Sunday's semi success

I intended to eat well today and I think I did alright overall. I started off with a chocolate covered pretzel for breakfast--not the healthiest, I know. For lunch, I had half a turkey sandwich with tomato and mayonnaise. For dinner, I noshed on various snacks at the open house. I had 3 small chicken wings with dressing, a little spinach dip on toasted herb pita bread, a very small piece of cheesecake, and a piece of toasted french bread with roasted onion, prosciutto and goat cheese---that was my favorite. I came home and attempted to add up all of the calories from the snacks. I think I stayed within my 1000 calorie allowance, but I can't be sure. I came pretty close. I didn't drink any soda or alcoholic beverages, just water so I wouldn't waste calories on drinks. I figure I am going to have a couple drinks on New Year's eve since that is my splurge day. I am really going to treat myself tomorrow to celebrate all the progress I have made, even if I am above where I was a week ago when I weigh in tomorrow morning. I did exercise for a little more than 40 minutes again today.

So overall, a good day but I am not certain if all of the snack type foods will be good for the salt retention that has been going on with me. I tried to stay away from the saltier items, but I am so sensitive I can never tell what will affect me.

Either way, I wore a new shirt and bra today and when I rang the bell of my friend's house, she took one look at me and asked me where I was going. She hadn't seen me in about 2.5 weeks and she said I looked great. That is funny because the last time I saw her she said nothing. It made me feel really good and confident! I am off to the store tomorrow to buy another one of these bras because it makes me look thinner!!

What a day!

Today was one of those days when I felt like all I did was drive around. After karate this morning, we ran to the supermarket and then to the rehab center in Cranbury where my grandpa is staying right now. We brought lunch(turkey salad sandwich with fruit and pretzels-725). We stayed there for a couple of hours and came home around 3. I had some candy for snack(400). I sat down on the couch for a few minutes around 4 because I was just so wiped out. I didn't sleep well at all last night because I had a headache. I took ibuprofen around 12:30 and that allowed me to fall asleep, but I woke up at 6 and couldn't really get back to sleep because I was in pain. So between the lack of sleep and just being tired from the busy week, I decided to take my once a month nap. I slept for about 15 minutes in 5 minute clips because the kids kept coming over and talking to me. I don't know why they don't really think I am sleeping if my eyes are closed and I am laying on the couch. Anyway, I got up at 4:30 and exercised for about 42 minutes on the treadmill. That did energize me for a while. We made sesame-ginger marinated pork chops and salad with dressing for dinner(373). I had hot chocolate also(80).

I was originally supposed to have an 1800 calorie day, but I decided to make it only 1700 since I have been feeling bloated the last couple of days. I left tomorrow at 1800 since we have an open house tomorrow afternoon. I intend to eat lightly during the day so I can save some room/calories for some nice snack foods at the open house.

Filling Friday

I stayed within the my calorie allotment today(1700), but I did not exercise. It had been over a week since I took a day off and my body needed a rest. I made myself busy organizing and cleaning so at least I was moving around. I did also manage a quick trip to a couple of stores. I had to make a return in one store and I got to shop in the other store. I love shopping at Kohl's!! I got a great new shirt(XL!), a new purse, wallet and a smaller size bra for only $26. What a great deal!!

As for my eating today, I did pretty well. For breakfast I had maple and brown sugar oatmeal(160). For lunch I had a bologna and cheese sandwich on wheat bread with mustard and a small tomato with salad dresing(532). For snack I had some pieces of chocolate covered pretzels(200). For dinner I made a great sausage spaghetti sauce topped with a bit of parmasan cheese(741).

Since I woke up this morning, I have felt very swollen in my fingers. I know I must be retaining some salt, but I don't usually feel this bloated for so many days. I am hoping that when I weigh in on Monday that I will not be over due to many moderately high calorie days in a row. I just hope to break even.

Another trying day

I find that when I am home with the kids and hubby, I have less ability to be good on the plan. Even so, I stayed true to it and myself today. I had no time for breakfast so I had an early lunch that was turkey salad on wheat bread(440). For snack I had a couple chocolate covered pretzels(300). For dinner, I had a slice and a half of pizza(450) and a quarter of a sandwich(250). For the rest of my calories I had some candy flavored popcorn(460) which was yummy!!! I did treat my self to a diet soda today, but no harm done because it has zero calories.

I exercised on the treadmill but only for 32 minutes because my foot is quite achy today. We did run around like maniacs today so maybe some of the extra running I did helped shake off some calories.

Tomorrow is a lower calorie day this week, but I have already planned out my meals for breakfast and dinner so I should be alright.

A Weary Wednesday

I had a great splurge day yesterday. I ate all kinds of nice snacks during the day. For dinner, I ate mostly salad. I also had some yummy food that Mama Leone made. Thanks!! Dessert was great too with a piece of Sassy's chocolate cheesecake.

Today was a 1700 calorie day and I did a good job. Breakfast was cereal with milk(300). Lunch was sushi(400). I had a snack of baked cheddar crackers and a chocolate pretzel(200). Dinner was a Christmas Eve repeat(534). I will be having a hot chocolate and a piece of candy later to finish off my calories allowed.

I tried a new kind of exercise today. I used an exercise ball that my hubby gave me and it was really fun. It was a bit tough, but it felt good. So I did do a bit of strength training(30 min) even though I didn't want to at all!!

Hope to continue doing well this week!

Christmas Eve dinner success

When I figured out my calories for the week, I neglected to remember that we would be having something of a more caloric dinner tonight than usual. Although, when it comes down to it, the amount of calories I had for dinner was actually less than normal. I think that is because I really made a lo cal side dish to go with the other items.

I allotted 1700 calories total for today and I managed to stay close with a total of 1752. For breakfast I had egg whites on wheat toast(193). For lunch I had taquitos(465) and 2 chocolate covered pretzels(300). I had some regular pretzels in the afternoon(110). For dinner I made ham, creamed spinach( a healthy, lo carb version), parsley potatoes and pineapple(534). Then for dessert I had one more chocolate covered pretzel(150). Those things are deadly for me to have around, but at least I am being honest and counting them in my daily allotment.

As for exercise today, I didn't want to do the walking/strength tape today so I just walked for 35 minutes on the treadmill. I am going to regret all the pretzels I had today because they are full of salt. I have made sure to drink more water than normal today to try to flush some of the salt out before I feel swollen in the fingers. My other problem is that I am beginning to feel bloated because I am getting my period in the next day or two.

Tomorrow is a 2600 calorie day for me, so I am going to try to eat lighter in the morning/early afternoon so I can enjoy the wonderful dinner that Mama Leone will be making.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

A Surprise

I was stepping on my scale to balance it(we have a semi-professional scale) because the kids had bumped it by mistake and I got a surprise. I had lost another .5 pounds. So either it wasn't balanced properly Friday(which is what I think) or I lost .5 pounds since then(I doubt it) I guess it doesn't really matter. Now my total is 33 pounds lost!!!

My splurge day was excellent because Sassy made wonderful pizza and a great onion dip! Today will be relaxing and I have a 1750 calorie day ahead of me. Breakfast will be egg whites with toast (240). Dinner will be left over turkey(260) and some salad(165) so that will be pretty low calorie. I don't know what lunch will be but I am left with 1145 calories for the day so that will be plenty. I am going to exercise for about 40 minutes today on the treadmill.

This week's plan:
Monday: 1700 and cardio with strength(my walking video) & abs
Tuesday: 2600 and cardio
Wednesday: 1750 and cardio & abs
Thursday: 1900 and cardio with strength & abs
Friday: 1700 and cardio
Saturday: 1800 and cardio & abs
Sunday: 1800 and cardio

Since it is a vacation week for everyone in my house, I am trying to be a bit more generous with the calories on a daily basis instead of having a splurge day. My next splurge day will by on New Year's Eve so in the mean time I am just keeping the calories a little higher on some of the days when we have things planned. I hope it works out and that I am able to maintain my weight loss. I am not worried about losing weight this week at all, just as long as I can maintain I will be thrilled!!

Frantic Friday

Well, today I ran around like a nut and it didn't involve any holiday shopping. It was one of those days when I had a million errands to run and a short amount of time to do them in. That can be good and bad for dieting. It can be bad because I don't always drink enough while I am out for fear that I will have to use the public bathrooms a million times. It can be good because I don't carry much cash and I won't buy lunch while I am out or have a snack if I am low on cash. Today I was out between 10 and 12:15 so that is usually a non snacking time unless I am at work.

My calorie allotment for the day was 1650. I went over by 50, which isn't that bad, but I don't like it when I go over. For breakfast I had cereal with milk(285). For lunch I had peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread with chips(550). For dinner I had leftover chili topped with some cheddar cheese and a couple of garlic knots(795). What put me over was the 2 cookies I had from the neighbor who brought over a tray of homemade cookies(70). Oh well, I think it wasn't that bad of an overage.

I did walk on the treadmill for only about 30 minutes today. My foot is in terrible pain due to the weather so I had to stop. I will try tomorrow to use the bike so there is less pressure on my foot.

This morning I had time to weigh in after I exercised. I lost 2.5 pounds this week. That is a total of 32.5 pounds since I began in mid July. I have noticed a significant change in how I look and am very happy with my progress. I am only 18 pounds away from my March goal now!!!

Trying Thursday

Well, the diet was not the best today, but I stayed within my 1700 calorie allotment so not all is lost. I ate a total of 1662 calories today. For breakfast I had honey nut cheerios with milk(265). There were so many snacks around today and I decided to indulge. I had some candy(150) and chocolate(90) in the late morning. For lunch I had a frozen meal of potatoes and broccoli in cheese(220) and more chocolate(180). For dinner I had a salad, wheat toast with butter and pretzels(677). Dessert was a hot chocolate(80).

I decided to rest and not exercise today because I hadn't taken a rest in about 10 days.

Overall, not a bad day even though it wasn't the healthiest. I did eat some veggies, but no protein. At least I stayed within the calories planned.

On a clothing note, the shirt I wore today is too big which is another good feeling.

I intend to weigh in tomorrow if I get a chance or Saturday morning. I think my weekly weigh in should be before my splurge day so I get a truer measurement.

What a Wednesday!

Well, I was tired again today, but I persevered. I rode my bike for 20 minutes this morning. This evening I walked on the treadmill for a little over 30 minutes. I kept the pace higher than normal tonight also.

I kept well within my calories today and even had a special lunch. For breakfast I had Maple and brown sugar oatmeal(160). I was given some chocolate(230) as part of a gift today and I decided to eat it since I had a higher calorie day(1800 total allowed). For lunch I ordered a Greek salad from this great little place across from work. The salad is made with a spring mix, feta cheese, olives, roasted red peppers and it is topped with a great balsamic vinaigrette. I calculated the salad to be a total of 500. I think that may be high, but I have to estimate the salad dressing based on other name brands. It is a homemade dressing, but I don't know the exact measurements. I had some "eat smart" chips for 100 calories. Dinner was only tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and some salad dressing(220) since it was almost 8PM until I got to eat. I am going to have some popcorn with butter(260) for snack in a few minutes. My total for the day is 1730.

I have decided that I need to take a bit of a break and not exercise tomorrow morning. I might take a rest altogether tomorrow since I haven't taken a break in about 10 days. I am going to try to exercise tomorrow night, but if I am too tired then I will try not to feel guilty about it. I really hope that I am not getting sick for the holiday week.

A hungry day

Of course I was hungry today and my calorie allowance was moderately low at 1650. I managed to get through the day with success. For breakfast I had oatmeal and pretzels(210). For lunch I had a frozen meal and chips(680). I had pretzels and an apple for snack(260). For dinner I had homemade turkey soup and a twice baked potato with a bit of sour cream(350). For dessert, I had instant hot chocolate(80). So my food intake was great.

Today I was supposed to exercise twice, but I couldn't get up the morning. I was so tired all day today. All I did was walk on the treadmill for 40 minutes this evening before dinner. I am happy to have done that workout, but wish I could have gotten up this morning for the second workout. My body was just telling me to rest so I did. Usually I can function on about 6 hours of sleep, but after a few weeks of that I just get wiped out. Tonight I am going to be in bed by 10 so I can get 7 hours--which is my ideal amount of rest needed.

I came to a revelation today. I have been figuring out my caloric intake for the day/week/month using the calories that are for extreme fat burning. I have been succeeding with that, but realize that I am limiting myself a bit too much on my splurge days. So I have decided to add about 200-400 calories to my week so that I can have a better zig-zag effect before/after my splurge day. For example, this week I was allowed 1888 calories a day for extreme fat burning for a total of 13,216 calories for the week. If I were to use the fat burning amount, I would be allowed 2212 calories a day. This gives me a total of 15484 for the week with that amount. So this week I am going to allow myself 13450, which isn't that much above my number if I were to follow the extreme fat burning amount. I have been doing fine using the extreme calorie allotment, but I have been finding that counting on the days I splurge is getting a bit old. I would like to just abandon it for one day a week. As Sassy says, it makes the rest of the week much easier knowing that I eat whatever I want at least that one day.

So that is my new plan and I think it really won't change my success too much. If I find that I am not losing weight over the next couple of weeks I will revisit my idea to see what may need adjustment. I am open to suggestions if anyone would like to offer thoughts or ideas on my plan.
Thanks for your support!!!

My Monday

Today was a successful day! I was allowed 1900 calories today and I am almost positive I stayed within limits. Breakfast was cereal with milk(265). Lunch was 3 nuggets with a little honey mustard sauce and some fries(543). I had some chips and salsa for snack(275). Dinner was an evening out with a friend at a nice little restaurant in Moorestown called Barone's Tuscan Grill. I had pasta primavera with whole wheat penne. I ate a little over a cup of pasta and most of the squash, spinach and mushrooms,a house salad with a vinaigrette--I only at half of that--and a dinner roll(608). When I got home, I had hot chocolate(80) and popcorn(100). My total calorie intake today was 1871.

For exercise today I did Leslie Sansone's 2 mile Walk for Abs workout. I enjoy it because it is also strength training as well as cardio.

I didn't weigh myself over the weekend although I like to on a once a week basis. I weighed in today because I felt less bloated. I lost a half a pound this week even though I ate what seemed like saltier foods--at least they seemed salty to me since I felt swollen in my fingers a lot this week. Now overall, I have lost 30.5 pounds and have dropped a little more than 2 sizes in both my pants and shirts. I say a little more than 2 sizes because I can't quite buy the smaller size, but now I am in mostly XL in tops and if they are number sizes, I wear an 18/20. One of the things holding me back is my chest, which I don't think will shrink much more. As for my pants, I am now in a size 18 and could squeeze into some 16 pants, but it isn't worth the discomfort. I can also wear an XL pant in elastic waists, which hasn't happened since I had my first child. It is amazing how much more confident I feel with just this minimal weight loss and size changes.

My goal is to lose 20 more pounds by March 20th...which is the start of my spring vacation. I have already set that goal so that I know where I am headed. It is just an estimate and I will not be utterly upset if I don't quite get there. I know it gets harder to lose weight the more you lose. I am pleased that I lost my 30 pounds--which was my Christmas goal. I am so pleased with how everything is going for me and I feel so much better about my health in the future and having enough energy to keep up with my kids.

Hope everyone has a good week!

Sunday success

Today was intended to be a relaxing day for me but for some reason I didn't really rest. Between laundry, cooking, some cleaning and wrapping gifts, I was on the go today. I wasn't particularly active, but I was busy enough that the day flew by pretty quickly.

For breakfast/lunch I had 2 small slices of leftover pizza(650). I didn't snack today and I had a relatively big dinner, but I stayed safely within my allotment. For dinner, we made a turkey with crescent rolls, twice baked potatoes and brussel sprouts(955). So my total for today is 1605. I am going to have a cup of hot chocolate later and perhaps I will treat myself and make it with a little milk in place of half of the water so that will be 130 calories. So overall today, I will have had 1735 calories. My allowance was 1750 so I am safe within my amount for the day.

Today's exercise wasn't all that exciting, but it served the purpose. I walked for 17 minutes, then rode the bike for 13 minutes(I am still getting used to using those muscles), and then I walked for another 10 minutes on the treadmill. So it was a good 40 minute cardio workout. Tomorrow morning I am going to do a walking video that incorporates strength training as well.

Here are my goals for the week:
Monday: 1900 strength/cardio AM
Tuesday: 1650 cardio AM & PM
Wednesday: 1800 strength AM & cardio PM
Thursday: 1750 cardio AM
Friday: 1650 cardio AM
Saturday: 2400 cardio AM
Sunday: 1800 rest

I may change the goals one day during the week depending on how I feel about exercising. I haven't taken a rest day in a while so I will let my body decide if I need to rest one day during the week instead of on the weekend. All in all, I have hopes for a good week. I would like to maintain my 30 pound loss during this tempting holiday season.

Frantic Friday

I feel like all I did was run around yesterday but I feel accomplished. I had to switch my splurge day to yesterday because we wound up having people for dinner so there was dessert and snacking that wasn't planned. Yesterday I had a total calorie intake of 2552. S0 my splurge day was supposed to be today with 2750...and yesterday was supposed to be a 1750 calorie day. So after switching around the calories and maintaining my number for the week, I am going to allow myself 1950 today. I have a holiday party tonight, but I have already put in my order and estimate dinner to be a total of 455 for the main part and salad. I will be able to be more specific once I see what veggies are on the side plates, but that isn't a bad deal. The hard part will be going to someones house afterwards for dessert. I am going to keep it low during the day so that I can have a bit of dessert. Yesterday I had some chips after dinner and my fingers are swollen today!! I am going to have to watch the salt intake for a couple of days.

Today is karate for Adam so I won't be able to exercise until this afternoon. Which is fine because then I can do my hair properly after I shower. I don't know why I worry so much about my hair when I see these people at work and they know what I look like. Anyway, I intend to walk for 45 minutes today to help combat some of the splurging on salty foods yesterday.

I did exercise for 35 minutes yesterday on the treadmill. My strength workouts have gone a bit by the wayside this week, so I am going to have to get back into that this week.

What a day!

Well, professionally, life was stressful today. I am happy that didn't lead to me over-eating. Today was a 1630 calorie day. I had a weird assortment of food, but have managed to stay within the limits. For breakfast I had a cup of instant hot chocolate(80) and regular oatmeal(100). For lunch I had leftover chicken pot pie(491) and some pretzels(110) because I needed a crunch. I had some candy for snack(180). For dinner, I had the weirdest combo of leftovers. I had leftover bacon from yesterday(93), leftover chicken & rice from earlier in the week(150) and a root beer float(250). I still have 176 calories left, but I am not sure that I will use them. I feel really bloated in my fingers so that is usually a sign that I am retaining some fluid from salt intake. I usually weigh in on Friday mornings, but if I still feel bloated I will wait until Saturday.

As for exercise, I only did 20 minutes on the bike today, because I am getting used to it and I have another cold so my breathing is more difficult when I exercise. My energy level is a bit down today from being sick, but I am not going to give up my exercise tomorrow unless I am on my death bed--which I won't be since it is just a cold.

Overall, I am pleased with my calorie intake today.

Weird Wednesday

Today I began my day with a workout on my new recumbent bike. I could only do 20 minutes because it is a different workout than I am used to--but good for my foot. I did work up a sweat though because I used one of their programs that varied the difficulty of the peddling. I also walked for 40 minutes tonight on the treadmill. That felt good.

As for my calories today, I was allowed 1800. I stayed within the amount exactly. For breakfast I had my weekly bagel with veggie cream cheese. I also made some Chai tea before I left the house for a total of 600 calories at breakfast. For lunch I had a granola bar and Ramen noodle soup for a total of 350 calories. I had a snack at around 2 -- a yummy clementine for 35 calories. For dinner I made a BLT and had some pretzels also, which came to 425 calories. For dessert I had some candy(390). Not a particularly healthy day, but I stayed within the limit and that is the point. Not a bad day!

Trying Tuesday

It finally happened, I went over my calories for the day. I was allowed 1630 and I went over by 90 calories with a total of 1720. So in order to compensate, although it isn't even that bad of an overage, I too 50 calories away from Wednesday and 40 calories away from Saturday. The truth is that my total allowed calories for the week is 13216 and I only allotted for 13050 for the week. So even if I were to go over another day, I would be still have a bit of a buffer. I am not proud that I went over, but I am definitely not very upset because it was not that bad of an overage.

For breakfast I had regular oatmeal(100) and a granola bar(100). For lunch I had a frozen meal that was a Southwest chicken flavor(280), a clementine(35) and some Cheez-Its(220). This is the time of year when various snacks call my name and I am a sucker for butter cookies. Well, a vendor at the school sent us some and I had to have them(160). For dinner I made potato pancakes(AKA latkes) with the kids. I ate them with a bit of unsweetened applesauce for a total of 345 calories. I also had some pretzels(200). For dessert I had a cookie and a Blow Pop(280).

I did exercise this morning for about 35 minutes. I walked faster than I have been. I think in order to make up for today's slight overage, I am going to exercise a little longer in the evening tomorrow. We'll see if time allows.

I did wear a suit today that I haven't been able to fit into in several years. It was actually very comfortable and I can see it being a bit too big in the chest. Hip-Hip-Hooray!!

Monday's are tough

I felt like I could munch on food all day today. I wasn't particularly hungry, but I just felt like snacking a lot of the day. My allowance for the day was 1750. For breakfast I ate 2 pieces of wheat toast with butter(156) and a glass of apple juice(110). I had a snack of 2 Oreo cookies(140) and another glass of apple juice(110). For lunch I had sushi from the Japanese section of the Shoprite(700). For dinner, I had taco salad(225). For dessert I had one of the cookies that Steve made yesterday(260). So I am one calorie over my allotment for the day and that is alright with me.

As for exercise, I was scheduled to do it twice. I only did the strength-walking video this morning and of course my ab routine. So overall I exercised for about 40 minutes today. Instead of exercising tonight I was busy running up and down the basement stairs while we cleaned up and organized the basement a bit. We always have to do that before Christmas so we can make room for the new gifts. We also spent some time organizing the storage closet. We haven't done that in a few years so it looks better now. Even though it wasn't trashy before, it tends to get a bit unruly because no one sees it besides us. Anyway, we cleaned up instead of exercising so at least I feel accomplished.

I was shopping today and trying on pants. I didn't buy any yet, but I realized today that I am wearing pants that are 2 sizes too big. If I were to buy pants this week, I would need to buy an 18. I could squeeze into a 16, but it wouldn't be comfortable. I can't believe it. I haven't fit into a 16 since my kids were born. I hope to be in that size in the next couple of months. But, as I mentioned to Sassy, I have a lot difficulty with the excess skin from pregnancy and being overweight. So all of my hard work is paying off, but it is still going to be a long battle for my lower stomach area. I will just keep working hard and see what happens!

Today my calorie allowance was 1800. I was within my allotment with a total of 1737 calories for the day. For breakfast I had toasted wheat bread with butter. For lunch I had the remainder of my cheese steak that I didn't finish last night(550). I had a white hot chocolate(336) for a snack while I was out running a couple of errands. For dinner, Steve made a chicken pot pie and it was really yummy. I only ate one serving though(491) so I could have some of the chocolate cookie bar that he made also(260).

As for exercise, I only walked for 35 minutes today. I continue to have foot pain so it caused me to stop a few minutes early from walking. I did walk at a fast pace though so I feel accomplished.

Here are my goals for the upcoming week:
Monday: 1750 & exercise 2 times
Tuesday: 1630 & toning/strength AM
Wednesday: 1850 & exercise 2 times
Thursday: 1600 & cardio AM
Friday: 1775 & toning/strength AM
Saturday: 2800 & cardio
Sunday 1750 & cardio

My latest accomplishment

Well I know it is early in the day, but I had to write because I forgot to mention this yesterday. With my latest 2 pounds of weight loss, I have achieved my 30 pound goal. I have really begun to see the difference in my body in my clothes. I spent some time trying on various outfits and found that some clothes I thought would now fit are too big. I am putting them right in the donation pile. I am going to make a donation of clothes this month because the pile in my closet is getting in the way. I really feel bigger looking than I am in some of my clothes, but like I have mentioned before, the budget is not allowing me to buy clothes right now. So maybe by the time I can afford the clothes I will be able to buy even smaller sizes.

As for my calorie allotment today, I have 2800 calories to use. I ate maple and brown sugar oatmeal(160) for breakfast. For lunch we were at a kids roller skating party and I had one and a half pieces of pizza(450). I had a diet soda while I was there but they don't have calories, just caffeine that makes me have to go to the bathroom a million times. That leaves 2190 for dinner at my parents' tonight. We are going to order sandwiches(we are not the traditional Jewish family) after we celebrate Chanukah. (We do the gifts before we eat so the kids have time to play with the toys.) Anyway, I am thinking I will have a cheesesteak with mushrooms. I have figured out with some help from Calorie King, that a large one would be 760 calories. I can't imagine that I could eat a large one so I will estimate less at about 700 total with ketchup. I will also probably have fries(500). I know my mom is making brownies for dessert and I figure to have 2 of those(400). My other treat of the night will be to have a regular soda(without caffeine because I don't want to pee all night). That still leaves me with 390 calories. I am fine if those aren't used up because I will still have eaten 2410 calories for the day and that is plenty.

As for exercise, I did not do any formal exercise, but I spent about 1.5 hours walking back and forth on the skating rink with the kids. I couldn't put the skates on because of my foot. But the area that beginners skate on is about 10 feet by 40 feet. That is the length that I walked so I did get some activity in today.

Well, off to a celebration of lights!!

I did it!!

Today was weigh in day because I didn't know what we were having for dinner so I wanted to be careful in case I ate a really salty meal(like pizza). Anyway, I lost 2 pounds this week. I didn't expect that, but I was happy about it! I spent some time this morning trying on clothes because some of my clothes look ridiculous. I found that a few shirts I thought would fit better now are just too big. I tried on a suit that hasn't fit in about 1.5 years and it looks great. I have a real problem because I don't have any pants that fit. I have one pair of black pants that I recently bought and they are too big now. I have a pair of jeans that looks huge and some sweatpants that look okay. I will have to buy something this week or next for casual wear during the holidays.

My calorie allotment was 1750 today and I did stick to it. For breakfast I had a donut and a chocolate(250). Steve brought the donuts home yesterday, but I resisted because I didn't want to go over my calories. For lunch I had a bagel with lox spread and some chips(700). I treated myself to a coffee coolatta made with skim milk for a snack today(170). For dinner, I had Ramen noodles(400). That leaves 230 calories and I am sure that I will find time to have a treat after I take care of getting the kids ready for bed. I think it may be a hot chocolate and some pretzels. That will be 180 calories and my total for the day will be 1700. I love to eat the pretzel nubs with mustard because there aren't a lot of salt on them.

I am looking forward to my splurge day tomorrow. I am also looking forward to having a day of rest from exercise because I haven't skipped a day since I was sick a week and a half ago. I really enjoy exercise, but every now and then I need a day off. So since I have a busy day tomorrow and haven't skipped in about 11 days, I am just going to skip it.

Have a great weekend!

Today was a good plan day! This morning I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes. My foot has been killing me for a few days now. This weather is not good for it, but I don't want to give up on the exercise since it really helps me lose weight.

The calorie goal for today was 1650. I seemed to have eaten a lot of food, but I am well within my limit. For breakfast, I ate 2 slices of wheat bread with butter(190) and a clementine(35). For lunch I had a Weight Watcher's frozen pasta dish(320) and another clementine(35). I had some pretzels for snack after work(200). For dinner I had rice with peas, carrots and chicken with a canned sauce(300) and a salad with blue cheese dressing(173). For dessert I had hot chocolate(80) with popcorn(150). That totals 1483. I am significantly under, but my stomach was slightly upset today, so I am not going to stress it by eating anymore. I might have another hot chocolate(80) but that will only total 1563. Either way, I am pleased with how I did today and I ate rather healthy. I am hoping to be able to exercise for 45 minutes on the treadmill tomorrow morning since I am not working in the morning.

Here's to another successful day!

It's already Wednesday

I can't believe that we are already halfway through the week. Well, my morning was so hectic and my afternoon at work was so slow. I was happy to leave work today and come home to my munchkins. It was so pretty to drive home in the light snow and see the trees and houses covered with a light dusting.

As for my dieting plan today, I did well. My total allotment was 1850 calories. I had a bagel with veggie cream cheese and a cup of Chai tea for breakfast(620). For lunch, I had potato, cheddar and broccoli soup(250) and a clementine(35). For snack I had pretzels with some mustard(200). For dinner I made chicken breasts that I coated very lightly with mayo, breaded and then baked(408). The mayo helps keep the chicken moist, but the key is to use only about 2-3 tablespoons of mayo for 4 chicken breasts so that the calories aren't that high. We also ate a baked sweet potato(160) and green beans(30). I will be having a snack later of hot chocolate(80) and some popcorn(100). My total for the day is 1769. I am having a 1650 day tomorrow and I hope that it is as easy to do tomorrow as it was for me today.

For exercise, today I did a cardio-strength workout from the On Demand exercise section of Comcast. That was a 23 minute workout and then I did the 7 minute abs workout. Tonight I walked for 35 minutes at a very good pace. I really enjoyed walking tonight because I haven't walked since Monday night. I am really happy that the workouts can be used with the On Demand feature of the digital cable.

Triumphant Tuesday

I don't know why it is triumphant, but I just liked the word.

I exercised this morning with a new walking video on Comcast On Demand. It was a walking and toning video led by Leslie Sansone. It was a 30 minute video. Then I did a 7 minute intense ab workout. I have been doing a short ab routine every other day and I enjoy it.

As for my calorie allotment, I was allowed 1650 calories. For breakfast I ate plain oatmeal(100). For lunch I had a Lean Cuisine panini(300) and pretzels(100). I had a granola bar(100) later on in the afternoon since I was a bit hungry. For dinner, I had a weird combo. I made pork for the kids and Steve but I don't like pork too much so I skipped it. I ate brussel sprouts with garlic and olive oil(300) and a piece of corn bread(188). I also had a banana(90). I am about to have popcorn (90). I also had 3 cookies after dinner(170). So my total for the day is 1448. I know I was supposed to get up to 1650 today, but I am just not really hungry. I think I am still getting over my stomach being upset on Sunday. I am supposed to have 1850 calories tomorrow. I am going to try to get that high so that I don't counter the idea of the zig-zag effect.

The week begins

Today was scheduled as a 1750 calorie day. I didn't have breakfast because my stomach was still a bit upset from yesterday. So for lunch I was really hungry. I had 2 hot dogs with sauerkraut and mustard. I also had potato chips. Lunch was a total of 640 calories. For snack I had 3/4 a cup of ice cream in coke zero(200). I think the kids' trip to Friendly's yesterday encouraged my ice cream craving. For dinner I intended to have ribs, eggplant and brussel sprouts. Well, I didn't have time to make the brussel sprouts today so I made ribs and eggplant. The kids and Steve ate all of the ribs so I had eggplant(150). I also ate some stuffing
(350)left over from another day. I also had 4 mini eggrolls(180). It was a mush mosh for dinner, but we are really trying to make sure we use up all of our leftovers.

I exercised 30 minutes this morning and 30 minutes tonight. I am 10 minutes short of my goal tonight, but it was a bit hectic here tonight so that is all I could do. I am going to attempt to exercise twice tomorrow as well. We'll see. I think it was a successful day overall even though I didn't eat particularly healthy. I stayed within my calories and didn't eat terribly bad. Total calories for today are 1520. If I am hungry before 9:30 I will allow myself some popcorn for 60 calories and a cup of hot chocolate for 80 calories. Snack or no snack I will be under my allotment for the day.

A relaxing day

Well, since the kids are still out, I thought I would post now while I have the time. Today was supposed to be a splurge day. I had a granola bar for breakfast(90). For lunch I treated myself to sushi--crab and cream cheese roll(617). I decided to have cheese and crackers around 2:30 this afternoon. That was worth about 1000 calories. It was yummy!! Well, I think I upset my stomach with the cheese. So I have hit 1707 calories today and I might not be able to eat any more food. I will probably have a cup of tea and try to settle my stomach. I would love to have a piece of the veggie lasagna that I just heated up for Steve, but I can't really eat without upsetting my belly so I am going to have to skip it. I guess when I eat cheese I am going to have to take a Lactaid pill since I am lactose intolerant. I have never needed to do that with cheese, only milk, but I know our bodies change as we get older.

I am a bit upset about not really being able to splurge today, but I guess I can look at it as a positive because I didn't eat that many calories and I won't have to fight to lose anything I gained. Overall though, I had a happy, restful day doing random chores when I wanted to and in peace and quiet.

Another good thing that happened today is I lost another pound. I know I only try to weigh myself once a week, but for some reason I wanted to check again today. So now I have lost 28 pounds. My goal is 30 by Christmas and I am optimistic that I can do that now. I am not going to increase my goal because it will feel good to just surpass the 30 pound mark.

I only have one social event this week(Chanukah celebration with my family) so I will have a normal schedule. Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

Monday: 1750; 30 min AM, walk 40 min. PM
Tuesday: 1650; 30 min walk AM
Wednesday: 1850; 30 min AM, 30 min PM
Thursday: 1650; 30 min AM
Friday: 1750; 45 min AM
Saturday: 2800; no exercise
Sunday: 1800; walk 45 min

Depending on Steve's schedule for the week, my evening exercise schedule may change, but the goal is to exercise twice at least 2 days this week. Here's to a great week for everyone!

Let the season begin

Today we decorated the inside and outside of our house for Christmas. It looks nice. Tonight we will decorate the tree after the kids get in their pj's. So running around was good because I only got to exercise for 30 minutes today. I did a cardio dance workout and an ab routine.

For breakfast, I tried to eat oatmeal, but it blew up in the microwave. I put it on for an extra 30 seconds because I had too much water in it--or so I thought. So instead I had a cupcake(380)--not as healthy, but it's okay. For lunch I had a PBJ sandwich on wheat bread with some potato chips(650). I had a half a cup of hot chocolate for snack(50). For dinner I had steak, a baked potato with sour cream and corn(620).

I will have dessert later but I am at 1700 calories for the day. I am going to limit it to 1750 today so I will have popcorn later. Tomorrow is going to be my splurge day. I will allow myself 2800 calories and I am sure I will be fine.

I weighed in today and got a surprise. I had my period this week and was definitely bloated. I lost a pound though this week. So for November I lost a total of 4 pounds. I have not measured the inches, but just based on bra and pants changes, I have lost 2 inches on my chest(not the bust but underneath) and 2 inches on my waist since I started. My thighs are noticeably thinner and that makes me happy. I am at a point where I really need to buy new clothes, but since it is the holiday season, I have no money to do that. My hope is that Santa and Chanukah Harry are kind to me with gift cards for clothes!! Otherwise, I am going to start looking silly in some of my things. After Christmas I will be able to afford to go shopping. At least it is a good problem to have!