[narn81]

This is a daily check-in thread for those of us hoping to lose some 20lbs, increase our intake of whole, healthful foods, make exercise a daily habit, get rid of bad, detrimental eating habits and never look back.

I'm estimating it will take approximately 10 weeks (or slightly more, as needed) to lose the weight at a healthy pace (2lbs weekly), provided we're consistent in our efforts and serious about becoming healthier and fitting in our clothes...

The 10 week timeframe is approximate and realistic, although the emphasis remains on establishing new eating habits and supporting each other in the process.

I plan to post my total caloric intake (no less than 1,200, no more than 1,550 per day), water intake, workout stats, and number of fruit and vegetable servings consumed, daily. And, at Healthyliving's suggestion. I'll be experimenting with the C25K program (again), as well as the Jillian Michael's "30 day shred" exercise dvd (estimated to arrive next week, via Netflix). And that's that.

I hope at least one other person will join me, so I don't have to go through the dieting horrors alone.

Cheers and Best of Luck!

[pkgirl]

I will join you I may feel bad if I lose quicker than 2 pounds a week though.

[Wild Vulpix]

I'd be happy to join too! Though I'm absolutely sure I won't lose 20lbs in 10 weeks. But if I can lose 5, I'll be happy enough.

Here's my plan, starting on last Sunday. Weeks 1-5 are locked in, but weeks 6+ may be altered or repeated. We'll see when I get there.

My Fitness Coach will be heavily used and replied upon--all exercises aside from the C25K program will use the game.

Average daily calories: 1550

Week 1 Total: 165 min (January 17-23)
Sunday: 15 min Flexibility
Monday - Tuesday: 30 min Flexibility
Wednesday: 15 min Yoga
Thursday - Friday: 30 min Flexibility
Saturday: 15 min Flexibility

Week 2 Total: 210 min
Sunday - Tuesday: 30 min Flexibility
Wednesday: 30 min Yoga
Thursday - Saturday: 30 min Flexibility

Week 3 Total: 150 min
Sunday: 15 min Cardio
Monday: 30 min Flexibility
Tuesday: 15 min Cardio
Wednesday: 30 min Yoga
Thursday: 15 min Cardio
Friday: 30 min Flexibility
Saturday: 15 min Cardio

Week 4 Total: 150 min
Sunday: 15 min Cardio
Monday: 30 min Cardio
Tuesday: 15 min Cardio
Wednesday: 30 min Yoga
Thursday: 15 min Cardio
Friday: 30 min Cardio
Saturday: 15 min Cardio

Week 5 Total: 210 min
Sunday: 30 min Cardio
Monday: 30 min Yoga
Tuesday - Thursday: 30 min Cardio
Friday: 30 min Yoga
Saturday: 30 min Cardio

Week 6 Total: 210 min
Sunday: 30 min Cardio
Monday: 30 min Yoga
Tuesday: Week 1 C25K
Wednesday: 30 min Cardio
Thursday: Week 1 C25K
Friday: 30 min Yoga
Saturday: Week 1 C25K

Week 7 Total: 261
Sunday: 30 min Cardio
Monday: 30 min Yoga
Tuesday: Week 2 C25K + 15 min Strength (Upper)
Wednesday: 30 min Cardio
Thursday: Week 2 C25K + 15 min Strength (Lower)
Friday: 30 min Yoga
Saturday: Week 2 C25K + 15 min Strength (Core)

Week 8 Total: 273
Sunday: 30 min Cardio
Monday: 30 min Yoga
Tuesday: Week 3 C25K + 30 min Strength (Upper)
Wednesday: 30 min Cardio
Thursday: Week 3 C25K + 15 min Strength (Lower)
Friday: 30 min Yoga
Saturday: Week 3 C25K + 30 min Strength (Core)

Week 9 Total: 300
Sunday: 30 min Cardio + 15 min Strength (Upper)
Monday: 30 min Yoga + 15 min Strength (Core)
Tuesday: Week 4 C25K + 15 min Strength (Lower)
Wednesday: 30 min Cardio + 15 min Strength (Upper)
Thursday: Week 4 C25K + 15 min Strength (Core)
Friday: 30 min Yoga
Saturday: Week 4 C25K + 15 min Strength (Lower)

Week 10 Total: 300
Sunday: 30 min Cardio + 15 min Strength (Upper)
Monday: 30 min Yoga + 15 min Strength (Core)
Tuesday: Week 5 C25K + 15 min Strength (Lower)
Wednesday: 30 min Cardio + 15 min Strength (Upper)
Thursday: Week 5 C25K + 15 min Strength (Core)
Friday: 30 min Yoga
Saturday: Week 5 C25K + 15 min Strength (Lower)



Starting weight: 156.6

[healthyliving]

My details for today :-
Exercise : 30 day shred (L1D5)
Food :
Breakfast - Egg white omelet with broccoli spinach and swiss cheese (110 calories), 1 cup Skim milk (90 cal)
Lunch - Santa fe chicken (250 cal), 2 corn tortilla (130 calorie)
Snack 1- California Navel orange (70 cal)
Snack 2 - Fiber one cereal with skim milk and bit of dry fruit (100 calorie)
Dinner - Vegetarian chilli (220 calorie) - Its cooking in my crockpot right now + 2 corn tortilla (130 calorie)
Dessert - 1 vitatop (100 calories)

Total calories - 1200 calories
Water - I easily drink more than recommended 64 oz a day.

Weight today - 129.0 lbs

[narn81]

Good afternoon (or morning)! Thanks so much for joining Wild Vulpix (I love your fitness plan) and Pkgirl!

Stats for today:

Breakfast: “Power” bagel (with fruit and nuts – 350 cal) and….TheraFlu (damn cold symptoms)
Snack: Coffee with soy milk (50 cal)
Lunch: 2 cups vegetable soup (120 cal) and…TheraFlu (this thing has sugar in it?)
Dinner: Grilled salmon and broccoli with olive oil (cooked yesterday! – 400 cal)
Snack: Large grapefruit, unsweetened soy milk (with splenda) 200… and Theraflu!
Exercise: 35 min elliptical trainer (planned for this evening)
64oz H20, Vitamins (halfway there)

This is a bit messier than I hoped, but it will do for now. I will return with an aesthetically pleasing update later this evening.

Healthyliving, your menu looks perfect and you've already lost one pound!

Cheers

[healthyliving]

Thanks Narn! Though I did splurge on dinner yesterday. It was my hubby's b'day and we haven't gone out to eat since we started eating healthy. So we went for a fancy dinner yesterday and had a nice 3 course meal. I didn't had any drinks though .
I was expecting some weight gain today because of sodium retention but was happy to see 129.0. Our bodies have strange way to surprise us!
You take good care of yourself. Drink lots of fluid and take rest. Hope you feel better soon!

[narn81]

Ah, a nice 3 course meal! Sounds lovely. My boyfriend's birthday is next Wednesday and I've already decided to split dessert with him... assuming he agrees.

I think I did take good care of myself, today - thanks! I'm not feeling any better, but it's a cold and it'll pass... Otherwise, I had a good day. If only I could multiply it by 70 and be done with the weight loss part, it'd be great.

01/19: 64oz H2O, Vitamins, ~1300 calories, 5 Fruits & Veggies, 35 min cardio

Not too bad. Knowing that I would come back here to report was surprisingly motivating...

Cheers and let's have a good day tomorrow.

[Wild Vulpix]

Mmmm! Your diets sound so yummy!

I eat absolutely horribly, though I stay in my calorie limit. Heck, today I ate 450 calories with of Cheezits I'm so horrible! But I'll start eating better after I whip my exercise routine into shape and, more importantly, get my oven back (how hard it is to cook good things without a stove top!) We're renivating the kitchen, so my cooking utensils have been reduced to a toaster oven and a microwave... So I get to eat lots of yummy oatmeal and frozen dishes. Oh, and Cheezits, of course.

Week 1 is going well for me. The diet is right on track... I hope!!! I had Chinese food today I estimated that the Chicken Teryoki was 130 per stick (x2) and that what I ate of the other stuff was 500 calories... I probably overestimated. I think. I'm not too worried, as I'm usually very strict and it's good to let loose at least a little... but this will not be a common issue!!! On the other hand, I'm keeping up with my exercises and I'm right on schedule. Pretty excited to do Yoga tomorrow for the first time (in many, many, many months)

[healthyliving]

Here goes my details for today (01/20/2010)

Exercise : C25K W5D2 - 30 mins
Food :
Breakfast - Fat free Greek Yogurt (90 cal) with fruits (70 cal), 1/4 cup kashi go lean cereal (35 cal) and splenda
Lunch - Vegetarian chilli (220 calorie) + 1 high protein high fiber bread(100 calorie)
Snack 1- California Navel orange (70 cal)
Snack 2 - Pear (170 cal) - yes its a huge pear!!
Dinner - Not sure yet. But something involving tofu

Weight today - 129.8 lbs. I hate this!!!!!! Since last one week or so I am seeing constant increase in scale. I can still live with no change in scale, but increase after eating 1200 calorie and exercising! I hope it is because of TOM due in few days!

Hope you guys have a great day ahead. I will post more details about my meal plan tonight.

[narn81]

Oh, Christ - that's what happens when you weigh yourself daily, Healthyliving! Weight fluctuates - you know that. It is what it is and it shouldn't matter, precisely because you're doing so well otherwise. Just ignore the scale till Monday, okay?

So, I did well today but had to take a day off exercise due to my stupid cold.

On the bright side, I had the most amazing chicken wrap at Starbucks (white meat chiken, fresh vegetables, slivered black olives and roasted-pepper hummus on a whole wheat tortilla), and then bought all of the ingredients so I can recreate it at home...

Ok - today's menu:

Breakfast: Soy latte (150 cal) and first half of aforementioned wrap (290)
Lunch: 1 hard boiled egg (80), 2 servings steamed carrots and broccoli (100)
Snack: 1 banana (120), green tea with a bit of fat-free milk (50)
Dinner: 2nd half of chicken wrap (290), V8 (30) black tea with fat-free milk (50)

Stats:
01/19: 64oz H2O, Vitamins, ~1300 calories, 5 Fruits & Veggies, 35 min cardio
01/20: 64oz H2O, Vitamins, ~1250 calories, 5 Fruits & Veggies, No Exercise

Wild Vulpix, I agree with you about not being strict with your diet all the time... Not feeling deprived is just as important as following your diet. I think the good think about eating what you like while dieting is that you're learning portion control and paying more attention to the quality of your food. Granted, you get to eat less of your favorite foods if they're dense in calories, so it's a good idea to gradually incorporate healthful foods into your menu so you can still treat yourself without feeling guilty and hungry. I hope that makes sense. If not, blame TheraFlu.

Have a good night and a lovely day tomorrow!

[healthyliving]

So here's my final summary for the day:
Dinner - Stir fry brown rice with veggies and Tofu (400 calories)
Total calories for the day - 1155
I marinated tofu in orange juice and soy sauce for 12 hours and then baked+broiled it. It was great!!!
Narn, take care of yourself, hope you feel better soon. Chicken wrap does sounds amazing!! Do let me know how your attempt to make it yourself went. BTW have you tried La Tortilla wraps, they are great!! Very rich in fiber and protein and only 100 calorie per tortilla!
Friday, I have to run non-stop for 20 mins, I am not sure if I would be able to do that . Keeping fingers crossed.
Have a great day tomorrow!

[narn81]

Orange juice and soy sauce! I have to try that as a marinade... Never really gave tofu per se a chance, although I more than often buy tofu-based foods. I can't say for sure if I have tried La Tortilla wraps either - maybe in my days of constant eating...

Running non-stop for 20 min is not as hard as it sounds - trust me. Just run at a comfortable pace and focus on time, not speed. I used to be able to run for 45 min straight, and this was months after not being able to run for longer than 2 min... Again, this was way before I started eating everything.

I made the chicken/veggie wrap for breakfast! It was divine!! I used smoky chipotle pepper hummus, diced black olives, roasted chicken breast, shredded carrots, romaine lettuce and whole wheat tortillas - all purchased at Trader Joe's. Highly recommended. And if you can come up with a tasty variation of this, please let me know.

Last but not least, I felt compelled to weigh myself this morning: 137.4!! I doubt I've lost actual fat - it's probably just water weight, but I'm still pleased .

I'm working from home today so as to not infect the rest of the office. I will return again this evening with further stats and updates...

Here's to another good day!

[healthyliving]

Hey Narn,
Congrats on your weight loss so far!!! Its a great feeling... isn't it?
I am more into eating vegetarian stuff, though I make fish and chicken once a week, so have to eat high protein vegetarian stuff. Beans, Quinoa and Tofu have now become a part of my diet. Quinoa was a recent find for me, and I loved it!! Its so good and healthy.
I do weigh myself everyday, and calculate the average of whole week. Since last 2 weeks my weight is going in upward direction and I have no idea why, that's why I am bit frustrated. I was talking to my husband today morning and he also agreed that there is something wrong. I will wait this week and may be increase my calorie level to 1400 next week. Today my scale showed 130.0, I was 126.6 lbs two weeks back, so something is wrong.
Anyways, hope you have great day and take care of yourself. I will post my food and exercise details today evening.

[narn81]

Yes, that is odd...assuming there's nothing wrong with the scale and your period has nothing to do with it. I hope increasing your caloric intake helps. Have you noticed a difference in how your clothes fit? ... Very annoying. I'm sorry.

I'm not a vegetarian myself, but I rarely crave red meat and usually opt for veggie burgers, dogs, etc. Not much of a carnivore - unless a chicken wrap is involved.

Speaking of which... today's menu:

Breakfast: chicken & veggie wrap (215 cal ) mix of raw almonds, filberts, walnuts, raisins (210)
Snack: giant grapefruit w/ splenda (100)
Lunch: chicken & veggie wrap (215), tea
Dinner: hard boiled egg (80) steamed veggies (100), soy latte (150)
Snack: V8 (30) mix of raw almonds, filberts...etc. (210)

Stats to date:
01/19: 64oz H2O, Vitamins, ~1300 calories, 5 Fruits & Veggies, 35 min cardio
01/20: 64oz H2O, Vitamins, ~1250 calories, 5 Fruits & Veggies, No Exercise
01/21: 64oz H2O, Vitamins, ~1310 calories, 5 Fruits & Veggies, 35 min cardio

That's it. Oh, and I really had to discipline myself to get some exercise after yesterday's break...

Here's to tomorrow.

[narn81]

So... today's menu was very similar to yesterday's with a minor change in quantities. Nothing extraordinary to report otherwise, so let's just get straight to the stats:

01/19: 64oz H2O, Vitamins, ~1300 calories, 5 Fruits & Veggies, 35 min cardio
01/20: 64oz H2O, Vitamins, ~1250 calories, 5 Fruits & Veggies, No Exercise
01/21: 64oz H2O, Vitamins, ~1310 calories, 5 Fruits & Veggies, 35 min cardio
01/22: 64oz H2O, Vitamins, ~1350 calories, 5 Fruits & Veggies, 35 min cardio

So far so good, I guess. I hope everyone is doing well.

cheers,
narn