Great Week: Down 1.6 lbs

I had a great week this week. My eating was on track. I did cardio twice and made my 2.7K goal every day but my cheat day. 

Feeling my belly (my barometer) before I weighed in, I figured I had lost about a week. I was wrong. I lost 1.6lbs, which is pretty much my goal every week (an average of 1.5 lbs.) I'm so glad I lost, after two weeks of not losing, I was questioning whether what I'm doing was working! But, we are on track!

I need to really kick it in gear as I'm going to have a rough time around Thanksgiving. Not because of Thanksgiving meals, per se, but because I'm going to Toronto for 4 days. And Toronto is a party town and has AMAZING veggie options. 

It is really becoming obvious that I am losing as my clothes are fitting a LOT better!

What went well last week

- I was disciplined 6 days! (Six days of A- or better!)

- I did cardio on two days

- My energy was really up

- My cheat day was in check and it didn't extend into Friday and Sunday

What I could have done better last week

- I did drink during the week (a couple of glasses of wine after a really hard day and I went to a celebratory happy hour yesterday for a friend who got a new job.

- My portions are probably too big. I need to consciously cut them by 10%

Healthy Lunch

I worked from home today and was able to heat up something a little special.: Fish ("Hake en Papillote") with roasted veggies and quinoa.

Where I know origami, I really need to learn to make these "papillote" parchment paper boxes. They steam perfectly in the microwave.

Fruits of my Cooking Labors

Yummy 400 calorie dinner. (Brown rice, sautéed mushrooms, carrots with dill, quinoa and roasted brussels sprouts.)

Weigh In: Zero Net Gain

So, before I weigh in each week, I think to myself, how do I feel? How did I do the previous week? How much do I think I will lose?

I felt pretty good. I'm a bit sore from exercise this week. Yesterday, I was able to fit into a vest that has been "off limits" for some time. I feel my gut is getting smaller. As for the week, I had a not so great start, off on Friday, Saturday and to a lesser extent on Sunday. Still, I had 4 straight days with an "A" rating (and met my Fuel Points 2.7K goal every day but Saturday.) So my answer was, I felt I deserved a modest 1 lb loss.

I didn't get it. I didn't lose but I also didn't gain. 

Even so, I'm not discouraged. I'm back on it this week! I can do this!

What went well last week

- I was disciplined 4 days! The other 3 days, I did have movement and made my 2.7K goal 6 of the 7 days.

- I started having more exercise in my routine, adding cardio and weight training.

- I ate my own food all but 2 meals. I ate nutritious, flavorful things which I was content with.

- I didn't drink through the week.

What I could have done better last week

- I should have only had one cheat day (not let the cheat day bleed into Friday and Sunday.)

- Even though I am eating a LOT of proteins and veggies, some of the portions were kind of big and I probably underestimated the number of points (when I work out, I get even more hungry.)

- I should have watched my portions of peanut butter (again, probably underestimated.)

FIVE Ways My Current Eating/Exercise Plans Are Different than Before

So, I'm about a month into my eating and exercise plan and wanted to reiterate what I'm doing different this time around compared to my eating campaign earlier in the year. More than anything, I'm basing my new plans on knowledge of what works for me, for my body and what is sustainable. 5 main differences this time around:

1. "STAYING WITH IT" - I'm being a bit easier on myself. I am lightening up a bit and not punishing myself if I veer from the plan. I partied around Halloween and didn't lose that much. So what? I have to be social or I will quit it. The goal is to get back on the wagon the following day.

2. "EXERCISE" - I dislike treadmill and stepper and cardio, in general. I will do these from time to time, but the focus will be on low impact exercise and LOTS of weight training (Goal: 3x per week.)

3. "HOMEMADE FOOD" - My goal is to prepare, from scratch, 95%+ of what goes into my mouth. Preparing multiple meals over the weekend to munch on over the week keeps me eating healthy and my body is responding well to less preservatives. Beyond being practical, it's also a time saver as I just reheat things during the week.

4. "NO ALCOHOL" - I have largely cleared my apartment of alcohol during the week so I'm not tempted to have a drink. I do believe no alcohol (except on splurge days) does boost my metabolism. It also makes me a "cheap date" on the night I go out.

5. "LITTLE OR NO POP" - I was in the habit of having a can of pop with lunch in the afternoon. While I'm not completely cutting it out of my diet, it is kinda bad for you, so I am drinking as little as possible.

Food or Beer?

Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love to drink beer. 

Tonight I had a realization that I could eat three of these nice crackers with some goat cheese or I could have one beer. 

I chose the food.

Secret Protein Tip

I learned this in Poland, where soups are really big. Be it barszcz or pickle soup or chicken noodle soup, often they will be served with a hard boiled egg on top, as shown.

As a vegetarian, I sometimes have problems getting enough protein. This is one yummy way I can. An egg has a mild flavor is meshes well with most soups, including my homemade chili.

Happy Refrigerator: Food for the Week

I've been busy cooking healthy food. I'm set for the majority of my cooking for the rest of the workweek. (I'll supplement this with fresh veggies and some frozen stuff.)

Saturday, I made quinoa firecracker chili. Then tonight, I prepared rice, indian style roasted cauliflower, roasted vidalia onion, polenta with peas in cream sauce (not low fat, but I keep the portion low!) as well as thai stir fry.

Week 2: Down 2 More lbs

Woo hoo! I lost 2.0 lbs on my second "official" week on my eating and exercise plan. While I gave myself Bs and Cs for the week (most notably because of the fact I have a healing broken toe and could not extensively diet,) I did manage to be very disciplined for 5 of the 7 days. I had a lot of fun at Buckeye and Blue Jacket Games on Saturday and Sunday nights. I lived.

To keep up this velocity and since my toe is basically healed, I'm going to add mild cardio to the mix this next week.

What went well last week

- I was disciplined 5 days and my two bad days, I was disciplined right up until my first beer and bite of bad food. 

- I ate an apple every day

- I cooked a lot of yummy, tasty food on Sunday which I grazed on all week, including roasted succotash, couscous, baked vidalia onion, polenta (Trader Joe's frozen thing.) I felt full and satisfied all week.

- There was pizza in the break room at work and I didn't eat any

- I didn't drink through the week at all

- I spent almost no money on food or drink (besides my two cheat days which were expensive) 

What I could have done better last week

- I should have only partied one night last week, not two

- I should have made the minestrone soup that I had intended to make (Instead I had store-bought soup.

- I should have made my 2.7k Nike Fuel Points goal each day

Satisfying Dinner

I've been happy with myself this week. Despite being very busy at work, (10+ hour days) I've been on my eating plan. Tonight, I had a series of homemade leftovers:

Starting at 12 o'clock: polenta with peas, baked vidalia with breadcrumbs, roasted succotash, couscous and roasted yellow squash and portobello mushroom. Total: 11 points (pre Nov '10 WW points)

Soup and Salad

I was working from home today and fixed this for lunch:

Homemade bean soup with chopped salad (cabbage, red onions, carrot, celery, cashews with peanut butter vinaigrette) topped with fresh avocado.  

New Eating and Exercise Plan

So, I was getting ready for work last week and I realized that one pretty standard pair of pants I wear was pretty tight. I jumped on the scale and was appalled. I had gained a considerable amount of weight over the spring and summer.

I'm not going to beat myself up. I've had a lot on my plate:

- Sprained ankle

- Moving apartments

- House sale in Cincinnati 

- New assignment at work that was extra stressful

- Financial concerns

- 5 weekends in a row of items

- Broken toe

So, that morning, right then and there, I decided that I'm going back on my eating plan. 

My official starting weight was 207 lbs on October 11. I have a goal to get down to 185 lbs by the new year.

So, I'm starting with packing a lunch for work like this:

This is my NEW 14 week contract for my eating and exercise plan:

General Rules

- The week begins with a weigh in each Friday morning.
- The week will last 14 weeks. From 10/11/2013 until 1/17/2014.

Eating Rules

- No meat or meat products. Barf.
- The plan encourages fresh, healthy foods over fatty foods and carbs.
- The plan will be loosely based on the "old" Weight Watchers points system to ensure proper mix of food and correct portioning. (I'll bucket breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner points to equal approximately 32.)

- No alcohol during the week.

- Dietary supplements.
- One "cheat evening" will be permitted per week, for mental health.
- Each Sunday, I will prepare several meals for the week (minimum one main dish or soup, and one side dish) to facilitate healthy eating.

Exercise Rules

- a Nike+ Fuel Band will be used to track general activity; the goal is 2,700 fuel points per day.
- Separate to the Fuel Band, I will workout a minimum of 3 times per week (minimum of 30 minute cardio activity or 20 min cardio/20 min weight training.)

Tracking 

- A paper journal will be used to track eating and exercise
- This blog will be updated regularly. Minimally, each Friday, this blog will contain: screenshot of scale, screenshot of diary for the week.

Motivational Tools and Penalties

This time around, I'm not going to focus on public humiliation and penalties. Instead, I'm going to attempt positive reinforcements, as follows:

200 lbs - "Union Jack Suit" - it's a kind of pajama thing

195 lbs- "Segno" tattoo  

190 lbs- Vacation trip to Toronto 

185 lbs- $500 shopping spree for new clothes

Week 8 Weigh-In: Down Another 2.4 lbs

After all that complaining this week, I ended up having a good weigh in this morning, thankfully. I did work for it though! I worked out for over 4 hours this past week (more per week than I have this year.) Also, I met my 3K Nike Fuel Band goal every day. Indeed, I gave myself an A- or better all days but Friday. (Saturday might have normally been a B+, but I worked out pretty damn hard and ate well right up to my cheat meal/evening.)

I would say that I was unnecessarily obsessed with weight loss this week, which is probably not healthy.

I'm down 15.8 lbs and as of this morning and on track to be at my next goal of 190lbs by St. Patrick's Day.

What went well

- I was focused, both in eating and exercise
- 4 days of aerobic activity (choreography practice DOES count as I burned 500 calories in 2 hours!)

- Met the 3,000 Nike+ Fuel point goal every day

- 6 days of "A-" or better 

- I did not go overboard on my cheating on Friday and Saturday

What needs improvement

- Get a full 8 hours of sleep each night

Skinny Bitch in Atlanta

There's this skinny bitch in Atlanta who stays up until late hours of the night thinking how she can demoralize and degrade Americans. She has a cushy job, so she spends 1-2 hours per day in the gym.

"Like! Oh my God! I just love going the gym!" she said.

She works for the CDC and came up with the latest BMI regulations:

As it turns out, at the new year, my weight was such that I was considered "OBESE." Now, I'm just considered "OVERWEIGHT." To be considered "NORMAL," I need to be AT OR BELOW 174lbs (more than 35lb weight loss.) 

You can take that 3lb purple barbell and shove it up your anorexic little..!

Bloated

It's been a pretty good week so far! I've exercised more this week than I have previous weeks (4+ total hours of cardio and weight training) on The Plan to really push my metabolism in light of last week's meager loss.

Even so, I feel bloated. I know I'm not supposed to weigh in during the week but I did and my weight was up a bit.

I fear I'm not going to have a good weigh in on Friday. I am really hoping to be at my next goal (190lbs) by St. Patrick's day.

Theories for being bloated:
- Metabolism slowing down
- Gain in muscle?
- More salt than previous weeks? I have been eating nuts
- Too much sugar? I realized that the the only thing I'm having with sugar in it is my yogurt. I thought because the Chobani yogurt was 0% fat that it would be "healthy"--not with 19g of sugar

I'm a bit discouraged.

Poem II: A letter to G

Dear G,

You are leaving and I'm not going to miss you
Yes. We partied together. Had some amazing meals!
Pizza and lasagna and sushi together
The times we had carousing the town
I  will  never  forget

But you are ugly and you make me feel bad
So you have to go and I never want to see you again

MeV

Sample Dinner: Biryani

This meal came out particularly well. First I fried 1 full egg and 2 egg whites and set the egg aside. In the same pan I friend 1.5 cups Trader Joe's biryani for a few minutes while I microwaved a container of frozen vegetables. I threw them all together for a delicious, not too fattening meal!

Week 7 Weigh-In: Down Another 1.2 lbs

Meh. Not a big loss this week. Just a puny 1.2 lbs. Unlike last week when I lost 2.6 lbs, I do deserve the puny loss. I partied both Friday and Saturday nights. I was crap each of the following days. I also ate out (on a date!) on Wednesday night and went over my points.

I lost focus. But I got up the next day and got back on it.

Oddly, to see how far off I was, I weighed in on Sunday and on Wednesday. On Sunday, I was really bloated and weighed in about 5 lbs heavier than this morning. Wednesday morning and was 2 lbs or so lighter than today. So there have been some pretty major fluctuations in my weight this week.


I'm down 13.4 lbs and as of this morning, I'm halfway through my program!

Being so close to the 190 mark on Wednesday, I got excited thinking about my next non-food reward. I've decided that it will be a small tattoo on my upper right chest. It's going to be of a segno.

Definition: The musical term segno – Italian for “sign” – refers to a symbol involved in a complex system of musical repeats. 

Here's what it looks like:

Not all of my tattoos will be musical in nature. I saw this recently on a piece we are doing for Illuminati and liked the fluidity of it. It's kind of fun to me in that it's a "symbol" of sign. Also, this denotes "complex repeat." Let's face it, life is a complex systems of repeats, i.e. the daily routine.

What went well

- Despite being in a bad mood for a couple of days, I stuck with it!
- 4 days of aerobic activity (choreography practice DOES count as I burned 400 calories in 1.5 hours!)

What needs improvement

- Get a full 8 hours of sleep each night
- No more 2 night party weekends

- Meet the 3,000 Nike+ Fuel point goal every day
- 6 days of "A-" or better (one cheat day is cool)

Week 6 Weigh-In: Down Another 2.6 lbs

Wow! I'm down another 2.6lbs this week on The Plan. While I'm content with the loss, I have to say I'm a bit surprised as well. I started the diet week with friends in town from Cincinnati and was not careful about eating/drinking for two meals. Then I didn't make my 3K Nike Fuel Bank goal on Monday (I was watching a movie and forgot about it.) Then I had some stress over my house sale and drank some beer (still more or less within my points.) I only had three "A" days out of 7.

I don't really deserve the loss, but I'll take it! So, I'm down 12.2 lbs and just a week from being halfway through my program! I have to say this has been the most aggressive and consistent eating/exercise plan I've ever done.

What went well

- I stayed on the plan

- Despite being in a bad mood for a couple of days, I stuck with it!

What needs improvement

- Get a full 8 hours of sleep each night

- Meet the 3,000 Nike+ Fuel point goal every day (I missed the first day because I didn't feel well and it was very cold and snowy outside.)
- 6 days of "A-" or better (one cheat day is cool)

Focus!

With friends visiting over the weekend, it was not possible to completely diet. Having said that, my cheat period was contained to roughly 24 hours. The greasy empanada lunch on Saturday got me craving the old fatty food. And I briefly considered falling off the wagon again on Sunday.

But I woke up Sunday and got back on The Plan. I had a nice 35 minute cardio workout before singing with Illuminati at a church in Bexley. I was very cautious as to what I ate yesterday.

I peeked at the scale this morning (to get an idea of the damage, if any.) It read 199.4. I'm down 0.6 lbs over the weekend (and officially below the 200lb mark!) I'm going to again be very focused this week and hope to have a good weigh in on Friday.

Moral of the story: Don't beat yourself up when you fall from grace. Just get back on track and regain focus.