mixed vegetables
Snack
1 Cup cheerios, 1/2 cup Fiber one and 1/2 cup 2% milk
Tired tonight so getting in bed before 11 pm...a rare occassion!
//k//
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Fit Bit Monitor and Scale
I have been researching pedometers and heart rate monitors for a while but finally decided on the FitBit. It is a rare occasion that I buy things for myself but felt this would be useful in helping me see where my exercise (or lack of!) is failing me. I decided to by the scale too since we would be able to both use it and the one we have has been having some issues. It was more expensive than most scales I have bought before but it will also measure body fat. OUCH on that!
The monitor and scale arrived on Friday so I have spent the weekend getting used to what I can do with them and the site. I have more time to exercise on the weekends so it will be interesting to see how much activity time I log on week days. I have been walking more during the day at work though so maybe this will be my incentive to get out of my chair every hour and move.
The scale is a bit off from the other one I was using so I will start with a new weight tomorrow and begin tracking my loss from there.
Today we had a very busy day but in addition to the other things we had to do, I was able to get in a mile walk before the rain started and then a little more than 30 minutes in the pool after the rain. I ventured into the deep end with the life jacket today and joked with my better half that I should deduct calories expended for the anxiety! It's definitely harder to move myself around in the deep end so I did get more exercise but it will be a long time and require a lot of practice before I get anywhere close to comfortable with it.
After spending a couple of hours waiting for vehicle repairs after a blow radiator hose we didn't have time to roast the chicken as we planned. Instead we cooked it in a bag. It was ok but the roasted is much better. I had mine with a half cup of green beans. There is enough chicken left for a second meal so buying a whole one is definitely an economical choice.
Back tomorrow with an update on how the fitbit tracking for a work day went and a new scale report.
//k//
The monitor and scale arrived on Friday so I have spent the weekend getting used to what I can do with them and the site. I have more time to exercise on the weekends so it will be interesting to see how much activity time I log on week days. I have been walking more during the day at work though so maybe this will be my incentive to get out of my chair every hour and move.
The scale is a bit off from the other one I was using so I will start with a new weight tomorrow and begin tracking my loss from there.
Today we had a very busy day but in addition to the other things we had to do, I was able to get in a mile walk before the rain started and then a little more than 30 minutes in the pool after the rain. I ventured into the deep end with the life jacket today and joked with my better half that I should deduct calories expended for the anxiety! It's definitely harder to move myself around in the deep end so I did get more exercise but it will be a long time and require a lot of practice before I get anywhere close to comfortable with it.
After spending a couple of hours waiting for vehicle repairs after a blow radiator hose we didn't have time to roast the chicken as we planned. Instead we cooked it in a bag. It was ok but the roasted is much better. I had mine with a half cup of green beans. There is enough chicken left for a second meal so buying a whole one is definitely an economical choice.
Back tomorrow with an update on how the fitbit tracking for a work day went and a new scale report.
//k//
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Lifestyle Changes
It took me a really long time but I do realize I can't lose weight or be healthy by dieting with a fad plan or pushing myself to the point I give up on the latest way people say they are losing weight. I've known for years that I can't tolerate carbs like potatoes, rice or bread. It isn't rocket science and I have to accept that.
So why is this time different? I can't say there is one specific reason why I am willing to do what it takes this time but I have come to the point where I am able to say no to the foods I know are not going to be good for my body.
So what did I change? I am no longer a box person. In these past six weeks I have not made my meals from anything packaged or processed by some company who vowed to make my cooking life easier. And in doing that I eliminated loads of the chemicals they used as preservatives and a whole lot of sodium. I am amazed now to read the sodium count on some of the items I ate regularly.
To replace those quick meals, I buy meats and fresh vegetables. We are eating foods which are seasoned with fresh herbs, peppers, onions, and less salt based seasonings. If an oil is needed, I am using small amounts of olive oil instead of the vegetable oils, butters, and margarines. I unpacked the George Foreman grill and have been cooking burgers and chicken breast on it.
My grocery trips now consist of the outer aisles of the store. I stock up on fruits and fresh vegetables twice a week. The bread we do eat is a low calorie thin slice of whole wheat or a sandwich thin in either whole wheat or the one with flax seed.
To begin with I eliminated creamer from my coffee. That is the one change I have not stuck with. I do plan to figure a way to change to a skim milk or low fat milk instead of the powder cream but I decided if I have to have one vice, it is going to be my coffee the way I like it. I have cut it back to 2 or 3 cups a day though (as opposed to the two pots a day I was drinking a year ago.)
I think dairy may be a problem for me weight wise too. I don't eat a lot but if I have a glass of milk or more than a small amount of yogurt, sour cream etc, I seem to gain. I am having a low fat cottage cheese as a snack right now. It's basically a test to see if I wind up gaining again tomorrow.
I still have a long way to go, but the small steps are best for me. The foods I have eliminated are not a problem. There are times when I miss the cookies or snacks but if I take the time to have something that satisfies the sweet urge like fruit or sugar free jello, the craving will pass.
This morning I weighed 203.5 (.7 lb loss from yesterday)
Today I ate:
2 bananas
Beef and cheddar sandwich on cibatta (not my best choice for sure!)
Ham and cheese sandwich on sandwich thin
cottage cheese and sugar free jello
This was not my healthiest eating day for sure. I had the sandwich at lunch because I could not handle walking in the sun because my eye was watering so bad.
I had the sandwich at dinner because I was rushing to get out the door to go to a 24 hour doc to get the eye checked. This whole be-sick-in-the-summer is getting old FAST!
//k//
So why is this time different? I can't say there is one specific reason why I am willing to do what it takes this time but I have come to the point where I am able to say no to the foods I know are not going to be good for my body.
So what did I change? I am no longer a box person. In these past six weeks I have not made my meals from anything packaged or processed by some company who vowed to make my cooking life easier. And in doing that I eliminated loads of the chemicals they used as preservatives and a whole lot of sodium. I am amazed now to read the sodium count on some of the items I ate regularly.
To replace those quick meals, I buy meats and fresh vegetables. We are eating foods which are seasoned with fresh herbs, peppers, onions, and less salt based seasonings. If an oil is needed, I am using small amounts of olive oil instead of the vegetable oils, butters, and margarines. I unpacked the George Foreman grill and have been cooking burgers and chicken breast on it.
My grocery trips now consist of the outer aisles of the store. I stock up on fruits and fresh vegetables twice a week. The bread we do eat is a low calorie thin slice of whole wheat or a sandwich thin in either whole wheat or the one with flax seed.
To begin with I eliminated creamer from my coffee. That is the one change I have not stuck with. I do plan to figure a way to change to a skim milk or low fat milk instead of the powder cream but I decided if I have to have one vice, it is going to be my coffee the way I like it. I have cut it back to 2 or 3 cups a day though (as opposed to the two pots a day I was drinking a year ago.)
I think dairy may be a problem for me weight wise too. I don't eat a lot but if I have a glass of milk or more than a small amount of yogurt, sour cream etc, I seem to gain. I am having a low fat cottage cheese as a snack right now. It's basically a test to see if I wind up gaining again tomorrow.
I still have a long way to go, but the small steps are best for me. The foods I have eliminated are not a problem. There are times when I miss the cookies or snacks but if I take the time to have something that satisfies the sweet urge like fruit or sugar free jello, the craving will pass.
This morning I weighed 203.5 (.7 lb loss from yesterday)
Today I ate:
2 bananas
Beef and cheddar sandwich on cibatta (not my best choice for sure!)
Ham and cheese sandwich on sandwich thin
cottage cheese and sugar free jello
This was not my healthiest eating day for sure. I had the sandwich at lunch because I could not handle walking in the sun because my eye was watering so bad.
I had the sandwich at dinner because I was rushing to get out the door to go to a 24 hour doc to get the eye checked. This whole be-sick-in-the-summer is getting old FAST!
//k//
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
SMD Days 9 and 10 Recap
Yesterday was another pain filled day so I didn't make it here to update the blog. I feel better joint wise today but think I am on my way to a case of pink eye like little guy had.
Day 9 I drank 64 ounces of water again after starting the day at 204.4 pounds (.9 lb gain). Here is what I ate:
Breakfast: Two Bananas
Lunch: Spinach Salad
Dinner: Beef and Broccoli and sliced tomatoes
Snack: Ice Cream (ugh the cravings!)
Day 10 started with the itchy eyes and that residual dragging feeling from pain meds. The scale wasn't as high as I expected since I had a salty dinner the night before. Weight on July 11, 2012: 204.2 (down .2 lbs)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: One Banana
Lunch: My left over banana from breakfast and a greek yogurt
Dinner: A turkey burger on a sandwich thin
I will probably have some cantaloupe or watermelon later if I am still awake but I have this urge to just keep my eyes closed so I think I am making it a very early nite.
//k//
Day 9 I drank 64 ounces of water again after starting the day at 204.4 pounds (.9 lb gain). Here is what I ate:
Breakfast: Two Bananas
Lunch: Spinach Salad
Dinner: Beef and Broccoli and sliced tomatoes
Snack: Ice Cream (ugh the cravings!)
Day 10 started with the itchy eyes and that residual dragging feeling from pain meds. The scale wasn't as high as I expected since I had a salty dinner the night before. Weight on July 11, 2012: 204.2 (down .2 lbs)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: One Banana
Lunch: My left over banana from breakfast and a greek yogurt
Dinner: A turkey burger on a sandwich thin
I will probably have some cantaloupe or watermelon later if I am still awake but I have this urge to just keep my eyes closed so I think I am making it a very early nite.
//k//
Monday, July 9, 2012
SMD Day 8 Session 2 Hunger
The body is just so unpredictable - at least mine seems to be. Today has been a starving hungry day. I would say it might be lack of water or dehydration on most any day but not today. I have been overwhelmingly thirsty today too. It was hot in the office this morning - hot like 88 degrees inside the bldg hot- so I drank 32 ounces of water before 10 AM. Total water consumption has been more than 80 ounces today. I stopped counting at that point.
With all that water it would seem I would not have an appetite but I just can't get past the hunger pains today. Sure hope it is not a sign I am getting sick. I have had enough sick time lately.
The scales looked good this morning with another pound lost but my appetite today will probably reverse that by morning!
What I ate today
Breakfast: two bananas
Lunch: two boiled eggs made in egg salad using dijon mustard and a teaspoon greek yogurt. Served on sandwich thin with sliced tomatoes.
Snack: 3/4 cup cheerios, donut (wasted calories, it wasn't even good)
Dinner: meatloaf and one wedge of potato to see if they were done enough for everyone else.
At 9 pm I was still starving. I do t want sweets or snacks but am hungry so the late evening snack was a sandwich thin with sliced tomato and a bit of cheddar.
Weight 9 July: 203.5 (1.2 lb loss)
//k//
With all that water it would seem I would not have an appetite but I just can't get past the hunger pains today. Sure hope it is not a sign I am getting sick. I have had enough sick time lately.
The scales looked good this morning with another pound lost but my appetite today will probably reverse that by morning!
What I ate today
Breakfast: two bananas
Lunch: two boiled eggs made in egg salad using dijon mustard and a teaspoon greek yogurt. Served on sandwich thin with sliced tomatoes.
Snack: 3/4 cup cheerios, donut (wasted calories, it wasn't even good)
Dinner: meatloaf and one wedge of potato to see if they were done enough for everyone else.
At 9 pm I was still starving. I do t want sweets or snacks but am hungry so the late evening snack was a sandwich thin with sliced tomato and a bit of cheddar.
Weight 9 July: 203.5 (1.2 lb loss)
//k//
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Sixty-Four
Sixty-four: Yes, it is another goal but no, not pounds lost. That would definitely be nice but I am no where near that point! Sixty-four ounces of water. I did it. Can't say it was easy but I did it. Can't even promise myself that I will do it again tomorrow but I do know that I can do it.
It seems like it has been a really busy day here but I can't say why. Trying to summarize the things I did, it doesn't seem like it was much. I slept until 0830 which is unheard of in this house but little guy went back to sleep after his initial 0630 wake up screams and so did I. A lot of what I did today involved the continuing battle of cleaning his eyes up. Thankfully they are a bit better today.
I got a swim in today with the life jacket. It didn't work out as well as I thought. I thought since I can do the kickboard and it doesn't send me into full blown panic, I would be better with the life jacket. Not so. I just have so much fear of the water, I don't feel in control. But I will keep trying and maybe I can get to where I can do laps with the life jacket and get some arm use too so it is more of a cardio activity.
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Toast with banana and tomatoes (yes I know it is a wierd combination!)
Lunch: 1/2 cup broccoli and carrots and a pita with tomatoes and thin sliced turkey deli meat
Dinner: Roast sticky chicken, sauteed green beans in a dijon sauce, and sliced tomatoes
Okay, so I did not notice until now that I had tomatoes three times today. Yes I do love them!
Weight July 8: 204.7 (1.8 lb loss)
//k//
It seems like it has been a really busy day here but I can't say why. Trying to summarize the things I did, it doesn't seem like it was much. I slept until 0830 which is unheard of in this house but little guy went back to sleep after his initial 0630 wake up screams and so did I. A lot of what I did today involved the continuing battle of cleaning his eyes up. Thankfully they are a bit better today.
I got a swim in today with the life jacket. It didn't work out as well as I thought. I thought since I can do the kickboard and it doesn't send me into full blown panic, I would be better with the life jacket. Not so. I just have so much fear of the water, I don't feel in control. But I will keep trying and maybe I can get to where I can do laps with the life jacket and get some arm use too so it is more of a cardio activity.
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Toast with banana and tomatoes (yes I know it is a wierd combination!)
Lunch: 1/2 cup broccoli and carrots and a pita with tomatoes and thin sliced turkey deli meat
Dinner: Roast sticky chicken, sauteed green beans in a dijon sauce, and sliced tomatoes
Okay, so I did not notice until now that I had tomatoes three times today. Yes I do love them!
Weight July 8: 204.7 (1.8 lb loss)
//k//
Saturday, July 7, 2012
SMD Session 2 - Day 6
I honestly feel like I have done pretty good on food intake and not eating things I should not for the last few weeks. But the scales are not showing it. I need to learn patience and how to maintain persistence I guess. I'll get there, but it is just gonna take time. I know part of my frustration right now is that I am just tired. When the baby is sick, I don't sleep well because I am constantly listening for him. I suppose I did this when my kids were little but in my 20s I coped with sleep loss a whole lot better than I am in my 50s. His eyes really still look horrible and are draining so bad.
We walked for about a half mile today around 10 AM but the heat had already moved in and neither he nor the dog were handling it well so we came back home without finishing the trek. I thought we would do more tonight, but as we were getting back to the house, I noticed his little eyes were weeping worse than ever. I don't know if it is the heat or being in the sun or being out among the grass and trees. I truly believe he is allergic to them because every single time we spend any time outside he is sick with massive congestion. This time has been the worst so far. I thought I would walk after I put him to bed but he didn't give up tonight until 9pm and now, just after 11, he is awake again. I suspect it is going to be a long night.
I gained a half pound since yesterday. July 7 weight: 206.5
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Toast, blueberries and grapes
Lunch: Thin whole wheat Pita stuffed with ham, spinach and carrots with a bowl of steamed broccoli and carrots
Dinner: Two boiled eggs made into egg salad by adding Dijon mustard and a teaspoon of plain Greek yogurt, Served on a sandwich thin bread.
Water: 48 ounces - Had hoped to make it to 64 ounces today but better luck tomorrow!
//k//
We walked for about a half mile today around 10 AM but the heat had already moved in and neither he nor the dog were handling it well so we came back home without finishing the trek. I thought we would do more tonight, but as we were getting back to the house, I noticed his little eyes were weeping worse than ever. I don't know if it is the heat or being in the sun or being out among the grass and trees. I truly believe he is allergic to them because every single time we spend any time outside he is sick with massive congestion. This time has been the worst so far. I thought I would walk after I put him to bed but he didn't give up tonight until 9pm and now, just after 11, he is awake again. I suspect it is going to be a long night.
I gained a half pound since yesterday. July 7 weight: 206.5
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Toast, blueberries and grapes
Lunch: Thin whole wheat Pita stuffed with ham, spinach and carrots with a bowl of steamed broccoli and carrots
Dinner: Two boiled eggs made into egg salad by adding Dijon mustard and a teaspoon of plain Greek yogurt, Served on a sandwich thin bread.
Water: 48 ounces - Had hoped to make it to 64 ounces today but better luck tomorrow!
//k//
Friday, July 6, 2012
Day 5 - SMD Phase - Session 2
It's been a long day. The little guy is home sick. He has a double ear infection, eyes are infected and he has more congestion than one little one should ever have. So he's not his normal happy self which has slowed down the typical progress of my day.
I didn't wind up with any exercise time today other than chasing him around the house. I'm sure my step count was up but not for extended periods of time. Hopefully I managed to keep my calorie count in line with what I was expending.
One thing I did today was try to increase the water intake. I am not quite finished with my last large glass but will do so before I go to bed. Today's water intake, when done with this last bit, will be 48 ounces.
July 6 weight: 206 - (.4 pound loss)
What I ate today
Breakfast - Papaya and toast
Lunch - Tossed salad with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and balsamic vinegar
Snack - Cheerios
Dinner - Baked chicken, cauliflower and broccoli
//k//
I didn't wind up with any exercise time today other than chasing him around the house. I'm sure my step count was up but not for extended periods of time. Hopefully I managed to keep my calorie count in line with what I was expending.
One thing I did today was try to increase the water intake. I am not quite finished with my last large glass but will do so before I go to bed. Today's water intake, when done with this last bit, will be 48 ounces.
July 6 weight: 206 - (.4 pound loss)
What I ate today
Breakfast - Papaya and toast
Lunch - Tossed salad with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and balsamic vinegar
Snack - Cheerios
Dinner - Baked chicken, cauliflower and broccoli
//k//
Day 4 - SMD Session 2 - Another Gain
Ok so I said I was not going to focus on the negative but it is hard not to. I know there will be days where I gain and knowing my up and down weight I know I should just expect it to happen. But no matter what I "know," it is still discouraging to get on the scale in the a.m. and see a weight gain. But that was the case on Thursday morning (I am a day late in getting this published!) The scale result? 206.4. Wow, that is a 2.2 pound increase in one day. For 2.2 pounds, I wish I had eaten something I really enjoyed a lot!
So what did I eat that caused the gain? I have no clue. I did end the day with two Oreos but while I know I should not have, I also know they did not cause that much gain by themselves. Maybe it was the mayo in the cauliflower salad even though it was no fat, no sugar. Who knows - but it happened and I need to take it back off. I did end the day on the 4th in the pool. I don't swim but with a kick board I can do laps of sorts on the shallow end. I did more than I have ever done on that night, going across the pool 50 times each way. It was good exercise but I am thinking of getting a life jacket for floatation instead of the kickboard so I can include arm activity too.
So after seeing the 2 pound gain, I focused on increasing water intake on Thursday. I have a horrible time drinking water. So while others say they increased water intake and talk about 80 ounces or more, my increase took me to 32 ounces for the day. Yes, I know that is still way to low but it is 32 more than I do most days. Baby steps - that is what I have to do.
What I ate today:
Breakfast - Banana
Lunch - Toast and salad
Dinner - Roasted chicken, spinach, and tomatoes
//k//
So what did I eat that caused the gain? I have no clue. I did end the day with two Oreos but while I know I should not have, I also know they did not cause that much gain by themselves. Maybe it was the mayo in the cauliflower salad even though it was no fat, no sugar. Who knows - but it happened and I need to take it back off. I did end the day on the 4th in the pool. I don't swim but with a kick board I can do laps of sorts on the shallow end. I did more than I have ever done on that night, going across the pool 50 times each way. It was good exercise but I am thinking of getting a life jacket for floatation instead of the kickboard so I can include arm activity too.
So after seeing the 2 pound gain, I focused on increasing water intake on Thursday. I have a horrible time drinking water. So while others say they increased water intake and talk about 80 ounces or more, my increase took me to 32 ounces for the day. Yes, I know that is still way to low but it is 32 more than I do most days. Baby steps - that is what I have to do.
What I ate today:
Breakfast - Banana
Lunch - Toast and salad
Dinner - Roasted chicken, spinach, and tomatoes
//k//
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Happy Independence Day
As a child, July 4th meant family reunion time for my Grandmother's family. It was always fun to see cousins we only saw once a year, eat brunswick stew, and play for hours. I had hoped to be at the reunion this year but was afraid to fly not knowing the amount of fluid left in my lungs. So I didn't go and figured this would just be another hang out day off.
This morning I felt a bit better after taking a pain pill last night. I really don't like feeling medicated but I could not handle the rib cage pain any longer. Reminds me of when I had costochondritis and I sure hope that is not what this is. Of course since I have never had shingles before, I don't know if it is worse than the costo or not. I am just hoping it is neither and soon the pain will be gone.
Just as I got dressed for an afternoon walk, we got hit by a major lightning storm. Winds were pretty high this time but thankfully we didn't lose power. I am still contemplating swimming before the night is over to burn a few calories.
Rather than stick with the standard Scarsdale menu today, I opted to go a little more traditional. I made burgers from a lean beef and cooked them on the Foreman grill. I also made cauliflower salad using potato salad fixings. It is a good substitute for the starchy salad. I found no fat, low calorie mayo so it wasn't as bad calorie count as it could have been. I had more cantaloupe for breakfast, with a banana and piece of toast. For lunch, I broiled tomato slices with provolone cheese.
July 4th weight: 204.2. No change.
//k//
This morning I felt a bit better after taking a pain pill last night. I really don't like feeling medicated but I could not handle the rib cage pain any longer. Reminds me of when I had costochondritis and I sure hope that is not what this is. Of course since I have never had shingles before, I don't know if it is worse than the costo or not. I am just hoping it is neither and soon the pain will be gone.
Just as I got dressed for an afternoon walk, we got hit by a major lightning storm. Winds were pretty high this time but thankfully we didn't lose power. I am still contemplating swimming before the night is over to burn a few calories.
Rather than stick with the standard Scarsdale menu today, I opted to go a little more traditional. I made burgers from a lean beef and cooked them on the Foreman grill. I also made cauliflower salad using potato salad fixings. It is a good substitute for the starchy salad. I found no fat, low calorie mayo so it wasn't as bad calorie count as it could have been. I had more cantaloupe for breakfast, with a banana and piece of toast. For lunch, I broiled tomato slices with provolone cheese.
July 4th weight: 204.2. No change.
//k//
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Scarsdale Medical Diet Day 2 (Session 2)
SMD Day 2 - Tuesday menus on tap for today so I started my morning with cantaloupe since I thought an extra day or so away from the grapefruit would be good. I didn't feel quite right when I woke up this morning but trudged on to work hoping to get my energy going as the day progressed. By 10 AM, I felt lousy with rib cage pain and stabbing pains. My right arm has been bothering me since Sunday in the forearm part and today the pain increased to the muscle of the upper arm.
I've not been sick much in the past ten years but this seems to be my year I guess. I decided it best to call the doctor since I was not sure if the rib pain was the pneumonia talking to me again. They scheduled me for a walk in appointment just after lunch so I skipped the trip to the dining hall for salad and just grabbed a Burger King tendergrill sandwich on the way to the clinic. I only ate the meat and the vegetables but I have to say I can't do this often because it was so salty it was tough to even finish it.
I had more xrays and thankfully the lungs are clear. On the downside, she thinks the pain could very well be shingles. I really didn't need another possible diagnosis but I guess knowing what to watch for is good. She gave me meds which would treat shingles so I can go ahead and take them and not wind up with a major break out on the holiday with no one in the office.
Johnnie made dinner tonight since my arm is really bothering me. We had broiled steak and steamed broccoli. I finished the night up with a small piece of crustless quiche I made earlier this week. It just doesn't seem like I ate enough today.
The scales showed a loss this morning - July 3 weight - 204.2 (.5 lb loss)
Off to take meds and get some rest.
//k//
I've not been sick much in the past ten years but this seems to be my year I guess. I decided it best to call the doctor since I was not sure if the rib pain was the pneumonia talking to me again. They scheduled me for a walk in appointment just after lunch so I skipped the trip to the dining hall for salad and just grabbed a Burger King tendergrill sandwich on the way to the clinic. I only ate the meat and the vegetables but I have to say I can't do this often because it was so salty it was tough to even finish it.
I had more xrays and thankfully the lungs are clear. On the downside, she thinks the pain could very well be shingles. I really didn't need another possible diagnosis but I guess knowing what to watch for is good. She gave me meds which would treat shingles so I can go ahead and take them and not wind up with a major break out on the holiday with no one in the office.
Johnnie made dinner tonight since my arm is really bothering me. We had broiled steak and steamed broccoli. I finished the night up with a small piece of crustless quiche I made earlier this week. It just doesn't seem like I ate enough today.
The scales showed a loss this morning - July 3 weight - 204.2 (.5 lb loss)
Off to take meds and get some rest.
//k//
Monday, July 2, 2012
Second Session SMD Day 1
Today is my first day back on the Scarsdale Medical Diet (SMD) phase. If you are not familiar with Scarsdale, for two weeks I will follow a set diet plan each day. I find the food offered is plenty to eat in spite of it being a lower number of calories than I normally consume. The plan has a standard diet, a money saving version, a gourmet plan, an international plan, and a vegetarian diet menu so there are plenty of choices available.
Breakfast is always fruit. Because I am just finishing up on the prednisone, I can't eat grapefruit right now. So this morning I started the day with two bananas. For lunch, I walked to the dining hall to mix a little exercise into the day while grabbing a spinach salad topped with mushrooms, sliced beets, carrots, broccoli and vinaigrette. I cooked Basil Mayo Salmon for dinner and had roasted cauliflower and carrots with it.
Tonight, we took a walk. My intent was to walk the short route as my first time back on the road since the pneumonia. But when we got started, I felt pretty good so we headed out on the 2 mile stretch. When we came to the turning point, we decided to just go ahead and walk to the main road before turning around. My feet are regretting it now but we walked three miles. Next time I need to wear difference shoes, but all in all, other than the aching burning feet, I feel really good.
//k//
Breakfast is always fruit. Because I am just finishing up on the prednisone, I can't eat grapefruit right now. So this morning I started the day with two bananas. For lunch, I walked to the dining hall to mix a little exercise into the day while grabbing a spinach salad topped with mushrooms, sliced beets, carrots, broccoli and vinaigrette. I cooked Basil Mayo Salmon for dinner and had roasted cauliflower and carrots with it.
Tonight, we took a walk. My intent was to walk the short route as my first time back on the road since the pneumonia. But when we got started, I felt pretty good so we headed out on the 2 mile stretch. When we came to the turning point, we decided to just go ahead and walk to the main road before turning around. My feet are regretting it now but we walked three miles. Next time I need to wear difference shoes, but all in all, other than the aching burning feet, I feel really good.
//k//
Milestones - Twenty Pounds
In my mind, I have certain milestones that are big goals. The big goals of course are made up of multiple little ones so there is a sense of accomplishment more frequently. Today was a milestone achievement day. Just a little over a year ago, our household goods were packed to leave the Philippines and move back to the U.S. It was at that point, when I weighed before packing the scale, that I hit the 225 pound mark.
This morning, as I stepped on the scale, the weight came in under the 205 mark (204.7). I have lost 20 pounds in the past year. Now this milestone doesn't exactly match up to the 53 pound loss I am shooting for by March 23 because I had already lost some of the weight before I set the 53 pound goal. Nevertheless, it is big to me. Twenty pounds is more than I imagined I could take off.
On to the next twenty!
Yesterday was July 1st. This year is flying by. I intended to update last night, but the tired stages from the pneumonia are still with me. I probably overdid it as I definitely feel it today. Yesterday I helped cut grass and cleaned out some of the stuff from the garage which has been calling my name for months. Then I went grocery shopping so I could start back on the diet phase of Scarsdale today. Grocery shopping is always rough on my feet but it has to be done, so off I went - toddler in tow and procured what we'll eat at least for the next few days.
On the way home, I measured out a path to walk that would give me two miles. Last week I remeasured what I thought was a half mile trek and it is just over a mile. So since I have been doing that mile without to much trouble before this pneumonia bout, I wanted another plan in place for when I feel better. I am hoping to do one of the two routes later tonight when the heat settles.
Sunday's food intake included bananas for breakfast, coffee with creamer on several occasions. Cottage cheese with sugar free jello, split pea soup, and crustless quiche.
//k//
This morning, as I stepped on the scale, the weight came in under the 205 mark (204.7). I have lost 20 pounds in the past year. Now this milestone doesn't exactly match up to the 53 pound loss I am shooting for by March 23 because I had already lost some of the weight before I set the 53 pound goal. Nevertheless, it is big to me. Twenty pounds is more than I imagined I could take off.
On to the next twenty!
Yesterday was July 1st. This year is flying by. I intended to update last night, but the tired stages from the pneumonia are still with me. I probably overdid it as I definitely feel it today. Yesterday I helped cut grass and cleaned out some of the stuff from the garage which has been calling my name for months. Then I went grocery shopping so I could start back on the diet phase of Scarsdale today. Grocery shopping is always rough on my feet but it has to be done, so off I went - toddler in tow and procured what we'll eat at least for the next few days.
On the way home, I measured out a path to walk that would give me two miles. Last week I remeasured what I thought was a half mile trek and it is just over a mile. So since I have been doing that mile without to much trouble before this pneumonia bout, I wanted another plan in place for when I feel better. I am hoping to do one of the two routes later tonight when the heat settles.
Sunday's food intake included bananas for breakfast, coffee with creamer on several occasions. Cottage cheese with sugar free jello, split pea soup, and crustless quiche.
//k//
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Not Just a Nagging Cold
It has been almost a week since I sat down to update my status here. It's odd, I don't remember thinking I had a fever last Friday night but I probably did. Saturday, I woke with a nasty cough, worse than the one from Friday. So I headed out to get something for it, along with ingredients to make food to visit Mother Pie in the nursing home on Sunday.
Later Saturday, I alternated my coughing and hand washing routine with making baked mac and cheese and a chocolate peanut butter bar. I was supposed to make a pecan bar or tassies but I ran out of energy and decided to make them Sunday morning. That never happened, as I coughed all night Saturday morning and by Sunday just felt lousy. I didn't have a fever and wasn't really sick other than the cough but I just had no energy. So I cancelled Sunday plans and watched TV most of the day.
Monday morning I headed to work but the cough was still nagging. It just would not let go. It wasn't even a cough that went with a sore throat or was full of congestion; it was just a cough that rocked my rib cage and had my sides aching. I gave up and called the clinic to see if they could give me something for it. The nurse called back late in the day to say he had a cancellation and they could see me instead. So I left work, headed out, and expected to be on my way home within the hour with a bottle of cough syrup.
Instead, an hour later I was sitting in Xray, and after that picking up an antibiotic for pneumonia. How do you get pneumonia without really feeling sick? I took the antibiotic and boy what a mess that made. I itched all night and it wired me so bad I did not sleep. By morning, I was in a rigid awake state and feeling horrible. I called back in to the clinic and told them there was no way I was taking another one of those. So I spent a second day in the clinic, getting a shot of steroids, a breathing treatment, and a week's supply of prednisone. I went back to work today but I am still pretty tired. Today was also the first day I have eaten anything other than soup since Saturday.
I dropped to 205.6 yesterday but this morning was back up to 206.4. I expect to be up even further tomorrow as the last time I took prednisone, the weight gain was continual. I decided starting back on the strict Scarsdale plan this week was not in my best interest so I am continuing to eat within reason and try to regain my strength. I hope by the weekend to feel a bit more like myself and get back to a normal routine.
//k//
Later Saturday, I alternated my coughing and hand washing routine with making baked mac and cheese and a chocolate peanut butter bar. I was supposed to make a pecan bar or tassies but I ran out of energy and decided to make them Sunday morning. That never happened, as I coughed all night Saturday morning and by Sunday just felt lousy. I didn't have a fever and wasn't really sick other than the cough but I just had no energy. So I cancelled Sunday plans and watched TV most of the day.
Monday morning I headed to work but the cough was still nagging. It just would not let go. It wasn't even a cough that went with a sore throat or was full of congestion; it was just a cough that rocked my rib cage and had my sides aching. I gave up and called the clinic to see if they could give me something for it. The nurse called back late in the day to say he had a cancellation and they could see me instead. So I left work, headed out, and expected to be on my way home within the hour with a bottle of cough syrup.
Instead, an hour later I was sitting in Xray, and after that picking up an antibiotic for pneumonia. How do you get pneumonia without really feeling sick? I took the antibiotic and boy what a mess that made. I itched all night and it wired me so bad I did not sleep. By morning, I was in a rigid awake state and feeling horrible. I called back in to the clinic and told them there was no way I was taking another one of those. So I spent a second day in the clinic, getting a shot of steroids, a breathing treatment, and a week's supply of prednisone. I went back to work today but I am still pretty tired. Today was also the first day I have eaten anything other than soup since Saturday.
I dropped to 205.6 yesterday but this morning was back up to 206.4. I expect to be up even further tomorrow as the last time I took prednisone, the weight gain was continual. I decided starting back on the strict Scarsdale plan this week was not in my best interest so I am continuing to eat within reason and try to regain my strength. I hope by the weekend to feel a bit more like myself and get back to a normal routine.
//k//
Friday, June 22, 2012
Day 11 Summer Colds and Zero Scale Movement
Until this year, I can't remember the last cold I had. This year it seems I could count when I did not have a cough easier than when I have. Every time I think I have it beat, the little guy gets his congestion geared back up and I start all over again. This time it has wiped me out. I think I have a low grade fever too but have not drug myself out of bed to check.
This morning the scale was sitting on the same point as yesterday, 207.7 lbs. No gain is definitely good but no loss after days of gains is not pleasing either. Today I walked to the dining hall, about a half mile. I also did some inside walking. The building I am in is quite large so I walked each hallway and the connectors three times. I had hoped to do an evening walk but the lightning moved in fast today.
Hope tomorrow the cold is better and I can get a walk in before the next storm moves in.
What I Ate Today:
Breakfast: banana and grapefruit
Lunch: spinach salad with carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes
Dinner: baked chicken and field peas
Snack: cheerios
//k//
This morning the scale was sitting on the same point as yesterday, 207.7 lbs. No gain is definitely good but no loss after days of gains is not pleasing either. Today I walked to the dining hall, about a half mile. I also did some inside walking. The building I am in is quite large so I walked each hallway and the connectors three times. I had hoped to do an evening walk but the lightning moved in fast today.
Hope tomorrow the cold is better and I can get a walk in before the next storm moves in.
What I Ate Today:
Breakfast: banana and grapefruit
Lunch: spinach salad with carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes
Dinner: baked chicken and field peas
Snack: cheerios
//k//
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Scarsdale Keep Trim Day 10
As I continue on this journey I am aware that what I eat or don't eat doesn't have nearly as much impact on my weight as what I do (or don't do!) exercise wise. I guess I have known this for years though because I have never been an overeater. I have not always eaten healthy and sometimes the amounts of starches I consumed were to many but all in all, my calorie count on many days was really to low instead of to high.
So once again, the scales showed a gain. It was small but it was a gain. Of course, I do know I ate the two cookies but two cookies should not prompt an immediate gain in my mind. Guess my mind was wrong! Either the cookies, or something else, prompted another day in the GAINED column.
Weight Jun 21, 2012 : 207.7 (.3 lb gain)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Banana and grapes
Lunch: Squadron picnic so I skipped the bread and had about a cup of pork bbq and a cup of chicken bbq
Dinner: Spinach salad and a stuffed tomato. I stuffed it with tuna and egg and sprinkled a small amount of cheese and a bit of a no fat, no sugar balsamic dressing I found today at Publix.
I was able to take a brisk half mile walk pushing the baby in the stroller today. I also did about 30 minutes of kick boarding in the pool. I hope tomorrow's numbers are positively negative!
//k//
So once again, the scales showed a gain. It was small but it was a gain. Of course, I do know I ate the two cookies but two cookies should not prompt an immediate gain in my mind. Guess my mind was wrong! Either the cookies, or something else, prompted another day in the GAINED column.
Weight Jun 21, 2012 : 207.7 (.3 lb gain)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Banana and grapes
Lunch: Squadron picnic so I skipped the bread and had about a cup of pork bbq and a cup of chicken bbq
Dinner: Spinach salad and a stuffed tomato. I stuffed it with tuna and egg and sprinkled a small amount of cheese and a bit of a no fat, no sugar balsamic dressing I found today at Publix.
I was able to take a brisk half mile walk pushing the baby in the stroller today. I also did about 30 minutes of kick boarding in the pool. I hope tomorrow's numbers are positively negative!
//k//
Day 9 Keeping Trim
I could not get a decent connection last night so here's the Day 9 update recapped on Day 10.
The scale monster returned with a slight gain. Always seems odd when there was nothing food significant (except the sips of sodium laced soup). I should just remember that weight flucuates but that is tough to do when you are standing on the scale hoping for a loss of some sort.
Weight Jun 20, 2012 - 207.4 (.7 lb gain)
What I ate:
Breakfast: two pieces of wheat toast
Lunch: Grilled chicken on top of a salad, no dressing. (the light stuff had to much fat and sugar to consider having it)
Dinner: Beef, Cauliflower and tomatoes with toast
Later in the evening I had two cookies. I need to get them out of the house. I bought them for visiting nephews but now that they have left, I need the cookies gone so I am not tempted.
//k//
The scale monster returned with a slight gain. Always seems odd when there was nothing food significant (except the sips of sodium laced soup). I should just remember that weight flucuates but that is tough to do when you are standing on the scale hoping for a loss of some sort.
Weight Jun 20, 2012 - 207.4 (.7 lb gain)
What I ate:
Breakfast: two pieces of wheat toast
Lunch: Grilled chicken on top of a salad, no dressing. (the light stuff had to much fat and sugar to consider having it)
Dinner: Beef, Cauliflower and tomatoes with toast
Later in the evening I had two cookies. I need to get them out of the house. I bought them for visiting nephews but now that they have left, I need the cookies gone so I am not tempted.
//k//
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Day 8 Still working to Keep Trim
It was back to work today and back to feet on strike again. Give them a few days out of work shoes and they protest loudly. Due to swelling I opted not to walk tonight but did some non foot stressing exercise. I made a stroganoff for dinner but cut the amount of sour cream and eliminated the butter. It was pretty good and coupling it with my bread made me miss the rice less. There are enough left overs I will probably have it for lunch tomorrow.
I planned on getting a salad at the dining hall today but a short notice work requirement prempted that plan. So I ate what I had in the desk drawers. I had one of the sandwich thin breads so that was a ok choice but my other main option was one of those Campbell at hand soups.
I always think of soup as a healthy choice. For calorie count the Campbells Chicken and Stars was ok at about 70, and the carb and sugar count was low too but good golly at the sodium level. That tiny can of soup was almost 1000 mg of sodium. I stopped at the two sips. I am not one to waste food but I know I cant handle the salt. I need the restock my desk with some healthy stuff for moments like this.
The scale monster was sleeping this morning and let his alter ego scale fairy handle todays weigh in.
Weight June 19: 206.7 (1 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: banana and grapes
Lunch: the two sips of soup, sandwich thin bread
Dinner stroganoff with beef, onions and carrots over toast
//k//
I planned on getting a salad at the dining hall today but a short notice work requirement prempted that plan. So I ate what I had in the desk drawers. I had one of the sandwich thin breads so that was a ok choice but my other main option was one of those Campbell at hand soups.
I always think of soup as a healthy choice. For calorie count the Campbells Chicken and Stars was ok at about 70, and the carb and sugar count was low too but good golly at the sodium level. That tiny can of soup was almost 1000 mg of sodium. I stopped at the two sips. I am not one to waste food but I know I cant handle the salt. I need the restock my desk with some healthy stuff for moments like this.
The scale monster was sleeping this morning and let his alter ego scale fairy handle todays weigh in.
Weight June 19: 206.7 (1 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: banana and grapes
Lunch: the two sips of soup, sandwich thin bread
Dinner stroganoff with beef, onions and carrots over toast
//k//
Monday, June 18, 2012
Keep Trim Day 7
Back in the swing of things here I hope. I took the day off today so I could finish unpacking and get myself together after the weekend. Glad I did because I was really tired this morning. In fact, I need to get myself moving towards the bed before much longer tonight.
In addition to getting the grocery shopping done for the next few days and basic clean up and laundry, I managed to get in a 3/4 mile walk this afternoon. All in all, I feel pretty decent as this day winds down in spite of the tired streak.
Weight June 18: 207.7 (.2 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Mixed Fruit
Lunch: Spinach Salad with two slices of toast
Dinner: Baked chicken with peas
Snack: Granola
Hoping for a good joint date tomorrow so I can add a longer walk.
//k//
In addition to getting the grocery shopping done for the next few days and basic clean up and laundry, I managed to get in a 3/4 mile walk this afternoon. All in all, I feel pretty decent as this day winds down in spite of the tired streak.
Weight June 18: 207.7 (.2 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Mixed Fruit
Lunch: Spinach Salad with two slices of toast
Dinner: Baked chicken with peas
Snack: Granola
Hoping for a good joint date tomorrow so I can add a longer walk.
//k//
Four Day Blog Catch Up
Seems like forever since I have been able to update here. On Thursday, the 14th, I felt worse than I have in a long, long time. My joints went into full flare mode. I'm not sure if it was something I ate or what. My weight didn't climb a lot, I was at 207.7 Thursday morning but my feet joints were hot to touch. It sure made work hard, and packing even harder. But Friday was the start of our three day weekend family reunion and I needed to get things together Thursday night. It was rough. I can't say what I ate but I know it was ok.
Unfortunately, in spite of eating right and drinking a lot, I woke up Friday morning at 207.9. At least some of the burning was gone. I pushed through the pain and managed to get us packed and loaded and on the road by noon. The weekend was nice, the weather was great. The hotel bed did a number on my back so by Saturday morning, the joint pain was back and shoulder pain but since we had rented a suite, I just slept on the couch Saturday night.
Reunions are always fun and filled with good food. The good part about the food at this event is that most of it comes straight from the gardens of someone attending. I avoided the pies and cakes and ate pretty decently. I grabbed fruit and whole wheat toast for us to enjoy for breakfast. All in all, food wise it was a good four days. Exercise wise, it was a busy busy time with lots of non stop movement so I know I burned a lot of calories.
Plus the good times are definitely good for the mental side of life. The few hours of driving time back home, and the unpacking of everything reminded me that I am not getting any younger but in spite of that, it was a good four days.
//k//
Unfortunately, in spite of eating right and drinking a lot, I woke up Friday morning at 207.9. At least some of the burning was gone. I pushed through the pain and managed to get us packed and loaded and on the road by noon. The weekend was nice, the weather was great. The hotel bed did a number on my back so by Saturday morning, the joint pain was back and shoulder pain but since we had rented a suite, I just slept on the couch Saturday night.
Reunions are always fun and filled with good food. The good part about the food at this event is that most of it comes straight from the gardens of someone attending. I avoided the pies and cakes and ate pretty decently. I grabbed fruit and whole wheat toast for us to enjoy for breakfast. All in all, food wise it was a good four days. Exercise wise, it was a busy busy time with lots of non stop movement so I know I burned a lot of calories.
Plus the good times are definitely good for the mental side of life. The few hours of driving time back home, and the unpacking of everything reminded me that I am not getting any younger but in spite of that, it was a good four days.
//k//
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Keep Trim Day 2 - The Scale Said What?
Salt is definitely on my watch list. Yesterday's calorie intake was not so low as to cause the body to think I was starving it but definitely not high enough to gain. But the scales today said 207.4 (1.4 lb GAIN) ugh. All I can think is it must have been the salt and soy added for the cabbage dish last night. Of course that would probably mean it is mostly water but it still is annoying to see the scale go up without having enjoyed something to cause it!
I got a limited amount of walking time in on my lunch hour. I went outside to warm up (the AC is terrible!) and walked around the building. All total I probably hit a half mile today but that is no where near enough exercise. This is the part I still need to figure out. By the time I get home the afternoon storms have started. If it rains tomorrow I will dig the Wii out and at least burn a few calories that way.
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Watermelon and toast
Lunch: Salad and sliced deli meats
Dinner: Leftover beef and cauliflower with sliced tomatoes and one slice of toast.
I will most likely have a cottage cheese (1/2 cup) with a sugar free jello tonight as a snack. Working on more water intake and hope the scale is kind by morning.
//k//
I got a limited amount of walking time in on my lunch hour. I went outside to warm up (the AC is terrible!) and walked around the building. All total I probably hit a half mile today but that is no where near enough exercise. This is the part I still need to figure out. By the time I get home the afternoon storms have started. If it rains tomorrow I will dig the Wii out and at least burn a few calories that way.
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Watermelon and toast
Lunch: Salad and sliced deli meats
Dinner: Leftover beef and cauliflower with sliced tomatoes and one slice of toast.
I will most likely have a cottage cheese (1/2 cup) with a sugar free jello tonight as a snack. Working on more water intake and hope the scale is kind by morning.
//k//
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Scarsdale Two Week Results and Day 1 Keep Trim
I ended my 14th day on the Scarsdale Medical Diet last night and did a final weight (for now!) this am. I am happy to see another loss on the scale. This morning I weighed 206.0 lbs. That is a loss of 7.5 pounds since I started this adventure. It is not as much as I had wished for after reading others results but I know my body never seems to do what others does. It's ok though, any loss is a good thing.
So now I am on to the Keep Trim stages which is essentially the same philosophy of proteins and good carbs through veggies and fruits. This stages lets you eat a larger variety and add somethings back in (like skim milk for my coffee!) We'll do this for 14 days and then return to the original plan.
I think this time I will try to stick to a complete day's menu and see if that works rather than swap meal plans from the different plans. In other words if I eat a lunch described in the money saver plan, I will use that plan's dinner also. I can't say I followed the meals exactly. In some cases, I may have eaten the same day's meals two days in a row. I don't think the author thought about what you would do with leftovers and it is not in my blood to waste anything.
I suspect tomorrow is going to be another gain day. I did quite well food wise during the day but for dinner I made ground pork and cabbage and of course the seasoning and the soy are already causing me grief. To Much Salt ...it gets me every time.
What I ate Today (June 12)
Breakfast: Grapes and Banana
Lunch: Spinach salad with veggies, egg, and vinagerette
Dinner: Pork and Cabbage
No exercise today, I really do need to get back to it!
//k//
So now I am on to the Keep Trim stages which is essentially the same philosophy of proteins and good carbs through veggies and fruits. This stages lets you eat a larger variety and add somethings back in (like skim milk for my coffee!) We'll do this for 14 days and then return to the original plan.
I think this time I will try to stick to a complete day's menu and see if that works rather than swap meal plans from the different plans. In other words if I eat a lunch described in the money saver plan, I will use that plan's dinner also. I can't say I followed the meals exactly. In some cases, I may have eaten the same day's meals two days in a row. I don't think the author thought about what you would do with leftovers and it is not in my blood to waste anything.
I suspect tomorrow is going to be another gain day. I did quite well food wise during the day but for dinner I made ground pork and cabbage and of course the seasoning and the soy are already causing me grief. To Much Salt ...it gets me every time.
What I ate Today (June 12)
Breakfast: Grapes and Banana
Lunch: Spinach salad with veggies, egg, and vinagerette
Dinner: Pork and Cabbage
No exercise today, I really do need to get back to it!
//k//
Monday, June 11, 2012
Day 14 - To Much Fruit? or Was it Salt?
I knew when I went to bed that I would wake up with a weight gain. I was almost three pounds heavier at night than when I got up. I ate more fruit than I normally do and since I am not normally a fruit person, I think my body treats it like sweets and I wind up with weight gain. The days I seem to lose regularly are the ones where my morning fruit is the grapefruit, not bananas and grapes. So top off my extra fruit in take yesterday with the added sodium count from the soy I put in the chicken and broccoli. I actually expected to gain more than I did.
June 12 weight: 207.1 (.8 lb gain)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Banana and Grapes
Lunch: Tossed Salad
Dinner: Lean ground beef cooked with tomatoes and cauliflower. Two slices protein bread.
I enjoyed the dinner but the better half prefers things with more flavor to them so it wasn't his favorite. I will eat the leftovers later this week.
Exercise today consisted of picking up Styrofoam peanuts which blew all over the yard. They started out in a box set out for garbage pick up. I guess one of the neighborhood critters decided to see what was in the box and the peanuts wound up everywhere. Hoping for clear skies tomorrow so I can either walk or swim.
//k//
June 12 weight: 207.1 (.8 lb gain)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Banana and Grapes
Lunch: Tossed Salad
Dinner: Lean ground beef cooked with tomatoes and cauliflower. Two slices protein bread.
I enjoyed the dinner but the better half prefers things with more flavor to them so it wasn't his favorite. I will eat the leftovers later this week.
Exercise today consisted of picking up Styrofoam peanuts which blew all over the yard. They started out in a box set out for garbage pick up. I guess one of the neighborhood critters decided to see what was in the box and the peanuts wound up everywhere. Hoping for clear skies tomorrow so I can either walk or swim.
//k//
Sunday, June 10, 2012
How Much I Eat at Home
I mentioned yesterday that weekends are tough. I have more luck sticking to my eating plan when I am working. I eat breakfast and lunch both at my desk. I take them to work with me pretty much every day. I drink coffee and hot tea or water all day long. I don't have a problem munching all day.
At home I don't eat on schedule and I find myself grabbing bites here and there. I am not always eating something I should not have but just eating more of what I am allowed is gonna make me gain. Today I ate grapes off and on all day. And my dinner was saltier than normal so I am sure I will weigh in heavier tomorrow.
Weight for June 10: 206.3 lbs (.2 lbs down)
What I ate today: Breakfast: half cantaloupe and piece of protein bread
Lunch: spinach quiche and grapes
Snack: slice of mango, bite of banana, and grapes
Dinner: broccoli, carrots, onion, chicken with soy and other seasonings
I need more water, definitely thirsty Till tomorrow
// k//
At home I don't eat on schedule and I find myself grabbing bites here and there. I am not always eating something I should not have but just eating more of what I am allowed is gonna make me gain. Today I ate grapes off and on all day. And my dinner was saltier than normal so I am sure I will weigh in heavier tomorrow.
Weight for June 10: 206.3 lbs (.2 lbs down)
What I ate today: Breakfast: half cantaloupe and piece of protein bread
Lunch: spinach quiche and grapes
Snack: slice of mango, bite of banana, and grapes
Dinner: broccoli, carrots, onion, chicken with soy and other seasonings
I need more water, definitely thirsty Till tomorrow
// k//
Saturday, June 9, 2012
12th Day Weekends Are Tough
Weekends are supposed to be relaxing and fun but gosh they are so full of things to get done. After telecommuting for work for ten years, I forgot what it was like to need to come home and make dinner and get stuff like laundry done. Now I spend most of Saturday and Sunday catching up on housework.
So I roll out of bed thinking about what needs to be one most. Today I got started without eating breakfast. Never a good idea to start this way. We were out of fruit and that is what I usually eat so I had to wait till I finished shopping. Got some good deals today at Aldis. Their prices are similar to the commissary and save me from driving to the base.
We have a family reunion next weekend so there will be guests here soon so we started some general clean up. I also managed a little pool time but it was cold which made my worst foot cramp up pretty bad. I did manage about 25 laps back and forth across the pool with the kickboard (short side).
The kiddo is exercising on the Wii. I would join her but the psoriasis on my foot somehow managed to turn to a deep cut in the heal area and I am having a tough time putting weight on the foot. So I am recliner bound till I call it a night. I have neosporin on it hoping it heals up soon.
June 9 weight: 206.5 (.5 lb loss)
What I ate Today
Breakfast: pear
Lunch: Rotisserie chicken, steamed veggies, and green beans
Dinner: more chicken and green beans with a tomato sandwich made on a thin sandwich round
I noticed yesterday's formatting didn't stay in tact. I think it is because I did it from the iPad. I will fix it, along with today's once I get my mouse back from the teen. //k//
So I roll out of bed thinking about what needs to be one most. Today I got started without eating breakfast. Never a good idea to start this way. We were out of fruit and that is what I usually eat so I had to wait till I finished shopping. Got some good deals today at Aldis. Their prices are similar to the commissary and save me from driving to the base.
We have a family reunion next weekend so there will be guests here soon so we started some general clean up. I also managed a little pool time but it was cold which made my worst foot cramp up pretty bad. I did manage about 25 laps back and forth across the pool with the kickboard (short side).
The kiddo is exercising on the Wii. I would join her but the psoriasis on my foot somehow managed to turn to a deep cut in the heal area and I am having a tough time putting weight on the foot. So I am recliner bound till I call it a night. I have neosporin on it hoping it heals up soon.
June 9 weight: 206.5 (.5 lb loss)
What I ate Today
Breakfast: pear
Lunch: Rotisserie chicken, steamed veggies, and green beans
Dinner: more chicken and green beans with a tomato sandwich made on a thin sandwich round
I noticed yesterday's formatting didn't stay in tact. I think it is because I did it from the iPad. I will fix it, along with today's once I get my mouse back from the teen. //k//
Friday, June 8, 2012
Finally Friday - Day 11
Boy this has been a long week. It has rained and rained. I only got to make use of the kick boards one afternoon this week. But tonight we dug out the Wii and did some exercising. I don't know how many calories I burned but I exercised about 45 minutes. We have had the Wii 2 1/2 years and used it a good bit back then.
Oddly enough, when I got on the board and it brought up the memory of the last time I used it, I was 9/10 of a pound heavier tonight. So I am back down to where I was 2 1/2 years ago. That is a good thing but it is sad also because it means that of that 53 pounds I gained in the last ten years, 20 of them were in the last two!
But backwards I intend to go, so if it rains tomorrow, we'll be on the Wii trying to burn a few more calories. This morning's scale results were a little kinder showing a loss again.
June 8 weight: 207 lbs (1.7 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: grapefruit and banana
Lunch: salad and carrots
Dinner: rotisserie chicken, salad and two slices whole wheat bread
I did give into a sugar craving at work today and ate one of those mini Reeses cups. I love them but the lack of sweets lately has changed my taste buds I guess and it wasn't really very good. Hopefully I did not throw off today's possible loss. Three days left in the first segment of Scarsdale Diet. Next Tuesday, we'll start the two weeks of Keep Trim.
Hoping to gain some extra zzzzzs tonight.
//k//
Oddly enough, when I got on the board and it brought up the memory of the last time I used it, I was 9/10 of a pound heavier tonight. So I am back down to where I was 2 1/2 years ago. That is a good thing but it is sad also because it means that of that 53 pounds I gained in the last ten years, 20 of them were in the last two!
But backwards I intend to go, so if it rains tomorrow, we'll be on the Wii trying to burn a few more calories. This morning's scale results were a little kinder showing a loss again.
June 8 weight: 207 lbs (1.7 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: grapefruit and banana
Lunch: salad and carrots
Dinner: rotisserie chicken, salad and two slices whole wheat bread
I did give into a sugar craving at work today and ate one of those mini Reeses cups. I love them but the lack of sweets lately has changed my taste buds I guess and it wasn't really very good. Hopefully I did not throw off today's possible loss. Three days left in the first segment of Scarsdale Diet. Next Tuesday, we'll start the two weeks of Keep Trim.
Hoping to gain some extra zzzzzs tonight.
//k//
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Ten Days in and Bobbing Again
Up and down - that is my every day weight when I am not dieting so it should not surprise me that it is that way when I do. Back up 4/10 of a pound and even though that is a small amount I had nothing to attribute it to. Still no exercise today - the rain doesn't give much chance to do anything outside so I am limited to some basic stuff inside but nothing cardio which is what I need.
This is day 10 - I still am ok with the eating style. I think Scarsdale in general is a balanced way of eating. I have been through the diet plans of each type and during the two week Keep Trim stage I plan to build some pages which show all the options for each day. That way when I am planning, I can see all of Monday's choices together. I can also figure things which are generally the same but I know sticking to the plan is what works best for me.
Weight June 7: 208.7 (.4 lbs gain)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: 1/2 Grapefruit
Lunch: Salad
Dinner: Baked pork chops and chicken (baked in marinade made of vinegar, water, salsa and seasonings), Salad with spinach and tomatoes
This is day 10 - I still am ok with the eating style. I think Scarsdale in general is a balanced way of eating. I have been through the diet plans of each type and during the two week Keep Trim stage I plan to build some pages which show all the options for each day. That way when I am planning, I can see all of Monday's choices together. I can also figure things which are generally the same but I know sticking to the plan is what works best for me.
Weight June 7: 208.7 (.4 lbs gain)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: 1/2 Grapefruit
Lunch: Salad
Dinner: Baked pork chops and chicken (baked in marinade made of vinegar, water, salsa and seasonings), Salad with spinach and tomatoes
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Day Nine - Rain, Rain, Go Away
To ..Much...Rain! Well maybe not to much, but to often. We could use more rain than we get but raining every single afternoon makes it tough for me to get any exercise. More lightning and rain today so no outside means of exercise. Tomorrow I will try to get in some hall walking time.
Started the day off with an office breakfast at a local restaurant. I thought it would be simple to just choose a fruit and get wheat toast. The toast was no problem but they offered no fruit choice. So I had toast and poached eggs. It was decent, even if it was not what I had planned.
I ate lunch at my desk since I had another doc appointment this afternoon. Sure wish I could have done the two appts in one day since it is a 20 to 30 minute ride to the doc office. But they had different comapnies doing the tests so they were on back to back days. It will be a few weeks before I have any results but I dont think they will find anything.
This morning's weight was back down a little. I have often said, if I counted every pound I have lost over the years and could just subtract the total, I would need weights to hold me down. But unfortunately, I lose the same pound over and over. Hope the positive loss trend continues tomorrow morn.
June 6 Weight: 208.3 (.9 lb lost)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Two poached eggs and two slices of toast (whole wheat)
Lunch: Broccoli, tomatoes, and grapes
Dinner: Chicken with broccoli, carrots, and onions
Gonna sleep before 11 tonight I hope. I need all the Zzzzzzs I can get lately!
//K//
Started the day off with an office breakfast at a local restaurant. I thought it would be simple to just choose a fruit and get wheat toast. The toast was no problem but they offered no fruit choice. So I had toast and poached eggs. It was decent, even if it was not what I had planned.
I ate lunch at my desk since I had another doc appointment this afternoon. Sure wish I could have done the two appts in one day since it is a 20 to 30 minute ride to the doc office. But they had different comapnies doing the tests so they were on back to back days. It will be a few weeks before I have any results but I dont think they will find anything.
This morning's weight was back down a little. I have often said, if I counted every pound I have lost over the years and could just subtract the total, I would need weights to hold me down. But unfortunately, I lose the same pound over and over. Hope the positive loss trend continues tomorrow morn.
June 6 Weight: 208.3 (.9 lb lost)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Two poached eggs and two slices of toast (whole wheat)
Lunch: Broccoli, tomatoes, and grapes
Dinner: Chicken with broccoli, carrots, and onions
Gonna sleep before 11 tonight I hope. I need all the Zzzzzzs I can get lately!
//K//
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Weight Gain When Trying to Lose
Since I know my body fairly well after 50+ years, I knew it was only a matter of time before I would record a weight gain day. It saddens me though that I wind up with a gain after the day I did more exercise than others. I didn't eat anything out of the norm but I did bang my bad foot against the pool wall a couple of times. So an injured foot equals weight gain? For me, I really do think it does.
I can feel the inflammation in my feet today. Others can't really see it but I know it is there. I need to up my anti inflammatory foods and add more omegas and things like cherries and pomegranates. I've tried to avoid permanently being on a med for the arthritis but I may have to rethink and at least do something temporarily until I see if the weight loss and exercise can get it back under control.
I had my cardiac stress test today. The cardiologist decided, even though he thinks the murmur is just heard because of the change in hormones, that now is a good time for base line tests. He did a chemical induced stress test so the treadmill would not send my feet into arthritis agony. The entire procedure was about 4 hours long. Glad it is over. No caffeine before the test, and nothing to eat since last night made the morning rough.
Tomorrow is the ECHO and the Cardioid artery ultrasound. Then I catch an appt break for a week I think.
So here's the record of the first day with a gain:
June 5 weight: 209.2 ( 1.8 lb gain)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: grapes, banana and toast
lunch: apple, cheese, and salad
dinner: broiled hamburger with sliced tomatoes
The after effects of the radiation from the test are sending me to bed tomorrow. Hope the scales are kinder in the a.m.
I can feel the inflammation in my feet today. Others can't really see it but I know it is there. I need to up my anti inflammatory foods and add more omegas and things like cherries and pomegranates. I've tried to avoid permanently being on a med for the arthritis but I may have to rethink and at least do something temporarily until I see if the weight loss and exercise can get it back under control.
I had my cardiac stress test today. The cardiologist decided, even though he thinks the murmur is just heard because of the change in hormones, that now is a good time for base line tests. He did a chemical induced stress test so the treadmill would not send my feet into arthritis agony. The entire procedure was about 4 hours long. Glad it is over. No caffeine before the test, and nothing to eat since last night made the morning rough.
Tomorrow is the ECHO and the Cardioid artery ultrasound. Then I catch an appt break for a week I think.
So here's the record of the first day with a gain:
June 5 weight: 209.2 ( 1.8 lb gain)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: grapes, banana and toast
lunch: apple, cheese, and salad
dinner: broiled hamburger with sliced tomatoes
The after effects of the radiation from the test are sending me to bed tomorrow. Hope the scales are kinder in the a.m.
Monday, June 4, 2012
The One Week Mark - Day 7
It is hard to believe it has only been a week since I started on this journey. I must say it has not been as difficult as many other diet plans I have tried before. Perhaps it is a mindset, because I simply am determined to do this. Or maybe it is because this type of eating is how I grew up. We didn't live on processed foods when I was a child, we ate what we grew so this is like a return to my roots.
Today was a no caffeine day. Well as close to no caffeine as I will ever get. I have medical tests tomorrow so I need no coffee or tea or other caffeine in my system for 24 hours. I was able to have a cup this morning because the appointment is not until 0930 but I am typically an all day coffee drinker. I switched to a flavored water and had no problem. I probably actually drank more than I normally do.
I managed to get some kick board time in after the baby went to sleep. It was starting to get a bit cool so I only did about 30 minutes.
Weight for June 4: 207.4 lbs (.4 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast : 2 Bananas and some grapes
Lunch: Salad with ham, turkey, tomatoes, and peppers
Dinner: Low Carb Crustless Quiche, Two pieces whole wheat toast with a salmon patty
I made pictures of the quiche and will add the recipe tomorrow. I am hoping to figure out how to make a new section for recipes.
It's late so I'm heading for some much needed sleep. Hope to wake up lighter than I am today.
//K//
Today was a no caffeine day. Well as close to no caffeine as I will ever get. I have medical tests tomorrow so I need no coffee or tea or other caffeine in my system for 24 hours. I was able to have a cup this morning because the appointment is not until 0930 but I am typically an all day coffee drinker. I switched to a flavored water and had no problem. I probably actually drank more than I normally do.
I managed to get some kick board time in after the baby went to sleep. It was starting to get a bit cool so I only did about 30 minutes.
Weight for June 4: 207.4 lbs (.4 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast : 2 Bananas and some grapes
Lunch: Salad with ham, turkey, tomatoes, and peppers
Dinner: Low Carb Crustless Quiche, Two pieces whole wheat toast with a salmon patty
I made pictures of the quiche and will add the recipe tomorrow. I am hoping to figure out how to make a new section for recipes.
It's late so I'm heading for some much needed sleep. Hope to wake up lighter than I am today.
//K//
Sunday, June 3, 2012
I Should Sleep Good - Day 6
Today was a busy busy day. We still have the house on base since we signed a one year lease and then bought in town before the year was up. So now we need to clear the remaining items out of the base house and get it cleaned up. Today we took boxes over and packed up the residual stuff left in the upstairs bedrooms. Up and down those stairs multiple times was rough on the feet but definitely burned a few calories.
Once that was done, I took Ariel to look for an extra bathing suit since she is doing a good bit of swimming. Shopping is not my cup of tea and the walking was not comfortable since my feet already hurt but at store number 4 we finally found one she liked.
I also grabbed a couple of kick boards so I spent about 30 minutes kicking my way across the pool this afternoon before making dinner. Gosh I am tired tonight!
Here's the standard recap of the day - weight and food.
June 3 Weight - 207.8 (.6 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast - Ham on Whole Wheat
Lunch - Fruit
Dinner - Low Carb Salmon Patties wrapped in lettuce with a bit of horseradish, a chuck of fresh salmon DH pan seared with just a bit of olive oil and some garlic, spinach with bacon.
The bacon was saltier than I had expected so I didn't eat much of it but it may cause me issues on tomorrow's weigh in. Dinner was good though, we all enjoyed it and it was very filling. I made pictures and will add the salmon patty recipe tomorrow.
Gotta call it a night, the alarm goes off way to early to stay up late!
Once that was done, I took Ariel to look for an extra bathing suit since she is doing a good bit of swimming. Shopping is not my cup of tea and the walking was not comfortable since my feet already hurt but at store number 4 we finally found one she liked.
I also grabbed a couple of kick boards so I spent about 30 minutes kicking my way across the pool this afternoon before making dinner. Gosh I am tired tonight!
Here's the standard recap of the day - weight and food.
June 3 Weight - 207.8 (.6 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast - Ham on Whole Wheat
Lunch - Fruit
Dinner - Low Carb Salmon Patties wrapped in lettuce with a bit of horseradish, a chuck of fresh salmon DH pan seared with just a bit of olive oil and some garlic, spinach with bacon.
The bacon was saltier than I had expected so I didn't eat much of it but it may cause me issues on tomorrow's weigh in. Dinner was good though, we all enjoyed it and it was very filling. I made pictures and will add the salmon patty recipe tomorrow.
Gotta call it a night, the alarm goes off way to early to stay up late!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Day 5 - Fun at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Today was one of very few days where families were allowed on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station so we took the chance to go out and see where the rockets launch from. It was a nice day, the weather was not overwhelmingly hot this morning at least. We saw where John Glenn's famous launch took place and the pad where the three astronauts died testing for Apollo 1. It was a good family day together.
I started the morning off with a weigh in as usual. I'm still a little bit down from yesterday so that's definitely good. After the tour we came home and spent some time in the pool and then cut grass. I didn't get a lot of exercise with either but plan to buy a kick board so my pool time will be more productive. The grass cutting was on the riding mower, I didn't think my feet could stand doing the pushing after walking a good bit this morning.
June 2 weight: 208.4 lbs (.6 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast - watermelon (forgot the toast even though I made it!)
Lunch - green salad with grilled chicken and a small amount of ranch dressing
Dinner - Chicken SAMM from the Scarsdale book and a salad with two pieces of toast
I'm working on some pictures to add. I hope they will help me to see the loss progressively.
Till tomorrow....
I started the morning off with a weigh in as usual. I'm still a little bit down from yesterday so that's definitely good. After the tour we came home and spent some time in the pool and then cut grass. I didn't get a lot of exercise with either but plan to buy a kick board so my pool time will be more productive. The grass cutting was on the riding mower, I didn't think my feet could stand doing the pushing after walking a good bit this morning.
June 2 weight: 208.4 lbs (.6 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast - watermelon (forgot the toast even though I made it!)
Lunch - green salad with grilled chicken and a small amount of ranch dressing
Dinner - Chicken SAMM from the Scarsdale book and a salad with two pieces of toast
I'm working on some pictures to add. I hope they will help me to see the loss progressively.
Till tomorrow....
Friday, June 1, 2012
Hello June - Day Four
It seems like this year is flying by. It is the first day of Hurricane Season and National Doughnut Day. In consideration of my journey to a better weight, I steered clear of Krispy Kreme and passed up the free doughnut of the day. It rained a lot this afternoon, killing my plan to do some walking. It is just as well because my body feels like I have the flu. I think all the healthy things I have eaten are driving out the unhealthy toxins from all the garbage I have eaten before.
Hoping tomorrow is a feel better day for sure.
June 1 weight: 209 even (.6 lb loss)
What I ate today
Breakfast - one banana and a half a grapefruit
Lunch - green salad with mushrooms and carrots
Dinner - broiled fish with onions and steamed broccoli
snack - slice of whole wheat bread.
Hoping the weather holds out so we can do a tour of Cape Canaveral tomorrow and I can get groceries without having to juggle them with an umbrella.
Hoping tomorrow is a feel better day for sure.
June 1 weight: 209 even (.6 lb loss)
What I ate today
Breakfast - one banana and a half a grapefruit
Lunch - green salad with mushrooms and carrots
Dinner - broiled fish with onions and steamed broccoli
snack - slice of whole wheat bread.
Hoping the weather holds out so we can do a tour of Cape Canaveral tomorrow and I can get groceries without having to juggle them with an umbrella.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Day 3 - Goodbye May and Sugar Cravings
I knew soon I would start to crave things I have cut from my diet. Today it was sugar. Maybe that came from having less coffee or tea with sweetner or maybe my body just realizes that I have not consumed cookies or candy in the last couple days. I did manage to make it so far without indulging.I think I need more water too but that has always been my biggest challenge. I never drink enough.
This morning I expected the scale to be less kind than the 2 pound loss before but I was pleasantly surprised.
May 31 Weight: 209.6 (2 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: 1 banana and a bunch of grapes
Lunch: Mixed green salad with mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, and a bit of vinegar dressing
Dinner: Brolied chicken, broccoli and tomato slices, along with two slices of whole wheat bread.
Last night while trying to relax and drink more water, I manager to burn my boiled eggs so I didnt have those for lunch today. Not being prepared meant have to buy lunch, but I was able to get a salad from the dining hall. Plus I walked to pick it up so that gave me about a hald mile of exercise in addition to doing the stairs a couple of times and hallwalking some today. My feet are giving me fits tonight. I am sure it is going to be another sleep in my shoes night but hopefully in time this will get better.
Til tomorrow ...still stepping backwards.
This morning I expected the scale to be less kind than the 2 pound loss before but I was pleasantly surprised.
May 31 Weight: 209.6 (2 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: 1 banana and a bunch of grapes
Lunch: Mixed green salad with mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, and a bit of vinegar dressing
Dinner: Brolied chicken, broccoli and tomato slices, along with two slices of whole wheat bread.
Last night while trying to relax and drink more water, I manager to burn my boiled eggs so I didnt have those for lunch today. Not being prepared meant have to buy lunch, but I was able to get a salad from the dining hall. Plus I walked to pick it up so that gave me about a hald mile of exercise in addition to doing the stairs a couple of times and hallwalking some today. My feet are giving me fits tonight. I am sure it is going to be another sleep in my shoes night but hopefully in time this will get better.
Til tomorrow ...still stepping backwards.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Day 2 - Down But Tired
Whenever I change my way of eating, I wind up with a headache the first few days. It could be the decrease in the caffeine or maybe the body getting rid of toxins. Whatever it is has me feeling lousy but I am not giving up. Actually my morning weigh in was good. I didn't exercise like I had wanted to but with the headache it just was not possible. I did do the stairs once, and tomorrow will try to do some indoor walking. Thinking about getting a pedometer and measuring how far I go.
Day Two Weight: 211.6 (1.9 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Two bananas and 1 apple
Lunch: Spinach greens with tuna and half a grapefruit
Dinner: two small broiled pork chops, salad greens with tomato pieces, and two slices whole wheat bread
Not so many carrots today, just wasn't very hungry.
Day Two Weight: 211.6 (1.9 lb loss)
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Two bananas and 1 apple
Lunch: Spinach greens with tuna and half a grapefruit
Dinner: two small broiled pork chops, salad greens with tomato pieces, and two slices whole wheat bread
Not so many carrots today, just wasn't very hungry.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Day One - There is Celery in My Fridge
If you have spent any time around my house, you know the one thing I NEVER buy is celery. Having traveling around the world, I've eaten a lot of strange foods in my life but the one food I just can't stomach is celery. Just a few weeks ago, my mother-in-law asked if we still had the bag she bought. I didn't even know it was there because she hid it the garage fridge knowing I did not even want to think about it.
Well guess what? There are two free foods that can be eaten at any time on the Scarsdale Medical Diet and celery is one of them. The other is carrots. Needless to say I will be a carrot muncher. Since Johnnie is accompanying me on my quest, I bought celery for him. I may have to move it back to the other fridge because I swear I can smell it when I open the fridge door!
Day 1 went ok. Not great but I had other stressing issues to contend with so it is hard to say if my headache comes from the change in eating or from those issues. I started the day with a weigh in. This will be a daily thing.
Weight on May 29: 213.5
What did I eat?
Breakfast: Half a grapefruit and a piece of whole wheat toast
Lunch - Large fruit salad - watermelon, grapes, bananas
Dinner - lean broiled hamburger and loads of tomato slices
Oh and lots of carrots!
Exercise was minimal but I did manage the stairs one time today. My goal is to get to the point where I use them each time I go upstairs just for the extra exercise. My other exercise goal is to get a kick board so I can spend some pool time in the evening.
Looking forward to Day 2.
Well guess what? There are two free foods that can be eaten at any time on the Scarsdale Medical Diet and celery is one of them. The other is carrots. Needless to say I will be a carrot muncher. Since Johnnie is accompanying me on my quest, I bought celery for him. I may have to move it back to the other fridge because I swear I can smell it when I open the fridge door!
Day 1 went ok. Not great but I had other stressing issues to contend with so it is hard to say if my headache comes from the change in eating or from those issues. I started the day with a weigh in. This will be a daily thing.
Weight on May 29: 213.5
What did I eat?
Breakfast: Half a grapefruit and a piece of whole wheat toast
Lunch - Large fruit salad - watermelon, grapes, bananas
Dinner - lean broiled hamburger and loads of tomato slices
Oh and lots of carrots!
Exercise was minimal but I did manage the stairs one time today. My goal is to get to the point where I use them each time I go upstairs just for the extra exercise. My other exercise goal is to get a kick board so I can spend some pool time in the evening.
Looking forward to Day 2.
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