Want2Lose's Diary

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August 18

Menu

Breakfast: Hot cereal, walnuts, soy milk, cinnamon
Snack: Raisins, tri-color chickpea salad (Summer Fresh brand), cucumbers
Lunch: Tuna salad (tuna, yogurt, celery, lemon juice) with tomatoes on corn tortilla
Snack: Apple, green tea
Dinner: Tuna salad on tortilla, salad (tri-color chickpea salad, tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, onion, cilantro, lemon juice)
Snack: Dark chocolate, figs, strawberries

Exercise

6,743 steps on the pedometer. Walked for eighty minutes, broken into two shorter walks. The recommended 10,000 steps is 5 miles. I have a hard time believing that I walked only 3.5 miles.
 
August 19

Weighed 160 this morning, a new low.

Menu

Breakfast: Soy milk, blueberries, strawberries
Snack: Apple, almonds
Lunch: Two corn tortillas topped with spinach, cheese and salsa. Salad (tri-color chickpea salad, cilantro, tomato, cucumber, carrot, green bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, lemon juice).
Snack: Decaf coffee
Dinner: Lentil stew (lentils, rapini, garlic, tomato sauce, hot red pepper) sprinkled with romano cheese
Snack: Popcorn, almonds, baked figs (figs, brown sugar, lemon zest and juice) topped with yogurt, diet Coke

Exercise

Walked for 80 minutes broken into three shorter walks. 10,686 steps on pedometer. I think I have been wearing it incorrectly the past two days. It was not perfectly parallel with the ground.
 
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August 20

Menu

Breakfast: Soymilk, blueberries, strawberries
Snack: Tri-color chickpea salad, lettuce, raisins
Lunch: Salad (walnuts, romano, cilantro, tomato, cucumber, green bell pepper, onion, carrot, jalapeno, lemon juice, low-fat dressing), kidney bean stew (kidney beans, tomato sauce, garlic, tumeric, cumin, hot red pepper) topped with yogurt
Snack: Watermelon
Dinner: Salmon (lemon juice), potato with smart balance spread, summer squash (salt)
Snack: Peach, almonds

Exercise

Walked about 90 minutes. 10,869 steps on pedometer.
 
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August 21

Menu:

Breakfast: Soymilk, strawberries, blueberries
Snack: Figs, popcorn
Lunch: Cheese, tomato, apple
Snack: Almonds and raisins
Dinner: Tri-color chickpea salad on lettuce, scrambled eggs (egg, egg white, soymilk, spinach, garlic, cooking spray), sliced tomato, roast potato.
Snack: Jordan almonds (7)

Exercise:

Walked 40 minutes. 7,101 steps. Went out again before dinner another 30 minutes and got up to 10,000.
 
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Want2Lose said:
Also, I have read that 10,000 steps per day is recommended for health and fitness. My job is extremely sedentary, so I doubt if I am getting half that. I will have to pick up the pace, obviously, but I feel as if I am already doing the maximum of which I am capable. I don't have much extra stamina. I will have to think this over and decide what to do.
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I've heard 10,000 steps too (a lot actually), usually with a reference to the Amish. Take that extra stamina and push it a little, this is how we grow more stamina. It's why I started interval jogs.

Want2Lose said:
6,743 steps on the pedometer. Walked for eighty minutes, broken into two shorter walks. The recommended 10,000 steps is 5 miles. I have a hard time believing that I walked only 3.5 miles.
Click to expand...

Me too.

Want2Lose said:
Walked for 80 minutes broken into three shorter walks. 10,686 steps on pedometer. I think I have been wearing it incorrectly the past two days. It was not perfectly parallel with the ground.
Click to expand...

Eh, I've used pedometers in the past and I think they are so-so at best. I wouldn't stress it too much.

Want2Lose said:
Weighed 160 this morning, a new low.
Click to expand...

Congo rats!!
 
August 22

Thank you for the encouragement, MGR. It's a strange feeling, moving around so much after decades of inactivity. I'm lucky I didn't leave it too late.

In other news, I went to the open-air market today, and got a very pale green, almost white, bell pepper, a kind I have never tried before. The vendor said it was a sweeter variety. Also some "heirloom" tomatoes (whatever that means) -- they were different colors, green, orange and the usual red. So good. Also cucumbers and plums. I like to get cukes from the open-air market because they are not wax-coated like the ones in the supermarket so I don't have to peel them -- extra fiber. The down side is that those few things cost $9. I try to tell myself that my health is priceless and it will be worth it in the long run.

Finally, I hit 159 today. I like to think it's because I forced myself to walk last night when I really wanted to vegetate. I am going to hurry over to the 150s club and join in before the scale fluctuates.

Menu

Breakfast: Soymilk, yogurt, protein powder, blueberries
Snack: Decaf coffee
Lunch: Salad (tri-color chickpea salad, tomatoes, green pepper, cucumber)
Snack: Apple and peanut butter
Dinner: Pinto beans (pinto beans, carrot, celery, onion, jalapeno, cumin) on two corn tortillas with cheddar and salsa. Milk.
Snack: Figs

Exercise

Went to Botanic Garden and walked 10,000 steps. About 1.5 hours. Ended the day at 16, 071.
 
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August 23

Went to supermarket today and bought a bunch of kale. Looking forward to kale stew this evening.

Menu
Breakfast: Hot cereal, raisins, yogurt, cinnamon
Lunch: Salad (Romano, walnuts, parsley, tomato, cucumber, yellow bell pepper, carrot, onion, lemon juice, light dressing). Watermelon and raspberries.
Dinner: Kale stew (kale, mushrooms, garlic, tomato sauce, lentils, hot red pepper) over brown rice sprinkled with romano. Salmon.
Snack: Decaf coffee

Exercise
Walked 11,468 steps. About 90 minutes outside.
 
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August 24

Menu
Breakfast: Yogurt, protein powder, raspberries, blueberries, walnuts. Decaf coffee.
Snack: Popcorn
Lunch: Cheese, tomato, green tea
Snack: Baked corn tortillas with salsa
Dinner: Kale stew (see above)
Snack: Popcorn, plums

Exercise
Walked 10,411 steps, which included about 50 minutes outside and 5 minutes on an inclined treadmill.
 
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August 25

Down to 158 pounds. I got shaky and faint on my walk today. I carry raisins or juice with me since a small snack seems to help when this happens. I think I tend to hypoglycemia. A sip of juice and I am back on my feet. Only today it didn't work. Luckily I made it home and lay down for a bit. A triathelete friend said it sounded as if I were not eating enough, especially at breakfast. Even though I get 400 breakfast calories, he suggested making it 600 and increasing my daily intake to 1800 calories. I will try this for a week or two.

In any case, I am not happy with my rate of weight loss. It's only a pound and a half a week but still I am concerned about losing too fast and later piling it all back on. I think I would be happier with 3/4 to 1 pound loss per week.

It is the week before my period, and the chocolate cravings are back. I find exercise harder at this time. I read that it was because of testosterone levels, they are either at their peak or trough right now (I forget which) and this makes physical exertion more difficult.

Menu
Breakfast: yogurt, protein powder, blueberries
Snack: Raisins, apple with peanut butter
Lunch: Salad (pinto beans, corn, cheddar, parsley, tomato, carrot, onion, red pepper, jalapeno, lemon-juice, regular dressing)
Snack: Decaf coffee and skim milk, watermelon
Dinner: Salmon, roasted yellow summer squash (cooking spray), eggplant in tomato sauce with garlic
Snack: Almonds, cheese, plums

Exercise
Walked 10,293 steps. About 50 minutes of outdoor walking. It was an effort to log the 10,000 steps today -- I had to push myself.
 
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August 26

Menu
Breakfast: Plums, apple, romano
Snack: Baked tortillas with salsa
Lunch: Salad (kidney beans, avocado, red bell pepper, parsley, carrot, onion, cucumber, lemon juice, jalapeno, low-fat dressing)
Snack: Almonds and raisins
Dinner: Tuna salad (tuna, miracle whip, celery, onions, peas), plums
Snack: Almonds, dried cranberries, cheese, two chocolate candies, light ice-cream sandwich, diet cola

Exercise
Walked 10,000 steps. An effort.
 
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August 27

I lost control last night and did some crazy snacking. The chocolate candy was planned (PMS cravings) but the rest was not. I ended up at 2,100 calories, which is not terrible in itself, but most of the food was not very nutritious. Will get back on track today.

Breakfast: Yogurt, protein powder, blueberries, walnuts
Lunch: Salad (lettuce, parsley, cucumber, red pepper, lemon juice, low-fat dressing), roasted cauliflower (olive oil, salt), tostadas (pinto beans, carrots, onion, jalapeno, corn tortillas, cheddar, salsa)
Snack: Apple, peanut butter
Dinner: Egg and egg white (cooking spray), baked potato (smart balance spread)
Snack: Almonds, dried cranberries, cheese

Exercise
Walked 10,000 steps.
 
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August 28

Menu
Breakfast: Blueberries, walnuts, yogurt, protein powder
Lunch: Cheese, tomato
Snack: Apple, green tea, cough drop
Dinner: Salmon (cooking spray, lemon juice), roast cauliflower (olive oil, salt), peach

Exercise
Walked 10,000 steps.
 
August 29

Menu
Breakfast: Apple and peanut butter
Lunch: Black beans (cooked with carrots, garlic, tofu) on three corn tortillas with salsa and cheddar.
Snack: Mixed fruit (cantaloupe, strawberries, figs) with cottage cheese. Decaf coffee.
Dinner: Stew (lentils, kale, eggplant, mushrooms, garlic, tomato sauce, hot red pepper)

Exercise
Walked 10,000 steps.

Didn't lose any weight this week, but then I didn't gain any either. Still 158. The walking is becoming more difficult. I think on Monday I will give myself a rest day.

Went to open-air market today: cantaloupe, cucumbers, tomatoes, butternut squash. Also supermarket: Figs, strawberries, kale, mushrooms, apples, salsa. I have some good meals lined up.
 
August 30

Menu
Breakfast: Mixed fruit (peach, strawberries, figs, cantaloupe) with cottage cheese and walnuts
Lunch: Salad (cucumber, tomatoes, light dressing); omelet (kale, onion, mushrooms, egg, egg white, cheese, cooking spray)
Snack: Baked corn tortillas and salsa, half grapefruit
Dinner: Salmon (lemon juice, cooking spray), brown rice, vegetables (green pepper, onion, eggplant) in tomato sauce
Snack: Two chocolate truffles, almonds, diet coke

Exercise
Walked 10,000 steps. Really rough, but I made it.
 
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August 31

Holding steady at 158, didn't lose any weight this past week. Perhaps I was wrong to bump up my calories. I'll give it another week.

Menu
Breakfast: Yogurt with protein powder, walnuts, cantaloupe, strawberries, figs
Snack: Apple, green tea
Lunch: Tuna salad (tuna, hard-boiled egg, celery, onion, peas, miracle whip), cheese, tomatoes
Dinner: Leftover rice and vegetables from yesterday's dinner with added tofu. Baked potato with cottage cheese and mushrooms (cooking oil)
Snack: Almonds, cantaloupe.

Exercise
10,000 steps on pedometer.
 
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September 1

Weighed in at 157 today -- another pound bites the dust.

Menu
Breakfast: Fruit (blueberries, strawberries, figs), yogurt, walnuts
Lunch: Pinto beans (pinto beans, garlic, onion, carrot, celery), corn tortillas, cheddar, salsa
Snack: Decaf coffee, diet cola, half grapefruit, cottage cheese, almonds
Dinner: Salad (kale, parsley, cucumber, light dressing), salmon (lemon juice, cooking spray)
Snack: Two skinny cow ice cream sandwiches, cheese, almonds, dried cranberries

Exercise
Walked 10,000 steps.

Weighed in at 157 today -- another pound bites the dust.

Menu
Breakfast: Fruit (blueberries, strawberries, figs), yogurt, walnuts
Lunch: Pinto beans (pinto beans, garlic, onion, carrot, celery), corn tortillas, cheddar, salsa
Snack: Decaf coffee, diet cola, half grapefruit, cottage cheese, almonds
Dinner: Salad (kale, parsley, cucumber, light dressing), salmon (lemon juice, cooking spray)

Exercise
Walked 10,000 steps.

I read The Hungry Gene: The Science of Fat and the Future of Thin by Ellen Ruppel Shell. Kind of a hodgepodge examining obesity treatments through the ages. Chapters on diet drugs and their dangers, bariatric surgery, fast food, obesity in the developing world, molecular biology and obesity. I can't say it had much personal relevance to my weight loss journey, but it was full of interesting facts.

I am toying with the idea of a "free" day or a "cheat" day this coming weekend. I could have a glass of red wine, some dark chocolate. Maybe even some dim sum. The thing that would really make me happy is a big bag of cheesy puffs, the pirate's booty brand. I don't know. Just thinking about it makes me feel out of control. I'm sure I would eat the whole bag, which wouldn't be terrible, but would I be able to go back to my regular eating plan the next day? Probably not. For now at least, the cheesy puffs must remain forbidden.

There is a blog I like to read, by a woman who lost over 100 pounds and has kept it off for years. She was talking about the way she used to eat when she was fat, and sketched out a typical day's menu -- approx. 3,500 calories. I was tempted to do the same:

Breakfast: Yogurt, several cups of cafe au lait with 2% milk, maybe a banana
Lunch: Often skipped this meal. Sometimes a frozen dinner. Sometimes cheese and crackers. Somtimes instant ramen noodles. An apple.
Snack: If at home, would generally snack through the afternoon. Chips and salsa, cheesy puffs, cheese and crackers, peanut butter and crackers. Never any vegetables. Rarely fruit.
Dinner: Sometimes roasted tofu and vegetables. Sometimes a stir-fry. Often pasta or eggs.
Snack: Would nosh on candy, crackers, pistachios, ice cream, more or less continually until bedtime.

Really glad I changed my ways. And yet, if you had asked me at the time, I would have said I ate fairly healthy -- I was a pescetarian after all!
 
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September 2

Came in just under 2,000 yesterday. The late night snacking was out of control. It may have something to do with the diet soda I've been drinking lately. I think it triggers a craving for sweets. One step forward, one step back. At least I was still at 157 pounds this morning.

Menu
Breakfast: Romano cheese, apple, figs, almonds, half banana
Lunch: Sauteed mustard greens, carrots, and tofu seasoned with garlic, Thai green pepper, cooking spray, white wine, light soy sauce, garlic, low-fat dressing
Snack: Baked corn tortillas with salsa, grapes
Dinner: Baked potato with cottage cheese and tofu, egg salad (egg, egg white, onion, red bell pepper, miracle whip)
Snack: Two skinny cow ice cream sandwiches, peach


Exercise
Walked 10,000 steps. I am no longer timing my walks, but it takes approx 90 minutes to get my 10,000 steps. I always divide this into at least two, sometimes three, shorter walks. If 2,000 steps is approximately one mile (rule of thumb), then I am walking 5 miles a day at approx 3 mph. It gives me a good benchmark because if I hold the 10,000 steps steady, I can work on my speed by decreasing the time I walk. I actually jogged a few feet yesterday. Never thought I'd be doing that.
 
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September 3

Again had trouble with the late-night snacking. Sometimes if something is in the house, I feel I must eat it. I feel obsessed and cannot get the particular food item out of my mind. For example, those ice-cream sandwiches. They are gone now. According to fitday, I did end up at 1,600 calories (my goal) yesterday but it irks me that 300 of those calories were spent on empty ice cream.

Also, I have a tendancy to shake when I eat too much sugar, and I woke up last night feeling like I was having a heart attack. It's so stupid. I know I shouldn't eat those things and yet I do it anyway.

Menu
Breakfast: Yogurt, protein powder, almonds, concord grapes, peach, half banana
Lunch: Salad (cilantro, carrot, ginger, hot Thai pepper, red bell pepper, lemon juice, low-fat dressing), soup (kale, white beans, onion, garlic, romano cheese)
Snack: Apple and peanut butter
Dinner: Salmon (lemon juice, cooking spray), butternut squash, roast cauliflower (olive oil, salt)
Snack: Cabernet, almonds

Exercise
10,000 steps
 
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September 4

Menu
Breakfast: Yogurt, protein powder, blueberries, walnuts
Snack: Almonds and raisins, tea
Lunch: Cheese, tomato (salt), grapes
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Salad (mustard greens, apples, blue cheese, light dressing), roast cauliflower, butternut squash (cooking spray)
Snack: Almonds, m&m candies

Exercise
Walked 10,000 steps
 
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September 5

Menu

Breakfast: Yogurt, protein powder, blueberries, walnuts, decaf coffee
Lunch: Salad (cilantro, red pepper, cucumber, tomato, hard-boiled egg, blue cheese, lemon juice, ginger root, hot Thai pepper, low-fat dressing), watermelon
Snack: Tomatoes, grapes, diet coke
Dinner: Brown rice topped with eggplants and green peas in spicy peanut sauce (peanut butter, light soy sauce, white wine, white vinegar, sriracha chili sauce, saccharin, ginger root) This is from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian cookbook. I don't usually have a lot of patience with elaborate sauces with multiple ingredients, but this one turned out quite well. It also called for sesame oil, but because I didn't have any and because of the added fat, I left it out. I also substituted green peas for cilantro. It's a great low-fat eggplant recipe because the eggplant is steamed, not sauteed in oil. I used two small Japanese eggplants (7 ounces) and one tablespoon of peanut butter. Very satisfying.
Snack: Oatmeal (raisins, cinnamon, brown sugar, yogurt), cheese

Exercise

13,000 steps.

Went to open air market today: tomatoes, purple (!) bell pepper, eggplants, summer squash.
 
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