Yesterday was a big win! I finished out the day with the following nutrition stats:
Calories: 1046
Carb: 78g
Fat: 71g
Protein: 103g
Unfortunately I didn't drink as much water as I needed to but I'm trying to make up for that today. It's just tough to drink when I'm feeling restriction like I have been since waking up a couple of hours ago.
So Monday has generally been my weigh-in day (for the official count) but last week we were camping still on Monday so I started my experiment on Tuesday and thus my first week isn't really complete till tomorrow morning.
But for the sake of consistency, I did weigh in this morning and was amazed to be back at 180.6. When I got home from camping I was 184 (which is basically where I had been for the past couple of months) so it definitely feels good to be back down at 180. I am looking forward to reporting a week from tomorrow that I am somewhere in the 170s for real and not due to working out hard or being dehydrated.
I'd have to say that at 1 week into the experiment, it's working! Which makes me very happy. And it hasn't been that hard AND I even had one major off plan day.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
2 week experiment, days 5 and 6
Day 5 was a total loss. I was not even on plan for a fraction of it but we had a July 4th (or...2nd) cookout to go to. The good news is I drank my water, minimized the damage, got rid of the trail mix, and got right back on board this morning.
In fact, day 6 has been quite remarkable. It's 7pm and so far I've only had 506 calories. I've been busy doing stuff all day and just didn't have a lot of time to eat but these 506 calories have been high quality ones. 55 grams of protein so far. I use myfitnesspal.com to track my food and nutrients and it's kind of weird that they think I only need 45g of protein each day. Who came up with that? My surgeon wants me to have 60 at minimum and I've been getting over 100 and actually feeling really good lately. So myfitness pal is a great little tool but it needs to be able to customize how much of each nutrient I actually want per day.
I'll have to update tomorrow with the actual values I ended up with. I am projecting 956 calories.
In fact, day 6 has been quite remarkable. It's 7pm and so far I've only had 506 calories. I've been busy doing stuff all day and just didn't have a lot of time to eat but these 506 calories have been high quality ones. 55 grams of protein so far. I use myfitnesspal.com to track my food and nutrients and it's kind of weird that they think I only need 45g of protein each day. Who came up with that? My surgeon wants me to have 60 at minimum and I've been getting over 100 and actually feeling really good lately. So myfitness pal is a great little tool but it needs to be able to customize how much of each nutrient I actually want per day.
I'll have to update tomorrow with the actual values I ended up with. I am projecting 956 calories.
Friday, July 1, 2011
2 week experiment, day 4
Ok, so day 3 sucked. I was more hungry than I have been in ages but that's mostly due to my band being looser (time of month over with) and I was recovering from a hard workout the day before. Maybe I should follow the plan more closely including no exercise the first 2 weeks but I just don't think that's possible - or good for me. I don't need to lose 5 lbs a week, 2 would be really great. Even 1 would be reasonable. But I need to keep exercising cause it helps with my stress.
But anyway, yeah. Day 3 was a bitch. It started off fine - I'm always tight in the morning and feel like I'm going to be full on protein shakes all day long. That normally changes around 2pm. I ate way more than I should have yesterday but the good news is I didn't go for junk (for the most part.) I had a couple of bites of things at work I shouldn't have and I indulged in some more of that trail mix that I had a few bites of the night before. It's like my late night munchy fix but it's got to stop. The trail mix is going to the barn tomorrow for the July 4th BBQ.
Still, even with all my cheats, I clocked in at 1774 calories. Here's the daily breakdown:
1774 calories
139g carb
88g fat
132g protein
I held steady at 182.8 this morning and I will be really happy if I get 1 more lb gone by Tuesday AM at my 1 week mark.
In terms of today, it's shaping up to be pretty good. I have been up since 6:40, worked out this morning, got into work earlier than normal, and plan on leaving a little early to go to dinner and a show tonight. I have started the day with a homemade protein shake (100cal/18g protein) which I am getting into the habit of doing on top of my 5+1 medifast meals on days I workout. Had a great time this morning at the gym and did some of the same things the trainer showed me from Wednesday. Hopefully I'll be better at some of the stuff by next Wed. if I can get a couple more practices in. He's having me do some stuff I've never done before with an inflatable ball.
At the moment, just trying to drink as much water as I can (by the way, I learned I sweat about 32oz per hour, interesting, huh?) and I'm pondering what to eat for my first food of the day. Oatmeal? or a bar?
But anyway, yeah. Day 3 was a bitch. It started off fine - I'm always tight in the morning and feel like I'm going to be full on protein shakes all day long. That normally changes around 2pm. I ate way more than I should have yesterday but the good news is I didn't go for junk (for the most part.) I had a couple of bites of things at work I shouldn't have and I indulged in some more of that trail mix that I had a few bites of the night before. It's like my late night munchy fix but it's got to stop. The trail mix is going to the barn tomorrow for the July 4th BBQ.
Still, even with all my cheats, I clocked in at 1774 calories. Here's the daily breakdown:
1774 calories
139g carb
88g fat
132g protein
I held steady at 182.8 this morning and I will be really happy if I get 1 more lb gone by Tuesday AM at my 1 week mark.
In terms of today, it's shaping up to be pretty good. I have been up since 6:40, worked out this morning, got into work earlier than normal, and plan on leaving a little early to go to dinner and a show tonight. I have started the day with a homemade protein shake (100cal/18g protein) which I am getting into the habit of doing on top of my 5+1 medifast meals on days I workout. Had a great time this morning at the gym and did some of the same things the trainer showed me from Wednesday. Hopefully I'll be better at some of the stuff by next Wed. if I can get a couple more practices in. He's having me do some stuff I've never done before with an inflatable ball.
At the moment, just trying to drink as much water as I can (by the way, I learned I sweat about 32oz per hour, interesting, huh?) and I'm pondering what to eat for my first food of the day. Oatmeal? or a bar?
Thursday, June 30, 2011
FOOD!
OMG. I am so hungry for the first time in days. I think it's a combination of my TOM (time of month) being over (I'm always tighter during that) and having worked out really hard yesterday. My body is like NOM NOM NOM. I am blowing through the medifast food and I didn't add in an extra protein shake this morning because I wasn't planning on working out today. Already drank 64 oz of water, I'll definitely try to get more in before tonight and I have gotten 100 grams of protein already. The good news is, I haven't strayed too far and am still within my calories especially if I can make myself jump rope or something tonight at home. The bad news is I've gone for the junk. Work keeps a huge stash. I ate 1 miniature Mr. Goodbar and 1/2 of a miniature donut. Total about 80 calories. I did walk today for 30 minutes already on my way to lunch and back so technically I walked off the extra calories but I hate that I caved in and ate sugar again. Just plain, no good, empty calorie sugar. Really frustrated with myself that I can't STICK to a freaking diet plan for more than a day. And now, in the middle of my "oatmeal" I feel like I'm going to puke cause I ate it too quickly. Dammit, I broke the rule that was working for me so well. To keep eating on schedule even when I'm not really "hungry" cause it keeps me from getting this way (eating fast and pukish.)
Well, at least the work day is almost over and I have 2 MF meals and still some lean/green left to use today.
Well, at least the work day is almost over and I have 2 MF meals and still some lean/green left to use today.
2 week experiment, day 3
Yesterday was great. I do not understand it but between the band and the medifast food I am eating under 1300 calories, exercising off 300+ and not hungry. WTF?? If I can stick with this for a couple of weeks or a month even, I am going to be doing really well. That is, if the experiment succeeds and I actually lose weight. Still not sure but then again I wasn't sure about any of this to begin with and here I am 95 lbs later. I keep reminding myself "If you work the plan, the plan will work for you." Just repeat, repeat, repeat.
I had my first session with a personal trainer last night after work. I'll be with him for the next 3 Wednesdays and then workout on my own 4 more times per week. If the results are good I may keep going with him for a little longer even though it's not an expense I want to have.
So here is my food breakdown for day 2:
Calories: 1293
Carbs: 103g
Fat: 65g
Protein: 100g
Exercise: burned 370
The elevated fat and carbs are certainly due to a late night attack of the munchies. I had some trail mix in the house. Nuts, raisins, M&Ms... this was leftover from camp and I should have just taken it to work but with 400-something calories left to spend yesterday I figured 1 serving of it wasn't going to kill me. And it didn't. I woke up today at a lower scale number than I've seen in a while. The 179 on my ticker isn't exactly accurate. I've been holding steady around 184 for a while. I was stuck at 180 for a bit and then I think my eating habits deteriorated with the start of summer and Rita's Water Ice season.
As of today 182.8. Can't wait to see what the official loss is when I weigh on Tuesday which will be a week after starting. It would be so awesome to actually get into the lower 170s which would be new territory once again. So tired of seeing the same numbers bouncing up and down and no real losses.
But the good news is, I think I'm back in the zone. That's my mental place where nothing can stop me. Crappy food in the fridge and cupboards here at work be damned!
I had my first session with a personal trainer last night after work. I'll be with him for the next 3 Wednesdays and then workout on my own 4 more times per week. If the results are good I may keep going with him for a little longer even though it's not an expense I want to have.
So here is my food breakdown for day 2:
Calories: 1293
Carbs: 103g
Fat: 65g
Protein: 100g
Exercise: burned 370
The elevated fat and carbs are certainly due to a late night attack of the munchies. I had some trail mix in the house. Nuts, raisins, M&Ms... this was leftover from camp and I should have just taken it to work but with 400-something calories left to spend yesterday I figured 1 serving of it wasn't going to kill me. And it didn't. I woke up today at a lower scale number than I've seen in a while. The 179 on my ticker isn't exactly accurate. I've been holding steady around 184 for a while. I was stuck at 180 for a bit and then I think my eating habits deteriorated with the start of summer and Rita's Water Ice season.
As of today 182.8. Can't wait to see what the official loss is when I weigh on Tuesday which will be a week after starting. It would be so awesome to actually get into the lower 170s which would be new territory once again. So tired of seeing the same numbers bouncing up and down and no real losses.
But the good news is, I think I'm back in the zone. That's my mental place where nothing can stop me. Crappy food in the fridge and cupboards here at work be damned!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
2 week experiment, day 2
Well, day 1 on medifast was a hell of a lot more pleasant than day 1 on liquids!
I did not stick to the plan entirely but the good news is I didn't eat anything that was inherently off plan, just needed a little extra. I start my day with my own protein shake that is 100 calories and 18 grams of protein. I did 4 medifast "meals" during the day and split my 1 "lean and green" into lunch and dinner since my banded stomach can't do 7oz of meat and 3 cups of vegetables at once! In the late afternoon between lunch and dinner I was really hungry so I had a tablespoon of peanut butter, which is allowed. Then when I got home really late last night I made my last medifast meal (peanut butter flavored "soft serve" which was surprisingly good!) I was trying to go to sleep but my stomach was growling so I had a tablespoon of almond butter. Total calories: 1328. Burned 332 in exercise from the barn. So I netted 996.
Day 1 breakdown of nutrients is as follows:
Calories: 1328 (996 net)
Carbs: 94
Fat: 61
Protein: 124
Water: >70 oz
I think the huge amount of protein definitely helped me not feel hungry. I am a daily weigher and did not have any change between yesterday and this morning but I only "count" my weekly weigh-ins so I am definitely going to give the plan a chance. This is so much better quality (and less volume) than I have been eating that I know it's got to make a difference.
Today is going well so far and I have my first session with the personal trainer at the gym tonight. My goal is to be at 173 on my doctor's scale by 8/5 (if I even end up going in to get a fill - I may not need it.) That would be 100 lbs according to his scale and that would make me feel really great. I know I could lose more quickly if I didn't add in an extra protein shake but I think most people doing this plan are not exercising this intensely and I know if I don't get it I will be hungry. I'm willing to see how it goes for 2 weeks and re-evaluate. But so far so good. I think if I can keep up this level of calories, protein, carbs, and fats and amp up my exercise a bit more I'll really be making progress.
I'm just really happy to report the lack of hunger. I have been trying really hard lately to recognize the difference between hunger and thirst. I really like that everything on MF is portioned out and with my band the portions actually seem like plenty. I can only imagine what it must feel like to un-banded people not used to eating this tiny amount of food. Well, I did do MF pre-band when I was 20 I think. I lost 17 lbs in a month but I couldn't keep it up. The food has definitely improved in quality since then. Even more so since my mom did it when I was a kid and the food was literally all just shakes and broth.
I'm actually so happy with the plan that I'm considering buying more food but I think I should wait another week just to make sure I'm going to want to stick with it longer term. Slowly learning which foods are better than others but so far I kind of like everything.
I did not stick to the plan entirely but the good news is I didn't eat anything that was inherently off plan, just needed a little extra. I start my day with my own protein shake that is 100 calories and 18 grams of protein. I did 4 medifast "meals" during the day and split my 1 "lean and green" into lunch and dinner since my banded stomach can't do 7oz of meat and 3 cups of vegetables at once! In the late afternoon between lunch and dinner I was really hungry so I had a tablespoon of peanut butter, which is allowed. Then when I got home really late last night I made my last medifast meal (peanut butter flavored "soft serve" which was surprisingly good!) I was trying to go to sleep but my stomach was growling so I had a tablespoon of almond butter. Total calories: 1328. Burned 332 in exercise from the barn. So I netted 996.
Day 1 breakdown of nutrients is as follows:
Calories: 1328 (996 net)
Carbs: 94
Fat: 61
Protein: 124
Water: >70 oz
I think the huge amount of protein definitely helped me not feel hungry. I am a daily weigher and did not have any change between yesterday and this morning but I only "count" my weekly weigh-ins so I am definitely going to give the plan a chance. This is so much better quality (and less volume) than I have been eating that I know it's got to make a difference.
Today is going well so far and I have my first session with the personal trainer at the gym tonight. My goal is to be at 173 on my doctor's scale by 8/5 (if I even end up going in to get a fill - I may not need it.) That would be 100 lbs according to his scale and that would make me feel really great. I know I could lose more quickly if I didn't add in an extra protein shake but I think most people doing this plan are not exercising this intensely and I know if I don't get it I will be hungry. I'm willing to see how it goes for 2 weeks and re-evaluate. But so far so good. I think if I can keep up this level of calories, protein, carbs, and fats and amp up my exercise a bit more I'll really be making progress.
I'm just really happy to report the lack of hunger. I have been trying really hard lately to recognize the difference between hunger and thirst. I really like that everything on MF is portioned out and with my band the portions actually seem like plenty. I can only imagine what it must feel like to un-banded people not used to eating this tiny amount of food. Well, I did do MF pre-band when I was 20 I think. I lost 17 lbs in a month but I couldn't keep it up. The food has definitely improved in quality since then. Even more so since my mom did it when I was a kid and the food was literally all just shakes and broth.
I'm actually so happy with the plan that I'm considering buying more food but I think I should wait another week just to make sure I'm going to want to stick with it longer term. Slowly learning which foods are better than others but so far I kind of like everything.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
2 week experiment, day 1
Hello everyone. Miss me? I know it's been a while since I've posted with any regularity. I'm making a commitment to post once per day now for 2 weeks along with this new experiment I'm trying. It's in the name of science, I swear!
For those that know me in real life, you already know this. For those that don't, I've been coasting along, "maintaining" my weight in the 180-185 range since the beginning of the year. I saw 178 on the scale once but I think I was actually just dehydrated.
I have been making poor food choices most of the time and I know I have really good restriction but I'm just being lazy about it and eating things that are "easier" like chips, cookies, and cupcakes. Did I mention cupcakes? Damn there are a lot of cupcakes around everywhere all the time.
I might could use a slight fill but I think I'll postpone that for 2 weeks to really give this new eating plan a chance to work. I've also been really committed to exercise lately and if I hadn't just gone on a 6 day vacation I would have been able to say I'd exercised at least 20 minutes per day for a month straight with only a few "rest" days.
I joined a new gym that's right behind my office building and I LOVE it because there's a hot tub I can relax in after working out. So I get 4 free personal training sessions for joining and I'm going to use them once a week for the next 4 weeks. I fully intend for this experiment to go on for at least 4 weeks but I know I can do 2 so I'm starting there.
So what IS this experiment, you're wondering? It's not really that experimental but it sort of is for me. I am going to be following the medifast plan where almost everything I eat each day comes to me in the mail. With the exception of 7 ounces of lean protein and 3 cups of vegetables (which thanks to my band I need to split up into at least 2 meals per day instead of just 1) - everything I eat will be a prepackaged "just ad water" type meal. The great thing about doing this with the help of the band is I'm not going to suffer actual hunger. Now, just wanting other food. I'm sure that will be my biggest problem. But I've gotten to the point where I am tired of doing it on my own and making meal plans and deviating from them. I want something simple for at least a couple of weeks.
I did all liquids for 2 weeks before surgery so surely I can do this now. The food is actually really good. It's very low calorie, low fat, and high protein. It's not really "low carb" in the atkins sense but it's still less than half of what I think the normal low fat meal plans tend to prescribe in terms of carbs.
I have tried a few different big pushes to get these last 20-30 lbs off but mostly haven't been in the right place mentally. I think I'm there now and with the help of a new job/new routine, the new gym which is super convenient, and seeing several friends do medifast and really kick ass with it, I'm feeling like a winner.
That's the easy part. Now for the follow through. This is an experiment in a couple of different ways:
1. I am no longer taking metformin. This is a giant pill that even when chopped into smaller pieces has caused me to puke everything I eat after taking it (cause it blocks my stoma opening.) The pill helps my PCOS and also helps me lose weight but I just can't do it anymore. I should be to a low enough body fat percentage that I no longer need it or won't very soon. I can't keep taking it the rest of my life and now is as good a time as any to stop. No more puking. Seriously. And yes, I've tried grinding it into apple sauce or adding it to a protein shake and that's nearly as bad in terms of taste and texture and just having to eat something I really don't want just cause my pill is in it.
2. I have long since believed that my body will only lose weight with extremely low calories + high exercise or zero carbs. Any combination other than those 2 and it doesn't happen. The next 2 weeks will have me on a high protein plan with a decent amount of carbs, and doing moderate exercise (I plan to do at least 20 minutes of something intense 5 days a week but it will actually be more intense or longer durations several of those days...but still not over-doing it, just keeping up with my normal routine. So we'll see if this works at all.
Anyway, I'm extremely motivated at this very moment and I'm pretty good at sticking to plans when I make a commitment, so let's see how things go. Fingers crossed for next week's first weigh in. Would love to have lost 5lbs the first week like many people do. Some people lose more but I don't have that much left to lose.
For those that know me in real life, you already know this. For those that don't, I've been coasting along, "maintaining" my weight in the 180-185 range since the beginning of the year. I saw 178 on the scale once but I think I was actually just dehydrated.
I have been making poor food choices most of the time and I know I have really good restriction but I'm just being lazy about it and eating things that are "easier" like chips, cookies, and cupcakes. Did I mention cupcakes? Damn there are a lot of cupcakes around everywhere all the time.
I might could use a slight fill but I think I'll postpone that for 2 weeks to really give this new eating plan a chance to work. I've also been really committed to exercise lately and if I hadn't just gone on a 6 day vacation I would have been able to say I'd exercised at least 20 minutes per day for a month straight with only a few "rest" days.
I joined a new gym that's right behind my office building and I LOVE it because there's a hot tub I can relax in after working out. So I get 4 free personal training sessions for joining and I'm going to use them once a week for the next 4 weeks. I fully intend for this experiment to go on for at least 4 weeks but I know I can do 2 so I'm starting there.
So what IS this experiment, you're wondering? It's not really that experimental but it sort of is for me. I am going to be following the medifast plan where almost everything I eat each day comes to me in the mail. With the exception of 7 ounces of lean protein and 3 cups of vegetables (which thanks to my band I need to split up into at least 2 meals per day instead of just 1) - everything I eat will be a prepackaged "just ad water" type meal. The great thing about doing this with the help of the band is I'm not going to suffer actual hunger. Now, just wanting other food. I'm sure that will be my biggest problem. But I've gotten to the point where I am tired of doing it on my own and making meal plans and deviating from them. I want something simple for at least a couple of weeks.
I did all liquids for 2 weeks before surgery so surely I can do this now. The food is actually really good. It's very low calorie, low fat, and high protein. It's not really "low carb" in the atkins sense but it's still less than half of what I think the normal low fat meal plans tend to prescribe in terms of carbs.
I have tried a few different big pushes to get these last 20-30 lbs off but mostly haven't been in the right place mentally. I think I'm there now and with the help of a new job/new routine, the new gym which is super convenient, and seeing several friends do medifast and really kick ass with it, I'm feeling like a winner.
That's the easy part. Now for the follow through. This is an experiment in a couple of different ways:
1. I am no longer taking metformin. This is a giant pill that even when chopped into smaller pieces has caused me to puke everything I eat after taking it (cause it blocks my stoma opening.) The pill helps my PCOS and also helps me lose weight but I just can't do it anymore. I should be to a low enough body fat percentage that I no longer need it or won't very soon. I can't keep taking it the rest of my life and now is as good a time as any to stop. No more puking. Seriously. And yes, I've tried grinding it into apple sauce or adding it to a protein shake and that's nearly as bad in terms of taste and texture and just having to eat something I really don't want just cause my pill is in it.
2. I have long since believed that my body will only lose weight with extremely low calories + high exercise or zero carbs. Any combination other than those 2 and it doesn't happen. The next 2 weeks will have me on a high protein plan with a decent amount of carbs, and doing moderate exercise (I plan to do at least 20 minutes of something intense 5 days a week but it will actually be more intense or longer durations several of those days...but still not over-doing it, just keeping up with my normal routine. So we'll see if this works at all.
Anyway, I'm extremely motivated at this very moment and I'm pretty good at sticking to plans when I make a commitment, so let's see how things go. Fingers crossed for next week's first weigh in. Would love to have lost 5lbs the first week like many people do. Some people lose more but I don't have that much left to lose.
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