Congrats on the aesthetic whoosh, Sundove! And I know exactly what you mean about activity increasing energy and leading to better form while walking. It sounds like you're in the zone.
Monday:
Protein - 93 g
Vit A - 374%
Vit C - 243%
I'll be moving in exactly a month. I have quite a bit of food in my pantry and freezer that I want to use up before then. That's probably going to make my protein level take a hit. I won't let it get too low, but I think I'll feel ok with eating about 20 g less a day if that's the cost of using up my food.
I don't know what took me so long, but I realized today that one way I can use my protein powder is mixing it in milk and having it with cereal. Yay, less meat.
Tuesday:
Protein - 100 g
Vit A - 1,222%
Vit C - 398%
I'm mostly done eating for the day. I still have some Fage Greek yogurt with strawberry to eat, included in my tally above.
I've decided to no longer track vitamins here since reaching my goals there is pretty easy. I've sometimes needed to deliberately add food into my day for Vitamin C, but, for the most part, A & C naturally land at a decent spot.
I'll still be tracking protein though. Sustaining it at a higher level than my norm has been harder for me than I thought it would be!
I wish I could donate my protein overdose to you Is there a time when you will drop down to your baseline for the nutrients of interest? I'm curious about your thoughts on supplements.
It feels so great to get some energy back. I feel a lot better than the small weight loss would warrant. I'll take it! My impending retirement is a natural deadline, and a deadline is sometimes what it takes to get me out of inertia.
B coffee & protein shake/creamer. L salad with homegrown lettuce-yum! vegs, chicken breast, evoo & coco aminos D turkey chili, lettuce S protein hot choc, broccoli
water 1L gotta work on this
movement 6009 steps
Last night I came home without hunger but before bed I ate a chicken breast. It made me want to eat more--my usual reaction to eating. I stopped, so that's good. I think I'm afraid of going to bed hungry and having my sleep disrupted by hunger. I'll experiment with an optional single light snack option in the evening.
Today will be a challenge, dealing with family stuff. I believe the mental stress over the last 5 yrs has contributed to cortisol-induced belly fat. The physical toll of frequent long car trips is a bad back. I'm working on breathing, and that is really helpful. Just learning to enjoy long, slow deep breaths. A week ago, I was too tense to accomplish that--I carry a lot of my tension in my chest and as a result, my breathing is shallow. My weight gain also made it hard to take a deep breath, but that has just begun to improve a lot. I'm wrapping my mind around the idea that sitting and noticing my breathing is as rewarding as a sugary treat, maybe more so. Maybe a post it note needs to be on my dashboard.
B coffee, lightener--last of the half/half and then just protein shake for a while
L salad, chicken breast
D
S
Great job stopping after the one chicken breast, Sundove. LOL, I'd sign up for that protein transfusion in a heartbeat! It's weird bc I actually do love meat and seafood. I just lose my appetite for it if I eat it too often. A few times a week is probably my ideal.
I'm glad you're already noticing better health from the weight loss! A little can make a big difference. I've experienced that too.
I'm so sorry about the family stress. The other time I put on weight, it was about 12 years ago when I was caregiving for my mom. (She had ALS.) Stress and hardship really does take a toll in many ways, including our health. I wish all the best for you!
I'm not sure how long I'll keep up the increased protein. I'm basically making it up as I go along. I'd like to continue it for at least the whole month of July.
Today's planned menu:
Protein - 93 g Ended up at 87 g bc I had a small piece of chicken in place of the planned protein shake.
We'll see how it goes.
Last edited by Chunkahlunkah; 07-12-2018 at 09:54 AM.
Re: supplements. I take an iron pill pretty regularly to prevent anemia. I'd been mildly anemic from the time I was a teenager, then it dipped a bit lower during my 2014 physical. My dr didn't seem worried by the number though, just said the same thing they've always told me ("eat some extra steak"). Well, I didn't have another physical for a couple of years and by 2016, my anemia was debilitating and my iron levels were very low. It took me months of a high dosage of the supplement to get in the normal range. So I really should be making an effort to eat more meat. Red meat works the best for me in this regard.
I also take Vitamin D every now and then bc I used to have a deficiency.
I ordered some collagen pills and have been taking those on the days I remember. That's to help with my skin's recovery.
Years back, I took fish oil pills for a few years, but I fell out of the habit.
I have a multi-vitamin, but I don't take it often, maybe once a week. I was raised in a family that strongly preferred food over a multi-vitamin, and I guess that view's stuck.
Do you take any supplements?
Thinking of you after your family stuff day.
Last edited by Chunkahlunkah; 07-12-2018 at 10:09 AM.
Chunkahlunkah Thanks again for the support For sure, the stress of caregiving puts on the weight. I'm sorry to read about your mom. That must have been extremely difficult.
Fri
Back on track. Wed was a wash, Thurs ended with some appetizers at a friend's house that were not on my WOE. I need to stay focused as she always puts out things like 'kale bites" that are loaded with garbage, yet have a healthy-sounding name. It's a nervous habit for me to eat them. When they are sitting on a plate next to me, I feel tremendous tension. I think that prepared bite-sized finger foods are best avoided at all costs. Either eat something and be done, or don't eat.
I'll have to own that lapse. Today I am back on track, 1 L water down, feeling much better.
B coffee, splash of protein shake, protein bar L salad,chicken breast, evo dsg D chili - just ground turkey and salsa. Broccoli S cucumbers, carrots, protein bar, coffee, splash of protein shake
W 2 L
Movement 4000 steps
Goal: no evening eating; single small snack before bed is ok
LOL at a name like “kale bite” yet being filled with garbage. Good job getting right back on track!
Yesterday’s protein was only 83 g. I’ve had some stomach pain the last couple of days. I’m prone to ulcers, have had them in the past. The pain reminded me of that. I did a little googling, and it’s possible I might be aggravating my stomach with extra protein. It takes longer to digest, so you get more stomach acid, which can irritate those with a sensitive stomach lining. Or so Dr Mercola said. Just kidding, it wasn’t him. I’ve decided that for now I’m not going to aim for any particular protein goal, just eat healthy foods in my calorie range and will go by how my stomach feels.
Chunkahlunkah Dr M Spot on heeding your body's cues.
I wonder what number the dieticians use to calculate protein needs for patients receiving intravenous nutrition. Of course that situation is generally temporary, and maybe not applicable to healthy active folks. It would sure be nice if we had a solid way to know what our individual body needs in the way of macros and micros.
B coffee, protein shake splash, protein bar L store bought veg,cheese omelet D salad with chicken, vegs, evoo/coco aminos S protein bar, coffee/lightener, chicken, carrot & cucumber sticks
Sunday
B coffee, lightener
L late lunch of cheeseburger and fixings minus bun, 1-1/2 protein bars, turkey/ham/lettuce rollups x 3
D large bowl of home made veg soup (thanks for the idea Chunkahlunkah!)
2 L
Movement beach walk = 12,052 steps, extra credit for walking on dry sand
I wish I could get an IV of protein. Really great job with the steps, Sundove!! I just finished off the last of my soup today. Your post is giving me a hankering to make another pot tomorrow. Did you enjoy it or decide soup in the summer isn't for you? I'd understand if it's the latter. I'm a soup addict but know it's not for everyone.
Chunkahlunkah, Thanks for the encouragement! I love feeling physically tired.
I would gladly eat protein for you I loved the soup. I have to admit I don't feel it's a meal if it's soup. So the role of soup for me is a filling snack & way to enjoy vegs. Way back, WeightWatchers had a recipe for veg soup of which you could eat unlimited quantities. And in my starving student days, a housemate would make a big pot of veg soup that I copied. I used to put a scoop of cottage cheese on top. (always thinking of the protein ) I had good eating habits back then. If you ever feel like it, i'm interested to see what you put in your soup. I've made some in the past couple years hat didn't taste good. I think it was due to broccoli.
Monday skipped weekly weigh in. B 1 cup of coffee lightened, one cup black; 2 roll ups - turkey, ham 1 slice ea., red leaf lettuce, Dijon mustard, chopped red onion. L salad with last of my friend's garden lettuce, arugula, beets, carrots, sweet red onion, cucumber, chicken breast, evoo & coco aminos. D chile--ground turkey, onion, slivered bell peppers from salad bar ,La Victoria Thick & Chunky salsa--med hot S sauteed summer squash, mushroom, sweet onion; protein bar; big bowl of veg soup.
Water 1.5 liters
Movement felt a little sluggish today 3629 steps. I'll get going earlier tomorrow and get some walking in before work.
You reminded me of that Seinfeld episode where they debated if and when soup counts as a meal. I'm on Jerry's side: it's a meal! (Nah, it depends.)
I make different kinds, but the one I make most often is really simple and would probably bore most non-veggie lovers. I first saute celery, carrots, and onion in a big pot with evoo. Then I add diced tomatoes, a box of my beloved organic broth , and some tomato paste. If I have red wine on hand, I add a little at this point. I heavily season throughout with garlic and onion powder, lighter on s & p, and I sometimes put in a dash of chili powder and/or Italian seasoning. After it simmers for about 45 minutes, I add leafy greens (usually kale) and some vinegar, replenish the liquid with maybe 1/2 a cup of water, and then simmer for another 10 minutes or so. That's the base recipe. I also sometimes add in another mild veg at the saute part. Last time, that was zucchini. For me, the key to liking the outcome of this particular soup is using my favorite brands of flavorful tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. I often top with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
One spin I do on this soup is after the broth part, I drop in small, raw meatballs and let them simmer in the soup for about an hour. Then I add the greens. The meatballs add a rich flavor and complexity to the soup. And protein. I haven't made it like that lately though just bc I needed my soup to be my rare escape from meat.
Your salad sounds so good! I'd eat more of those, but my ridiculous stomach gets irritated by too many raw veggies. I'm a salad fiend though.
I like cottage cheese but I don't know if I'm brave enough to try it on soup.
Btw, if you have a favorite veg soup recipe that doesn't include tomatoes, I'd love to hear it! I was deliberately making this soup a lot lately for the lycopene, but I'm concerned too much tomato acid might be contributing to the bad stomach pains I had last week. I've eaten this soup plenty in the past and never had a problem, but in the past I never ate it for so many consecutive weeks. It's a shame bc I really do love it! Stupid stomach.
Last edited by Chunkahlunkah; 07-16-2018 at 12:55 PM.
And I know exactly what you mean about activity increasing energy and leading to better form while walking. It sounds like you're in the zone. 
Is there a time when you will drop down to your baseline for the nutrients of interest? I'm curious about your thoughts on supplements.
The other time I put on weight, it was about 12 years ago when I was caregiving for my mom. (She had ALS.) Stress and hardship really does take a toll in many ways, including our health. I wish all the best for you! 
(Nah, it depends.)