The Butterfly Connection

[hummingbird11]

Originally Posted by Meekness29

You are having a BLAST with your doggies How cute

Oh you know it Meek!! Along w/ hubby, my dawgs & kitties are my LIFE!!

[Meekness29]

Originally Posted by hummingbird11

Oh you know it Meek!! Along w/ hubby, my dawgs & kitties are my LIFE!!

I see I think that's wonderful

[hummingbird11]

Well, looks like I win the prize for the most calories today!!
Regardless, it feels good to be tracking my macros again.
I feel more in control & more on top of what I'm really eating.
I will aim for 1600-1800 calories Tues/Wed/Thur this week.
Friday, July 11 is my next refeed day; 3rd time is a charm!


cal........fiber......fat.........protein.....net carb
2023......16........139.7......128.1........24.5
.........................70%........28%.........2%


B HB's 3-Egg Cream (version 3) & PP Frappuccino

L 2 slices Sargento Deli Style Chipotle Cheddar
L 2 slices TJ's black forest ham (uncured)
L 3 oz TJ's romaine lettuce hearts
L 1 Tbsp organic mayo
L 2 large hardboiled eggs

S ThinkThin bar - chunky peanut butter

D 8 chicken wings (party wings)
D 2 Tbsp TJ's butter + Frank's Hot Sauce
D 3 oz romaine lettuce
D 1/2 medium tomato
D 1/4 Haas avocado
D 1 Tbsp Marie's blue cheese dressing + splash ACV

Water: 100+ ounces
Exercise: 20 minutes HIIT elliptical + Callanetics Quick Stomach

[MimiMomma]

You are doing great! Keep up the hard work!!

It's amazing how much more in control you feel when you track everything. It makes you so much more aware than estimating.

Have a wonderful day!

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

"Regardless, it feels good to be tracking my macros again.
I feel more in control & more on top of what I'm really eating."

I totally agree!

[hummingbird11]

Good morning y'all! How nice to receive a visit from MM and WMS!

I am off to The City today (San Francisco); it's supposed to be another scorcher today (over 100) which is HOT HOT HOT for N Calif.

It's no problemo for this former Texan and future Hawaiian; but these Californians start to faint at 80 degrees...

TTYL
HB

[hummingbird11]

Hi everyone, I'm so sorry to have been AWOL the past few days. We've been experiencing a family emergency.

My oldest dog, Sunny (13+), had a horrible freak accident which required a trip to the emergency vet hospital on Tuesday afternoon, a surgery on Wednesday, and then another trip to emergency on Friday. She is home now. I fear she is not long for this world and we are providing "hospice care" and plenty of TLC. I will post a few photos of her later. She is a sweet sweet sweet angel and a very stubborn old lady with a will to live like I have never seen in ANY dog. She has "died" 3 times in the past week (literally) and is such a courageous little fighter. I adore her spirit and her sweet soul. I will not keep her here "past her time" but meanwhile I want her to be as comfortable as possible as she deserves that and so much more. All animals do, IMO. They are the voiceless innocents.

Meek, did you or anyone do a "refeed" (carb-up) yesterday (Friday, July 11)? I didn't, as I was NOT prepared with the right foods nor did I have time for a "depletion workout". I will plan a refeed for Friday, July 18.

Meanwhile, I've been eating as "on plan" as possible, seems we are out of just about everything so a trip to the grocery store is imperative this w/e!

I will post my macros for the week as soon as I catch up on logging, which I've attempted to remain diligent about. I'm happy to say that for the first time, I did NOT allow "stress" to make me reach for a bunch of "carbage"! Oh yes, there were a couple of times that a "drive thru" burger (on the way to/from vet hospital) would have been easy AND satisfying, but I typically never eat fast food and I did not allow stress nor lack of time (and lack of food prep) to provide an excuse for me to "go there" either. I came home and scrounged for whatever I could find that was the most "on plan" possible. Yay! Go me!

And drank a lot of coffee and a decent amount of water. No real exercise this week as most of my time has been spent caring for Sunny and trying to keep up with my crazy as ever job. Thank goodness I work from home 90% of the time.

I will catch-up with everyone soon... How is everyone doing?

[hummingbird11]

I weigh 163.5 today, Aug 5th.
I weighed 3 times: 164, 163, 163.5 - so 163.5 wins! Last week I was 167 on Monday and 162 on Thursday.
I have Lymphedema (lymph fluid) in my left thigh & abdominal area ... so my weight bounces around a lot.

I want to measure, too. How do you insure you're measuring the right spot(s) and that you measure the SAME SPOT of your bust/chest/waist/hip/arm/thigh (or whatever) the next time??

OK, I asked btinc for feedback on my "new plan" and this is what he told me:

Well there is really no difference between 30grams of carbs versus 20, you will be depleted on either end. What people don't understand there is no magic of this 20 grams of carbs or less, Keto starts for most at below 100 grams, you just don't excrete excess ketones in your urine, but that does not mean your not in ketosis. Now I do understand that this can get complicated with the different days, that's why in a article I wrote early that if your not a body builder, a simple high/low is all you would need, one day at about 50 the next day at 100 and that's it with a super high day on your pizza day.
Now if your going to resume CKD I would recommend that you start around 50 grams a day, then a refeed. most women respond better hormonally at 50 grams versus the 20 or less, however that does not mean you will, but that's where I would start. Bottom line, is find something you believe in and something you can be consistent. Just be consistent and keep your daily calorie intake at 10-11 times your body weight.

SO THIS IS MY PLAN FOR AUGUST:

M - Low Carb (50)
T - Low Carb (50)
W - Low Carb (50)
R - No Carb to Very Low Carb (0-20)
F - High Carb/Low Fat (450)
S - Low Carb (50)
S - Low Carb (50)

6 days per week:
1600-1800 Calories
0 to 20 to 50 Carbs
120g Protein (minimum)
60-70% Fat

1 day per week:
4000 Calories (max)
450 Carbs (max)
120g Protein (minimum)
Very Low Fat


I MIGHT DO THIS IN SEPTEMBER:

M - 100 Carbs
T - 50 Carbs
W - 100 Carbs
R - 50 Carbs
F - 450 Carbs/Low Fat
S - 50 Carbs
S - 50 Carbs


I made good progress April/May - no progress June/July - August will bring results!

[hummingbird11]

Obviously I need to find a way to keep my Carbs UP and my Calories LOWER.

Because I seem to do just fine on Calories when I'm Very Low Carbing (30 and under) I assumed it would be even easier at 50 carbs and so I tried to "wing it" the past two days ... WRONG!!

I finally had a chance to sit down and tally the macros of all that I've consumed over the past two days, and let's just say THAT was a rude awakening!!

I can see where I went wrong today, almost 1000 calories in my 8 oz chicken burger (420) at lunch + my 8 oz grass-fed beef burger (540) at dinner ... OUCH.

Smaller portions. I will start making 4 oz patties.

And some other choices that seemed wise, turned out to be not-so-wise and maybe even unnecessary.

But I was RAVENOUS at dinner tonight. A beef patty + loaded broccoli seemed like a good choice. But added up to 1000+ calories.

I'm going to start tomorrow with a better breakfast and then plan my meals for the rest of the week (like I should have done on Sunday).

I'm not good enough at this (yet) to "wing it". I need to plan and eat accordingly. That is the key to weight loss success!

Monday, 8/4
Calories.........Fiber........Fat.........Protein. ........Net Carbs
2305.............23.4........113.7.......149.5.... .......47.75

Tuesday, 8/5
Calories.........Fiber........Fat.........Protein. ........Net Carbs
2614.............12.3........160.4.......198.4.... .......40

WEDNESDAY'S GOALS:
Calories.........Fiber........Fat..........Protein ........Net Carbs
1600-1800......???..........???..........125-150.......50
CALLANETICS 10/10
UPPER BODY STRENGTH TRAINING

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

HB,

Finding what works for you is key. You won't be able to just reach down into a hat, pull out a plan that "looks" good, and assume it's your ticket. You have to work it, then evaluate. If it needs tweaked, you tweak. Eventually it all becomes second nature, the tweaks you've made.

It means finding your groove, both eats wise and workout consistency. Once in the groove, it becomes your daily habit and you can do more autopilot.

But all of that requires keen sensory acuity about your body and how it reacts to the way you feed/treat it.

Just stay on top of things, your plan, and stay focused.

Sounds like a great plan, very doable. You're right, keeping a lid on calories can be tricky, so finding the right macronutrients that enable us to maintain satiety is KEY.

I will be reading with interest, and I know you can do this.

[hummingbird11]

Thank you, T.
Yes, I now see this as my biggest challenge. Any suggestions in this area appreciated. Meanwhile I'm going to go back and re-read the info you gave me awhile back re: your food basics and see what I can glean from that. Like you, I love spinach & blackberries (and pinot!) so maybe I will enjoy the rest of your menu!
And like btinc says, those successful at this don't vary their foods too much from day-to-day. I know that will be tough for me as I love variety, in everything, but to start, I now realize I must determine "the staples" that work best for me with regard to calories/carbs/protein/fat AND satiety.

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

...finding the right macronutrients that enable us to maintain satiety is KEY.

[hummingbird11]

B 40 0 3 1 1 B 1 Coffee; 2 Tbsp B Half & Half; 1 Tbsp SF Torani syrup
B 210 0 13.5 18 3 B 3 TJ's cagefree Grade AA Large Eggs
B 110 0 9 7 1 B 1 oz Tillamook sharp cheddar
B 20 1.9 0.3 2.4 1.2 B 3 oz organic spinach
B 100 0 7 7 0 B 3 slices TJ's fully cooked uncured bacon
B 50 1.5 0.75 4 6 B 1 slice Alvarado Street Bakery flaxseed bread
B 33.33 0 3.66 0 0 B 1 tsp TJ's salted butter
L 509 8.5 28.5 39.7 11 L 3-egg PP EC + EVCO; aloe juice; bee pollen; psyllium
S 120 0 5 14 3 S 1/2 cup TJ's small curd cottage cheese
S 9 0.6 0.1 0.2 2.2 S 1 oz strawberries
S 16 0.7 0.1 0.2 4.1 S 1 oz blueberries
S 12 1.5 0.1 0.4 2.7 S 1 oz blackberries
D 160 0 0 36 0 D 6 oz TJ's boneless; skinless turkey breast cutlets
D 20 1.9 0.3 2.4 1.2 D 3 oz organic spinach
D 18 1.2 0 0 3 D 6 organic cherry tomatoes
D 70 0 4 6 2 D 1 oz TJ's crumbled feta cheese
D 25 0.5 2 0 1 D 5 pitted calamata olives
S 30 0 2.5 0.5 0.5 S 1 Tbsp TJ's greek yogurt
S 9 0.6 0.1 0.2 2.2 S 1 oz strawberries
S 16 0.7 0.1 0.2 4.1 S 1 oz blueberries
S 12 1.5 0.1 0.4 2.7 S 1 oz blackberries

1589.33...........21.1...........80.11........139. 6.............51.9
calories............fiber...........fat........... protein...........carbs

[ouizoid]

HB-- I would love to know what kind of carbs you eat for your refeed days--your plan is appealing, and I am pretty disciplined about getting back on the lowcarb horse, but it is the highcarb lowfat deal that I am wondering about--Like many folks, I keep thinking if it is a refeed I should eat something I have been craving, like a piece of cake--which would likely not fit with your plan--perhaps you are eating fruit and pasta?? Inquiring minds would like to know!

Ouis

[hummingbird11]

Hey Ouis!

Funny you should ask 'cause I'm just starting to plan my refeed food so I can shop on Thursday to be prepared for Friday!

(this is my first refeed since May; I didn't do so hot on those 2 attempts and was a bit gun-shy to try again...till NOW!)

The high carb day should be low fat as possible AND low sugar as possible - but I think it's OK to have 1 slice of cake as your luxury item!
(see Twyla's S'more Splurge below!)

I don't have it all mapped out (yet) but I can't wait to eat a banana and I will definitely have a bowl (or two) of my beloved Grapenuts! Cereal, Waffles, Bagels - OH MY - it ALL sounds good! I'll definitely have whole wheat crust pizza for dinner (with FF or LF mozz cheese).

Once I have my menu/macros all figured out ... I will post ... okey dokey?
Are you thinking of doing a weekly refeed to recharge your leptin/metabolism?

Oh and here's what our local LCF refeed experts (gracious guru's) recommend:

Originally Posted by btinc

The basics of a refeed:
Bagels
Pasta
Rice
Bread
Cereal
FF/SF Ice Cream
Pancakes
Waffles
Crackers
If its low fat or fat free, have at it!
Remember, no additional fats.

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

Just in case it's helpful for you to know, these were the types of carbs I ate yesterday:

Nectarine (pre-D workout)
Lowfat waffles
SF maple syrup
rice cake
lowfat popcorn
Fiber One bar
Cheerios
Kashi Go Lean
Skim milk
1 slice veggie pizza
Bryon's BBQ on bun
2 marshmallows
2 sq of milk choc
2 graham crackers
cool whip (lite)
Mich Lime Ultra
.25 oz almonds

Everything else was green veggie or lean protein -- FF cottage cheese, chicken breast, protein powder, slaw

My splurge was the S'more and the BBQ on bun.

[Teresa123]

Hey D--definitely some good reading here! I'll have to come back this weekend to see what you've been doing and how it's all working. I think I'll have to check out Watch Me Shrink's as well. I've seen her posts and she certainly seems to have gotten this all down to a science that works for her!

[hummingbird11]

cool beans!

oh yeah, I've learned a LOT from WMS + she HAS shrunk ... from a size 12 to a size 4!!

hey if we want to chat re: carb cycing or high carb stuff - we can do it over here since it's kinda OT over at our thread and don't wanna tempt anyone either...okie dokie?

Originally Posted by Teresa123

Hey D--definitely some good reading here! I'll have to come back this weekend to see what you've been doing and how it's all working. I think I'll have to check out Watch Me Shrink's as well. I've seen her posts and she certainly seems to have gotten this all down to a science that works for her!

[hummingbird11]

Originally Posted by hummingbird11

WEDNESDAY'S GOALS:
Calories.........Fiber........Fat..........Protein ........Carbs
1600-1800......???..........???..........125-150.......50

As of Noon today:

1589.................21.............80............ .140...............52
calories............fiber...........fat........... protein...........carbs

Final Tally:

1945.................18.............108........... .165...............51
calories............fiber...........fat........... protein...........carbs


I had a good breakfast of 3-eggs, spinach, bacon, LC toast w/ butter.
An Egg Cream at lunch USUALLY keeps me full till dinner BUT not today!
So an afternoon snack of 1 cup cottage cheese added 240 more calories...
An hour later I was RAVENOUS so I had 1 oz uncured pastrami + 1 slice havarti = 150 more calories.
So with what I'd already calculated for dinner, I was at 1845 calories for the day.
Over, but not by much. No sweat.
Then hubby switched the sauce on the turkey medallions and the 1 Tbsp of butter (on my portion) added another 100 calories.

Oh well. T'was better than the last two days of 2305 and 2614 calories.
At least I was under 2000 calories today!

I wonder, since my carbs were in-range all 3 days, does it matter so much?
My goal is 50 carbs per day and so far it's been: 48; 40; 51.


THURSDAY'S GOALS:
Calories.........Fiber........Fat..........Protein ........Carbs
1600-1800......20...........80..........125-150..........50

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by hummingbird11

Oh well. T'was better than the last two days of 2305 and 2614 calories.
At least I was under 2000 calories today!

I wonder, since my carbs were in-range all 3 days, does it matter so much?My goal is 50 carbs per day and so far it's been: 48; 40; 51.

I think not. Maybe if you have several high-cal days in a row, yes. But one or two shouldn't be a problem. Some days we're just hungrier than others, Amen?

Sounds like you're hanging in there, HB. You can do this. Don't look far into the future, and don't look behind. We can't do a thing about either one.

But we can make the best of today.

One day, one step at a time.

[hummingbird11]

Amen, sister! On ALL counts!


whoops, a little modification to Today's Goals, almost forgot (!) it's VLC Day:
(and I've decided to lower tomorrow's macros from 4000/450 to 3000/350)

M - Low Carb (50)
T - Low Carb (50)
W - Low Carb (50)
R - No Carb to Very Low Carb (0-20)
F - High Carb/Low Fat (350)
S - Low Carb (50)
S - Low Carb (50)

6 days per week:
1600-1800 Calories
0 to 20 to 50 Carbs
120g Protein (minimum)
60-70% Fat

1 day per week:
3000 Calories (max)
350 Carbs (max)
120g Protein (minimum)
Very Low Fat

[hummingbird11]

Here I go! My first refeed since May (when I botched it with too much fat)

I went grocery shopping tonight and boy was it strange to be picking out HIGH carb/LOW fat!
Took me forever!

I'll post my menu when the party is over!

I kept my Net Carbs this week as follows:

M: 48
T: 41
W: 47
R: 18 (today)
F: 423 !!!!!
S: 50 or less
S: 50 or less


my projected macros for Friday's refeed:

3056 calories ..... 54g fiber ..... 49g fat ..... 156g protein ..... 423 net carbs

[LoraJR72]

Hi, Hummingbird!

I subscribed to your blog!

Wow! Seeing your protein total kind of struck me as being too high. I know lots of guys at (same weight and height range) the gym eat only about 100g per day if they were in high training mode for a show or boxing match. Then it drops down to 80g maximum.

Then again, there are many sports athletes, and avid gym goers who take in more protein and drink lots of water to avoid dehydration.

There is a book called Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition (you can buy this on Amazon for a $.01 - a whole penny!) that could help clear up the carb-up/down mystery. She is a registered dietitian. Though the book is a few years old, she still has many books on sports nutrition guidelines. (I might buy this myself!) I have another book about eating for marathoners I found at a clearance bookstore.

From Amazon: As a consultant to the Boston Celtics, Clark is well equipped to advise sports aficionados on their training diets. Although her focus is primarily on the serious athlete, her nutrition tips can be useful to anyone desiring a healthy lifestyle. Discussion of the carbohydrate issue, foods to eat before and after exercising, fluids, and supplements are presented. There is also a section on weight control tips as well as suggestions for gaining weight. Healthful recipes with nutritional and caloric information complete the volume. Most of this is information is basic and is available elsewhere, but Clark's abundant use of charts and diagrams and her enthusiastic presentation make the book a winner. --Anne Paget, Episcopal High School, Bellaire, TX

[retroworx]

(OT Alert!)

HB:

You don't know me from Adam, but I've been following your adventures

In particular, I have admired what you've done with Tiki Condo as I'm a retro fan (in case you weren't clued in to that by my name ). There was an article in today's NYT that I thought I'd share with you as I thought of you when I skimmed it. Here ya' go:


Décor, Décor, Décor - These Days, Renters of High-End Vacation Homes Are Often Looking for Interior Style Over Location - NYTimes.com