Today I weigh 170.8 at 38% bodyfat. I think my bodyfat percentage is sloping more down than up, but I don't really have enough data points to tell. It wiggles between 37 and 39.
Quick stats: average kcals/day 1669, 5 cardio, 3 strength workouts, -1.4 lb.
Also, a notice that weigh-in & data day will be moved to Monday for the next 3 weeks. This is because I will be de-computerized next weekend for my bike trip and two weekends afterward for a camping trip. May as well keep the one-week interval in between.
It's funny how trying to lose weight can change your perspective on things you'd normally find annoying. For instance, yesterday I had to stay late at work finishing some things my prof really needs this weekend, and didn't get home until 8pm. So I ate quite a light dinner because I was hungry (obviously) but don't feel the best when I eat that late. End result: calorie count of 1475. And so I find it a GOOD thing that I got held up.
Food journal:
Friday 7/30
Banana and coffee (100)
1 bowl cereal (150+100=250)
Cottage cheese with sliced strawberries (55+50=105)
Hummus, cheese, and veggie sandwich and a banana (2*100+65+100+20+100=485)
Soaked almonds and orange dark chocolate (100+85=185)
1 bowl potato corn chowder with a slice of bread and soymilk (200+100+50=300)
100+250+105+485+185+350=1475 + outdoor run (2.2 mi) and upper body strength workout
Thursday 7/29
Canned pineapple and coffee (70)
Cottage cheese, coffee, and sliced banana with brown sugar and cinnamon (110+100+30=240)
Nutri-yeast popcorn and soymilk (165+100=265)
1 bowl potato broccoli corn chowder, 1/2 cheese sandwich, and an apple (200+100+100+100=500)
Green tea and dark chocolate (95)
Pasta with veggies sauteed in olive oil and 1 glass wine (250+250+125=625)
70+240+265+500+95+625=1795 + outdoor run (2.2 mi)
Wednesday 7/28
Banana and coffee (100)
Fried polenta with 1 egg, tomato, and avocado (95+70+15+100=280)
Soaked almonds and green tea (200)
Cheese sandwich and apple (2*100+2*100+100=500)
Tiny plum from a tree on campus (15)
Strawberries and green tea (100)
1 bowl potato broccoli corn chowder and ice cream (200+1.5*150=425)
100+280+200+500+15+100+425=1620 + outdoor run (1.7 mi) and upper body strength workout
Tuesday 7/27
Tangelo and coffee (100)
Egg on toast and a bite of ice cream (100+70+30=200)
1/2 chocolate chip muffin and soymilk (165+100=265)
Tuna quesadilla (210+85+2*100=495)
Orange dark chocolate and green tea (85)
1 bowl potato corn chowder with cheese (200+100=300)
Frozen blueberries, raspberries, grapes, and fresh strawberries (100)
100+200+265+495+85+300+100=1545 + outdoor run (1.4 mi)
Monday 7/26
Cottage cheese and canned pineapple (110+70=180)
Nutri-yeast popcorn (165)
Couscous, black bean, broccoli, tuna, and boiled egg salad (175+110+30+90+70=475)
Soy chai drink and 1/2 chocolate chip muffin(100+20+165=285)
1 bowl potato corn chowder, 2/5 baguette, ice cream and frozen grapes (200+2*100+75+25=500)
180+165+475+285+500=1605 + upper body strength workout
Sunday 7/25
Cottage cheese, 1/2 grapefruit with sugar, and strawberries (110+50+15+50=225)
Social hour munchies: crackers, cheese, guacamole, brownies, and coffee (500)
2 tortillas, hummus, and salad with vinaigrette (2*210+2*65+30+1.5*40=640)
Good 'n' Plenty candy, Greek yogurt with honey, and cheese (280+250+100=630)
225+500+640+630=1995 + aerobic dancing (9 songs)
(Count this as my booster day)
Saturday 7/24
Breakfast out (90+500+75+20=685)
2 cups coffee with cream & sugar (2*45=90)
Quiche (500)The fourth weekend, I'm here, but Monday is the day school starts so I ma
Green salad with croutons & vinaigrette (75)
Andes mint (20)
Baguette with butter, strawberries, and 1/2 peppermint patty (150+50+85=285)
Fried polenta with black beans and green salad with vinaigrette (3*85+110+30+40=435)
2 oz Aquavit (140)
Soymilk (100)
685+285+435+140+100=1645 + no exercise
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Upcoming bike trip
Hey, you know what REALLY gets your metabolism going? Riding your bike 70-80 miles in one day, resting, and repeating 3 times.
That's not quite what's going to happen this year. But last year, I rode my bike down to my dad's in the next major city down the valley, hung out for a weekend, then continued on to the college town where I went to school my first year. I revisited my old campus, saw a few friends, and turned around, using my dad's as a pit stop again. I weighed about what I do now, although I was probably in slightly better general shape. I ate around 1200 calories worth of energy bars each day of riding, plus meals. So I ate, in total, probably 3000-4000 calories a day, which is obviously a ton, but stick the ride into a few calorie calculators, add BMR, and you'll see it's somewhere between just-breaking-even and huge-deficit-anyway.
But I didn't say it shaved the pounds off while I was riding, I said it gets your metabolism going. The upshot of all this is that two weeks, 3 half-gallons of ice cream, and very little running later I was STILL slimming down. Not bad at all.
This year I'm doing another bike trip, this is for sure. Unfortunately, I don't have 9 consecutive days before school starts to ride down the valley like I did before. Instead I'm going with my boyfriend on a 4 day trip - the plan is to leave next Thursday - which will probably be 50 miles out, 2 days of recovery/hanging out, and 50 miles back. I won't restrict the day before or while I'm on the trip, although I will still record and count calories, and I'll probably eat as much of a pint of ice cream as I want the night we return. But afterward, I won't eat 3 half-gallons of ice cream to myself in 2 weeks and sit around. Instead I'll go straight back to the plan I've been following - strength training, running, and restricting. That should really give this thing a kick.
That's not quite what's going to happen this year. But last year, I rode my bike down to my dad's in the next major city down the valley, hung out for a weekend, then continued on to the college town where I went to school my first year. I revisited my old campus, saw a few friends, and turned around, using my dad's as a pit stop again. I weighed about what I do now, although I was probably in slightly better general shape. I ate around 1200 calories worth of energy bars each day of riding, plus meals. So I ate, in total, probably 3000-4000 calories a day, which is obviously a ton, but stick the ride into a few calorie calculators, add BMR, and you'll see it's somewhere between just-breaking-even and huge-deficit-anyway.
But I didn't say it shaved the pounds off while I was riding, I said it gets your metabolism going. The upshot of all this is that two weeks, 3 half-gallons of ice cream, and very little running later I was STILL slimming down. Not bad at all.
This year I'm doing another bike trip, this is for sure. Unfortunately, I don't have 9 consecutive days before school starts to ride down the valley like I did before. Instead I'm going with my boyfriend on a 4 day trip - the plan is to leave next Thursday - which will probably be 50 miles out, 2 days of recovery/hanging out, and 50 miles back. I won't restrict the day before or while I'm on the trip, although I will still record and count calories, and I'll probably eat as much of a pint of ice cream as I want the night we return. But afterward, I won't eat 3 half-gallons of ice cream to myself in 2 weeks and sit around. Instead I'll go straight back to the plan I've been following - strength training, running, and restricting. That should really give this thing a kick.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Estrogen, I heart you
... and one day on my period brings me down a pound from the morning before. Bye-bye unnecessary retention.
(No apologies to any male readers by the way. It's just blood, and most of you like vaginas otherwise - get over it.)
(No apologies to any male readers by the way. It's just blood, and most of you like vaginas otherwise - get over it.)
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The "other scale"
After a series of gains the past few days and random bouncing around of the body fat number, I was feeling rather frustrated this morning, so I pulled out my ribbon and measuring tape for a second opinion. Since it's been a while and I may not have posted the last time I measured, here were the previous data (all in inches):
6/12: waist 34, hips 43
6/26: waist 33, hips 42, thigh 26, arm 13
7/11: waist 32 1/2, hips 42, thigh 25 1/2, arm 13
My hips haven't changed, but today my waist was 31 3/4 and my thigh was 25 even. I got varying measurements of 12 1/2 - 13 1/2 inches for my arm, even though I thought I was measuring in essentially the same spot. I therefore conclude that I can't measure my arm precisely enough to track at this juncture, and I probably shouldn't be looking for losses in girth there anyway because it's the part I'm working out for strength.
I suppose I'm lucky that my waist is one of the last places my body wants to store fat and the first place it shaves it off. It keeps me under the "danger line" of 35 inches even when I'm quite heavy. And even if your butt is the size of a planet (not quite the case here, more of a small asteroid) and your boobs clearly exemplify why you never wanted them to exceed a B cup (definitely the case, grar!), a skinny waist goes a long way toward making a girl feel sexy.
6/12: waist 34, hips 43
6/26: waist 33, hips 42, thigh 26, arm 13
7/11: waist 32 1/2, hips 42, thigh 25 1/2, arm 13
My hips haven't changed, but today my waist was 31 3/4 and my thigh was 25 even. I got varying measurements of 12 1/2 - 13 1/2 inches for my arm, even though I thought I was measuring in essentially the same spot. I therefore conclude that I can't measure my arm precisely enough to track at this juncture, and I probably shouldn't be looking for losses in girth there anyway because it's the part I'm working out for strength.
I suppose I'm lucky that my waist is one of the last places my body wants to store fat and the first place it shaves it off. It keeps me under the "danger line" of 35 inches even when I'm quite heavy. And even if your butt is the size of a planet (not quite the case here, more of a small asteroid) and your boobs clearly exemplify why you never wanted them to exceed a B cup (definitely the case, grar!), a skinny waist goes a long way toward making a girl feel sexy.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Booster day fail
So, erm, my booster day kind of totally failed at being a booster day. My calorie count ended up being 1645. I think the large, high-fat breakfast backfires. I eat 700 calories of breakfast, which is a lot, but I eat it a little late in the morning (because it's Saturday) and then I'm full until fairly late in the afternoon, have a little snack, then have dinner, and oops... not even close to 2000.
Today's looking like it will turn out a similar number to yesterday. I'm not sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, why overfeed if it makes me feel not-great (I'm already a little yuck from the extra tortilla I ate at lunch)? On the other hand, if I'm instinctively eating sub-1700, does that mean my metabolism is slowing? I guess my losses over the next week will tell, and if I feel like indulging, I won't worry about high-calorie day because it'll probably do me good.
Today's looking like it will turn out a similar number to yesterday. I'm not sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, why overfeed if it makes me feel not-great (I'm already a little yuck from the extra tortilla I ate at lunch)? On the other hand, if I'm instinctively eating sub-1700, does that mean my metabolism is slowing? I guess my losses over the next week will tell, and if I feel like indulging, I won't worry about high-calorie day because it'll probably do me good.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Additional aspects of recalibration
My recalibration yesterday boosted my weight in an instant from 168 to 172.4, and raised my presumed starting weight to 184.6. Thus, some other factors are going to need numerical adjustment as well.
First, this development makes it significantly less likely that I will reach 160 by the end of the 99 days. It's possible if I sustain the same average rate I've had so far, but I wouldn't call it a realistic goal anymore. However, I should still be able to reach 165, possibly plus some change, and I do think it's still reasonable to expect 150 after the second 99 and goal by my next birthday.
The loss-percent benchmarks also change. From 184.6, 10% lost will be 166.2. From there, a compounded 10% is 149.6. Yet another 10% off that would be 134.6. These are so eerily close to important weights I've set before or recently that I may just make them my intervals. 166.2, within half a pound, is the weight at which I first questioned the appropriateness of my weight and obviously close to 165. 149.6 is extremely close to 150, to my lowest weight ever, and is just barely "normal". 134.6 would correspond to a round loss of 50 pounds total and is close to 135, my original "ideal weight".
I am not going to change my goal weight right now, since I have never succeeded in pushing below 150 before and don't want to be discouraged. But, if I do make it, I imagine that just 5 more pounds after dropping 45 will not seem like a big deal. So it's a possible additional step when I get there. As for the first two 10%'s, I think I will set my meso goals, and my official time goals at those weights, although unofficially I want to see a couple more pounds off 166.2 by the end of the first 99.
First, this development makes it significantly less likely that I will reach 160 by the end of the 99 days. It's possible if I sustain the same average rate I've had so far, but I wouldn't call it a realistic goal anymore. However, I should still be able to reach 165, possibly plus some change, and I do think it's still reasonable to expect 150 after the second 99 and goal by my next birthday.
The loss-percent benchmarks also change. From 184.6, 10% lost will be 166.2. From there, a compounded 10% is 149.6. Yet another 10% off that would be 134.6. These are so eerily close to important weights I've set before or recently that I may just make them my intervals. 166.2, within half a pound, is the weight at which I first questioned the appropriateness of my weight and obviously close to 165. 149.6 is extremely close to 150, to my lowest weight ever, and is just barely "normal". 134.6 would correspond to a round loss of 50 pounds total and is close to 135, my original "ideal weight".
I am not going to change my goal weight right now, since I have never succeeded in pushing below 150 before and don't want to be discouraged. But, if I do make it, I imagine that just 5 more pounds after dropping 45 will not seem like a big deal. So it's a possible additional step when I get there. As for the first two 10%'s, I think I will set my meso goals, and my official time goals at those weights, although unofficially I want to see a couple more pounds off 166.2 by the end of the first 99.
Booster day data dump
Official booster day morning weight: 172.2, 38% fat. This is NOT, however, a gain of 1.2 pounds since last week because of the scale recalibration. Rather, it is a loss of 3.2 pounds. I still can't explain why I'm losing weight this quickly, but I'm not complaining. I know my approach is fairly mild at this point, so I trust this is healthy even if it's more than the math or the professionals approve. Most sources calculate I need about 2000-2100 calories to maintain, although one source said 2800 (I know, wtf?). But even if this is the case, I am only pushing a 2-pounds-a-week deficit. Blame my bodily idiosyncrasies, and also blame the fact that due to the imprecision of my old scale, the figure is plus or minus about a pound anyway.
Quick stats for the week: 1761 average kcal/day, 5 cardio, 3 strength workouts, -3.2 lb.
Details (I know it's in reverse order, too lazy to rearrange it):
Friday 7/23
Banana, egg, and green tea (100+70=170)
Greek yogurt with honey (250)
Tortilla, tomato, small avocado, and garlic tofu (210+35+215+100+40=600)
Nutritional-yeast popcorn, dark chocolate, and green tea (140+25+95=260)
4 pieces Eclipse gum (10)
Miso soup with tofu and rice, and frozen grapes (50+100+100+50=300)
Food journal for the week
Piece of cheese (100)
Espresso with 1/2 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp cocoa (10)
170+250+600+260+10+300+100+10=1700 + Treadmill (21 min, 1.86 mi) and arms only res training
Thursday 7/22
Banana and tea (100)
Egg and cheese folded in a tortilla (70+100+210=380)
Couscous with black-eyed peas 'n' greens, a peach, and 1/2 orange dark chocolate bar (265+2*90+85+70=600)
1/4 chocolate pecan cookie (40)
Couscous with black-eyed peas 'n' greens, frozen grapes, and 2 glasses wine (200+2*90+50+2*125=680)
100+380+70+530+40+680=1800 + Outdoor run (1.4 mi)
Wednesday 7/21
Banana and tea (100)
Greek yogurt with honey (250)
Leftover chicken soup (200)
Tortilla with hummus and celery (210+3*65+20=425)
Popcorn seasoned with nutritional yeast (140+25=165)
Couscous with black-eyed peas 'n' greens, 1 glass wine, and 1/2 dark chocolate bar (175+1.5*90+125+95=530)
100+250+200+425+165+530=1670 + Outdoor run (1.4 mi) and above legs res. training
Tuesday 7/20
Banana and coffee (100)
Scrambled egg wrap with sauteed onions, tomatoes, and cheese (210+140+60+20+100=530)
Frozen grapes (75)
Rice and tofu with chili sauce (200+100+5=305)
Greek yogurt with honey (250)
1 bowl chicken noodle soup (300)
1/2 orange dark chocolate bar (85)
Taste tests of hummus (50)
100+530+75+305+250+300+85+50=1695 + Outdoor run (1.3 mi)
Monday 7/19
Greek yogurt with honey (250)
Soaked almonds (200)
Cheese and vegetable wrap, a peach, and 1/2 dark chocolate bar (210+100+30+70+95=505)
Coffee and frozen grapes (75)
Rice and beans with cheese (200+200+100=500)
Extra piece of cheese with hot sauce (100)
250+200+505+75+500+100=1630 + Above legs res. training
Sunday 7/18
Oatmeal and Greek yogurt with honey (75+65+60=200)
Social hour munchies: crackers, cheese, egg salad, and coffee (350)
Bread with cream cheese(100+90=190)
Blueberries and soymilk (50+100=150)
Grocery store samples (35)
Miso+ soup with tofu and veggies and a beer (30+100+10+280=420)
200+350+190+150+35+420=1345 + Outdoor run (1.4 mi)
Saturday 7/17
Breakfast out (650)
Salmon scramble with dill cream (200+30=230)
Potatoes (200)
Baguette with butter (100+35=135)
Coffee with sugar and cream (45)
Fruit and Andes mint (20+20=40)
Breakfast leftovers (170+30+100+100+35=435)
Tortillas, cheese, blueberries, and chocolate (2.5*180+2*100+100+85=835)
Marionberry pie (280)
Bread and cream cheese (100+90=190)
Cheese (100)
650+435+835+280+190+100=2490 + goose egg for exercise
Quick stats for the week: 1761 average kcal/day, 5 cardio, 3 strength workouts, -3.2 lb.
Details (I know it's in reverse order, too lazy to rearrange it):
Friday 7/23
Banana, egg, and green tea (100+70=170)
Greek yogurt with honey (250)
Tortilla, tomato, small avocado, and garlic tofu (210+35+215+100+40=600)
Nutritional-yeast popcorn, dark chocolate, and green tea (140+25+95=260)
4 pieces Eclipse gum (10)
Miso soup with tofu and rice, and frozen grapes (50+100+100+50=300)
Food journal for the week
Piece of cheese (100)
Espresso with 1/2 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp cocoa (10)
170+250+600+260+10+300+100+10=1700 + Treadmill (21 min, 1.86 mi) and arms only res training
Thursday 7/22
Banana and tea (100)
Egg and cheese folded in a tortilla (70+100+210=380)
Couscous with black-eyed peas 'n' greens, a peach, and 1/2 orange dark chocolate bar (265+2*90+85+70=600)
1/4 chocolate pecan cookie (40)
Couscous with black-eyed peas 'n' greens, frozen grapes, and 2 glasses wine (200+2*90+50+2*125=680)
100+380+70+530+40+680=1800 + Outdoor run (1.4 mi)
Wednesday 7/21
Banana and tea (100)
Greek yogurt with honey (250)
Leftover chicken soup (200)
Tortilla with hummus and celery (210+3*65+20=425)
Popcorn seasoned with nutritional yeast (140+25=165)
Couscous with black-eyed peas 'n' greens, 1 glass wine, and 1/2 dark chocolate bar (175+1.5*90+125+95=530)
100+250+200+425+165+530=1670 + Outdoor run (1.4 mi) and above legs res. training
Tuesday 7/20
Banana and coffee (100)
Scrambled egg wrap with sauteed onions, tomatoes, and cheese (210+140+60+20+100=530)
Frozen grapes (75)
Rice and tofu with chili sauce (200+100+5=305)
Greek yogurt with honey (250)
1 bowl chicken noodle soup (300)
1/2 orange dark chocolate bar (85)
Taste tests of hummus (50)
100+530+75+305+250+300+85+50=1695 + Outdoor run (1.3 mi)
Monday 7/19
Greek yogurt with honey (250)
Soaked almonds (200)
Cheese and vegetable wrap, a peach, and 1/2 dark chocolate bar (210+100+30+70+95=505)
Coffee and frozen grapes (75)
Rice and beans with cheese (200+200+100=500)
Extra piece of cheese with hot sauce (100)
250+200+505+75+500+100=1630 + Above legs res. training
Sunday 7/18
Oatmeal and Greek yogurt with honey (75+65+60=200)
Social hour munchies: crackers, cheese, egg salad, and coffee (350)
Bread with cream cheese(100+90=190)
Blueberries and soymilk (50+100=150)
Grocery store samples (35)
Miso+ soup with tofu and veggies and a beer (30+100+10+280=420)
200+350+190+150+35+420=1345 + Outdoor run (1.4 mi)
Saturday 7/17
Breakfast out (650)
Salmon scramble with dill cream (200+30=230)
Potatoes (200)
Baguette with butter (100+35=135)
Coffee with sugar and cream (45)
Fruit and Andes mint (20+20=40)
Breakfast leftovers (170+30+100+100+35=435)
Tortillas, cheese, blueberries, and chocolate (2.5*180+2*100+100+85=835)
Marionberry pie (280)
Bread and cream cheese (100+90=190)
Cheese (100)
650+435+835+280+190+100=2490 + goose egg for exercise
Friday, July 23, 2010
Recalibrate my curve(s)
Got my nifty new scale in the mail yesterday. But the recalibration was not kind to me.
The old analog scale said 168 this morning. The new scale? 172.4 - hmph. Still, I've lost the weight I've lost. I just started higher than I knew.
In fact, I may have lost just a teeny smidge more than I thought. Here's my reasoning. The scale was 4.4 pounds low at an "accurate" weight of 172.4 today. But it's always been calibrated to zero, so it is NOT low at all at accurate weight 0.0. Therefore, it must not be a fixed offset, but a percent error. (If it's some higher polynomial or exponential function, then fuck it, I'm taking a linear approximation.) Taken this way, the error is 2.5%. Now, this is also where I get to compensate for my growing unease with 181 as my start weight, since it was not a morning weight. Instead I take 180 as my old-style start weight. To get a result of 180 at 2.5% low, the real weight must be 184.6. So while I will not be adjusting the weights in my record (merely a note about the scale change), the new "start weight" on my ticker is 184.6 and my goal weight is adjusted to 139.6, just to make the loss a whole number of pounds and because it would be nice to see the 130s, wouldn't it?
The body fat analyzer is a little... uh... well it kinda sucks. I played around with the scale yesterday, of course, before the official calibration, and my body fat percentage apparently skyrocketed by 6% after a meal. Haha. Even this morning, taking three consecutive readings in which the weight remained unchanged, the body fat values varied over about a percent. So, I won't report or record body fat readings any more precise than 1%, even though the scale reads 0.1%.
My body fat percentage for today, then, is 38%. 172.4 lbs and 38% fat puts me at about the same place I was during the winter of my junior year of high school. If I reach my goal weight while maintaining the same lean mass, I would be 24% fat, which is pretty perfect. But seriously, I'd settle for anything below 30%. So here we go.
For the sake of intrigue, my 5' 6 1/2" boyfriend stepped on the scale and it read 121.4 pounds and 8% body fat. Skinny bastard. He weighs fifty damn pounds less than me and still has more lean mass!
The old analog scale said 168 this morning. The new scale? 172.4 - hmph. Still, I've lost the weight I've lost. I just started higher than I knew.
In fact, I may have lost just a teeny smidge more than I thought. Here's my reasoning. The scale was 4.4 pounds low at an "accurate" weight of 172.4 today. But it's always been calibrated to zero, so it is NOT low at all at accurate weight 0.0. Therefore, it must not be a fixed offset, but a percent error. (If it's some higher polynomial or exponential function, then fuck it, I'm taking a linear approximation.) Taken this way, the error is 2.5%. Now, this is also where I get to compensate for my growing unease with 181 as my start weight, since it was not a morning weight. Instead I take 180 as my old-style start weight. To get a result of 180 at 2.5% low, the real weight must be 184.6. So while I will not be adjusting the weights in my record (merely a note about the scale change), the new "start weight" on my ticker is 184.6 and my goal weight is adjusted to 139.6, just to make the loss a whole number of pounds and because it would be nice to see the 130s, wouldn't it?
The body fat analyzer is a little... uh... well it kinda sucks. I played around with the scale yesterday, of course, before the official calibration, and my body fat percentage apparently skyrocketed by 6% after a meal. Haha. Even this morning, taking three consecutive readings in which the weight remained unchanged, the body fat values varied over about a percent. So, I won't report or record body fat readings any more precise than 1%, even though the scale reads 0.1%.
My body fat percentage for today, then, is 38%. 172.4 lbs and 38% fat puts me at about the same place I was during the winter of my junior year of high school. If I reach my goal weight while maintaining the same lean mass, I would be 24% fat, which is pretty perfect. But seriously, I'd settle for anything below 30%. So here we go.
For the sake of intrigue, my 5' 6 1/2" boyfriend stepped on the scale and it read 121.4 pounds and 8% body fat. Skinny bastard. He weighs fifty damn pounds less than me and still has more lean mass!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Okay, so maybe I'm a little bitter
I rarely drink soda.
I rarely eat fast food.
I bike or walk everywhere I need to go and don't even have a driver's license.
I almost never have dessert.
I'm not an emotional eater.
I rarely eat after dinner.
I always eat breakfast.
I don't even watch enough TV to eat while watching TV.
I'm not sugar sensitive.
I don't have "trigger foods."
In short, I display none of the traditional overeater's vices (or curses, in the case of sugar sensitivity). I just like food a lot. I am living proof that you CAN get fat eating too much of perfectly healthy, reasonable food. Yeah, you can blame dorm brownies and such for the last 10 or so, but I habitually maintained 165-170 eating the diet I grew up on and the diet I choose for myself as an adult. It's not a quality issue.
Pass me 10 crackers and 2 tablespoons of hummus, please.
I rarely eat fast food.
I bike or walk everywhere I need to go and don't even have a driver's license.
I almost never have dessert.
I'm not an emotional eater.
I rarely eat after dinner.
I always eat breakfast.
I don't even watch enough TV to eat while watching TV.
I'm not sugar sensitive.
I don't have "trigger foods."
In short, I display none of the traditional overeater's vices (or curses, in the case of sugar sensitivity). I just like food a lot. I am living proof that you CAN get fat eating too much of perfectly healthy, reasonable food. Yeah, you can blame dorm brownies and such for the last 10 or so, but I habitually maintained 165-170 eating the diet I grew up on and the diet I choose for myself as an adult. It's not a quality issue.
Pass me 10 crackers and 2 tablespoons of hummus, please.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Sometimes...
Sometimes I think about what I used to eat and get mad at the fact that I'm somehow fat. This usually happens when I'm reading "easy diet tips." They say the most ridiculous things. Like, eliminate or cut down on soda. What, the two cans a month? Yeah, I'll thank you next year after I've lost a pound due to your excellent advice. I may have eaten Taco Bell once or twice a week when I was a heavy stoner a few summers ago, but recently? I think the last time I ate fast food was at the end of May (and yes, it was Taco Bell, yum). And as a teenager, never - I didn't have the money. I may have eaten more cookies than I should in a sitting, but only once a month to once a season do cookies appear in my vicinity. While living with my parents I would sigh at the words "let's have a big salad for dinner" because it happened so often.
Sometimes I think about what I used to eat and wonder that I didn't get fatter. This usually happens when I'm looking for calorie counts. Like that delicious cheese popcorn I was eating on the recent camping trip. I ate half- and quarter-servings on the trip. But back in high school? I'd buy a bag at afternoon break and eat the whole thing for a snack - a 5 serving, 800 calorie snack. Or seconds of rice and beans. We ate rice and beans for dinner all the time at my house, and it's good healthy food. But a decent bowl is about 200 calories rice, 200 calories beans, and 100 calories cheese, plus negligible salsa and sometimes avocado. You take seconds (not uncommon for me) and that's quadruple digits in one sitting. And don't forget the bag of chocolate mint UFOs (now discontinued, but basically chocolate chips) that only took about 2 days to disappear from the locker.
I guess it all balances out in the end. What I eat has always been reasonable; it's the portion sizes that were out of whack. I don't lack self-control, just the knowledge/perspective that would have made me think twice about some of my choices.
And while I would like to end the post there, I can't help feeling it necessary to say: damn my parents, unnecessarily nagging me about exercise and cheese when they should have been warning me away from seconds! But I understand, anyway - they stress the things they struggled with themselves.
Sometimes I think about what I used to eat and wonder that I didn't get fatter. This usually happens when I'm looking for calorie counts. Like that delicious cheese popcorn I was eating on the recent camping trip. I ate half- and quarter-servings on the trip. But back in high school? I'd buy a bag at afternoon break and eat the whole thing for a snack - a 5 serving, 800 calorie snack. Or seconds of rice and beans. We ate rice and beans for dinner all the time at my house, and it's good healthy food. But a decent bowl is about 200 calories rice, 200 calories beans, and 100 calories cheese, plus negligible salsa and sometimes avocado. You take seconds (not uncommon for me) and that's quadruple digits in one sitting. And don't forget the bag of chocolate mint UFOs (now discontinued, but basically chocolate chips) that only took about 2 days to disappear from the locker.
I guess it all balances out in the end. What I eat has always been reasonable; it's the portion sizes that were out of whack. I don't lack self-control, just the knowledge/perspective that would have made me think twice about some of my choices.
And while I would like to end the post there, I can't help feeling it necessary to say: damn my parents, unnecessarily nagging me about exercise and cheese when they should have been warning me away from seconds! But I understand, anyway - they stress the things they struggled with themselves.
Monday, July 19, 2010
I can wear jeans again!
Tried on my two pairs of jeans that have been languishing in the closet. They both fit! The 10P would still be a little uncomfortable to sit down in for extended periods, but I'm wearing the straight 10 right now. It has a hole I need to patch, no doubt caused by my previous expansion, but it's not straining and I don't think it will break again once I fix it.
I'm enjoying the prominence of my collarbone, which can henceforth be (dare I say it?) "thinspiration" for me. (Don't look at me like that. Just because anorexics came up with it doesn't mean it's not a clever word.) I'm back to 170 today and ate 1345 calories yesterday. I swear I'm not trying to negate my booster day, but I'm really not hungry after overeating that much. And I did eat four times yesterday... they just were small amounts, I guess. It was entirely a coincidence that my boyfriend decided to make virtually-no-calorie miso soup for dinner, too, and I indulged in a beer because I knew I'd be way below target anyway. So, not my fault? But maybe my lower booster cap will cause me not to rebound like that. I do worry that when I overeat and then undereat the next day that I'm canceling out the metabolic effect I'm supposed to get by eating a lot. Anyway... enjoying life, enjoying my clavicle and my reclaimed pants. Ta ta for now.
I'm enjoying the prominence of my collarbone, which can henceforth be (dare I say it?) "thinspiration" for me. (Don't look at me like that. Just because anorexics came up with it doesn't mean it's not a clever word.) I'm back to 170 today and ate 1345 calories yesterday. I swear I'm not trying to negate my booster day, but I'm really not hungry after overeating that much. And I did eat four times yesterday... they just were small amounts, I guess. It was entirely a coincidence that my boyfriend decided to make virtually-no-calorie miso soup for dinner, too, and I indulged in a beer because I knew I'd be way below target anyway. So, not my fault? But maybe my lower booster cap will cause me not to rebound like that. I do worry that when I overeat and then undereat the next day that I'm canceling out the metabolic effect I'm supposed to get by eating a lot. Anyway... enjoying life, enjoying my clavicle and my reclaimed pants. Ta ta for now.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
The history of my weight
It occurred to me that it might be instructive to look at my past - when I've lost and gained weight and under what circumstances.
The first time I remember my weight was when I was 4 and I first broke 50 pounds. Looking back now I realize that's heavier than most 4 year olds, but I wasn't overweight until I was 9 or so - I was just tall as a kid.
In 6th grade, at 5'1", I weighed 120. Didn't think one way or another about it.
In 7th grade, at 5'3", I weighed 150. Still didn't think much.
In December of 8th grade, at my current height of 5'5", I weighed 165. This is when I started to think "shouldn't I STOP growing at some point?" I don't remember how the conversation got started, but talking with my parents confirmed that I should probably lose some weight. We set a tentative goal weight of 135 pounds.
The first time was so simple. I started going for a walk with my friend after school each day, and lost 15 pounds in a few months (to 150). After that I stopped losing and, since I hadn't hit my goal weight, was rather unsatisfied - but really, who over 20 wouldn't be ecstatic at those results for so little effort?
The following summer I started doing Bikram yoga. I gained 5 pounds (to 155) fairly quickly after starting and the instructors said it was probably muscle. I believe that, but the fat loss they promised never happened. During the next 2 years, I mostly hovered between 155 and 165, generally drifting upward. At the end of my freshman year of high school, I got very sick. My mouth hurt, and I ate only scraps of green tea ice cream for most of my illness, losing 10 pounds in 9 days. My low after that was 149, which of course was transient. Upon quitting yoga at the beginning of my junior year, my weight was 165.
My parents got a scale that Christmas and once it was opened we all stepped on it. I was shocked to discover my weight was now 180. That sparked my second attempt at losing weight, with another simple device: I used small dishes. I lost 15 pounds again, then very slowly eked out another 5, but I couldn't push it much further, crept back up to 165, and stabilized there for the rest of high school.
My first term of college, I rented a room and bought my own food. After coming home toward the end of this term I found I had lost 10 pounds (to 155) without trying. However, the second term I moved into dorms and that ruined it all. It was impossible to eat well, because healthy things and reasonable portions were overpriced. I was 170-175 by the end of the year. I lived alone, in charge of my own food again, over the summer, and lost a little, finding myself between 165-170.
Then I transferred to a better school and lived in dorms again. This time the problem wasn't their system; the system was actually great. Instead it was the more fundamental aspects of dorm food that caught up to me: I didn't make my own food, so I didn't have to pay as much attention to it, and there were desserts, if not encouraged, then still remarkably available. I also encountered what you might call stress-eating, although it didn't take the stuffing-down-emotions form that I usually read about. Instead it was "oh my gosh I am so depleted but I still have to write another paper so for energy I'll get a (at least 300 calorie) brownie and coffee." And since my time supported so many demands, my exercise kinda dropped out of my lifestyle.
By the end of the year I may have been even 185, but I never was around scales so I don't really know. About a month later was when I started this blog.
What I take from this:
- Being in charge of my own food helps, it might not get me to my ideal weight without effort but it really helps.
- Dorms are EVIL.
- I'll have to make an appointment with the counseling center to talk about maintaining good health habits when there's so much else I have to do, before school starts again.
- My current approach is way more hardcore than the approaches I took before, so there's a good chance I can use it to break through the 15-pounds-down barrier (and it better, 'cause there are two of them this time).
- I keep coming back to 165, from either direction. I refuse to believe my body is healthiest at that weight, since it's smack in the middle of the "overweight" BMI range, but maybe I should talk to a health professional and ask why it might be.
The first time I remember my weight was when I was 4 and I first broke 50 pounds. Looking back now I realize that's heavier than most 4 year olds, but I wasn't overweight until I was 9 or so - I was just tall as a kid.
In 6th grade, at 5'1", I weighed 120. Didn't think one way or another about it.
In 7th grade, at 5'3", I weighed 150. Still didn't think much.
In December of 8th grade, at my current height of 5'5", I weighed 165. This is when I started to think "shouldn't I STOP growing at some point?" I don't remember how the conversation got started, but talking with my parents confirmed that I should probably lose some weight. We set a tentative goal weight of 135 pounds.
The first time was so simple. I started going for a walk with my friend after school each day, and lost 15 pounds in a few months (to 150). After that I stopped losing and, since I hadn't hit my goal weight, was rather unsatisfied - but really, who over 20 wouldn't be ecstatic at those results for so little effort?
The following summer I started doing Bikram yoga. I gained 5 pounds (to 155) fairly quickly after starting and the instructors said it was probably muscle. I believe that, but the fat loss they promised never happened. During the next 2 years, I mostly hovered between 155 and 165, generally drifting upward. At the end of my freshman year of high school, I got very sick. My mouth hurt, and I ate only scraps of green tea ice cream for most of my illness, losing 10 pounds in 9 days. My low after that was 149, which of course was transient. Upon quitting yoga at the beginning of my junior year, my weight was 165.
My parents got a scale that Christmas and once it was opened we all stepped on it. I was shocked to discover my weight was now 180. That sparked my second attempt at losing weight, with another simple device: I used small dishes. I lost 15 pounds again, then very slowly eked out another 5, but I couldn't push it much further, crept back up to 165, and stabilized there for the rest of high school.
My first term of college, I rented a room and bought my own food. After coming home toward the end of this term I found I had lost 10 pounds (to 155) without trying. However, the second term I moved into dorms and that ruined it all. It was impossible to eat well, because healthy things and reasonable portions were overpriced. I was 170-175 by the end of the year. I lived alone, in charge of my own food again, over the summer, and lost a little, finding myself between 165-170.
Then I transferred to a better school and lived in dorms again. This time the problem wasn't their system; the system was actually great. Instead it was the more fundamental aspects of dorm food that caught up to me: I didn't make my own food, so I didn't have to pay as much attention to it, and there were desserts, if not encouraged, then still remarkably available. I also encountered what you might call stress-eating, although it didn't take the stuffing-down-emotions form that I usually read about. Instead it was "oh my gosh I am so depleted but I still have to write another paper so for energy I'll get a (at least 300 calorie) brownie and coffee." And since my time supported so many demands, my exercise kinda dropped out of my lifestyle.
By the end of the year I may have been even 185, but I never was around scales so I don't really know. About a month later was when I started this blog.
What I take from this:
- Being in charge of my own food helps, it might not get me to my ideal weight without effort but it really helps.
- Dorms are EVIL.
- I'll have to make an appointment with the counseling center to talk about maintaining good health habits when there's so much else I have to do, before school starts again.
- My current approach is way more hardcore than the approaches I took before, so there's a good chance I can use it to break through the 15-pounds-down barrier (and it better, 'cause there are two of them this time).
- I keep coming back to 165, from either direction. I refuse to believe my body is healthiest at that weight, since it's smack in the middle of the "overweight" BMI range, but maybe I should talk to a health professional and ask why it might be.
Official booster day data update
First, the food journal since the last time I updated:
Thursday 7/15
Banana and coffee (100)
2 toast with cream cheese (2*100+90=290)
Greek yogurt with jam (65+25=90)
Tuna-spinach-chickpea salad with vinaigrette and a tortilla (2.5*70+10+90+120+180=575)
Soy chai drink and 1/2 raspberry dark chocolate bar (100+60+90=250)
1 bowl chicken noodle soup and 1 glass wine (300+125=425)
100+290+90+575+250+425=1730 + 1.4 mi running and weight training
Friday 7/16
Banana and coffee (100)
1/2 grilled cheese sandwich with sauteed onions (100+100+60=260)
PBJ sandwich, boiled egg, and celery and carrot chunks with soymilk (2*100+190+2*25+70+50+100=660)
Greek yogurt with berries (65+50=105)
Big bowl chicken noodle soup and 1/2 dark chocolate bar (450+95=545)
100+260+100+560+105+545=1670 + 1.3 mi running
Saturday 7/17 (booster day)
Breakfast out (650)
Salmon scramble with dill cream (200+30=230)
Potatoes (200)
Baguette with butter (100+35=135)
Coffee with sugar and cream (45)
Fruit and Andes mint (20+20=40)
Breakfast leftovers (170+30+100+100+35=435)
Tortillas, cheese, blueberries, and chocolate (2.5*180+2*100+100+85=835)
Marionberry pie (280)
Bread and cream cheese (100+90=190)
Cheese (100)
650+435+835+280+190+100=2490
My booster-day-morning weight was 171. I am a little dissatisfied with the fact that I went back up to 171 for 3 days. I know it makes sense that I'm losing weight slower now, but it's frustrating not to see much change, which is why I need that 0.2 lb-precise scale. I also might be building muscle faster than I'm losing fat, by mass, which I'd certainly like to believe as an explanation, and the body fat reading on the new scale will tell me if that's the case too.
I'm also dissatisfied with yesterday and my mindset. I'm not too concerned about the fact I didn't exercise, because I understand the real factors that played into that - the day when we go out to eat is also the day we do everything else, so time is tight and I don't want to run around when I have lots of food in my belly. What I didn't like was that the higher calorie limit became an excuse to eat to be filled, to gorge on bread and cheese. So in response to this, to my slowing losses, and to my recalculated calorie needs at my already lower weight - I will quietly push down my daily target to 1700 and my booster day limit to 2300.
Thursday 7/15
Banana and coffee (100)
2 toast with cream cheese (2*100+90=290)
Greek yogurt with jam (65+25=90)
Tuna-spinach-chickpea salad with vinaigrette and a tortilla (2.5*70+10+90+120+180=575)
Soy chai drink and 1/2 raspberry dark chocolate bar (100+60+90=250)
1 bowl chicken noodle soup and 1 glass wine (300+125=425)
100+290+90+575+250+425=1730 + 1.4 mi running and weight training
Friday 7/16
Banana and coffee (100)
1/2 grilled cheese sandwich with sauteed onions (100+100+60=260)
PBJ sandwich, boiled egg, and celery and carrot chunks with soymilk (2*100+190+2*25+70+50+100=660)
Greek yogurt with berries (65+50=105)
Big bowl chicken noodle soup and 1/2 dark chocolate bar (450+95=545)
100+260+100+560+105+545=1670 + 1.3 mi running
Saturday 7/17 (booster day)
Breakfast out (650)
Salmon scramble with dill cream (200+30=230)
Potatoes (200)
Baguette with butter (100+35=135)
Coffee with sugar and cream (45)
Fruit and Andes mint (20+20=40)
Breakfast leftovers (170+30+100+100+35=435)
Tortillas, cheese, blueberries, and chocolate (2.5*180+2*100+100+85=835)
Marionberry pie (280)
Bread and cream cheese (100+90=190)
Cheese (100)
650+435+835+280+190+100=2490
My booster-day-morning weight was 171. I am a little dissatisfied with the fact that I went back up to 171 for 3 days. I know it makes sense that I'm losing weight slower now, but it's frustrating not to see much change, which is why I need that 0.2 lb-precise scale. I also might be building muscle faster than I'm losing fat, by mass, which I'd certainly like to believe as an explanation, and the body fat reading on the new scale will tell me if that's the case too.
I'm also dissatisfied with yesterday and my mindset. I'm not too concerned about the fact I didn't exercise, because I understand the real factors that played into that - the day when we go out to eat is also the day we do everything else, so time is tight and I don't want to run around when I have lots of food in my belly. What I didn't like was that the higher calorie limit became an excuse to eat to be filled, to gorge on bread and cheese. So in response to this, to my slowing losses, and to my recalculated calorie needs at my already lower weight - I will quietly push down my daily target to 1700 and my booster day limit to 2300.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Yay new toys!
Got my new yoga ball yesterday and I'm sitting on it right now! I can see how these burn energy, it's really easy to just rock back and forth, roll side to side a little CONSTANTLY. And when I get music going (very helpful when your job is computer coding), my instinct is to bounce!
I just ordered a digital scale on Amazon (along with a few other things) that was very well priced and fits all my requirements: it is accurate to 0.2 lb (biggest criterion), measures body fat by bioelectrical impedance (bonus, didn't think I'd find one for a good price that also does that), runs on AA batteries (easier to replace than lithium) and has visible foot-pads (so I don't wonder if I'm messing up the reading by standing on it wrong). Next week when I get it I will RECALIBRATE and see how messed up my analog scale really is.
The shape and feel of my arms keeps changing, and my collarbone, though not easily visible, is getting prominent enough to notice by feel. Also, I wasn't too tired getting up at 5:30 today for my run. If I run every weekday in addition to my strength workouts and weekend exercise, that's 2-3 extra runs a week which should speed this up nicely.
I just ordered a digital scale on Amazon (along with a few other things) that was very well priced and fits all my requirements: it is accurate to 0.2 lb (biggest criterion), measures body fat by bioelectrical impedance (bonus, didn't think I'd find one for a good price that also does that), runs on AA batteries (easier to replace than lithium) and has visible foot-pads (so I don't wonder if I'm messing up the reading by standing on it wrong). Next week when I get it I will RECALIBRATE and see how messed up my analog scale really is.
The shape and feel of my arms keeps changing, and my collarbone, though not easily visible, is getting prominent enough to notice by feel. Also, I wasn't too tired getting up at 5:30 today for my run. If I run every weekday in addition to my strength workouts and weekend exercise, that's 2-3 extra runs a week which should speed this up nicely.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Chill out
Here's what I ate yesterday, not that you really care...
Banana and coffee (100)
Greek yogurt with honey+berries and toast with sweet peanut butter (65+60+25+100+100=350)
Soymilk (100)
1/2 cheese sandwich and apple (100+100+100=300)
Chocolate pecan cookie (150)
Soaked almonds and 1/2 dark chocolate bar (200+95=295)
1.5 tortillas and lazy hummus (1.5*180+90+105+70=535)
100+350+100+300+150+295+535=1830
Yeah, I'm getting a little bored with the obsessive thing. I have no problem with weighing every day, counting calories and logging my food and exercise, but posting ALL of it HERE is starting to seem a little pointless. But I guess that was the point. You start off at 2x or 3x the amount of fervor that actually makes sense, so that when you get tired of it you're still doing well. It's like when my mom was training the puppy a few years ago to sit while her food was served. She would serve the food then slowly kick the bowl over the corner where it belonged. "If [the dog] thinks she has to sit there while I kick her food across the floor, then when she fails it will be at an acceptable level."
So I think I'll chill this blog out a little, still post stuff about my thoughts and lifestyle and everything, but the food journal will belong in its own posts and will probably occur once a week. I'm also obviously not losing weight fast enough to bother mentioning every day. This will become less like an ED blog and more like Diet Naked. Perhaps I'll even make an official weekly weigh-in day... like the morning of my booster day? I think that sounds like a good idea. Or post my weight vs. time chart weekly. Hmm...
At any rate, I got up at 5:30 AGAIN to run this morning. It was especially hard after going to bed circa 11:10 last night, and I wasn't at my best, but hey, it wasn't too bad either. Banana down quickly, followed by leisurely coffee, followed by the run seems to work pretty well. What's remarkable though is that this is also my strength training day. The first day I did this, I was sort of making up for the day before, and yesterday was my cardio day anyway. Today, I just decided for the hell of it that I was going to run in the morning and also go to the gym at lunch, which I did. So, go me.
Did I mention that the yoga ball my parents gave me has a leak? Now that I have money I'm looking for a store to buy one at, but it seems like they all sell online. I don't want to wait for it to ship, I want to go buy one and use it tomorrow! Other things I am going to buy soon include a Luna cup and a digital scale, and I'm thinking about a mini trampoline.
Banana and coffee (100)
Greek yogurt with honey+berries and toast with sweet peanut butter (65+60+25+100+100=350)
Soymilk (100)
1/2 cheese sandwich and apple (100+100+100=300)
Chocolate pecan cookie (150)
Soaked almonds and 1/2 dark chocolate bar (200+95=295)
1.5 tortillas and lazy hummus (1.5*180+90+105+70=535)
100+350+100+300+150+295+535=1830
Yeah, I'm getting a little bored with the obsessive thing. I have no problem with weighing every day, counting calories and logging my food and exercise, but posting ALL of it HERE is starting to seem a little pointless. But I guess that was the point. You start off at 2x or 3x the amount of fervor that actually makes sense, so that when you get tired of it you're still doing well. It's like when my mom was training the puppy a few years ago to sit while her food was served. She would serve the food then slowly kick the bowl over the corner where it belonged. "If [the dog] thinks she has to sit there while I kick her food across the floor, then when she fails it will be at an acceptable level."
So I think I'll chill this blog out a little, still post stuff about my thoughts and lifestyle and everything, but the food journal will belong in its own posts and will probably occur once a week. I'm also obviously not losing weight fast enough to bother mentioning every day. This will become less like an ED blog and more like Diet Naked. Perhaps I'll even make an official weekly weigh-in day... like the morning of my booster day? I think that sounds like a good idea. Or post my weight vs. time chart weekly. Hmm...
At any rate, I got up at 5:30 AGAIN to run this morning. It was especially hard after going to bed circa 11:10 last night, and I wasn't at my best, but hey, it wasn't too bad either. Banana down quickly, followed by leisurely coffee, followed by the run seems to work pretty well. What's remarkable though is that this is also my strength training day. The first day I did this, I was sort of making up for the day before, and yesterday was my cardio day anyway. Today, I just decided for the hell of it that I was going to run in the morning and also go to the gym at lunch, which I did. So, go me.
Did I mention that the yoga ball my parents gave me has a leak? Now that I have money I'm looking for a store to buy one at, but it seems like they all sell online. I don't want to wait for it to ship, I want to go buy one and use it tomorrow! Other things I am going to buy soon include a Luna cup and a digital scale, and I'm thinking about a mini trampoline.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The stats I promised
Monday 7/12
Polenta with cheese (200+100=300)
Laughing Planet burrito (680)
Soaked almonds and berries (200+100=300)
1/2 milk chocolate toffee bar (105)
Celery, cream cheese, and a tortilla (30+90+180=300)
300+680+300+105+300=1685
I got my new running shoes and because of an unfortunate interpersonal/emotional event, I didn't even feel like trying them out. However, I felt bad about that and got up early the next morning to do so (1.3 mi). They are nice and cushy like they should be.
Tuesday 7/13
Banana and coffee (100)
Cereal with soymilk and raspberries (100+50+25=175)
Scrambled egg wrap with sauteed onions, spinach, and cheddar (180+2*70+120+20+100=570)
1/2 orange dark chocolate bar (85)
Celery and cream cheese (30+1.5*90=165)
2 madeleines and a strawberry (200)
Pasta and red sauce (400+40=440)
Berries and jam gel-tests (50)
1/2 tortilla (90)
100+175+570+165+85+200+440+50+90=1875
I had the banana and coffee before the run in the hopes that it would raise my blood sugar and make the run more pleasant, but it wasn't much different than running before eating anything at all. Then I got to thinking - a banana has about 100 calories. I burn about 10 calories per minute on a treadmill and it takes me longer than 10 minutes to run a mile, plus I ran 1.3 miles. How again, exactly, was a banana supposed to be helpful?
But, I loved how yummy, endorphin-y I suppose, I felt all morning, and in the afternoon (after also doing an above legs resistance workout) it was nice to know my exercise was already out of the way, so I repeated the stunt today with a modification: I got up even earlier, ate the banana first, and drank my coffee while doing dishes to give it time to start absorbing. Either this step, or the fact that it was my second day in a row running, made it much nicer. Even with the apparently successful blood sugar boost, my previous calorie calculation now stands as a strong indicator that I must be forcing my body to burn fat by doing this. Good way to start the day? I think so. If I can bear getting up at 5:30 regularly, I might make it a habit.
We made jam out of our berries last night. Only 1 of the 5 jars sealed, but I reboiled one this morning and my b/f told me it sealed too, so I'll do the remaining 3 when I get home and hope they work too.
The tortilla yesterday was regrettable - stupid late night stoned cravings. But I was ingenious enough to just tear off half, so I stayed in the 1800s.
Polenta with cheese (200+100=300)
Laughing Planet burrito (680)
Soaked almonds and berries (200+100=300)
1/2 milk chocolate toffee bar (105)
Celery, cream cheese, and a tortilla (30+90+180=300)
300+680+300+105+300=1685
I got my new running shoes and because of an unfortunate interpersonal/emotional event, I didn't even feel like trying them out. However, I felt bad about that and got up early the next morning to do so (1.3 mi). They are nice and cushy like they should be.
Tuesday 7/13
Banana and coffee (100)
Cereal with soymilk and raspberries (100+50+25=175)
Scrambled egg wrap with sauteed onions, spinach, and cheddar (180+2*70+120+20+100=570)
1/2 orange dark chocolate bar (85)
Celery and cream cheese (30+1.5*90=165)
2 madeleines and a strawberry (200)
Pasta and red sauce (400+40=440)
Berries and jam gel-tests (50)
1/2 tortilla (90)
100+175+570+165+85+200+440+50+90=1875
I had the banana and coffee before the run in the hopes that it would raise my blood sugar and make the run more pleasant, but it wasn't much different than running before eating anything at all. Then I got to thinking - a banana has about 100 calories. I burn about 10 calories per minute on a treadmill and it takes me longer than 10 minutes to run a mile, plus I ran 1.3 miles. How again, exactly, was a banana supposed to be helpful?
But, I loved how yummy, endorphin-y I suppose, I felt all morning, and in the afternoon (after also doing an above legs resistance workout) it was nice to know my exercise was already out of the way, so I repeated the stunt today with a modification: I got up even earlier, ate the banana first, and drank my coffee while doing dishes to give it time to start absorbing. Either this step, or the fact that it was my second day in a row running, made it much nicer. Even with the apparently successful blood sugar boost, my previous calorie calculation now stands as a strong indicator that I must be forcing my body to burn fat by doing this. Good way to start the day? I think so. If I can bear getting up at 5:30 regularly, I might make it a habit.
We made jam out of our berries last night. Only 1 of the 5 jars sealed, but I reboiled one this morning and my b/f told me it sealed too, so I'll do the remaining 3 when I get home and hope they work too.
The tortilla yesterday was regrettable - stupid late night stoned cravings. But I was ingenious enough to just tear off half, so I stayed in the 1800s.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Microgoal #2 reached!
Today I weigh 170. Even if it bounces back up a little before the next drop, I've touched it. To celebrate I changed my background - I figured it could be a little lighter and brighter.
170 is the top of acceptable weight for me. Along with the mortifying discovery of "fat people health issues," one of the things that made me decide enough was enough was looking at my backside in the locker room and realizing my butt looked like a caricature of obesity. ("You're supposed to tell me that!" I exclaimed to my boyfriend that night.) Today I looked in the mirror and thought it looked reasonably tight. At 170, my butt doesn't look obese, my upper abdominal fat doesn't protrude more than my lower abdominal fat, and there isn't a roll of back fat creeping around from my breasts. It's good.
I also felt my arm today and it seemed a lot harder that usual, although the size doesn't seem to be changing. My trapezius has become noticeable and my triceps perceptible. Funny thing though, my veins are becoming way more visible than I remember them ever being. They don't protrude or anything but I see the little blue threads more clearly all over, especially on my feet after I exercise.
I'll post yesterday's calorie count with today's stats later. At any rate, my "weight vs. time" chart is long enough to look pretty good, so I'll post it:
170 is the top of acceptable weight for me. Along with the mortifying discovery of "fat people health issues," one of the things that made me decide enough was enough was looking at my backside in the locker room and realizing my butt looked like a caricature of obesity. ("You're supposed to tell me that!" I exclaimed to my boyfriend that night.) Today I looked in the mirror and thought it looked reasonably tight. At 170, my butt doesn't look obese, my upper abdominal fat doesn't protrude more than my lower abdominal fat, and there isn't a roll of back fat creeping around from my breasts. It's good.
I also felt my arm today and it seemed a lot harder that usual, although the size doesn't seem to be changing. My trapezius has become noticeable and my triceps perceptible. Funny thing though, my veins are becoming way more visible than I remember them ever being. They don't protrude or anything but I see the little blue threads more clearly all over, especially on my feet after I exercise.
I'll post yesterday's calorie count with today's stats later. At any rate, my "weight vs. time" chart is long enough to look pretty good, so I'll post it:
Monday, July 12, 2010
And eating intuitively makes...
...1740, just like the first day I recorded:
Scrambled eggs with spinach and cheddar (105+75+10=190)
Frozen grapes (50)
Lunch/snacking over World Cup (840)
4 deviled egg halves (4*[35+15]=200)
Fruit salad (50)
Chips and salsa (30+70=100)
Sesame rice puffs (40)
Soda bread (100)
Bits of olives, feta, and sardines (150)
Veggies, hummus, and naan (50+100+50=200)
Blueberries & raspberries (200)
Whole wheat pasta and peanut sauce (400+1.5*40=460)
190+50+840+200+460=1740
I went on a brief run (1.0 mi) yesterday but I REALLY NEED my new running shoes. We went berry picking and now have 8 pounds of blueberries and 6 pints of raspberries, many of which will be turning into jam tonight with most of the rest going in the freezer. Those berries weigh approximately the amount of weight I've lost. I'm still 171 which makes for 3 straight days.
Speaking of which, I went to the doctor today and THEIR scale says I weigh 176. 171, plus clothes, coffee, breakfast, and a liter of water, minus a piss... it makes me think this analog scale is reasonably accurate if not precise at all. But the funny thing is, when I stepped on the scale the nurse started with the big bar at 100 and started pushing the little bar up. I was like uhhm that big bar is definitely going to need to be at 150. It was quite flattering.
Scrambled eggs with spinach and cheddar (105+75+10=190)
Frozen grapes (50)
Lunch/snacking over World Cup (840)
4 deviled egg halves (4*[35+15]=200)
Fruit salad (50)
Chips and salsa (30+70=100)
Sesame rice puffs (40)
Soda bread (100)
Bits of olives, feta, and sardines (150)
Veggies, hummus, and naan (50+100+50=200)
Blueberries & raspberries (200)
Whole wheat pasta and peanut sauce (400+1.5*40=460)
190+50+840+200+460=1740
I went on a brief run (1.0 mi) yesterday but I REALLY NEED my new running shoes. We went berry picking and now have 8 pounds of blueberries and 6 pints of raspberries, many of which will be turning into jam tonight with most of the rest going in the freezer. Those berries weigh approximately the amount of weight I've lost. I'm still 171 which makes for 3 straight days.
Speaking of which, I went to the doctor today and THEIR scale says I weigh 176. 171, plus clothes, coffee, breakfast, and a liter of water, minus a piss... it makes me think this analog scale is reasonably accurate if not precise at all. But the funny thing is, when I stepped on the scale the nurse started with the big bar at 100 and started pushing the little bar up. I was like uhhm that big bar is definitely going to need to be at 150. It was quite flattering.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Calculations and plans
So, we all go around saying "I must have a slow metabolism", being annoyed that our weight has a natural upward drift and we lose so slowly. But take a look at this:
The internet calculates my maintenance calorie needs to be about 2100.
My average intake for the past 34 days has been about 1850/day.
A pound of fat is 3500 calories.
Go ahead, run the numbers. According to this calculation, I've lost four times as much weight as I should have.
Have I been losing muscle? Maybe, but if so, there's not a whole lot I could be doing about that. I've also been strength training, and it's not as if I've been overdoing the deficit. They say you lose fluid at the beginning of any diet, even a healthy one, so maybe that's it - although I don't quite get why. Or it might be that my metabolism is just as high as any other 20-year-old, and the natural upward drift is due to different deficiencies in my bodily makeup... such as the fact that "hunger" comprises at least two distinct physiological sensations.
Either way, I've lost 10 pounds in the first month (now 171) and I'm happy about that. I'm going to continue as I've been and hope to lose another 5 pounds in each of the next two months (more or less, still sticking with 160 by 99 days). If it slows beyond that rate, I'll start by just pushing my daily target down to 1700. I anticipate, around 165 or 160, a straight up plateau, and at that point I have 2 strategies - eat for a week at maintenance, and then drop the target to 1500. By that point, hopefully, my needs will be less and it won't strain my energy so much (1650 seems to be my lower limit lately). I don't know what will happen at 150, but since I've never been lighter at this height I wouldn't be surprised to stall out there as well. I then still have the further step of 1200 available if necessary.
This weekend I'm doing something a little different for my booster. Instead of eating an overload for one day, I'm spending two days at about maintenance, or rather, eating intuitively. Yesterday I ate as follows:
Breakfast out (615)
Mozzarella, avocado, mushroom and tomato crepe (550)
Coffee with cream and sugar (45)
Andes mint (20)
Fruit grain bar and 1 square dark chocolate (130+55=185)
Bean salad over green salad (170+30=200)
Frozen yogurt and fruit sundae (2*140+75+25=380)
Frozen grapes (50)
Whole wheat pasta with cheddar cheese (400+100=500)
1 Triscuit with 1 tsp honey peanut butter (40)
615+185+200+380+50+500+40=1970
I did not end up having any exercise, but I will at least do some wall pushups and such today, and my new running shoes should come soon, which will motivate me to run a lot more. I ate scrambled eggs with spinach and cheddar for breakfast, and we are going berry picking so I will be eating lots of fruit today and for a bit. Fruit is awesome, it's delicious and snacky but healthy and low calorie density because it's also full of water and fiber.
The internet calculates my maintenance calorie needs to be about 2100.
My average intake for the past 34 days has been about 1850/day.
A pound of fat is 3500 calories.
Go ahead, run the numbers. According to this calculation, I've lost four times as much weight as I should have.
Have I been losing muscle? Maybe, but if so, there's not a whole lot I could be doing about that. I've also been strength training, and it's not as if I've been overdoing the deficit. They say you lose fluid at the beginning of any diet, even a healthy one, so maybe that's it - although I don't quite get why. Or it might be that my metabolism is just as high as any other 20-year-old, and the natural upward drift is due to different deficiencies in my bodily makeup... such as the fact that "hunger" comprises at least two distinct physiological sensations.
Either way, I've lost 10 pounds in the first month (now 171) and I'm happy about that. I'm going to continue as I've been and hope to lose another 5 pounds in each of the next two months (more or less, still sticking with 160 by 99 days). If it slows beyond that rate, I'll start by just pushing my daily target down to 1700. I anticipate, around 165 or 160, a straight up plateau, and at that point I have 2 strategies - eat for a week at maintenance, and then drop the target to 1500. By that point, hopefully, my needs will be less and it won't strain my energy so much (1650 seems to be my lower limit lately). I don't know what will happen at 150, but since I've never been lighter at this height I wouldn't be surprised to stall out there as well. I then still have the further step of 1200 available if necessary.
This weekend I'm doing something a little different for my booster. Instead of eating an overload for one day, I'm spending two days at about maintenance, or rather, eating intuitively. Yesterday I ate as follows:
Breakfast out (615)
Mozzarella, avocado, mushroom and tomato crepe (550)
Coffee with cream and sugar (45)
Andes mint (20)
Fruit grain bar and 1 square dark chocolate (130+55=185)
Bean salad over green salad (170+30=200)
Frozen yogurt and fruit sundae (2*140+75+25=380)
Frozen grapes (50)
Whole wheat pasta with cheddar cheese (400+100=500)
1 Triscuit with 1 tsp honey peanut butter (40)
615+185+200+380+50+500+40=1970
I did not end up having any exercise, but I will at least do some wall pushups and such today, and my new running shoes should come soon, which will motivate me to run a lot more. I ate scrambled eggs with spinach and cheddar for breakfast, and we are going berry picking so I will be eating lots of fruit today and for a bit. Fruit is awesome, it's delicious and snacky but healthy and low calorie density because it's also full of water and fiber.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Reflections on all week
This has not been the best week. After the 4th I just felt rather out of sorts. I didn't end up getting new running shoes on Monday because the store didn't have my size in the style I wanted, and by that time I was so frustrated with shoe shopping, the post-holiday bus schedule and generally depleted that I went straight home and did not run. I did however make it up later with 30 minutes of aerobic dancing to music and ordered new shoes online. I can get last year's version of the shoes online for half price anyway.
I'd felt depleted in the afternoon Monday, but it was worse on Tuesday. Luckily I got a strength workout in before it really hit. Wednesday morning I decided there was something WRONG with being this tired after two cups of coffee. My boyfriend thinks it's at least partly occupational burnout, but I decided to target the fact that it was the end of my period and I'd eaten 1590 and 1665 calories the previous two days. I ate a good amount (1845 calories) on Wednesday, had iron-rich spanakopita for dinner, took a multivitamin and did not exercise at all, instead going home and straight to bed.
I feel better now, and when I thought about it my "booster" day also wasn't very well executed. I didn't exercise, and when I go back to look at it, all my extra calories came from alcohol. I only ate about 1800 calories in actual food. I should increase real food to make my system want to burn real food.
I don't imagine anybody care that much about my exact food list for each day, so I won't post it, but I have it written. I will however address yesterday because I went to another summer barbeque:
Apple cinnamon oatmeal and yogurt with jam and honey (100+50+70+25+30=275)
Half an apple, cherries, and a boiled egg (50+50+70=170)
Cheese, tomato, and hummus pita sandwiches (160+2*100+100+25=485)
2 squares dark chocolate and 1 tbsp peanut butter (105+100=205)
Barbeque (860)
1 glass lemonade (120)
Boca burger on a half bun with mustard and cheese (140+100+10+90=340)
Fruit (50)
Veggie pasta salad (100)
Klondike bar (250)
275+170+485+205=1995
This falls into what I'm inclined to start thinking of as my "error zone." The zone where, no, if things had gone according to perfect planning my calorie count would be considerably lower, but I'm still a bit under maintenance (roughly 2100 according to various internet calculators).
There were three failures to mention, in descending order of seriousness: first, I poured myself undiluted lemonade for my first drink. There just didn't happen to be water out at the time and we'd gone to the roof already, so I just went with what was there, which was too sugary even by taste! Second, I underestimated how many calories I should to allow for the event, which was at the end of the day. Third, and this is entirely not my fault, I didn't know there would be Klondike bars.
However, my successes were: I only poured myself 8 oz of lemonade even though the glass was 16 oz, only had one glass, and I took an opportunity to get some water on the table later. I left alone the fruit salad in favor of grilled pineapple and a smidge of pasta salad, and declined the top half of a bun to make caloric room for cheese. I did not have any brownie bites.
But why did I eat a 250 calorie Klondike bar instead of a 70 calorie brownie bite? Simply put, because Klondike bars are amazing. Ice creamy goodness beats a brownie every time (unless it's a "special" brownie and even then I dunno), plus it was almost 100 F yesterday. As LessJess puts it, "some calories are just worth it." The lemonade was not worth it (frown), but the ice cream was.
I also got in a strength workout at lunch.
Lastly, while I was sacrificing fruit salad, brownies, and top buns and feeling self-consciously picky and obviously-on-a-diet except that nobody else cares - it made me notice the bodies of other women there. I tried to just see the real shapes and volumes, and it was interesting. There's a girl who, by the standards I apply to my own body, is a bit of a fat girl - she's similar to me around the limbs and even a little squishier around the middle. But I had never thought of her as heavy, she always looked normal to me. Then there's another one who did look big right off the bat, yet she's really only a little bigger than the first one. Why? I think it might have something to do with narrow features and straight hair that make the bodily curves seem more out of place. Girl number 3 is long and lean, she kinda looks athletic but might just be tall. My supervisor, I was surprised to see, is shaped a lot like me, and I always thought of her as a sprightly and trim person, but then again she is 13 years older than me. Finally, the last girl there is what I want to be. She's about my height and my proportions, but slim. My body could look like hers after I lose these 40 pounds. The first girl makes me feel better about how I look from the outside but the last one is my inspiration.
I'd felt depleted in the afternoon Monday, but it was worse on Tuesday. Luckily I got a strength workout in before it really hit. Wednesday morning I decided there was something WRONG with being this tired after two cups of coffee. My boyfriend thinks it's at least partly occupational burnout, but I decided to target the fact that it was the end of my period and I'd eaten 1590 and 1665 calories the previous two days. I ate a good amount (1845 calories) on Wednesday, had iron-rich spanakopita for dinner, took a multivitamin and did not exercise at all, instead going home and straight to bed.
I feel better now, and when I thought about it my "booster" day also wasn't very well executed. I didn't exercise, and when I go back to look at it, all my extra calories came from alcohol. I only ate about 1800 calories in actual food. I should increase real food to make my system want to burn real food.
I don't imagine anybody care that much about my exact food list for each day, so I won't post it, but I have it written. I will however address yesterday because I went to another summer barbeque:
Apple cinnamon oatmeal and yogurt with jam and honey (100+50+70+25+30=275)
Half an apple, cherries, and a boiled egg (50+50+70=170)
Cheese, tomato, and hummus pita sandwiches (160+2*100+100+25=485)
2 squares dark chocolate and 1 tbsp peanut butter (105+100=205)
Barbeque (860)
1 glass lemonade (120)
Boca burger on a half bun with mustard and cheese (140+100+10+90=340)
Fruit (50)
Veggie pasta salad (100)
Klondike bar (250)
275+170+485+205=1995
This falls into what I'm inclined to start thinking of as my "error zone." The zone where, no, if things had gone according to perfect planning my calorie count would be considerably lower, but I'm still a bit under maintenance (roughly 2100 according to various internet calculators).
There were three failures to mention, in descending order of seriousness: first, I poured myself undiluted lemonade for my first drink. There just didn't happen to be water out at the time and we'd gone to the roof already, so I just went with what was there, which was too sugary even by taste! Second, I underestimated how many calories I should to allow for the event, which was at the end of the day. Third, and this is entirely not my fault, I didn't know there would be Klondike bars.
However, my successes were: I only poured myself 8 oz of lemonade even though the glass was 16 oz, only had one glass, and I took an opportunity to get some water on the table later. I left alone the fruit salad in favor of grilled pineapple and a smidge of pasta salad, and declined the top half of a bun to make caloric room for cheese. I did not have any brownie bites.
But why did I eat a 250 calorie Klondike bar instead of a 70 calorie brownie bite? Simply put, because Klondike bars are amazing. Ice creamy goodness beats a brownie every time (unless it's a "special" brownie and even then I dunno), plus it was almost 100 F yesterday. As LessJess puts it, "some calories are just worth it." The lemonade was not worth it (frown), but the ice cream was.
I also got in a strength workout at lunch.
Lastly, while I was sacrificing fruit salad, brownies, and top buns and feeling self-consciously picky and obviously-on-a-diet except that nobody else cares - it made me notice the bodies of other women there. I tried to just see the real shapes and volumes, and it was interesting. There's a girl who, by the standards I apply to my own body, is a bit of a fat girl - she's similar to me around the limbs and even a little squishier around the middle. But I had never thought of her as heavy, she always looked normal to me. Then there's another one who did look big right off the bat, yet she's really only a little bigger than the first one. Why? I think it might have something to do with narrow features and straight hair that make the bodily curves seem more out of place. Girl number 3 is long and lean, she kinda looks athletic but might just be tall. My supervisor, I was surprised to see, is shaped a lot like me, and I always thought of her as a sprightly and trim person, but then again she is 13 years older than me. Finally, the last girl there is what I want to be. She's about my height and my proportions, but slim. My body could look like hers after I lose these 40 pounds. The first girl makes me feel better about how I look from the outside but the last one is my inspiration.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Post party
Surprise surprise, I'm not very hungry this morning. I had some coffee and a bowl of cereal because skipping breakfast is bad. Really surprise though, I still weigh 172. Or rather, I weighed 174 first thing, but after a shower came in at 172. This raises interesting questions about the net water effect of a shower, or perhaps about the accuracy and precision of my analog scale. I should get a digital one and "recalibrate" eventually, but it's far from the top of my priority list for my money. Anyone know of an inexpensive, but reasonably accurate (error < 1lb) digital scale?
I'm going to go buy a new pair of running shoes today, and my parents gave me a yoga ball yesterday, so now at work I can sit on my ass in a way that burns more calories. It it not adequately inflated at the moment, but tomorrow I'll go to the sport center and ask them to pump it up.
I'm going to go buy a new pair of running shoes today, and my parents gave me a yoga ball yesterday, so now at work I can sit on my ass in a way that burns more calories. It it not adequately inflated at the moment, but tomorrow I'll go to the sport center and ask them to pump it up.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Keeping calories within reason at a party
The tidbit-ness of the party definitely got to be too much to individually enumerate, but I added it up in my head as I went and I consumed approximately 1000 calories of food and 650 calories of drinks. Bringing the total to 2490, which is just within 2500, and is therefore "accounted for."
That said, I was reminded of a few lessons. It's so strange how I just stop exercising the new habits I've been developing when I go back to an old environment. First, drink first - you'll get more intoxicated on less alcohol, which is good on a number of levels, and you'll delay eating. Second, don't put some of everything on your plate - eat one item at a time, and use a smaller plate or a napkin if possible. This is especially relevant if it's the sort of potluck where people show up continuously, with new dishes, for several hours. You want to pace your calorie consumption, and if you wait to serve something until you want it specifically, you may find yourself passing over the things you're not really crazy for.
That said, I was reminded of a few lessons. It's so strange how I just stop exercising the new habits I've been developing when I go back to an old environment. First, drink first - you'll get more intoxicated on less alcohol, which is good on a number of levels, and you'll delay eating. Second, don't put some of everything on your plate - eat one item at a time, and use a smaller plate or a napkin if possible. This is especially relevant if it's the sort of potluck where people show up continuously, with new dishes, for several hours. You want to pace your calorie consumption, and if you wait to serve something until you want it specifically, you may find yourself passing over the things you're not really crazy for.
A moment to appreciate my body even as I modify it
Moment of appreciation: I do have nice legs. I am fine walking around in my underwear and a sweatshirt. Even though my thighs and butt are storing a lot more fat than they need to, the butt-thigh-calf curve is well-shaped, and it's clear that I've always maintained a nice muscle core to them.
Back to modification; what I have eaten so far today is as follows:
1 bowl cereal and coffee with cream (100+130+20=250)
Carrot cake and coffee (200)
Tofu tikka masala over rice (100+3*30+200=390)
250+200+390=840
Today gets to be my metabolic booster day - I planned this a long time ago because I have some friends who always have a potluck on 4th of July involving many dishes from many friends and quite a bit of drinking. If I aim to eat 2200 calories today, then I have 1360 to spend - 1660 if I allow up to 2500, which I don't really want to do, but is allowed by my previous definition of my booster day. Originally, for today I was going to say fuck it, there's no way I can determine my calories at a potluck, and just go for it. But I'm going to make estimations, if crude ones, and continue to practice restraint. My available calories sound like a lot, but a lot of them will be spent on alcohol, and since there will be mostly sangria and beer, it'll be about 200 a drink. Of course, I've been such a lightweight since starting to diet that I may drink less than I usually do at this event. It's been quite convenient that way.
Ok: mental budget of 700 alcohol calories and 700 food calories for the night. It'll probably swing 600/800 one way or the other, but an even split will make it easier to keep track of in my head.
Back to modification; what I have eaten so far today is as follows:
1 bowl cereal and coffee with cream (100+130+20=250)
Carrot cake and coffee (200)
Tofu tikka masala over rice (100+3*30+200=390)
250+200+390=840
Today gets to be my metabolic booster day - I planned this a long time ago because I have some friends who always have a potluck on 4th of July involving many dishes from many friends and quite a bit of drinking. If I aim to eat 2200 calories today, then I have 1360 to spend - 1660 if I allow up to 2500, which I don't really want to do, but is allowed by my previous definition of my booster day. Originally, for today I was going to say fuck it, there's no way I can determine my calories at a potluck, and just go for it. But I'm going to make estimations, if crude ones, and continue to practice restraint. My available calories sound like a lot, but a lot of them will be spent on alcohol, and since there will be mostly sangria and beer, it'll be about 200 a drink. Of course, I've been such a lightweight since starting to diet that I may drink less than I usually do at this event. It's been quite convenient that way.
Ok: mental budget of 700 alcohol calories and 700 food calories for the night. It'll probably swing 600/800 one way or the other, but an even split will make it easier to keep track of in my head.
The results I wanted
173 yesterday, and 172 today. And yesterday:
2 eggs, baguette with butter and jam, fruit, and an Andes mint (2*70+200+100+50+50+20=560)
Homemade bread and cheese (180+100=280)
2 flatbread with hummus, cheese, fruit, and 2 beers (2*130+5*35+100+50+2*200=985)
560+280+985=1825
A run for 1.4 miles, which confirmed that exercising before breakfast does not agree with me, and we walked downtown, 2.1 miles. I guess I count walking if it's more than about 2 miles because that's out of the ordinary and usually feels like extra work. I just can't count all the walking I do on a daily basis to get to and from bus stops, across campus, to the store and back, etc, which are usually in sub-half-mile increments.
2 eggs, baguette with butter and jam, fruit, and an Andes mint (2*70+200+100+50+50+20=560)
Homemade bread and cheese (180+100=280)
2 flatbread with hummus, cheese, fruit, and 2 beers (2*130+5*35+100+50+2*200=985)
560+280+985=1825
A run for 1.4 miles, which confirmed that exercising before breakfast does not agree with me, and we walked downtown, 2.1 miles. I guess I count walking if it's more than about 2 miles because that's out of the ordinary and usually feels like extra work. I just can't count all the walking I do on a daily basis to get to and from bus stops, across campus, to the store and back, etc, which are usually in sub-half-mile increments.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Backlog of data
Wednesday 6/30
Scrambled egg in tortilla (180+70=250)
Almonds that didn't soak very well (200)
Homemade bread, 2 string cheese, and salad with vinaigrette (180+2*60+50+30=380)
About 40% of an apple my sister didn't finish (40)
1 large veggie dog on a bun & 2 small with condiments, potato chips, and root beer (110+130+2*45+40+170+160=700)
250+200+380+40+700=1570
no exercise to speak of.
Thursday 7/1
Fancy scrambled eggs, 4 veggie sausage links, and 1 juicebox (250+180+120=550)
1/2 tuna+mayo sandwich, cheese popcorn, and an apple (100+200+80+100=480)
Cheese popcorn and yogurt (40+100=140)
Risotto, lettuce, and 1 glass wine (450+~0+125=575)
550+480+140+575=1745
some crunches, dips, and inclined pushups, a.k.a. sissy pushups for people who can't even do sissy pushups, plus some general camping activity, like hiking around the forest and climbing up and down a stream.
Friday 7/2
2 packets instant oatmeal and hot cocoa in coffee (2*130+110=370)
Luna bar (180)
Cheese popcorn (40)
1/2 cheese sandwich and apple (100+100+100=300)
Home-mixed yogurt (150)
Tofu and yams tikka masala over rice and 1.6 glasses wine (100+100+3*30+200+1.6*125=690)
370+180+40+300+150+690=1730
walked home from campus for 2.8 miles again.
I don't have a whole lot to say about it, but I've got to make a comment about the cheese popcorn. Cheese popcorn is one of my favorite foods; in high school I was known to get a bag of it, which is something like 5 160-cal servings, at afternoon break and eat it all in class. So I wasn't going to miss out on it, but this time I indulged moderately by half- and quarter-servings and really paid attention to it, enjoying the small amounts. It worked out great, as you can see.
I can't wait to weigh myself tomorrow morning! Honestly, I'll be disappointed if I haven't lost anything since last time, but I stepped on and got a little preview this afternoon and I'm pretty sure I will see a drop.
Scrambled egg in tortilla (180+70=250)
Almonds that didn't soak very well (200)
Homemade bread, 2 string cheese, and salad with vinaigrette (180+2*60+50+30=380)
About 40% of an apple my sister didn't finish (40)
1 large veggie dog on a bun & 2 small with condiments, potato chips, and root beer (110+130+2*45+40+170+160=700)
250+200+380+40+700=1570
no exercise to speak of.
Thursday 7/1
Fancy scrambled eggs, 4 veggie sausage links, and 1 juicebox (250+180+120=550)
1/2 tuna+mayo sandwich, cheese popcorn, and an apple (100+200+80+100=480)
Cheese popcorn and yogurt (40+100=140)
Risotto, lettuce, and 1 glass wine (450+~0+125=575)
550+480+140+575=1745
some crunches, dips, and inclined pushups, a.k.a. sissy pushups for people who can't even do sissy pushups, plus some general camping activity, like hiking around the forest and climbing up and down a stream.
Friday 7/2
2 packets instant oatmeal and hot cocoa in coffee (2*130+110=370)
Luna bar (180)
Cheese popcorn (40)
1/2 cheese sandwich and apple (100+100+100=300)
Home-mixed yogurt (150)
Tofu and yams tikka masala over rice and 1.6 glasses wine (100+100+3*30+200+1.6*125=690)
370+180+40+300+150+690=1730
walked home from campus for 2.8 miles again.
I don't have a whole lot to say about it, but I've got to make a comment about the cheese popcorn. Cheese popcorn is one of my favorite foods; in high school I was known to get a bag of it, which is something like 5 160-cal servings, at afternoon break and eat it all in class. So I wasn't going to miss out on it, but this time I indulged moderately by half- and quarter-servings and really paid attention to it, enjoying the small amounts. It worked out great, as you can see.
I can't wait to weigh myself tomorrow morning! Honestly, I'll be disappointed if I haven't lost anything since last time, but I stepped on and got a little preview this afternoon and I'm pretty sure I will see a drop.
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