Day 32, Week 5: Thursday, Thursday, Thursday...

Thursday's are never really interesting around here.
Really though! There isn't anything to do and my puppy's crate wasn't here yet so there really wasn't anything to do, and nothing we could do since my puppy has such bad separation anxiety that we had began sending one of us to run errands and the other has to watch puppy and keep her company. Poor baby. I'm not sure what we're going to do with her. :(
The only thing really special was that today was Robert Smith's birthday! (He turned 52 today.) I love The Cure and I'm pretty thankful Mr. Smith was born or else there would be no "disintegration", and I love that album! Happy Birthday Robert Smith! My boyfriend is a HUGE Cure fan. And I mean HUGE. His love for them introduced me to them back in 2007/2008, and I didn't really enjoy them until 2009. But man do I really love them. It's all thanks to the boyfriend though! We both celebrated by wearing messy make-up. XD I wore messy red lipstick and the boyfriend wore messy black eyeshadow. It was very, very silly.

A photo of Robert Smith of The Cure, who's birthday it is today! Not sure where we found this photo or who credit belongs to. But if you know, let me know! XD

Onto my Food Journal, since I've babbled beyond belief:

Day 32, Week 5
21.04.11. Thursday

2:00 AM Snack @ home
♥ pack of 2 "Wild Berry" pop-tarts (420 calories)

Morning weigh-in: 212.0 lbs.

4:30 PM Dinner @ Chipotle
♥ a barbacoa fajita burrito bowl w/ cheese and sour cream (about 540 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 960

9:00 PM Snack @ home
♥ a pack of 2 "Ice Cream Sandwich" pop-tarts (380 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1,340

10:15 PM Snack @ home
♥ 1 1 and 3/8 oz. bag of Baked! Doritos Nacho Cheese (170 calories)
♥ 3/4 a 13.5 fl. oz. bottle of "Simply Limeade" (about 142)

Calorie subtotal: 1,652
Bedtime weigh-in: 212.0 lbs.

NOTES: I went over calorie today by quite a bit, (even over the daily limit!), but I don't really care because today was a kinda shitty day. Oh well!

Day 31, Week 5: I've finally officially lost 10 pounds!

Today was kinda weird. My boyfriend and I are still confined to the house because of Oogie and her separation anxiety. I really don't blame her though because she is just scared that we too will abandon her. She feels sorta worthless, and I find it quite cute. So we take turns staying with her when we need to get something since she also is really easily carsick. We walk her when it's something we can get in town. (We literally took turns eating in Subway the other day to make sure someone was with her. We don't like upsetting her. ; 3 ;)
Anyways, I was confined to the house so my boyfriend could get some air and grab us lunch since we've run out of groceries and haven't been able to shop because we're waiting on her crate to get here. :) That way we can go do simple stuff and try to calm her down and help her get over her separation anxiety. (Don't worry we aren't going to do anything drastic like leave her for a couple hours the first time she is in her crate, we will of course gradually introduce her to it.) So I didn't get to exercise because on top of all this my puppy's coat or fur is so short that she gets cold really easily and it was pretty chilly, too chilly to take her for a long walk.

Onto my Food Journal since I'm sure you guys don't want to hear anymore about my new puppy:

Day 31, Week 5
20.04.11. Wednesday

1:00 PM "Pick-me-up" @ home
♥ a pack of 2 "Wild Berry" pop-tarts (420 calories)

4:00 PM Lunch from PANDA (a local Chinese Restaurant)
♥ 2 spring rolls (about 400 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 820

5:00 PM
♥ 7/8 a bottle of Powerade (175 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 995

8:00 PM Dinner @ home
♥ a Lean Cuisine "Garlic Chicken" frozen meal (170 calories)
♥ a small bottle of Coke or Coca-Cola (130 calories after my boyfriend stole a sip)

Calorie subtotal: 1,295

9:00 PM Snack @ home
♥ 2 Hostess small/mini powdered donuts (120 calories)

Calorie total: 1,425
Bedtime weigh-in: 212.2 lbs.

NOTES: I went slightly over my calorie goal, had my 2nd soda (*tsk tsk*), and had my last "junk food" for the week. The soda wasn't my fault though since my boyfriend had to run to the grocery store last minute and he forgot to pick up anything to drink because the store was minutes from closing, so I had to drink what we had in the fridge and that was mini-Cokes. On the plus side, this morning I weighed in at exactly 10 lbs. less than when I first started my Food Journal and this is a MAJOR accomplishment. Although I'm really happy about it, I feel frustrated and slightly overwhelmed over small things like, how long it took me to get to this point even though I'm changing my eating habits and that isn't easy and I didn't plan on eating healthy the day I decided to make a major diet change. And the fact that my pants that I just recently bought in February really no longer fit whatsoever and I can't find a belt to fit my waist size yet in stores, but I really need one to hold up my pants. I might instead opt for wide ribbon and tie my pants on the good ol' ghetto fashioned way. I'm not sure why, but I find myself so easily depressed and overwhelmed at this point in my quest. I legitimately think this is the point where your mind plays tricks on you and you begin to secretly devalue your new way of life. But like Dumbledore says, "we must make the choice between what is right and what is easy", and this by no means is easy.

Again, I'm sorry for the lack of photos but it's thanks to having a new puppy and trying to help her adjust to her new setting/surrounding.
I hope you guys are happy I'm back to posting every day/still reading even though I disappeared for a little bit there!

Day 30, Week 5: If you should make a mistake, always remember there is tomorrow.

Most people don't have to write a Food Journal entry and then blog it, but I do. It seems to be a way to help me stay on track and focused, even if it's not for everyone. I even recommend doing both even if it's a private blog or LJ, because you never know when you are going to lose or possibly majorly damage the hand-written copy and it's always good to have a back-up plan. I also have to apologize today because I forgot to take pictures AGAIN and haven't been because I got so behind on my blog. I don't know what happened, but I guess it was just the sudden stress going on in our household and a combination of that and trying to do some major "Spring Cleaning"/"Puppy Proofing" at the last minute. I still have acres of work to do, and I know that I can get back focused to blogging in a timely matter and taking photos for my blog. So I'm sorry if all my posts have been wordy and not interesting since I have no photos. I still have a make-up nail polish review post, and I feel really bad about it, but for tonight, it'll have to wait until next weekend and I will HAVE to do 2 back to back posts. Speaking of which: I'll be switching to doing "Manicure/Meatless Mondays". So that means two posts on Mondays with photos and that are much more interesting than my boring day-to-day and I'll also be switching back to posting every day. As in, I will post after midnight to make sure that everyone can see what my day of eating was like, etc. Onto my Food Journal to make sure that I don't bore everyone to death:

Day 29, Week 5
19.04.11. Tuesday

1:30 PM "Pick-me-up" @ home
♥ 25 Reese's Pieces (about 95 calories)

2:15 PM Lunch @ SUBWAY
♥ a 6-inch "Veggie Delite" on wheat, w/ two white American cheese triangles, a normal serving of mayo, and salt & pepper (about 380 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 475

8:00 PM Dinner @ home
♥ 2 Lean Pockets Meatballs and Mozzarella (580 calories)
♥ 1 20 fl. oz. bottle of Mountain Dew (290 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1,345

9:00 PM Snack @ home
♥ a pack (2 pop-tarts) of "Wild Berry" pop-tarts (420 calories)

Calorie total: 1,765
Bedtime weigh-in: 212.6 lbs.

NOTES: I went over calorie a bit because I ate a pack of pop-tarts, and I probably could've avoided that if I had only 1 instead of 2 pop-tarts. Or even a half of a pop-tart to make sure I watch my calories. I calculated AFTER I ate it, not before, which was a VERY stupid idea. You should "subtotal" your calories all day. I'm starting to be able to count calories in my head which is great, when I don't forget to before I eat. Oh well. I just have to watch my calorie intake more. I also had the 2nd junk food for the week and had my only soda for the week today.

Day 29, Week 5: It's just another "Manic Monday".

Monday was a busy day trying to make my puppy adjust. She is like a bundle of joy, even if she tries to get into everything...I don't blame her. I don't care how much trouble she is, because to me it's worth it to give her a home that she needs and deserves, BUT MAN, does she keep me busy. I'm taking her out, spending time trying to make sure she doesn't get into anything. Puppy proofing further than what I thought WAS puppy proof. But it's okay, because I know that she's a sweet dog, and her intentions aren't bad. However, I didn't get to exercise because I was too busy trying to keep her busy and happy and taking her outside and making sure she doesn't use the restroom inside, or even find something to get into that I thought she wouldn't get into/even be interested in. So, no pictures thanks to being too busy. I can barely write down things in my Food Journal because she gets annoyed that I'm not spending time with her...unless she's asleep. XD Onto my Food Journal though:

Day 29, Week 5
18.04.11. Monday

Morning weigh-in: 212.4 lbs. (I'm not bloated this week. I'm an FTM, so shut the fuck up.)

12:00 AM "Pick-me-up" @ home
♥ a pack (2 pop-tarts) of "Frosted Cherry" pop-tarts (400 calories)

2:00 PM Lunch @ SUBWAY
♥ a 6-inch "Veggie Delite" on 9-grain wheat, w/ 2 white American cheese triangles, a normal serving of mayo, and salt & pepper (about 380 calories)
♥ a 1 and 1/8 oz. bag of Bakede! LAYS Original (130 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 910

5:30 PM Dinner @ home
♥ Lean Cuisine "Simple Favorites" Chicken Fettucini (270 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1,180

10:00 PM Snack @ home
♥ a pack (2) of "Frosted Cherry" pop-tarts (400 calories)

Calorie total: 1,580
Bedtime weigh-in: 213.2 lbs.

NOTES: I ate one of my 3 junk foods for the week but had no soda, and still managed to go slightly over-calorie today. I didn't exactly exercise, but more so played around and kept my puppy busy. I was just too busy with her to remember to exercise and by the time I did, it was too late to change that.

Day 28, Week 4: A pup named Oogie Boogie.

Today I got up pretty early, (as soon as Marguerite called), to go and meet the puppy we were interested in buying/giving a home to. We got up and basically threw on our clothes for an hour or so drive to a place I'd never even heard of. I hadn't really been up early for the past week, but I didn't care because I was so excited to meet this puppy. It was an incredibly long drive, but well worth it after I practically fell in love with her (the puppy). I signed a few papers, paid the woman a small fee for vaccines, and took the puppy home. Anyways, I was so absolutely happy to bring her home, I barely focused on eating as I was more focused on comforting my new puppy and helping her adjust. Onto my Food Journal:

Day 28, Week 4
17.04.11. Sunday

1:00 AM Snack @ home
♥ 1 "Ice Cream Sandwich" pop-tart (190 calories)

Morning weigh-in: 212.4 lbs.

10:00 AM "Pick-me-up" @ home
♥ 1 "Frosted Cherry" pop-tart (200 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 390

2:00 PM McDonald's
♥ 6 chicken nuggets (about 276 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 666 (HAHA!)

5:00 PM Dinner @ home
♥ Lean Cuisine "Simple Favorites" Classic Five Cheese Lasagna (350 calories)
♥ 1 bottle of SOBE "Energize" Green Tea (240 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1,256

10:00 PM Snack @ home
♥ 2 Ice Cream Sandwich" pop-tarts (380 calories)

Calorie total: 1,646
Bedtime weigh-in: 216.0 lbs.

NOTES: None

Day 27, Week 4: No pain, no gain...right?

XD Weird title, but I feel like it deserved it. Not much to say about my Saturday as it was HIGHLY uneventful. (We don't have friends who hang out very often, and those who do seem to tire of our company...so we're almost ALWAYS bored, and almost always not able to go anywhere, since my boyfriend's parents are always giving excuses as to why we can't go out, but they refuse to help him get his license, then get mad when we ask them to take us somewhere out of town...) It was a highly stressful day because dad was having chest pains, and then everyone got into a fight...so it just ended up getting worse and worse until finally we went out over to Starbucks and then went to PetCo to get our new puppy a collar and leash to make sure we were prepared for the following day. I guess I'm not MEANT to have a social life, or something...onto my Food Journal for the day:

Day 27, Week 4
16.04.11. Saturday

1:00 AM Snack
♥ 1 small bag of Doritos (240 calories)
♥ 2 "Frosted Cherry" pop-tarts (400 calories)
♥ 1 7.5 fl. oz. can of Coke or Coca-Cola (90 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 730

Morning weigh-in: 214.4 lbs.

♥ 7/8 of a bottle of "Fruit Punch" Powerade (175 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 905

5:00 PM Dinner @ home
♥ Lean Cuisine Steamer Garlic Chicken w/ vegetables in a parmesan sauce w/ noodles (270 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1,175

8:30 PM Starbucks
♥ 1 venti white chocolate mocha iced coffee w/ nonfat milk and w/o whipped cream (460 calories)

Calorie total: 1,635
Bedtime weigh-in: 217.0 lbs.

NOTES: I failed my calorie goal today and most of the week and also failed my soda and junk food goals for the week. I must attempt them again in the upcoming week to succeed in those areas in order to lose weight in the long run by teaching myself healthier eating habits.

Day 26, Week 4: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 Release!

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt.1" released today, (Did I mention I'm a huge Harry Potter nerd?) and I got a bit carried away while snacking on the edge of my seat. Oh well though...sometimes things only come around once so you only get one chance to enjoy something to it's fullest. I set out certain snacks, knowing I would snack after the midnight release and once we got home. So, unfortunately, I kind of picked the wrong time to go on a reduction of junk food from my diet, huh? I sorta set myself up for failure. Oh well, onto my Food Journal for the day:

Day 26, Week 4
15.04.11. Friday

1:00 AM Watching "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt.1" & snacking @ home
♥ 1 7.5 fl. oz. can of Coke or Coca-Cola (90 calories)
♥ 2 packs of pop-tarts (760 calories)
♥ 1 bag of Orville Redenbacher's "Single Serve Movie Theater Butter" Popcorn (160 calories)
♥ 1 1 and 1/8 oz. bag of Baked! LAYS "Original" (130 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1,120

Morning weigh-in: 214.2 lbs.

6:00 PM Dinner @ McDonald's
♥ "Premium Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich" (530 calories)
♥ a "medium" sized fry (380 calories)
♥ a packet of Honey Mustard sauce (70 calories)
♥ a medium Fruitopia "Strawberry Passion- Awareness" (240 calories)

Calorie total: 2,340
Bedtime weigh-in: 217.6 lbs.

NOTES: THIS is how junk food affects your calorie intake! THIS is why I am trying to cut junk food out from my consumption. It is incredibly bad for your calorie count, holds little nutritional value, and can be high in sodium, fat, and sugar. It's sort of the same with soda and sweets. Check the calorie content on a small 99 cent bag of chips, and it might shock you. Even the ones that contain half the calorie count by baking opposed to frying the chips can be hefty in calories, while not filling you up whatsoever.

Day 25, Week 4: You're on the right track, baby you were born this way.

Just the Food Journal:

Day 25, Week 4
14.04.11. Thursday

Morning weigh-in: 213.2 lbs.

3:30 PM SUBWAY
♥ a 6-inch "Veggie Delite" on 9-grain wheat w/ 2 American cheese triangle, a normal serving of mayo, and salt & pepper (about 380 calories)
♥ a 16 fl. oz. cup of water (0 calories!)

Calorie subtotal: 380

6:00 PM Snack @ home
♥ a 4 oz. bag of Trolli Brite Crawlers "EGGS" (420 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 800

8:30 PM Dinner @ home
♥ a Lean Cuisine meal w/ turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, & green beans w/ cranberries (290 calories)
♥ a Glaceau Vitamin Water "power-c" (125 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1215

9:30 PM Dessert @ home
♥ 1 "Frosted Cherry" pop-tart (200 calories)

Calorie total: 1415
Bedtime weigh-in: 216.0 lbs.

NOTES: None

Day 23, Week 4: You gain some, you lose some. You maintain some, you grow some.

I don't remember my day all too much, only that I felt pretty overwhelmed. I do know that it was a really slow day and nothing eventful happened. We went up to a store that was supposed to be a stationary store, and turned out more of a Kinko's than a quaint little shop. "Paper Trails" was the name of it, and I honestly wouldn't recommend it since it had no quills, ink, or parchment, and didn't have much of a selection of wax seals either. On top of which, if you're alternative, I wouldn't go there because the owner seemed to be rushing us out as if she felt it would look bad on her shop to have us in there, or that we would steal something. She was very obnoxious and incredibly pushy. Anyways...onto my Food Journal:

Day 23, Week 4
12.04.11. Tuesday

12:30 AM Snack @ home
♥ 16 Pringles (150 calories)
♥ a 7.5 fl. oz. can of Coke or Coca-cola (90 calories but I didn't drink it all so I'd say 70 calories worth)

Calorie subtotal: 220

Morning weigh-in: 214.6 lbs.

8:30 AM "Pick-me-up" @ home
♥ 1 Kasi TLC "Trail Mix" chewy granola bar (140 calories)
♥ a Yoplait Light "Fat Free" blueberry yogurt (100 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 460

9:30 AM Coffee @ Starbucks
♥ a venti white chocolate mocha iced w/o whipped cream (460 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 920

9:45 AM McDonald's
♥ a sausage biscuit (430 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1350

7:00 PM Dinner @ home
♥ Lean Cuisine "Cafe Cuisine" Roasted Garlic Chicken (170 calories)
♥ 8 fl. oz. cup of water (0 calories!)

Calorie total: 1,520
Bedtime weigh-in: 215.8 lbs.
NOTES: Whilst I went over my calorie goal, it was mostly because I haven't had a steady sleep pattern during the entirety of my changes in diet. Thus, I haven't had to split my calories more sparsely until now. So this was a bit of a learning experience to say the least considering I took a nap from 1 to 6 PM that burned calories and left me hungry when I woke up.

Day 20, Week 3: If you forget to Food Journal, and what you ate, it's okay!

Saturday was a busy but very uplifting day! My boyfriend's mom got back a downpayment she made on a new motor for her Jeep which is currently being repaired by a close work friend of his dad's. It was $400.00 USD, and since we didn't say anything about them spending almost all of their tax return money on a new engine, she treated us to a real day out with her and her husband! They took us shopping even though they didn't have to and walked around the mall with us even when they never do since their health is declining and they are always rather busy. It was wonderful to feel like part of a family for the first time in a while. It was also the first warm day since Fall, and the weather was absolutely beautiful and everyone was in such a perfect mood even though going out is usually such a hassle for my boyfriend and I in this part of Ohio. (We get harassed a lot when we're out together.) Either way a part of my Food Journal is missing because I got so caught up and whisked away I can't even remember what we ate because being treated was such a, well, TREAT! Onto my Food Journal for the day, or what I have of it:

Day 20, Week 3
09.04.11. Saturday

2:00 AM cleaning
♥ 8 fl. oz. of Tropicana's "Berry Punch" (120 calories)

Morning weigh-in: 214.8 lbs.

11:30 AM Lunch @ SUBWAY
♥ a 6-inch "Veggie Delite" on 9-grain wheat bread, w/ 2 white American cheese triangles, a serving of mayo, and salt & pepper (about 380 calories total)
♥ a 16 fl. oz. cup of water (0 calories!)

Calorie subtotal: 500

1:00 PM Walking around town
♥ a 16 fl. oz. cup of water (0 calories!)

------------------------------------------
Forgot to Food Journal and calorie count!
------------------------------------------

Calorie total: 500 w/ calories missing!
Bedtime weigh-in: 218.4 lbs.

NOTES: I forgot to count my calories and Food Journal, but I exercised ALL DAY. We walked around town, across, up hills...I was absolutely exhausted, and then we went to the mall and walked even more! I probably did not make my calorie goal, though I can't remember, but I still exercised so much! So, whoops! But oh well. I'm positive that I did keep my ONE SODA COMMITMENT though, because I would've had gas pains had I drank a soda, and I know for sure I didn't last night. Thank goddess!

Sometimes, good times will catch you off guard. Remember your commitments to yourself during these times! But also remember to relax and let loose every once in a while. Life is so short, and good times are few and far in between during times like these. It's important to enjoy yourself while you can even when you have commitments and goals with weight loss. It's easy to succumb to getting caught up, but it's also rare to have perfect days and you should never forsake your happiness even when you hold commitments.

I have 2 more posts still on the way, so hang tight!

Day 19, Week 3: It's okay if you fail at your week goals, you can try again next week!

Friday was a rushed weird day. I'm not sure what was up with me, but my mood was progressively getting worse because my things to do are piling up and my patience was dwindling for dealing with procrastination and sheer stupidity of people. (I've noticed that as it gets warmer people start to come out more where we live, but they also interact like the douchebags they are since they haven't gotten to poke fun at anyone in such a long, long time.) Anyhow, not much more droning for me, onto my Food Journal:

Day 19, Week 3
08.04.11. Friday

1:00 AM Snack
♥ 1 lemon bar (160 calories)
♥ 8 fl. oz. of Smith's Vitamin D milk (150 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 310

Morning weigh-in: 213.4 lbs.

6:00 PM Making dinner
♥ 8 fl. oz. of Tropicana's "Berry Punch" (120 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 430

7:30 PM Dinner
♥ 8 fl. oz. of Tropicana's "Berry Punch" (120 calories)
♥ 1/2 cup of Idahoan instant "Four Cheese" mashed potatoes (150 calories)
♥ about 2 tbsp. of Green Giant's "Niblets" canned corn (about 60 calories give or take)
♥ about 4 oz. of boneless, skinless Perdue chicken breast seasoned w/ water and 0 calorie chicken rub/seasoning (about 175 calories)
♥ 1 cornbread muffin by Jiffy (160 calories)

This was absolutely delicious! And for some reason, I know it looks like very little chicken, I was really full. You don't need a ton of food to be full.

Calorie subtotal: 1095

10:50 PM Snack
♥ 2 lemon bars (320 calories)
♥ 2 cups of 8 fl. oz. Reiter's whole milk (300 calories)

Calorie total: 1710
Bedtime weigh-in: 215.8 lbs.

NOTES: I didn't stay beneath my calorie intake daily goal for this week, but I'm pretty sure I burned my calories cooking & doing dishes. I also didn't exercise as I couldn't find time, but I was busy cleaning and house work burns calories, even if it isn't as many. I surely burned off what I ate for the day.

Day 21, Week 3: Sometimes you forget, but dust yourself off and try again.

I forgot to Food Journal on this day, and I'm not sure why I didn't but I guess it slipped the mind or something. I don't know why or what happened...I guess I just carried a bit of the bad habit into not Food Journaling and just forgot the following day?

Day 21, Week 3
10.04.11.

Morning weigh-in: 214.8 lbs.

I forgot to Food Journal, but know for certain I had no sodas, I just didn't count the calories or write down what I ate!

Bedtime weigh-in: 218.8 lbs.

NOTES: I absolutely cannot remember what I ate, but I figure the reason I forgot to Food Journal was a combination of losing the habit and exhaustion from the previous day and all that walking.

Day 18, Week 3: Remember to keep at it during weight fluctuations!

So, today was really weird because I couldn't get to sleep at ALL last night and by the time I did it was so god damn late at night I was so exhausted and pissed off. So, I didn't wake up until like 5 or 5:30 PM which is like HORRENDOUS. I can't believe I'm not even awake when it's light out anymore and it's starting to really depress me, but my sleeping problem has gotten so out of hand there is nothing I can do to solve it. I really feel like I've tried everything, but nothing is working. I should probably be seeing a doctor about it, but I can't both because I have no money/insurance and I'm trans and GOD knows what I would go through trying to see a doctor anywhere around here. Anyways, it's starting to get to be something I can't seem to fix. There isn't a sleep aid that helps without giving me terrible nightmares, and there is no other relief from this unless I decide to smoke pot, and of course I'm not about to start smoking pot. (Both because of the weight gain and the fact that I can't stand the smell.) Oh well.

Onto my Food Journal since I'm seeming a bit too chatty:

Day 18, Week 3
07.04.11. Thursday

12:00 AM Snack
♥ 2 Jiffy blueberry muffins (320 calories)
♥ 8 fl. oz. of Smith's Vitamin D milk (150 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 470

4:00 AM Snack
♥ 1 scrambled egg sandwich (1 scrambled egg = about 90 calories, 2 slices of Nickel's white bread = 126 calories, and 1 tsp. of mayo = 45 calories, complete sandwich = 261 calories)
♥ 7/8's of a Kashi TLC "Trail Mix" chewy granola bar (around 125 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 856

Morning weigh-in: 214.8 lbs.

6:30 PM Dinner @ IHOP
♥ 3 20 fl. oz. glasses of water (0 calories!)
♥ a house salad w/ buttermilk ranch dressing (salad = 90 calories, dressing = 290 calories, total salad w/ dressing = 380 calories)
♥ half of a pot roast melt (530 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1766

8:00 PM Snack
♥ 2 small lemon bars by Krusteaz (found at Walmart)(160 calories apiece, 2 for 320 calories)
♥ 8 fl. oz. of Smith's Vitamin D milk (150 calories)

Above: Lemon bars after they were finished cooking and chilling in the fridge. Below: What my plate looked like before digging in! They were absolutely delicious!

Calorie total: 2236
Bedtime weigh-in: 214.8 lbs.

NOTES: I went severely over-calorie but I was legitimately hungry even after eating at IHOP and had to restrain myself from eating more. Then again, when we arrived home, I started doing dishes and started taking care of the house. I did dishes for two hours, then I took a shower, then I mopped our upstairs bathroom, and finally finished the night with doing laundry and folding it. So maybe I burned off what I ate? Let's see thanks to calorie calculations...

My intake for today: 2236
Calorie I burned: 3190 (Information from here.)
Calories burned after subtracting calories eaten: 954
Meaning that I burned what I ate, and then burned 954 calories off of my weight. Which would explain why I am still hungry...that's almost 1/4-1/3 of a pound worth of calories, aside from the calories I ate today.

I don't know how or why my calories went so out of hand. I guess it had to do with eating at IHOP, but we got up so late that my boyfriend's dad barely had time to eat, let alone wait for us to cook so that he could get some more sleep in before he went to work. That and today was Joji's mom's dad's birthday. (He's dead but she kind of wanted to go out to eat in a kind of celebration...)

Don't forget not to get too down on yourself if you intake too many calories and to always double check with your calories burned to make sure you didn't ACTUALLY gain a pound. Because today I ate A LOT, but I also burned it off and then some. So don't go worrying your little head and giving up so easily!

When you gain a pound, remember that the ones you lost were once gained too and that you can lose it. I've had a lot of hardship that's led me to very irrational behavior (i.e. some crash dieting), and that isn't ANY good for your body at all. You need to always leave room for some mistakes in your diet and your life in general.

Well, goodnight!

Day 17, Week 3: No photos today again, sorry!

Today was a miserable day, particularly thanks to someone's bad attitude bothering everyone. So, it's straight onto my Food Journal today:

Day 17, Week 3
06.04.11. Wednesday

12:30 AM Snack @ home
♥ a cup of Twinnings Earl Grey tea w/ 1 1/2 tbsp. of sugar (79 calories)
♥ 1 pack of Dunkaroo's (120 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 199

Morning weigh-in: 215.0 lbs.

5:00 PM or so Dinner @ Chipotle
♥ a barbacoa fajita burrito bowl w/ sour cream & cheese (540 calories)
♥ 2 16 fl. oz. cups of water (0 calories!)

Calorie subtotal: 739

Snack
♥ 2 Jiffy blueberry muffins (320 calories)
♥ 8 fl. oz. of Smith's Vitamin D milk (150 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1209

Snack
♥ 8 Lifesaver mints (120 calories)

Calorie total: 1329
Bedtime weigh-in: 216.2 lbs.

NOTES: I tried to take a walk again today, but it's just too damn cold and it's been rainy and crappy all week. I can't wait for better weather to exercise in. I did manage to stay around my calorie goal but I'm not sure why my weight increased today and I weighed myself several times in a row to try and figure it out. Unfortunately, I think it has to do with not digesting food properly thanks to us having very little money to eat more than one meal a day. Oh well.

Did you know you burn calories just living everyday?

Yes, that's right. You just read that title to this blog correctly. There's a reason why the government suggests a certain amount of calories per day according to gender. It's because sleeping, reading, sitting, watching TV, eating, cooking, driving, basically everything you do burns calories accordingly with your weight, age, and gender.

This is a link to a website that helps you calculate your daily calories burned ("exercise" or not).

According to the above website I burned 2959 calories today. I burned more than I ate. For instance, my calorie intake was 1416, and today, including my walk I burned 3159 calories total. Meaning because I burnt more calories than I ate, I am losing weight rather than gaining or maintaining. I burned everything I ate by taking a 45 minute walk at about 2-3 mph and merely existing. Weird, huh? Make sure you're at least burning what you're eating if you aren't able to incorporate your exercise. Especially if you can't make time just yet. (Maybe you're waiting for summer vacation and are still in high school but trying to lose weight?) It's also important to remember the following: 3,500 calories = ONE POUND. So if you eat that much food or even don't burn 500 calories that you ate that day, then you just gained 1/7th of a pound onto your weight. And if you BURN 3,500 calories or more, then you will lose a pound or more depending on how many calories you burned.

For instance, I ate 1416 calories. I burned 3159 total calories. I burned what I ate today (3159 - 1416 = 2084), and burned 2084 calories or about 1.6 of a pound on my body. (Which is why I wake up weighing less than the day before, but not exactly a pound less.)

I feel like this is an important topic to bring up since when I was in high school, I had no time to lose weight and I gained as a result but if I had kept calorie count and stayed at or beneath the daily limit of calories (1,500) then I probably could've burned calories and shed some pounds. In fact, I could've been doing this last year when I said I was going to lose the weight...but I didn't know that you will naturally burn about those many calories even without exercising.

I'm not trying to say exercising isn't important. Let me make this clear, EXERCISE IS VERY IMPORTANT. It's incredibly important when you're at a weight like mine to start exercising to tone the body after being at a weight that has stretched your skin or left stretchmarks. And no time is better than now. I am even considering getting a yoga DVD to start working on it since I'm so embarrassed over it and don't want to be left with sagging.

So, remember that you burn calories by just merely existing, but that when you are heavier, especially above 200 pounds, you will need to exercise more for toning benefits more than anything.

Hope this post was informational and helpful! ♥
Sweet dreams~

Day 16, Week 3: Depression can always be cured with a good book.

Not to mention a good cup of your favorite tea.

So, today was a weird day. Leah's car needed to go into the shop so we ended up not hanging out today because it was a bit inconvenient, but that's okay because I didn't get up until 5:00 PM anyways, so it doesn't matter. (And no I still haven't fixed my sleeping pattern problem and whatnot.) I am still not out of my funk yet, but finishing "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" definitely ended tonight way better than how I felt when I woke up. I'm not sure why I'm feeling this way but I think it's part of Spring for me. I don't really like Spring because I get out into society again after being snowed in all Winter and early Spring to find myself more misanthropic than ever. But, let's skip onto my Food Journal today because I definitely don't want to get you guys down with my pessimism and misanthropy. <3 Day 16, Week 3
05.04.11. Tuesday

1:00 AM Snack @ home
♥ 4 fl. oz. of Mott's Apple Juice (60 calories)
♥ 25 Reese's Pieces (95 calories)
♥ 1 package of Dunkaroo's (120 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 275

Morning weigh-in: 212.8 (Yay! Back to where I am supposed to be!)

5:30-6:30 PM-ish Dinner @ home
♥ 16 fl. oz. bottle of Strawberry and Orange Sunny D (160 calories)
♥ 1/2 cup of Betty Crocker's "Cheesy Au Gratin" potatoes (150 calories)
♥ 2-3 tbsp. of Green Giant's Niblet's (canned corn)(guesstimating around 50 calories or so w/ cholesterol-free spreadable butter made w/ canola oil cooked in)
♥ 1/3 of a Tyson skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 36 calories)
♥ 2 Jiffy cornbread muffins (about 320 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 991

Snack @ home
♥ 4 fl. oz. of Smith's Vitamin D milk (75 calories)
♥ 1 Jiffy blueberry muffin (160 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1216

Snack @ home
♥ Crybaby bubblegum (10 pieces = 200 calories)

Calorie total: 1416
Bedtime weigh-in: 216.8 (w/ clothes)

NOTES: Even though I went over my target calorie goal for this week, I did manage to take a 45 minute walk. (Which at my weight according to this, I burned somewhere around 200 calories. And I only went over by 16 calories anyways so no hard feelings there!

I am actually sorta on top of blogging again! Yay! Unfortunately, minus the photos for now. Idky but I haven't been feeling up to it, but hopefully that changes by tomorrow so I can keep you guys interested still!

One more post tonight!

Day 3: Calculating calories with partial servings!

Today was kind of awful. I went through a bout when I woke up of being completely unmotivated to continue with my diet. There was some arguing going on at my house so I wasn't in the best of moods, but I decided that nothing was going to make me quit my diet, even a bad mood. And unfortunately, especially when you change your diet entirely, you're going to have to go through these, and there really isn't much of a way around it other than willpower. Anyhow! I'm really disappointed with myself because thanks to REALLY bad weather, (there was a Tornado Watch in our area, and then it started storming and then there was a "Severe Thunderstorm" warning with hail advisory!), so I didn't get to take pictures today, or exercise! Bummer! But it's alright, I'll get it started tomorrow, because there was nothing I could do about people's bad moods and definitely nothing I could do about weather! Onto my Food Journal post for today!

Day 3
23.03.11. Wednesday

Morning weigh-in: (done at 1:30 PM) 219.2 lbs.

4:45 PM Chipotle

♥ barbacoa fajita burrito bowl w/ cheese and sour cream (about 540 calories)
♥ 3 12 oz. cups of water (0 calories!)

7:00 PM

♥ 10 Reese's Pieces (51 pieces = 190 calories, so about 40 calories)*

9:40 PM Snack

♥ 1/4 an average sized cantaloupe (about 64 calories)
♥ 1 yoplait greek fruit-on-the-bottom strawberry yogurt w/ granola (180 calories)
♥ 1 TLC chewy granola bar (140 calories)

NOTES: Incorporated more water just like I said I would! Finding myself less thirsty since I quit drinking sodas which is awfully ironic to me considering a lot of them brag about being "Thirst Quenchers!" Failed to exercise due to weather. Finding myself putting more effort into my diet day by day.

Total calories: 984 calories
Bedtime weigh-in: 221.6 lbs.

* So I know you're probably wondering why I asterisked something in my entry, but I suddenly realized that I was never taught how to know how many calories you're eating when you only eat part of a serving... It's fairly easy once you get the hang of it, so now I'll explain!

1 serving of Reese's Pieces = 51 pieces
51 pieces/1 serving = 190 calories
I consumed 10 Reese's Pieces.
So first you want to divide 190 by 51 to calculate how many calories 1 piece has. You will obtain a long number that can be rounded up from 3.7 to 4. So each Reese's Piece has about 4 calories. Then you multiply the amount you ate (10 Reese's Pieces) by the amount of calories they have a piece (about 4 calories).
10 x 4 = about 40 calories, because you rounded up.

And it's really that simple! Now, some of you might be saying, "Well that's too much to do when I'm out to eat!" No, it really isn't. The truth is most cell phones these days come equipped with a calculator and even though you've been eating that entire burrito for the past month, you know what 1/2 of it looks like, and if you REALLY want to lose that weight, you'll control yourself! And if you don't have a cell phone to calculate it, check it through the internet before you go out and use the calculator in your "Accessories" tab. And if you don't have both and you're reading this from a library? Well the truth is, a calculator costs a dollar and it is worth it. It's going to add a couple years on your life, and after all, isn't your life worth that one measly dollar? Or the "embarrassment" of pulling out a calculator?

On that note, sweet dreams!

Day 2: Noting changes that you want to make in your diet, and applying them the following day!

"Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork." ~English Proverb

As you saw from yesterday, I made a LOT of errors. I also woke up late and didn't get the best start on my first day of dieting, but I still didn't want to wait to get a start on it. Today I woke up MUCH later, and I still tried to be as successful as possible in my endeavor. Remember to keep your mind neutral, and not to view things purely optimistically or pessimistically. And now, for a view of my second food journal entry!

22.03.11. Tuesday
Day 2

Morning weigh in: (missed thanks to waking up late and not even having time to weigh myself because we had to go pick-up car parts and get dinner while we were out because we had friends coming over)

6:00 PM Chipotle (I wasted the time I could've spent weighing myself on looking up the nutrition information on the internet before we left! Remember if a place doesn't have their nutrition information posted or available at a counter, you can always look it up pretty fast via the internet and a lot of places like Chipotle have a calculator to know EXACTLY how many calories you're eating.)

♥ a barbacoa (a spicy seasoned pulled beef) fajita burrito bowl w/ cilantro lime rice, green peppers, onions, sour cream, and cheese (540 calories) (only five more calories than my Subway lunch yesterday and that was NOT including my sweetened green tea!)

♥ a 12 oz cup of water (0 CALORIES! And I'm trying to slowly introduce water into my diet!)

(Another thing I'd like you to note is that by getting a BURRITO BOWL instead of a BURRITO w/ a 13" tortilla you cut down 670 mg of sodium and a whopping 290 CALORIES! Check chipotlefan.com if you don't believe me! Isn't that astounding? Paying attention to what you eat whether you dine in or out is extremely important...and I've found that most teenagers and adults don't look at the nutritional facts on anything. I wasn't even brought up to read them! But now I'm trying to practice what I should've known to do all along!)

7:00 PM Starbucks

♥ a grande white chocolate or just white mocha frappucino light (w/o whipped cream) (300 calories, but this is probably less because once again Starbucks.com's system for calculating calorie intake by drink doesn't work correctly and they don't even HAVE the choice for a LIGHT white chocolate or white mocha to see your ACTUAL calorie information!)

11:30 PM Snack at home

♥ 1 medium sized apple sliced (about 80 calories) w/ about 4 tsp. or 2 tbsp. of peanut butter (about 47 calories per tsp.; about 95 calories per tbsp. equaling out at about 190 calories, for a complete total of 270 calories)

♥ 1 yoplait light fat free strawberry yogurt (6 oz. or 170 g = 100 calories)

Notes: Success on learning calorie counting at home! You can find fruit calorie values pretty easily on the internet these days! Incorporated a cup of water with ONE of my meals successfully as I try to add into my daily ritual. Did not exercise today but I will try to incorporate it into my week starting tomorrow! Cut my calorie intake down significantly today! Try to incorporate more fruit and vegetables and to eat a bigger breakfast as well as get up earlier to acquire 3 meals a day instead of packing my calories into dinner! Try to eat heavier in the morning than in the evening!

Calorie total: 1210
Bedtime weigh-in: 221.8 lbs. (including my clothes!)

Tips for you today!
Be sure to not give up even if you aren't losing weight during the very beginning. Installing healthy habits takes a ton of dedication and persistence! If you see something during your first week of analysis that you don't like, then CHANGE IT! You must be willing and ready to tackle down the biggest obstacle during your weight loss: Being frozen by the fear to fail! I found myself disappointed by my first Food Journal entry, but I knew the only way to cure my disappointment is to change what I see so that I won't disappoint myself any longer. I highly recommend making a "Note" section to note things that you see logged in your food journal that you want to change. It reinforces it and is great to look at the next day as a small reminder of what you set out to accomplish goal wise the following day!

And as a small side note: I just want to let whoever IS really reading this that tomorrow I am going to start on taking photos so that my posts aren't boring anymore! I'm sure you guys would actually like to see a picture of my current weight and what my Food Journal actually looks like so that you can see that I am actually telling the truth!

Goodnight!