Morning everyone!
Here is my journal for yesterday:

exercise:
~1 mile walk
~25 minutes strength training-upper body and abdominals
~belly dance troupe rehearsal
(about 30 min. of it was dancing)

Food/drink intake:

1 cup of coffee in the am-8 glasses of water (4 16oz bottles) through the day-no sodas or anything else.

I didn't really eat breakfast yesterday-more like grazing through the morning-as I was really busy:
*MORNING GRAZING*
1c. orange juice
1c. chocolate soymilk
blackberry yogurt
*LUNCH*
1 serving stuffed cabbage with tomato sauce (stuffed with lean beef and brown rice)
banana
*DINNER*
1 small square lasagna
2 servings california blend veggies
*AFTER REHEARSAL SNACK*
handful of praline soynuts

Overall I did really well-although I should have had more protein in the morning-I have been swamped with work though! I did great though-had my water, exercise, 5 produce servings, my calcium and fiber goals, and no junk food. It was a good day. I hope today will go just as well-with a little bit better breakfast, though.

Holly-I am right there with you on the new torture tapes! I got some new ones for Christmas...I saw the ones you ordered in the Collage catalog-you will have to let me know if they are any good!!!!

Good morning ladies. I hope everyone's day is going well!

I am now on day two of my plan, and I must get through it. Yesterday didn't work out as planned for me!

All day at work - I did just fine. I followed on plan 100% and felt great. After work I planned on going to the gym to get a good work out in, but after lunch I got a really bad headache, and talked myself out of going.

(Now here is where I need to confess!)

By the time that I got home from work - I felt really bad about not going to the gym. Then after searching for something reasonably healthy to eat for dinner (and not finding anything) I gave in. Ricardo (my fiance') and I drove to Wendy's to pick something up for dinner.

I could have had a salad - but no. I was too tempted by all the other food.

I ordered a spicy chicken sandwich meal with a medium frosty & med fry. I also ordered a Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe.

When I got home - I ate the Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe, not quite half of the fry, and only half of the frosty (because it was mostly melted and yucky.) Then I looked at the chicken sandwich and just could not eat it. I already felt bad about eating the burger.

So there is my confession. Normally I would just give up after doing something like that - but I realize that today is a new day - and not the end of the world. Today I am starting fresh again.

This morning I woke up and ate a banana for breakfast. For lunch - it will be Tuna, Fat Free, Sugar Free pudding, and some applesauce.

Like yesterday - I don't know exactly what to make for dinner. This is my downfall here. I only get paid twice per month - so I only buy groceries on the 15th & 30th of each month. Right now there isn't a lot of healthy food in the house - so I am just gathering up whatever "healthy" stuff that I can find until payday.

There is one thing coming up this week that will help get my weight loss started. On Friday morning I have to go to the oral surgeon to have my two wisdom teeth removed. They are both impacted - so I'm sure that afterwards, I won't feel like eating over the weekend.

Yesterday during our lunch hour at work - my aunt and I went to Kroger to weigh in. When we got there - they had removed their scale! We ended up going to a few other stores - but they did not have any scales there either.

Today we are going to a local mall during lunch - and see if they have one there. We'll see.

Anyways - I better get going - I have some work to do.

I hope you are all having a great day!

- Kari

Hi girls,
I am back to work today and no more overtime!
I have been eating well, lots of fruit, veggies and lean white meats......I worked out 6 days last week and took Sunday off! Then yesterday I did 23 minutes on my elliptical and didn't feel that bad when I got done....I was so happy. I can feel a little difference but when I weighted my self Sunday I was still 164? I really ate right and in small portion so I am hoping that I just gained some muscle weight and lost some fat! It is going to be 70 here in the carolinas today so I will be out at lunch walking.

Holly you are doing great and sound so motovated! Yeah! It must be nice to have a bike. my DH has been wanting one forever and I would enjoy it too.

Aphil I wish I could have been at your party. Sounds like so much fun. We didn't do anything at all. But I feel good and think this will be a good year.

Hi everyone and hope every one is starting this year off right....

Amie

kari-some "beginner" adivce for you. Next stop at Wendy's-get a Diet Coke and a chili. A small chili at Wendy's is only around 210 calories. (check their site for the actual calorie count.) You are not forced to eat a salad when you go to a restaurant-there are other lower calorie choices-you just gotta look for them.
Also-you need to eat more than a banana at breakfast. Add a cup of yogurt to that, an egg made without any oil in the preparation, or a small bowl of oatmeal. 110 calories is not near enough for breakfast.
Eating too LITTLE during the day and saving your calories for dinner could have attributed to your headache. Space your calories out a little more evenly through the day and you will feel much better.
Also-Holly and I are the exercise stickler's around here. Drive to the gym and throw on those athletic shoes whether you really feel like it or not-because after your workout and you have the blood flowing and your endorphins geared up-you will feel FABULOUS! Trust me on this one...
Aphil

MY food and exercise for the weekend:

"Friday I think was the day I did the accelorated pilates video it is like an hour long?"

Saturday
20 minutes on elliptical
eggbeater with sprinkle of low fat cheese and some onion and coffee
apple
turky with pov. cheese, lettuce, tomatoe, pickle on 12 grain bread
straberries
small lean hamburger pattie with brocolli, fresh spinach and peas (I was trying to not eat the fries I made with the hamburger)

Sunday
Day off from work outs but walked a nature trail with DD
bowl of speicial K with strawberries and coffee
11 AM pear
12:45 Turkey on 12 grain bread with 2 tbsp low fat ranch, and thin slice prov. cheese
3 PM small salad with fat free ranch and some mushrooms, onion and peppers my
friend made in olive oil.
6:30 PM Beef and bowtie pasta...Foodfit.com thin 1/2" pieces of lean steak cooked
in non fat beef broth, aparagus, onion, basil and sundried tomatoe. tiny
sprinkle of graded parmasan cheese. This is put over a serving of bowtie
pasta.
8PM 1 Glass of blackberry wine


Monday
full body stretch, 23 minutes on elliptical

8:30 Bowl of speical K w/ strawberries and 1 piece of peanut butter toast (12 grain bread)
10:00 yogurt
2PM (went to mall late lunch Chick fa lay) Chargrilled sandwich on wheat bun, fries and small slaw and diet coke??
8PM very Small bowl of left over beef and bowtie pasta.

Today

30 min fast walk at lunch
20 min pilates video

6:00 AM 1 toast w/ peanut butter
9AM yogurt
11:30 small bowl of the last of the beef and pasta (yummy)
2PM tangarine and raisens
6:30PM Tuna on bed of greens
9PM small low fat cottege cheese

Hi Everyone.

I have not logged in for awhile but I have been keeping up by reading posts.
I do most of my posting at work and I have been swamped. I have been stressed and wanting to overeat because of it but have been doing good and keeping on track. The gym just got a new treadmill, I am going to try running. I have fibromyalgia and it hurts too much sometimes, (not to mention 30 extra pounds), but I am going to start with just 2 minutes at a time and increase it.

Welcome Kerri. You will finds lots of support here, as I have. Don't beat yourself up for having a bad day, we all do. That's what we are all here for.

I get a free magazine from Kraft once a month and they had some great low-fat recipes in it this month. I haven't checked to see if the recipes are on-line but I anyone is interested in getting the magazine monthly I think you can go to this website and get it. [email protected] They also sent me a free calendar with recipes and at Christmas time they sent me some goody bags to use to give goodies away as gifts.

VermontMom, I am glad to see that you are back. I was wondering about you. At my last job I did a lot of physical labor and would not ask men for help unless I absolutely had to. Many of the girls that worked for me were younger and would ask the men to lift unnecessary things for them most of the time, they didn't even try to do it themselves. I hated that! Anytime I heard one of them ask the men for help I would do it myself, without saying a word to them. After awhile they started doing it themselves.

Amosos, you and Ddel30 are on a roll. You guys are doing great!!!

Jacklyn, so glad to hear your good news about your health.

Snowy, glad you are back with us we all need each other. The more the merrier.

Aphil, I don't know how you do it all and stay on your program. You are an inspiration to us. When things get crazy in my life that's when I mess up and say the **** with it!

Better get back to work.

Deb

Hi, I am new and looking for a good forum to join. I am young and about 20-30 lbs over the weight I would like to be. It is very important for me to lose this weight by this summer because this is my prime! If I am overweight now, it'll just get harder to lose as I get older. So... hopefully support will help me get my goal. I am aiming for 1400 calories a day and 30 minutes cardio every day. (Not hard core, just moderate) also I do light yoga almost every day.
Thanks

KiwiFrt2787, Welcome. You are doing a smart thing. Instead of dieting as a temporary thing, concentrate on learning to eat correctly and exercising when you are young, as a permanent life change. Small permanent changes will go a long way for you. Try using www.fitday.com to count your calories, it's free. I use it every day.

Hi Kiwi-welcome!

Debbie-it's not that I just automatically do well on plan all of the time...it is years of trial and error and learning what works for me, as well as over the years getting more and more educated on proper exercise and nutrition.

I can't be 211 pounds again (and I was a gestational diabetic with my pregnancies) and have that health risk at the heightened level that it was 3 years ago.

My aunt was diagnosed with adult onset diabetes at around 30 years of age-and it was absolutely 100% attributed to being significantly overweight, having a sedentary lifestyle with no exercise, and a poor diet that included sodas, convenience/fast foods, and "simple carbs" like chips, white bread and pasta, and sugary things. Even after her diagnosis she didn't improve her eating and lifestyle to the point that she could have-and after many hospital stays, a couple high blood sugar induced comas, and other complications-she passed away at around 40 years old-when my daughter was an infant.


I am the "high risk" one in my family to carry this on-and I can't. When I want to toss in the towel and not work out or just fall off the wagon and eat whatever I want for a week-I tell myself that if I do-I can say hello to a life of insulin shots and doctors visits.

The best preventative medicine that I have is to exercise daily and keep my weight under control like my life depends on it-because it does.

So...that is sort of my motivation. I want to look better, feel better, get compliments and all that frilly stuff-but the bottom line for me is my health and a long life.

Exercise today:
20 minutes of belly dancing practice
3 mile walk (at a 15 minute mile pace/45 minutes)

Tonight is grocery night-so I am looking through the ads and my coupons-and taking a mental note on some "deals".

I hope you all have a good day here-and maybe take the time to think a little about the health benefits of a proper diet and exercise. Even eating reduced calories-our choices within that still need to be as healthy as can be.

Proper Diet and regular exercise work hand in hand for optimum health and appearance-if you are struggling with one or the other-then do what you can every day to help that along. We have to be accountable to ourselves if we are going to succeed-we have to do this for ourselves, and our own health and well being.

Take care ladies, and have a wonderful day.

Aphil

Good afternoon

Well I am on my 12th day of being back on track I have work out every day last week and this week except Sunday. Last night I did 24 minutes at a fast pace on my elliptical and burned 402 calories. I want to use the treadmill today but it has been in the hall waiting to get brought up stairs. My DH has back problems and is just recovering from a torn muscle.

Aphil, I am tring so hard to keep my calories at 1200 or less. I have a hard time to loose weight and have a slow metabolism. I am eating fresh healthy choices and 6 small portions but keep going over. Yesterday I was at 1385 cals and 43g of fat. I made the mistake of using too much olive oil while cooking my chicken and spinach and did not think about the fat and calories per tbsp of it! Today I though I had a great day and still my intake is going to be about 1253 cals and 37g of fat. I know cutting out that extra cup of coffee will help and maybe going down to a tsp of peanut butter on my toast will also help? This is what I ate today............

6AM skipped toast running late no coffee
8:30 1 pk oat meal with coffee (cream and sugar)
10AM Water
11:30 1/2 grilled chicken breast, 1/2 c white rice (plain), very small
portion of corn cutt of the cob, small portion of suateed fresh
spinach using olive oil. water
2:00 water
2:45 1 low fat berry yogurt w/ coffee (2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp creamer)
6:30 lean cuisine stir fried chicken frozen dinner (270 cals 7g fat)
w/ 1/2 c of 2% milk
7:30 water
8PM work out
9PM water
9:30 1/2 c low fat cottage cheese

This is what I ate yesterday and though it was good but went over 185 cals!

1 multi grain toast w/ tbsp PB coffee w/ C&S
1 pk oat meal w/ water
1c spegetti w/ 1/2c meat sauce made with lean meat and veggie blend sauce
and water
pear with a coffee w/ C&S
1/2 grilled chicken breast, 1 ear of corn (no butter), 1/4 c fresh spinach and 1/2 c plain white rice and water
water
24 min on elliptical (402 cals burned) and 25 minute lunch walk stretches
water
nothing to eat after work out or before bed today...........This all came up to 1385cals and 43g of fat becouse of the olive oil???

I am not weighing my self until Sunday and did not see any change last Sunday but I think I may be tightening up and just didn't see it on the scale?

Ever one seems to be doing go and in good spirits.

Deb~ I have been doing my food intake and stuff on fitday love the charts and stuff!

Vermont ~ Stayin away from all those yummy goodies??? That is a challenge for sure!

Have a great weekend will check in after I weigh in on Sunday.

Amie

amoses-
Congrats for staying on track the past few days! I do have a small concern, and it will actually make things easier for you-I don't think you should be at a 1200 calories per day limit-especially now that your exercise is getting a lot more regular. 1200 calories is the lowest anyone should go for weight loss. If you have a slow metabolism, then you should be at a slightly higher calorie level so that your body doesn't think it is "starving" and try to conserve calories.

When the design of the human body was made-it was during more primative times when people often suffered drought, famine, and other hardships. The body has a reaction when it thinks it is in a "famine" and slows the metabolism to conserve its fat stores-basically it goes into "let's keep you alive during this famine" mode. It doesn't comprehend that you are starving on purpose.

Eat at around a 1400 calorie range instead-trust me, trust me, trust me! Your exercise will help speed your metabolism-it is the best metabolism picker-upper available!!!! Your body will have more fuel-so it will be more willing to "let go" of the extra weight-because it knows food is plentiful.

Just make sure to keep up your exercise regularly-you will do just fine. 1200 calories per day is too low to do for any long period of time.


Last night was grocery night-and we went as a family. The kids were really good-and as a "treat" I got them each a Stretch Island Fruit Leather in the health food section. Basically-this is the health food equivalent of "fruit snacks".

You know, I remember when I was a kid and Fruit Roll Ups first came out. I remember they were strawberry-and they actually had fruit IN them-you could see the pulp a little and little specks of seed...there was sugar in them, of course-but nowadays they look like red plastic. No fruit at all. Things have just turned to crap anymore.

The fruit leathers are single serve and are usually 2/$1 or 3/$1 on sale. All they are is fruit and juice-no junk. Considering regular name brand fruit snacks are easily $2.50 a box...it really isn't that much more expensive. They enjoyed them, and it was nice to give them a "non-junk" treat.

I have been tallying my exercise for the year 2005-and I have not exercised yet today. Up until yesterday (6th) here is my total:
7 1/2 miles walked
1 hour belly dancing
1 hour 15 min. strength training

Not too bad...let's see what I can add to that today.

Aphil

Hi all,

Thanks Aphil. I am having a hard time to go up to 1400 in my mind. I was feeling like after a full week of working out and eating under 1400 I had not lost a lb? So I thought I needed to lower my intake to 1200. I am 164 lbs as of last Sunday and only 5'-3" tall. I will try to keep it around 1350-1400 a day. Yippy I can keep my PB toast...This morning I used only a tsp of PB trying to cutt back and didn't eat my oatmeal, instead had a small apple? I will try this approach and give in a month. I am just so ready after a year and a half to get to my goal weight! I want to be at 128 by June 31st. I have been on fitday tracking everything and it is saying I need to loose 1.44 lbs per week to meet this goal. I hope I can do it. I have a DD chest so I can not weight less than 120 so I think this is a good goal for my height and frame. I would love to maintain and flex between 125 and 128, just staying under 130!

Exercise last night was:
20 min Pilaties video
30 min 4.0 mph walk (10 min at 4.7 mph and then 20 at 3.6 mph)
stretches

Amie

31 years old 5'-3"
~My Plan: 1300-1400 cals per day in 6 small meals made up of fresh veggies, fruits, grains, dairy and protiens. Min of 20 minutes of exercise 6 days a week.

Starting weight on June 03 212.0 lbs.
Mid way and low weight June 04 156.6 lbs. loss of 56 lbs!
December 04 165.4 lbs. gain of 8.8 lbs ???
January 02,2005 164.2 lbs Back down 1.2 lbs ..."36.2 lbs to Go!"
Goal June 05 128.0 lbs.

Don't get discouraged. Some weeks you will lose, others you will not. The body has to go at its own pace-just give it time. It is better to eat at a 1400 calorie range-because your metabolism will not slow down to starving mode-you just have to let that exercise over time speed your metabolic rate.

As of right now with what I have ate and will eat later my calorie intake will be 1399 and fat will be at 41g. How is that? What do you think a good fat intake is. I was thinking 40g? I love that site fitday. I looked at one of the Nutrition reports and after putting in every thing I have eaten today and what I will eat for dinner and snack I noticed that I was low on Calcium, magnesium, Folate and vitamin D and A so I thought about what I can get here at work and what is at home and I added 1c of 2% milk to my dinner and a small banana with my lunch and 1c of califlower this evening which brought me to 1379 cals and helped bring up my numbers. Thanks for all the help.

Food today

1 multi grain toast w/ 1 tsp PB coffee w/ C&S
small apple w/ water
1/2 of "No Wrisk Wrap" (turkey, lettuce tomatoe and a cucumber sauce wraped in a spinach wrap. with a pickle (1/4 of pickel sliced long) and water
small banana
a few sunflower seeds
1 low fat yogurt
dinner : other half of my "NO Wrisk Wrap" w/ 1 cup milk
1c plain uncooked califlower
1 small low fat cottege cheese w/ water
water
1 cup of green tea

20 minuted fast lunch walk
hope to do 25 minutes on elliptical (grocorie day after work)

Amie