Still Here

do0rdiet.blogspot.com
Christina 2009

In October of '07 I took a new, full time job। Since then I have left that job in exchange for a better, full time job with the local university. What does this mean for my weightloss. It means that I put back on most of the weight I lost (20 out of 25 pounds). I have been changing my eating habits for the past 3 weeks. I hope that I will be successful "for keeps" this time. I have many new inspirations and I can honestly say that I've learned alot.


New Inspirations:
Kung Fu Panda and Queen Latifa are two of my favorite inspirations right now. Po the Panda (voiced by Jack Black) shows that food can be a good motivator (not a reward... but I'll get to that in the future). It also shows that sometimes when you get that food that you so badly wanted, you may be surprised and find that you are truly not hungry. Queen Latifa is great in her Jenny Craig ads. She never talks about what size she is, she simply, but confidently states that she is a size healthier. Her modesty and honesty about her own personal struggle are very inspiring. One other inspiration is People Magazine's list of folks who lost 100 or more by diest and exercise alone. It is very, very uplifting to see women who have succeeded. It gives me a sense of long term direction to know that it took most of these women 2-3 years to achieve their goals. And it's relieving to know that most of them have kids. It really helps me to see that this can be done. (I will not quit, I will not give up)... see previous posts.

What I've Learned:
One thing that has changed is my attitude about being healthy. Last year, when I would go over my daily calorie goal, I would freak out. I think this ultimately lead to the cessation of the healthy lifestyle. If I couldn't be perfect then there was no reason to try.

Now, my food log reflects positive weight loss days (or is that negative?) with the color green. Any daily calorie count less than the number of calories my body normally burns in one day is green. Any daily count within 200 calories of my sustaining point are yellow. And any daily count that goes over my sustaining point is red. I was much harder on myself before, too hard I think. I've even reconsidered the name of this blog, but the resolve behind the idea still stands.

I have learned that it is OK to fall off the horse, as long as you get back on. One bad day, two bad days, even three or four or a week. Just get going again, as soon as you can. I also allow myself a cheat day once a week. More on that in a future post.

I am happy to say that during the first 2 weeks of healthier eating, I lost 6 pounds! That's a little faster than I want the weight to come off, but after this weekend, I think things will average out.

So, here's to a starting the summer on the right track. Here's to staying on the track. Here's to me! And here's to not quitting. We can do this!


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First Day of Mini-Goal

I have done well today so long as I stop eating now. Right now I feel full. I hope that carries over through the next 5 hours before bed time.

I actually have 19 calories to use if I just can't stand it, but what can I eat for 20 calories? Plain lettuce does not sound so appetizing. I guess this is really part of the push. Were it not for the heat, I would have the energy to fight cravings. I could go to bed early. That actually sounds like a great idea right now. I'll let you know how things went tonight on tomorrows post.
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Another One Bites the Dust.... but how?

One more pound lost. But according to My Food Log I shouldn't have. How did this happen? The best explanation I have is that on Saturday (after having a "red day" on Friday) I worked a catering job for my father-in-law. It was hot, so very, very hot. I also had a "red day" on Saturday. And I have had one today too. I suppose I have exercised so much that I am still burning calories instead of storing them. This puts me at 17 pounds lost since June 4, 2007. I am right on schedule for reaching my first goal. This is also helpful as the coming weekend, I will surely eat too many calories, but I will be engaged in much more activity than usual. On a side note, I am wondering if anyone is out there... reading I mean. The comments seem very sparse. Give me a shout if you're reading. Read more!

Why 1200? Because It's Working.

I have received a few comments about my goal of only eating 1200 calories per day. In answer to those comments I would like to explain why I feel this is an important premise of My Diet Plan. I will also explain how I intend to fend off "starvation mode".

Let me begin by stating the truth, I am an underachiever. I always fall short of my goals by rationalizing to myself why it is OK to fudge. This is across the board in my life with everything from dieting to laundry and banking. This is a known personality flaw. Therefore, if I set my goal to a higher calorie mark and I revert into my classic behavior, I will fall far short of my goal.

Late this winter I participated in a series of free healthy lifestyle seminars where I discovered to my amazement that I was regularly consuming over 3000 calories per day... and I wondered why I was gaining (insert sarcasm mark here). I also learned that I could easily reduce my intake to 2100 without feeling deprived or working very hard. Then I took that mark one step further and reduced my calories to 1800. I stayed at 1800 calories per day with lots of exercise (3-5 times per week both muscle building and fat burning) for 7 weeks. In 7 weeks time I lost 1/2 of ONE pound. I realize that I may have added muscle which is good. I also realize that weight loss takes time. But really now, I have to say that project ended in failure and of course led me to gain 10 extra pounds after I stopped.

I now fend off starvation mode by eating 4 meals per day. On a perfect day, I eat 300 calories at each meal and space those meals 4 hours apart. This is more than enough stimulation of my metabolism to keep my body from entering starvation mode.

More importantly, THIS IS WORKING! As you can see from My Food Log, I have been doing this since June 4, 2007. It has been almost two months. I have lost about 15 pounds by the scale and about 11 pounds by the log. My weight loss is constant but not too rapid. I am also making a lifestyle change. This is not just a diet. This is a way to retrain myself into healthy and achievable habits.

I have set my weight loss goal to 140 pounds. I am 5'6". That goal is in the acceptable and healthy range for a person of my height. The range is 115 to 154. I am even shooting for a goal that is on the higher end of that healthy range. When I reach my goal at my current level of activity I will be able to eat about 1400 calories per day to maintain that weight. Based on my current weight loss rate, it will take me until June 2008 to reach my goal. I think this entire reasonable and achievable.

I appreciate all of the comments I have received about this premise of my diet plan. I welcome further comments and would be happy to help outline a personal diet plan for anyone out there who is need of free but unlicensed help. Read more!

More Simple Substitutions

I'm feeling a bit lazy tonight so this will be short. I have a huge sweet tooth....it's really gross and makes my cheek pooch out ;-). I'm generally not a fan of artificial sweeteners but after I realized how many calories I cut by using them in my tea I knew something had to give. I'm currently sampling various artificially sweetened products, usually substitutes for desserts. So far I've tried Hunt's Cherry Snack Pack. It's so-so by itself. I get a bitter taste in my mouth when I eat it plain but it's only 10 calories and 0 grams of fat. Eating with the dark chocolate is really good though (see yesterday's post about the Black Forrest Surprise). I've also tried a lite yogurt smoothie... same problem as the snack pack. Tonight I tried Breyer's Double Churn Lite Chocolate ice cream. It's half the fat and calories as regular ice cream with 100 calories and 3.5 grams of fat in a 1/2 cup serving.... of course I ate a full cup. It was very chocolatey, creamy, sweet, and left me with no bitter taste. I don't think it saves me very many calories and I don't chew very often, but when I chew gum now, it's sugar-free. I like Trident any flavor except their fruit mixes so far. It does taste a little bitter at first but wears off quickly. Still looking for your substitutions. Post a comment and I'll try to mention it on the main page. I'm working on having comments posted on the main page. Got any tips for that? Thanks for reading. Read more!

Simple Substitutions

Check out My Food Log to see how I incorporate these simple substitutions into menus. These substitutions allow me to not feel deprived. Not feeling deprived is important so that I don't gorge on "moment on the hips, forever on the hips" foods.

Splenda or Equal in my previously sugar sweetened tea. I don't like Sweet-N-Low because it tastes bitter to me. Splenda also tastes bitter to me if I use too little.... weird. This saves me about 400 calories per day as I drink alot of tea (too much in fact but that's another post).

Marinated mushrooms in place of meat. I still eat meat, but I can't afford the calories at every meal. I use a brand called Monterey. A serving of 'shrooms is "about 4". I slice them and add them to marina sauce, in salads, and in wraps. And 1 serving has only 10 calories and 0 grams of fat!

Hummus Dip instead of mayonnaise. I could use light mayo but it tastes weird to me. When I want to whet my palate and add a punch of flavor I use Hummus Dip. This is a little different than real hummus. It has fewer calories, less fat, and costs less. I've used this on wraps, with tuna, and with sandwich meats. I use a brand called Wild Garden. It costs less per ounce than other prepared hummus too. Each serving of 2 tablespoons has 35 calories and 2 grams of fat.

Nothing wrong with Lite Bread. It chews a little thicker but saves 40 or so calories from each 2 slice sandwich. I also like some lite yogurts, lite ice cream, lite dressing, and I almost forgot my favorite...Cabbot's Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Cabbot's has several varieties including 15% lite, 30% lite, and 50% lite. The latter is a little hard to cook with but the taste is all there.

Currently my favorite sub. I call it Black Forrest Delight. This is a semi-sub as I still use real chocolate. I use 1 serving of Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate. The sub here is Hunt's Sugar Free Cherry Snack Pack. I nibble at the chocolate so it melts in my mouth and follow with a small bite of cherry. It really takes the edge off when I'm having a decadent craving. Weighing in at 210 calories and 11 grams of fat, it's an acceptable solution for indulging.

Got any great substitutions? I'd love to hear about them. Read more!

This Really Works (My Diet Plan)

The Long and Short of My Diet Plan (Short First). I am down 14 pounds since June 4, 2007!

The Short

1. 1200 calories daily
2. no more than 500 calories in 4 hours
3. 60 or less grams of fat daily
   
4. use the Food Pyramid
5. eat normal foods
6. eat recommended portions (or less)
7. stay hydrated
8. exercise
9. log calories, track progress
10. DO NOT GIVE UP!

The Long

My starting weight is 214 pounds. My goal weight is 140 pounds. I want to loose 74 pounds. I divided that goal into 2 major parts. I initially want to loose 34 pounds. This will put me at 180 pounds. Upon achieving this goal I will have to reevaluate my methodology as my body will no longer be burning the same amount of calories. The heavier you are, the more calories your body burns. The first premise of my diet is to reduce my daily caloric intake to 1200 per day. I also want to divide these calories into 4 meals. Ideally I would consume 300 calories at each meal. This is not always possible, especially when eating on-the-go or at a gathering. The second premise of my diet is to consume no more than 500 calories in any given 4 hour period. Any calories consumed over 500 at the same time are stored in the body as fat. Allowing up to 500 calories in one meal will give me flexibility when eating out or in a group. I will still remain at a daily total of 1200 calories. The third premise of my diet is to limit fat intake to 60 grams in one day. Eating more than 60 grams of fat in a day means that I have not eaten sufficient servings from all of the basic food groups or have neglected to eat from one or more of the groups altogether. Premise four of my diet is to be guided by the USDA Food Pyramid. I want to eat at least one serving from each of the basic food groups daily. I also want to allow for some treats (sugar) and consume some fats to ensure proper digestion. The fifth premise of my diet is to eat normal foods. I want to eat the same foods that I serve my family. I am sure to slowly incorporate healthier, more calorie conscious, and lower fat meals into menus for my family. The idea here is to not have to cook one meal for my family and a separate meal for myself. Premise six of my diet is that I want to eat the recommended serving size of the foods I eat. Eating less than the recommended serving size is also acceptable as often the nutrition label on a food package and the USDA Food Pyramid have different measurements for one serving of a particular food. Eating less than the recommended serving size is also useful when quelling a craving or considering what extra flavor punches to incorporate into a meal. The seventh premise of my diet is stay hydrated. This will be especially important after the first 10 pounds come off as poor hydration can lead to baggy, hanging skin. Consuming the proper amount of liquid daily will aid digestion and help keep the excretory system functioning properly. Premise eight of my diet is to incorporate exercise. Exercise burns calories and build muscle. Muscle burns more calories. This is essential in order for the second part of my weight loss goal to be achieved. Premise nine of my diet is to not rely on the scale as the sole progress indicator. The way my clothing fits and the notches on my belt will also be good indicators of success. Using My Food Log and the calculations for calories burned should be the main indicator of progress. The weight scale should only be used as a reminder of previous success and as a final marker for goal completion. The tenth premise of my diet is to not give up, no matter what! Should I discover that my stated plan is not effective then I will reevaluate and modify the plan. I will not be satisfied until my goal weight is achieved. I will not revert into bad habits and an unhealthy lifestyle upon reaching my goal. Read more!