Spoiler Alert!

If you love your high calorie foods, you may not want to read this post!

An average healthy person should eat about 2000 calories per day. If you are trying to lose weight, you should eat between 1200-1600, depending on your program.

The following popular snacks and foods are higher in calories than you may even realize:

• 1 Reeses Peanut butter cup (big size) - 210
• Corn muffin - 510
• Medium mocha almand iced latte - 290
• McDonald's deluxe breakfast - 1220
• Crispy Chicken club sandwich - 680
• Large french fry - 570
• Large chocolate shake - 1160
• Chinese beef with broccoli - 1120
• Lo Mein - 1820
• Pizza hut meat lovers pizza (1 slice) - 530
• Cheesecake (1 slice) - 1000
• Whopper - 760
• Large coke - 390
• Chicken fajita burrito - 840
• Tuna Melt - 919
• Awesome blossom (1/4 of of full plate) - 740
• Chicken caesar salad - 1010
• Clam chowder (bowl) - 940
• Fajita Quesadillas - 1900
• Large Chocolate cookie dough Blizzard - 1340
• Hot dog - 400
• Chicken parm over pasta - 1200

Source: Dotti's Weight Loss Zone (www.dwlz.com)

When you think about how many calories you are supposed to eat in a day, and how much of a dent these items make, it just hardly seems worth it! :)

Balance ball for weight loss

That is the name of the exercise DVD I just did. I loved it, and if you are looking for a beginners balance ball/yoga work out, I recommened it highly. It is amazing how tall and relaxed and calm I always feel after yoga. I can see why it's practically a religion for some. I will write more on phatbusters.

Hungry Horrors

Today has been a hungry day! Not only am I overdue for a fill, I have PMS, so between the two, it has not been pretty. Luckily, now when I'm hungry, I am okay eating a salad as a snack. In my former life, when I felt this hungry, there was nothing I wanted unless it was unhealthy.

I'm having vegetable "fried" rice and Ah-so chicken for dinner, so that should be filling. I'm not usually as hungry at night.

I was snowed in today. After all the snow, it started raining, and now the roads near my house are flooded because the rain has no where to go. I am trapped. Well, not totally trapped, I would be okay in a really big truck, or I could take a snowmobile to higher ground, but I can't easily leave. I was going to have groceries delievered, but then I realized that he would have to drive through the flooded roads to get here, so that won't work either.

All this is to say that I will not make it to the gym tonight. I took yesterday off because of the storm, and I felt like it, which I was okay with because I'm only trying to work out 5 days, not 7. However, today I'm feeling sick again. All of the cold air has made my cough into more than just a cough, and my chest is tight, and I'm having trouble breathing. Being outside shoveling and getting Darcy's car unstuck this morning was QUITE a work out anyway. I'm going to try one of my new exercise DVDs in a minute, and I'll post my work out details on phatbusters when I'm done.

I guess that's it for now. Be well!

Oh yeah, I had to reschedule my fill, since I'm unable to leave the house. Luckily, they were able to make it for next Tuesday, so that's not too long. Let's hope I'm not this hungry the entire time!

I missed you!

I haven't been able to post all day. The blog site was freezing each time I tried to do a new post. It's something wrong with my computer, because now I'm on Darcy's, and it's working just fine.

Thank you to those of you who noticed, and missed me back. :)

The scale is not my friend

Everytime I start lifting weights, I stop losing weight! I know that it's temporary, but it's not very nice, now, is it? I'm working so hard to eat healthy and get to the gym, even though I'm so busy, and how am I rewarded? By weighing more!

Actually, I don't mind this at all, and I know it's only temporary, and the weight will fall off soon enough, but I hate that I'm seeing my MD tomorrow, and I'm only down 8 or 9 lbs since the last time I saw him. I know I'm doing a great job, and I just want to make sure he knows that too!

Pizza night at the gym

Huh???




Oh yes, the first Monday of every month is pizza night at my gym. I can't imagine why they would think this is a good idea. I get that young men who work out a lot can eat whatever they want and still be fit, but I'm pretty sure they are the only ones who are like that. People are at the gym to get healthy and to look better, and pizza generates results opposite to that.



If you spent an hour on the exercise bike, at level 5, you would burn around 300 calories. That is the same amount of calories in just one slice of cheese pizza. That number grows to 400 if it's Pizza Hut.

So what in the world is the point? I get that they want to do something for their members, and it's easy to set up, and inexpensive, but I bet they could get healthy wraps instead for about the same price. Pretty soon they are going to add the exercise car to the exercise bike area!

LOL!

Anyway, tonight was not pizza night, but when I saw the sign for it again, I had to comment. My work out was fine, and it's detailed on my phatbusters blog.

Hmmm....

Today is day 3 into my workout week, and I am SORE from the past two days. I worked out a lot harder the last 2 days than I had been in my recent work outs, and I think my body may need some rest. Also, my back is killing me from sitting in my car for 4.5 hrs today.

I can't decide what to do, because I want to get all of my work outs in this week, but I don't want to get an injury. It's really my legs that are sore, so I think I will go to the gym, skip the cardio (since that is all about legs), and I'll just work out my arms. That way, I'm honoring my commitment to work out without causing any major damage. Good. Thanks for hearing me out on this one. ;-)

NSVs

In the world of online weight loss, there are scale victories (SVs) and Non-scale victories (NSVs). I have not had a scale victory in a few days, but I did have a non-scale victory this weekend. One of my neighbors came up to me from behind, and she thought I was her husband. (I know my mother is horrified by this, and wondering how in the world that can be seen as a victory of any kind!) Her husband is a big guy, but he probably only has 15 lbs to lose, if that. I took her error as a compliment!

I had another NSV that same night involving the same woman. As I was walking up the stairs, she told me she can't believe how much I've changed, and that she almost doesn't even recognize me anymore. GOOD! Ya'll saw what I looked like at the beginning. We want to get as far away from that as possible! :)

Pictures

Since many of you reading this blog do not see me often, lately I have received requests for some before and "after" pictures. We are no where near "after," but I can certainly provide some before and now pics.

This picture was taken at the start of my liquid diet in September '07:
(Thank you to Kitty for fixing the quality of the picture!!!)

Five months later (now):

Suit up

I started looking at suits today. I can't wait until I can finally dress the way I have always wanted to. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to afford to! I work in HR, and the joke is that all senior HR professionals buy all of their clothes at Talbots, as though it's standard HR issue.

I looked at Banana Republic, Niemon Marcus, Saks 5th Ave, and designer suit web sites, and I couldn't find anything I really liked. I do not have a traditional woman's frame, and I am most comfortable in the style and fit of men's clothing. Suits, however, do not work. I have always had to buy women's suits, and I don't think that's going to change. I am pretty picky about what I want, and I feel like after I've lost all this weight, I'm going to want to love the clothes I wear.

Finally I resigned myself to check out the Talbots site, and I found about 5 suits I actually liked. I can't believe it! What a stereotype I'm going to become! Thankfully, the suits I like are not the ones my colleagues wear. No offense to my colleagues! I just have a very different style... My colleagues are very well dressed. I hope that satisfies as a disclaimer in case any of them ever read this. ;-)

The suits are each about $400-$500. Yikes. I know I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy these, but that's going to hurt. My suits are usually under $150 now. I am a bargain shopper, so I will see what I find, but I should probably seriously consider start budgeting for a new wardrobe.

When I was 17, my dad promised me he'd buy me a whole new wardrobe if I lost the weight I had to lose and keep it off. I wonder if that offer still stands... LOL

KC

Heading back to the gym...

I am sore today from my workout yesterday. Not too bad, but sore enough. I need to remember to stretch before my work out today. Today I'm working out arms, which should be interesting since I pulled a muscle in my right bicep earlier this week. I'll have to take it easy.

We are taking my grandmother to the Lilac Blossom (a nice Chinese restaurant) today for her birthday. As I usually do when eating out, I looked up their menu online to plan ahead for what I am going to eat. I don't understand why all Chinese restaurants seem to think the only healthy options they can come up with are steamed chicken with steamed vegetables. They could easily make a number of their entrees a little more heart healthy by using lighter sauces, and avoiding frying the meats. Oh well. Steamed chicken with mixed veggies it shall be. I wish they had sushi.

D and I went out for sushi yesterday. It was delicious. Everything I had was fantastic: hot and sour soup, salad in a ginger dressing, tuna roll and a california roll. I had one piece of a shrimp tempura roll that was to die for as well. YUM.

My sister sent me a quote she read on a cooking light message board. Somehow it reminded her of my attitude is a decision post. ;-)

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.”~ Herm Albright

Ha! That is too funny, and I LOVE it.

Who you gonna call? Phatbusters!

My new work out blog: Phatbusters.blogspot.com

Dreading the weekends

I was reading Alison's blog, and over the past few weeks she has mentioned how the weekends can be tough. I had forgotten that phenomenon until her blog reminded me. A lot of the success of following a healthy eating regimen is related to consistency, and the regimen itself. It makes sense that weekends can be a challenge, because they are far more unpredictable than the work week.

When I first started this journey, I dreaded the first weekend tremendously. I was on a liquid diet, and I couldn't imagine what I was going to do with myself for two days. I got through it, and I had 6 weekends filled with liquid diets, including the month before surgery and the 2 weeks after. Once I was back to solid foods, I was just so happy to have options, I never gave it another thought.

I have healthy food in the house, and that's what I cook, no matter what day it is. If I go out to eat, I pick something healthy, and that's just that. I have the food part down, but as I've shared with you, I'm not doing well with the gym. I'm not sure why. I enjoy working out.

I know I was sick for a long time, and now that I've been trying to get back in the groove, I've had a ridiculously busy week. I haven't been to the gym since last Sunday. Monday - Thursday I did not get home until it was too late, but I could have gone yesterday, and I didn't. There was no excuse for that. I had a lot of work to do, and homework on top of it, but I still could have fit it in if I really wanted to.

TJ has recommended that rather than trying to get to the gym 5x/week to start off, I should aim for 4. I know for sure I can make it on Saturday and Sunday, so that only leaves 2 days during the week that I need to make it in. That's manageable, even with my crazy schedule. I can do a work out tape at home the other days. I'd like to exercise 6x/week.

I'm going to the gym shortly, and I'm going to start an exercise blog. Don't worry - you don't have to read it. :) I'm just going to start it for myself, to journal my exercise and hopefully it will hold me accountable to working out, just like this blog has held me accountable to my healthy journey in general.

I'm bloated again today. I had 30 grams of fiber yesterday (gross), and not enough water, so that'll do it. I'm going to go easy on the fiber today, hard on the water, work out for at least 60 minutes, and see where I land tomorrow.

I have been averaging 1100 calories per day. My MD said to be between 1200-1400 calories per day, but that was with me working out 5x/week for 60 minutes. On one of my lapband yahoo groups, they often say that women should eat between 800-1100 calories per day, and men should be between 1100-1400. I think my MD has given me more of a buffer because I have more weight to lose than most, so he will eventually plan to cut that number back. I have a fill this Wednesday, so we shall find out more then.

Enjoy your day!

KC

Attitude is a Decision

Some of you have told me that I make this look so easy. I attribute that to my attitude. I'm not bragging; it's just a fact. Every day I have a choice to make. Am I going to let things get me down, or am I going to be grateful for those things because they make me stronger? The attitude I have regarding this weight loss journey is the same attitude I have about every other area of my life.

'

There is a reason people call me Sally Sunshine.

'

But I'm not a sally, and I don't see everything as sunny. I purposely choose to look for the best in every situation. I was driving to work with Darcy the other day, and she kept getting so upset about traffic and the way people were driving. I get it - traffic is one of the most annoying things in life, and people driving like jerks or idiots is right up there. Traffic is part of life. You can choose to plan your commute around it, greatly reducing the amount of time you spend in it, or you can drive during rush hour and sit in it every day. If you don't encounter traffic too often, you can handle it better when it happens.

'

Every individual has power over his or her life. We contol our destiny much more than we give ourselves credit for. Never in my life have I ever wondered "why me?" I have had fantastic ups and devastating downs, and my choices brought me to each.

'

I have chosen to make this journey just a little piece of my life. I choose not to focus on the fact that it's inconvenient to have to plan each meal so thoroughly, or that my life on the road would be so much easier with fast food. I choose not to focus on the fact that I have to retrain my mind to pick healthier choices at my favorite restaurants. I choose not to mourn the loss of the bad food I used to eat. I choose to see that food as fattening and gross like the people who eat it, and I used to be one of them.

'

I don't let myself feel regret over these changes. I make food more delicious than ever. I don't feel like I'm missing out on things, because I choose not to feel that way. It starts with a choice, and then it becomes reality.

'

Attitude is a decision.

'

Attidude is a committment. It takes practice. I've been practicing my whole life, so it's second nature now. It's not too late to start.

'

KC

No Wolf Zone

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, things at work are heating up. I had 12 meetings yesterday. That's just silly. Seriously. I had three scheduled from 12-1 alone! With all the fancy footwork I was doing to quickly get around to each one, I wouldn't be surprised if Bellichick comes knocking at my door...I heard he could use some help.

Trying to have lunch on days like these is nearly impossible. I probably should have just brought a meal replacement bar and some fruit for lunch, but I didn't have any bars, so I brought chicken. I can't skip a meal because I get dizzy and I can't focus. That's really not an option for me, though I did consider it yesterday. I had 2 minutes to eat my lunch, and one of them was spent heating it. I tried to wolf down my food as fast as I could, but I was getting those terrible chest pains. It was a nightmare.

I ended up just having a few bites and throwing the rest away. I have never been one to build time in my day around lunch. I just fit it in whenever I can, and I always work while I'm eating. Since my schedule is heating up, and since I am no longer able to eat like a rabid dog, I will probably need to factor in at least 10 minutes for lunch on my busiest days. Lesson learned.

I lost another lb, so it's 83 now.

KC

No love from the scale

I wasn't expecting it either. I got home from work at 8, and had dinner at 8:45 which never results in a happy ending with the scale the next day. I didn't make it to the gym either. Even though I was still sore yesterday, I could have made it to the gym. By the time I was done with dinner at 9, I was exhausted and I went to bed.

Today I have another very long day, and I don't expect to be home before 8pm again. I'll have my dinner, and tonight I need to clean my house because I'm having company tomorrow (and Friday), so again, there will be no time for the gym.

My work schedule is heating up again. I used to work 80 hours/week with this job, and then things finally got under control. I had a much more manageable schedule for about 8 months. Now, I am almost back where I started. I have taken on way too much, and I just started up with school again too, so my time is tight, to say the least.

I think my only solution will be to start working out in the AM, but I really hate that idea.

I shall give this more thought.

I know this is more of a weight loss blog (ya think?) than anything else, but I would like to give a shout out to my boy TJ. He's quit smoking for over a month now, and I know that is harder for him than this journey has ever been for me. He has really made amazing changes to get past this addiction, and he struggles with it every day. His journey is an inspiration to any of us who are trying to get healthy. If he can do it, we certainly can!

Keep up the awesome work, TJ!

Kristen.

The rollercoaster that is weight loss...

Today I'm up 3 lbs of water weight. I have no idea why. I didn't have a lot of sodium yesterday, I was at 1100 calories for the day, I drank all the water I'm supposed to...who knows. It could just be a lady thing. Maybe we should tell them I'm not a lady. ;-)

I usually drink my water during the day, and I don't have any at night. I wonder if I drank water after dinner, if that would help. I will have to experiment and see.

Sadly, I am still sore from my 60 minutes on the treadmill from Sunday. I don't understand why. If I did 30 minutes, I wouldn't feel anything. It's not like it's THAT much more. I'm hoping that I'll be okay by tonight, because I'd like to do another hour. I'm definitely better than yesterday. Yesterday I was hobbling around like an 88 year old.

I have just 8 days until my next fill, so I'm thinking I won't be down another 8 lbs by then. Oh well. I can still try! If I don't lose any more weight, I will have only lost 7 lbs since my last fill. I'd like to at least get to 10, so that's 3 more lbs.

Wish me luck!

5 months

I started this journey five months ago, but it feels like it was longer!

As of today, I'm down another lb to make 82 total. Eight more lbs until I get my fill (hopefully!) I'm quite certain this is the first time I ever *lost* weight after the super bowl. LOL

Speaking of the super bowl...let's not go there.

This lifestyle is hardwired (eating wise...still working on the gym). The last month, I averaged 1100 calories per day, made up of 44 grams of fat, 109 carbs, 15 grams of fiber (hey, that's better than the 7 it was before!), and 70 grams of protein. I averaged 1629 mgs of sodium per day, which is below the AHA recommended 2000 or less.

Happy 5 month anniversary, KC, as well to you, gentle readers. :)

KC

I did it!

I just walked three miles in under an hour on the treadmill. My back and legs are fine - the only problem I am having is my feet. I need new sneakers for this training program, and I think I'm going to end up with many many blisters from today's stint. I know that to many people, walking three miles in under an hour is not exactly a giant feat. I think only those of you who have been near the size I was at the beginning of my journey (or even my size now!) can truly appreciate the significance of this accomplishment.

Just five months ago, I couldn't stand for more than a few seconds without being in tremendous pain. Now, without even working up to it, I was able to walk three miles. I know that the reason my back and legs aren't in pain is because I stretched thoroughly before the work out. The 3 day site offers great stretching instructions on their site, and I followed all of them prior to my walk today: http://07.the3day.org/site/pp.asp?c=pmL6JnO8KzE&b=2183351

Steph and Carolyn won't be joining us for the walk after all, but if any of you are interested, let me know! The more the merrier.

KC

Breast Cancer Walk

I have always wanted to do the Breast Cancer Walk, but it was never an option for me because I wasn't able to. This year, I believe I am going to do it. I didn't realize that the 3 day walk and the Avon walk were separate. Here are my options:

1. Avon 2 day walk: 40 miles in 2 days (or 26.2 in 2 days for those unable to do 40), minimum fund raising goal $1800, in late May

2. Susan G. Komen 3 day walk: 60 miles in 3 days, minimum fund raising goal $2200, in August

Pros of Avon Walk:

1. Slightly less money required to be raised. I'm not worried personally about raising the minimum, but Darcy would need to as well, as she has decided to join me, and we have invited Steph and Carolyn as well, so it may be easier to have everyone join in if there is slightly less money needed to be raised.
2. It's only 2 days, and I don't know if I could be ready for a 3 day walk. I still have a ton of weight to lose.

Cons of Avon Walk:

1. It's in May, and that gives us less time to prepare.

Pros of Susan G. Komen Walk:

1. We would have until August to raise all that money.
2. We would have until August to train.

Cons of Susan G. Komen Walk:

1. It's 3 days long, and I have no idea if it would be realistic for me to plan to walk 60 miles in three days.
2. The fund raising requirement is greater.

I have read the training guidelines, and it says these walks are geared for people who can already walk 3 miles at a time at a 3 mile an hour speed. If you are unable to do that, you may not be a good fit. As referenced in a previous post, when I was separated from my friends I had to walk 3 (or so) miles home (mainly up hill), and I did it in under an hour. However, I didn't have a choice about that.

Today I'm going to go to the gym and make sure I can do it again. The recommended training time is 24 weeks, and there's only 15 weeks before the 2 day walk. I think I may be leaning toward the 3 day walk, but I need to consult my team to see what they think.

Stay tuned, as I'll be hitting you up for donations soon. Save those pennies! ;-)

KC

This year, Darcy and I will be walking for Denise, our friend Nancy's partner. Denise has fought a brave and courageous fight against this terrible disease for many years, and now she is in the final stages of her life. The doctors do not anticipate that she will be with us for more than another week. While tremendous strides have been taken to fight breast cancer, we still have a lot more work to do. Please join me in offering your support through your thoughts and prayers to Nancy, Denise, and the rest of their families who are going through the hardest time of their lives right now.

WaToy

The Darce and I went to the movies, and we saw Untraceable. I liked it, though I did cover my eyes for at least 10% of it. I loved the ending. I had half of a small popcorn. I know movie theater popcorn is really horrible for you, but it's something I love, so I decided to have it while using portion control. I built it into my daily calorie intake, and even with the popcorn I was only at 1071 calories for the day. (1200 - 1400 is the current range I have been given by my MD to stay within.)

I am a part of a yahoo group that I've mentioned before, and most bandsters seem to have the same philosophy I do about eating healthy in general, but from time to time allowing something that isn't as healthy - in moderation. A few bandsters, however, are purists and they believe that every single meal (without exception) should be made up of a serving of lean protein, veggies, and a low calorie source of fiber/whole grain. I say - live and let live, but I do think that the purists will have a hard time following a completely rigid diet over time. A 100% rigid diet has *always* resulted in failure for me.

I'll say it again: Progress...not perfection.

My strategy has been to study the eating and healthy living habits of healthy thin people I know, and these people make healthy choices almost every meal. If they decide to have pizza on Friday night, they are back to healthy eating the next morning, and they may even work out a little extra to make up for it. That is now how I live, and it's working well for me. I can envision living like this for the rest of my life, and I do envision it. Do not underestimate the power of visualization related to your goals, whatever they are.

As you can guess from the title of this email, I have gotten a bit off track. ;-) After the movie, Darcy and I went to the WaToy for dinner. The WaToy is a local Italian restaurant. (kidding - just seeing if you're still with me!) I was full from my popcorn, but I didn't want Darcy to feel silly eating alone, so I ordered steamed chicken and snow peas. As it is, we were the *only* people in the restaurant. Apparently, they temporarily lost their liquor license, and no other customers felt it was worth staying. I loved being the only customers. I'm going to track restaurants that have lost their liquor license and visit them all! ;-)

When my dinner arrived, it was lathered in an unidentifiable brown gravy. How is it that they offer a dish served in their "Healthy Meals" section that is drowning in fat and sugar? The waitress looked at me funny when I ordered it (and she's worked there forever), and she kept asking me if it was just chicken and snow peas. Ah, yes. Your menu, not mine. I think that no one has ever ordered it before. I'm pretty sure they had no idea what I was asking for, so they whipped up some ridiculous sauce to serve with it.

Thumbs down to the WaToy, although overall I had fun there, and I did enjoy my tea!

Live from Goffstown, KC

PS: Darcy has requested more pictures in my blog. That's her favorite part. I don't have the heart to tell her that a blog is actually more about the words part. (Interesting factoid: did you know the word blog was shortened from the original "web log?")

This is what my dinner was supposed to look like:

This is more along the lines of what my dinner actually looked like:

Meal Plan

I posted my dinner plan for the week on my recipe blog, as well as any applicable recipes that went along with it: www.lowphatcooking.blogspot.com

Check it out, and please let me know if you try any of the recipes. I would love your feedback!

Don't label me

I am one of the fastest shoppers I know. I can buy two weeks worth of groceries in the time it takes others to get through the produce section. I'm not terribly great about bargain shopping, and I didn't used to read the labels on items, so that was part of it. I also know my grocery store very well, and I can remember all the items on my list usually without even consulting it.

This is no longer the case.

Well, I still remember the items on my list, but now I'm a label reader, and I research lots of different items to pick the most nutritious. Today we were at the grocery store for an hour, and I only bought $50 worth of food! Everything I purchased was an ordeal, and Darcy stood patiently by as I read label after label. If the roles were reversed, I would have had a fit and probably ran out of the store in horror.

I'm not patient. We know this.

I think/know it will get easier in time. I will get to know which brands and items are the best. Did you know that Campbell's Healthy Request soup has less fat and fewer calories than their 98% fat free version? They are both labeled as 98% fat free, but the Cream of Celery soup, for example, is 2 grams of fat per serving of Healthy Request vs. 3 grams of fat in the other 98% fat free version. How can the Healthy Request have 1/3rd less fat, while they are both 98% fat free? It's not as though the amount of fat in the full fat version is so high that one gram of fat doesn't change the percentage. Strange. Anyway, I usually just get the 98% fat free, but now I'll get Healthy Request going forward.

Another strange thing is that the Whole Grain Barilla Plus (which is supposed to be extra healthy) has more fat and calories and LESS fiber than the regular Whole Grain Barilla, and it's $1 more!

So read those labels, kids! They can't lie on the labels, but they have more wiggle room with the selling points they put on the front of packages. Some items say they are fat free, and they really aren't. In general, I avoid fat free products per the advice of my nutritionist. They are usually chemical bombs, and you need to have some fat in your diet.

For the super bowl, we are having some friends over, and they are on weight watchers, so I'm just making a few healthy snacks. Usually, the super bowl is a big piggy-stuff-your-face fest, so I hope they aren't disappointed. I'm making a delicous home made salsa (I'll post the recipe), and I bought reduced fat whole grain tortilla chips to have with it, veggies and low fat dip and whole grain english muffin pizzas made with healthy choice sauce and low fat cheese.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

KC

Speaking the WW Language

I know that many of you reading this blog are either currently in the Weight Watchers program or you have been in the past (who hasn't?!), so I thought for fun (mental note: examine definition of fun) I would calculate all the points I have eaten since the day I returned from vacation:

1/23 24
1/24 15
1/25 33
1/26 20
1/27 30
1/28 16
1/29 28
1/30 20
1/31 15

Average over 9 days: 22.5

It was interesting for me to see how much the points fluctuated from day to day. My calorie range fluctuates from 800 - 1400 calories per day, but I'm most often around the 1000 calorie mark. The amount of fat in the food I eat greatly affects the points value.

So there you have it folks!

Hate for Whole Grain

I have always been a whole grain hater. In the past, I only ate white bread, white rice, white pasta, etc... The whole world was on a whole grain kick, and I resisted with vigor. I didn't care that it was heart healthy, and good for your digestive system, and prevents a million diseases...it was gross!

Now that I'm a healthy eater, I incorporate whole grains into my life regularly. I have gotten to the point where I don't mind whole grain pasta (but it's not the same as regular), and I tolerate the gross bread I eat that has seeds in it, and could possibly double as a straw hat, and the whole grain wraps I have found are not bad at all, but I draw the line at what I just experienced.

I made Steak and veggies for dinner the other night, with wheat pilaf as a side. I try to have protien, fruit or veggie, and a whole grain at each meal. This was the night I was starved for protein, so I had a hamburg snack at 4pm...well, I was too full from that to eat the dinner I made, so I had it for breakfast today. The steak and veggies were delish, but the wheat pilaf...wow.

Wheat pilaf is a fiber filled nod to the more familiar and tastier rice pilaf. Wheat pilaf does not have any rice; instead it is made with bulgar - a whole grain. It's basically, boiled whole grain with a few pieces of orzo. No wonder it has 8 grams of fiber per serving! It actually tasts similar to oatmeal, not what you would expect from a pilaf.

I was in the grocery store holding the wheat pilaf box in one hand and the whole grain brown rice pilaf in the other. The whole grain brown rice pilaf only had 2 grams of fiber, so I HAD to go with the wheat pilaf. Ew. Big mistake. I want you all to try it just to experience what I did.

Alas, I am not a quitter, so I am going to give wheat pilaf another try. This time, I'm going to make a chicken casserole with 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup and chicken, with the bottom layer wheat pilaf. I think that will work just fine. I wish I liked broccoli. That would be a good addition. That's okay, I can serve veggies on the side.

Wheatever.

Choking on the Chicken

Last night I brought dinner to my Grandmother's house. She loves the Lobster Boat in Litchfield, NH (also Merrimack and Nashua), and she wanted a lobster roll and onion rings. I'm not much of a seafood person, so I always get chicken fingers when we eat at the Lobster Boat. We haven't eaten there since I've started this process though. I looked at the menu, and everything was seafood except burgers or chicken fingers. I wasn't in the mood for a burger, and I knew the chicken fingers were only very lightly breaded with a small amount of flour, and I was only going to have a few, so that's what I ordered.

Normally, I dunk the chicken fingers in the tartar sauce, but I wanted to avoid the extra calories, so I ate them dry. Well dry they were! I really don't have much restriction yet from my band, so I don't have any limitations on what I can eat like most bandsters do (yet). The one thing that does apply to me, however, is that I cannot eat foods that are dry. They get stuck, and it's very painful.

As I was eating my chicken last night, it got stuck. When food gets stuck, it feels like there is a truck driving over your chest cavity. You don't know if you want to vomit or just die, but you definitely feel like you should be in the ER - even though you know deep down that it will pass. My dear Grandmother is such a worrier, and I knew she would freak out if I got sick in her bathroom, or if I let on that I was in pain. I sat calmly at the table trying to return non-verbal communications in response to her conversation so that she wouldn't know there was something very wrong. I thought about motioning that I forgot something in my car, so that I could work through this while not in front of her, but then I thought it would be rude to leave her in the middle of dinner.

As I was relaying this story to Alison, she said I would probably die before I would inconvenience someone or let them know I was in pain. LOL - I'm sure Darcy would disagree with that statement. (and my Mom) :)

After five minutes, it finally passed, and the color returned to my face. Hopefully I spared her the trauma of my experience. Moral of the story: use LOTS of tartar sauce with chicken fingers.

No!

Just kidding - avoid dry foods, and the healthier the better.

I ate 795 calories yesterday, and I missed the gym. I left her house, and I just barely got home in time for Lost (takes precedence of the gym -duh). I will go today.

I'm down another lb, so it's 81 total. 9 more to lose before my next fill. Wow - that would bring me to 90 lbs. Sweet!

KC

New Problem

I hadn't worn my work clothes in like three weeks (not sure how that's possible, but it seems to be the case), and now my smallest pair of work pants are way too big for me. Not sure when/how that happened, but it's time to go buy some new temporary pants. Luckily, the tops are still okay. I think we have about 30 more lbs with them (some of them).

Speaking of 30 lbs, I'd like to lose 30 lbs by the end of April. I'd be down 110 by then. Sweet.

I'd like to be down another 40 by the end of the summer. 150! Holy Cow. That's like losing Marcello!

My plan is to be at goal (not sure what that is exactly yet) by February 09. This is very uncharacteristic of "instant gratification" Kristen, so you should all be very proud of me. That will be a total of 17 months for the loss. If you told Kristen in the past that she had to wait 17 months for ANYTHING, it would be a no go. Ahh, she's growing up...

-Third person KC

Day 2

...of my horrible off site meeting. Somehow I managed to go the entire day without having virtually ANY protein. That is a major bandster no-no. Yesterday there was yogurt with breakfast - not today. Why?????? For breakfast, I had a banana, a slice of pineapple, a strawberry and half of a pumpernickel bagel. I needed something to carry me over during the drones of the speakers.... For lunch, I had a half of a veggie wrap, no cheese or protein to be found. All the other protein filled sandwiches were unhealthy, and I didn't want another one of those like yesterday.

My body is so completely used to having protein, I was dozing off on my way home. That's crazy. I got home at four, and the only protein I could find was some frozen lean ground beef. I cooked it up, and I ate a cup of it! It was like super duper lean, and I'm surprised I was able to get it down sans drink.

I'm just glad to be done with these two hellish days, so that I can get back to being in charge of my meals. I'm off to the gym...trying to hardwire this behavior...

xo

50/50

So far, I'm only hitting the gym every other day. I want to do 5 days/week. I worked out on Sat, took Sunday off because I was sick, worked out on Monday, and I took today off. I am just sick and run down, and my cough and asthma are out of control. I had to use my inhaler walking to my car tonight! That's not right... I'm just glad I had it with me.

I knew that if walking made my chest really tight, any exercise would too. I really want to hardwire this behavior. As TJ commented on my blog yesterday, for him, it's just another daily to do. It's not an option - it's habit. I need to get there, and I want to get there, but it's hard when I keep having these health distractions. Tomorrow, if I'm still feeling lousy, I'm going to go and just lift some light weights. I'll skip the cardio, but at least I'll be working toward the habit of building it into my routine.

Routines are hard for me. I work out of so many different offices, and my hours are far from set, so I do not really have any routines. I would like to work out in the morning before work, but I hate the idea of getting up and working out while it's still dark out. When I was doing Body For Life, they taught that working out in the AM is best for your body because you are burning fat and building muscle on an empty stomach. If you work out late in the day, you are just burning food you already ate, which is still good, but not as good. I wonder if that's true...

Today was an annoying food day. We had an all day seminar for work, and the food was provided. There are never the healthiest options at those things. I had a roast beef on a multi-grain bulky roll with a salad on the side. I never eat bulky bread - they had no wraps! What is this? Prison???!!! ;-) Bulky bread is not a friend of the band. It's really hard to get down, and it makes you feel full almost instantly. I knew I needed to eat my lunch or I'd be starving all afternoon, so I forced it down, but I almost made myself sick. That was dumb.

I would have just taken it apart and had the meat, but I was in a meeting during lunch, so I didn't want to cause a scene.

Tomorrow we have the same thing all over again, and if they serve the same food, I'm just going to take a sandwich and remove the meat and make a chef salad...no meeting during lunch tomorrow.

That's all folks!

KC

The Gym

I probably shouldn't have worked out today. I have been sick with something - probably just a combination of allergies + cold, but when I work out, I feel feverish, and I can't breathe. At least today I brought (and used) my inhaler. I only did 30 mins of cardio, but when I was done, I was so lightheaded. I guess my asthma prevents enough oxygen from reaching my brain when I'm working out... I know that I'm not supposed to work out when I'm sick, but I've been sick since the beginning of December, except when I was on vacation... I can't keep missing the gym.

I should probably find out why I've been sick so much, but I already know the answer. I have bad allergies and seasonal asthma (from cold weather/also exercise induced), and allergies combined with germs equals bad colds, and I've had bronchitis probably 20 times in my life, so now I'm just prone to getting it, and it's a vicious cycle. The only answer here is that I must avoid the cold. I need to move south for health reasons during the winter. Does that count as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA? ;-)

Anyway, the gym was annoying because I didn't feel well, and I didn't have my iPod because I've seen everything on it, and I didn't have my DVD player, because I've seen every DVD I have, so I was biking away miserably, and I decided to visualize every increment of 10 lb losses between now and my goal weight. I must have looked pretty silly smiling away staring off into the distance riding the stationary bike, but it really made the time fly fast! I can't do that every day, but it is a neat trick if you ever get bored. I can remember what I looked like and felt like at all different sizes along the way, so it was very realistic for me.

My last gym thought actually came from my friend Brooke, though it's not a new concept. Brooke has been working out faithfully since I have known her. She has struggled with her weight, but she has kept it off for the past 2 years now, and I'm very proud of her. I know she has like another few lbs she's trying to lose, but I can't even relate to what that feels like - just wanting to lose a few lbs...what's the difference? I'm sure there is one; I'm just not aware of what it is.

Anyway, I was telling her how good she is about working out, and how impressed I am with her, and she said that to her, it's not a matter of being good about it or not. She has to work out...just like she has to go to work, and she has to do errands. It's not something that she feels she has a choice about - it's just a reality of life. I think that's how a lot of physically fit people think, and I need to find a way to hardwire that thinking into my brain. Although I hate cardio, I really don't mind working out as a rule. I know people who dislike it far more than I do, but I am not at the point where I feel it's something I have to do, like breathing.

When I figure out how to get to that point, I will let you know!

KC