The New Me's Typical Day of Eating

This was originally an email..but others have asked me the same thing, so following is what is a typical day of eating like for me..and also entails of the dietary changes I made to help get me where I am.

As far as what I ate, I try to eat every few (I've settled on every 2) hours to keep my metabolism revved up..Not full meals, just something.

Eating every few hours gets your metabolism revved up, and your body will burn what you take in much much faster.

A typical day is something like this:

Breakfast (usually 6a) - One of the following

Maple/Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal

Maple/Brown Sugar Instant Cream of Wheat

1 container (Single Serve) of Nonfat Yogurt - I like Yoplait

Egg Whites (no eggs) - Equivalent to about 2-3 Eggs I guess.

1/2 or 1 Pancake (depends on my appetite)

Snack (Usually 8a/9a) - One of the following

Piece of Fruit - Apple, Banana, Some Strawberries, Some Grapes, Cup of Applesauce, Some Carrots, Some Celery, Raisins, Etc.

Usually a small single serving portion size - IE 4 or 6 Strawberries, 10 Grapes, 5 Mini Carrots, etc

Lunch (Usually 11a/1130a)

Cup of Soup - The Healthy Choice ones are pretty good, esp the Tomato Basil

Cup of Chicken Broth + Piece of Fruit (The broth isnt that filling so if I am still hungry, I have an apple or banana)

Small portion of Leftovers From Dinner - Some Veggies and 1/2 piece of chicken, for example

Salad with Fat Free Dressing (I wont touch Dressing unless its Fat Free)

Snack (Usually 2p or 3p) - One of the following

Piece of Fruit - Apple, Banana, Some Strawberries, Some Grapes, Cup of Applesauce, Some Raisins

Dinner (Usually 5p or 530p)

I use a small plate (like a side dish or saucer size) to control my portions

Piece of Chicken and some Vegetables - The vegetables should take up about 1/2 the plate

"Vegan" Chicken - I buy it at places like Wild Oats, Sprouts - Organic Food Stores. Tastes like chicken, but made of vegetables.

Very low in fat

If I go out, I usually end up with a salad or piece of chicken and I make substitutions as needed

-Salad - Fat Free Dressing only, remove Croutons, Cheese, and Egg

-Chicken - Plain no Sauce, Get Steamed Vegetables instead of anything Fried

I eat almost exclusively white meat chicken...I pick off the skin. Dark Meat I had read was less healthy than White, so thats why I switched.

Dessert

Fat Free Pudding

Sugar Free Rice Pudding (it only has 70calories and 1g of Fat - Regular Rice Pudding has about 200 calories)

More Fruit, Raisins, etc

I try not to eat after about 730p or 8p, but I am not always successful.

My body is so used to eating every few hours that I get hungry.

so If I do, I try to limit myself to only fruits and vegetables.

Cut Out Soda (I dont know if you drink it or not) - When I gave it up, it was my first 15 lbs.

Drink lots of water

I monitor how much Fat, especially Saturated and Trans Fats are in the foods I eat.

Saturated and Trans Fats are BAD - Have as little as possible

ANY kind of UNsaturated Fat is the GOOD Fat - You Need those - Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated

I monitor how much cholesterol is in what I eat.

This is why I gave up eggs and Red Meat.

But anything in moderation, so you can still continue to eat those as long as you don't overdo it.

For me, they just arent a part of my lifestyle anymore.

I originally eliminated all sweets..for the 1st 6 months, now Im not quite so restrictive.

But the huge cut in my portion size plus the Working Out gave me a double whammy and helped me to lose so quickly.

I eat what I want, in moderation..and I use working out to balance it out.

But I eat some healthier alternatives like these:

Special K puts out a line of Cereal Bars that are quite tasty - Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Pretzel, Strawberry - all are about 90 calories and only a 1.5grams or so of Fat. Delicious and Low in Fat!

Fiber One puts out Brownies that are only 90 calories. Not the same as real ones, but pretty close.

Watch the breads..Breads are Carbs and once you digest them, they make you gain (and not lose) weight.

Try to switch to Wheat or MultiGrain

I use the Multigrain Sandwich Thins and the Wheat Bagel Thins - About 100 calories per serving (2 pieces) versus about 250 for a regular bagel. Many companies make them - I think Nature's Bounty and Sarah Lee and Thomas'

Watch the other carbs too

-Breads

-Rice

-Pasta

Limiting these will also help. In a dietary sense, Carbs are BAD!

Ask for Brown Rice instead of white (its better, and falls in the multigrain family - can help lower cholesterol)

I no longer use butter, margarine, or any subsitute - althhough Promise is supposed to be the best one.

Oil wise, I use Canola oil because I tried Olive Oil (which is the best) but I can't stand the taste.

When I need to sautee or fry something - I just Canola Oil flavored Pam - Chicken, Vegetables, etc

I know there is much more...the blog that you got emailed is on the internet at www.projectjmz.blogspot.com

and my older posts have some more hints that helped me - Feel free to read thru if you like.

and of course, you can always ask.

This is all stuff I learned as part of my journey.

It Never Ceases to Amaze Me...

when people tell me how much I motivate them, that their motivation in turn continues to inspire me.

I was on the fence about working out this afternoon, as the Trainer rescheduled on me. I had already worked out yesterday (Weights and Cardio), so I was thinking maybe I should take today off and rest and go back tomorrow. But, I was all Revved up with no place to go, so I figured I might as well workout since I already felt like it, and Everytime I have ignored my urge to workout, I end up dreaming about it and waking up the next morning feeling incomplete. How's that for dedication?

So, I started to do the full workout (30 Minutes of Weights and Exercises, 35 Minutes of Elliptical)..but my 38 year old bones were cracking a little too much so I decided to give the Weights a rest and just do Elliptical..since at this point, getting on the Elliptical is like walking or breathing ;-)

I was just leaving the Gym when the Maintenance Guy for my Apartment Complex stopped me on my way out and asked me, How did I lose all my weight. I see him all the time through the windows of the Fitness Center, so apparently he noticed my progress too. After I explained how I cut my portion size, also began eating multiple times a day, every few hours...He shook my hand and said how proud he was and that he was so glad to see me prove that it can be done, the natural "weigh." He further said he had a few pounds to lose and watching my progress motivated him and he was gooing to begin adopting some of my healthier habits.

Sometimes, its the random people who you never realize how much you impact them. And how much they can impact you in the same moment.

Sometimes All it Takes is a Photo....

On Tuesday, I had no motivation to work out...So I pulled out some old photos. Voila, Instant Motivation! Looking at it sent me right back to the gym!!

First Picture - September 2006

(Same Shirt in both)

Second Picture - June 2011

The Trials and Tribulations of Weight Loss

In some ways, this journey through diet/lifestyle change and exercise is one of the hardest things I've ever gone thru.

The benefits and rewards are outstanding...I've lost 55 lbs as of last Friday, I eat much much healthier..I am conscious of what I'm eating.. I'm now treating my body as the temple it deserves to be.

The setbacks, however, seem to affect me much more than I would have expected.. Ankle/Foot pain temporarily derailing my exercise efforts, gaining a pound or two which brings my motivation down, finding out I'm not eating enough calories to sustain my weight loss. The roadblocks seem to really hurt. One thing I'm trying to learn is not to be so hard on myself, but it is not so easy. I've come a long way..but I have a ways I would like to go yet. It reminds of when I used to come home from school and exclaim "I failed the test" and then find out my grade was a 94.

As one of my friends on a similar journey said, "I celebrate every pound down I go, and curse each pound that comes back on."

I've made further changes a result of the setbacks.

-Cutting exercise down from 6 days a week to 4-5

(However I have increased the intensity of the workout, and I burn around 600-700 calories

per workout over 45-60 minutes)

-Attempting to increase daily number of calories consumed

This is so much harder than I thought. After all those years of overeating and eating whatever I wanted, I find it much more difficult to eat more now. I've made a conscious decision (from the start) to cut my portion size and eat less...and now finding that I have to eat more is a

challenge - trying to find ways to mix up meals and add calories without necessarily adding

too much fat or cholesterol.

The night we went to Sweet Tomatoes, I had no problems at all reaching 1200 calories. But

mostly I struggle to eat enough...even though I've increased some..its still not good enough.

What I decided to do was to increase the amount (portion size) of my meals, as I feel I

already eat frequently enough throughout the day (approximately 5-6 times, every 2-3 hours).

I find it so funny that my problem is now the exact opposite of what it was just 3 months ago.

(and there are definitely worse problems to have than having to force myself to eat more!) LOL.

Today I'm trying adding a Protein/Energy Bar and see what affect that has.

Tomorrow's Protein Bar of Choice is Cookie Dough Flavored.. YUMM!

PS Now that I vented I feel much better :-) Who knew spilling your guts to a blog could be so therapeutic.

From Over to Under

More ironies..I've been monitoring how many calories I've eaten over the past few days...I can't believe it, but now my problem instead of eating too much is that I'm not eating enough (calories).

It makes me laugh, how far in the opposite direction I've gone...I feel like I'm the polar opposite of myself.

My shirts and shorts continue to get bigger on me. And the big thrill over the weekend was trying on, and fitting into a Large T Shirt. Just need to lose a few more pounds and I would be able to comfortably buy one. I can't wait! Can't even remember the last time I was able to wear a large. Probably Middle or High School?

I'm using www.myfitnesspal.com to track my progress...I set a record for myself and split my workout into 2 sessions...849 total calories burned today.. WOO HOO!

I'm working hard this week to meet my next goal, which is only a few pounds away.

Who needs Bob and Jillian, anyway!

More Helpful Hints

Portion Control

--Use Small Plates and Bowls

--I try to avoid "seconds" of anything, but if I do, its a veggie, or salad dish not a "meat" dish

Slow Down When You Eat

This was one of the hardest parts for me. I am a fast eater so I had to find a way to force

myself to slow down

--Take a Single Bite, and Chew Thoroughly

--Take a Sip of Your Drink between Every Bite

--When You Take a Bite, Put the Fork DOWN and chew

Then Take A Sip of Water/Drink

When you have completely finished swallowing, then pick up the fork again

(It sounds so basic..but it works)

You'll also get fuller quicker, because you are savoring every bite, instead of rushing.

General Eating Healthier Hints

There are times I still emotional eat..but now instead of choosing a Wine Cooler and Raw Cookie Dough..I use fresh vegetables - carrots, and especially strawberries are comforting and delicious

I've heard from multiple people "Anything in Moderation" - although I don't practice it.. So if you want chocolate or a donut - have a bite, or a half a piece, but no more. I've gone without for so long that I am afraid if I have it..I will re-develop cravings for those items.

When I crave something sweet, I substitute the following:

--Fruit

--Candy Fruit Slices (ie Orange Flavor) - It has carbs, but no Fat and no Cholesterol.

(I only have these rarely)

--Sherbet/Sorbet. I always keep it on hand now - Lime, Orange and Lemon are my Favorites

I do have "Splurge" Meals - but over time, even my splurge meals have gotten healthier. I used to think "I'll just work it off tomorrow" but now I'm at the point where I don't even want to take those calories in and HAVE TO work it off later. I initially "allowed" myself one splurge a week, but they have definitely gotten healthier, and fewer and farther between the more the weight has come off.

Exercise/Working Out

--Start out Small, and Work your way up.

--When you're ready, increase in 5 minute increments (it won't seem so big that way)

--There are days I dont really feel like going. But once I've worked out, I ALWAYS feel better

--Vary your Workout. Mix Things Up - So your body doesnt get used to it.

If you do the same thing all the time, your body gets used it..

Mix things up to keep your body challenged and losing weight

This includes varying the times of your workouts, and the type of workout and machines used

--Treat your workout as an appointment on your calendar. I go right after work.

--For Me, my workout time is my ME Time. No cellphone, no TV. Just me and My MP3.

Out with the Old...