1300 cals is not a small amount - believe it or not. Particularly if you fill up on vegetables and have only small amounts of the other stuff. Somedays I find that I have 200 cals left over so I give myself permission to eat something else. I'm rarely hungry. A typical day would be muesli, yoghurt and fruit for breakfast (around 250) cals. Lunch is a fairly big meal as they have cheap stuff in the cafe downstairs so I will have a big plate of steamed veges and a bit of whatever the meat is (mostly chicken) thats going and also plonk on some salad if the plate doesn't actually overflow. (around 500-600 cals) Then I might have some soup and toast and some diet dairy dessert again around 300 cals so that gives me somewhere in the region of 1100 cals and the rest goes on a banana, apple or mandarin or grapes. Sometimes I swap out the fruit for cheese and rice crackers.
I certainly don't miss out. I can even eat the occasional ice cream (NZ natural of course) and stay within budget.
Just goes to prove, you don't have to starve while you have vegetables in the house. A big plateful of broccoli, carrots, pumpkin, cauliflower, zucchini, tomatoes etc steamed only gives you around 100 calories if that. Add a cheese sauce (97%fat free) and you have another 50-100. It's not that difficult. Just think about it and work it out carefully. You can even stick a glass of wine in some days.
Hi ho - it's back to work I go. 8 full working days and counting.
Red - Good for you for "being real" about your sugar. I had to take a pause yesterday too. You're doing awesome on your caffeine! The latest MRI of my back shows arthritis degeneration in my left sacroilliac (SI) joint, and a couple slightly bulging disks. The cortisone shot in the SI joint reduces the inflammation and lubricates the joint, so it should help. And at the very least, it buys me 6 months or more (hopefully) to exercise and get some weight off. Still not ready for high impact stuff or aerobics classes...but it's nice to know that I should be able to walk around all the fun festivals and fairs Milwaukee has during the summer months.
Shad - Good for you for managing your calories wisely. Your plate of steamed veg with a reduced fat cheese sauce has me salivating! Mmmmm. The weight loss program I'm on at work had us calculate our base daily calorie needs based on our height, age, weight, etc. And then subtract 500 calories from that per day. Which is pretty much what FitDay.com suggested.
Jazzy - Did you need to start from scratch? Or just take one of the pauses you allowed yourself. Good for you for remembering your water and staying hydrated.
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Yesterday - Journal AND stay within calorie/point range - Journaled but did not stay within points range. 1 pause taken, Still on Day 17
Went to a baseball game last night....had a hamburger, fries and 3 beers. Probably not the smartest thing to do before weigh in. Hopefully the scale will be kind today, despite last night's indiscretions.
No snacking - 2 pauses - Day 14 done
Portion control - 2 pauses - Day 14 done
1300 calorie limit - 1 pause Day 12 done
Water - 1 litre per day - 1 pause - Day 13 done.
50 Crunches - 0 pauses - Day 12 done.
Difficult to drink the water when it is so darned cold out there. So a pause day taken yesterday. Move on to today and try again.
Stuck to it yesterday...the challenges at least...
Almost done on caffeine but I think I'll keep that one going by doing another round.
Minimal Sugar 15 completed 2 pauses taken
Caffeine Cut Day 20 completed 0 pauses taken
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diyana -- Thank you for your compliment. Your back sounds truly painful. I hope that losing weight will help it. I know that strengthening the surrounding muscles can help a lot. You're doing well. Good for YOU for getting down to 230. You'll be in the '20s in no time and then onward! Hurrah for you!
Shad -- Cold? Oh right, you're in the winter down there. Here, it's hot and muggy. Temperatures over 30 C today. and it's cloudy. I guess you can do 1300 calories because as you said, you're not working out much. I just figured my calorie needs using the harris-Benedict formula and, if I'm working out heavy and building muscle mass (and I am very muscular) I would be using at least 2,450 calories a day. That is what I am used to eating to maintain this weight. If I cut down to 1,300 I literally drop weight too fast and can't keep it up. Going to 2,000 a day and being consistent will allow me a pound of fat loss a week. Now, that shouldn't be too hard.
Peggy -- Good to see you again! Sorry you had to start your challenges over, but no loss. You're still ahead of the game!
Last edited by redballoon; 07-08-2009 at 11:51 PM.
I fully intended to stay within points yesterday. I had my dinner all planned out, but when I got home, my DMIL had spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove. It was so nice of her to cook for us! So then I looked in my WW book to check out the points value for spaghetti...well over what I had planned for dinner. But I ate it because (1) she spent several hours making the sauce and I did not want her to feel bad by choosing to eat something else, and (2) she's leaving in 3 weeks so I will enjoy having someone cook for us while it lasts and balance out my points on other days.
It worked out anyway because I used exercise points to make up the difference....but since I don't like using exercise points I'm still going to call it a pause.
So here I am....another pause taken.
Yesterday - Journal AND stay within calorie/point range - Journaled but did not stay within points range. 1 pause taken, Still on Day 17
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Shad - Good for you for staying on your challenges. It is difficult to drink water when it's cold...take it from someone who lives in the frozen tundra 6 months of the year! You could count caffeine free tea as a water, can't you?
Red - I love that kitty playing image. So adorable. And you're doing awesome on your challenges! YGG! And good for you for going another round on the caffeine challenge. My back isn't very painful right now thanks to the wonders of medicine. I'm with you in terms of calories...I need to be right around 1900 to 2000 to lose. That's been confirmed by a personal trainer and a nutritionist. If I cut my calories too low (for me) than I won't lose 'cuz my body will think it's in starvation mode. From what I've read, the more you weigh the more base calories you need...bigger cars need bigger fuel. Red, you're not "big" but you said you are muscular...so probably the reason you do better with more calories. But I am "big", very big for my height (or just too short for my weight ) and I exercise fairly regularly which is why I do better with more calories. And as I lose weight, I'll need to take in fewer calories...smaller car, less fuel. That's gonna be tough to cut back on the WW points as I can barely stay within range now. Not gonna think about that now...just doing the best I can and making the healthiest choices.
No snacking - 2 pauses - Day 15 done
Portion control - 2 pauses - Day 15 done
1300 calorie limit - 1 pause Day 13 done
Water - 1 litre per day - 1 pause - Day 14 done.
50 Crunches - 0 pauses - Day 13 done.
Well, made it through the caffeine cut challenge. Hurrah! I'm going to do another round of that. It's too easy to get back into old habits.
I almost took my final pause on sugar yesterday. It was late and when I got home I thought I'd stop off at the convenience store and get junk. I did go in but kept it to nonsugar stuff. I got thinking, why blow a perfectly good day now? It's not worth it. So I didn't. Hurrah!
Minimal Sugar 16 completed 2 pauses taken
Caffeine Cut Day 21 completed 0 pauses taken CHALLENGE DONE !!!!!
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diyana -- I'm glad you liked the cat graphic. Thanks for mentioning it! I understand your dilemma with the home cooking but you handled it well. If you mother in law is there another three weeks, I'd try to let her in on what you're trying to do and ask for her help. Otherwise, you're going to likely be going over your points too often and perhaps for no good reason. Don't use it as an excuse!
Yes, the problem with calories is that it's so easy to go over and wipe out a whole week of cutting back in one night out on the town. I guess that's why cutting WAY back helps but then I lose too fast and fall off the wagon after 4-5 days big time. If I can just learn to be consistent I can be successful.
Shad -- You're moving right along, aren't you. Wonderful!
Shad - You're doing so great, despite all the stress you've been under at work! Good for you!
Red - Congrats on completing the Caffeine Challenge! And with no pauses - you rock, sista! Good for you for the big victory at the convenience store!! As for my DMIL, she knows and supports what I'm trying to do, but doesn't always understand what foods are higher in calories. I will talk with her though. She doesn't cook fattening stuff too often, so that's good.
I was a little bit over what I would normally eat in sweet stuff today, but I'm allowing it because it wasn't much and I didn't binge when I thought it may be too much.
The day ended on two infuriating bits of news, one from the company and that is by far the worst. When I heard that they were intentionally going out and cutting my ties to other organizations with which I have worked as a representative of the company and doing this without a word to me, I initially wanted to make a fuss and go drinking. Instead, I ended up coming home and though I'm angry, I'm deciding it is time for me to truly break from this company, no matter what the consequences. I was thinking of still maintaining a relationship with them but I realize the resentment and undercurrent of anger is sheer poison. So be it.
Minimal Sugar 16 completed 2 pauses taken
Caffeine Cut (Round 2!) Day 1 completed 0 pauses taken
(completed first round July 10 with no pauses taken!!
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diyana -- Glad to hear you can handle the inlaw's cooking and work it into your program. Thanks for the congrats!
Last edited by redballoon; 07-10-2009 at 08:10 AM.
Diyanan, I started back at scratch cause I was still only at day one, lol. It was best. I probably won't take any pauses on any of them until I'm at day 7 or so.
Thanks Redballoon. I will still be here even if I miss a day of posting.
Shad, I enjoyed reading about your plan. I went to your 3fc blog and didn't see anything.
1. Journal my food daily, every bite.-2 pauses allowed- 2 days completed
2. Drink 24 oz water-1 pause allowed- 5 days completed
3. No eating after 10:30 p.m.-3 pauses allowed-0
4. 1 fruit/1 vege minimum daily-3 pauses allowed-Day 1 completed
I debated taking #3 off but I really want to do it. It's just extremely hard but it's crazy for me to still be eating so late at night. I haven't gotten my calories under control yet, but I'm still working on it.
I have been starting a Just For Today challenge on the Challenge board, and even though I haven't been on mark yet, it's really making me think, since I am the one that started it, I should do better. I will get there.
Oh yeah, I was eating some peaches late last night, just to get day one on #4. I have learned on this challenge it's best to get it over earlier in the day because if I don't, I plumb forget. This challenge has been very motivating for me too.
No snacking - 2 pauses - Day 16 done
Portion control - 2 pauses - Day 16 done
1300 calorie limit - 1 pause Day 14 done
Water - 1 litre per day - 1 pause - Day 15 done.
50 Crunches - 0 pauses - Day 14 done.
No Peggy, you probably didn't see anything. It is so long since I wrote anything in it, I probably have to start over. I find the blogs somewhat time consuming and haven't really come to grips with them at all.
Red - sounds like a good idea to just cut the ties and get rid of the poison that they have been spreading within you. Something new is around the corner I can feel it.
Down to the last full week of week although I have brought the computer home to work for some hours today and tomorrow. However while it is fine, i am enjoying sightseeing and walking the Botanical gardens. Some lovely things up there. Pity the camera ran out of battery. Now I need to go get coffee and recharge it, then go back later if it doesn't rain beforehand.
Get on with it Shad - almost out of time and money here
No snacking - 1 pause - Day 16 done
Portion control - 2 pauses - Day 17 done
1300 calorie limit - 1 pause Day 15 done
Water - 1 litre per day - 1 pause - Day 16 done.
50 Crunches - 0 pauses - Day 15 done.
Naughty naughty - who got caught with a hand in the cookie jar last night? One is quite enough.
No snacking - 1 pause - Day 17 done
Portion control - 2 pauses - Day 18 done
1300 calorie limit - 1 pause Day 16 done
Water - 1 litre per day - 1 pause - Day 17 done.
50 Crunches - 0 pauses - Day 16 done.
The latest MRI of my back shows arthritis degeneration in my left sacroilliac (SI) joint, and a couple slightly bulging disks. The cortisone shot in the SI joint reduces the inflammation and lubricates the joint, so it should help. And at the very least, it buys me 6 months or more (hopefully) to exercise and get some weight off. Still not ready for high impact stuff or aerobics classes...but it's nice to know that I should be able to walk around all the fun festivals and fairs Milwaukee has during the summer months. 
another one bites the dust!
Sorry you had to start your challenges over, but no loss. You're still ahead of the game! 
One challenge completed!!!!
