I want to start a thread where people post their daily food/exercise journal and really be honest. This is a one week challenge here to start and be held accountable and then post results at the end of the week.
HAVING to put everything you are eating/doing down here for all to see each day will hopefully give us all a jump start and some great ideas for what a successful journal will be like!
Go for it!
Linda

My first accountable day:
Monday, Aug. 22nd:

Points allowance: 22
Exercise points earned: 2
Total allowable points: 24

Breakfast:
3 egg white omlette: 1
with one laughing cow lite cheese wedge: 1
with diced tomatoes: 0
one small peach: 1
Total remaining points: 21
Snack:
One 100 calorie pack of chocolate chip cookies: 2
Points remaining: 19
Lunch:
Shaved Thin 'N Trim roast beef (deli type): 3
One low carb small pita bread: 1
Lite margarine: 1
string beans: 0
Points remaining: 14
Snack: lite 94% FF popcorn: 1
Points remaining: 13
Dinner:
Roast pork loin: 3
Potato: 3
Lite margarine: 2
Asparugus: 0
Points remaining: 5
Dessert:
one cup Slenda sweetened ff ice cream: 4 points
remaining point (didn't use all exercise points earned) 1

Water: drank it all, and then some!

Good girl, you did it!!!
Linda

Yesterday was a bad day for me. i keep finding that I am not eating enough. LOL I am 50 lb over weight and I am not eating enough? How ironic is that. Today, i am doing better. Here is yesterday and today (so far) food log. I get 34 pts a day (due to nursing the baby.)

Monday
Breakfast:
Chex 2 2
Peach 1 3

Lunch:
Chicken Ench 6 9
Tomato/ Carrots 0 9
Peach 1 10

Snack:
Ice Cream 3 13

Dinner:
Chicken w/ bbq sauce 4 17
Stuffing 3 20
Corn on the Cob 1 21

Snack:
Cereal 2 23

Tuesday
Breakfast:
Cereal 2 2
Dr. Pepper 3 5

Snack:
Crackers 2 7

Lunch:
Turkey Roll-Ups 8 15
Tomato 0 15
Nectarine 1 16
Milk 2 18

Snack:
Crackers 2 20

If you want to see my Daily Log, you can go to http://crazyadventures.blogspot.com/

Sarah, just taking a quick glance at what you journalled for the last couple of days, I see a serious lack of milk products, which would add some points. Do you not like milk? I see cerial two days in a row without milk. Do you like cheese? You are ending a day at 21 points and need 34, there is a huge difference. It looks as if you are not adding the proper protien/calcium for baby nursing! I know how stressful have a baby is, believe me, and it's hard to plan ahead for eating.
So, let's figure out what you can do to get in that protien and calcium and not having things like Dr. Pepper that are "empty calories" and are giving you nothing that is good for that darling child, even if you love it! Once in awhile, it's ok, though. I do things like that too!
If you don't like milk, what about puddings that come in those single serve containers, they are easy to grab when you are hungry in between meals and what about adding a banana which is 2 points and easy to eat as well.
One thing I am envious of is that you do get to eat 34 points and I would totally have NO problem eating them, but if you have a toddler and a baby, maybe you don't have time? You could buy some energy bars or things like that and they are very fast and easy to just grab and give you "balance" in a very handy format.
Let me know if my suggestions are helpful, I'll try to think of more. Looks like you are really doing well with your weight loss so far, though, but you really want to look at a healthy balance and add the extra points in order to lose in a healthy way and still keep that baby well fed as well. You don't want to just drop from exhaustion!
Good luck and thanks for posting! I hope more people do. We can help each other!
Linda

I was almost out of milk yesterday, so I gave it to my toddler. I have cheese on almost everything. I don't write down everything. There was 1 oz of cheese on chicken ench from yesterday and on the turkey wrap from today. I also have ice cream (the Dryers' Light) and light yogurt. Yesterday was a really bad day. Dh did not get home till after I was asleep. He had a meeting afterwork and it went late. Plus, Alexis was driving me nuts. I can't leave the house easly by my self. I was planing to go to the grocery store when DH got home. I went this morning. It was the first time I have gone shopping by myself with both babies. Alexis fusses if you make her sit in the cart. I would have had milk this morning, but I had not gotten to the store. I am drinking some now and I will get some yogurt later for a snack. I got some more crackers for snack. I am still figuring out what i need. I have only been at this alittle over a week.

Dinner:
Tuna Salad (tuna, light mayo, relish) 2.25 22.25
2 slices bread 6 28.25
tomato 0
carrots 0
milk 2 30.25

Ouch, did not realize the bread was that bad. I was trying to make sourdough, but it did not turn out well. I will not be eating any more of it. DH can have it. I will have some yogurt or ice cream latter tonight. Or maybe some popcorn. I have an air popper.

Hi there would love to join you. I'm new to this site and haven't figured out how to attached my signature but will have another go now.

Katie - go to User CP at the top of the screen. Once you click on User CP, then on the left hand side you will see "edit signature" - everything you need to know will be there.

I'm glad you're joining this thread - the more the merrier!

Great to see some others joining in! Sarah, for emergencies, perhaps keeping a container of the Parlemont (sp???) milk on hand is a good idea? I usually have a container of that on hand, it's got a long shelf life and comes in the same kind of containers as juice boxes for kids. I'm sure you've seen it? It is in the isle in a grocery store, usually, where you can buy powdered milk as well as canned evaporated milk and such things. It doesn't quite taste exactly the same, but in an "emergency" could give you just enough to get by. I don't mind it, but DH hates the stuff, though in a cup of coffee who cares?
I usually buy light bread, but sacrifice taste and texture a bit when I buy it, but it saves on points. However, if I had as many points as 34 in a day, as a nursing mom, I'd probably splurge on the really good bread, quite honestly and have one of those really high fiber textured breads that I crave so much. I do allow something like that maybe once every couple of weeks in my diet, as I have learned the hard way that total denial of one particular well-loved food ends in a disaster binge! I find that if I buy a certain brand of bread that I want I can have a few sliices and stick the rest in the freezer and have some every now and then.
Now, as for my journal for yesterday:

8/23, Tuesday:
22 points allowed, earned 2 points doing body sculpting tape as well as 20 minutes on the treadmill, total 24

Breakfast
Lite English Muffin with Weight Watchers butter spray = 1 point
(try the Thomas' lite whole grain ones, they are very good by the way!)
Banana = 2 points
Total remaining: 21

Lunch:
WW Smart Ones Glazed chicken with rice and veggies = 5
Wax beans = 0
Total remaining: 16

Snack:
100 Cal pack of Oreo cookies = 2 points
Total remaining: 14

Dinner:
2 slices thin crust pizza (it was weigh in day and I could splurge on pizza! I lost .6 by the way this week) with tons of veggies on top (made it myself for a change, I can trust what I put on it and know how many points to really count it as) = 10 points
Total remaining: 4

Dessert:
WW smart ones frozen dessert = 4

Remaining = 0
Still another day not using flex points!
I, also, need to work on getting a few more veggies and a bit more dairy into my diet as I examine what I have written. Will try harder today? Hard to know for me.
It's been a busy week for me as well, I was out a great deal yesterday and was starving when I got home for lunch. It was VERY hard not to just grab the wrong foods and I was thankful to have a WW frozen meal on a day like that as I popped it in the micro and was able to manage not to start snacking!
What are you guys doing on really busy days to keep from grabbing at the wrong foods?
Linda
PS, note that the .6 I lost was after being away last week on vacation, I really ate everything I shouldn't, so I feel very victorious, even though the loss was not all that much!

I don't buy bad stuff. The only bad thing I have is my ice cream. I know sugar is my weakness, so I keep it out of the house. I am a SAHM, so I try to eat fruit if I want somthing sweet. I also got a bunch of sugar-free drink mixes and keep some made in the fridge. I have also been going by the serving size. Yesterday, I got some Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuit. They are so yummy and I get 6 for 2 pts. I will have to go on a bread search and find some yummy bread. I love going to Central Market to get their bread, but that is a long trip just to get bread.

Hello ladies... Hope you don't mind me joining you here... I am really getting close to my goal so I decided to start journaling again since I have hit a plateau and have been there for many months

Mind if I post my journaling for last week and ask what you think I should change or work on to help me get moving down again???

Please post, Alisa. I would love to see it. Not sure how much help I would be. I am new to WW.

Thanks Sara... I just had my WI this week and I'm down .8 of a pound.. So I'm going in the right direction just need to tweek it here and there for a bigger result.. I think I really need to take out some of the dinners I have and replace them with a salad or something a little more natural but with the fast pace family I have it's so much easier to just do something quick and easy

So here is my journaling for last week...
Wednesday
B- 1/2 granola & 1/2 cont. of fat free yogurt
S- 100 Calories Graham Cracker Snack
L- Cup of fresh pineapple (maybe a little more than a cup)
S- 100 Calorie Sm Bag of Kettle Corn (this stuff is just wonderful) -
D- 2 tacos w/very little meat & cheese but lots of veggies & corn
S - Skinny Cow ice cream treat -
******45 Firm Workout Tape*******

Thursday
B - 1/2c granola & 1/2 cont. of fat free yogurt
S - 7 Sm Carmel Rice Cakes
L- 4 sm stripes of chicken,1/2c rice, 1/2 sugar cookie, 1/2 choc chip cookie
S - 100 Calorie Sm Bag of Kettle Corn
D- Bowl of Honey nut cheerios
S - 2 Pixie Sticks & 4 Tootsie Rolls (well at least I was honest)
*********60 Minute Firm Cardio Sculpt**************

Friday
B- Bowl of Honeynut Cheerios
S- SM Carmel Rice Cakes
L - Approx cup of fresh pineapple
S - 100 Caolrie Sm Bag of Kettle Corn -
D- 2 slices of pizza & 2 pieces of bread
****rest day*****

Saturday
B - Honey Nut Cheerios
L - PBJ Sandwich
D - Burrito w/shredded beef rice & bean, Chips & Salsa
S- Popcorn & 2 See's chocolates
******jogged 3 miles*****

Sunday
B- scrambled egg, 1 sm sweet roll & 3 pcs of fat free bacon
L- Ham & Swiss sandwich w/BBQ Chips
D - Chicken burger and little bit of blooming onion
S - sm slice of blackberry pie & scoop of ice cream
******jogged 3 miles*******

Monday
B- Bowl of Grape Nuts
S - Banana
L - 1/2 dinner salad leftover from Outback
D - Teriyaki w/rice rest of Outback salad
S - Slim Bear Ice Cream Bar
******Firm Workout*******

Tuesday
B- Bowl of Grape Nuts
S- 100 Calorie Oreos
L - Bowl of cantelope, pineapple, grapes & strawberries
S - 100 Calorie Kettle Corn
S- Handfull of hot tamalies
D - Bowl of cereal, english muffin w/pbj
****Firm Workout****

Alisa, I think your journal isn't specific enough for me to comment on, truly, as I don't know how many points you get in a day and how many points all the items are that you've eaten. For example, you say a bowl of grapenuts, and is it assumed you have milk with it? Is it skim milk or whole milk? Are you measuring out a "portion" size when you have that bowl of grapenuts or are you filling an entire bowl?
On the surface, I'd say you are doing ok if you lost .8, but there do seem to be alot of "processed" types of foods or carbs/restaurant foods that you are eating like tacos (the taco seasoning is really high in sodium, I think?) and things like that can really make you retain fluid. I am not an angel at all and would totally appreciate someone picking my posts appart as well, but it's interesting to look at what someone else eats and see a pattern.
I noted the day before yesterday (will post my journal for today tomorrow morning by the way) that I really wasn't getting as much milk as I should and I started the day off with cerial and milk today and felt better about myself by doing that. But, I know I am not the biggest milk fan around and that won't be a daily thing. I do take calcium and a multivitamin with calcium though.
When I started on Weight Watchers about 11 or 12 years ago they didn't have the points system they have today and there were requirements to fill in terms of milk, veggie and protien/meat as well as carbs. I think I was allowed something like 3 milks per day and 1 cup of milk counted as one of them, and certain amounts of cheese and other dairy products counted as well. We also had unlimited veggies, but had to have at least five a day and had a certain number of protein and carbs required. If we had fish, it was double the serving that you were allowed. I really liked that, as it encouraged me to have fish more often. I often wonder why the stress nowadays is on points vs. portions that give a better balance. I do think the points system is easier, but the required portions seemed healthier. The core plan is probably about the healthiest eating out there, and I tried it more than once and just can't stay on it as the rest of my family isn't wanting to eat those foods. If I lived alone, I could do core all the time with no problem whatsoever.
I know we read in our WW materials about having the right amount of milk, fruits, veggies, etc. but when it boils down to pure fact and you see what everyone really is eating out there wheb they journal, the reality is that we are not sticking with that lovely food pyramid, myself very much included in that to acheive the points we should be eating per day. By the way, Alisa, I totally WANT that blackberry pie and scoop of ice cream! Sounds like pure heaven to me!
I don't have any answers, but I am certainly looking at what I am putting in my own mouth! I'm at least aware.
I have 6 points left today, unusual for me after my supper has been eaten. It's quite tempting to fill a huge bowl with "lite" ice cream and "go for it" as I have the points, but my conscience keeps nagging at me to have some fruit or other things that are better for me. Maybe I'll try? But, I know I'll at least have a one point chocolate fudge WW bar for sure, I'm only human after all!
By the way, one more thing on this topic, my ww leader mentioned this week that she is reviewing journals of many people who are having troubles losing weight lately and many of them are eating lots of those 100 calorie packets of things like oreos, cheese nips, etc. Even if they are fitting in with our points and we are having the proper point allowance, perhaps we are not making the best choices by relying on those things? Note that I have been eating them right along with everyone else! I just love the chocolate chip and oreo ones, it's revisiting my early days when I wasn't so worried about what I was eating. The fact that the cookies are small, but there are several of them is gratifying... one can eat slowly and maybe have a cup of tea with them and really feel as if there is "something" for a change when you can eat a whole bag and they do taste like the "real thing"!
At any rate, I've been rambling on here, but I really am trying to do some thinking and develop a healthy lifestyle here.
Linda, thinking about the 6 remaining points and looking forward to good choices!

Thanks Linda for all your honesty and insight... I do have lowfat milk with my cereal and will usually just put one serving in my bowl.. The reason I like the point system so much is I have a very hectic life and there is no way on this earth that my family would switch to Core way of eating.. We eat way too many processed foods to give them all up but I have been making them make a few changes here and there which they don't seem to mind!!

For me I know I am really going to try hard to give up some of the processed, easy to grab things like the 100 calorie snack and such and instead grab some fruit or veggies instead.. Also at my WW we spent a lot of time going over Core this last week and I'm going to try to incorporate as much as possible for myself during the weekdays where I have control over most of my meals and then splurge a little on the weekends but count my points!!

WW Ravioli Meal 4

Popcorn (1/2 of snack size) 1
1/2 20 oz diet coke 0

Oil and vinegar dressing 4 (???)
Salad (tomato, cucumber, lettuce) 0
w/ feta 3

BLT
bread 2
bacon 6
lettuce
tomato


1 slice of husband's garlic bread 4
(we went out to eat)

sugar free creamcicle 0

24 points total out of 26.

I will also drink a gallon of water by the end of today.

I don't normally eat quite like this - we were in town all day, and that's a little different for me. I had to go to the college, and several stores.

Unfortunatly, it will be the same way tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

Also - I didn't do any specific type of exercise. Let me say this, though. I have been VERY sedentary for the last few months. I'm trying to stand and walk and just be OUT more. I'm trying to incorporate LOTS more activity in my life. I'll start an exercise program very soon, though.