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 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.

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 15, Week 3: The beginning of your 3rd week dieting!

So far I've went from 221.0 lbs. to 214.2 at the beginning of my official 3rd week dieting. This is turning out to be a success story. You know my biggest thing to conquer? Being able to get full body photos of myself without feeling hideous... I love taking photos of my face, but not my body...and I haven't for 3 years now. I've avoided full-length mirrors and full body photos of myself almost like one tries to avoid an untimely death! I cannot believe that I've been sticking to this for 2 weeks and I'm so proud of myself, and find my boyfriend and friends proud of me too. And you know my biggest secret? I am refusing to hold back or give up even in the face of disappointment. The scale says I'm a pound heavier? Minor loss, but I don't need to mope and whine about it. Instead I decide to take a more active approach.

Onto my Food Journal so that I don't keep blubbering:

Day 15, Week 3
04.04.11. Monday

Morning weigh-in: 214.2 lbs.

5:00 PM Dinner @ Bob Evans
♥ 1 glass of Cherry Coca-Cola or Coke (125 calories per glass, no refills)
♥ a "Chicken Noodle Deep Dish" bowl (699 calories)
♥ 3 small glasses of water (maybe 8 fl. oz.? 0 calories!)

Calorie subtotal: 824

5:30 Snack
♥ 1/2 a biscuit from Bob Evans (130 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 954

11:00 PM Snack @ home
♥ 4 fl. oz. of Mott's Apple Juice (60 calories)
♥ a Kashi TLC "Trail Mix" chewy granola bar (140 calories)
♥ 1 Yoplait Light Strawberry Yogurt (100 calories)

Calorie total: 1,254
Bedtime weigh-in: 215.6 lbs.

NOTES: I stayed under my new calorie goal for this week today, drank my only allowed soda for this week, and walked very little today due to "Tornado Season" and REALLY bad weather. I walked about 15 minutes around inside of Walmart grabbing a couple essentials, but that was all. I also managed to keep with drinking plenty of water whilst waiting for my food at Bob Evans instead of ordering some high-in-fat appetizer or side dish.

Yay! Done with my Food Journal posts for tonight!

One last note, is that I am VERY sorry for a lack of photos lately. I'll get back to taking photos to keep this blog interesting. I also still have not heard back from the girl who is doing the interview for the blog, and I wanted to apologize for not posting my nail polish review today.

Things to look forward to in upcoming blogs, a nail polish review to make up for the one I missed, some photos of my latest creations at CSC, and maybe a post about thrifting when overweight and Salvation Army!

Day 12, Week 2: It tastes good to treat yourself!

When friends tell you how awesome you look, drop the "I still have more to go" crap. You worked hard and you deserve the compliment!
~Jillian Michaels

Today I felt really cruddy. Regardless, even going over calorie I'm proud of myself for sticking to my calorie goal all week. Onto my Food Journal though, no time to blog a million pages and a half:

12:30 AM Snack
♥ 8 fl. oz. of Mott's Apple Juice (120 calories)
♥ 54 CHEEZ-ITs (300 calories)
♥ 1 off brand Fat Free Devil's Food Cake Cookie (50 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 470

Morning weigh-in: 214.8 lbs.

6:00 PM Taco Bell (Toxic Hell)
♥ 1 hard taco supreme (200 calories)
♥ 1 meximelt (270 calories)
♥ 1 nachos and cheese (330 calories)
♥ 2 8 fl. oz. cups of water (0 calories!)

Calorie subtotal: 1290

8:00 PM Snack
♥ 2 Snickers Ice Cream Bars (360 calories)

Calorie total: 1650 (PHEW!)
Bedtime weigh-in: 215.6 lbs.

NOTES: I really busted my calorie goal today. But that's okay because I am keeping at treating myself at least once a week. I need to make sure not to make a severe habit out of it, and to not OVERINDULGE. Just indulge.

And yes, I have been chewing 0 calorie Raspberry sorbet gum to keep my mouth busy because I experienced one of those weird things today when I ate a lot, and then I was just MORE hungry afterward. I think certain foods tend to do that to us for some reason... Oh well, I'm somehow not ashamed, just stunned and surprised because I wasn't really full for so many calories.

I'm SO proud of myself. My confidence in myself is boosting because my jeans are getting bigger and bigger on me! And in almost 3 years I haven't weighed this little...I am THRILLED! Weighing myself has become a very positive thing. Most people say to step away from the scale, but it's motivating me.

I have to go so I can sculpt, so no more typing for now. I am doing ANOTHER nail polish review tomorrow! So keep reading if you're interested!

Sweet dreams! XOXO

Day 11, Week 2: Is the scale lying to me?

"One should eat to live, not live to eat."
~Cicero, Rhetoricorum LV

I'm starting to notice I am dropping almost a pound everyday. It doesn't hurt either when you're trying to lose weigh, as long as you don't lose above 7 pounds a week. But be careful! Losing 7 pounds a week without toning will leave you flabby, and if you have been at that weight for a while, you REALLY should start toning as soon as you start dropping the weight to avoid being flabby. (I have been at 180 and up since I was 13-14! I am 20 now! That is nearly 6-7 years of being at a weight and skin being stretched...) Onto my Food Journal:

Day 11, Week 2
31.03.11. Thursday

1:00 AM Snack while sculpting
♥ 1 Blue Bunny Ice Cream Bar (160 calories)

Morning weigh-in: 215.0 lbs.

4:30 PM Pick me up
♥ a Kashi TLC "Trail Mix" chewy granola bar (140 calories)
♥ 23 "Tropical Typhoon" Mike & Ike's (140 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 440

6:00 PM Dinner @ Chipotle
♥ a barbacoa fajita burrito bowl w/ sour cream & cheese (guesstimating 600 calories because one of the girls working gave me extra meat on accident)
♥ 2 8 fl. oz. cups of water (0 calories!)

Calorie subtotal: 1040

9:00 PM Snack while washing dishes
♥ a cup of Swiss Miss Hot Milk Chocolate (made w/ water)(120 calories)
♥ 3 Fat Free offbrand Devil's Food Cake Cookies (150 calories)

Calorie total: 1310
Bedtime weigh-in: 217.2 lbs.

NOTES: I stayed beneath my calorie goal again! I didn't take a 30 minute walk though I really should have, but I was too busy washing dishes from the time we got back home to the time we went to bed nearly. (Somewhere around 4-5 hours.) But you burn calories doing dishes! And I found a website to help me calculate at my weight how many calories I burned. (Found here if you're interested.) I burned 877 calories doing dishes so I still got some burning calorie exercise in there!

It's exciting to start seeing results in your changes to your diet! But don't be discouraged if you weigh yourself twice a day, or more, by the fluctuation in your weight before you sleep. And remember to get 6-8 hours because you burn calories in your sleep. (Especially in the deepest parts of your sleep.)

I hope you guys are still reading since I have one more update for today to add. Sorry for the multiple updates because I had to catch up! I will not get behind on Food Journal updates ever again thanks to how much work this is to catch up!

Day 10, Week 2: Sticking to it.

"The cardiologist's diet: If it tastes good, spit it out."
~Author Unknown

Wednesday was a rough day. Not sure how to put it, but I guess I just got a little frustrated with calorie counting at home. It overwhelms me to say the least, especially when dealing with any kind of ground beef. And because we had very little money, (it was right before "payday" in our household), we had no choice but to make something that everyone could eat and we could afford. Anyhow, onto my Food Journal for that day:

Day 10, Week 2
30.03.11. Wednesday

1:00 AM Snack during sculpting
♥ 1 Blue Bunny Ice Cream Bar (160 calories)

Morning weigh-in: 216.2 lbs. (WOAH. WHAT? That's right, seeing results from cutting a couple calories!)

5:00 PM Pick me up
♥ 1 Blue Bunny Ice Cream Bar (160 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 320

9:00 PM Dinner @ home
♥ 1 1/2 to 2 cups of spaghetti (guesstimating around 555 calories)
♥ 1 can of Dr. Pepper (150 calories)

Calorie total: 1025
Bedtime weigh-in: 218.0 lbs.

NOTES: Finally got in an (at least) 30 minute walk. Then I had a soda, but it was the only thing in the house and I CANNOT find it in me to drink the tap water in the area I live in. I don't feel bad about it considering last week I stayed on top of my soda count and only drank ONE SODA the ENTIRE week! I really have got to try to eat fruits and veggies in place of the calories I get from unhealthy snacking! I guess that might be a goal for week 3? I'm not quite sure yet!

I think the biggest thing to note from this day was that I consumed so very little calories, but at the end of the day I was really full. I mean it. I ate everything I liked, but I didn't consume very many calories and it left me full eating less than I used to. I never realized how many calories spaghetti made at home has. It's funny because I used to consume somewhere around 6 cups of spaghetti and not finish the very last bite on my plate but get close to doing so. I was recounting with Joji and couldn't even understand how I ate THAT much. I was so full after 1 1/2 to 2 cups of spaghetti... So, as a side note, my appetite is starting to shrink slowly. I am so glad I didn't drop out of my diet in the first week...the wait (HAHA! PUN!) was well worth it.

Day 9, Week 2: A little change goes a long way.

I've got nothing much to say. I wanted to get up early today and set my alarm, but thanks to alarming dreams and being so anxious, I woke up so many times I had to sleep all day to gain it all back. My body is starting to feel exhausted all the time from this. But I want to go sculpt for CSC, so I'm just going to get on with my Food Journal for today. :)

Day 9, Week 2
29.03.11. Tuesday

Morning weigh-in: 217.2 lbs. (Holy CRAP I haven't weighed in this light in a year and a half!)

6:30 PM Dinner @ Chipotle
♥ a barbacoa fajita burrito bowl w/ sour cream & cheese (guesstimating 590 calories since they gave me more rice than usual)
♥ 2 8 fl. oz. cups of water (0 calories!)

Calorie subtotal: 590

9:00 PM Snack @ home
♥ 34 Mike & Ike's (210 calories)

This is what a serving of Mike & Ike's looks like. (23 Mike & Ike's = 1 serving, 1 serving = 140 calories)

♥ a Kashi TLC "Trail Mix" chewy granola bar (140 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 940

11:00 PM Snack @ home
♥ 27 CHEEZ-ITs (a serving, 150 calories)

This is what a serving of CHEEZ-ITs looks like. It's really filling and you can eat more than what you can calorie wise in potato chips! It's great for those trying to replace junk foods, and they even have reduced fat CHEEZ-ITs for those who want EVEN less calorie intake! (1 serving of CHEEZ-ITs = 27 CHEEZ-ITs, 27 CHEEZ-ITs = 150 calories!)

♥ a 8 fl. oz. glass of Mott's Apple Juice (120 calories)

Calorie total: 1,260
Bedtime weigh-in: 219.8 lbs. (with clothes)

NOTES: I stayed well beneath my calorie goal for today, but didn't get a chance to exercise because I woke up so late. Oh well! I'm still impressed with how great my results are coming along from just dropping soda!

I'm so shocked at the fact that after just a week, I weigh-in under 221 almost every time now. And I have to stress that I feel SO much better than I did when I wasn't monitoring my calorie intake and drinking 2 20 oz. sodas a day if not more. I also don't eat a lot of ground beef because of how many calories it can rack up, but I have noticed how wonderful I feel aside from the exhaustion from not sleeping right.

Sweet dreams~

Day 8, Week 2: You've made it through one week, you can make it through another.

"More die in the United States of too much food than of too little."
~John Kenneth Galbraith, The Affluent Society

I'm going to get straight to my Food Journal after saying just a few minor things.
1. I hate sleep aids that are supposed to help you sleep but instead keep you feeling drugged for 4 hours and make you sleep 12 hours straight.
2. I absolutely loathe not being able to function like a normal human being due to other people's sleep schedules.
3. Why is it that I have two binders and one is so loose and worn in that it doesn't flatten me anymore, and the other is so extremely tight that I can't breathe, feel like if I sneeze I will surely break a rib, and rips my skin off? (But flattens me so well I almost consider going through the terrifying pain. D:)

Alright then, onto my Food Journal:

Day 8, Week 2
28.03.11. Monday

Morning weigh-in: 218.0 lbs.

4:15 PM Breakfast/pick-me-up/snack
♥ 1/2 of a Kashi TLC "Trail Mix" chewy granola bar (70 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 70

6:00 PM Dinner @ home
♥ 8 fl. oz. of Coke (100 calories)
♥ 1/2 cup of Betty Crocker Cheesy Au Gratin potatoes (150 calories prepared)
♥ a small spoonful of Green Giant's Niblets canned corn (guesstimating 70 calories w/ Country Crock Cholesterol Free Spreadable Butter made w/ Canola Oil, since it was nowhere NEAR a serving of corn considering a serving is 1/2 cup and has 100 calories)
♥ guesstimating 6-7 oz. of cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast, cooked w/ water, steam, & 0 calorie "Bunkhouse" Chicken Rub or Seasoning (about 400-500 calories, guesstimating closer to 500 considering it was closer to 7 oz.)

My dinner tonight since I didn't post pictures yesterday! This is a child's plate so that's why everything looks crammed. It was made for a 5 year-old portion wise, and has little funny looking monsters on it. XD I guess I really love it because it's portion control helps me when eating at home. 1/2 cup potatoes, mashed or Au Gratin fit perfectly into the two little side dish divots.

Calorie subtotal: 890

8:00 PM DQ (The parental units ate there tonight since they want none of my healthier alternative food... :P)
♥ a small caramel sundae (300 Calories)

Calorie subtotal: 1,190

9:00 PM @ home
♥ 8 fl. oz. cup of Coke (100 calories)

Calorie total: 1,290
Bedtime weigh-in: 219.4 lbs.

NOTES: No more soda this way since I drink my two sodas for the week in one night. One w/ dinner as a treat to making it to week 2, and one while I was cleaning since I was super thirsty and it was readily available. I did not get one of my 3 30-minute exercise sessions in today, but I still have 6 days to do so. I got the majority of my calories in one meal which doesn't make me too happy, but I overslept and really missed any chance to do so. I did however manage to stay beneath my calorie intake goal for this week, and with 110 calories to spare!


So, I think after my final week toward cutting soda from my diet I will be cutting my sodium intake since that can make you bloated, and going light on calories usually leaves you with a high-sodium intake because you have to season everything to make it taste good after you abandon deep-fried foods. I'm going to make one more post tonight about dieting misconceptions, and then I'm going to work on sculpting for CSC!

Regardless, though I'm about to post another blog tonight, sweet dreams to all you reading!

Day 5: Starting to see changes in my appetite and WEIGHT!

Not much to say today, as I had a case of insomnia last night while blogging and stayed up until 7:30 AM or so...and then I finally passed out so my entire day disappeared. Oh well though I suppose, no use in dwelling on it, but I am trying to figure out what to do to flip my schedule around so I can at least stay awake during the day...I've been wanting to get out and walk around lately, but I haven't found myself really motivated. Though weighing less in the morning does make me want to get up, I'm trying to avoid putting on make-up, dressing up, etc. Mainly because I've started "Spring Cleaning" and it's really difficult to get it done thanks to my boyfriend's parent's sleeping schedules. His dad works at night, and his mom sleeps then...but his dad comes home in the early morning and sleeps during the day. In fact, there is only a period of time between 3:00 PM and 10:00 PM that I'm able to do any actual cleaning that makes noise. So I'm sorry if I seem rather frustrated, it has nothing to do with my Food Journaling, merely my life at the moment...

Onto my Food Journal for today:

A photo of my Food Journal for you to see! I'd show you the pages inside, but my handwriting and calorie counting is a total and complete mess until I figure out exactly how I want to lay out my days. Which I'm trying to figure out this week, obviously!


Day 5
25.03.11. Friday

Morning weigh-in: 218.6 lbs.

5:00 AM Snack @ home
♥ 1 small/medium-sized banana (about 105 calories)
♥ 1 Kashi TLC "Trail Mix" chewy granola bar (140 calories)
♥ 2 24 fl. oz. glasses of water (0 calories!)

Calorie subtotal: 245

6:30 AM Snack @ home (again. thanks insomnia!)
♥ 1 piece of Trident LAYERS Sugar Free Gum (same kind as last time)(less than 5 calories a piece/stick so I'll keep counting them as 4 calories)
♥ 21 Reese's Pieces (at 4 calories per piece, 84 calories for 21 Reese's Pieces)

Calorie subtotal: 329

4:00 PM Snack (After I woke up, kinda like snack/breakfast)
♥ tiny bowl of oatmeal w/ a tiny bit of brown sugar (about 150 calories)

Calorie subtotal: 479

7:00 PM Dinner @ home
♥ 3 slices of a medium cheese pizza w/o sauce from East of Chicago (guesstimating about about 230 calories a slice w/o sauce, so about 690 calories total)
♥ 8 or 12 fl. oz. glass of water (0 calories!)

Calorie subtotal: 1,149

9:00 PM Snack @ home
♥ small salad composed of 2 cups iceburg lettuce (15 calories!), a sprinkling of cheese (guesstimating 25 calories?), and 2 tbsp. of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (140 calories)(entire salad = 180)

Keep in mind that my plate is a much smaller plate! Regardless, this was one of my favorite things I've eaten all week for some reason! I highly suggest making your own salads at home and using the internet to research vegetables calories!

Calorie subtotal: 1,329

Calorie total: 1,329

Bedtime weigh-in: 218.4 lbs.

NOTES: Stayed underneath my daily limit for calories, discovered salad can be rather filling even with limited dressing and very few calories, failed to exercise again though. It's alright though because this week is more about monitoring my food intake, calorie intake, incorporating more water, vegetables, and fruit into my diet, and most importantly kicking my bad habit of over-indulging on soda! The most noteworthy of all is that I had stomach issues the week before this and I believe it is ALL because of soda! My diet is not the healthiest, yet cutting back on my soda I don't have gas pains, problems with digesting food, and weird stomach noises all the time! I used to feel bloated and disgusting like 99.9% of the time, and just cutting back on my soda intake has left me rid of that entirely! Last note that I want to add in for those of us who REALLY enjoy food but are finding it hard to cut back, but love pickles, go buy a jar. They are 0 calorie, and though they have 210mg of sodium, it really won't hurt to eat one when you feel munchy! Just found out myself and got a jar at the nearby grocery store.

One last thing, when you are WEIGHING yourself, make sure to stand up straight and not hunching your neck down waiting on the number to pop up (if you have a digital scale) or (if you have a regular scale) crooning to watch the number go up. You need to stand straight ahead. Get someone else to monitor your scale...I look down after counting for mine now that I've gotten used to weighing myself so often. I leaned down to watch and ended up weighing 222.2 lbs. but when I stayed standing straight I weighed 218.4 lbs, and tried it a few more times getting the same results. So, make sure you aren't getting the wrong weight!

Day 4: Calorie counting at home and what to do when you go over calorie count on your very first week!

So, day 4 started on a good note, and ended on a bad one. I used some of my own advice I'd been meaning to use by eating heavier during the morning, and finishing the day with the least amount of calorie intake possible without going to bed hungry, but I ended up having an unfortunate snag in my plan! I went over my calorie limit (though I haven't really set one, just making sure to remain underneath 1,500) by quite a bit. Now, even MORE unfortunately, I know the reasoning behind it: I woke up at about 10:30 AM, had finally sat down to eat breakfast at 12:00 PM, and then I fell back asleep because I had nothing to do other than sleep. Especially since my boyfriend had a horrible migraine and felt wretched. Though I had planned to take a morning walk to the post, and then a 30-minute walk for my exercise for today, all plans were canceled until my boyfriend felt better. So, I went over my calorie intake today, slept in after (eating which is a MAJOR "no-no" in my book), and failed to exercise at ALL today. (Though I did do some "Spring Cleaning" which could've burned some calories, for about an hour, though I'm not certain how many.) The one OTHER reasoning behind my calorie limit BUST was due to something that I will now correct from NOW on: I ate my 3rd meal at the end of the day, and neglected to count the calories in the store, thinking that a large chicken breast steamed couldn't have THAT many calories, and then finding out that it REALLY does, which completely messed up my calorie count. And even still- you should count your calories before eating that last meal. Chances are you could ruin your total for the day. Also, remember that you shouldn't nap for long hours in between your meals, as the calories you consumed will burn off and leave you feeling STARVED when you wake, as I learned today. I literally felt as though I had eaten NOTHING at all.

Onto my Food Journal for today:

Day 4
24.03.11. Thursday

Morning weigh-in: 218.4 lbs. (Notice how you burn weight as you sleep! I weighed less than what I weighed the night before! A good 8 hours does wonders for the body!)

12:00 PM Late breakfast at home
♥ 1 medium egg, scrambled w/ a dash of salt & pepper, milk, & a tsp. of Country Crock Cholesterol Free (about 120 calories)
♥ 1 small/medium-sized banana (105 calories)
♥ 1 Yoplait Original Strawberry Yogurt (6 oz. or 170g = 170 calories, a lot more than the Yoplait Light Strawberry Yogurt)
♥ 1 Kashi TLC chewy "Trail Mix" granola bar (140 calories)
♥ 6 oz. glass of Vitamin D or whole milk (about 114 calories, about 150 calories per 8 oz.)

4:30 PM Dinner @ home
♥ a medium sized salad of iceberg lettuce (about 27 calories) w/ sliced carrot (about 10 calories worth), a couple slices of cucumber (at 2-3 calories a slice, about 12 calories for my serving), a couple slices of green bell pepper (no more than 12 calories worth, 20 calories per green bell pepper), a couple cherry tomatoes (about 27 calories and I would say I had about a cup), and a packet of Marzetti's buttermilk ranch dressing (about 200 calories). (Salad w/o dressing = about 80 calories, salad w/ dressing = about 280 calories)
♥ 3/4 of a large hard-boiled egg (about 28 calories)
♥ 1 large chicken breast w/ skin on, steamed and seasoned w/ 0 calorie seasoning (about 330 calories for 6 oz. or 170g, cooked)

Top photo: Front of the container of zero calorie "rub" or seasoning that my boyfriend and I picked up at our local IGA for I think a dollar!. Bottom photo: the back of the container of "rub" or seasoning so that you can see it has sodium content, which can be bad, but as long as you use it sparingly, and regardless to using it sparingly, it has ZERO calories!

♥ 1 20 fl. oz. (1.25 PT, 591 mL) Mountain Dew (290 calories)

6:00 PM Starbucks
♥ a tall (12 fl. oz.) Caramel Frappucino Light Blended Coffee (90 calories)

11:00 PM @ home
♥ 10 oz. glass of water (0 calories!)

(And because I couldn't add it in BEFORE my weigh-in since I write it down the night before...and it TECHNICALLY counts for the next day)
1:00 AM @ home watching a movie w/ the boyfriend
♥ 5 pieces of Trident LAYERS Sugar Free Green Apple and Pineapple gum (<5 calories per stick/piece, so I will round up and say 4 calories x 5 pieces = about 20 calories, which keeps me from wasting hundreds of calories on movie snacks like popcorn! 80 considerable calories less than a bag of SMARTPOP! even...)

A photo of the gum, although I do not have the nutritional information because unfortunately it isn't printed onto the package! It does show that it is "SUGAR FREE" though. A GREAT alternative to snacking at less than 5 calories a stick/piece.

NOTES: Went over my MAXIMUM calorie intake, failed to exercise, napped during the day, and failed to attempt eating 3 meals. Starting to see small weight changes! Weigh in was 2.8 lbs. different from initial weigh-in which is motivating me to try harder and to throw in some exercise to really start shedding some pounds! Try to at least stay 100 calories BELOW my MAXIMUM calorie intake of 1,500 calories!


Total calories: 1,687 calories (187 calories over my MAXIMUM calorie intake limit set at 1,500 calories)
Bedtime weigh-in: 220.2 lbs.

A picture to prove it! A pound lighter before bed even with going a hundred and something calories over my daily limit! (And don't comment on my hideous feet or I'll kill you! Ha- not really.)


So, to summarize today, though I went over my calorie intake maximum, I have made sure to watch what I eat when I'm at home. Make sure that you count up those calories so you can know how many you have left available to your dispense. I failed to count before I went to Starbucks and had ALREADY went over, and if I had just added the calories up for a small summary of my day I would have known that and not failed to add MORE to that. Another small thing I'd like to address is that whilst there are ways to cut down on your calories they are not always the tastiest! But you have to TRY THEM to find out, and that's why it's a sort of adventure...because the best are out there waiting to be found by your taste buds. Unfortunately, I would not recommend the tall Caramel Frappucino Light Blended Coffee as it was rather disappointing, unless you REALLY want your Starbucks and can't afford the calories. The woman at the counter also said that the higher calorie drinks can be cut back calorie wise by using their sugar free syrups! Which I will also be trying out to try and figure out tasty, yet calorie conscious, treats at Starbucks. The last thing is to cut down on snacking at movies or while watching TV, I HIGHLY recommend this Trident gum. It's low calorie, sugar free, and makes your breath smell awesome. It's especially for those of us who were used to eating candy at theaters, or popcorn. It keeps the mouth busy, but is so low on calorie that you can chew several pieces without worrying over your diet!

And as a very final note to this post, don't get the blues if you go over calorie on one of the days during your first week! Keep trying! Yeah, it sure does suck to make a fatal error in your diet, but be EASY on yourself. After all, it's only your first week! Most learning comes from trial and error anyways...so don't go quitting your entire diet over going a hundred calories over. And you've almost gotten through your very first week!

(All vegetable calorie information, aside from cherry tomatoes, was obtained from: Here at foodanddiet.com!)

Sweet dreams and goodnight! ♥

Day 1: A late start, purchasing a food journal, and outlining your success story!

For your first day you should go and make the purchase of your very first food journal! Mine is a composition book that only cost me a dollar so that I don't become overly attached to it, and so that I don't have some teeny, tiny book that I can't fit daily notes, tips, etc. Whether you're looking to change your life entirely by losing 50 lbs. or you're looking to make dietary changes and lose just 15 lbs., you should still invest the dollar into a food journal, (or diary for my female followers), because it's definitely worth it in my opinion and several people suggest it. So I left the house today with my first goal in mind, find a "Food Journal" that's gonna make me stick with it, and to log my very first day! Here's what I wrote for my very first page! (You'll want to outline what you intend on doing and how, and make sure that what I do is not exactly how you're going to lose weight- you have to do what works for you!)

21.03.11.
First weigh in: 221.2 lbs.
Weight goal: 145 lbs.

My first goal for the first 3 weeks is to eliminate soda from my life. An occasional soda doesn't hurt, but it's important for me to remember that it is high in sugar and soda also causes tooth decay. (Because let's face it- nobody really brushes their teeth RIGHT after they drink a soda.) I drink soda far too often and in quick succession, especially when eating out but even sometimes when we eat at home. I will break my addiction to soda by reducing my intake to by allowing myself 3 sodas maximum the first week, 2 sodas maximum the following week, and 1 soda maximum the last week. This is the 3 week plan I will be using to eliminate unhealthy eating habits throughout the next 12 weeks. I will first eliminate sodas, then junk food (i.e. chips, pizza rolls, pierogies, french fries, etc.), then sweets, and finally eating out.

As far as exercising goes, I will start this week with 30 minutes of walking, 3 times a week, not including walking to the post office, or the weekly hike I will take at the end of each week at a nearby park.

I will keep track of my diet and exercising with this book by writing down what I eat and when I exercise.

(This is not written in my food journal- I recommend outlining your plan of action BEFORE you write down your food intake for your very first day. That way every time you open your food journal or diary, you see it. Hopefully it will motivate you to stay with your program! I also think that you need to write down your first day weigh in at the top of the page, alongside your goal weight! This is also pretty important to remain focused!)

I had a late start today because I stayed up late watching movies with Joji, and ended up waking up at around 3 PM. We decided to grab a late lunch at SUBWAY since we wanted to go visit the cemetery and have a small, spur of the moment, rather rushed picnic. (We had to go run errands after that. -_-;)

♥ a 6-inch veggie sub on 9-grain wheat bread w/lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green peppers, pickles, onions, two pieces of American cheese, 2 tsp. light mayo, and salt & pepper w/ a 32 oz. sweetened green tea that Joji and I split (535 calories)

We had to go to McDonald's since we were tagging along with Joji's parentals and they wanted dinner at Mickey D's. I resisted the temptation even though it had been 2 hours since I first ate, Joji and I both got a really cheap snack that we ate while reading and waiting for the parents to finish eating.

♥ a Fruit N' Yogurt Parfait (160 calories, I'm not sure if that includes the small pack of cinammon granola that comes with it or not since McDonald's nutritional information doesn't seem to list it...)

Stopped at the Starbucks whilst shopping for my food journal at Target.
(Went a little weak in my knees I have to admit...oh well.)

♥ a venti White Chocolate Mocha Frappucino w/ nonfat milk & whipped cream (I can't find the ACTUAL value through Starbucks thanks to their website being faulty as fuck, so all I can get is the nutritional value for the same coffee I ordered with WHOLE MILK so since I can't get it I'll just say 550 calories event though that isn't correct)

Finally had dinner around 8 PM.

♥ a medium sized chicken breast cooked with mirin, sake, onions, and mushrooms w/ a serving of corn and a serving of rice
♥ a glass of apple juice

(I don't know the calorie count for dinner due to me just not knowing how to count calories when I make my own food, but I suppose I'll learn that through this whole experience.)

NOTES: Make sure to weigh yourself in the morning, and at the very end of your day. Didn't drink any sodas today, hoping to incorporate more water into my diet. Try to figure out how to count calories when you make dinner at home! Also did not exercise today!

Total calorie intake(not including dinner): 1245

The synopsis for my first day is that I have to learn how to count calories at home! Calories have stayed the same through all the fad diets, though meat eating and other things are still disputed, the basics stay the same: If you burn more calories then you intake, then you will lose weight. If you burn the same amount of calories you intake, you will stay the same weight and will maintain. If you burn less calories than you intake, you will gain weight.
I also have learned that I need to watch my calorie intake at Starbucks! I love their coffee, but even trying it with nonfat milk makes no noticeable change in the taste of the coffee and cuts calories. I found myself shocked at nutritional values as well! The calories really add up with that whipped cream at Starbucks and it's not even worth it! It doesn't even taste that good in my opinion! (It's waxy IMO.) And look at my calorie total for today! I can't imagine how many calories dinner was and how many calories I actually had, or how many calories that would have been had I drank sodas all day! I also didn't even eat breakfast! Don't call it quits if you went over your calorie count for the first day. You have to remember that this is a learning experience and you are going to learn a lot about yourself and the changes and sacrifices you are going to have to make to actually succeed.

I hope you find this first post helpful!

As a side note, when you are bigger your clothes can weigh 1-2 lbs. Weigh yourself naked to make sure that you are getting your ACTUAL weight! (I actually tested it out by weighing myself twice and my clothes for a size 18 with just my jeans, binder, and t-shirt w/o shoes I weigh 223.2, I checked this twice to make sure, and w/o clothes I weigh exactly 2 lbs. less! :O Make sure to never weigh yourself with shoes on as well! And if you're feeling too lazy, just test out your scale and every time you weigh yourself you can just subtract the weight of your clothes.)