Big and Beautiful

Three weeks in and I’m already wavering… Some days, like today, I just want to eat what I want and not have to worry about how much it is.  I was looking through recipes today (I’m in a discussion with my best friend about who’s going to make the snacks for the next couple of days - I’m pulling for me so I can control what goes into them), and looking through Aimee’s cookbook (link provided in a comment by Dizzy), “Aimee” made the comment that her nutritional information is based on certain brands (all not being created equal), and then looking at everything that she listed that I guess must be taken into consideration.. there was stuff about exchange units and others that I don’t even remember that made me tired just looking at, not to mention trying to adjust it and figure out everything again.

Even the way I’ve been going about it… Taking the ADA guidelines and trying to meet them has proven to be troublesome.  I’ve started estimating, and not writing stuff down in their proper categories, so I doubt I’ve been meeting to quotas of fruits,. veggies, grain, etc.  And there’s some meals that I wouldn’t know how to go about it…

 Take today for example… dinner was chicken and noods over mash potatoes.   Ok- the potatoes were easy.  I didn’t use milk (when I opened my thign of milk I could smell it, so I through it away), and didn’t use butter (used a powder substitute instead).  But then the chicken and noodles….  I cooked the noodles in chicken broth and added the chicken for seasoning.  Bad on me, I didn’t measure anything (which was probably the firs mistake), but I estimate that I ate probably about a cup or cup and a half of the chicken and noodles… But what the hell does that mean??   I don’t know exactly how much of the broth, of the egg noods, or of the chicken ended up on my bowl. How the hell would I count that, even if I were on WW, let alone trying to determine fat and calories?

This has been a rough day overall, and that’s probably what’s fueling this….  My scooter is running too low on fuel, so it died on me when I was on a downhill stop, and I had to get off and walk it to an uphill sidewalk to get it started again (fortunately, I was able to get it the rest of the way home), which was actually a little frusterating, because I thought I should have had enough to get to a gas station on my way back to work. That meant that I then had to go to Wal-Mart for a fuel container (my car doesn’t have a parking permit for where I work(ed) ) and who woudl have thought that in the middle of a work day Wal-mart woudl have been busy??  It took me half and hour, probably fifteen minutes of which was spent in line!   Well, then, when I was there, I realized that the $20 bucks that I stuck in my pocket to pay for the stuff at Wal-Mart and for fuel was no longer in my pocket (that’s a lot of money to lose like that!) and then, when I was getting ready to head back to work (about fifteen minutes late - it’s ok, my boss has been gone all week), I realized that I left my lunch at Wal-Mart!  I paid for a sandwhich and potato salad (really fighting the McD’s urge - I really really wanted a cheeseburger and fries), and left it there! (I claim partial innocence - the cashier put a bag on top of the rotating thing, which when they do that I assume that it’s only the one bag… I was a little miffed that she put my food in with everythign else, but I guess I shouldn’t have been because it didn’t happen).  And so I ended up with Subway - it’s actually the closest fastfood place to where I work(ed).

Sorry… Had to rant….. But I am a duck, and all this is water rolling off my back.

In case you’re wondering about the -ed on “work,”  today was my last day! Two weeks from today and tomorrow, I will be moving and starting my life as a grad student…. I’ll just have to avoid stress eating during the move…

Menu time:

Breakfast: cup yogurt, cup grapes

Lunch: Subway, baked BBQ lays

Dinner: cup or so chicken and noodles, cup of mashed potatos, cup salad.

You guys had better be glad I love you all, I just want to take my shower and go to bed (there’s something about writing about a topic you know nothing about that just takes it all out of you), and here I am, posting a recipe. Just for you.

• 3/4 dry bread crumps
• 1 tsp dried leaf oregano
• 1 tsp dried leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 3 to 4 medium-size zucchini, cut in 1/4-inch slices
• 3 egg whites, beat until foamy
• Dash of pepper

Preheat oven to 325F.  Mix bread crumbs, organo, parsley and cheese in a flat dish.  Dip zucchini slices in egg whites, then in bread crumbs; spray with No Stick cooking spray.  Spray a baking shet with No Stick cooking spray.   Arrange coated zucchini on sprayed baking sheet.  Bake 5 to 7 minutes; turn.  Spray zucchini again, bake another 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional: (serving is 3 or 4 pieces)

Calories…71

Protein…4g

Carbs… 11g

Fat… tr (?)

Sodium…137mg

Cholesteral…1mg

Points… 1.7?  (using Roni’s calculator)

My boss dropped a manuscript on me today that has some sections that need to be rewritten by tomorrow, so I’m just going to post menu, and then if I have time (which partly depends on how long it takes me to dig out my other computer which has already been packed), talk about something that’s been on my mind.

Breakfast: omelet, mushrooms, cheese

Lunch: beef ramen, couple slices of peach

Dinner: Pork chop, baked potato with cheese, half a cup of cucumber

So… My pork chop (which I did eat all of it), ended up being 6 oz… so yeah, I ODed on meat for today, but oh well. It’s one day, and I have a feeling that calorie wise (while I didn’t count today) I am probably ok.  I’m still feeling hungry, so I may end up snacking on grapes later.

 For those who are eagerly awaiting my baked zuccini recipe…(yes, Janet nedes to lern how two spel), I’ll get that done tonight, if I can.

Ask and ye shall receive.

Pasta Cheese Bake

For two servings:

• 4 oz cooked pasta of your choice
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce*
• 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix pasta, marinara, and cottage cheese in a bowl. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray, and transfer ingredients into dish. Sprinkle Parmesan on top. Bake for 15 minutes, or until bubbling. Enjoy!

Pasta Cheese BakeRecipe makes: 2 servings Calories: 244 Calories from Fat Total Fat g 2.5 Saturated Fat g Cholesterol mg 2 Sodium mg 130 Total Carbohydrate g 4.5 Dietary Fiber g Sugars g Protein g 11 Points:  5.1

Nutrition Template provided by:
Chipotle Fan.com
*The original recipe called for a marinara sauce that was included in the cookbook. I don’t have the funds or the time (most of the time) to cook something like that from scratch, so I substituted a jar version and adjusted the calories.  There was a 40 calorie difference between what I made and the cookbook version.

The Zucchini recipe will have to wait until probably this evening, though if I have extra time at lunch, I’ll look it up and get it typed up.

P.S. Thanks for the link, Dizzy!

Not really a whole lot to add to what I’ve already said..

 Tried two new recipes: Pasta cheese bake and breaded zuchini.  I got them a “healthy cooking” cookbook I bought last week…Unfortunately a lot of the stuff in there looks expensive.

Breakfast: Cup of yogurt, cup of grapes

Lunch: 1 serving of pasta cheese bake, wheat bread with 1/2 tbsp butter

Dinner: 1 serving pasta cheese bake (What I made at lunch was two servings, so I split it in half); 1/2 cup of peaches, 1 serving baked zuchini.

It came out at just under 1000 calories, so I’ll probably end up with 1/2 cup light icecream, which is 120 calories.

So, with the help of a friend text messaging me about this guy we knew in high school this morning (ok, so I texted her about him last night, and she was just now responding at 7:15 in the morning…), I managed to get up and do some pilates before coming to work. It was supposed to be a 20 minute workout, but it was 8:20 when I finished it, and I went straight to it after crawling out of bed at 7:30, so I suspect I unwittingly did both workouts on the DVD instead of just one.. (I swear, there was no indication of a break, and there’s actually not two listed on the menu…hmm…). So, anyone, I come to work and log onto AIM, which automatically takes me to this homepage. Well for kicks and giggles (cause I believe that they’re self-fullfilling), I click on my horoscope and it said:

Creating a healthy balance between your emotional needs and what you must do at work seems difficult now.  With the Moon in your 6th House of Healthy Living, it’s crucial that you stick to your workout regimen today. If you haven’t been exercising, it’s a perfect time to start a new program. You will have more energy if you spend more time on yourself.

How ironic is that?

Talk at ya tonight! (I’m actually gonna work today).

Geez, I’m posting a lot today.  As a quick side note… I’ve gone back to WordPress because I think I like it a little better than blogspot.  However; if I find that blogspot is the WeightWatchen crowd’s preferred forum for commenting and the like, then I’ll gladly switch back.  Just leave me notes or send me an email grancanon@hotmail.com.

So.. the point of this post: I never thought I would have a hard time getting calories.  Today after dinner, I counted and I came up with roughly 800 in food… though I didn’t finish my dinner; I got full before I got there.  My food log for the day:

Breakfast: cup of yogurt

Lunch: 2 servings fake mac and cheese

Dinner: Tacos (4 oz hamburger, 1.333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 teaspoon seasoning, lettuce, tomato, cheese sauce) 1/2 cup of cheesy rice (I’m a cheese person).

Because I was under 1000 calories yesterday, I allowed myself a non-fat white chocolate mocha (tall, no whipped cream) which was 270 cals.  So, I figure I probably came in at 1100 today, tops.  Not bad, but definately would have been under without the treat.

I did invest in cucumber (about the only veggie I can eat raw) and some grapes for snacks to help solve the problem for the next week, and I’m sure with my friends and roommates being around I’ll go back to being over calories in no time.

I have four days left where I’m in complete control of my food before I’m at the mercy of others until August…

Why is this?

Well… for beginners, this weekend my best friend is coming up from “home” (where I went to highschool and my parents still live) and she never fails to bring a ton of junk food, which I’m going to be expected to help her eat. I will be able to control how much though, so I’m counting on myself to not over-indulge.

Then on Wednesday, one of my roommates is going to be back to pack up her things. Now, don’t get me wrong, she’s one of my good friends, but she’s also a hypercritical person. If I weren’t moving to OK, I don’t know if I could live with her another year without completely losing it (came close a couple times, and I can really be a mean person when I reach that point - eh, she says I’m a mean person anyway. Oh well, I try not to be). Well, when she was helping me unpack last August, she came across a journal marked “Food and Exercise journal” from one of my previous weight-loss attempts and made a really snide remark about, “I see that was a big success.” and some other comments about how stupid it was to keep such a journal. So… needless to say… She cannot know I’m trying to lose weight again… I don’t think I can put up with the criticism again.

Well, after we sort out stuff that all three of us (I had two roommates) bought together, I’ll be heading “home” to spend a week at my parents’ before the official move. I don’t really want them to know either that I”m trying to lose weight, because when I was younger my mom was constantly after me about my looks (she has since given up), and I don’t want it to look like she’s finally succeeded, call it childish, but… You’d think that with my dad being diabetic (as well as a doctor), that I should have it made at home. WRONG. My dad eats as if there were nothing wrong, which is something I get lectured about whenever I go to my G.P. and optometrist (”You don’t want to be like your dad, do you?”) And at home, it’s not as simple as portion control… If I don’t eat as much as my family’s used to seeing, my dad will think something’s wrong with the food, and start apologizing up and down… (My family has….issues…. They wonder why I stay away and don’t call much… there’s a reason).

Then I move, and return home for about a month to make my friends and family happy. They all get a bit touchy if I don’t make an effort to spend time with them. I have to report at my new “job” (I”m going to be a TA) on August 15th… so if I can hold out until then and not mess myself up too much, hopefully it won’t be too hard to get back on track…

That describes my current state. I’m in that mood were I just want to sit here in my chair and stare like a vegetable at the TV, and really, that isn’t much of a change from what it was like at work. I even left work early so I could get my apartment cleaned up (it’s a pigsty, and it’s beginning to get on my nerves), but I didn’t even get the living room finished, let alone my bedroom. Worse yet, a lot of the stuff from the living room just migrated to the bedroom, making it worse.

But I’m proud of myself: Starting last Thursday, it seems like one thing after another has gone wrong, and I managed to avoid emotional eating. Even camping, I did really well at sticking to my plan, with the exception of skipping breakfast on Sunday and then eating two PB and J’s at lunch. Oops. Oh, and eating a full pork chop even though I was clearly full after only half of it (I’m under the belief that everything that went wrong after that was payback).

Friday: Breakfast: Yogurt, apple
Lunch: 6 inch Subway cold cut trio on wheat, with light mayo
Dinner: Hamburger, corn on the cob, pasta salad

Saturday: Breakfast: Yogurt
Lunch: Ham and cheese sandwhich, apple
Dinner: PB and J (I forgot my camp stove, so I couldn’t cook my soup!), pasta salad

Sunday: Breakfast: none (bad me)
Lunch: 2 PB and J’s, pasta salad
Dinner: Grilled chicken wrap from Sonic
Snack: 2 teaspoon light mint chocolate chip icecream.

Monday: Breakfast: Yogurt
Lunch: Beef ramen, apple, 2 teaspoons mcc icecream
Dinner: 4 oz shrimp, 2/3 cup pasta, cheesey garlic bread

One thing that I’ve been sliding on is filling out my worksheets where I write down everything I eat, then put the stuff in with the food groups. I was doing ok putting it on the chart on my Weight Watchen blog, but with this weekend kind of slipped.

My physical activity is another thing that’s suffered. You’d think that with camping I would have done a lot of hiking, or bike riding or something. Unfortunately, this was a working camping tent and most of my time on Saturday and Sunday was spent manning a radio station for the Coast Guard Auxiliary (an organization I love talking about if anyone is interested). I took my bike with the intention of riding it to and from the station, but it was rained Saturday morning, and the last thing I wanted was a wet uniform (those shirts are so thin, it would have been close to indecent), and then on Sunday, I had to have my campsite vacated by noon, and I was scheduled to be at the radio station until 1800, so I had to go ahead and load up my bike and drive it over. Oh well, ce la’vie.

As noted previously, I did a weight in this morning (last night? Don’t remember), and I was down four pounds! Sorry, with everything else I’ve screwed up on (fortunately, nothing with the radio station other than a single “over and out”, which I’m never going to hear the end of [in good fun]), it’s nice to know I’m doing something right.

I was curious as to how many calories it looks like I’m actually taking in, so I kept count today, and while I don’t remember the exact number, it was actually less than 1000. So I could probably afford to eat a little more, if for nothign else than to make sure that I don’t go into starvation mode. And is it possible that that’s contributing to this lathargic state?

Comments:

NCChris said…

Hey, good to see you over here! If you’re eating less than 1000 cals per day, that could be making you feel blah (starvation mode and all that)…I think you should stick around 1000-1200 per day to keep enough fuel going in…I read it somewhere, but dang if I can remember exactly where!! Anyway, CONGRATS on the 4 pounds! That is awesome!!

June 26, 2007 8:01 AM

WeightBGone said…

Congrats on the weight loss but you definitely need to be eating more than 1000 calories a day. This is why your energy level is so low. Fill in the extra calories with healthy snacks such as fruits and veggies. I know I went through a time of not eating enough calories and ended up not losing anything until I added some healthy calories. Your body tends to shut down when its not getting enough. Good luck!

June 26, 2007 9:54 AM