Morning eating
I didn't have one breakfast, but several. I had two servings of different cereals with 4 oz. of milk each one. Total calories for these two servings: 370.
Exercise
I went for a routine one-hour walk this morning plus a 45-minute bike ride. I couldn't bike further because my back was hurting. I had to cut my ride a little short.
After exercise snack
One serving of cereal with milk. Total calories: 160.
Lunch
One serving of cereal with milk. Total calories: 160.
Weight
I have mentioned before how one's weight can fluctuate up and down when you are dieting, which is why it isn't a good idea to weigh yourself every day.
Friday 7/25/2008 weight: 191.7 lbs.
Sunday 7/27/2008 weight: 189.6 lbs.
Over two days my weight fluctuated by two pounds. If a dieter sees something like that, they are likely to get discouraged because two pounds is a week's worth of weight loss. Not me. I know that weight can fluctuate on a day-to-day basis. What is important isn't the day-over-day number on the scale, but the long-term trend. My long-term trend is downward. No, not as fast as I or others would like. However, weight-loss isn't a quick process. Crash diets rarely work. Two or two-and-a-half pounds a week doesn't seem like much, especially if you are in a hurry. However, with 52 weeks in a year, one could theoretically lose over a hundred pounds of fat if they remain dedicated to the process of losing weight.
In the end, if you want to lose weight, you have got to really want it. People who try to quit smoking who really don't want to quit usually fail, just like drinkers who don't want to give up the booze. I am so sick and tired of being fat that losing weight is all I can think about. I am focused and since March I've been pretty dedicated.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
7/26/2008 Eating & Exercise
Eating
I don't really recall. Nothing out of the ordinary. I use this blog to log my eating and exercise as part of my weight-loss plan. I couldn't connect to the internet for more than a minute or two at a time so I couldn't log my eating.
Exercise
None.
I don't really recall. Nothing out of the ordinary. I use this blog to log my eating and exercise as part of my weight-loss plan. I couldn't connect to the internet for more than a minute or two at a time so I couldn't log my eating.
Exercise
None.
7/25/2008 Eating & Excercise
I didn't post 7/25/2008 and 7/26/2008 because it was difficult for me to get a working internet connection. Today I finally had enough and called support for help.
Eating
I don't really remember. I didn't eat a whole lot or a lot of junk food.
Exercise
None. I wanted to walk in the morning, but it was too humid. The humidity level was 96% and when that happens, I find it a little difficult to breathe when exercising.
Eating
I don't really remember. I didn't eat a whole lot or a lot of junk food.
Exercise
None. I wanted to walk in the morning, but it was too humid. The humidity level was 96% and when that happens, I find it a little difficult to breathe when exercising.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
7/24/2008 Eating & Exercise
Early morning snack
I could not sleep. If I was asleep, I would not have eaten anything. I ate 2 Nutty Bars and 12 oz. of milk. Total calories: 820. Yikes!
Breakfast
No breakfast today. I was asleep.
Lunch
Two servings of fruity Cheerios with 8 oz. of milk. Total calories: 340.
Dinner
I stopped off at the parents house. They had fried chicken and potato salad they got from the grocery store. I ate too much. I don't know how many calories I consumed, but I'm sure it was well over 1,000.
Exercise
None today. I started to go for a bike ride but five minutes into it rain started to fall. I turned around and went home.
I could not sleep. If I was asleep, I would not have eaten anything. I ate 2 Nutty Bars and 12 oz. of milk. Total calories: 820. Yikes!
Breakfast
No breakfast today. I was asleep.
Lunch
Two servings of fruity Cheerios with 8 oz. of milk. Total calories: 340.
Dinner
I stopped off at the parents house. They had fried chicken and potato salad they got from the grocery store. I ate too much. I don't know how many calories I consumed, but I'm sure it was well over 1,000.
Exercise
None today. I started to go for a bike ride but five minutes into it rain started to fall. I turned around and went home.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
7/23/2008 Eating & Exercise
Breakfast
No breakfast today. I didn't get up until noon. What can I say, it's my vacation and if I want to sleep in, I will. Actually, I had my alarm set for 8 AM. When it went off, I got up, shut it off, and laid back down thinking I'd just lie in bed for another 15 minutes. Well, I didn't get up until four hours later.
Lunch
I finished the rest of the Asian food.
Dinner
I ate a generous-sized salad I made myself with a little dressing that I didn't make myself.
Exercise
I really think I'm going to have to go for a walk in half-an-hour. I would hate to not exercise today. Strangely, even though I got 10 hours of sleep, I'm kind of sleepy right now, despite being awake for only eight hours.
Exercise Part II
I did go for a one-hour walk this evening around 9 PM. It was uneventful compared to last night. Not nearly as many walkers out this evening as last, either.
As of this writing it is 3:40 AM and I absolutely cannot sleep. I laid awake in bed for about two hours before I decided to play on the internet. I went to bed very tired and am even more so now.
Good thing I'm on vacation this week.
No breakfast today. I didn't get up until noon. What can I say, it's my vacation and if I want to sleep in, I will. Actually, I had my alarm set for 8 AM. When it went off, I got up, shut it off, and laid back down thinking I'd just lie in bed for another 15 minutes. Well, I didn't get up until four hours later.
Lunch
I finished the rest of the Asian food.
Dinner
I ate a generous-sized salad I made myself with a little dressing that I didn't make myself.
Exercise
I really think I'm going to have to go for a walk in half-an-hour. I would hate to not exercise today. Strangely, even though I got 10 hours of sleep, I'm kind of sleepy right now, despite being awake for only eight hours.
Exercise Part II
I did go for a one-hour walk this evening around 9 PM. It was uneventful compared to last night. Not nearly as many walkers out this evening as last, either.
As of this writing it is 3:40 AM and I absolutely cannot sleep. I laid awake in bed for about two hours before I decided to play on the internet. I went to bed very tired and am even more so now.
Good thing I'm on vacation this week.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
7/22/2008 Eating & Exercise
Breakfast
One Nutty Bar and one serving of pudding. Total calories: 460. I really got to stop eating this garbage!
Lunch
Four pieces of toast with butter and grape jelly. Total calories: about 500. I didn't realize toast with butter and jelly had so many calories until today. That's 280 calories for the bread and the rest for the little bit of butter and jelly.
Exercise
None yet. I did bike to the store and back, for about a total of 15 minutes. Other than that, nothing. Normally, I would drive to the store. Since I'm trying to lose weight, a bike ride seems more appropriate.
I am debating a walk or bike ride this evening when things cool down. It is a gorgeous summer day, not too hot. Not getting any exercise outdoors should be a crime.
Dinner
I had Asian food. Pretty much the same stuff as last time. I ate half for dinner and will save half for lunch tomorrow. It came with a cup of Coke. Not sure how big it was. I drank it all.
Exercise II
I got some exercise today! I can't stand not exercising, since I love it so much.
At 8:30 this evening I went for a one-hour bike ride. It was a perfect evening for bike riding. There were a lot of bikers and walkers out.
When I bike I do laps through residential areas. Halfway through my second lap I passed a house--a house that featured a woman having a screaming orgasm inside. Yes, that's right. I don't know who she was or who she was with, but she was getting it good. She was screaming it up, saying a few words between screams, all with windows wide open so all the world could hear. Yes, this was the sound of a woman in the throes of passion. I haven't heard anything like that since I lived in apartments.
My curiosity got the better of me, so as I got to the corner I decided to ride around the block. By the time I got back to the house the performance was over. Oh well...
About half-a-mile from that house, a small dog came running out of a driveway and started chasing me on my bike. A very pretty young woman in a bikini darted off the steps chasing after the dog. Not wanting to get bit, I kept biking. I was approaching a busy road and not wanting to lead the dog into traffic, I slowed down. As I approached the corner I took the risk of getting bit and stopped. I would hate to have a young lady watch her dog get run over. She ran up, scooped up her dog, and apologized profusely. It's not every day you get to see a chick running down the street in a bikini.
After my bike ride I went for a one-hour walk. I take a different route at night so I can stay off heavily-traveled roads. There's less chance of encountering a weirdo that way.
So I got my exercise for today. Exercising always makes me feel great. I love it. I probably burned at least 800 calories this evening.
One Nutty Bar and one serving of pudding. Total calories: 460. I really got to stop eating this garbage!
Lunch
Four pieces of toast with butter and grape jelly. Total calories: about 500. I didn't realize toast with butter and jelly had so many calories until today. That's 280 calories for the bread and the rest for the little bit of butter and jelly.
Exercise
None yet. I did bike to the store and back, for about a total of 15 minutes. Other than that, nothing. Normally, I would drive to the store. Since I'm trying to lose weight, a bike ride seems more appropriate.
I am debating a walk or bike ride this evening when things cool down. It is a gorgeous summer day, not too hot. Not getting any exercise outdoors should be a crime.
Dinner
I had Asian food. Pretty much the same stuff as last time. I ate half for dinner and will save half for lunch tomorrow. It came with a cup of Coke. Not sure how big it was. I drank it all.
Exercise II
I got some exercise today! I can't stand not exercising, since I love it so much.
At 8:30 this evening I went for a one-hour bike ride. It was a perfect evening for bike riding. There were a lot of bikers and walkers out.
When I bike I do laps through residential areas. Halfway through my second lap I passed a house--a house that featured a woman having a screaming orgasm inside. Yes, that's right. I don't know who she was or who she was with, but she was getting it good. She was screaming it up, saying a few words between screams, all with windows wide open so all the world could hear. Yes, this was the sound of a woman in the throes of passion. I haven't heard anything like that since I lived in apartments.
My curiosity got the better of me, so as I got to the corner I decided to ride around the block. By the time I got back to the house the performance was over. Oh well...
About half-a-mile from that house, a small dog came running out of a driveway and started chasing me on my bike. A very pretty young woman in a bikini darted off the steps chasing after the dog. Not wanting to get bit, I kept biking. I was approaching a busy road and not wanting to lead the dog into traffic, I slowed down. As I approached the corner I took the risk of getting bit and stopped. I would hate to have a young lady watch her dog get run over. She ran up, scooped up her dog, and apologized profusely. It's not every day you get to see a chick running down the street in a bikini.
After my bike ride I went for a one-hour walk. I take a different route at night so I can stay off heavily-traveled roads. There's less chance of encountering a weirdo that way.
So I got my exercise for today. Exercising always makes me feel great. I love it. I probably burned at least 800 calories this evening.
7/21/2008 Eating & Exercise
Early morning snack
I got about around 3 AM hungry. I ate a Nutty Bar, one serving of chocolate pudding, and 8 oz. of milk. Total calories: 580.
Breakfast
I ate one serving of Raisin Bran with 4 oz. of milk. Total calories: 250.
Exercise
I went for a standard one-hour, four-mile walk plus a 15-minute bike ride.
Lunch
I ate another package of Nutty Bars and one serving of chocolate pudding. Total calories: 460.
Dinner
I ate two hot dogs with buns and a little ketchup and mustard. Total calories: 520.
I got about around 3 AM hungry. I ate a Nutty Bar, one serving of chocolate pudding, and 8 oz. of milk. Total calories: 580.
Breakfast
I ate one serving of Raisin Bran with 4 oz. of milk. Total calories: 250.
Exercise
I went for a standard one-hour, four-mile walk plus a 15-minute bike ride.
Lunch
I ate another package of Nutty Bars and one serving of chocolate pudding. Total calories: 460.
Dinner
I ate two hot dogs with buns and a little ketchup and mustard. Total calories: 520.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
7/20/2008 Eating & Exercise
Breakfast
I didn't have any breakfast because I slept until about 11 AM.
Lunch
I didn't eat any lunch.
Dinner
I ate Sunday dinner over at the family's house. We had grilled cod, macaroni and cheese (Kraft), and corn. I also finished off the remaining 1-liter of Coca Cola.
Exercise
No exercise yet. I am debating going for a walk around 9 PM this evening as it cools down. I'm not sure if I'll do that since I risk getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. They are particularly bad this year because of the higher than usual level of rain this spring.
I didn't have any breakfast because I slept until about 11 AM.
Lunch
I didn't eat any lunch.
Dinner
I ate Sunday dinner over at the family's house. We had grilled cod, macaroni and cheese (Kraft), and corn. I also finished off the remaining 1-liter of Coca Cola.
Exercise
No exercise yet. I am debating going for a walk around 9 PM this evening as it cools down. I'm not sure if I'll do that since I risk getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. They are particularly bad this year because of the higher than usual level of rain this spring.
7/19/2008 Eating & Exercise
Breakfast
I didn't eat breakfast this day.
Lunch
I nibbled on a couple of pieces of leftover pizza.
Dinner
I ate the remaining pizza. I also bought a 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola. I drank about 1-liter of it this evening, about 400 calories of soda.
Exercise
No exercise today other than cleaning house.
I didn't eat breakfast this day.
Lunch
I nibbled on a couple of pieces of leftover pizza.
Dinner
I ate the remaining pizza. I also bought a 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola. I drank about 1-liter of it this evening, about 400 calories of soda.
Exercise
No exercise today other than cleaning house.
Friday, July 18, 2008
7/18/2008 Eating & Exercise
Breakfast
One cup of Honey Nut Cheerios with 4 oz. of milk. Total calories: 180.
Exercise
I went for a brisk, one-hour, four-mile walk plus a one-hour bike ride. Two hours of exercise total.
Lunch
Nothing. I am starving!
Dinner
I ate 1/2 of a small sausage and pepperoni pizza. Same strategy as last week: eat half for dinner and the other half for breakfast and lunch the next day. I also ate some potato thingies. I'm not sure what they are called. I only had a few of those.
Here's an article about a guy losing weight from CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/07/18/weight.loss.sujit/index.html
He started counting calories and determined to limit himself to 1500 per day. He lost about 40 lbs., going from 193 to around 150. I, however, will end up losing more than that, starting from 225 lbs.
One cup of Honey Nut Cheerios with 4 oz. of milk. Total calories: 180.
Exercise
I went for a brisk, one-hour, four-mile walk plus a one-hour bike ride. Two hours of exercise total.
Lunch
Nothing. I am starving!
Dinner
I ate 1/2 of a small sausage and pepperoni pizza. Same strategy as last week: eat half for dinner and the other half for breakfast and lunch the next day. I also ate some potato thingies. I'm not sure what they are called. I only had a few of those.
Here's an article about a guy losing weight from CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/07/18/weight.loss.sujit/index.html
He started counting calories and determined to limit himself to 1500 per day. He lost about 40 lbs., going from 193 to around 150. I, however, will end up losing more than that, starting from 225 lbs.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
7/17/2008 Eating & Exercise
Weight
I weighed myself this morning: 190.5 lbs. I'm down almost two pounds since last week.
Breakfast
I ate one cup of Honey Nut Cheerios with 4 oz. of milk. Total calories: 180.
Exercise
I am drained this morning. I have no energy. Carrying the clothes up from the dryer was difficult. I have not exercised yet and may not due to lack of energy and fatigue. I'm not sore, I'm beat. I don't think I have the energy for a four-mile walk right now, especially given that it is very humid outside. High humidity saps my energy, too. I am on vacation the rest of this week and all of next week. Maybe I'll exercise later after I rest for a few hours.
Lunch
One cup of Honey Nut Cheerios with 4oz. of milk. Total calories: 180.
Snack
Granola bars. Total calories: 190.
Dinner
Two Burger King hamburgers (290 calories each) and a small fry (230 calories). Total calories: 810.
Total calories for the day: 1,360.
I weighed myself this morning: 190.5 lbs. I'm down almost two pounds since last week.
Breakfast
I ate one cup of Honey Nut Cheerios with 4 oz. of milk. Total calories: 180.
Exercise
I am drained this morning. I have no energy. Carrying the clothes up from the dryer was difficult. I have not exercised yet and may not due to lack of energy and fatigue. I'm not sore, I'm beat. I don't think I have the energy for a four-mile walk right now, especially given that it is very humid outside. High humidity saps my energy, too. I am on vacation the rest of this week and all of next week. Maybe I'll exercise later after I rest for a few hours.
Lunch
One cup of Honey Nut Cheerios with 4oz. of milk. Total calories: 180.
Snack
Granola bars. Total calories: 190.
Dinner
Two Burger King hamburgers (290 calories each) and a small fry (230 calories). Total calories: 810.
Total calories for the day: 1,360.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
7/16/2008 Eating & Exercise
Breakfast
I ate one serving of Honey Nut Cheerios with 4 oz. of milk. Total calories: 170.
Exercise
I went for a standard one-hour walk plus a one-hour bike ride. I probably burned 700 - 800 calories, if not a little more, during this exercise.
After exercise
I had 5 freezer pops, 25 calories each. Total calories: 125.
Lunch
I ate one serving of dry Honey Nut Cheerios with water. Total calories: 110.
Snack
I had one slice of Oscar Mayer turkey lunch meat. Total calories: 30. I also had one chocolate chip that I let slowly melt on my tongue to get my chocolate fix. Total calories: probably around 10.
I got a lot of exercise today. I usually don't exercise two hours in one day. I felt a little guilty about eating two McChicken sandwiches for yesterday's dinner, so I figured extra exercise would be my punishment. But I can't say I really consider bike riding on a beautiful summer morning to be punishment!
Getting to my goal weight is my main mission at life as of now. If I have to step it up to get there, I will. I am willing to do whatever it takes to not be fat any more.
I hate being fat. I still have to worry about dinner and tomorrow is the day I weigh myself. I'm hoping to be at 190. We shall see tomorrow morning.
Snack #2
One more slice of turkey. Calories: 30.
Dinner
Two scrambled egg and green onion sandwiches with a little butter. Total calories: 600.
Snack #3
I woke up about an hour after going to bed incredibly hungry. I was not hungry when I went to bed. I can't sleep when I am hungry, so I ate a Nutty Bar with a cup of milk. Total calories: 440.
I ate one serving of Honey Nut Cheerios with 4 oz. of milk. Total calories: 170.
Exercise
I went for a standard one-hour walk plus a one-hour bike ride. I probably burned 700 - 800 calories, if not a little more, during this exercise.
After exercise
I had 5 freezer pops, 25 calories each. Total calories: 125.
Lunch
I ate one serving of dry Honey Nut Cheerios with water. Total calories: 110.
Snack
I had one slice of Oscar Mayer turkey lunch meat. Total calories: 30. I also had one chocolate chip that I let slowly melt on my tongue to get my chocolate fix. Total calories: probably around 10.
I got a lot of exercise today. I usually don't exercise two hours in one day. I felt a little guilty about eating two McChicken sandwiches for yesterday's dinner, so I figured extra exercise would be my punishment. But I can't say I really consider bike riding on a beautiful summer morning to be punishment!
Getting to my goal weight is my main mission at life as of now. If I have to step it up to get there, I will. I am willing to do whatever it takes to not be fat any more.
I hate being fat. I still have to worry about dinner and tomorrow is the day I weigh myself. I'm hoping to be at 190. We shall see tomorrow morning.
Snack #2
One more slice of turkey. Calories: 30.
Dinner
Two scrambled egg and green onion sandwiches with a little butter. Total calories: 600.
Snack #3
I woke up about an hour after going to bed incredibly hungry. I was not hungry when I went to bed. I can't sleep when I am hungry, so I ate a Nutty Bar with a cup of milk. Total calories: 440.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
7/15/2008 Eating & Exercise
Summer is now half over.
Breakfast
I had 1-1/2 servings of Raisin Bran with 8 oz. of milk. Total calories: 405.
Exercise
I went for a standard one-hour walk this morning and a 15-minute bike ride.
After exercise snack
It was warm this morning. After exercising I wanted something quick, so I consumed 10 of those freezer popsicles. They are the ones that come in the long plastic sleeves. Each one is about 25 calories, so a total of 250 calories consumed here.
Lunch
Two cups of dry Cheerios I took to work in a plastic bag. I was not in the mood to make myself lunch this morning! Total calories: 200.
I have consumed 855 calories up through this writing. Needless to say, I am hungry! I am going to try to not pig-out on junk this evening. Maybe instead of eating I'll just snack here and there on low calorie lunch meat until I go to bed.
Dinner
I had to run out and meet someone. I ate two McChicken sandwiches (360 calories each) and a large fry (500 calories). Total calories: 1,220. Yeah, OK, I slipped up here. I should have eaten only one McChicken sandwich instead of two. But I was really hungry.
Breakfast
I had 1-1/2 servings of Raisin Bran with 8 oz. of milk. Total calories: 405.
Exercise
I went for a standard one-hour walk this morning and a 15-minute bike ride.
After exercise snack
It was warm this morning. After exercising I wanted something quick, so I consumed 10 of those freezer popsicles. They are the ones that come in the long plastic sleeves. Each one is about 25 calories, so a total of 250 calories consumed here.
Lunch
Two cups of dry Cheerios I took to work in a plastic bag. I was not in the mood to make myself lunch this morning! Total calories: 200.
I have consumed 855 calories up through this writing. Needless to say, I am hungry! I am going to try to not pig-out on junk this evening. Maybe instead of eating I'll just snack here and there on low calorie lunch meat until I go to bed.
Dinner
I had to run out and meet someone. I ate two McChicken sandwiches (360 calories each) and a large fry (500 calories). Total calories: 1,220. Yeah, OK, I slipped up here. I should have eaten only one McChicken sandwich instead of two. But I was really hungry.
Monday, July 14, 2008
7/14/2008 Eating & Exercise
Exercise
No exercise today. My left hamstring muscle is sore. Strangely, my right one is not.
Breakfast
I had two servings of Fruity Cheerios with 1/2 cup of skim milk. Total calories: 250.
Lunch
One turkey sandwich. Two slices of turkey lunchmeat (30 calories per slice) between two slices of bread (70 calories per slice) with water to drink. Total calories: 200.
Exercise Part II
I didn't plan on exercising today. It was so nice outside. I feel guilty if I don't exercise, like I am cheating myself. So I went on a 1/2 bike ride. I couldn't ride longer because my knee was hurting.
Dinner
Here is where I messed up for the day. I was really hungry, having eaten little, and tired from the bike ride in the heat. I ate two Little Debbie Nutty Bars (320 calories each) with 16 oz. of 2% milk (120 calories per 8 oz. serving). Total calories: 880.
No exercise today. My left hamstring muscle is sore. Strangely, my right one is not.
Breakfast
I had two servings of Fruity Cheerios with 1/2 cup of skim milk. Total calories: 250.
Lunch
One turkey sandwich. Two slices of turkey lunchmeat (30 calories per slice) between two slices of bread (70 calories per slice) with water to drink. Total calories: 200.
Exercise Part II
I didn't plan on exercising today. It was so nice outside. I feel guilty if I don't exercise, like I am cheating myself. So I went on a 1/2 bike ride. I couldn't ride longer because my knee was hurting.
Dinner
Here is where I messed up for the day. I was really hungry, having eaten little, and tired from the bike ride in the heat. I ate two Little Debbie Nutty Bars (320 calories each) with 16 oz. of 2% milk (120 calories per 8 oz. serving). Total calories: 880.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
7/13/2008 Eating & Exercise
Pre-exercise snack
I wasn't really hungry for breakfast, so I ate the last remaining frosting-covered brownie before I did my exercise for the day. Total calories: probably about 250, just a wild guess.
Exercise
I did my standard one-hour, four-mile walk today. It was a gorgeous morning, cool and sunny with a strong breeze. There was no way I could waste the morning by not exercising outside.
I also did a 15-minute bike ride. I couldn't do any more than that because my knee was hurting.
Breakfast
I had one cup of Raisin Bran with 1/2 cup of 2% milk. Total calories: 250.
I think I'm going to try sticking only to foods where I can figure out the calorie content. That will help me avoid eating junk like frosting-covered brownies. I'll have to look up the approximate calorie content of fruits and vegetables. Counting calories and putting it on the blog will help me track my daily caloric intake. I'm not wild about the idea of counting calories, but a brownie here and a piece of chocolate cake there can really add up and defeat the purpose of being on a diet or weight-loss plan.
Lunch
All I had was a peaches and strawberry gelatin fruit cup. Total calories: 90.
Dinner
I had dinner with family members. We had a pork loin, instant au gratin potatoes, instant pasta salad, and green beens. I ate half for dinner and took the other half home and ate that before bedtime.
I wasn't really hungry for breakfast, so I ate the last remaining frosting-covered brownie before I did my exercise for the day. Total calories: probably about 250, just a wild guess.
Exercise
I did my standard one-hour, four-mile walk today. It was a gorgeous morning, cool and sunny with a strong breeze. There was no way I could waste the morning by not exercising outside.
I also did a 15-minute bike ride. I couldn't do any more than that because my knee was hurting.
Breakfast
I had one cup of Raisin Bran with 1/2 cup of 2% milk. Total calories: 250.
I think I'm going to try sticking only to foods where I can figure out the calorie content. That will help me avoid eating junk like frosting-covered brownies. I'll have to look up the approximate calorie content of fruits and vegetables. Counting calories and putting it on the blog will help me track my daily caloric intake. I'm not wild about the idea of counting calories, but a brownie here and a piece of chocolate cake there can really add up and defeat the purpose of being on a diet or weight-loss plan.
Lunch
All I had was a peaches and strawberry gelatin fruit cup. Total calories: 90.
Dinner
I had dinner with family members. We had a pork loin, instant au gratin potatoes, instant pasta salad, and green beens. I ate half for dinner and took the other half home and ate that before bedtime.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
7/12/2008 Eating & Exercise
Breakfast
For breakfast I ate about 1/2 of the remaining pizza. That's about a quarter of the total. I'll finish the last quarter for lunch along with an apple or some blueberries. And of course, I drank my beverage of choice these days: water.
Exercise
My leg muscles are a little sore this morning. It is nice and cool, about 63F, so it was kind of a shame to waste such a beautiful, cool morning by not walking. Instead of walking I did my muscle exercises. I did abdominal crunches, buttock exercises, arm curls (10 each arm with a 20 lb. weight), back lifts (lay on your stomach and lift your upper body), and 15 pushups. Total time: less than 15 minutes. As I said before, I'm not out to put on a lot of bulk right now. I want to maintain the muscle I have and if I put on a little, that is good since muscle burns calories. Exercising my muscles is important, but losing the fat is my main goal.
Lunch
I finished the remaining pizza from the night before. I also had a small fruit cup of mandarin oranges.
Dinner
I didn't eat much for dinner. I had a bowl of cereal.
Before bedtime snack
This is where I did something I shouldn't have. I ate a small brownie and small piece of chocolate cake and a cookie, all with frosting on them, from a family get-together. I didn't eat anything there, but I did take a few things home. I would have to guess the calories from these things probably between 600 - 800. Not going to do this often.
For breakfast I ate about 1/2 of the remaining pizza. That's about a quarter of the total. I'll finish the last quarter for lunch along with an apple or some blueberries. And of course, I drank my beverage of choice these days: water.
Exercise
My leg muscles are a little sore this morning. It is nice and cool, about 63F, so it was kind of a shame to waste such a beautiful, cool morning by not walking. Instead of walking I did my muscle exercises. I did abdominal crunches, buttock exercises, arm curls (10 each arm with a 20 lb. weight), back lifts (lay on your stomach and lift your upper body), and 15 pushups. Total time: less than 15 minutes. As I said before, I'm not out to put on a lot of bulk right now. I want to maintain the muscle I have and if I put on a little, that is good since muscle burns calories. Exercising my muscles is important, but losing the fat is my main goal.
Lunch
I finished the remaining pizza from the night before. I also had a small fruit cup of mandarin oranges.
Dinner
I didn't eat much for dinner. I had a bowl of cereal.
Before bedtime snack
This is where I did something I shouldn't have. I ate a small brownie and small piece of chocolate cake and a cookie, all with frosting on them, from a family get-together. I didn't eat anything there, but I did take a few things home. I would have to guess the calories from these things probably between 600 - 800. Not going to do this often.
Friday, July 11, 2008
7/11/2008 Eating And Exercise
Breakfast
I finished another 1/3rd of last night's leftover Asian food. I flirted with the idea of a bowl of Cheerios, but if I make a plan I like to stick to it. The plan was Asian food for breakfast, so that's what I did.
Exercise
Today is not a good day for me. It rained early this morning leaving the ground wet when I awoke. I decided to go for a short bike ride before I started my 1 hour walk to get myself warmed up. About 1/2 block from home my right foot slipped off the pedal and got lodged in the front wheel spokes. I wasn't going that fast, not more than 10 miles per hour, but it was enough to cause me to fly off the bike. I landed standing with my left foot on the ground and my right foot still caught in the spokes, twisting my knee in the process. Right now my knee is sore. It feels like there is a little swelling inside the knee, but it isn't painful to the point that I think I tore anything. I better rest the knee today and skip the exercise (something I'm not happy about!). I took a sick day today so I'll keep my leg straight and lie in bed most of the day, hoping my knee gets better so I can go for a walk tomorrow morning to make up for what I missed out on today.
Total exercise thus far this week: four one-hour walks and two one-hour bike rides. A total of six hours of exercise this week in four days. Not too bad. I just hope that my knee isn't damaged because I would hate to have to abandon the exercise which is the most important part of any weight loss plan. In fact, I've actually grown to love exercise. It's something I look forward to.
Exercise Part II
My knee was feeling a bit better, so I did go for a one hour walk around noon. It was hot and humid. I was dripping sweat. The cool shower afterward felt great. It was a good walk except for one thing. There was this fly buzzing around my head constantly as I walked on the path along the lake. It's about a half-mile path. Halfway through the path I couldn't take any more of that fly, so I hopped on my bike (I walked with the bike today because of my knee) and rode around the block, losing that fly. I got back on the path at the exact point I left it so as to not miss any distance of the walk. That damn fly was waiting for me! It continued to buzz around my head, landing on my face, neck, shoulder, back, wherever, until just after I got off the path. Then it disappeared.
I said that today wasn't a good day.
Lunch
I finished the final 1/3rd of the leftover Asian food and had three slices of a large tomato, lightly salted and peppered.
Dinner
For dinner I ate 1/2 of a small pepperoni and sausage pizza. I didn't consume very many calories up until this point. The pizza was small, maybe a little bigger than a what a personal pizza would be, but not much bigger. I plan on eating the rest for breakfast and lunch the next day.
I finished another 1/3rd of last night's leftover Asian food. I flirted with the idea of a bowl of Cheerios, but if I make a plan I like to stick to it. The plan was Asian food for breakfast, so that's what I did.
Exercise
Today is not a good day for me. It rained early this morning leaving the ground wet when I awoke. I decided to go for a short bike ride before I started my 1 hour walk to get myself warmed up. About 1/2 block from home my right foot slipped off the pedal and got lodged in the front wheel spokes. I wasn't going that fast, not more than 10 miles per hour, but it was enough to cause me to fly off the bike. I landed standing with my left foot on the ground and my right foot still caught in the spokes, twisting my knee in the process. Right now my knee is sore. It feels like there is a little swelling inside the knee, but it isn't painful to the point that I think I tore anything. I better rest the knee today and skip the exercise (something I'm not happy about!). I took a sick day today so I'll keep my leg straight and lie in bed most of the day, hoping my knee gets better so I can go for a walk tomorrow morning to make up for what I missed out on today.
Total exercise thus far this week: four one-hour walks and two one-hour bike rides. A total of six hours of exercise this week in four days. Not too bad. I just hope that my knee isn't damaged because I would hate to have to abandon the exercise which is the most important part of any weight loss plan. In fact, I've actually grown to love exercise. It's something I look forward to.
Exercise Part II
My knee was feeling a bit better, so I did go for a one hour walk around noon. It was hot and humid. I was dripping sweat. The cool shower afterward felt great. It was a good walk except for one thing. There was this fly buzzing around my head constantly as I walked on the path along the lake. It's about a half-mile path. Halfway through the path I couldn't take any more of that fly, so I hopped on my bike (I walked with the bike today because of my knee) and rode around the block, losing that fly. I got back on the path at the exact point I left it so as to not miss any distance of the walk. That damn fly was waiting for me! It continued to buzz around my head, landing on my face, neck, shoulder, back, wherever, until just after I got off the path. Then it disappeared.
I said that today wasn't a good day.
Lunch
I finished the final 1/3rd of the leftover Asian food and had three slices of a large tomato, lightly salted and peppered.
Dinner
For dinner I ate 1/2 of a small pepperoni and sausage pizza. I didn't consume very many calories up until this point. The pizza was small, maybe a little bigger than a what a personal pizza would be, but not much bigger. I plan on eating the rest for breakfast and lunch the next day.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
7/10/2008 Eating And Exercise
This morning for breakfast I ate something I don't normally eat: strawberry shortcake with a little vanilla ice cream. It was delicious! I don't normally eat dessert for breakfast, but I thought it would be good just for today. It satisfied my hunger and any craving for junk food that I might have had. Total calories: between 300 - 350.
I didn't get any exercise this morning because I have exercised every day since Sunday. My body is sore. Sunday through Wednesday I went for one hour walks in the morning. On Monday and Wednesday I also went for aggressive one hour bike rides in addition to the walks.
Regular exercise is important, but a day of rest for the body to recuperate is important as well.
Dinner
I had Asian takeout for dinner tonight. I got a big styrofoam dish full of food. Fried rice, lo mein, sweet and sour chicken (breaded), General Tzo's Chicken, some stuffed dumpling things, and an eggroll. Does this sound like diet food? No. But here's the deal: I didn't eat the entire dish in one sitting. In order to do that I would have had to stuff myself to the point I felt sick. I don't like eating until I feel terrible.
What I did is divide the meal up at home into thirds. I ate 1/3rd for dinner, reserved 1/3rd for breakfast the next morning, and the last 1/3rd for lunch. Good food is good food. What you eat isn't as important as how much you eat, as long as you aren't eating candy bars or other junk. Instead of gorging on one giant meal, I plan to make it into three small meals.
Portion control is a critical component of any weight loss plan. Eat just enough to satisfy the hunger and fuel your body and not one single bite more!
I didn't get any exercise this morning because I have exercised every day since Sunday. My body is sore. Sunday through Wednesday I went for one hour walks in the morning. On Monday and Wednesday I also went for aggressive one hour bike rides in addition to the walks.
Regular exercise is important, but a day of rest for the body to recuperate is important as well.
Dinner
I had Asian takeout for dinner tonight. I got a big styrofoam dish full of food. Fried rice, lo mein, sweet and sour chicken (breaded), General Tzo's Chicken, some stuffed dumpling things, and an eggroll. Does this sound like diet food? No. But here's the deal: I didn't eat the entire dish in one sitting. In order to do that I would have had to stuff myself to the point I felt sick. I don't like eating until I feel terrible.
What I did is divide the meal up at home into thirds. I ate 1/3rd for dinner, reserved 1/3rd for breakfast the next morning, and the last 1/3rd for lunch. Good food is good food. What you eat isn't as important as how much you eat, as long as you aren't eating candy bars or other junk. Instead of gorging on one giant meal, I plan to make it into three small meals.
Portion control is a critical component of any weight loss plan. Eat just enough to satisfy the hunger and fuel your body and not one single bite more!
Join Me And Lose Weight With Me!
Hello and welcome! I set up this blog as a document of my journey in losing the weight I have put on the past few years. I also would like others who are trying to lose weight to join me so we can encourage each other in our journey.
Losing weight won't always be easy. There are years of bad habits to break that have become ingrained into our personalities and ways of life. But it is possible to lose the weight and I will show you how I am doing it.
How did I get fat?
I got fat the way most people get fat: junk food, poor eating habits, and lack of regular exercise.
My diet of junk food started when I was in college. I was young, always on the go, and either at school, working, or studying. I needed something to keep me awake, so I relied on soda pop. Mountain Dew was my preference. As I was always pressed for time, I relied on fast food to sustain me. There were times when I would eat at McDonald's three times a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As of this writing I haven't eaten at McDonald's for months.
When I was 21 years old I was still rail thin. I had almost no body fat. Just so you know, I am a male. I could fit into a 28 inch waist pair of Levi jeans. They were skin tight, but I could fit into them without any fat rolls hanging over the waistband. When I was 20 years old I weighed only 130 pounds at 5 feet 10 inches tall. That was when I started putting on weight.
Unfortunately, my poor eating habits and lack of exercise stuck with me after college. I still relied on soda pop to get me through the day, switching to Coca-Cola from Mountain Dew. I still ate fast food almost every day. I rarely exercised because I was always tired from work at the office.
In March of 2008 my weight topped out at 225 lbs. In ten years I went from 130 lbs. to 225 lbs., a weight gain of 95 lbs! I had a generous-sized belly, my face looked bloated, I looked like crap and I felt like crap.
That month I made a conscious decision: I was going to lose weight. And not only lose weight and ugly fat, but I vowed to keep it off.
My progress so far
When I decided to diet in mid-March 2008, I weighed 225 lbs. As of this morning (July 10th) I weigh 192 lbs. I have lost 33 pounds of fat and four inches off my waistline in four months.
Nothing encourages you to lose more weight than losing weight. That is why the first few weeks of any weight-loss program are so difficult. You don't see immediate results and you get discouraged.
One other thing I've learned is to not weigh myself every day. Losing fat and inches is the real benchmark, not the number on the scale. When you consume food and water, your weight will rise. Seeing the number on the scale two or three pounds higher than the day before does nothing but discourage me. Weighing myself once or twice a week is all I need to verify the progress I am making.
My goal
The goal I started with was to end the year 2008 weighing 160 lbs. An important thing in weight loss is to not set unrealistic goals. A goal of losing 10 lbs. a month is achievable by me and everyone else. A goal of losing 25 lbs. a month is not realistic and will only discourage you.
I think 160 lbs. would be a suitable weight given my height of 5 feet 10 inches. But if I go lower than that, say to 150 lbs., I will not be complaining.
So I set a realistic, attainable goal of losing 10 lbs. per month and I am very close to it having lost 33 lbs. in just under four months.
Losing fat, not muscle
As most people know, the goal of weight loss is not to lose muscle, but to lose fat. As such, it is important to exercise regularly, but not to the point of overdoing it or wearing yourself out.
I do a brisk, one-hour, four-mile walk no less than three times a week, usually five times a week. I do this in the morning before work, rain or shine. As long as it isn't raining too hard or there is lightning, I will grab an umbrella and walk even in the rain. I actually enjoy walking in the rain.
A walk is less strenuous than jogging or an aggressive bike ride. If you exercise early in the day, you don't want to drain yourself of the energy you need to make it through the day. A brisk walk will give you the exercise you need to burn calories and raise your metabolism so you continue to burn calories during the day while not expending all of your energy.
Right now I don't do a whole lot of weight training. Why? Because being a male, I put on muscle rather easily. I don't want lots of muscle under the fat making me look fatter. I'm not out to be Mr. Universe, anyway, but I do want to be lean with good muscle tone. The muscle tone will come later, after I lose the fat.
Once a week I do abdominal crunches, buttock exercises, push-ups, and arm curls with dumbbells. My muscles are a little bigger than they were when I started my weight-loss program and I can feel the firmness under the fat. But I do not want to go overboard on the muscle-building because more muscle does burn more calories--which is a good thing--but too much muscle gain too fast can push your appetite into overdrive. That's the last thing I want at this time.
My eating: not depriving myself
When I eat, I don't deprive myself of the things I crave. I don't eat horrible diet food, either. I eat sensibly and not more than it takes to satisfy my hunger. I consider food to be fuel for my body, not for recreation. I try to eat good foods when I can: fresh vegetables, whole grain cereals, meat, 2% milk, granola bars, fruits, etc.
Instead of eating six cookies like I used to do, I eat two. Instead of two giant bowls of cereal, I'll eat one normal-sized bowl. I don't waste time worrying about cutting every single calorie I can out of my meals. If I want a little full-fat mayonnaise, I'll have a little. If I want to sprinkle a little sugar on my Cheerios, I do that.
I don't eat tofu, rice cakes, or anything else unsatisfying. When you are trying to lose weight, you don't want to make yourself miserable in the process. Your body craves fats, sugar, and junk food. Having a little bit of that--as long as it is a little--is not a bad thing. You will satisfy your craving and your mind will be focused elsewhere than your growling stomach.
Sensible eating combined with regular exercise is a proven, sure-fire way to lose weight for anyone, male, female, extremely over-weight, or just a little over-weight.
I used to drink between one and two 2-liter bottles of Coca-Cola a day, every day. I would sip Coke all day long. Now I hardly touch the stuff. I might buy one 2-liter bottle of Coke at the end of a week to enjoy with my weekend meals. Other than that I don't touch that fattening soda. One 2-liter bottle of Coke contains 800 calories. Cutting out the Coke was probably the most important thing I did to lose weight. I also ate a lot of junk food, but there is no arguing that 800 - 1,600 calories of soda pop per day is way too much.
Instead of drinking Coke, I drink tea and water. I sip water all day long now, not that caloric sugar water. It took a little getting used to not having that delicious tasting Coke in my mouth all day. After a week or two I no longer craved Coke. Water suits me just fine.
Thank you for joining me!
I hope you will stop back regularly to check on my progress. I will be updating this every day or every other day. I will document my weight-loss, my exercise regimen, and the foods I eat. You will see how I lose weight without depriving myself and making myself miserable.
You can do it, too. We can do it together. Posts are open for comments, so please feel free to leave a message of encouragement, or criticism, should you be so inclined.
Thank you for joining me on my weight-loss journey!
Losing weight won't always be easy. There are years of bad habits to break that have become ingrained into our personalities and ways of life. But it is possible to lose the weight and I will show you how I am doing it.
How did I get fat?
I got fat the way most people get fat: junk food, poor eating habits, and lack of regular exercise.
My diet of junk food started when I was in college. I was young, always on the go, and either at school, working, or studying. I needed something to keep me awake, so I relied on soda pop. Mountain Dew was my preference. As I was always pressed for time, I relied on fast food to sustain me. There were times when I would eat at McDonald's three times a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As of this writing I haven't eaten at McDonald's for months.
When I was 21 years old I was still rail thin. I had almost no body fat. Just so you know, I am a male. I could fit into a 28 inch waist pair of Levi jeans. They were skin tight, but I could fit into them without any fat rolls hanging over the waistband. When I was 20 years old I weighed only 130 pounds at 5 feet 10 inches tall. That was when I started putting on weight.
Unfortunately, my poor eating habits and lack of exercise stuck with me after college. I still relied on soda pop to get me through the day, switching to Coca-Cola from Mountain Dew. I still ate fast food almost every day. I rarely exercised because I was always tired from work at the office.
In March of 2008 my weight topped out at 225 lbs. In ten years I went from 130 lbs. to 225 lbs., a weight gain of 95 lbs! I had a generous-sized belly, my face looked bloated, I looked like crap and I felt like crap.
That month I made a conscious decision: I was going to lose weight. And not only lose weight and ugly fat, but I vowed to keep it off.
My progress so far
When I decided to diet in mid-March 2008, I weighed 225 lbs. As of this morning (July 10th) I weigh 192 lbs. I have lost 33 pounds of fat and four inches off my waistline in four months.
Nothing encourages you to lose more weight than losing weight. That is why the first few weeks of any weight-loss program are so difficult. You don't see immediate results and you get discouraged.
One other thing I've learned is to not weigh myself every day. Losing fat and inches is the real benchmark, not the number on the scale. When you consume food and water, your weight will rise. Seeing the number on the scale two or three pounds higher than the day before does nothing but discourage me. Weighing myself once or twice a week is all I need to verify the progress I am making.
My goal
The goal I started with was to end the year 2008 weighing 160 lbs. An important thing in weight loss is to not set unrealistic goals. A goal of losing 10 lbs. a month is achievable by me and everyone else. A goal of losing 25 lbs. a month is not realistic and will only discourage you.
I think 160 lbs. would be a suitable weight given my height of 5 feet 10 inches. But if I go lower than that, say to 150 lbs., I will not be complaining.
So I set a realistic, attainable goal of losing 10 lbs. per month and I am very close to it having lost 33 lbs. in just under four months.
Losing fat, not muscle
As most people know, the goal of weight loss is not to lose muscle, but to lose fat. As such, it is important to exercise regularly, but not to the point of overdoing it or wearing yourself out.
I do a brisk, one-hour, four-mile walk no less than three times a week, usually five times a week. I do this in the morning before work, rain or shine. As long as it isn't raining too hard or there is lightning, I will grab an umbrella and walk even in the rain. I actually enjoy walking in the rain.
A walk is less strenuous than jogging or an aggressive bike ride. If you exercise early in the day, you don't want to drain yourself of the energy you need to make it through the day. A brisk walk will give you the exercise you need to burn calories and raise your metabolism so you continue to burn calories during the day while not expending all of your energy.
Right now I don't do a whole lot of weight training. Why? Because being a male, I put on muscle rather easily. I don't want lots of muscle under the fat making me look fatter. I'm not out to be Mr. Universe, anyway, but I do want to be lean with good muscle tone. The muscle tone will come later, after I lose the fat.
Once a week I do abdominal crunches, buttock exercises, push-ups, and arm curls with dumbbells. My muscles are a little bigger than they were when I started my weight-loss program and I can feel the firmness under the fat. But I do not want to go overboard on the muscle-building because more muscle does burn more calories--which is a good thing--but too much muscle gain too fast can push your appetite into overdrive. That's the last thing I want at this time.
My eating: not depriving myself
When I eat, I don't deprive myself of the things I crave. I don't eat horrible diet food, either. I eat sensibly and not more than it takes to satisfy my hunger. I consider food to be fuel for my body, not for recreation. I try to eat good foods when I can: fresh vegetables, whole grain cereals, meat, 2% milk, granola bars, fruits, etc.
Instead of eating six cookies like I used to do, I eat two. Instead of two giant bowls of cereal, I'll eat one normal-sized bowl. I don't waste time worrying about cutting every single calorie I can out of my meals. If I want a little full-fat mayonnaise, I'll have a little. If I want to sprinkle a little sugar on my Cheerios, I do that.
I don't eat tofu, rice cakes, or anything else unsatisfying. When you are trying to lose weight, you don't want to make yourself miserable in the process. Your body craves fats, sugar, and junk food. Having a little bit of that--as long as it is a little--is not a bad thing. You will satisfy your craving and your mind will be focused elsewhere than your growling stomach.
Sensible eating combined with regular exercise is a proven, sure-fire way to lose weight for anyone, male, female, extremely over-weight, or just a little over-weight.
I used to drink between one and two 2-liter bottles of Coca-Cola a day, every day. I would sip Coke all day long. Now I hardly touch the stuff. I might buy one 2-liter bottle of Coke at the end of a week to enjoy with my weekend meals. Other than that I don't touch that fattening soda. One 2-liter bottle of Coke contains 800 calories. Cutting out the Coke was probably the most important thing I did to lose weight. I also ate a lot of junk food, but there is no arguing that 800 - 1,600 calories of soda pop per day is way too much.
Instead of drinking Coke, I drink tea and water. I sip water all day long now, not that caloric sugar water. It took a little getting used to not having that delicious tasting Coke in my mouth all day. After a week or two I no longer craved Coke. Water suits me just fine.
Thank you for joining me!
I hope you will stop back regularly to check on my progress. I will be updating this every day or every other day. I will document my weight-loss, my exercise regimen, and the foods I eat. You will see how I lose weight without depriving myself and making myself miserable.
You can do it, too. We can do it together. Posts are open for comments, so please feel free to leave a message of encouragement, or criticism, should you be so inclined.
Thank you for joining me on my weight-loss journey!
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