EAT MORE TO LOSE! DAY 150

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF WITHOUT CHANGING YOURSELF!

WEight loss is so hard because you have to keep learning the same old rules over and over. I got on the scale this morning and am down to 182 again. Now I've been charting a new course of eating more calories to help me lose. And I've been faithful to tracking for a couple of days. Yesterday, i had fiber-one cereal, milk and a banana for breakfast. For lunch, my granddaughter went out to where her daddy works and had lunch. Instead of opting for a salad, I had meatloaf, lima beans and wild rice. I ate a portion of meatloaf like a deck of cards, all the beans and a forkful of rice and brought the rest home for doggie dinner. Later, about 3:00, my stomach was rumbling and it wasn't gas. I was hungry. Wondering what to eat, I started with 2 sticks of celery with cream cheese; not enough. Then I got an apple with some peanut butter and that filled me up. Leftover moussaka for dinner and a klondike bar put me at 1489 calories for the day. I was filled up and nothing more that night.

So, the moral of this story is I have to eat more at each meal and have a prepared snack in case I need it in the afternoon. And shoot for protein. I'm going to a luncheon today and I usually get the salad but I think I will shoot for the entry and eat according to portion sizes, etc. And chart it on my counter. My goal is not to be hungry in between meals.

This morning I made English McMuffins with egg and cheese and a glass of milk.
Memorial weekend is looming. My sister is having a party on Sat afternoon but I know she will have healthy food. And I'm bringing the birthday cake as we have 3 birthdays in early June. And I'm going to have a piece and count it.

I was reading a blog yesterday where the blogger was frustrated because her calories were so low and she wasn't losing. Eating more makes sense. Just not junk food more.

My dog goes to the groomer today to get her hair shaved off. Then I can resume walking with her. She gets so hot. Monday is the Gate to Gate walk at Eglin AFB. 4.4 miles. I've done it before. Hope it stays fairly cool. It's the 75th anniversary of the base and they will have a big party. Can't wait for that cold beer at the finish. Later

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

KASEYCOFF 5/26/2010 7:29AM

Good to be tracking what you're eating - it's the only way you'll be able to see what's working, what isn't, etc. And I think you have a good idea about the protein, too - especially if you're going to be walking 4.4 miles! :-) Report Inappropriate Comment

FOOFIT1 5/25/2010 5:24PM

I love your opening line. I'm continually learning the same thing over and over "Eat less calories, burn more." It just never really sinks in I guess! Congrats to you on keeping it up despite the constant barrage of things trying to pull you down! You are doing a great job! Report Inappropriate Comment

DEBLYNN323 5/25/2010 3:21PM

Yes, preplanning your meals helps stay on course. Great job! Report Inappropriate Comment

SROUS1340 5/25/2010 12:04PM

Eating the right combo of foods makes a big difference for me too, with cravings and staying satisfied. Sounds like you have a fun weekend ahead! Report Inappropriate Comment

FRUSTRATION TO MOTIVATION! DAY 149

Monday, May 24, 2010

YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF WITHOUT CHANGING YOURSELF!

I was totally frustrated last week because I had been floundering after my vacation trying to get back on track. And after gaining weight, I was at the quitting point again of dropping out of another program. But all of you Sparkies have helped me with my attitude just by being out there. I decided to eat more at each meal which I did yesterday and I was not hungry between meals at all and I did not snack. Progress! I even went for a 20 min walk before dinner while I was waiting for it to bake.

I had forgotten that sometimes you have to eat more food to lose weight and I was not doing that, trying to keep my calories unmanageably low which doesn't work for me. Anyway, I hope I am back on track.

I have my granddaughter with me today as she was sick last night and didn't want to go to school today. I am so excited to see her. When I was growing up and past the point of playing with dolls, I continued playing with them by making clothes for them. I had oodles of clothes for all of them. Unfortunately, they all got given away when my parents moved. Maybe that was fortunate as I would have wanted to keep them always. When I was pregnant I wanted a little girl but I was blessed with 2 wonderful sons. When my second son was born I said I would just have to wait for a granddaughter and I got one! And 3 grandsons. I'll be having her some this summer and we'll be sewing and doing things crafty together. Have a great day!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

JENNY888 5/24/2010 11:43AM

I'm also really glad you didn't quit. Also congratulations on finally getting the Granddaughter. I know you will have fun this summer. Report Inappropriate Comment

KASEYCOFF 5/24/2010 9:45AM

Yep, there you go - new day, new attitude, and another try back at it. I'm not convinced we can find the right answer on our first try. I mean, it's a question of what works for you, balancing exercise with diet, trying different things (different foods, different exercise routines) to see what works for you. And what makes someone else healthier or helps them achieve their goals may not work for you and vice versa. So if you look at the past six months and say 'THIS didn't work for me... THAT was a good technique...' and so on, then you can keep the stuff that was good, rework the stuff that wasn't good, and try a new thing (like the calorie cycling) to see how it goes. Give it a few months (I know, it's that patience thing, lol...) and then you can re-evaluate and tweak it if need be and so forth. I'm really glad you're not 'giving up,' but rather using what you've been doing as a springboard to find a plan that works better. IMHO! :-D Report Inappropriate Comment

IMAFATBOY 5/24/2010 9:36AM

Glad to hear you didn't dump us Sparkies. Since you're a blogger, I'm sure you've been reading and following nutrition advice offered millions of ways around the website. Calorie counting isn't everyone's cup of tea but for me it helps. Vacations are definitely a challenge of their own, which we all face. Someone should probably write some articles on how to keep them from sabatoging our hard earned efforts. Thanks for blogging today -best wishes for happiness and continued success in your life- Report Inappropriate Comment

I'M CHARTING A NEW COURSE! DAY 148

Sunday, May 23, 2010

YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF WITHOUT CHANGING YOURSELF!

I'm charting a new course! I stumbled onto the Plateau Busting team and from there, I found the Calorie Cycling Team. I've been here 148 days, watched my calories and generally did the right things with an occasional beer etc. And no significant weight loss. So I am delving into the idea of eating more and calorie cycling which I don't understand yet. I dont' think I eat enough many days because I get so hungry sometimes and if I ate more of the right things I wouldn't be getting so hungry.

My son has joined weight watchers and likes point counting. I think this may be similar and I might end up going back to WW but first I am going to find out about calorie cycling and see how it works.

Today so far, I've eaten

Shredded wheat and bran cereal, half a banana, skim milk

For lunch I made tuna fish salad with celery and ate it with 2 slices of Arnold Health Nut Bread and spinach piled atop. Then I had a vanilla activia yogurt.

I haven't eaten a sandwich with two slices of bread in a long time but it was good and I am totally satisfied at 2:49 in the afternoon.

For dinner, I'm making Healthy Moussaka which is a recipe from Spark and I'm adding extra eggplant. It is delicious if you have ever had it. And I think I will slice some fresh strawberries for dessert.

so that is my plan and I'm not going to search the net for calorie cycling information. Later

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

JENNY888 5/24/2010 12:40AM

I've been reading about the calorie cycling for quite awhile lately. It seems to work when I reach a plateau. Report Inappropriate Comment

GRANDMAMAOF3 5/23/2010 6:52PM

Eat well balanced meals, healthy foods and use the food and fitness trackers. They will help you get it figures out. Good luck to you; stay healthy. Report Inappropriate Comment

SGKAYLOR123 5/23/2010 4:39PM

Good luck with your new plan! There are many days I think I don't eat enough calories, but I have the problem where I'm not hungry lol. Report Inappropriate Comment

KASEYCOFF 5/23/2010 4:39PM

Is 'calorie cycling' where you do a day or two of low... a day or two of high... then two or three days of mid-range? 'course, I could look it up, but then it would look like I'm industrious and not the mellow, lazy person we all know me to be, lol... p.s. Me again! Hope these will post; I found a couple sites but there's no 'link' button: http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_3_18 /ai_83343022/ http://hub pages.com/hub/Calorie-Cycling-D iet That second one looks especially good, as it has an 'outline' for planning your own calorie-cycling diet, plus a few links to other information. Keep us posted, kiddo! :-D Okay, last post-script, I promise, lol... I found this: http://www.freedieting .com/tools/calorie_calculator.h tm# THAT is one great calculator, and once you have the data from that you can set up your own calorie-cycling plan using the numbers. Comment edited on: 5/23/2010 4:52:29 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

FCASTELO 5/23/2010 3:52PM

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NO DIET TALK TODAY, WHAT'S YOUR THREAD COUNT? DAY 147

Saturday, May 22, 2010

YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF WITHOUT CHANGING YOURSELF!

I decided that today I am not going to blog about dieting. Instead, I am sharing an article I wrote for my local paper about sheets and thread counts. I have written ariticles for about 12 years or so, lost count.



"CUSTOM BEDDING"


How much would you spend on a beautiful bedroom? $500; $5000; or somewhere in between? I got to thinking about this after attending last month’s Decorating Den Interiors conference in New Orleans and came home with a set of $300 bamboo quilted no slip sheets and a bamboo quilted mattress cover. $500 wouldn’t go very far with prices like these but there are folks out there who would be willing to spend dollars on a beautiful master bedroom instead of shopping for a bed in a bag. All in one bedding is easy but it’s not very creative. How many times does the dust ruffle in the bag actually fit the bed you have? They’re always skimpy and they usually need to be slit in the corners in order to accommodate the bed post. At the very least, please have a custom dust ruffle made to coordinate and maybe a new custom valance or drapery.

Is this you? I don’t want to spend a lot of money on a bedspread because the dog sleeps there or the cat gets up on it. I need something washable. I get tired quickly and want something new so I don’t want to spend much. I can’t find anything I like. Have you ever ordered bedding that looked beautiful in the catalog but you found it to be cheaply made when you got it and not as pretty as you wanted it to be?

Let’s think about this for a minute. We spend a third of our lives sleeping. I was one of those types that would buy a set of sheets on sale a couple times a year. They lasted a while and eventually, the elastic wore out or stretched and they wouldn’t stay on the bed anymore. Or the polish wore off even though they were supposed to be a high thread count. And they were always wrinkled and the top sheet wasn’t long enough, etc. etc. So I’d go out and get another set.

And what about thread count? Thread count is just that, the number of threads per square inch. A high thread count does not necessarily means that the sheet is superior to one with a lower thread count. The quality of the fiber and the construction is what you want to know. Try searching sheet thread count on the internet. You’ll be amazed at the information available.

Well, things have changed at our house. Last year, Dream Fit became a new supplier for us and we purchased a set of their no slip sheets. The fitted sheet is self-tailoring, adjusts to any mattress depth and has 1” corner bands that secure the sheet to the underside of the mattress. The top sheet is extra-large and extra-long with a sateen weave for added comfort and a silky-smooth feel. The bamboo-rich fibers wick away moisture from the body and are naturally bacteria and allergen resistant. This is the only sheet set we use even though we have stacks of them in the closet. We wash it and put it back on.

So this year, I came home with another more luxurious set. There will be no more department store bargains for me. If I’m going to spend a third of my life sleeping, I’m going to do it in luxury! Until next time, have a happy decorating day! "

Enjoy!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SGKAYLOR123 5/22/2010 6:56PM

I just bought a new set of sheets that feel like tshirts, so comfy!! I don't want to get outta bed lol Report Inappropriate Comment

MARSHASTAR 5/22/2010 2:10PM

Thank you for sharing that info. I'm one of those people with a linen closet full of cheap sheets, mis-matched sets, lost pillowcases, and a messy bedroom. It's depressing. Report Inappropriate Comment

SHAWWB 5/22/2010 1:13PM

I have enough trouble getting out of bed, better sheets would just make that worse! LOL Sounds wonderful! Report Inappropriate Comment

GRANDMAMAOF3 5/22/2010 11:01AM

Makes me want to go home and go back to bed! Have a great weekend! Report Inappropriate Comment

I'M SO FRUSTRATED! DAY 146

Friday, May 21, 2010

YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF WITHOUT CHANGING YOURSELF!

I'm so frustrated that my scale is back up to 185. I spent precious little time at 180. This morning I stumbled onto a new team, Plateau Busters. A member, IWANNASHRINK had just gotten to her goal after six months of plateauing. Seems like she increased her calories to a steady 2000 and kept up her exercise and the weight came off. This makes sense to me.

Weight loss programs always tell you to make sure you eat enough of the right foods to not be hungry. Well, when I try to keep my calories below 1500, it is okay for a day or two and then I crave and go off and yo yo back and forth. The result is never losing or gaining a few pounds. I am 5'7" tall and a skinny weight for me is 150. If I weighed 150, I would be a bean pole and my bones would show. I know, I've been there. Now at 180+, the weight just clings to me so I'm thinking that IWANNASHRINK's idea of maintaining 2000 calories might work for me.

Fact: The idea of me giving up a glass of beer or two is a ridiculous mindset. I'm not a drunk, nor do I drink every night. It's just that beer is my drink of choice when we socialize and especially in the summer, it tastes good and cold. I don't drink coke or other sweet drinks. I drink lots of water and beer sometimes. So, I think I need to put beer into my caloric intake plans. If I allow for it in my calorie intake, then I will eat sensibly the rest of the time. And maybe if I'm eating enough of the right things, even up to 2000 calories, that would be okay. This makes total sense to me. I could never subsist on less than 1500 calories a day. My body needs more than that. I am not a skinny broad, never have been. And never will be. In the sixth grade, I weighed 152 pounds.

I am not in this to lose weight quickly. I am in this to get healthy which is happening. I'll have to think about this new philosophy and maybe try it out. Wouldn't that be interesting. Instead of trying not to eat to stay under 1500, I would need to eat to get up to 2000 and pick a healthy food to do it. Ummm. Later.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

KASEYCOFF 5/21/2010 5:02PM

'They say' that just like with interval training, if you change your daily calorie intake it is of real benefit for losing weight, as well as healthier for you in the long-term. If you go on the same lower-than-maintenance calorie range day in and day out, your body just goes into starvation mode. Your metabolism slows practically to zero, and you end up not only hanging onto every bit of fat / excess weight you have, but your body tries to get even more out of the limited amount you are eating. But if you 'seesaw' throughout the week - a day or two of the low end of the range, a couple days at the high end, two or three days in the middle - your body doesn't get locked into the hang-onto-everything syndrome. So they do say! The other thing is, as long as you don't have some kind of illness, there's no reason you can't branch out and still lose weight. If you exercise and burn off more calories than you take in, it doesn't matter if you eat 2000 calories a day or 3000 or 9000 (thinking of Michael Phelps, lol...) as long as you are creating a deficit. If you plot out a diet and exercise regimen where you burn an average of X calories per week, and eat an average of Y calories per week, that would give you a lot more flexibility, beer or no beer. Besides, if you practice moderation, why shouldn't you have a beer or two... or splurge a little when you eat out... or have dessert sometimes? That's a healthy approach, to my mind - moderation, I mean. As long as you're dealing with any triggers that can set you off into emotional eating, you will be fine. And if you lose one-half-pound per week, so what? That's a lot better than trying to lose a lot of weight very fast only to end up having it all come back. Thinks me. :-) Report Inappropriate Comment

JENNY888 5/21/2010 11:20AM

I am finding that what you eat is so much more important than how many calories. Healthy food is the key. You also need to find out what it is that satisfies you. Ultimately though you have to gain control over what you eat. Report Inappropriate Comment

NPAUL929 5/21/2010 11:00AM

I am constantly going up and down with my weight - some days I eat more than others and I still have problems with candy. I think I got control over the chips as long as I do not purchase them. My husband and I have incorporated eating salads made with a variety of greens and lots of vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, peppers, mushrooms, etc) for lunch and dinner. We are eating a large volume of food with lots of nutrients and low calorie. It seems to be working for us - hubby had lost 24 pounds so far and my weight now is less than when I was in high school. He is losing and I am maintaining. I can understand the plateau, I plateaued for a year before I started to lose weight, it started to come off when I upped the intensity and time of my workouts. I sure hope you find something that works for you. Keep us posted on how it is going. Nancy Report Inappropriate Comment

ANDI571 5/21/2010 9:44AM

I think you are on to something. I have been tweaking my calorie intake also. I was staying between 1220 and 1300 calories and was not dropping at all. I didn't do it purposely, but went up to around 1400 calories and started dropping. I stayed the same this morning, but I was ranging around 1600 calories. So I need to drop back down and see what happens. I think it is all up to the individual. I am a housewife, and I don't move as much as someone that works. My exercise for the day is my main steps. So I think we have just play around a bit and find what works for us. Keep us posted. I am interested in what works for you. Report Inappropriate Comment

MARSHASTAR 5/21/2010 9:29AM

I agree with your ideas. If you are finding what works best for you, you should follow that idea to success. You know yourself, and your body, and what it needs to operate efficiently. . .. I like beer, but I drink O'Douls non-alcoholic beer. (not that often, though). I have gained 7 pounds, but not from anything I can explain. My emotional eating is the cause of my downfall. I think I'm back on track now, but won't be sure until I'm able to exercise regularly. I agree with you - we aren't going to lose this weight quickly. It's just better to have a steady loss. I think I expected too much too soon, and I let that discourage me. . and was too embarrassed to blog about it. Thanks for sharing your ideas. Report Inappropriate Comment

STARTINGALLOVER 5/21/2010 9:22AM

I can relate to the plataeu for sure.. I have been losing consistantly, but the past few weeks have been a struggle. Down 3..then up 2..etc. In the past this is where I gave up...but healthy weight fluctuates up and down and I keep "tweaking" my calories to find out what will push me thru this rut. Some days..yikes. I am so frustrated! What has been working has been the idea of "muscle confusion" .. I put my regular fitness activities on hold, and started three days a week or more of totally opposite exercise.. it makes me exhausted! But I think I am noticing that my body is suddenly trying to figure out what is going on..(it thought is was pretty smart by becoming used to my other exercise).. So I will know more on my Tuesday weigh in.. I will get back to you! You are doing great..stick with it! Report Inappropriate Comment