Still Going Strong!

I have to get up way earlier than usual in the morning so I'm hitting bed early. 

Todays Eats:
Eggs, ham & salsa = 120
Yogurt = 100
Salad with turkey = 240
Chipotle bean burger & sour cream = 230
Steak & onions = 250
Italian Green Bean Casserole = 320

Total = 1260 calories
Water = Good but not at maximum.  Still plenty though.

It was hard to figure out a portion of the green bean casserole.  I think if anything, I probably had less than a portion. It was good and I'll be eating it for lunches for the next week as it made a lot and is on the higher end of calories. Recipe to come soon!

Recipe Blog

You may notice that my recipes I'm posting on my other blog don't correspond with the meal that I am eating and tracking here.  Well, I have a huge stockpile of recipes to list.  Like a months worth, at least. I usually post about 4 recipes per week on the other blog and many I've been saving for quite awhile.  So don't think I'm telling you one thing here and actually doing something else.  If you see anything on my food tracking here that sounds good to you, feel free to email me about the recipe. Otherwise you'll see it eventually on my blog next year. 

My meal planning post doesn't always correspond too.  I might plan spaghetti one evening. Well, there is a good chance that the rest of the family will be eating spaghetti and I will be eating a quesadilla, salad or a bean burrito or something. 

Today's Eats:
Yogurt = 100
Salad with chicken and dressing = 250
Costco samples - 200
Chicken fried rice Lean Cuisine = 260
Salad = 120
Granola bar = 125
Apple = 100

Total = 1155 calories
Plenty of water

I basically snacked all day.  This isn't unusual for a Sunday. I slept in and we left for our meeting at 12:30.  Then the family ate at Costco while I shopped. I estimated my samples at 200 calories.  Most were quite healthy samples, soup, turkey, green beans, juice.  Then there were the yummy ones like spinach appetizer, salsa cream cheese appetizer, chips and hummus.  They were pretty mini so I am confident they weren't too caloric.  Then we came home and I just kinda munched my way through dinner.  Stayed within calories and drank plenty of water.

Saturday Success

We spent the whole day at home.  Which of course made eating easier for me.  I am going a little stir crazy and was actually looking forward to getting out of the house though!  I do daycare at home so some weeks, I don't get out much.

It was fun with the kids though.  They had a blast in the snow and I got some organizing in my room done.  I didn't get out of bed until about 10 so eating started late.  I made the family brunch. French toast sticks, cheesy eggs, bacon and ham.  I just had a big bite of the cheesy eggs and a yogurt and I was good to go!

Now I'm up way too late trying to catch up on writing up all of the recipes I've been making for my recipe blog!

Today's Eats:

Yogurt = 100
Bite of Cheesy Eggs = 50
Snow Peas = 35
Chipotle Bean Burrito = 250
Apple = 110
Chicken with broccoli & onions = 550

Total calories = 1005 calories
Plenty of water, close to 140 oz.

I feel like I'm missing something.  I thought that I calculated about 1100 before so I either ate something else for 100 calories or I miscalculated.  No wonder I'm hungry! :-)

Snow Day

We're supposed to wake up to about a foot of snow. So we're hibernating for the day!  So rather than errands and going places, it will be movies and monopoly! 

Today's eats:
Egg beaters & ham = 120
Yogurt  = 100
Salad = 120
Turkey, Bacon, Cheddar Enchilada = 300
Apple = 90
2 Chipotle Bean Burritos = 450

Total calories = 1180 calories
Plenty of water

Restaurants & Hot 100 - 11

I have been doing so well this week. I am confident that I will continue the trend. 

I am a bit leery of this weekend though.  Whenever Hubs doesn't work on Saturday, we usually just kinda do whatever. You know, errands, a movie, science museum with the kids, shopping, whatever. Normal Saturday stuff.  Nothing is planned.  At all. 

Not so good for me when I am planning to eat only 1200 calories.  We'll probably do lunch or dinner out.  I have to PLAN where we are going to go so I can look up nutritional information. I'm not so much worried about the temptations. Once I've made up my mind not to eat crap, I won't. I just don't like NOT KNOWING how many calories is in what I'm eating. I'm not good at estimating.  And Allan's challenge isn't about estimating 1200 calories. It's about eating 1200 calories. Period. 

We'll probably do Subway.  Everyone likes it and they have good nutritional stats.  We'll see.  It will annoy me to eat a sandwich when I have sandwich stuff at the house though.

Today, more of the same boring food that I've eaten all week. It's not boring to me, I don't mind leftovers and eating the same thing at all. I would just think reading about the same food would get boring.  I'll bore you anyways.  :-)

Egg beaters + Ham + Salsa = 120 calories

Yogurt = 100 calories

Salad = 120 calories

1 1/3 cups Chicken Chickpea Soup = 330 calories

Chocolate Vitatop = 100 calories

Turkey, Bacon, Cheddar Enchilada = 300 calories

Handful of popcorn = 50 calories (tops)

Total calories = 1120 calories

Water = Plenty, at least 140 oz.

I meant to steam some broccoli with my enchilada but was too lazy and didn't feel like it.  I grabbed a small handful of hubs popcorn about 30 minutes ago and now I'm hungry. It's like the popcorn just set my stomach off or something. Annoying.  I haven't really been hungry all day.  Off to bed.

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Hot 100 Update

Excellent on all goals! 

Posting = I'm keeping the window open throughout the day so I can jot things down, that way I don't save it all for right before bed. Keeps me posting and thinking about it more often.

Food Tracking = Every day.  I finally am getting on track and LOVING IT!

Exercise = Much, much better.  The daughter and I have been doing an exercise video together. Plus my usual exercises. Feeling those muscles yell and bit! 

Oh, and I'm jumping on the scale every morning out of curiosity but I won't officially post until the first of the month. It's going to be easier that way rather than weekly.  The numbers are looking better though!  :-)

BLT's

BLT's

Bites. Licks. Tastes. 

I'm realizing how much I used to do this.

I have 3 kids and I do daycare.  So I am constantly, and I mean constantly, dishing out food to kids.  Different times for breakfast, depending on who gets here when and when my kids wake up.  Morning snack.  Lunch.  Sometimes one thing for the daycare kids and something else for my kids.  More snacks.  Dinner. Often one thing for the hubs and kids and something else for me and my brother.  I told you, I am constantly dealing with food. 

So, the bad habit that I've gotten into is BLT's.  Handful of cereal, couple of pretzels, pizza crusts off kids' plates, open a bag of crackers and take a few.  Eat cheese while slicing it for the kids.  Steal a piece or 2 of garlic bread that I wasn't planning on eating.  You get the point. 

This is adding up to hundreds and hundreds of calories.  I know it is. Any one thing isn't TOO bad but when you add it up, I know that I've been taking in way more calories than planned. 

Now that I am back on track writing things down, I am abstaining from the BLT's. I just opened a bag of pretzels and thought to take a couple and thought "Do I want to write that down?"  I didn't so I didn't have any.  I just made the family spaghetti and resisted the garlic bread and resisted the noodles. My one son likes his with just butter, garlic and parmesan cheese and it is SOOOOO good that way that I usually have a couple of bites or whatever he had leftover.  I didn't today. 

I ate my leftover Chicken Chickpea soup as planned and enjoyed it.  Actually, I found that the soup tasted even better than yesterday.  There is only a small amount of bacon in it but the flavor came out really good! 

Today's Eats!

Eggs & ham = 120 calories
Yogurt = 100 calories
Salad = 120 calories
Chipotle Bean Burger with sour cream = 230 calories
Banana = 85 calories
Blue Bran Vitatop = 100 calories
2 cups Chicken Chickpea Soup = 460 calories

Total calories = 1215 calories
Total water = more than 140 oz.  

Staying on track for calories and drinking plenty of water. Interestingly, my hands are getting super dry.  I would have thought that with all the water I'm drinking that I would be seeping through the pores!  It might be because I wash them A LOT.  Annoying though. 

Great Day!

Food went well today. I didn't really feel hungry.  I even weighed my banana!  I'm trying to be as accurate as possible! 

Eggs + Ham = 120 calories
Yogurt = 100 calories
Salad + Dressing = 120 calories
1 cup of Turkey Broccoli Slaw = 250 calories (minus the tortillas, just the glop)
Gum = 5
Banana = 100
Chickpea Chicken Soup = 460 calories
Total calories = 1155 calories
Total water = 130 oz.

The chicken chickpea soup I made for dinner was fantastic!  230 calories per cup and it was super filling! Email me if you want the recipe otherwise it will be posted on my recipe blog in a few weeks!

Psyched and Ready To Go!

I'm feeling inspired. Again. 

I've caught the Allan bug and his words are blunt and honest and actually made me listen.  Plus, I'm just curious how his numbers are going to add up by the end of the challenge.

I've tried writing my meals down on the blog and soon gave it up. If I am to complete this challenge accurately, I HAVE to write it down. Right?  No estimating or guessing.  So if I am writing it down in my notebook, I might as well document it here. I can't promise this everyday but know that I WILL be tracking everyday in December.  Weighing and measuring everything.

I AM sticking to this goal.  Failure is not an option. 

One of the reasons I don't usually post my meals is that they are quite boring.  I often eat the same thing for breakfast everyday and just leftovers for lunch. 

Egg beaters + 1 oz. ham + salsa = 125

Yogurt = 100

Salad lettuce + dressing = 120

Chipotle bean burger + 1 tbsp. sour cream = 230

11 oz. V8 = 70

1/3 small banana (1.2 oz) = 30

2 Turkey broccoli wraps = 450

Total calories = 1125

Total water =140 oz.

I was planning to have some baby carrots this evening but ended up going to bed early and didn't need any.  The only time I felt really hungry was before my salad at about noon and right before dinner at 6.  I drank most of my water before 5:30 so hopefully we'll limit the nighttime bathroom visits!  Otherwise, the day went well.

Challenge

So, I've been seeing Allans name pop up on all the weight loss blogs.  I've visited his site but there are just so many blogs, and so little time to read them all regularly. Anyways, I decided to check it out and he's starting Phase 3 of his challenge Tuesday, December 7th. It sounds intriguing. 

What I like is that he's blunt and completely honest.  More importantly - He's Right.  If we are serious about losing weight, we don't need to be coddled.  We don't need to hear about all the fat free brownies that we can eat and how we "dont' have to deprive ourselves."  I've spent the last 30 years not being deprived of food so I think it's time for a little deprivation, right?  30 years of stuffing myself and not going hungry.  So if it takes me going a bit hungry for awhile, so be it.

I've had this blog for 6 months.  I've done nothing with it. I've made some stupid comments like "Well, at least I haven't gained weight".  While, yes, I suppose it IS good I haven't gained, it still is stupid.  I obviously care more about what goes in my mouth than what I look like, or how I feel.  I care more about eating than living.  I'm killing myself with this junk. 

Enough. 

If anyone is interested in joining, you need to do it soon, it stars on December 7th, you can enter until Monday, December 6th.  Here is the best post I could find with the rules.

I don't have a good track record with these challenges.  This is 3 weeks.  What's the worst that can happen?  I continue the stupidity and don't lose weight.  Or.  I can stay determined and do it.  I can choose life, not food.  

Hot 100 Update 10

I seriously meant to write something of substance.  I've had things milling around in my brain and have even jotted down some notes. But here I find myself falling asleep at the computer once again, just trying to get everything done before going to bed. 

My kids and I have been reading a lot at night.  I homeschool all 3 of them and there is a lot of reading.  Hard reading.  They are good readers but it helps us all if we read some of it together. I enjoy reading and learning what they are doing and I know it helps their understanding if we read and discuss it together. So my daughter and I just finished reading a play about Greek gods and goddesses that was sorta dumb and before that I read 2 history lessons with my oldest son and daughter.  I'm tired and worn out.  I can't engage my brain into much else.

I wanted to do an update for the Hot 100 though.  Not much has changed.  I went to the doctor and all my numbers and tests are fine.  I told him about this headache that I've had for like 2 weeks but didn't want any pills for it. I hate taking pills, so I'll deal with it. For now.

Goals? Posting - Just keeping up on the Hot 100, I was hoping to be keeping up much more.

Tracking - I'm still posting recipes on my food blog and calculating calories for dinners and often I have leftovers for lunch so I am aware of how many calories I am eating. Not entirely happy with how many granola bars I'm eating for snack or all the second helpings I'm taking. 

Exercise - I told my doctor that I am still trying to come up with a regular plan.  I'm still doing what I call weenie exercises, which is better than nothing but I so, so, so am determined to do more.  Someday. 

I know, I need to lose the SOMEDAY attitude.  It's never going to be a better time than now. I know this. Yet, it's just not happening.

I am weighing in monthly now. Not that the number has really changed much over the last 6 months.  Grr.