Proceeding with caution

[pastis]

I'm cautiously starting this journal because I have been very unsucessful to date at losing. I start every plan so optimistically and within a few days go totally off the rails. I've been participating on the Golden Years board for about 3 years now and am today back to my starting weight of 229.

So why am I going to be so public and journal this time? Well I'm thinking that just the act of opening myself and my plan to the world I may think twice about what I'm doing.

I've given myself 1 year to reach my goal of 140 pounds and am starting at 229 today. According to my Fitday plan that is a total of 89 pounds or 1.71 pounds loss per week. Apparently I can achieve this with a daily calorie intake of 1813 which is a restriction of 815 calories from my current daily calorie intake.

I plan to post my menu, exercise and challenges each evening and hope that I can progress to the next day sucessfully. When I feel really courageous I'll post my start photo and hopefully be able to see some changes over the months. My food plan will be a balanced diet of all the food groups.

I've been so fortunate to have so many supportive friends on the Golden board and am really looking forward to meeting new friends here.

Rae

[pastis]

I made it through day one pretty smoothly. I was really hungry between breakfast and lunch but knowing I was coming back here tonight kept me on track. It was kind of good to actually have a hunger pain. Usually I graze all day and never really feel hungry. I managed to stay under the calories that Fitday allowed and was still satisfied and full. My challlenge today was going to a neighbourhood chinese dinner at a restaurant. It didn't really end up being much of a challenge because it was very ethnic chinese food and I didn't like much of it so was able to pick and do little tastes.

Breakfast: 2 shredded wheat rounds and 3/4 cup 2% milk
mid morning 1 banana
lunch 4 ounces steak sauted with 4 ounces brocolli in 1/2 tbsp olive oil
and 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
mid afternoon 3/4 cup whole wheat pasta and 1/4 cup pasta sauce
dinner 1 cup chinese cabbage, 4 ounces pork,. 2 ounces duck 1 cup chinese brocolli 1 cup sweet and sour soup

calories 1674 carbs 159 fat 65 protein 123

[cdn_gal]

Rae!! From one Canadian gal to another! Your goals sound very realistic! I also find that posting for everyone to read, is a great way to show accountability, and its something you can always look back on when/if you need to...Looking forward to watching your success!!

~ETA~ Just noticed your stats, your almost right at where I was at one time... You can totally do this!!

[kathieb6]

Rae I had to stop in and tell you how much I am rooting for your success. You have always been one of my favorite gals on the board and we also have so much in common. Just take one day at a time and most of all believe in yourself and in what you can do. You have the exercise part down and that is a big part of it. If you ever need a shoulder or a kick in the heiney ( ) just holler. I am struggling too to get off the lbs. I gained back from my mom's illness and passing but really want to be back down at least 15 so I am right there with you. I keep thinking about how proud she was of my weightloss and how embarrassing she could be in pointing it out to others and putting me on the spot. but it meant a lot to her to see me reclaim my life. Anyhoo just know I am here for you and will be back to check in and see how you are doing.

[moonchild]

Hi! I am so glad you will be, like myself, posting your menus and hopefully your recipes also. I look forward to reading more of your journal!

Btw, could you please tell me where on fitday you get this info:

"Apparently I can achieve this with a daily calorie intake of 1813 which is a restriction of 815 calories from my current daily calorie intake."

I looked all over my fitday account and I don't see where it tells me how many cals per day I can have to achieve x amount of weightloss. I sure would love to have the info. I don't count calories all that much. Seems that as long as I stay on plan, the calories have, so far, taken care of themselves. But if I had that number, I could be sure not to go over it.

Thanks,
Lynn

[pastis]

It was really great to come on tonight and find your greetings and support, thanks so much. This is what is going to helpme get through each day.

Lei, it's very inspiring to read your journal and see how successful you've been, congratulations, it really helps to know that it's possible to me to get there as well.

Hi Kathie, thanks for dropping by. I've really missed you this past year. I just put up your "after" photo's to remind me that I can do this.

Hi Lynn, I'm glad to have you doing this challenge with me. I've been reading your journal and it's going to be great to have a partner. A few years ago I bought the full Fitday program on line and I think it's a wonderful tool. On the menu on the left hand side there is a tab for weight goal. If you work through the pages there it will work out the calories you can use each day.

Today I had breakfast out and and then didn't get to eat again until my dinner. I know I shouldn't have skipped lunch but I was happy that I didn't compensate by overeating at dinner.

My oldest daughter is a fitness instructor www.guavafitness.com and I try to make it to at least 4 of her classes each week. Today I was amazed to actually feel hard muscles in my thighs, arms and yes my abs. Ok I had to go through several inches of fat to get to them but oh yes there they were. I was so excited to know that there really is a thinner fit women screaming to get out of these layers of fat.

Breakfast: 1 egg fried, 1 cup hash browns, 2 slices whole wheat toast,

Dinner : 4 ounces liver, onions and mushrooms, 1 cup mashed potatoe, 1 cup greek salad, 1 slice apple pie.

calories 1510 fat 81grams carbs 146 protein 56

My challenge today was witnessing a terrible accident and having police yelling at me. I'm happy to say I didn't run home and comfort myself with food. One thing I noticed last night was that since I went to bed hungry I had trouble staying asleep through the night. I'm actually feeling good about feeling hunger pains again today.

[kathieb6]

Rae I have to tell you I rather enjoy going to bed hungry than feeling full. It is kind of odd to think about but honestly all the nights I gourged after dh went to bed and how crummy I felt the next morning. Heartburn too is a thing of the past. I am so glad you had a good day and when we finally realize that food won't make us feel any better than we have made a big step. I eat when I am hungry and don't really follow a schedule. Works much better that way for me. Sometimes at dinner when dh eats I will just have a token meal so he doesn't eat alone. Might just be a few bites of salad or the meat. You are doing great Rae. Keep on going my friend.

[pastis]

Well today was a good day however this evening I had already had dinner and went out with my daughters while they had dinner and ended up having a small piece of pie. As a result my calories were higher than Fitday allowed but still 500 calories less than I would have normally had. So I'm going to take that as a success and start again tomorrow. I know I'll have glitches but I'm not going to use it as an excuse to quit. A plus was that I went to a movie and passed by all the popcorn and junk food. We went to see Marie Antoinette and I have to say it was really really bad. The costumes were beautiful as was the scenery but otherwise it was really boring.

Ok so tomorrow will be a great day,

[pastis]

Well today was a much better day. My calories were down, I kept to 3 meals and spent the afternoon with my Godgaughters at the Great Pumpkin Patch. We went on a hay ride, picked the biggest pumkins in the farthest field, sang silly songs with Mr Corn Cob and Mrs Pumpkin and the farmwagon band and had a great hay fight. I'm exhausted and am spending the rest of the evening watching some television.

Kathie, your right about feeling better when you go to bed a little hungry rather than overstuffed.

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled, 1 slice whole wheat toast
snack: 1 cup canteloupe
lunch: 1.5 cup tomato soup 1 slice whole wheat bread. 3 ounces tuna
snack: 1 apple
Dinner: chicken quesadilla


Calories, 1587 carbs 167 fat 69 protein 80

Rae

[pastis]

Today was a grey west coast day but I started out the day with a brisk walk by the river. It was really neat to watch all the fishing boats bobbing along . There were plenty of seals out there getting their share of the salmon.

I managed to stay within my calorie goal and didn't suffer too many hunger pains. I went to the gym this afternoon but my workout was pretty weak. I'm feeling pretty positive about my food program and knowing I have to come here every day and fess up certainly makes me thingk twice about what I'm eating.

Calories 11645 fat 94 carbs 129 protein 75

breakfast:6 inch sub roll toasted whole wheat , 1 boiled egg, 1.5 tbsp mayo

lunch: 1 cup tomato soup, 2 slices whole wheat bread, 4 ounces cheddar cheese

dinner: 1 cup potato, 5 ounces italian sausage, 1/2 cup tomato sauce

snack: watermellon 2 cups

2 days to weigh in

[cdn_gal]

Get ready neighbour, the rain is a comin'!! Glad you had an awesome day day today and stayed within your calorie goal!! But, I am curious to know, what plan are you following? I been trying to figure out, but no such luck!

[pastis]

HI Lei

And it's cold too. A week in Hawaii looks really good right now, hmm except for the earthquake bit. My oldest daughter is trying to convince me to go with her in the middle of November.

No wonder you can't figure out what I'm doing, I just looked back on my last post and saw 11645 calories for the day

I've worked out a food plan on Fitday which is basically giving me a calorie restriction and I'm trying to balance the carbs,fat and protein calories within that limit. I really have cravings when I cut out food groups and apparently I can lose about 1.8 pounds a week on 1800 calorie per day. I suspect if I actually start losing weight I will have to reduce the daily calories. I've given myself a year so it's going to be very slow. So far for this week I've lost 2 pounds but I still have 2 more days left so I'll see how it works out by thursday. I'm getting out for walks each day and off to the gym 4 days a week. So far I feel pretty optimistic and haven't had any cravings. I've also been trying to recognize real hunger from boredom eating etc.

thanks for dropping by

Rae

[cdn_gal]

Originally Posted by pastis

HI Lei
No wonder you can't figure out what I'm doing, I just looked back on my last post and saw 11645 calories for the day

Ahhhh, I got it now!! That part with the calorie ammount, really screwed me up! I was thinking, I need to get my ass on that WOE if I can eat 11645 cal a day and still loose!!...
Hope your having an awesome day today, looks like the rain is gonna hold off for at least one more day!!

[pastis]

I had a pretty good day today. I made it to the gym for a good workout and a short walk with the dog. I was over my calories by 75 but am really sticking to eating at meals with a couple of snacks rather than eating constantly all day long. My weakness today was a tim Horton donut, I was waiting for my husband and it was just sitting there in it's little baggie on the dash begging to be eaten. I did turn down a dish of ice cream offered by my husband after dinner though.

Well it looks like tomorrow is my first weigh in, hmmm. I think I made by goal for the week, we'll see in the morning. I'm off to bed to keep myself from having anything to eat tonight.

[pastis]

I am happy to say I am down 2 pounds which means I made my goal for the week. However since I have lost these particular 2 pounds about 100 times I am not celebrating. I now have 87 pounds to go. I'm really tired today so exercise was minimal, a walk with the dog and a bit of vacuuming. I'm heading to bed early and getting prepared for week 2.

[pastis]

My stomache is a little tender from the ibuprofen I've been taking the last few daybut I'm ready to start week 2. I tried a delicious new soup today at a restaurant, cream of artichoke and garlic. I turned down the fries that my friend was offering and had only the soup and a sandqwich for lunch lunch. I think I am getting better at choosing smaller amounts and deciding I dont; want some things. I have decided to stick within the calorie range set out by Fit day and not deny myself anything but learn to just have a taste or much less than I usually have. I have been serving my food on small plates& not putting serving dishes on the table .

I found this site on Oprah's web that makes a lot of sense.

http://www2.oprah.com/health/omag/he...deat_101.jhtml

breakfast: 1 slice dry whole wheat toast, 1/4 c almonds, 1/4 c dried cranberries

Lunch: artichoke and garlic soup 1 cup, 1 sockey sandwich

Dinner: 1 cup stew with potato and brocolli' 1/2 cup ice cream vanilla

calories 1460 (restricted 1192) fat 57 carbs 136 protein 88

[cdn_gal]

Just checking in on you!! Hope your doing well!!!

[pastis]

Hi Lei , thanks for checking in on me. I hope you had a great birthday.

I had to pull myself back up and refocus. This is what always happens. I can manage for about a week and then I start telling myself it is all for nothing, it's never going to work etc. I'm trying not to think about trying to lose 89 pounds, I'm just going to focus on the next 2 pounds. I had a really busy day today but managed to keep the eating in check.

Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal, with 1/4 cup cranberries and 2/3 cup milk

Lunch: salmon on bun

dinner; 6 ounces snapper and a greek salad

calories 1000 fat:34 carbs 69 protein 91

[pastis]

I was pleasantly suprised when I woke up today to find I had lost another 1.5 pounds. I still have until wednesday before i weigh in officially. I woke up this morning to find one of my eyes swollen shut from a spider bite, lovely. I made it to the river for a walk. The weather was beautiful but very cold and athen spent the afternoon baking a pie for my husband and playing monopoly with my Goddaughters. I stayed under my calories for the day but can't say that I ate very healthily as I took the girls to McDonalds for dinner and ended up having a hamburger.

Calories 1761 fat 90 carbs 184 protein 57

[cdn_gal]

for the 1.5 lbs lost!! Sorry to hear about the spider bite though,

[pastis]

thanks Lei, I'm hoping that staying within my calorie limit is going to work for me. I really don't want to deny or elliminate anything, I'm just trying to learn to stay within my limits.

I had a good workout at the gym tonight and a long walk this morning.

breakfast: 1 egg boiled, mayo and 6 inch roll

lunch: 2 slices whole wheat bread and roast chicken, 1 cup squash soup

afternoon snack: 1/16 slice of apple pie

dinner: 1 cup home made chicken noodle soup

snack: 35 tortilla chips and 1 ounce shredded cheese

calories 1791 fat 74 carbs 197 protein 92

[pastis]

Ok today I 'm not even posting numbers. It was a total loss as far as healthy eating. I was down 3.5 pounds this morning since the beginning of my journal and I hope I can still say that tomorrow morning. It was very dangerous to be left in charge of the Haloween candy


Anyway onward and a better day tomorrow.


Rae

[cdn_gal]

I would guess, from your title of that post, that the Kit-Kat monster got to you!! Damn him anyways!! I dodged him all night, till Weezie brought her rug rats here for a treat, then from then on, it was all down hill!! The devil made me do it, I swear!! Her daughter was an angel, and her son was the devil... Lil brats anyways..... Waving their Kit Kat bars in front of their Aunty Lei's face!! They should both be turned into lil horned toads!!
I suggest we might both drink a ton of water tomorrow, and maybe flush it out as fast as we can?? Tomorrow will be a better day sweety, dont sweat the small stuff!!

[pastis]

Hi Lei, your right thank goodness those little monsters have taken their candy and gone.

yikes I can't believe I didn't gain 5 pounds I had to talk myself into facing the scale today and getting back on the wagon so I almost fell off the scale to see that I hadn't gained any. yeehaw!!!

so according to fitday and my scale I am on track for the two weeks. My first goal is to be 219 pounds on Nov 30. You can bet that the calorie tracking will be very precise today and if my husband doesn't eat those pumkin pies today they are going in the garbage. Well let me rethink that maybe I should try and give them away since they are the most expensive pumpkin pies I have ever made. $13 per pie. yes that's right. Can you believe a can of pumpkin was $6 when there are probably millions of pumkins rotting on the doorsteps this morning. My son said they were givving them away at Save-on Foods.

I'm off to visit my 92 year old mom this afternoon so dinner will be micro since she eats like a bird.

[cdn_gal]

Yeah on the 3.5 lbs gone!!
I hear ya on the price of canned pumpkin..