Sunday, July 03, 2011

Stable (176.4)

It's been one week since I started the new food plan. I do not feel deprived. I don't feel hungry unless I'm supposed to be hungry (meal time). I am not eating lo carb but I am not eating bread or anything else wheat/processed.

I ran Friday morning at 5:30 am--3.1 miles. I ran this morning at 6 am--4 miles. Total of 10.3 miles this week.

I tweaked my yogurt/fruit like Vickie suggested in comments on my last post. That helped last night! The extra 1/2 c yogurt helped. I also measured my fruit to keep it in line, and added 1/8 c walnuts.

I am still having berries and yogurt after dinner, esp. if I haven't had a snack during the day. Last night I had them at 7 pm and that was the last thing I ate all night. I didn't have cravings until around 10 pm, and they were habit/anxiety/tired cravings, not blood sugar cravings. I just went to bed and didn't eat anything (it helps immensely that we are out of golden Oreos and I am not planning to replace them. Sophie usu. has 2 in her lunch; she is better off without them, and so am I).

For dinner yesterday my husband wanted Mexican. Our local restaurant has the best salsa ever. I did not have him get me anything. He knew not to even ask. I got home after he did (we had been at the pool with the kids) so I didn't have to see him eat it.

I made my own Mexican. Black beans, small can corn, 1/2 cup restaurant salsa, all mixed together. This had 140 calories per serving (batch made 4 servings). I had a big bunch of spinach, put the bean/corn on top, and I added 7 crumbled organic blue corn chips (Target brand). These were an experiment. The ingredients were blue corn, canola oil, salt, lime juice. That's it. I used 1/2 serving. I knew that if I got cravings in an hour or so, it was likely the chips. I also ate 3 1/2 oz shredded chicken with 1 skinny cow wedge and 1 sliced carrot--my version of easy chicken salad; I got the idea from Roni's greenlitebites.com--as my protein and fat to balance the carbs in the salad. It worked. Tasted amazing. I had Mexican, felt satisfied, stayed on plan (although I know it was strictly OP), and didn't have after cravings. I could have eaten more, but I stopped and had fruit and yogurt about 30 minutes later instead.

I am amazed how quickly I have become hungry for breakfast. Guess that happens when you aren't eating junk food before bed. I am also making cold lattes at home with my espresso maker; I have one shot and 1/2 c milk; I add 1 T of lite chocolate syrup for sweetness. I make two at a time, drink one, and save the other half for the next morning. It's 70 calories a serving. The RedBull I was drinking was loads of sugar and 135 calories; the Illy canned lattes were 110 calories with loads of sugar. So this homemade coffee is much improved, and hits the spot.

So that's the progress so far. I am thrilled that I am washing a lot of measuring cups and workout clothes. They are a big measure of whether I've had a "good" week.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

14 comments:

Laura N said...

"wasn't strictly on plan"-- regarding corn chips. Posted this post from my phone. Not as easy to proof or fix after posted.

Vickie said...

like you said - if you had food wants/headache/whatever you would have known immediately it was the chips.

(Then the only thing you have to be careful about is not having too many variables at the same time.)

were the chips 'calling to you' at all after you ate them?

Laura N said...

No after-wants for the chips. I'm not a salty snack craver, as a general rule. I wanted "more" of all of it, right after, but that stopped after my brain caught up with my full stomach.

Vickie said...

very interesting on the chips!

you said you were not eating 'low carb'.

would you say you are eating much lower carb than you were?

would you say that by keeping everything proportional/more well rounded, you are eating more of some things and less of others?

Laura N said...

Oops, hit done accidentally

Because I am eating plenty of carbs, just not processed wheat stuff and no (added) sugar

My "before" diet was not balanced. I didn't eat enough protein or veggies. I skipped a meaningful breakfast often. I ate sugar foods for snacks. I ate cookies and ice cream regularly.

I had started eating steel cut oats and low fat unsweetened yogurt, before I started this eating plan. But, I put honey and pecans in the oats, along with berries, and put sugary granola in the yogurt. Now, I just have oats and berries, and yogurt with berries and sometimes walnuts. I also eat a protein (eggs or egg beaters) with oats, to offset the carbs.

Laura N said...

Comment I thought posted accidentally didn't. This goes above the previous one

The low carb diets I have done in the past have been 20 grams carbs a day, for first week. That week is miserable. I am not miserable.

I am getting carbs from fruit, yogurt, steel cut oats, sweet potato, butternut squash, milk, cottage cheese. Beans and corn in the Mexican salad. There is no processed carbs, other than my corn chips splurge.

Laura N said...

I had the same salad with corn chips today for lunch, with a turkey burger for protein. I had it again because it was easy and because I wanted it. I DID have The Wants today. I knew WHY. It wasn't a character flaw or default in my emotional makeup. It was simply-- my body had two of this type meal (processed carbs, even though small amount) in less than 24 hours. It was too much. I could feel it working on my brain and body. This will have to be a splurge meal going forward.

I didn't eat more. I just waited it out. My next meal was clean. I ran this morning and ate more today because I was hungry. But I ate healthfully and didn't over do it. I am writing my food down and tracking calories only. I am averaging 1500 or less a day. I subtract exercise calories for a net calorie number. Today I had 1900 cal, but exercised for an hour. So took off 400 for a 1500 cal net day. I am sure I used to eat 2500+ calories a day before, if not much more.

Laura N said...

I am eating a lot more dairy!! Which I have read is a key to weight loss, but I never changed my dairy intake before this. I used to eat next to no dairy, except on the mornings I'd have 1/2 c yogurt with granola for breakfast. And that, with a red bull or two, was breakfast.

I am eating more protein, more fruits and more veggies. I am not eating packaged foods. Fresh or frozen. I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow if I want to eat!

Laura N said...

Today is the most food I've had all week. Tuesday my net calories were 900. I had a busy day and not much time to eat that day. No snacks, so low calorie day. Just tracking calories to see how my body reacts.

Splurge meal=one I will eat only very occasionally. Not when I feel I "deserve it".

Vickie said...

I am always VERY cautious of the idea of subtracting calories out for exercise.

This is often a very slippery slope, and in my opinion, one of the key things that gets people into trouble (with WW).

So, my caution is this -

I think eating at meal time, eating balanced, eating portions, eating whole foods is KEY.

Most of us cannot exercise hard enough (myself included) to work off bad food choices.

If one starts wandering around /straying from any of the above (food paragraph) because of mind games about 'calories spent/burned' then STOP counting calories burned.

if you are counting just to look at it scientifically and get a feel for the big picture, I think that is okay.

In general, I think we have to wrap our heads around the fact that exercise is just an expected part of the process (just like the food paragraph is an expected part of the process).

Put another way -
counting calories burned
and adding foods back in
(I am thinking of processed or foods that are not at meal time or are not balanced)
can be thought of as
d-i-e-t mentality.

And yes, if one is an extreme exercise person, then can get to the point where food needs to be added (proportionally). But that then gets into the whole thing you were talking about a few weeks ago - where you are best to try for middle of the road exercise (not too much, not too little, but yes, a long term, sustainable amount that can be a daily habit).

Vickie said...

anyone reading this, who doesn't know our history, is going to think I am the queen of bossy caution.

Vickie said...

there is the flip side of this too - striving to eat lower and lower and lower calories.

Eating disorder behavior is two sides of the same coin, over eating is one side, under eating is the other, and balance is that thin edge of the coin. Weight loss and maintenance are both located on that thin side. one simply adds a tiny bit back (our half a baked potato) to move from weight loss to maintenance. every step of weight loss is practice for maintenance, and therefore practice for the rest of our life. it is mind, body, spirit. It is sleep, exercise, food, family, peace of mind, EVENness.

Frances told me (long ago) that Kay is right around 1500-1600 calories. That doesn't work if there is not balance (1500 calories where 75% of it is carbs, or 75% of it is fat, is not balanced) and that is what many people do not understand. there are a few people who can just count calories, but not very many.

Too low of calories is foolishness too (in my opinion). The goal is to feed the body the kind of foods it needs in the proportions it needs.

if we are eating too few calories - how do we get all the nurition in that our body needs?

too few calories is d-i-e-t mentality and does not work long term. it is the bandaid that keeps popping off.

Laura N said...

Smiled at "queen of bossy caution." I read your words as "been there, done that, here's the TRUTH." I take what I am "ready" for (not "what I can use" because I know I *can* use it all), and then come back and pick up the rest when I am ready for it.

My intention with the calories is to find out what my body can handle & still lose weight. I am not sticking to Kay's plan to the letter, so I want to know if I deviate, what am I eating that might be mucking things up? If I don't keep track, then I won't know. I count calories b/c I am eating balanced foods, and not eating excess carbs. I have not yet explored her website (still), and didn't realize she recommends 1,500-1,600 calorie range (as you stated that Frances told you). That is where I am falling, and that feels RIGHT. Not too much, not too little.

I ate more on Sunday when I ran 4 miles because I ate 350 calories before my run. I am not sure I would do that again! It was too heavy in my stomach, and it pushed my calories over for the day. My normal fuel for running is either bananas, or peanut butter/toast, or a Zone protein bar (all with a Red Bull and water). I am not eating those. So I'm in a quandry as to how to fuel for early morning runs. I could eat nothing--which will indeed burn a lot of fat off my body--and I may try that on 3 mile run mornings. But longer than that and my glycogen stores will be sapped and I will have a lousy run.

So, going to have to experiment & research to find out what will work.

Do you eat MORE in total food on the days you workout 2-3 hours? Kay's plan says there is enough food for 45 minutes of workouts a day. That's a little more than 3 miles for me (at the pace I'm running now). If I run further than 3 miles on a regular basis, which I will be doing as my training for the October & February Half Marathons picks up, then (I think) I'm going to need more food, at least for long runs, especially.

I have definitely fallen into the trap of "I'm exercising today, therefore I deserve a treat" or "this treat is no big deal--I'll work it off later." Ha. That so does not work. It's yet another food game we play.

I am not intending to play food games; but, I realize sneaky old habits have a way of sabotaging our best efforts, esp. if we aren't watching for them.

Vickie said...

I just saw this note, I have to get in the habit of checking that darned little box!

When I first started 2-3 hours in a row, I had to eat between classes.

So I would eat my regular big breakfast, 2-3 hours before the first class, and then I would eat yogurt, fruit walnuts after the first class to make it through the 3rd class (cardio/zumba).

I don't have to do that any more. My body got used to the workload.

and I might have mentioned that I was having trouble with calf cramps and my instructor encouraged me to eat a banana between classes. I gained weight immediately. I think I mentioned I always assumed bananas were on kay's NO list because of constipation, but now I wonder if it might be something else.

I still eat my big breakfast, but do not have to eat between classes.

I eat lunch the minute the classes are done. If I am not going straight home, I pack lunch.

I personally do not have issues with blood sugar bottoming out as long as I eat my big breakfast (1/2 egg beaters cooked, a whole small avocado, 2T low sodium salsa, 1/2 dry oatmeal cooked in 2 cups water, 1/4 cup skim milk).

But as you can well imagine, I have to eat that a couple hours before class.

On the days I workout I am likely to eat two sets of dairy/fruit/walnuts. On the non-workout days, likely to eat one set.

but you also have to realize I am at THIS end of the scale. I am at the half a baked potato (except I don't eat potatoes) stage. balance point is a much finer line than people realize.

And I am only doing 2-3 hours twice a week. If I was doing it every day, totally different story.