-3

OH YEAH!

I have had curiosity about whether my new diet plan is working.. it's reinforcing to step on the scales this morning.. I'm down 3 pounds!!! OH YEAH !

Still on the wagon.. eating right.. getting a little exercise.
Breakfast: 2 egg whites, 1 yolk, sliced mushrooms,green onions- cooked in olive oil
Dollop of cottage cheese

snack: slices of lean ham

Lunch: 2 hard boiled egg whites
left over chicken stew- just a cup

Snack:Peanuts.. fresh roasted.. I shared a cup with the squirrels too
Fresh baby carrots and a couple slices of cream cheese

Supper:Pork roast.. enough to fill me up..
tossed veggie salad
1/4 c Wendell's SF cheesecake pudding.......not bad!

Snack: Black cherry jello.. SF of course..

Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

What's for breakfast?

Eggs.. thanks, Charlie for loading me up again.
Eggs and fresh veggies in a skillet with a tad of olive oil. Perhaps a veggie omelet.
I'm kind of looking forward to this.

Lunch: SF cherry jello plain
Salad .. lettuce topped with carrots, onion, tomato, cottage cheese, and a handful of chicken from last night's stew... oh, so good!

Snack: Peanuts.. fresh roasted and unsalted
(I shared a handful with Gray today too)

Supper: Mozzerella cheese shredded, black olives, red peppers.. and mushrooms too.
SF Jello

Thursday

1 Timothy 4:8

8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

Right off the bat, I can see my water intake is poor. I've never been a good water drinker. That's an issue needing addressed.. how to make sure I'm drinking enough. I may have to buy a graduated water vessel to carry around with me so I can keep score.

Today will be a challenge. It's office day and the norm is for one of the drug reps to buy us lunch. I have to keep my head above water here.
I'll be carrying my lunch with me..
cottage cheese, some of my chicken left from the stew, and lots of fresh veggies in a salad. I got my own little bottle of olive oil for the dressing. Last night I made SF jello to go with me too.

It's hard to keep up fluids when I'm running at the office. It's pretty fast paced. Perhaps I'll take a bottle of water with me and keep it on the prep table. Out of view of the patients yet visited frequently. I can take a slug or two while I'm mixing.

One good thing about the office is that I do get more exercise there than at home. I'm constantly on my feet and moving.. a good thing.

Jane and I are getting ready to finalize my plan to join the Y with her. She's already a member.
The first full week of November should give me almost the whole week to go daily to the Y for some water aerobics.. and then Wendell and I will be heading to Wendy's that weekend. Lots of challenges ahead, but I can do this.

One day at a time...

THE PLAN

I'm a carboholic. There... I said it.
Now I need a reasonable plan..
Cut out the bread, sugar, baked stuff, fruits (for the moment), cookies, cakes, candy, pasta..
And eat reasonably.. 3 meals and 2 snacks every day.
Can I do it? YES, I CAN !!!!

Starting out anew

Today is my day of reckoning. I have hit the scales this morning, and my work is cut out for me.
Coffee will be my freebie.. with Coffeemate creamer. It's non dairy.

Breakfast: 2 large fresh eggs
1/2 c cottage cheese

Snack : 1 egg white boiled (watching my cholesterol)
1/2 c brussels sprouts
1/2 c carrot sticks
1/4 large green pepper

Lunch:The above left me so full, I opted for fresh roasted peanuts

Supper; chicken stew.. just the solids, no gravy
2 med shrimp

snack:
cottage cheese.. 3/4 c
1 roma tomato.. a nice big one

AOTD (Activity of the Day): I walked out to the end of the driveway and brought back the empty garbage can... a big one on wheels.

1 Peter 5:10
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

October 21,2008

Gramma Camp 2008.. me with the grandkids.. my pictures tell me I have to get back 'on the wagon' with the weight problem..
So.. the program begins tomorrow and the exercise will be swimming for the moment.. or exercising in the pool at the Y with Jane... as often as we can.
Gotta lose a lot of weight here.
Pray I do well please.

"When I fall, I shall arise".. I'm really doing okay. No more loss, but a 1# gain. I also noted there is major swelling in my legs and feet today. I wonder if that doesn't contribute to the weight gain?
I've been pretty good.. not perfect.
Yesterday, I wasn't all together in the evening.. and succumbed to a piece of chocolate. Was it good? YES! Was it worth it? I THINK SO! Did it make a weight difference? I DOUBT IT.
So.. back to the diet faithfully today.
I had some ham yesterday. I'm wondering if that is the cause for the more than usual swelling in my feet / legs today.
Note to myself *** WATCH THE SALT ! ****

It's been several days, and I finally got back on the scales .. and was pleasantly surprised to find 6 pounds missing. This plan is working I think.- could be fluid loss, but that is also good.
I am eating smaller meals and really enjoying my snacks a lot.. I concentrate on fruit with my snacks and the veggies with meals. Protein with all meals/snacks, and whole grains all day..
I added peanuts to the menu.. seems okay. Not a lot, just a big hand full.
Today's veggie with lunch was broccoli.. 2 big bunches.
I'm sitting here with a full glass of water.. I have about a third of it left now.
Exercise: I took a short walk around the house and halfway out the driveway and back. It's a beautiful afternoon, though cloudy and threatening rain. That's okay. I'm starting slow.
My plan is to go to the local store for a gallon or 2 of drinking water- I need this for coffee as well as drinking. I'm amazed how fast it disappears.
I believe the more I move, the more limber my muscles seem to be... except for my lower back/hips that seem to tighten up with the walking. I refuse to stop however and will inch forward.

Back on the Wagon

I'm back on the wagon to good health. I have been a slacker and I know it better than anyone else. I won't offer my feeble excuses because that's just what they are.. feeble and excuses.
I find myself feeling like a beached whale, and yes, I'm being hard on myself.
I have medical problems that say I should look more like a swan, but the fact is that I resemble the former much more.. So...

I have a plan. It's flexible and simple.. and it suits me pretty well. I'm going to try it.. and I'll explain my plan here so that I can go back and review it when I need to.

1. 3 meals a day and 3 snacks a day
2. 4 oz of fish/day- whatever I want.. tuna, tilapia, shrimp.. these are my superfoods that will give me success
3. Stay clear of Fat Free stuff as it slows down my metabolism
4. Do some kind of exercise once a day for a few minutes, but aim for a good walk at least 3x/wk
5. Steer clear of refined foods.. No breads unless whole grain, and only when really needed
6. Eliminate as much sugar as I can from my diet
7. Stick to simple

Breakfast:
2 oz of protein.. meat, fish, eggs, cheese, cottage cheese.. whatever. My cholesterol is borderline, so I'll opt for yolkless eggs.
1/2 cup whole grains.. Now this might be oatmeal, brown/wild rice, barley.. or a Wasa Cracker or 2
OR
Whole grain cereal

Lunch:
2oz Protein (as above)
1/2c whole grain
All the veggies I can eat

Mid afternoon Snack:
2 oz protein (as above)
1/2 c fruit OR
1c veggies

Supper:
2 oz protein (as above)
1/2 c whole grain
All the veggies I can eat

Mid Evening Snack:
2 oz protein (as above)
1/2c fruit OR
1 c veggies

HS Snack:
2 oz protein (as above)
1/2 c fruit OR
1 c veggies

It appears like I have a lot of protein here, but really, 12 oz isn't excessive for me. My body is recuperating slowly from asthma, and I feel I need the protein .

Today I started the program..
Breakfast : 3 egg whites (scrambled?) in olive oil.. just a tad
1/2 c rice
Scoop of plain yogurt

Lunch: 2 oz tuna fish-water packed
2 whole grain Wasa crackers
Scoop of plain yogurt seasoned with Soul food seasoning
A large salad- lettuce, radishes, tomatoes- fresh and colorful

Mid afternoon snack:
Plain yogurt- 2 oz with a cup of fresh strawberries (I had NO resistance)

Hunger buster snack (an extra snack because supper won't be ready till about 8pm)
1/2 c plain yogurt mixed with a little cottage cheese
1 banana


Supper:
3 oz tilapia (because I didn't want to throw away any of that delicious fish)
Plain yogurt dip with Ranch dip seasoning
1 Roma tomato
1 c brown whole grain rice (oops.. it was so good)
1 Wasa cracker

HS Snack:
1c strawberries (I know it's supposed to be 1/2 c, but these are fresh strawberries and
very low calorie.. good for me too
2 oz plain yogurt with a tiny shot of Splenda.. (not sure how splenda is going to affect my
appetite.

So far, so good.. I have to learn to control portions obviously.. and eat a lot more veggies.
I made broccoli tonite..fresh. But though I like it au dente, it was almost raw, and I really don't like raw broccoli.. cooked, YES!

Fluid intake: water and coffee so far

Okay.. I'm back on the wagon

17 POUNDS
GONE FOREVER

HALF WAY MARK..

It's been a long time coming, but here it is.. I'm half way to my 30# weight loss.. I got on the scales again this morning and had to get off and on 3 times to make sure my eyes weren't fooling me.. I lost another pound, and that makes 15 # gone forever!! WOOHOO!!!
Of course my goal was for my birthday THIS year, but perhaps by next year I'll be rid of the excess baggage and feeling a lot better.

4 POUNDS

I picked up a 4 # bag of sugar today to see how much weight I've lost in the past 2 weeks.. I'm not doing anything special, but just watching what I eat daily.

That's a total of 14#.. inching right along here. It's actually better to inch along than to lose a big chunk all at once. One tends to put the pounds back on quickly with a fast weight-loss.

It must be a good day.. 10# lost and moving right along slowly, which for folks like me is good. It's been too long trying to follow the diet, so I sort of put it on a back burner.
So much happening, I have only a guess why the loss..
It's the Strattera. I think it's upping my metabolism. I suppose if that's what it takes... well, who am I to complain?
Onward !!

A SLOW DOWN

Having coffee now.. had breakfast.

Cereal- oatmeal with strawberries..
3/4 c Mandarin oranges
2 slices toast

Meds: 2 Tylenol XS, Dyazide, Vitamin, CoQ10 100mg, Prilosec 30mg, Metanx, ASA 81mg, Strattera 40mg
The Strattera makes me nauseated.. my intake has been poor the past few days, but I'm keeping up with vitamins and I am eating some- just not a lot.
Smells of foods drive me up the wall too.. someone ordered wings last night at work.. thought I would lose my cookies right then and there.. I was getting panicky about it till someone closed the conference room door and I settled. Wendy tells me this should be short lived with the medication.. and when it's done, all will return to normal again. She's right.. actually the nausea wasn't bad yesterday, only when the wings arrived.

Lunch:

Supper:

Snack:

Exercise: Just at work I'm afraid.. Too much ice out there..

THINGS ARE CHANGING

Well, things are changing.. I'm taking a new med that is causing me to not be able to follow my diet; in fact, I am not eating much of anything from the nausea. Hopefully it will be short lived.. I need the nutrients. It has been 2 days of nearly nothing at mealtime.. not good.
I got all the way to supper yesterday when the nausea hit hard and I couldn't even sit at the table with food. No loss of my 'cookies' but the urge is so great the more I am around the food. So I am drinking more water for now.
I'll be stepping on the scales in the morning.. we'll see how it's affected my weight..
Meds: 2 Tylenols late tonite- 10pm
Strattera 40 mg , Prevacid 30 mg x 2 today for the nausea, Metanx, Dyazide, ASA 81mg,
I held the fish oil caps today.. will try them again tomorrow.
Vytorin 10/20 at bedtime

Breakfast: 1 egg yolk, 3 whites
2 biscuits with a smidge of butter on each
2 Coffee

Lunch : Munchies.. I picked at a couple pieces and then tossed the rest.. too nauseated
Raspberry tea- 1/2 cup

Supper: Garlic parmesan chicken and pasta- about a cup.. didn't do real well.. ate about 11pm when the nausea had subsided a bit.

Snack.. a couple plain tortilla chips and a handful of oriental rice crackers..
Water- some

So the diet isn't going real well here..

Exercise: well, I was on my feet a lot today. and napped about 3 hours after I got home.. mostly because I just felt so sick and exhausted from it all.

Looking to a better day tomorrow.. (that'll be later today.. it's already Friday.)

AROUND THE PERIMETER

Well, the reports weren't particularly good at the doctor.. but most of it was okay.
Cholesterol is through the roof again and triglycerides hot on it's tail.
Have to change medication dosages, add some meds and then keep on doing what I am doing with the diet and some exercise..
I love this walking. Yesterday 3 times around the perimeter and even with rain, once around the perimeter today.
I'm moving.. walking.. and watching what goes in my mouth..
More tomorrow hopefully..

GLAD MONDAY IS PAST

SHOULDA SKIPPED THE OLIVES

I was trying to figure out what the offending food was that caused my ankles to swell and stay swollen this morning. It is not hard to figure, as most everything I ate yesterday was of the low sodium variety. But.. I did have a huge salad last night before going to bed, and that salad had 4-5 very large green olives in it. I assume that is the culprit. I'll be much more careful from now on.
No change in weight. Considering my ankles, that is very encouraging.

Meds: 2 Tylenol XS, dyazide, Prilosec, Vitamin, ASA, Metanx

Breakfast:
1 egg w/3 whites scrambled with mushrooms
1 pre measured hash brown pattie
2 cups coffee
1/2 c canned peaches
A couple of mouthfuls of water.. I'll take a bottle to church with me for the long drive down.

Lunch:
Grilled chicken breast-plain
Potato wedges
Tossed salad w/ranch- to dip
Onion petals and Zucchini fries- we shared
Coffee
Supper:
Pork roast
mashed potatoes no gravy
tossed salad- hold the olives
green beans

Snack:
Ice cream-chocolate

The Count:
Bread: 3/10
Fruit: 1/3
Protein: 6/7 I am going to go over on this one- not a problem..all lean meats

HERE WE GO AGAIN

I really have to get moving on the weight loss.. I'm feeling so bogged by my excess baggage.
Yesterday I did very well.
Bkfst:
2 scrambled eggs
2 small waffles/butter only
banana
Lunch:
Supper: 6" hoagie with meat/cheese
apple
Snack:
2c cereal/pretzel mix

My back has been bothering me a lot lately, so I am trying to keep on the move as much as possible.. I take time at supper to walk to the garage at work and back again. By the time I do that, my back is aching and I'm thankful to be able to stop. Walking will be a priority. I may try today.
I finally got on the scales- I've been ignoring them daily because my ankles aren't too bad and I was assuming that I'm not retaining as much fluid as I had been before.. bad idea not to weigh daily- gotta do this. Anyway, there is no change in weight for which I am thankful- but wish it was going down.
I'm finishing my brunch coffee and then will start on water.


As for today:
Meds: Prilosec,ASA,Vitamin,Metanx,2 Tylenol (11:30am),Dyazide
Breakfast:
3 scrambled eggs (2 yolks,3 whites)
2 bread w/butter
3/4c mandarin oranges
3 c coffee/Coffeemate creamer

Lunch: 1 small apple
Supper:
3 oz chicken- baked
3/4c carrots
2/3 c mashed potatoes
2 Croissants
Snacks:
1 small apple
I have saved my huge salad for a snack tonite.
I was just too full to try any more food.
Let's see- I have had 5/7 proteins and need 2 more .. hmm...I'll have to look for cheese I suppose.
I've also had 8/10 bread exchanges... hmmm... I'll need 2 more of those too.
The veggies will be in my salad.. lettuce (2 cups), cherry tomatoes (12), cucumber (about 3" sliced), mushrooms ( about 4 large), and the dressing will be a dollop or 2 of Italian.
I've had no milk exchanges today- perhaps yogurt? Whoa.. there is too much food to eat and not enough time to consume it all.. that is always my problem. You'd wonder why I'm so overweight?