Food + Exercise Log

What a day... I'm tired, so this post will be straight to the point.


Food Consumed Today:

  • 6 cups Honey Combs Cereal
  • 1 Granny Smith Apple
  • 1 Glazed Chicken Lean Cuisine Dinner
  • 1 Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar
  • 2 Tacos (flour tortillas, lean ground beef, salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream)

Wii Fit Exercises:

  • Basic run (Island Lap)
  • 30 Jackknifes
  • 50 minutes Free Step
  • 5 Minutes Hula Hoop

Weight Watcher Status: It was a little hard to calculate the exact amount of calories in my tacos, partly because my husband prepared them for me before I got to the kitchen :) But, like I always say, I'd rather overestimate just to be safe. I still came in two points under my allowed 29 points, so I can say SUCCESS! I'm definitely more aware of my caloric intake, and I am going to compare my meals based on my first week, which seemed to be very successful.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Weekend Report

Though I'm sad to see the weekend go, I'm happy to see the work week come back, so I can get my routine eating back in my life!

I did exercise this weekend, but I just did free style stepping on and off my balance board. My in-laws were in town, so I couldn't just hog the television for an hour each night. Well, I guess I could have... I have got to where I crave exercise, and I'm considering doing something a little different. I mean, I want to, but I don't know how disciplined I am.

You see, I normally get up and get ready for work at 6:45am. So, I'm thinking that if I can get up earlier and exercise 10-15 minutes and burn some calories AND THEN exercise my regular 40-50 minutes in the evening, I can burn even more calories. Right now, my typical evening exercise burns 250 calories... give or take 15. So, if I can squeeze in a few more calories in a day, the better! No promises right now though, because I know myself too well.

I have restocked on my healthy breakfast/lunch items for work, and I'm anxious to see how the week plays out.

Don't forget to check back Wednesday, February 2 for my weight report. Remember, by February 2 I need to weigh no more than 183.5!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

I Love Compliments | Food + Exercise Log

One of the best things about losing weight is getting compliments from others. I mean, it's how you can really tell that the pounds are coming off!

One of our contractors at work only sees me about 4 times a month, and even when I was doing WW back in late November, she noticed that a couple of pounds were missing from my bod. Awesome!

Today, when she first saw me, the first thing out of her mouth was, "Hey there, skinny girl." I laughed it off because I know I'm not to the skinny stage yet. But still, the compliment put an extra bounce in my stride.

Oh, and I know these weight blogs are not complete without pictures, so I'm going to work on taking a body pic for progress. :)

Food Consumed Today:
  • 3 cups Honey Combs Cereal
  • 1 Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar
  • 1 Granny Smith Apple
  • 1 Healthy Choice Cafe Steamer (Sesame Chicken flavor)
  • 2 Dove Chocolate Hearts
  • Spaghetti (ground chuck in the sauce)
  • Diet Mountain Dew

Wii Fit Plus Exercises:

  • 40 Jackknifes
  • Basic Run (long distance)
  • 20 minutes Free Step
  • 3 minutes Hula Hoop
  • Obstacle Course
  • Side Lunge
  • Single-Leg Extensions
  • Advance Step
  • Perfect 10 (you have to use your hips to turn numbers on/off)

Weight Watcher Status: Everything went well today until dinner. Ah, why do I love spaghetti so much? As far as the noodles, I determined that I ate 8 ounces of noodles, and no, they were not whole grain. I do like whole grain noodles, and I'm making a motion to buy them this weekend. Also, we use Ragu sauce with ground chuck, so all in all, I'm going to assume that I went over my points by at least 10 (though, I'm praying it's not by that much). I'm keeping an eye on my weight, and if I notice anything funky, the spaghetti is to blame! In addition, my co-worker Cheryl won't be getting a Christmas card from me this year, since she so generously gave us all two Dove chocolates in the shape of hearts. I almost gave mine away, but decided that I'd give myself a small treat once every blue moon. So, I'm not due for chocolate again for another... 3 years?!?

I've considered doing something drastic, too. You see, my husband and I usually prepare dinner together, or he makes it. He likes to cook. I clean. That's how we like it. Whatever he wants for dinner, we have, and vice versa. So, I think the next time a high carb dinner shows its face, I am going to stuff an apple down my throat, just so I feel too full to eat all those carbs. It might be the only way I can resist :\

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Pray For Me!

If you are wondering why I am requesting your prayers, it's because of this: my in-laws are coming to visit this weekend.

LOL, it's not because I don't like them. It's because when they come to visit, the eating out tends to be every day, and I don't even want to set foot in a restaurant two times a week. Uggh! Truthfully, I'd rather only eat out once a month, if that.

When they come to visit, there are always two places they love to go, and one of those places has salads, meat and veggies that would do me some good. So, there I will probably give in.

Restaurant #1 is Japanese food. That's right. We always go to the one where they bring you soup, salad, rice, veggies and your main dish. I always eat Chicken Terryaki. It's amazing. The problem: it's not a dish you want to eat slowly. However, my situation is not that bad because I just eat until I'm full, stop, and box up the rest. My in-laws and husband usually have it finished off by Monday, so I don't have to hash through it again.

Restaurant #2 is a buffet. I absolutely hate buffets with every fiber in my body and soul (okay wait, there is one buffet I love, and that's a pizza buffet, ouch). I try to avoid buffets at all cost, and to be honest, if that buffet is even mentioned, I am going to politely decline, and stay home. I mean, sometimes you just have to say no just to better yourself. I do not need a set back! This weight loss will be continuous, and I will stop at nothing to have a successful 5 pound weight loss every month! Whew! I started preaching just then, lol.

I'm loving the weight blogging. It sure makes me feel motivated and determined.

I Can Do It | Food + Exercise Log

Today was a wonderful success for me! I headed for work this morning with only a granola bar in my bag. Why? Because I wanted to stop and pick up a delicious fruit cup that a local gas station prepares, and on my lunch break, I hopped over to a grocery store and picked up a couple of healthy-themed microwave dinners.

Breakfast was great: just a granola bar and that fruit cup. I nibbled on the fruit for quite a while, and I was just barely starting to get hungry at lunch time. I love feeling satisfied.

My Lean Cuisine dinner held out okay, but it was not a dish I would eat again. I just hate the fact that I end up throwing out the carrots and broccoli (ick!). I will brag on myself though, I am getting good at eating slow, and this evening for dinner, it really paid off... I was full before my last couple of bites of beans :) Woo hoo!

My work out was GREAT, and I had a pleasant surprise during my Wii Fit Plus Body Test. I don't want to report on my weight status again until February 2, which is the deadline for my 5 pound weight loss. Remember, I've got to lose 5 pounds a month all year (well... at least until October).

Food Consumed Today:
  • 1 Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar
  • 1 Strawberry Cup (~1 1/2 cups of strawberries
  • Chicken, Pasta, Veggies and Apples (Lean Cuisine meal)
  • 1 hand full of Honey Combs Cereal
  • 4-5 ounces of Sausage Balls (my recipe contains cheese and Bisquick mix)
  • 1/2 cup Showboat Pork and Beans
  • Water

Wii Fit Plus Exercises: (totalling 50 minutes)

  • 30 Jackknifes
  • Basic Run (long distance)
  • 20 minutes Free Step
  • 5 minutes Advanced Step
  • 5 minutes Hula Hoop
  • Obstacle Course
  • 10 Single Leg Twists
  • Penguin Slide
  • 20 reps Triceps Extensions (fyi: I've always had big upper arms, and I want to tone them)
  • 10 Single Leg Extensions

Weight Watcher Status: Today has been another success! I only consumed 26 of my 29 allowed WW points. Hoooray! If you are wondering, I created my own spreadsheet that calculates the points using the WW points formula. All I have to do is plug in the Calories, Fat, and Fiber and it tells me the points value. Also, I like to overestimate my food intake just to be safe. Oh, I also tally the amount of protein I eat, just because I know I need protein-filled foods to survive!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

I Hate Feeling Hungry

As you read my blog, you will probably see one frequent complaint which goes something like this. I'm hungry.

You see, I struggle during lunch time at work, because the foods I eat are not hearty enough. I mean, I eat foods that are rather high in protein, but find myself thinking of dinner around 2:30-3:00pm. It's frustrating. Why can't lunch fill my belly?! And eating slow is something I am getting good at, but if your body isn't nourished, it will definitely let you know by means of a growling stomach that hurts, no matter how slow you eat. Ugggghhhh.

Soon, I plan on purchasing some Lean Cuisine dinners. I used to buy them, but always felt hungry 3 hours later. Of course, it's probably because I never eat the entire dinner, so that's an area where I need to improve.

My favorite dinner has always been Lean Cuisine's Glazed Chicken, so, I'm just going to stock up on those, and maybe even try new ones. And I'm not restricting myself to Lean Cuisine... I just want the dinners that are healthier, or the ones that tell you straight up how many points are in them. Less math for me!

What foods do you find the most filling? I'm always open to suggestions. Bring 'em on!

Planning Meals | Food + Exercise Log

Today was an okay day as far as the food goes. After our next grocery run, which should be on Saturday, I have determined that I must plan my meals a day in advance, especially dinner. It's just too hard to try to distribute my WW points, without knowing what my husband and I will have for dinner. Tonight we had a recipe we hadn't ate in months. Sure, Garlic Lime Shrimp is great, but it's also pasta. DANG YOU PASTA FOR BEING SO DELICIOUS!

This morning, I was surfing the Internet, when I found this article about digestive health. After reading it, I now want to toss the cereal out for breakfast, and replace it with fruits, and possibly some type of meat that is filling. Perhaps bacon (?).

Also, I must be forming an addiction to Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (as you can see by my food log)...

Food Consumed Today:

  • 3 cups Honey Combs Cereal
  • 1 Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Bar
  • Diet Mountain Dew
  • Water
  • 3/4 cup Showboat Pork and Beans (don't laugh, I love them!)
  • 1/2 cup Del Monte Pears in Syrup
  • 1 Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Bar
  • 1 Granny Smith Apple
  • 1 1/2 cups of Garlic Lime Shrimp
  • 1 Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Bar

Wii Fit Plus Exercises:

  • 30 Jackknifes
  • 10 minutes Hula Hoop
  • Basic Run (short distance)
  • 10 minutes Free Step (at the fastest pace)
  • 10 minutes Advance Step

Weight Watcher Status: It was easy to measure everything today, except the Garlic Lime Shrimp. I can never eat much of it, though, because it's so spicy. I had to research the nutrition facts, and I must be honest, I do believe I exceeded my points today (I estimate I went over by 7ish points). Just goes to show that planning meals is very important.

Weight Status: Because I am trying desperately to not weigh myself so much, I am only going to report my weight status on Mondays. Hey, it makes the Monday posts even more exciting!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Food + Exercise Log

Today was good, except for lunch. Ham and pears are not very filling, even though ham is packed with protein. Not enough protein for this gal. Also, I did not fulfill my goal of a no pasta week. No. Far too much pasta in the freezer at the moment.


Food Consumed Today:
  • 3 cups of Honey Combs Cereal
  • 1 Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar
  • 3 slices of Oscar Meyer Honey Ham
  • 1 cup Del Monte Sliced Pears
  • 1 Granny Smith Apple
  • 1 Tablespoon of Creamy Peter Pan Peanut Butter
  • Bertolli Chianti Braised Beef & Rigatoni (1/4 of a package)
  • Leftover Five Cheese Ziti al Forno (1/4 of a dinner serving)
  • Water

Wii Fit Plus Exercises: (totaling 50 minutes)

  • 20 reps Single-Leg Extensions
  • 30 Jackknifes
  • 10 minutes Expert Boxing
  • 20 minute Free Step (at the highest pace)
  • 3 minutes Hula Hoop
  • 5 minutes Advanced Step
  • Obstacle Course

Weight Watcher Status: I was able to measure everything today, but after overestimating the amount of pasta I ate, I determined that I only consumed 28 of my 29 allowed WW points.

Weight Status: 185.0 (no change). Must have a Wii weight of 183.5 by February 2 to meet my 5 pound weight loss for January.

Monday, January 24, 2011

I'm Addicted to the Scales

Besides pasta being my biggest weakness, another huge weakness I have is the scales. You know... I weigh myself constantly. Let me explain.

In November, I purchased a bathroom scale for my husband and I. Well, I hid it away in the closet at first, because I felt as though I was becoming the typical woman that buys the scales, but never pays attention to the increasing numbers. But, I placed them in the floor beside the toilet... for about 3 hours. Then I realized that if I had them there, I would weigh myself every time I walked by the bathroom. So, I moved them back into the closet. That didn't help.

As of today, I weigh myself at least 4 times a day. I know, I'm nuts. And I won't lie... I'm going to weigh myself after I publish this blog.

I get up in the morning, turn on the shower, and get the scales out. When I get home from work, I weigh myself, just to see how the foods of the day have affected my body. Then, I weigh myself when I immediately fire up Wii Fit Plus, and I weigh myself after I exercise. On average, after exercising, my weight goes down a pound, and my BMI goes down 0.13. It's frustrating. Oh, and I think I even weigh myself before I go to bed. So you do the math.

I hate the fact that my weight fluctuates so much, because I start losing faith in all scales. I keep questioning them, saying Are you even calibrated correctly? Are you telling me the truth? Is my weight as high as you are saying? Is my weight as low as you are saying? It's a battle.

When I first bought my scales, the instruction booklet warned me not to weigh myself very often. I actually think it says to weigh in only once a week. Yeah, right! I guess what I really need to do is choose a day of the week, and only document that days weight.

How often do you weigh yourself?

Food + Exercise Log

Food consumed today:

  • 1 1/2 cups Honey Combs cereal
  • 1/2 cup milk (1% milk)
  • 1 Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar
  • Water
  • 2 teaspoons Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1 Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar
  • A hand full of Honey Combs cereal
  • 2 Bread sticks
  • 2 Small bowls of salad
  • 1/2 dinner serving of Five Cheese Ziti al Forno (oops, the husband was feeling Olive Garden, and you know pasta is my weakness)
  • Water
  • 1 can Diet Mountain Dew
  • Water

Wii Fit Plus Exercises (totaling 1 hour):

  • 45 Jackknifes
  • 10 minutes with Hula Hoop (5 minutes in each direction)
  • Obstacle course
  • 15 lunges
  • Basic Run Plus
  • 20 minutes free stepping at the fastest pace
  • 20 triceps reps per arm

Goal for January 24-January 28: No pasta (trust me, no pasta during the work week would be amazing for me)

Sunday, January 23, 2011

My Journey to Weight Loss

Hi! I'm Mia, and my goal is to lose 5 pounds a month for the entire year of 2011 using Wii Fit Plus as my guide. I started this journey on January 2, 2011. That's right... I have to lose 5 pounds by February 2. This is my story...

THE STORY OF MY WEIGHT BATTLES:
2004: I was in college and weighed 160 pounds (keep in mind that I am supposedly supposed to weigh about 140 pounds). I slowly began to pick up terrible eating habits from college friends, and when I left college in 2004 I found myself 15 pounds heavier, at a total of 175 pounds.

The 15 pound gain really hit me when I attended a funeral and my great aunt patted me on the stomach and said, "You better be careful, girl." First of all, I was shocked that anyone would ever be so honest, but at the same time, I realized it was getting out of hand.

Early 2005: My boyfriend and I made a small bet as to who could lose the most weight in 2 weeks. So, I made some bad food choices and exercised a lot. In one week I lost 4 pounds, but it stopped there. I quit.

June 2005: I took a job that required me to stand most of the time, but not 100% of the time. I held the job for 1 1/2 years, and I ended up losing 20 pounds without even trying. I didn't exercise much, I ate whatever I wanted to, but I was very active. I walked a lot in the office I worked in, and I travelled out of town almost every weekend to see my boyfriend. Even today, I try to think, "How could I lose weight so easily when I ate anything I wanted?" A few answers were the fact that there were no vending machines and I never had snacks available in the office. Only water and some M&Ms my boss kept in a jar for us (though, I didn't eat very many of them). I lived at home at the time, and my parents only drank diet sodas, so that's mostly what I consumed. Also, I was too poor to go out and buy my own groceries, so I ate whatever my parents had in the cabinets.

January 2007: I left again for more college. My weight was stable from January-April, and my photographs proved it. I looked fit and great! BUT... my eating habits soon changed.

August 2007-May 2009: Throughout college, I never owned a scale, so I never could keep track of my weight. Now, I know the importance. By the time I graduated in May, I figured that I weighed about 180.

In late 2009 I was married, weighing in at 180, as I did check my weight around that time.

Early 2010: A much needed doctor's appointment found me on a scale in front of the nurse, uttering to myself, "My shoes and clothes must be accounting for the 9 pound gain!" You know how we all rationalize.

June 2010: I began begging my husband for us to buy an elliptical. I drove him insane, and he said he did not want to put a lot of money in something he didn't think I'd use. He insisted we find a used one on Craig's List.... and that's what we did.

We found a nice elliptical for $300 and toted it home. We put it in our bedroom, because it was far too heavy for us to carry upstairs. I used it for 2 months straight (I may have missed 3 - 5 days of use), until one day... it broke. A piece of metal on the inside cracked, rendering it unusable. We talked about having it welded, but soon realized the piece that needed fixing would take a professional to fix (aka more money spent to pay someone to fix it). We hung our heads, and let the elliptical cover with dust. Just the other day, we took it apart and got rid of it. I'm still bitter about it, because I looked forward to sweating my butt off in the evenings. I burned 700 calories in just under 40 minutes. I was truly happy while it lasted.

November 2010: I decided to break down and buy a scale as I began counting my food by tallying Weight Watchers points....

I did Weight Watchers for about 1 month, but couldn't do it anymore because I constantly felt hungry during the daytime. It affected my mood, and I began to realize how meaningful it was to be full.

I would determine exactly what to eat, but tried to squeeze in 3/4 of my points for dinner. So, from 2:30pm-7:00pm I would be in pain from my stomach growling so much. I do hope to attempt to pick up the WW again, though, this time with better food choices.

January 2, 2011: I plugged up my Wii Fit Plus, and decided that I would exercise every day I am home. The first day I weight in, I was at 188.5 pounds, and my weight even increased over the next 3 days due to a dessert I learned to make (which I will never make again). Once I quit eating the dessert, my weight began going down.

Today: I am a 27 year old female, 5'7", and I weigh approximately 185 pounds {gulp}. As you know, weight fluctuates, and with my job, I only weigh in the evening. My lowest weight has been 184.4, even though the lowest weight on my bathroom scale has been 185.1.

I work Monday-Friday at an 8am-5pm job where I sit at a desk all day. I love the fact that my job isn't physically demanding, but I also hate the fact that my job isn't physically demanding. I have co-workers who go walking at 2pm or 3pm, but, I hate sweating while I'm on the job.

I also do not do gym memberships. That would be a waste of money. I am a home body. I like to work, and sweat it out my house, and await my husband to get home. At home, I can watch movies, or do whatever I want to do, and it's not ruled by some gym. In addition, exercising at home means I can do it at any time, and I don't have to drive to another location.

Since Wii Fit Plus is my primary source of exercise, I am sticking with it, and hoping it can lead me to at least 5 pounds of weight loss per month.

Here, I will share with you the foods I eat, when I exercise, the exercises I do, and hopefully we can all benefit from this experiment.

Thanks for joining me here.

Saturday, January 22, 2011