Nov 9th-18th, 2012

We're on vacation in Florida right now, staying with our fabulous friends who are taking such good care of us. They're feeders, like I am. "Let me show you how much I love you by feeding you REALLY good food." Our diet isn't holding up so well. we are however getting extra exercise with beach walks and just enjoying the summer weather. We're having salad tonight...I swear ^_^

I'm just going to summarize my numbers and I'll say that they are missing some bits. The drive down here was 16 hours after working for 6 hours and packing the car for 2 hours before work. By the time we laid down Saturday night, I had been up for 42 hours straight with about a 20 minute nap. To stay awake, I had lots of Diet Mountain Dew and skittles, popcorn, and pretzels. 

That disclaimer aside, we haven't been completely awful. Here's my numbers:

Friday, November 9th, 2012:

Calorie goal: 1460 calories

Food eaten: 1800 calories

Exercise: 115 calories

Net Calories: 1685 calories

Results: -225 calories

Saturday, November 10th, 2012:

Calorie goal: 1460 calories

Food eaten: 1472 calories

Exercise: 123 calories

Net Calories 1349 calories

Results: 111 calories under

Sunday, November 11th, 2012:

Calorie goal: 1460 calories

Food Eaten: 2032 calories

Exercise: 390 calories

Net Calories: 1642 calories

Results: -182 over

Monday, November 12th, 2012:

Calorie goal: 1460 calories

Food eaten: 2196 calories

Exercise: 326 calories

Net Calories: 1870 calories

Results: -410 calories

Tuesday, November 13th, 2012:

Calorie goal: 1460 calories

Food eaten: 1970 calories

Exercise: 0 calories

Net Calories: 1970 calories

Results: -510 calories

Wednesday, November 14th, 2012

Calorie goal: 1460 calories

Food eaten: 1929 calories

Exercise: 0 calories

Net Calories: 1929 calories

Results: -469 calories

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

Calorie goal: 1460 calories

Food eaten: 2020 calories

Exercise: 593 calories

Net Calories: 1427 calories

Results: 33 calories under

Friday, November 16th, 2012

Calorie goal: 1460 calories

Food eaten: 2036 calories

Exercise: 788 calories

Net Calories: 1248 calories

Results: 212 calories under

Saturday, November 17th, 2012

Calorie goal: 1460 calories

Food eaten: 1991 calories

Exercise: 0 calories

Net Calories: 1991 calories

Results: -531 calories

We were driving for 16 + hours, I'm sure my calories were higher than that, but just the meals were bad enough.

Sunday, November 18th, 2012

Calorie goal: 1460 calories

Food eaten: 1875 calories

Exercise: 886 calories

Net Calories: 989 calories

Results: 417 calories under

Looking back at the week, I definitely could have done better. We were on vacation and I didn't want my diet to impact our hosts who were so gracious and accommodating. Yesterday was our first day back and I did do a better job. I spent 3 hours scrubbing the shower and bath and definitely burned those 900 calories. That allowed me to have a steak for dinner :) Good times.

Here's to a better week although I started it with donettes. In my defense, with Hostess going out of business, I've only got so many more donette breakfasts!

Make good choices

Nov 8th, 2012 End of Week 1 and weigh in

Day 8 of the diet and our first official weight/measurement check. Time to see if it's all worth it!

Breakfast: dad did me in with a Frisch's sausage biscuit and coffee: 557 calories

Lunch: I did me in with lunch. Craving a huge hamburger doesn't do anyone any favors today :( Five Guys burger with 1/3 of a small fries: 595 calories. I didn't eat the buns and mom and I split the fries and threw about 1/2 of them away.

Dinner: Trying to be good after my bad day I had 1/2 of a cranberry chicken salad from Frisch's.

Exercise: I packed for 3 hours Thursday night and was up, active and walking a hundred miles. I called it light cleaning and My Fitness Pal called it 247 calories.

As a reward, I had a tiny piece of Heather's German Chocolate Cake and a cup of coffee: 306 calories.

Goal: 1460 calories
Breakfast: 557 calories
Lunch: 595 calories
Dinner: 185 calories
Snacks: 306 calories
Exercise: 247 calories
Total: 64 calories under goal

Measurements after one week of dieting:

                              Week 1:             Week 2:           Change:
Weight:                    220.8                  218.0               -2.8
Waist:                       47.75                    47.0              -0.75
Chest:                        48.5                     47.5               -1.0

Hip:                           47.0                     47.5                -0.5

Neck:  

Bicep (left):               14.0                      13.5                -0.5
Bicep (right):             14.0                      13.75              -0.25
Thigh (left):               24.5                      24.25              -0.25
Thigh (right):                                          25.5              

So I didn't think I was doing so well. I was over as much as I was under and I didn't make the healthiest of choices. However, the bit of exercising I did and cutting back my midnight snacks must have worked a little bit. It's a start.

                 

Nov 7th, 2012

Breakfast: Low fat Jimmy Dean sandwich with coffee and creamer: 337 calories
Lunch: Steamed chicken with broccoli brown sauce on the side and steamed rice, egg roll & a fortune cooke: 335 calories
Dinner: Olive Garden's lasagna primavera with salad, breadstick, and fixings: 704 calories
Snacks: Coffee with creamer: 70 calories
Water: 5 cups

Calorie Goal: 1460 calories
Breakfast: 337 calories
Lunch: 335 calories
Dinner: 704 calories
Snacks: 70 Calories
14 calories under goal.

Finding a chinese place that I can get the sauce on the side is great for both calorie counts and my sodium levels. I usually don't eat Chinese because I get a throbbing headache from it and my high blood pressure.

Nov 6th, 2012

Got up and started early today. Had a cheesy bagel for breakfast with coffee.

Salad and leftover fajita chicken and veggies with celery and con queso as a dip.

For dinner, we were at my mom's. Not so good there. Macaroni & cheese, fried chicken tenders, fried potatoes, fried potato pancakes.

I did drink 6 cups of water today.

Goal: 1460 calories
Breakfast: 450 calories
Lunch: 308 calories
Dinner: 600 calories
Snacks: 60 calories
Totals: 42 calories under.

I think that may be off because I'm sure I drank coffee during the day and there was none on the list.

That's the problem with getting behind :)

Day 5...Nov 5th

Calorie goal: 1480 calories
Food eaten: 1701 calories
Exercise: 0
Over by 221 calories

Long day. Mom made Heather a German Chocolate Cake for her birthday...nuff said.

Packed lunch, but it was a big chunk of calories. Would have been ok without the German chocolate cake and fried potatoes :-/

Decision between doing exercise and doing laundry, laundry had to win. We're leaving for vacation Friday. Do I burn calories doing 17 loads of laundry in three days? Probably not enough to count.

Tonight's plan: better choices, less or no cake and some kind of work out before bed.

Trying to succeed...

So, I've tried this before, this diet thing. The only time I successfully lost weight was during my divorce. It wasn't a diet so much as an emotional, gut-wrenching, fast where I would throw up if I at more than a cup of food from a bleeding ulcer. I dropped 25 pounds over the two months following my now-ex's confessional and the resulting trying to fix things that came after. Obviously, although that diet was effective, I'd like to never go through anything remotely like that again.

I gained weight after each baby and no amount of nursing helped slim me back down. I nursed Matthew for most of 2 & 1/2 years, but still ended up heavier than before I got pregnant.

Mark & I are great together. We share so many interests and love being together. One of our interests is in good food. Not healthy food, but rich and tasty food. This hasn't done us many favors lately.

My doctor's advice last year was to cut to 1000-1200 calories per day with three 300 calorie meals and two 100 calorie snacks. Cold turkey, just like that. I'm never going to achieve that at least not starting out. I told her that too. She basically told me that I wouldn't be able to lose weight otherwise. I have decided that setting an attainable goal makes me more likely to stick with it. So, I'm starting by cutting to 1500 calories per day. According to my app, that nets me a pound and a half per week. I think I can do that. As time goes by, I think I can better that or at least add in more exercise to bring that down. But starting a 45 minute work out 5 times a week is a sure way to kill me and my trying to get healthy.

I worry a bit because honestly, I'm not cutting out that much food. Why does that worry me? Well, because I haven't been "over-eating" to get to this point. I have cut the hot melty cookie thing that Matthew and I shared at night out, the blt's, and my afternoon candy bar. Other than that, I apparently was doing ok with modulating the food I take in. If that is the case, I wonder if I'll actually be able to lose much weight via the diet. I guess I'll have to break out the zumba tapes soon...maybe I can find one led by Ricky Martin...livin' la vida loco indeed ^_^

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Diet Day 4...Nov 4th

Better day today, kinda feel like I'm almost on track.

Breakfast: Breakfast sandwich & coffee w/ creamer: 560 calories
Snacks: 1/2 cup of pineapple, a few pretzels & nachos: 305 calories
Dinner: Chicken soft taco w/rice, black beans, mixed greens, Organic blue corn chips, and queso: 637 calories
Water: 7 cups
Exercise: Walking, 1.18 miles in 17 minutes.

Goal: 1480 calories
Food: 1502 calories
Exercise: 178 calories
Net: 156 calories UNDER

I might even go find my zumba dvd...well, maybe not. I have another blog to write tonight ^_^

Good night

Diet Day 3...Nov 3rd, 2012

Today was a busy one. We had a kids' birthday party early and Heather's birthday dinner late. I did manage to sleep in a bit AND sneak a nap on the love seat in between the two. I got to smoosh on a baby for a while...sweet and a little rotten all at the same time...little girl.

Breakfast: Jimmy Dean regular sandwich (they are better than the diet ones, but mostly, I didn't want to throw them out) & coffee: 560 calories

Lunch: Birthday party...Mio's pizza and lasagna take out with garlic bread, they didn't have any salad or other choices and it smelled like HEAVEN. I had one slice of stuffed pizza and 1/2 a serving of lasagna and 3/4 of a slice of texas garlic toast: 423 calories. I thought it was a bit light, but Mio's was an option on My Fitness Pal, so I went with it.

Dinner: Heather's choice for this one, what can you do? It's her birthday, right? HI-BACHI! I have the Filet, fried rice, Salad with Ginger Dressing, clear soup, & vegetables: 620 calories.

Snacks: Coffee & pretzel sticks: 180 calories

Water: 6 cups

Exercise: we'll call it "aerobics": 216 calories burned

Calorie Goal: 1480 calories

Food: 1713 calories

Exercise: 216 calories

Net calories: over by 17 calories :( Tomorrow's another day.

Diet Day 2

Remember that part where I talked about not being in control of my food choices...welcome to Friday's. I work til 8:00 on Friday and by the time we leave, there just isn't time to go home and cook. That being said...here's my numbers:

Goal: 1480 calories
Breakfast: Coffee w/cream, Light breakfast sandwich. 280 calories
Lunch: BLT and salad...it's a long story, solidarity. I didn't want it, but I did eat it. 410 calories.
Dinner: My son had to have Chinese food. He doesn't get it very often because of food allergies. 697 calories.
Snacks: Coffee w/ creamer. 70 calories.
Net calories: 1457 calories.

I messed up my calorie thing and put in like 3 servings of rice and thought I was over budget...just caught it while typing this up. Guess it's good that I'm typing these things, eh?

All in all, after fixing the rice quantity, I ended up 73 calories under. No exercise today, thought about zumba and decided to sit on the couch instead...covered in dogs, not exactly exercise though.

Diet...day 1

Part of the problem I always have with dieting is the lack of control I have over my life. Working with family puts a lot of constraints on where, when & how I eat. Wednesday, Thursday & Friday I eat lunch with my mom while working at the store. Monday & Tuesday, my parents keep the kids and I eat dinner down there while I'm picking them up. So, to keep count, that's 5 meals per week that I don't have much say in. I know, if I stick with it this time, I will make changes to that arrangement. My mom does try to be considerate and make accommodations for me. She makes salads for dinner on Monday & Tuesday as a side dish. Lunch on the weekdays I can usually find something vaguely healthy on the menu (except Fridays, when dad chooses).

So, given that restraint, on Thursday, I had:
Jimmy Dean deLight Breakfast Sandwich and coffee for breakfast. 350 calories
Veggie soup & Salad for lunch with a buttered dinner roll (I know, I know). 415 calories
Pasta Gabriel with grilled chicken & a salad for dinner. 620 calories
For snacks I had coffee with creamer and pumpkin pie. 250 calories.
I drank about 5 cups of water

I went over my calorie goals by 155 calories, mostly the pumpkin pie I had to eat...Had TO. I made the pie from scratch from pumpkins and I hate to see it go to waste.

I hope to take more control as time goes on. Mark & I will start packing our lunch probably after we get back from vacation. We're taking off the 10th through the 18th and hopefully going to stay with friends in Florida.  We never mind having a salad of mixed greens with boiled eggs & chicken. I guess after the awful food documentaries we watched this weekend, maybe we'll start cutting down on the chicken.

Next goal, cutting back on the creamer and splenda. Oh, and my two cups of caffeine per day.

November 1, 2012 and so it begins...

Shylock:
The pound of flesh, which I demand of him,
Is dearly bought; 'tis mine and I will have it.If you deny me, fie upon your law! ~William Shakespeare

"A pound of flesh" is a figurative way of referring to a harsh demand or spiteful penalty—the consequences of defaulting on a desperate bargain." ~eNotes

Welcome to my weight loss and fitness blog, A Pound of Flesh. I can think of no harsher penalty than denying myself food and junk food. I love to eat and enjoy trying new foods. However, I cannot continue on the path I am on and stay alive.

When Mark & I were married in 2000, I weighed about 145 pounds. Not the best weight, but fairly healthy. Within a year, I became pregnant with Matthew. I gained about 40 pounds during the pregnancy and had gestational diabetes starting around week 18. It resolved with the delivery, but my doctors all told me I should lose weight to avoid becoming Type II diabetic. In 2003, I became pregnant with Emma. I started with the gestational diabetes at around the 5 week mark. I weighed around 170 at the time. Although I lost weight during the pregnancy at times, I ended up gaining about 20 pounds. By the time Emma turned 2, I weighed 200 pounds. That is just outrageous to me.

I kept telling myself that I didn't want to become like my friends who have lost massive amounts of weight and become OBSESSED with food. I never want to use the term "spray" and "butter" together as a phrase and God Forbid that I use it on a food that I'm cooking! I detest counting calories and eating lettuce more than once or twice a week. AND WHY OH WHY would anyone cut bread out of their diets on purpose? Looking back, it was all just a copout. I am already obsessed with food. I finish a meal and think about a snack. I finish a snack and think about the next meal. I watch Food Network on TV. I buy cookbooks and kitchen equipment that I never use because if I own the right gadgets, I'll be able to cook the right meals and automatically lose weight.

So far, that has gotten me to a whopping 220.8 lbs as of an hour ago. More than I've ever weighed, more than my dad weighs! I am wearing a size 22 in pants. I am borderline diabetic. I have just surpassed being borderline high blood pressure and probably officially have high blood pressure. I go to the doctor in the next couple weeks and I'm sure I'll be medicated at that point. I wear my husband's shirts because I can't find girl's shirts that fit me comfortably. I don't want to be miserable anymore.

On top of that, I have no idea where I'm going to fit the time to work out and cook healthy meals into my week. I work about 45 hours a week, every week. Mark (my hubby) works about 47 hours a week, more than that at times. We work at the family business which means that you're never really "off" from work. Dad's computer breaks? Well, I've got to get it back on-line. Special events? Yep, I've got them covered. Done by Friday, well of course it will be. On top of all that work, we have three kids, Heather 22, Matthew 11, and Emma 8. They are the light of our lives. We work such crummy hours we pulled them out of public school and now homeschool (the younger two) so that we can spend more time with them. Homeschool...yeah, that takes about 25-35 hours per week. On top of the kids, we have two ridiculous English bulldogs and my oldest's rat terrier (we affectionately call her the devil). We have two geriatric cats who are misbehaving at the moment and any number of other things that put demands on our time.

In other words, we're a little busy. Everything is super important and can't be cut out. I sleep about 5-6 hours a night. I don't know where the time and energy is going to come from to exercise, but we've got to find it. We did start walking a few weeks ago. I know though that with the cold of winter, the walking will stop. I physically can't stay out in the cold too much, I go into bronchitis at the drop of a hat.

I don't want my kids to think how we eat is healthy. I don't want my kids to think I look healthy. Already, I worry about them gaining weight or getting fat. My youngest wants to eat nothing but junk food. My oldest doesn't sleep or eat on any kind of healthy schedule. Since we are responsible for their full education now, how can I feel like I've done a good job if I don't teach them nutrition, healthy living, and good food choices. I want them to seek out opportunities to work out and exercise. That only happens with me setting the example of health and thoughtful choices. THOUGHTFUL CHOICES. I haven't made too many of those lately, unless it was deciding between almond joy and kit kats.

Probably, I would put off the beginning forever, until I threw a clot or had a heart attack anyway. An object at rest tends to stay at rest and I am anything if I'm not Newtonian. However, our friend Tamara likes competition and she is at a similar crossroads to the one Mark & I are at. We must lose weight for our health. So here we are...setting goals and measuring fat parts and counting dreaded calories. Dreaded, dreaded calories :(

SO, the competition:
Our challenge, if we choose to accept it, encompasses 9 1/2 weeks (from now until January 1, 2013. Set up short-term and long-term goals and start working towards them. Compete for fun and profit with like-minded friends. We each throw a couple bucks into the pot each week and the top three get a share of it at the end of the competition.

_____________________________________________________________
The Goals:
Goal #1: Win the Lottery
Goal #2: Use said lotto winnings to hire a personal trainer/chef named Jacamo to sculpt my body and Mark's body into forms worthy of Nubian Gods...while we sleep.

Barring that, I guess I should set some more plausible goals:

Goal #1: to fit into a "normal" pant size. No more shopping at the big and fat store.

Goal #2: Lose 100 pounds in a reasonable amount of time (am I skinny now? How about...now?)

Goal #3: Let's be honest here, sex is way better when you weigh less. When you get to the point where you're moving things out of the way to make it all work, it's just less fun. I miss the stamina and the energy we used to have in the bedroom.

Goal #4: I want to NOT be short of breath over climbing the stairs or heck, I get winded yelling at the kids.

Goal #5: Learn more about clean eating and eating Real food (as in, the less processing the better), eating organic and cutting down on the amount of meals we eat out in restaurants.

I guess those are Long-term Goals. Over the first phase of the competition my list is this:

Goal #6: I hope to find an indoor exercise routine that Mark & I can do together

Goal #7: Get my consumption under control. Cut out sweeteners. My mom swears they affect memory and I can't says she's wrong...because I don't remember what she said!

Goal #8: Lose 20 pounds. I'm thinking that's not completely realistic. Especially since I've only cut my calories to 1650 per day. However, If I can start working out, it may be attainable.

Goal #9: Get back to the point where my fat clothes are comfortable (they're pretty tight at the moment and if I have to go up another size, I may just jump off a bridge!

Goal #10: Find some energy and get in a better mood. Maybe I could set unicorns and dragons as a goal too, right?

So, yeah, this book is about all I've got at the moment. I guess I'll post my horrific numbers below. Here's where I began:

My Measurements:
Weight: 220.8
Bicep: 14
Chest: 48.5
Waist: 47.75
Hip: 47
Thigh: 24.5

Calories eaten today: 1758

Calorie goal: 1643

Over by: 115

I may post a before picture tomorrow, but I just don't have it in me tonight. It's 1:25am and 7:00am is closer than I want it to be.

Make good choices