Recording Calories

I am in serious weight loss mode. I've done a fad diet before, great for another post later, but I wanted to do it the good old fashion way: Healthy eating, and exercise. Simple right? Well, I have had such bad eating habits for so long. I don't even know what a healthy portion size is anymore. So here's what I'm doing, to teach myself the correct portion sizes and eating within my calorie range. Check out these two sites. It'll give you a range of calories you should be in and an idea of how to do the calorie break down during the day.
http://trainermomma.blogspot.com/2010/01/figuring-out-your-daily-calories.html
http://trainermomma.blogspot.com/2009/09/its-ok-now-eat.html

Okay that's great, but I never know how many calories I'm eating unless I track them. Have you ever kept a food journal? Studies show that those people who do end up loosing and maintaining their weight better.

I got a netbook for my Birthday. Our computer is downstairs and it is such a pain to go down there, load the program, and record my food every time I eat. This way, my netbook is in the kitchen and easy to record my food.

This is the site I use to record my calories: http://www.livestrong.com/

Very user friendly

Even has calories from restaurants

I used to record my calories in a spiral notebook. I used a calorie counting book. It was so time consuming, but still worth the effort. Do you keep track of your calories? What do you do to know your eating the right amount of food? Kudos to those who can eye ball it. I am not to that point yet, but it is definitely a goal.

The first 10 is gone!!!

Today was weigh-in and I have passed the 10 pound mark! Hooray!!


I have yet to solidify all the good habits I have been working on and I know difficult times are ahead. I need to find good techniques for staying motivated.


One day being able to look at myself in a more positive way is definite motivation. I know my transformation won't be this dramatic but I know I can change.









I think my ultimate motivation will be meeting and exceeding my own personal best. I pulled this page out of my scrap book. It is from my first triathlon in 2004. At the time I was at my lowest weight since 9th grade. I want so badly to be at that point again. I am going to hang this picture on my wall to be a reminder for me to stick with it.

What helps keep you motivated?

New Favorite Vegetable

I've been trying to be good at my vegetable and fruit intake. I try to have a salad with a bit of protein for lunch everyday. I try new things so I don't get bored with the flavor. This is my new favorite vegetable: Rutabaga. Have you tried it before? If not, cut the ends off, peel it like a potato, and saute them until they are tender. This is the only way I know how to cook them, but I'm sure there are other ways. If you have played with this vegetable, what ways have you tried cooking them?

STRESS eating

*disclaimer: I am not trying to plug weight watchers, this is just the weight loss program I have chosen and have thankfully been successful so far.

Stress eating is something I am (soon to be was) good at. Last night was THE WORST run-in I have had with stress eating since I started weight watchers 5 weeks ago. I was studying for the final exam for my most important class this semester. I have been having a lot of trouble concentrating this week, I kept re-reading the same stuff over and over and my brain wasn't retaining any of it.

Being the night before the exam and because I was still not able to concentrate my stress shot through the roof.

In keeping with my old habits, I turned to food. In the past when the stress hit it would trigger some unidentifiable craving and I would run to the kitchen, open the fridge and eat anything I thought would satiate the mystery craving. More often than not after eating everything I could get my hands on the stress and craving remained and I felt like crap from eating too much.

Thankfully, last night, because I am essentially on a calorie counting plan, I knew my limits and was able to stay within them. I had three small snacks and was out of calories for the day so I stopped eating. The stress and craving were still gnawing away at me. I had to turn to non food options for coping. I went for a short walk which curbed the stress enough to prevent me from wanting food for the rest of the night.

I know this was the first of many bouts of stress eating I will face but I now know that I can keep it under control.

Little Changes Big Results

Through my ups and downs of weight loss, here are some things that have worked for me.

Sugar Free= I can still eat what I want

Regular syrup: 220 calories (1/4c) . . . Sugar Free (1/4c)=30 (the best sugar free syrup is Cracker Barrel Vermont sugar free syrup which only has 6 calories for 1/4c!! You can ask for it at Cracker Barrel and save yourself almost 200 calories!!

Regular Jam: 50 calories (1 tbsp). . . Sugar Free Jam 10 (1 tbsp) I myself can not tell the difference, but it could be that I have been dieting for awhile and forgotten the sweet taste of sugar!

Butter Up!
Not sure how many calories are in butter, but on my toast I always use I can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray which has no calories. Be careful on their butter products. They have calories, only the spray is free. I have also tried another brand of butter spray, and I think that I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is the best.

The "best" light ranch
I have tried almost every brand of light ranch dressing, and my personal favorite is the Lite House Light Ranch. Also, take a look at the Hidden Valley Ranch dip mixes. If you add fat free sour cream to it, it tastes great and is still low in calories.

Yogurts are not all created equal
I have found that the lowest calorie yogurt on the market is Dannon Light and Fit yogurt. You get 6 oz for 80 calories. Most are 100 calories for 6 0z.

Cottage Cheese
If you look through the cottage cheese section, I have found that Viva Fat Free Cottage Cheese is the lowest in calories at 70 calories for 1/2c. Most are 90 or even 110 calories and still say they are low in fat.

TV Dinners
I always stayed with Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice, and Lean Cuisine TV Dinners thinking (as their name implies) that they were better for you and lower in calories. When Banquet was on sale for $88 cents each, I decided to compare the labels. I was astonished! There are some TV Dinners in Banquet, Stouffer's, and Michelina's that do not advertise as being low in calories but are still lower in calories than some of the healthy products. If you are tight on cash, do your homework on the nutrition labels.

Soup
One thing that I have found, is that Progressive Soup in general is 200 calories lower than most other soups with the same portion size. I personally do not like their low calorie soups, but you can still get a decent soup in the regular size.

Bread, Bagels, and English Muffins
I love bread, bagels, and English Muffins but at times can not justify the calories. I found products at Walmart that are English Muffins, Bagels, and whole wheat bread that is slightly smaller than their regular alternatives. It cuts some of the calories almost in half and I still feel like I am having a piece of toast or a bagel in the morning. The alternative bagel is 110 calories and an Einstein Brother's Bagel is around 300 calories (I think). You can also find bread that is only 45 calories a slice rather than 90 calories a slice. Sara Lee delightfully Wheat (not made out of real whole wheat even though it is advertised as such) and Arrow Head Wheat Bread are ones that I have liked.

Anyways, I hope you guys can benefit from some products that I have come to love. You'd be suprised how a few calories here and there can really add up!

Here is a great weightwatchers recipe for Veggie soup. I love it because at the begining of the week I make a big pot of it and it is a quick, easy, yummy and filling way to get my veggies in. It is also easy to grab and go for those days I don't have time to make a lunch.
It is so easy to make quick modifications and gives me tons of variety so I don't feel like I'm eating the same boring thing all week. A couple of my favorite additions are black beans and corn or cooked ground beef and shell noodles.

Vegetable soup
2/3 C sliced carrots
1/2 C diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
3 C fat-free broth (chicken, beef, or veggie)
1 1/2 C diced green cabbage
1/2 C green beans
1 TBSP tomato paste
1/2 t dried basil
1/4 t dried oregano
1/4 t salt
1/2 C diced zucchini
Saute carrot, onion and garlic in a large sauce pan with cooking spray until soft. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes, stir in zucchini for last 3-4 minutes.


I love to load it up with other veggies including broccoli, cauliflower, spinach (add as you are reheating for individual servings), and peppers.

Give it a try and let me know what yummy modifications you come up with.

Die with a "T"

All growing up I remember seeing the comic hanging on the wall with Garfield saying that Diet is Die with a "t." I will never forget it.

That's truly how it feels some days. I was talking to my Hubby this morning over breakfast and he asked me if I had heard of a certain diet. And the way he described diets through our conversation made them sound like death. A struggle. Something that no one wants to tackle.

I have been through many exercises and "diets" over the years and have come to the understanding that my diet is just that, my diet. It's not the end of the world. A diet is what I take into my body everyday. It's not a weight loss program. It's what makes me, me. My diet changes every so often. I have FOUR diets that I rotate through regularly.

1- The Healthy Diet: lots of vegetables, fruits, protein. To help improve my life expectancy.

2- The Feel Good Diet: lots of snacks, chocolate, french fries, and ice-cream. Everything that makes me "feel good"

3- The Fast Diet: lots of Restaurant food. To save me time on cooking. It's "fast"

4- The Forgetful Diet: lots of forgetting to eat meals. (I have this problem a lot)

My healthy diet is my most desirable diet. I spent 2 years on my Healthy Diet and saw significant improvements to my mood, stamina, and appearance. When I got pregnant this all flushed down the toilet with the throw up that followed. I moved to a weekly rotation of diet #2 and #3. Now that I'm not craving food every day of my life I have transitioned to the diet #4. Getting back on diet #1 is always the most difficult change. But I just remind myself to make small and simple changes over a longer period of time and the diet sticks better.

It's just my diet. It's what I do daily. It's not an obstacle. It's daily life. Eating to survive. It's what I do. And I like it.