No Excuses! Food and Exercise Accountability 7/28 - 8/3

Meg · 07-28-2008, 04:36 AM

Welcome to a new week of delicious menus and energizing workouts!

(a dancing banana encompasses both concepts, right?

)

Way back in April, this thread evolved one Sunday morning when I was frustrated with a tight pair of jeans, posted about it, and found a whole bunch of kindred spirits. Since then I've lost five pounds and now those jeans fit comfortably.

It wasn't fast, but it happened and that's all that matters! I wore those jeans yesterday and just thinking about how they fit kept me making good choices all day.

But I've got some challenges ahead so need this thread more than ever! We leave for the beach on Saturday, so there's the pitfall of vacations and off-plan eating. Then I'll be having my knees replaced the following week, meaning no exercise for a while (except with my walker!

) AND the danger of having a major food Pity Party. But realistically I know I can't afford to stress my knees with even five additional pounds, so it would be really stupid of me to let myself gain weight.

This can be a POP week until we leave Saturday morning! Today's plan:

Exercise: 30 minutes bike, 30 minutes elliptical, core, legs

Food:

M1: Egg, eggbeaters, oatmeal
M2: Protein shake
M3: LC wrap, grilled chicken, veggies, a little hummus
M4: Yogurt, cherries
M5: PB, rice cakes
M6: Salmon, roasted green beans

cckayac · 07-28-2008, 07:08 AM

Meg your doing great and such an inspiration. I think we have been on a site years ago together. Your doing much better than I at this point but I am trying and looking at your accomplishments make me want to try harder to reach mine. I have put back on a few extra lbs. lately and now am working on getting them off. I am working on smaller portions, better choices and increasing my exercise.
I hope things go well with your vacation and knee surgery they do things so differently now be greatful your doing it now and not years ago. You will do well and P.T. will help afterwards keep you moving.
Todays plan is eat with in my plan and exercise after work at the gym. Crunches for the belly and wt. machines, some treadmill too. This is my first offical day back. Yesterday I did do pool exercises with two friends it was a decent workout and maybe a couple times more of that this week.

rockinrobin · 07-28-2008, 07:38 AM

Oh Meg, I DO remember that day. Bravo for you for dropping those 5 lbs!!!!!! I know you're going to do great with each and every challenge that comes your way. You're a champ. You've proven it time and time again.

Me on the other hand, I've had yet another rough weekend. No one's fault but my own. We went away again and I over indulged again. Hey, at least I'm consistient. Oh, but in the wrong way.

We did spend sometime in the ER though. My hubby's blood pressure was scary through the rough. 185 over 115. We got it down at night only to have it rise again in the morning. Found ourselves right back at the ER. Am waiting to speak to his doctor this morning. I don't know what the week ahead will look like as we try and get his pressure under control. I do think this was a wake up call for him and he is ready to shed his extra pounds.

Anyway, I am NOT going away this weekend and I am looking forward to that. I need the headspace of knowing that I will be home this weekend in my own home with my own foods. I wanna wear my skinny jeans too.

cckayac, I don't think we've met. Nice to "meet" you. Good luck to you on you first "official" week back.

paperclippy · 07-28-2008, 09:00 AM

Today's plan:
B - oatmeal squares (250), milk (65), blueberries (10), a couple bites of melon (20)
S - banana (75)
L - spaghetti with sauce (260)
S - apple (80), plum (30), apricot (30)
S - dumpling with blueberry sauce (200)
D - lamb pitas with various veggies, israeli salad (about 450)
Total - 1470
Exercise - 25 min UBWO

Megan1982 · 07-28-2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockinrobin

No one's fault but my own. We went away again and I over indulged again. Hey, at least I'm consistent. Oh, but in the wrong way.

Hey, me too! Yeah... I don't think these type of consistency points count for much. Pooh. Yes, food was bad this weekend, undid all the good work I did last week.

Yesterday I made a new batch of protein muffins, roasted some chicken for my lunches, and poured through my Oxygen magazines and came up with a 5 day split weightlifting workout for this week. At least I can say that I've finished NRLW and I feel that it's done a great job of reshaping my muscles. Even though my weight is still up somewhat, I've shed a few pounds so more of my clothes fit, and I'm enjoying my workouts a lot more now that I'm not such a cardio queen. I think I can say that workouts are not my problem these days, it's overindulging in food & drink!

Meg, congrats on shedding those 5 lbs! I know you'll meet your upcoming challenges head-on. Come post here if you're rehabbing your knees and are considering a food pity party. You'll do great!

Robin, I wanna wear my skinny jeans too!

Hi, cckayac! Nice to "meet" you.

Today's plan:
B - 1 c. Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal, 1 c. sk milk, coffee w/ 1 T. h&h
S - 1 c. blueberries
L - whole wheat tortilla w/ 1 oz. chicken, spinach, and salsa, 1 c. carrots + 1 c. celery, 1/4 c. ff sour cream w/ herbs
Snacks throughout the day - 1/2 oz. raw walnuts, 6 oz. light yogurt, mango
gym - warm-up walk 1 mile@4 mph, chest (20 min) & abs (45 min), elliptical 45 min.
post-gym snack - homemade protein muffin
D - large salad w/ light dressing, Beef, Veg & Cheese casserole
edited to reflect what really happened - total cals, 1520 - finally hit about 1500!

mandalinn82 · 07-28-2008, 11:39 AM

Robin - sorry to hear about DH - hopefully the problems get resolved soon.

Meg -

There is nothing like being in the skinny jeans.

Cckayac - welcome to our little corner!

This weekend - a series of victories and losses. Overall, I'm not feeling too terrible about it, though Saturday and Sunday's eating WERE a little overboard, they were both in places where I had no menu control and I did the best I could (particularly at a work event where, say, just eating the chicken from a family-style plate would be rude). On Saturday, I had an exercise win (I learned that I've GOT to buy heavier weights! I did my whole routine with a heavier set in the hotel gym, and I could totally manage it, and got a WAY better workout than I might have otherwise), and the food, while not great, wasn't bad. I got back 2 lbs up from when I left, but I've got all of that "salty food and plane dehydration weight" going on, and I'm sure some of it will be gone by tomorrow.

House update - we're probably not getting the house we wanted. We're trying to be OK with it, and going tomorrow to look at others. In the long run, it's probably better...frustrating, but probably better financially. So we're looking elsewhere. Fingers crossed that whatever we try to buy THIS time doesn't take 6 months, only to fall through!

Meanwhile, I'm finally back home with no big plans in sight (LOL, except getting married officially tomorrow, but we already had our big shindig so we just are going down to the county clerk to make it official now that we can in the state...), and ready to get back on plan.

B - Alternative Bagel, Egg Beaters
S - Cantaloupe
L - Alternative Bagel Tuna Melt
S - Greek yogurt w/ nectarine
S - Popcorn
D - Extra lean burger stuffed w/ laughing cow and topped w/ caramelized onions on a light wheat bun, side salad.
S - NSA Neopolitan Ice Cream

E - 60 on the elliptical, 30 yoga

traveling michele · 07-28-2008, 12:30 PM

I haven't posted in this forum for a few weeks, but I need the motivation again!!

Meg-- so glad you've lost 5 pounds. I hope you have a great week ahead of your weekend and surgery.

Amanda-- congratulations on your "official" wedding! How exciting! I hope you find a wonderful house and it doesn't fall through this time-- so frustrating!

Robin-- that is scary about your dh. I hope things get regulated soon and he is able to work on his health.

I am up a few pounds after my trip to Mexico and another weekend away. I am not going anywhere for a few weeks, so no excuses! Well, my anniversary is August 1, so that *might* be an excuse but I'm not sure what we're doing yet.
I am not feeling well though. I think I've caught dd's cold, and my asthma is acting up. I'm going to try to go to the gym and see how it goes.

lilybelle · 07-28-2008, 10:03 PM

I haven't really been posting in this thread, but I have been using the "No Excuses" philosophy to try to get back to goal. Today is Day 17 of consecutive gym workouts lasting 90 min's each. My scale is headed back down and I feel it's totally worth it to work hard and get back to my goal. I've had one off-plan meal since rededicating myself to getting back to goal.

Today has been hard, with cravings like crazy. I haven't given in. I hate it that every commercial I see is about the new chocolately bread sticks at Pizza Hut or the Peanut Buster Parfait at Dairy Queen. I've had to keep my hand on the remote and change the channel several times.

mandalinn82 · 07-28-2008, 10:49 PM

Turns out Sar can't get off tomorrow, so we can't get married...ah well. We've got plenty of time.

OP today, with some extra exercise to boot.

mandalinn82 · 07-28-2008, 11:59 PM

Plan for tomorrow:

B - Alternative Bagel, Laughing Cow, 1 slice deli ham
S - 2 cup cantaloupe
L - Leftovers - Stuffed burger w/ caramelized onions, side salad
S - Popcorn
S - Greek Yogurt
D - Giant Salad w/ flank steak, grilled corn, squash, bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, sugar peas, and any other veggies I can dig up, with light dressing
S - NSA Neopolitan

E - Definitely 50 min cardio, 50 min strength. Optional (but advisable) 30 min yoga.

BlueToBlue · 07-29-2008, 03:25 AM

Well, last week ended up about half on and half off plan; hopefully this week will be more on than off. My weight is up about three lbs. I know that some of this has to be water, there's just no way I ate enough to gain three lbs in just three off plan days (and they weren't all off plan, just part of each day was off). Never-the-less, I'd feel a lot better is the scale were reporting a lower number.

Today came in on plan, but barely. I ended up not having time to eat my second afternoon snack, otherwise I would have been over by about 100 calories. Here's how it worked out:

B: FF plain Greek yogurt with High Fiber Cereal and raspberries
S: Decaf coffee with FF half and half and SF Torani, High Fiber Cereal
L: Shrimp and Grits Casserole, various pickles, 2 tortilla chips
S: Oat bran hot cereal with pumpkin, FF cream cheese, and SF Torani
S: cauliflower and salsa; plum, apricot
D: Honey Dijon Chicken; Sweet potato salad (I used just 1 tbsp olive oil and tossed in some sauteed radicchio, I also roasted the potatoes instead of boiling them); green salad
S: sweetened polenta with pumpkin, topped with sweetened FF plain Greek yogurt and Strawberry-Rhubarb Topping

It all came in around 1400 calories.

Exercise was one hour with my trainer.

rockinrobin · 07-29-2008, 06:20 AM

Since yesterday was a Monday, I was indeed POP.

Maybe, just maybe I should change the name of Saturday and Sunday to Monday as well. Hmmmm............

Have a good one folks.

Meg · 07-29-2008, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandalinn82

Turns out Sar can't get off tomorrow, so we can't get married...ah well. We've got plenty of time.

I know you already had your wedding, but you're just so ... blasé about the whole thing.

Robin, please let's not make every day a Monday!

Hi cckayac!

I already know that today will be tough because I didn't get much sleep last night (had to pick DS up at the airport after his flight home was delayed for several hours). So it was way, way past my bedtime and today I feel like someone whacked me over the head with a 2 x 4.

The gym isn't happening right now -- we'll see if I get a burst of energy later on today. I know my worst days, food-wise, are when I'm tired because I just can't tell tired and hungry apart, so I'm going to have to do a lot of self-talk today. If you see a crazy woman mumbling to herself about how if hunger isn't the problem, food isn't the solution ... that would be me.

M1: 1/2 protein shake
M2: Egg, eggbeaters, oatmeal
M3: LC wrap, chicken breast, LC lite cheese, veggies
M4: Cherries, almond milk
M5: Rice cakes and PB
M6: Sea bass, coleslaw w/LF dressing

rockinrobin · 07-29-2008, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meg

:

Robin, please let's not make every day a Monday!

I already know that today will be tough because I didn't get much sleep last night (had to pick DS up at the airport after his flight home was delayed for several hours). So it was way, way past my bedtime and today I feel like someone whacked me over the head with a 2 x 4.

The gym isn't happening right now -- we'll see if I get a burst of energy later on today. I know my worst days, food-wise, are when I'm tired because I just can't tell tired and hungry apart, so I'm going to have to do a lot of self-talk today. If you see a crazy woman mumbling to herself about how if hunger isn't the problem, food isn't the solution ... that would be me.

Oh Meg, once again, you've really made me smile.

I can't believe how alike we all are. I can't begin to tell you how I rely HEAVILY on self-talk. And of course the biggie is "if hunger isn't the problem, food isn't the solution".

I wonder how people who have never been terribly overweight, yet DO feel like overeating, but don't, get through the rough patches. Do you think they have the habits that we've HAD to form? Obiously they had to rely on SOMETHING. Do you think they needed to set up such strict boundaries?

And..... I really don't want everyday to BE a Monday. I just want to experience that wonderful ease of stick to the plan-ness that comes to me every single Monday without fail.

paperclippy · 07-29-2008, 08:50 AM

I edited my post from yesterday to reflect what I actually ended up eating. 1470 cals, not bad at all.

Today's plan:
B - oatmeal squares (220), milk (65), canteloupe (30)
S - banana (75)
L - lamb pita (380)
S - apricot (30), plum (30), yogurt (150) w/cereal (30)
D - half corn cob (40), salad (15) with boiled beets (20), rice (200), stir-fried chard and radish greens (45)
Total - 1330
Exercise - 20 min walk with dog