Long time no check in

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 30
Weight: down -.7

Okay, so I haven't posted anything in two weeks. It's not that I haven't been weighing in... just haven't had the time or motivation to blog about it.  I can say that I have lost three pounds in the last two weeks. It's an up/down thing, but the overall trend has been down.

I am finding that high sodium meals late in the day will definitely cause water retention. I'm trying to consciously avoid that when possible.

The Virginia Classic Llama and Alpaca Show was March 12-13. That kept me pretty occupied. I went shopping for new jeans prior to the event and was able to slip into a size smaller!  And now, my new jeans are loose!

To date, I have lost 16.2 lbs.  My ultimate goal is 28.3 lbs away.  (My next mini-goal is 3.3 lbs)  In 3.4 lbs I will get to lower the tens digit by one! Maybe next week?

Two in a row!

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 21 (-21)
Weight: down -1.3

I have officially passed my mini-goal and have set a new one in 4.9 lbs!

Yesterday's calorie count

Sausage and swiss cheese omelet  400 cal.
Almonds  160 cal.
Raspberry yogurt 120 cal.
Battered fish with mayo 350 cal.
Spinach salad with vidalia vinaigrette 150 cal.
Serving of peanut butter cups (3)  210 cal.

Total: 1,390 cal.

Nice Surprise

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 22 (-20)
Weight: down -1.3 lb.

I thought I'd try on some jeans a size smaller this morning that I haven't been able to squeeze into in a while. The slipped right up past my hips but then I couldn't button 'em.  "Maybe in five more pounds," I thought. So I peeled them off and looked at the label. Imagine my surprise to find they weren't a size smaller. They were TWO sizes smaller. Yay... making progress.

Yesterday's food journal
Sausage muffin with butter  250 cal.
Almonds 250 cal.
Raspberry yogurt 120 cal.
Kettle corn 300 cal.
Steamed wontons and rice 360 cal.
Hershey's Milk Chocolate 1 serving 180

Total  1,460 cal.

Slow going

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 29
Weight: down -.4

Sunday: Wii Fit age: 35; weight: up .9

Net weight over the last two days: up .5

Well Saturday started out with the little pigout on french bread and d'Affinois cheese (yum!!) Followed by some jelly beans for lunch. Not good. Didn't stray too bad for the rest of the day, but between the sugar and the sodium I was bound to gain some.

I was back to being sane Sunday and managed to drop a little of what was likely water weight. Onward... trying to stick to the plan.

Sunday
Sausage and English muffin 250 cal.
Jelly beans (someone hide the jelly beans) 250 cal.
Granny Smith apple 100 cal.
Kettle corn (too much)  500 cal.

Approx. 1100 cal.

The sour apple really did me in. Didn't feel like much after that and the popcorn.  Blah....

Dining out

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 35 (-7 yrs)  (stillness test, ugh!)
Weight: up 1 lb.

Up... but not as bad as I feared. I ate out twice yesterday.... with a lot of sodium.
(But the Thai food was yummy!!)

Snack bar 160 cal.
Samplings at Sam's 250 cal??
Whopper jr. and dollar fries  550 cal.
Jellybeans 150 cal.
Thai spring rolls and calamari...  ???? Let's guess 750?

About 1,860 cal.

Another good day

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 21 (-21)
Weight: down -1.1

Yay... another down day. Two in a row.  Didn't eat a lot yesterday but felt satisfied. I had pizza for dinner. A diGiorno. Serving size is 1/6 the pizza. (I usually pack away 1/2). 1/6 is one slice for 360 cal.... I had a slice and a half. Felt really full after the half. Probably could have stopped at one and been happy.

Calorie count:
1 fried purple potato (oil and onions)  150 cal.
1 english muffin with sausage and butter  250 cal
Almonds 100 cal.
Snack bar  160 cal.
1.5 slices of Pizza  540 cal.
Hot sweat tea with cream: 150 cal.

Total: 1,350 cal.

Trying to stick to my own rules:

• Stay in the 1000 to 1500 cal range
• Don't eat after 7 p.m.
• Don't deny yourself, but be reasonable
• 5 meals/snacks per day
• Weigh in daily, same time
• Step away from the computer on a regular basis
• Portion control... read the labels

I'm hungry

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 27 (-15)
Weight: down - .7

I woke up with my belly growling this morning. I like that.  So much better than waking up feeling full or bloated even. I'm not feeling very close to my overall goal (another 32 lbs. still  ... or about 2 stones as the Brits would say) , but my short term goal is within reach.  I'll try to behave myself today.

Reporting in

Morning check in:
Wii Fit Age: 20 (-22)
Weight: down 1.4

Yesterday:
Wii fit Age. 26 (-18)
Weight: up .9

Net loss .5 lb.

I'm still on the roller coaster but the general trend is down. Yay!  I think I'm done eating for today. I have a feeling the scale is not going to be favorable tomorrow. But maybe not if I can resist any bad snacks tonight.

Today's intake:

Tomato/bacon/english muffin with may: approx. 380 cal.
Almonds:  200 cal.
Chocolate Candy (bad!!!) 250 cal.
1/2 a baked potato with butter:  approx. 300 cal.

Total: 1,130 cal.

Another day

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 30 (-12)
Weight: down - 2 lbs.

(yesterday: Wii Fit age: 40; weight up +1)

I missed my post yesterday.  My net loss over the two days is 1 lb.  Still haven't managed to lose all the wedding weight, but at least it's on a downward trend.  I have say though, I am a bit hungry this morning.

Late night snacking

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 40 (-2)
Weight: down -.4

I don't believe I was fully awake this morning checking in with my Wii. I hit the wall on the "prediction test" almost right off the bat.  That's one I usually ace.

My weight is down a little which is a good thing. I'm just wondering how much my snack at 11 p.m. effected the result. (A small handful of almonds, and a cup of hot tea, sweetened). My stomach was growling so bad I figured I wouldn't get to sleep without appeasing it.

Calorie count:
Egg, bacon, english muffin, butter:  450 cal.
Almonds:  250
Banana: 110
Peanut bar: 160
Lasagna (lean cuisine): 320
Chocolate (2 small pieces) 120
Tea (hot/cold sweetened):  140
Half a cannoli: 200??

Total: 1750

Broke two of my own rules:  Eating after 7 p.m. and going over 1500 cal.

...this time I mean it

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 30 (-12)
Weight: down -1.4

I failed to post my results from Wednesday. (Wii Fit age: 24, Weight: unchanged) and didn't weigh in yesterday... But I'm determined to get back on track. I reset my mini goal to 10 lbs as the next milestone. My ultimate goal is still about 35 lbs away).

Silly not to weigh or post since this is my diet diary and likely the only one reading it.

Yesterday I tried to fast a bit just to get a jump start getting back on track.
2 scrambled eggs, a little butter (220 cal.)
2 string cheeses (120 cal.)
1/2 cup almonds (about 400 cal)
1 lean cuisine (pasta alfredo w/broccoli and chicken)  (320 cal)
1/2 chocolate covered custard doughnut. (10,000 cal.?)
3 cups/glasses of sweet hot/cold tea (210 cal.)

So maybe I wasn't quite a good as I had planned, but I did okay. I'm trying to stay under 1000-1500 calories per day.  I was a little shocked checked out the almond label. Yikes! But they are good for you.

I haven't had that real hungry feeling in about a week. It's back this morning. I'm taking that as a good sign.

... and, I'm back

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 25 (-17)
Weight: up +2.4

Oy!!  Well... that's what I get for taking three days to go to a wedding. The energetic dancing did not negate the calorie-filled temptations. That, and a dozen doughnuts from the best bakery ever, Swan's Bakery, East Patchogue, NY and a eight hour drive home.... left me with no expectations of losing weight this weekend.  Will try get back on track today.

Same same

Morning weigh in:
Wii Fit age: 20 (-22)
Weight: unchanged

I guess this plateau is here to stay for awhile. Still, unchanged is better than up.

Holding steady

Morning weigh in:
Wii Fit age: 34 (-9)
Weight: unchanged

This is definitely the first of many rough spots to come. No real progress in a week. Hopefully this pattern will break soon. Unchanged is at least better than up.

Eh.. I'll take it

Morning weigh in:
Wii Fit age: 43 (+1)
Weight: down .4

Wasn't the result I was looking for but, at least it was in the right direction.  That Wii Fit stillness test will age me every time. I don't know what it is about that thing but, the second it tells me to stand still, all I can do is wiggle.

Digging in

Morning weigh in:
Wii Fit age: 24
Weight: up .9 lbs.

Back to the business of losing weight. Three days of negative progress is enough already. Time to dig in. I am determined to have the pounds shed before my next doctor's appointment.

Bahh Lovebug

Morning weigh in:
Wii Fit age: 34
Weight: up 1.3 lbs.

Yuck... I hate Valentine's Day and, this morning's weigh in is just the icing on the cake. Ate too many salty snacks yesterday and this morning everything feels sluggish. I would be a good day to sleep through but it looks like it's going to be too nice out to ignore.

Plateau

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 28
Weight:  unchanged

Can anyone say "plateau."  Ugh... I hate when you get to one of these points. However, in the past I have found that keeping on track should reward you with a nice jump in a day or two or three... We'll see.

Outings

Morning weigh in:
Wii Fit age: 24
Weight: up .4

Going out is definitely going to put blips in my progress.  I went to an art opening with a couple friends last night. They served shrimp and cocktail sauce, sushi and pineapple cubes... all very diet friendly. But they also had trays of mini cream puffs and mini eclairs. Yup...  had a few. Then we went to a dumpling place for a light dinner. Yum!!! Since it was only a minor gain, I'm guessing the sodium did it to me again.

In for the long haul

Morning weigh in:
Wii Fit age: 20 (although it teased me and said 19 first)
Weight:  down  .2

Yeah, I have one follower!! Thanks, Cindy Ann!!

Since I'm in this for the long haul and still have quite a ways to go, I really hope the time sets a change in my eating habits. It would be nice to have proper portion control and saying no to seconds (at least most the time) come as second nature.

Yesterday I had ravioli for lunch. The serving size said 3 for 190 calories. Last time it wasn't quite enough and I still wanted a snack after. So this time I cooked 4. With butter and seasoning my lunch was about 350 calories... and it was yummy and satisfying.

For those of you counting:  Butter is, in general, 100 calories per tablespoon.... 30 per pat.

Not discouraged

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 35
Weight: up  + .7

Okay... I knew it wasn't going to be a good weigh in when I woke up. I could feel it. Although I didn't go overboard with the munching yesterday, I did have a lot of sodium. I'm going to go easy on the sodium today and hopefully flush out the extra water weight.

There are going to be days you don't lose anything or gain just a little bit. Just as long as you don't start an upward trend, you're still doing well.

So, here's my tip for today. Keep in mind your ultimate goal, but set mini-goals to strive for. Five pound increments work well. I'm five pounds from my next mini goal. Yesterday was a little closer, but I'm not discouraged.

Weighing in

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age: 25
Weight: down  -.2

Luckily my cake snacking didn't throw me off track.

Another tip:  I have read in numerous sources that it is not only important to weigh yourself daily but, you should make sure that you weigh yourself around the same time each day. Your body can naturally fluctuate by two pounds throughout the day.

I have also found in the past that when I don't weigh myself, it's usually because I don't want to know (or, I already know). Then the weight gain starts to snowball and before you know it... your pants a snug. =:o

Tsk Tsk

I made an apple spice bundt cake tonight. Had two small pieces.... probably wasn't a good idea. 'm sure I burned some calories peeling and cutting apples, though. :)

Good eats

Morning check in:
Wii Fit age:  27
Weight:  down .7 lbs.

I was afraid this morning my weight was going to go up.... but it didn't. Yay!

Another rule to my change in eating habits is to not deny yourself... just don't go overboard. Well yesterday I really wanted a sausage biscuit with egg.... so I hit the BK drive thru. Yum!! The rest of the day's snacks included a serving (yes, I measured it and put it in a bowl) of potato chips, a banana and a PayDay.  I had a large, but healthy dinner, of naked burgers (with dressing) and steamed broccoli, and had two mint Oreo cookies (1 serving) for dessert.  I'm going to have to find my calorie counter and figure this one out.

One month in

Morning check in:
Wii Fit Age: 26
Weight: down 1.5 lbs.

So far I've lost 13.5 lbs. and am now 31 lbs. from my goal weight. My knees are definitely feeling the difference. They say every 10 pounds of weight is 40 pounds of pressure on the knees and it sure seems true.

I'm not on an official diet but am looking for programs and books with good advice. When I find interesting ones I'll post them here.

Meanwhile, I'm simply trying to change my eating habits and so far it's working. Based on several different things I've read here's what I'm doing:

• Trying to stay between 1000 and 1500 calories per day
• Eating 4 to 5 times a day 
• Not eating after 7 p.m.
• Check in on my Wii Fit daily
• Staying active 
• Focusing on portion control and trying to avoid going back for seconds

Let the weight loss begin

Am I the only one out here who seems to gain the "holiday five" every year?  Wouldn't be so bad if I lost it before the next time the holidays rolled around, but that ain't happening. I've never been a skinny minnie but, I've never considered myself as "fat" much  less "obese."  Overweight, yes... but obese?? 

I'm 5'7" and 42 years old and for the first time in my life, my doctor told me I needed to lose weight.  The thing is... I had come to that conclusion myself a month earlier. I decided I'm beyond "diet" and needed to change my eating habits. Now I'm trying to be aware of caloric value and portion control... My ultimate goal is to lose 44 lbs.   As of the start of this blog I have lost 12 lbs.!!

I'm now a lot more aware of labels and ingredients... I love veggies, so I'm ahead of the game there... or so I thought.  I found a book online that warns us of the hidden ingredients inside our food. The site looks a little cheesy, but the author is entertaining and the information is valid. It's worth checking out... visit this link to learn more. And ...when at all possible... "buy fresh, buy local!"

I'm going to be tracking my progress on this blog. Would love to hear your battle tales and words of encouragement.