Back In The Saddle

After a wonderful vacation and successful casting out of demons from my son (baptism) I am very glad to be back. The Great Smoky Mountains National Forrest is definitely a place everyone should visit, several times if possible. I fell off the diet wagon during the vacation, but I didn't fall as hard as I expected.

I learned a few things about my eating habits, metabolism, fitness, and activity level while I was away. My eating habits overall have certainly changed for the better. I generally don't eat so much anymore. I don't know if my stomach has shrunk or if my body is now better able to listen to it's full signals. But in general over the vacation, over-eating was not my biggest downfall.
My metabolism is normal, I think. I did eat more calories but I also had far more activity than usual. I did not gain any weight after falling off the wagon for 7 days.
I am impressed and inspired by my apparent overall fitness level. There were several days where I expected to wake up sore the next morning. Several days of the vacation incorporated far more walking than is normal for me. Two of the days included excessive cooking and cleaning in less than cool temperatures. I experienced no soreness and actually had the energy to push through the work without exhaustion.
The increased activity level and absence of exhaustion lead me to believe that my general activity level is higher than I had originally estimated (during the creation of My Diet Plan). This also would explain why I have lost more pounds than indicated by My Food Log.
So, all of these points are good. In what way did I fall off the wagon? Well, it was mostly in the type of foods I indulged on and in my beverage choices. I was a sucker for dessert. I was able to resist the homemade, freshly made, still warm, and smelling soooo sweet fudge. But, I had a few servings of ice cream and chocolate cake. I also grabbed a Coke at every opportunity instead of my requisite diet sweet tea. Had I cut those two areas out over the vacation, I could have probably lost at least 2 pounds given the increased activity, instead of maintaining the same weight. In other words, I could have probably reduced my daily caloric intake by about 600 calories, if I had skipped the desserts and sodas.
One other, very important lesson I learned.... although I did have the energy to push through some very trying days, I did notice that on the days where I filled up on desserts and sodas, I had a noticeable change in energy level at the end of the night. I guess what I'm suggesting here is that sugar and fat may give an initial energy burst with sustaining properties, they will eventually cause an energy depletion.
All in all I had a very relaxing, fun filled, purposefule trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Forrest. I would love to do it again. I miss living there but I am glad to be back to my current home.
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Kudos to Google

I mention that Google features have helped me with my weight loss battle in the introduction to my blog. It's time to explain how.

First, Google makes it easy for me to navigate the web. There tool bar set up is very easy for me to use. Bookmarks are particularly easy to establish and I can group various pages into folders for quick and easy access. I am not very computer savvy and you don't have to be in order to have success surfing the web with Google.

Second, Google's search engine functions very well for me. I can usually find the information I am seeking upon first click. I am rarely directed to sites or pages within sites that do not contain the information I want. For example, if I'm looking for the caloric content of a particular food, Google's top ten suggested site will always give me that information. Rarely does it suggest a site that will ask me to log-in or pay money before disclosing the information.

Third, Google makes web utilization fun. I have my own home page that opens automatically when I log on. I can customize the appearance, add and subtract content all with a click of the mouse and a little click and drag. I can also set up tabs which work like folders to group home page content features together. Currently I have my main home page with my Google Calendar, a Burt & Ernie/Aqua Teen Hunger Force terror level alert meter, my daily horoscope, three daily quotes and three daily "how-to" links. Then I have a second tab labeled, Games. This tab has a daily crossword, a mini version of Bejeweled, and Pac-Man. There are hundreds of content options available to add to my home page or a tab. It's so easy!

Fourth and finally for now, Google applications have directly helped me achieve weight loss success. Using Google Documents I created a spreadsheet that allows me to log, calculate and estimate the time it will take to reach my goals based on my verifiable progress (or regress as of late). I call it simply, My Food Log. I have the option to share it with specific individuals, allow them access to modify the page (and track their changes), and publish the document for anyone to see. If I notice that the weight is not coming off, I can look back to see what I've been doing lately that I need to modify. Similarly, when the weight is slipping away, I can verify what is working.

Although Google's Help features and 'Contact Us' functions are superb, I'd be happy to help anyone (as much as I am able to verbalize) in setting up a Google account, modifying their home page, searching for content, and setting up a Google feature such as Google Calendar or Google Documents. All you have to do is ask. Read more!