from over to under

Friday, September 24, 2010

The other day I was over my calories. Today I was under. Fortunately I realized it by 8pm and got a bowl of cereal with milk to boost some of nutrient levels. I didn't make my fruit/veg and water goals but I made some of my other goals that I had missed earlier this week.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

REBECCAMA 9/25/2010 9:59AM

I was very tempted to just go to bed without eating any more but I was afraid if I did that I'd be extra hungry in the morning. I don't know though. 1100 calories for the day wouldn't have been too bad I guess, but it was a nice excuse to have that bowl of cereal that I wanted anyway. Report Inappropriate Comment

JUSTSLS 9/25/2010 1:14AM

You went for the healthy option , I don't always do that when I need calories, sometimes I head down the wrong track. Good for you! Report Inappropriate Comment

LINDY2202 9/24/2010 9:14PM

I am under on my calories today too. I need to quit doing that! Way to reach your other goals! Report Inappropriate Comment

Need help with Spark again

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Today was a "strength training" day for me. So I did my exercises and marked them off. I only managed to get a very short walk in this morning, but I dutifully reported it on my mileage tracker even though it wasn't good for much.

Now at the end of the day I ran my report to see how many calories I had used vs. how many I had eaten. I only saw the exercise calories for the short walk. I didn't see any calories counted for all the strength training I did today. What am I doing wrong? Do I need to put that strength training in somewhere else too? Do I need to do the quick tracker for the fitness minutes?

(I haven't been doing the quick tracker for fitness. I only use it for water and fruits/veggies usually.)

I tried looking this question up on the message boards but honestly I didn't get very far. They are probably one of my least favorite things of this site. The teams, friends, and blogs are much more helpful.

Thanks for anyone who read this far and understands my question and can help.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

RAYLINSTEPHENS 9/27/2010 5:51PM

Walking goes under Cardio - not ST. You get "credit" for fitness minutes, but not calories burned in the ST section. Report Inappropriate Comment

REBECCAMA 9/24/2010 9:15AM

Thanks Amy! I think that kind of sucks personally. I am also frustrated that the only thing I can find for doing stairs is the stair climber machine. I'm pretty sure that going up and down real stairs isn't the same as being on one of those machines, but I don't know what else to list instead. Report Inappropriate Comment

ASTORRES1 9/24/2010 9:11AM

On SP it only counts the cardio fitness minutes towards calories burned, as far as I know...I don't agree with that because I think ST is important too. amy Report Inappropriate Comment

Went over my calories on dinner

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

I was doing so well today. I survived the chocolate temptations and I had saved about half of my daily calories for dinner, which should have been fine. Then we decided to go to Bub's Barbecue for dinner. I simply can't go there and NOT eat. The food is just so yummy! I had small portions but I still ate my favorites.

Plugging the meal into the nutrition tracker was challenging. Some of their foods simply aren't in Spark's system so I had to do some estimating and substituting. Even when I tried looking things up elsewhere so I could manually add them I couldn't find EXACTLY what I ate. Hickory smoked potatoes anyone?

Oh well. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself. I did exercise today, and even though I went over by a couple hundred calories I still ended up with a number low enough to have burned off more than I ate so that's good at least. :-)

Still... eating out is always going to be a challenge I guess.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

MINDY502 9/23/2010 5:18PM

I do the same thing once in a while but it helps me from feeling deprived i just have to learn to watch my portions. So dont be hard on yourself! Report Inappropriate Comment

SHECHAM 9/22/2010 11:40PM

Think of all the good choices you made today... Once in a while, a treat is in order... I think you should be proud... Keep it up! You can do it!!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

MELISSAT123 9/22/2010 9:35PM

I'm right there with you. I can't go to my favorite restaurants without eating my favorite meal. I feel like, if I'm going to pay for something, I want it to be something I can't cook myself So, now I try only to go out once or twice a month - to restaurants that is. . . Report Inappropriate Comment

AMANDAHURN 9/22/2010 9:03PM

You have to treat yourself once in awhile. Don't be to hard on yourself!! Report Inappropriate Comment

Need some willpower!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

One of the things I volunteer for is a "Social Committee" in our building at work. We have a small budget to do fun things for the staff.

Today's assignment was passing out chocolate and other candy to the staff as a "Surprise Chocolate Break". Honestly we do this every year so I'm surprised staff don't expect it, but WHEN we do it is always a surprise. This year we'd rescheduled it amongst ourselves several times, but we finally did it this afternoon. It's my first year on the committee so it was my first time passing it out. Bite-sized pieces of some of my favorite chocolates, Smarties, and Werthers butterscotch. Yummy, yummy! And of course we were allowed to have some for ourselves.

I did well I think. I got a sandwich bag and picked out a few pieces for my daughter and my husband. Then I put the bag away. My goal is not to eat any of them, even though I really like the peanut butter cups and some of the other treats. Chocolate is NOT part of my diet and I need to keep it that way. It's one of those foods where I could binge if I'm not careful.

If I was better I would have passed on taking ANY because my daughter doesn't need them either, but honestly, I'm just not THAT good and maybe I'm kind of hoping that when I check the nutrition tracker at the end of the day I'll have enough calories left over for a small "dessert".

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SHECHAM 9/22/2010 11:19PM

I am a bonafide chocaholic... I understand your struggle. For me, the only way I will survive this new lifestyle, is if I find a way to control chocolate in my life. I make sure I have small portions of chocolate that I enjoy, on hand... That way when I need chocolate, I can have a sugar free chocolate pudding, or Breyer's fat free ice cream (which for some reason has fiber in it), a Fiber One Chocolate Oat Bar or a mini junior mint or 3 Musketeers... I don't keep the foods I tend to go overboard on, like M&Ms or Snickers... But that is what works for me at this time... I have had times when I could not stop myself from eating more than a reasonable amount.... and then I usually felt sick... sigh. I think you handled chocolate day well and I hope you did have enough for a treat at the end of the night... Report Inappropriate Comment

REBECCAMA 9/22/2010 9:02PM

For those of you who said you can't give up your chocolate addiction-- I hear you! I can't give up my coffee addiction. I thought about trying to use a sugar substitute or low-fat milk in my coffee to lower the calories, but it just doesn't taste the same. I want my coffee with REAL sugar and half-and-half thank you very much! There are days when I skip having my 2nd cup in the afternoon and that saves some calories, but I am not going to give it up completely. Report Inappropriate Comment

P2RTA0406 9/22/2010 8:31PM

Seems like you are doing good, but remember if you wanna make a lifestyle change then you can't forbid something you love/like to eat.. you only have to shrink the serving size. I also love chocolate and it seems that you love it too.. we can't ignore it, but we also don't have to eat it every night.. Maybe once in 2 weeks etc. we can eat everything but it's all about serving sizes Can i borrow some of your motivation? Report Inappropriate Comment

JUSTSLS 9/22/2010 4:05PM

Good for you! You are better than me, I allow a piece or two of chocolate every evening after supper. I love the Dove chocolate and 2 pieces is like 80 calories, I know I should cut it out completely but I keep the bag in the freezer and get out 4 pieces (hubby likes it too) while I fixing dinner and that is dessert. Report Inappropriate Comment

ASTORRES1 9/22/2010 3:01PM

Good job...se you are being stronger every day!! amy Report Inappropriate Comment

GONEFISHIN61 9/22/2010 2:53PM

That's a good start tho. Just hang in there and don't eat any of it.... Report Inappropriate Comment

taking care of myself

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Last night I noticed a spot on my tooth. I showed my husband and he said "Ah yeah.. call your dentist..." so I called this morning and they got me in right away. I went to the appointment and they basically said "Oh that? That's nothing. You've had that forever...."

So I wasted my time, and theirs, worrying about nothing. I am trying to take care of myself though. I am tempted to call my primary care doctor about something else, but I have a feeling I'll get the same kind of answer "Oh that? That's nothing... you are fine..."

So I think for now that little SparkPoint for "making an appointment" is probably going to go empty because I don't NEED any appointments I guess. I'm mostly fine. What's not fine I can probably treat myself and if in a few weeks it's not working THEN I can make the appointment.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

HOPESINGH 9/22/2010 7:16AM

I kinda think it's better to go to the doctor and get this "oh it's nothing" reaction than miss an important problem. You're doing the right thing taking care of yourself. Report Inappropriate Comment