Day 11

I wonder what their standard is.. because the vitamin i'm taking doesn't say I get that high of a %

was running late. Didn't have time to cook. Thus the Whey Protein. Though, I think I may do a whey protein fast each month starting May (so I can properly prep for it)

Watching TV while lying down = Sleep?!

Ok, I guess this shouldn't come as such a shock but, last night before actually trying to go to sleep I decided to watch an episode of The Biggest Loser because while I had of course heard of the show, I had never seen it and as mentioned in the last "thoughts" post, I recently purchased a BodyMedia Fit which I have been told is used by the participants in the show. I was laying down while watching it, which is something I often did (thought probably won't anymore...) and my Fit thought that I was asleep!

Dark gray = sleep
Light gray = lying down but not asleep
Red Circle = time spent watching the Biggest Loser

 

So, moral of the story... if you are going to watch TV, at least do it sitting up otherwise your metabolism slows down SO much you might as well be sleeping. Better yet, don't watch at all or do so while on a treadmill or something.

Day 10

Day 9

Tip #5

"I worked out this morning really hard,
so I can probably have a cupcake!"

Don't take on too many changes at once!

It's a recipe for failure. It's easy enough to eat healthy for a few days, but throw in the added stress of starting a new workout, following a new schedule etc etc and you will find yourself making compromises and justifying "cheating".

FACT: Self control is effortful, and like any "muscle" if you use it a lot, it becomes tired. At least, there is some evidence that suggests this is true. Check out the Strength theory of self control as discussed by Baumeister et al (1998).

So, add new habits gradually. When you decide to change your life, have a full out plan, but don't dive in or you may burn out.

Day 8

Day 7

 

how cool is this dashboard? It gives so much info!

New Toy

I work at a retailer that sells lots of gadgets... and decided to get one of them yesterday to help out on this quest. It is the bodymedia fit, which apparently is most well known from the Biggest Loser (never seen it).  Anyway, I'm excited about it. I've been religiously logging and planning meals for nearly a week now (not that long) without one slip up, but with a lot of questions over whether I'm going overboard/doing it right/etc. I think this thing will clear it up a lot for me.

The only thing that I am not looking forward to is logging foods in two places :( I've been using fitday.com up until now, and feel I should continue... because it tracks micro nutrients more precisely, and makes the little graphs I like so much that show not only how much zinc I've gotten, but also what % of the RDV it is. The online tracker, which is an integral part of the fit, is a lot more intuitive, and is way easier to enter in meals (it can duplicate them!), but lacks that one feature which is quite helpful I think... Well, we'll see. First things first is to let it track my sleep. Which is kind of exciting. Will post more on it after a day or two's worth of results :D

Day 6

Tip #4

PRE-DETERMINE EVERYTHING YOU WILL EAT.

It isn't enough just to keep a food log, you need to plan out your day to insure that you will not significantly (at all?) go over your goal intake while still being satiated.

Planning well doesn't just mean figuring out what you are going to eat either, it includes figuring out WHEN you are going to eat it too. You need to space it out because while you should be able to tolerate getting hungry, if you can keep yourself from feeling that way, it will help significantly reduce binging.

This principle is especially important for when you are eating out. Most chain restaurants have nutrition information available on their website, and looking at it in advance will save you upward 500 calories simply because of portion sizes. For example, looking at a certain restaurant's grilled chicken, which is advertised as being a healthy option and, only taking veggie sides (steamed medley and broccoli) you would think it wouldn't be much more than what I've been eating every day (steamed veggies and chicken). BUT, the plate comes with 2 servings of chicken and the steamed medley is 200 calories because of whatever they use to flavor it! The total meal is only 560ish calories, which is reasonable compared to a lot of other restraunt meals, but by looking into it in advanced, you can choose to get the roasted veggie option, which is JUST veggies, and eat only half of the chicken, and save yourself ~200 calories.

Day 5

Food Name	Amount	Unit	Cals	Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Prot (g)
BREAKFAST
Egg, whole, raw	100	grams	143	9.9	0.8	12.6
Spinach, cooked	90	grams	36	2.0	3.3	2.6
Grapefruit, raw	100	grams	32	0.1	8.1	0.6
Jimmie Dean Turkey Sausage Patties	1	serving	120	7.0	1.0	13.0
Snack #1
Almonds	1	oz (22 whole kernels)	164	14.4	5.6	6.0
Lunch
Beans, string, green, raw	83	grams	26	0.1	5.9	1.5
Asparagus, raw	39	grams	10	0.0	1.5	0.9
Brussels sprouts, raw	67	grams	29	0.2	6.0	2.3
Squash, summer, yellow, raw	79	grams	13	0.1	2.6	1.0
Onions, mature, raw	50	grams	20	0.1	4.7	0.5
Chicken, breast	3	oz, boneless, raw (yield after cooking)	105	4.2	0.0	16.0
Salmon, smoked	2	oz, boneless	66	2.4	0.0	10.4
Hummus	1	oz	50	2.4	5.7	1.4
Snack #2
Peach, raw	1	medium (2-1/2" dia) (approx 4 per lb)	38	0.2	9.3	0.9
Dinner
Squash, winter, butternut, frozen, unprepared	198	grams	113	0.2	28.4	3.5
Tea, herbal	3	mug (8 fl oz)	7	0.0	1.4	0.0
Salsa	1	oz	8	0.0	1.8	0.4
Chicken, breast	3	oz, boneless, raw (yield after cooking)	105	4.2	0.0	16.0
Broccoli, raw	50	grams	17	.02	3.3	1.4
		Total	1,149	48.1	100.4	93.2

 

Grams Calories %-Cals Calories 1,102 Fat 47.8 421 38 % Saturated 10.0 89 8 % Polyunsaturated 8.9 78 7 % Monounsaturated 19.7 172 16 % Carbohydrate 89.6 328 30 % Dietary Fiber 21.4 Protein 90.9 350 32 % Alcohol 0.0 0 0 %		Fat Carbs Protein Alcohol

(Th)inspriation from Ballroom dancers

I love ballroom dance. Specifically the Argentina Tango and Swing Dancing. I became interested in actually learning both late in high school, but by this time I had already gained significant weight from my sports injury and so I never pursued it.

When I am down to my goal weight I might just sign up :) It's never too late to learn.

I want legs like this...

Tip #3

Drink a glass of water whenever you feel hungry. Then wait 10 minutes and see how you feel.

 Not because it will fill you up, like some sites claim (though it will certainly take up some space...) but because thirst is often confused for hunger.

Guiltless Flavor 1

Like most dieters out there, this isn't my first time round the block, so I have made up my own ways to combat cravings as most everyone has I'm sure. Generally, I find that my cravings revolve around flavor. Ask anyone about what they think about low cal food and one of the first things that will pop up into their mind is BLAND... And I believe this blandness is a big stumbling block for many people.... so, this is the first post among many which will be dedicated to finding flavor you can savor without the guilt :D

Salad Dressings

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 37 calories; 2 g fat ( 0 g sat , 1 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 303 mg sodium; 21 mg potassium.

Recipe here

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 19 calories; 1 g fat ( 0 g sat , 1 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrates; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 99 mg sodium; 59 mg potassium.

Recipie here 

Day 4

Food Name	Amount	Unit	Cals	Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Prot (g)
Breakfast
Tea, herbal	3	mug (8 fl oz)	7	0.0	1.4	0.0
Spinach, cooked	90	grams	36	2.0	3.3	2.6
Egg, whole, raw	100	grams	143	9.9	0.8	12.6
Grapefruit, raw	150	grams	48	0.1	12.1	0.9
Snacks
Apple, raw	100	grams	52	0.2	13.8	0.3
Almonds	1	oz (22 whole kernels)	164	14.4	5.6	6.0
Lunch/Dinner
Chicken, breast	4	oz, boneless, raw	141	5.6	0.0	21.3
Hummus	1	oz	50	2.4	5.7	1.4
Squash, winter, butternut	500	grams	285	0.5	72.0	8.8
Salsa	1	oz	8	0.0	1.8	0.4
Salmon, smoked	2	oz, boneless	66	2.4	0.0	10.4
		Total	1,000	37.6	116.6	64.7

Day 3

Food Name                                                  Amount          Cals          Fat (g)          Carbs (g)          Prot (g)
(BREAKFAST)
Egg, whole, raw                                            100 g             143          9.9                   0.8                  12.6

Tea, herbal                                                      24oz                7          0.0                   1.4                    0.0
Spinach, cooked                                             90g                36           2.0                   3.3                    2.6
Grapefruit, raw                                              150g                48          0.1                  12.1                   0.9

(LUNCH)
Healthy Choice Italian Style Wedding Soup    1 can             208          4.3                  27.8                 15.6
Apple, raw                                                     75g                 39          0.1                  10.4                  0.2

(DINNER)
Wholly Guacamole 100 cal snack pack          1 pack           100          8.0                   5.0                    1.0
Chicken, breast                                             3oz (raw)       105          4.2                   0.0                   16.0
Squash, winter, butternut, frozen,                   250g              142           0.2                 36.0                    4.4   

(SNACK)
Almonds                                                         1oz               164         14.4                   5.6                  6.0

Total                                                                                   993          43.4               102.4               59.3

Tip #2

SLEEP!

If you are creating a large caloric deficit, sleep becomes even more important than it normally is. And according to a number of studies... it's REALLY important in relation to weight management in general anyway.

Day 2

Breakfast:

food	amount	calories
poached egg	110 grams	163
frozen spinach	95 grams	32
red grapefruit	150 grams	60

3 cups of green tea, strongly brewed. 

I couldn't finish it all so I have some of the grapefruit left over. I will eat half of what's left before I eat my lunch/dinner as grapefruit is supposed to help suppress appetite. 

Total Estimated Plan: 929
UPDATE: Actual 939

I feel like I should add a few more calories in, because experts say that if you eat less than 1000 calories a day, or even less than 1200, you will cause your metabolism to slow down and therefore gain weight but... idk. These are the same experts who say the average lazy-ass American should eat 2000 calories... Thoughts?

Read more for detailed meal plan.

Tip #1

I should probably make a page dedicated to this... but for now, posts will do.

Today I only ate 1018 calories, which is probably half what I had been eating in the recent past. I wasn't really keeping track. Yet I haven't felt hungry at all or deprived, which is pretty amazing because usually the first day (well, really first 3 but still) is the worst. I think the difference in my response to food comes from the following tip, which is common sense... but many of us in the States forget to do it...

Take small bites, and take time to chew. 

I made sure that each bite was small, and that I chewed it for at least 15 counts more than I would have normally. I also put my fork down in between each bite... Not only is it healthier to chew food properly, but it slows down your eating.

FACT: It takes time for your brain to register that you have eaten.*

So, aside from helping your digestion, taking time to chew gives your body a chance to figure out you've eatten, and to stop making you think you need to eat more. 




*This was the first source I could find, but I've actually read the study this article is referring to, and others. If anyone actually starts following this blog, and wants the study, I'll try to find it.

(Th)inspriation from athletes

I used to be a figure skater. This was a long long time ago... but I was actually decent. I could land some doubles =] Anyway... it seems appropriate that given that history I take my first inspirational picture come from that sport...

I stopped following the sport soon after an injury took me out of it, but every winter games I make a point of watching it. Davis and White's performance during the 2010 games captivated me beyond belief. I LOVED their original dance inspired by Indian folk tradition.

Anyway, like all athletes she's svelte, but strong. This is what I want my body to be like.

Click "read more" for more pictures. 

Spring is a time to start new things

Part of my "new years resolution" effort this year has been to adopt a new good habit each week. This week is when I will start the "lose weight and eat less" part of the self improvement project. Rather than follow a fad diet, I have decided to go with the more basic, tried and true method of simply creating a caloric deficit.  My goal is going to be keeping it less than 1,200 calories per day. When I add exercise to the program I may increase it to 1,500 per day, but I haven't decided yet. It will depend on how many calories I find out I burn per day when I calculate it... for now, I'm just trying to get into habits that will allow me to sustain the effort so I'm not worried about maximizing it's effectiveness this week.

This blog is going to be dedicated to seriously losing weight, controlling hunger, keeping inspired, etc and so forth.  It will also serve as a food journal for my own tracking purposes. The tips/ideas/etc I post here will mostly come from personal experience/what works for me. Please do not take them as professional advice, or even as necessarily being healthy because I am not consulting a doctor or dietitian. I have no intentions of doing anything that is decidedly *unhealthy*, but health is not my overall goal here... getting thin is.

Yours truly,

Tired Of Being Fat

Day 1

Breakfast:

poached egg	100 grams	142
cooked spinach	90 grams	30
Grapefruit	150 grams	65
2 cups of green tea

Snack:

Banana

70 grams

62

 Lunch:

boiled chicken breast	90 grams	136
mixed veggies	250 grams	105
Miso Soup mix (Wakame)	1 packet	35

Snack:

Almonds

14 nuts

100

Dinner:

boiled chicken breast	90 grams	136
mixed veggies	250 grams	105
Guacamole	1 packet	100

Estimated Total Calories: 1016

Unlisted: water intake

Lunch and Dinner were essetially the same thing, but I flavored them differently. I think this is pretty much what my menu will look like most days, so these posts will probably be boring.

The mixed veggies are made up of frozen veggies including: green beans, brussle sprouts, asparagus, butternut squash, chopped white onions and chopped red and green peppers. The calories estimated for them are based on the butternut squash, which has the highest caloric content. Actual calories are undoubtedly less, but not much.