Thursday, October 12, 2011

Well, I stuck to the plan.  Except that I ate too much apple risotto.  Holy cow that stuff was good!!  I meant to have 200 calories worth which would have been 1 portion but I ended up eating almost 2.  Grr.  I'll try to stick with this blog planning for awhile. Don't be alarmed if I drop off the face of the earth again though.  It won't necessarily mean I failed, it might just mean I'm sick of blogging again.


Wednesdays Results:


Raisins - 130
Eggs, corn tortillas & peach salsa = 300
Asian Quinoa = 250
Salad = 125
Yogurt = 80
Blueberries = 50
Steak = 180
Apple Risotto = 400
Broccoli = 50
Total = 1565

Thursday Plan:
Raisins - 130
Eggs, corn tortillas & peach salsa - 300
Chicken wild rice soup - 200
Salad - 150
Yogurt - 80
Blueberries - 50
Southwest casserole - 400
Popcorn - 100
Total = 1410

I ran again this morning, I usually prefer Monday, Wednesday and Friday but  I don't have my early daycare child tomorrow morning so I get to sleep in!  No getting up at 5 am, yea! I feed the baby and he goes right back to sleep in the same room as my husband is so I'm free to go run!  Plus, it's supposed to be cold and windy tomorrow. 

I'm still running pretty slow but I'm running for longer distances.  I'm amazed each week at the progress.  If you want to learn to run, I really, really, really recommend Brad's challenge.  It looks like he starts a new batch of runners once a month so I highly recommend you take a look at his program. You post weekly results with him to keep you accountable and he is constantly giving you motivation. It is perfect for a beginner like me.  I am currently in week 7 and I really didn't think I'd make it this far. 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The pecans were my downfall today. I ate my soup and then had this overwhelming desire to snack.  I didn't have any thing "bad" in my house to snack on but I really wanted something.  I should have just let it go and forgot about it.  Or better yet, had the salad that I had planned. But instead, I knew there were a small bit of pecans left.  I was saving them to make granola.  Well, the pecans are gone.  I had about 1/2 cup or 2 oz.  So way too many calories. 

The only good thing about eating so many pecans was that I wasn't hungry for the rest of the afternoon.  I wasn't overly hungry for dinner and should have had less but it was so GOOD!  I made like a fried rice with ham, peas, pineapple & egg but with quinoa. I'm very happy how it turned out.  1 cup is 240 calories, 16 grams of protein and super filling. 

Tuesday Results =
Eggs, corn tortillas & Peach salsa = 300
Banana = 100
Enchilada Soup - 185
Cheese - 110
Pecans - 400
Applesauce - 200
Asian Quinoa - 250
Total = 1545

Tomorrow, more leftovers. Plus a new apple risotto recipe for dinner.  I'm hoping to go for my 3 mile walk/run in the morning if it isn't raining!  (that's why I have the raisins, to give me energy while running!)

Wednesdays Plan
Raisins - 130
Eggs, corn tortillas & peach salsa = 300
Yogurt = 80
Blueberries = 50
Asian Quinoa = 250
Salad = 125
Steak = 180
Apple Risotto = 200 ( haven't figured out calories yet)
Broccoli = 50
Total = 1365

If you want to see my dinner menu plan, check my post from Sunday. I switched around the days a bit but it's still part of the plan.

Tuesday ~ October 11, 2011

Hey, hop on over to my other blog and enter my giveaway. It's for this awesome book about family dinners and keeping the family closer. It has a lot of good points and I really enjoyed the book!

I did good yesterday, basically stuck to The Plan. I decided against making chicken salad as there are a TON of leftovers in the frig.

Monday Results:
Raisins - 130

Eggs, corn tortillas, peach salsa = 300
Homemade Pumpkin Applesauce - 225
Enchilada Soup = 185
Salad = 125
Yogurt = 80
Blueberries = 50
Pumpkin Oat Bar = 240
Popcorn - 100

Total = 1435


Tuesday's Plan:
Eggs, corn tortillas, peach salsa = 300
Yogurt = 80
Blueberries = 50
Salad = 125
Enchilada Soup = 185
Pumpkin Applesauce = 225
Asian Style Quinoa = 400
Total = 1365
 
I still have peach salsa that I made from last week. It's awesome and I love it on eggs!  I'll be eating this all week most likely.  Plus a ton of enchilada soup in the frig.  I made pumpkin applesauce that is delicious and I decided to have that as a snack.  I'm not entirely sure of the calories, I just estimated based on what regular unsweetened applesauce would be.  I'm planning to make a new quinoa dish tonight.  I'm hoping it will be like fried rice, just with quinoa instead. 

The Plan

Ok, so I've been severely lacking in the planning area and it's taking a toll on me.  Here's the plan for today. In a perfect world, I'd do this daily and then update at night, knowing me, it won't last but I'll give it a shot.

Raisins - 130

Eggs, corn tortilla, peach salsa = 300

Pumpkin Oat Bar = 240

Enchilada Soup = 185

Salad = 150

Yogurt = 80

Blueberries = 50

Chicken Salad = 300

Total = 1435

I'm off now for my 3 mile walk/run and I have my exercise class this evening. 

Probably not enough veggies and I'm actually not sure if there are any pumpkin oat bars left. I made them yesterday and I THINK there are two in the frig.  I'll probably munch on celery while making the chicken salad. And with 150 calories planned for the salad, I should be able to throw a ton of veggies on there, I have broccoli, peppers and cukes in the frig.

That is the plan.

Challenge Week 4

Ugh, I've been meaning to write this all weekend and just never got around to it.  So here it is, at the last minute! 

Busy weekend, it's been gorgeous outside so we went on walks, bike rides and played baseball.  Unusual to have this many good weekends in October.  I'll take them for as long as possible though!

1.  Weight:  Gained a pound. I'm back where I started from. I ate like crap this week.  It's frustrating, and annoying.

2. Calories:  Still too many, I'm still tracking, but not planning.  It's stupid.  I'm really, really, really hoping to change that this week.  Crap is out of the house and we're stocked with fruits and lots of veggies.  We just need to tell the stupid fruit flies to get out!

3.  Exercise:  Very good still. I'm still on track with the 5Kin100days challenge.  I MIGHT have to repeat a week coming up here though, we're making quite a jump in the amount of running and last week kicked my butt. We'll see how tomorrow mornings run goes.  Weight strengthening class on Monday as usual, I'm going to up the weights this week and see how it goes.

4.  Water:  Along with my crappy eating, I've done bad with water. Usually this is fine but I can tell that I need more. 

5. Book:  Still reading Wheat Belly and continuing to learn and enjoy it.  I also got a couple of gluten free books at the library that I want to read.  I'd have more time for reading if I didn't have to help the kids with their literature.  The daughter is reading The Hobbit so I'm reading with her so she understands it better. 

I've been eating wheat all week and I can feel it. It started last Sunday, we went out to eat and then I just developed this "screw it" attitude for the rest of the week.  My body paid for it and I am eager to get the wheat and sugar out of my system and get back on track.  :-)

Challenge Week 3

Yea, yea. I know I've been bad at blogging.  I actually am thinking about changing my other blog into more of  a healthy living blog rather than just for recipes.  I'm not sure.  The problem is, I go through streaks of wanting to write.  I'm often way too tired to be creative and I don't want to HAVE to blog.  I don't want it to feel like a job or something I need to get done by the end of the week or day.  Recipes are easy.  I'm already planning meals, cooking and mostly figuring out the calories so just adding a picture and a small bit of commenting is fairly easy. Anyways, I'm rambling but who knows, maybe you'll see some changes on the other blog.

I've already been making food changes.  I've been making mostly gluten free meals.  There are still some that are not, these have either been made for others or were made before I made this decision.  I've really felt good about not eating wheat and it's going well. 

Anyways, enough rambling.  Here are my DO-IT's for the challenge.

1. Weight - I only lost 1 pound. I wanted more but I've still been eating too much.  Good stuff, no wheat and very little sugar but nevertheless, too much. 

2.  Calories - Too many.  Right around 1800 - 2000 per day probably.  It's stupid, I know it. 

3. Exercise - It's still awesome.  I can't believe it.  I'm walking/jogging every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 am. In the dark. It's creepy and getting darker all the time. Getting colder too.  The mornings have still been decent but I'm going to have to start bundling up pretty soon.  So much better than the treadmill though. I find that incredibly boring and couldn't imagine doing 3 miles, 3 times a week on that thing!

4. Water - Glug, glug, glug.  I had a diet coke this morning, other than that, it's been 100% water all week and lots of it!

5.  Book - Wheat Belly. I didn't make any progress in reading more this week. I did however recommend it to several including a nutritionist who taught a class I went to today.  I love the book and totally believe in it.  I am looking forward to finishing it soon!

Challenge Week 2

I like having this challenge. It keeps me focused.  It keeps me from reaching back into the pecans for a second or third handful.  Sometimes. 

1. Weight: Well, I broke even. I started at 221, didn't weigh in last week after vacation and then today I was back at 221. I was hoping for better but not really surprised.  I essentially gained a pound on vacation and then lost it this week.  *sigh* I'll do better. I promise.

2.  Calories:  I've been tracking my calories but not planning right.  Essentially, I'm eating and then at the end of the night, I calculate and realize, "Oh gee, I shouldn't have had that blank..."  So I've been consuming around 500 calories more than I should have each day.  Some days better than others.  I have however been eating the right things.  No wheat and highly limited sugar. I just need to plan and stop eating that extra handful of pecans or this homemade peanut butter granola that was SOOOOOO good with vanilla yogurt.

3.  Exercise:  This has been strong still. Yea me!  Three days with Brad's Learn to Run a 5K in 100 Days running challenge.  It's getting tough as the weeks are going on but I'm still sticking with it. I'm not running very fast for sure but I am running.  Then the exercise class on Monday, plus I'm trying to work the same muscles on Thursdays at home with weights.  Then there is the weekly jam sessions on Just Dance 2.  That is always fun.  Didn't make my 70,000 steps this week but came close.  I need to average about another 500 - 1000 steps a day to get this.  So off the computer and  get out walking more!

4. Water:  Water is good, keeping hydrated.  Got my handy dandy water bottle here as I speak.

5: Book:  Still reading the book. I had to take a break from it to read a book for a review I have to do.  Kelly the Kitchen Kop did a two part series and an interview with Dr. David, the author. 

I have a plan for next week and it includes better planning and good eating. 

Challenge Week 1

Source: etsy.com via Pascale on Pinterest

Back from vacation!  It was just 4 days away up along the North Shore but it was fun and relaxing!  We did a lot of hiking and walking.  My legs will be grateful for the break!  I ate pretty cruddy, I admit.  I made some good choices along the way but plenty of bad ones as well.  I'm ready to get back on it and have an awesome week!

1. Weight - I didn't weigh myself this week.  Yes, I broke the rules the first week.  I'm quite sure with the extra salt and junk that I am up.  Way up. I had a great eating day today and am on the right path to get rid of the sodium and junk this week. I promise to weigh in the rest of the challenge. I don't have any unusual weekend circumstances planned that would prevent this in the future.

2.  Calories - I tracked my calories Monday, Tuesday and today (Sunday).  I hit under 1500 for both Monday and Tuesday and today was around 1200 tops.  The rest of the week stank.

3.  Exercise - I did all 3 days of Brad's running challenge.  I'm happy that I'm seeing a difference and I'm running better and am not as tired. I'm still going at quite the slow speed but still, I'm DOING it.  I exceeded my goal of 70,000 steps this week and I had my weight training class on Monday night as well.

4. Water - Just so-so.  It's hard when not in the same routine. I am back on track and drinking and peeing up a storm now though. 

5.  Book - I'm still reading Wheat Belly.  I love it, and I BELIEVE it. I am not one to get into fad diets or trends but this just MAKES SENSE to me.  Eliminate the wheat and eliminate a LOT of problems.  I did NOT go wheat free while on vacation, I did today and plan continue.  ~~  I also read Unbroken Will - The Extraordinary Courage of an Ordinary Man, The Story of Leopold Engleitner.  It is a book the describes the life and times of this man whose belief in God and in nonviolence stood the test of Nazi persecution in WWII.  He was in three concentration camps and suffered unspeakable brutality but remained firm in his faith.  It was an awesome book and while deep, it was very faith strengthening.  I finished the whole book this week and would recommend it to anyone!  I got it at the library, I have another one that is similar on request as well. 

So we begin week 2! I'm looking forward to seeing some better results next week. I feel like I'm actually "starting" this challenge this week. 

Recipes...

Okay, so you all know I have this recipe blog.  That is how I got started blogging in the first place. 

I've had several comments about the recipes on the side of my dieting blog. Some serious and some in jest, about taking them off or not wanting to come to my blog so they won't be tempted. 

I need your opinion.  Do you want me to take them off?  I certainly will if you want me to.  First, let me explain my hesitation. 

I spent most my life in the upper 200's and lower 300's by the time I had baby #3.  I'd never eaten healthy.  We ate out all the time.  Cooking at home was rare and not healthy at all.  When I think of the "healthy" meals I would make, I now cringe.  I had my aha moment, straightened up and started eating healthier. I started COOKING healthier.  I read blogs, looked for recipes, did everything I could to healthify the family favorites and I was quite proud of what I had done.  I often would call friends and say, "I just made ..., you have GOT to come over and try it!"  I had friends asking me for recipes, so I would email them or give them recipes.  At the urge of several people, I started my food blog.  I was already writing down and organizing my recipes. I was already calculating the calorie counts on most things.  So why not add some pictures and start a blog. 

So Debbi Does Dinner Healthy was born, just about 2 years ago.  I started the diet blog with my first challenge as a motivator for me, not to get a ton of followers or anything.  Like with my recipe blog, I thought, if I can help people, then great!  So I added some recipes on the side that I was proud of. 

I AM proud of these recipes.  They represent a new way of eating for me. They represent a new me. Granted, if you visit my recipe blog, not ALL the recipes are low calorie and healthy.  There are plenty that are not.  But I tried to pick the better ones to put on my weight loss blog. 

Now, my eating is changing. I'm trying to go wheat free or at least to cut WAY back on it. So the loss of my beloved flour tortillas has been the most difficult of changes. But I'm getting over it. It's only a tortilla! I've been eating some corn tortillas or just putting the nummy filling over lettuce or eating it plain.  It works, I'm happy. I'm not depriving myself of anything. 

So anyways, moral of the long winded story.  Part of me wants to take off the recipes, as I don't want to tempt anyone into overeating or indulging or to set off a trigger in you if you see a wrap or a mexican lasagna.  My goal is to help, not hurt. On the OTHER HAND, my goal in setting up the blog was to let people know that dieting isn't all about grilled chicken and salads.  We can enjoy awesome, simple meals that are healthy, hearty, filling and low calorie.  I get that this doesn't work for everyone.  It did for me. (at first at least until I got confident and stupid but that's another story.)

So you decide, should the recipes go?  Or stay?  Should I cut back?  Any ideas?  Give me your honest opinion, I won't get insulted or get offended easily.  :-)

Christmas Dress Challenge

Okay, I'm committed again.  Another challenge. It's going to happen. It just has to happen.  No, I have to make it happen.  It is Day 1 for me in the Christmas Dress Challenge. Interesting challenge for me as I don't celebrate Christmas nor do I favor dresses. On me that is.  I've always been a hard fit for dresses, big on the bottom but smaller on top.  So no dress for me. However, I do have this jacket. 

Funny story with this jacket.  It's like nothing I've every worn. I got it from a friend who was going to donate it. It was in sorry shape, filthy. I washed it up and it came clean and is super soft and pretty and just different.  It might seem strange that I want to fit into this used, previously uncared for jacket but it's so UNLIKE me, that I just want to wear it.  Well, I want to FIT into it.  Who knows, maybe I won't even like it as much or use it but I've just had in my mind for the last couple of years that THIS would be the year that I would fit into this jacket.

 

And there it sits.  In the closet. Well, this is my end of the year goal. To fit well in this jacket. As you can see, it's a bit tight around the shoulders and for sure would never close.  I look like I am pregnant!

Last spring I was slightly closer to fitting into it.  One bad summer and I'm now 15 lbs. FURTHER away from fitting into the jacket.  I THINK that if I can get under 200 lbs., I'll have a shot at it. I don't know.  We'll see.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So here are my DO IT's from the challenge rules.  Here are my goals for each.

1. Weight - Challenge runs September 11 - December 18.  14 weeks. My goal is to lose 1 1/2 lbs. a week for a total of 21 lbs.  This will bring me RIGHT to 200 as today I weigh 221.  Then by the end of the year, my goal is to be under 200 forever. 

2.  Calories - I've been hit or miss on tracking. I tend to start at the beginning of the day and then just sorta, kinda but not really estimate at the end.  Or just say screw it and not do it at all.  Well, I'm planning to see more hits, than misses.  My goal is not to exceed 11,000 calories per week.  This works out to 1571 per day.  I KNOW I can do this. I know I can go under this.  But I found that if my goal is 1200 and I hit 1600 instead, I feel like an utter failure and start downspiraling into a jar of peanut butter or something.  So if I up the goal a bit, my thoughts are that I'll be extra happy when I hit 1200 - 1300 and not be so depressed if I hit 1600 or 1700 occasionally. Yea, it's a mind trick.  Let's just hope it will work!

3. Exercise - I just joined Brad's 100 Days to Run a 5K challenge.  We're only in week 2 and it's going well so far.  So I'll be running/walking 3 days a week. I'll give a short update weekly with how this is going.  I also have a strength training class on Monday's, I'm signing up for the fall session this Monday.  Plus I usually do weights during the week.  I've also been using my Fitbit to track my steps and I'm aiming for 70,000 steps a week.

4.  Water - Water has been going well. It's like second nature to me now.  I drink all the time and pee all the time.  I usually have at least 6 to 7 - 16 oz. glasses of water.   It's usually when I lose focus or when the routine is interrupted for the week that this fails.  Focus, focus, focus. 

5.  Book - At the suggestion of Mir, I bought the book Wheat Belly.  I've been toying with the whole gluten free idea but basically thought that with the exception of Celiac diagnosed people, that it was a fad.  I'm realizing the facts behind it and I'm only about 1/4 way through the book but it MAKES SENSE.  In a nutshell the wheat we eat now is NOT the same wheat that grandma baked bread with and it's causing a lot of problems.  We're slowly phasing out wheat.  It's not going to be an overnight process but the family is on board and it's going to be interesting.  I'll keep you updated on the book.  I also have another book on a completely different topic waiting at the library that I might want to share and review. 

Blogger is still being weird about me commenting.  Some blogs I can comment on and others I can't.  I used to be able to comment on Mir's blog and now it won't let me sign in.  I might take Mir's advice and just switch this to Wordpress.  Maybe that will help.