Week 18, Day 1

A couple of days ago I switched from 8 pound weights to 15 pounds. I was ready, and the added weight isn't impossible to handle. But it's sure not easy. I liked easy. I'll like this better when 15 pounds doesn't hurt so much. In fact, I think I'll do a little bragging about it. I will have earned it. :)

Speaking of earning some bragging rights, I'm at 221 today. Perspective is everything. There was a time when I would have been appalled at weighing 221. Today I'm delighted. Only 22 pounds to go to get under 200! I know for sure I can do that by my birthday. Heck, I'm pretty sure I can do that by Valentine's Day! In Sept 2007 I weighted 279. The thought of being this close to being under 200 completely thrills me!

Last night Adam and I went out to eat with friends. They wanted to go to Cracker Barrel. For those of you who are unfamiliar with that restaurant, it is a place with yummy down-home country cooking, complete with veggies soaked in fat, meats covered in gravies, and king-sized servings of all kinds of goodies that really aren't good for anyone watching their waistline. And I'm a complete sucker for their chicken and dumplings and their blackberry cobbler. Massive quantities of both. Last night was a big test for me. But I was good. I think so anyway. I ordered the meatloaf dinner. I've had the meatloaf there before, and I don't think it's full of a lot of bread and fillers. It has ground beef, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, and of course an egg to hold it together. And for the side dishes that come with it --and they don't have much that's healthy to order from since most of the actual veggies seem to be laden in grease -- I ordered corn, hash brown casserole, and dumplings (my favorite thing on the menu). I ate the corn, most of the meat loaf, half the hash brown casserole (which isn't like a full-blown whole casserole, but rather a small dish of cheese covered hash browns), and two bites of the dumplings. Adam ate the rest of the dumplings, and I left the rest of the food behind once I was full. No dessert. I didn't even look at the dessert options. And I was okay with all of it. Actually, I was surprised. I was looking forward to the dumplings, and they tasted kind of like cardboard to me. I don't think they've changed, though. I have. So...I still like Cracker Barrel, and it's a great place to go for comfort food. And now I know that I can go there and not completely blow my diet. It was a good night.

Today's Tip:
Dieting can sometimes be like walking across a field full of landmines on a beautiful Spring day. You have the advantage of knowing where the landmines are, though. You have to be careful or you're going to blow it, but you do know what your temptations are, what foods you ought to stay away from, what places and times of day cause you problems. Be careful and diligent. But also enjoy the scenery as you cross the field, and stop to smell the roses once in awhile.

Week 17, Day 7

OMG OMG OMG!!! I love a bargain, and I just found out that Amazon is having a huge sale on DVDS, including Biggest Loser workout DVDS and some by Jillian Michaels. The prices are awesome, as low as $5.99. I'm glad I have some Christmas money left! Here's the link directly to the page at Amazon: Great Deals on Biggest Loser DVDS!!

I've already spent some time on the bike today and have done some weight work on my arms. I switched to 15 pound weights yesterday, up from 8 pound weights. So I'm making some progress. I'm feeling it, though! Wow, I hurt! But that's okay. As they say, no pain, no gain.

No food yet today. I just haven't been hungry. I know, I know -- I should eat. But so far water has kept me happy, and Adam and I are going out later on. I'll eat then. (Do as I say, not as I do?) :)


Today's Tip:
I saw this in a press release from the American Dietetic Association and was really alarmed by it. If you're counting on food labels and restaurants to tell you the truth about calorie counts, don't! Read the following and take this into account when figuring your caloric intake for the day:

In a study published in the January 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers from Tufts University found that some commercially prepared foods contained more calories than indicated in nutritional labeling.

Measured energy values of 29 quick-serve and sit-down restaurant foods averaged 18% more calories than the stated values. Likewise, measured energy values of 10 frozen meals purchased from supermarkets averaged 8% more calories than stated on the label.

The commercially prepared restaurant foods and supermarket frozen convenience meals were obtained in the Boston, MA, area. The energy content was measured and compared with nutrition data stated by the vendor or manufacturer. The restaurant chains included both quick-serve and sit-down establishments with broad distribution throughout the United States.

Because the goal of the study was to examine the accuracy of stated energy content of foods typically selected for weight control, specific restaurant menu items were chosen based on three criteria. Selected foods were (1) less than 500 kcal/serving as stated on the label, (2) typical American foods and (3) among those with the lowest stated energy contents on the menu. Supermarket purchases were focused on frozen complete meals that would be alternative choices to eating out.

The authors found a further complication with some restaurant meals. Five restaurants provided side dishes at no extra cost. The average energy provided by these items was 471 kcal, which was greater than the 443 kcal for the entrées they accompanied. Furthermore, some individual foods had discrepancies that were extreme, including three supermarket-purchased complete meals and seven restaurant foods that containing up to twice their stated energy contents.

The authors also note that the US Food and Drug Administration allows up to 20% excess energy content but weight must be no less than 99% of the stated value. This might lead manufacturers to add more food to the package to insure compliance with the weight standards and thereby exceed the stated energy content.

Week 17, Day 6

I thought since the weather was warmed up into the 20s ABOVE zero today -- the first day significantly above zero in quite awhile, that I would be full of all kinds of energy and eagerness to be outside enjoying these nearly balmy temperatures. Not so. I went out, but 20 is still darned cold and I was happy to get back home. It didn't help that I was battling the after-church crowd at the store when I was trying to walk. I'd walk a few steps and wait, walk down an aisle and find the next one jammed up, turn a corner and be cut off. Oh well, better luck tomorrow I guess.

Food: Oops...some junk today. I had some chicken noodle soup with croutons in it. Then I ate the rest of the croutons. I couldn't help myself. Darn. No self-control. I simply can't buy that kind of stuff anymore. I also indulged in a soft drink. Mountain Dew has a new limited-time drink called Mountain Dew Throwback, which is made with real sugar instead of that awful high fructose corn syrup. It was awesome. :) That should do it for awhile, though. It's not like I want to go out and buy a six-pack of the stuff. I hope they keep it around, though. If I ever have another soft drink, I would much rather stay away from HFCS and I'll look for Throwback. I'll have some yogurt and a banana later on. At least something healthy will pass my lips today. :)

Exercise: Leg lifts, walking at the store, weight work on my arms, and some biking tonight.

Today's Tip:
Are you willing to go the extra mile for a friend? I've known Charlotte for over 35 years, and I'd like to know her for 35 more. But she's a smoker. She wants to quit, but like so many others addicted to tobacco, she can't seem to stop. And I guess she could make similar statements about my addiction to crappy food. Charlotte reads A New Suit for inspiration, and she's one of my dearest friends. So as of today, we are committed to conquering our demons together. Each day she will try to not smoke. Just that day. Not a long term promise to never smoke again. Just a promise to not smoke that day. And I am going to do two things: 1) I am going to send her text messages whenever I can to encourage her to stay strong, and 2) each day I am going to ride my bike my usual amount -- that is, until I am simply too tired to ride anymore, and then I'm going to ride one extra mile for Charlotte. Do you have a friend or loved one you can ride the extra mile for? If you do only that one extra mile each day, at the end of the month you will have ridden 30 extra miles, or 365 extra miles in a year. That's a powerful boost to your fitness regimen and a great tribute to your friend or loved one! And maybe knowing you're going the extra mile for them will be the inspiration they need to save their own lives.

Week 17, Day 5

Welcome to the 100th post here at A New Suit! Out of curiosity, I also weighed in today, and I'm at 224 which is a 35 pound loss. Only a gazillion to go to reach my goal--ha! But I'm well on my way and just need to keep going. Can't wait to get below 200! I'm a short, short woman, so it will be nice to not look so darned roly poly. And I think the lack of weight will be liberating and will make everything -- breathing, moving, exercising, LIVING -- so much easier.

Okay, time to fess up. Food: sandwich, yogurt, a cup of mac and cheese. I think I might have a bowl of veggies before bed. Exercise: leg lifts, weight work for my arms, and some bike time. Same old kind of stuff. But tomorrow the weather is supposed to be a balmy 20 degrees ABOVE zero rather than these past many days of below zero temps, so I'm headed out to do some walking. Yippy!

Today's Tip:
Sometimes the lure of fast food is really tempting, isn't it? Maybe even something simple like a fish sandwich. Doesn't have to be a fat-laden cheeseburger. Or how about some chicken nuggets? After all, some places make them with white meat, right? Or maybe a better choice would just be an energy bar or a glass of fruit juice. Well, before you give in to that hankering for the food-like substances served at fast food places, and certainly before you decide to opt for anything else, take a look at this from Eat This, Not That: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/whats-your-food#title Somehow those nuggets just don't seem quite so tempting. Come to think of it, the fruit juice seems a bit dubious now, too. Tomorrow I'll give you some better snack ideas.

Week 17, Day 4

I haven't been out of the house for DAYS. And I think I'm pretty happy about that. Between the snow and ice and temps waaaay below zero and the multiple wrecks out there caused by insane people who don't know when it's a good time to stay home or AT LEAST when it's time to drive slower, I'm okay with being safe inside. I have to go pick up Adam at work tonight, though. The temp will be 24 below zero. The shivering ought to burn a few extra calories. That and having Adam home again will be my silver lining. (He's a neat kid -- I wish you all could meet him.)

I've done pretty well today, both on the exercising and food fronts. I did leg lifts this morning, a half hour of weight work for my arms while watching TV this afternoon, and 20 minutes of biking this evening. I had a half a sandwich for breakfast, the other half for lunch, and a couple of yogurts for dinner. I think I'll have a cup of soup a little later after I get home from picking up Adam. I need to go easy on the reading -- I feel much more upbeat when I'm not spending several hours at one time reading about how awful our food supply is. I think I'll limit it to maybe an hour a day and spend the rest of the time doing something more active. Sounds like a plan!

Today's Tip:
Do you know what your BMR is? I always wondered how many calories it takes to keep this old machine running. My fear was that since I'm not a terribly active person, it's probably something like 300 calories a day and I'm just going to spend the rest of my life either having to starve myself to lose weight or resign myself to the fact that I will continue to gain. Not so!!! I get Jillian Michael's newsletter, and she tells how to calculate your BMR -- basal metabolic rate, or how many calories you burn just at absolute minimum capacity (like me -- the quintessential couch potato). Her explanation and formula for figuring out your own BMR can be found here: http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fitness-and-diet-tips/BMR-formula As for me, unless I am a complete dolt with math (and that's not too far from the truth), my BMR is about 1670. That's waaaay more than I thought it would be! Not that I'm going to use that as permission to go hog-wild with food. But it does make me feel a lot more hopeful about my chances of actually reaching my weight loss goals.

Personal note:
My dad's having a test this coming Wednesday to help the doctors decide what can be done about his aneurysm. He is too old for them to hold out much hope for his surviving the full-blown repair surgery, and right now they think the aneurysm is too large for a stent to work. Please keep him in your prayers.

Week 17, Day 3

I don't know why lately I can't seem to find food that actually satisfies me. I don't know what I want. Nothing we have in the house, for sure. But even the other day when I was at the grocery store, I couldn't figure out exactly what I wanted. I think it must be partly the curse that comes with knowing that most of what I ate before wasn't really food. It masqueraded as food. The store said it was food. I think most people would believe as I did that it was, indeed, food. But now I know better. And nothing going into my mouth seems to give me the same "ahhhhhh...." feeling I had before. The temptation is to keep eating until I get that feeling. I think that must be what I did before and what a lot of people do. It's not so much hunger as it is a lack of "ahhhhhhh....." from eating.

Do you remember my telling you about the book I was reading, In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan? Well, right now I'm reading his other book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. Same kind of thing, but more detailed in the actual production of so-called food, the travels and travails as it goes from field to table. It's a more challenging book to read, not the quick read that In Defense of Food was. I think that's because I keep having to put it down and digest (serendipitous pun) the information before I can move on and read more. Ugh. I'm so disgusted with the entire food thing. In America, of all places, how did we allow ourselves to get to this point where most of what's in a grocery store isn't really food? The world has looked to us for leadership, and we've let them and ourselves down. All for politics and money. It does give me much more impetus to visit the local farmer's markets this coming Spring and Summer. And it certainly gives me a lot more respect for the actual food I do eat. The way we do our food chain now is disgusting, but the way God intended it is really quite amazing.

Okay, back to the weight loss thing. Exercise: I seem to do the bulk of it in the evening, and as usual, I haven't done much today yet. I've done some leg lifts, and I'll do some upper body work later on. I'll try to put in some time on the bike, too. Food: A couple slices of french toast -- 7-grain bread, two eggs, and a drizzle of organic maple syrup, a turkey and cheese sandwich, and I'll have some yogurt later on.

Today's Tip:
For weight loss to be sustainable and healthy, it needs to be about not just changing your body but also changing your mind. Unless you change your mind about food, thus changing your habits and desires, you will fall back into the same old way of doing things when you reach your target weight. Weight loss, ideally, is about good health and fitness (instead of just a vanity thing). So learning about your food -- indeed, what food actually IS, what your body actually needs, etc. will help you develop a new healthy relationship with your food and establish the eating habits that will help you not only lose weight, but also maintain that weight loss and obtain optimal health as you go through life.

Week 17, Day 2

I must be genetically part bear. The lovable, cuddly kind, not the I'm-going-to-maul-you-to-death kind. Definitely. We got an extra 4 inches of snow on the ground today, and the wind chill is supposed to be 35 below zero. I want to hibernate. Of course, that doesn't bode well for the whole exercise regimen. I'm tired and feel like just wrapping myself up in a blanket in front of the TV. Which is pretty much all I've done today. But I'm determined to put in some time on the bike tonight and do some upper body work. I've also been pretty good about the food today. A banana, two yogurts, a turkey and cheese sandwich. I think I'll have a bowl of soup later. So not too bad.

There's been a lot of talk today about last night's Biggest Loser. The contestants had to do a public weigh in in their home town before going to the ranch. And apparently a lot of viewers thought that wasn't appropriate. Along the lines of humiliating, cruel and unusual punishment, too dramatic, etc. I'm thinking that's kind of no big deal considering they're going to spend weeks of weigh ins on national TV. What are your thoughts about it?

Today's Tip:
Winter weather can easily sidetrack exercise plans. But seldom does a blizzard or ice storm show up out of nowhere. Plan ahead! If you can't get out to the gym or out to do your regular routine of mall-walking --or whatever your usual thing is --, know ahead of time what your snowbound plan is. No exercise equipment at home? No problem! Fifteen minutes of climbing your stairs at home will work wonders. A 5-pound bag of potatoes, cans of veggies, or a 2-liter of soda works for hand weights. Push-ups, leg lifts, jumping jacks...plenty of things don't even require equipment. Be inventive! And enjoy being inside a warm home, safe and sound. :)

Week 17, Day 1

Wow. The first episode of Season 9 of the Biggest Loser was tonight, and I am so energized I can hardly sit still long enough to write this! No more holidays, no more coasting for a few weeks, no more excuses. The time has come to get back on track and get the rest of this weight GONE. I'm ready!

Each season it seems the contestants are easy from the start to feel close to. They're just like I am -- struggling with a body that's way too big, fighting their fears, wanting so much more than what life is right now. I just want to give them all a big hug! But I hope this season doesn't have all the drama Season 8 had. It was distracting. That said, I gotta say I think Daris is a cutie pie. I can't wait to see this kid when he gets skinny! He's never had a girlfriend, and if he takes the weight off, I guarantee that whole girlfriend thing will definitely change! Patti is about my age and weight, so I'm going to keep an eye on her. But gosh, the first week she lost a crazy amount of weight -- as did all the contestants. She's at 220 now, and I'm at 230. So I'll need to hit it really hard to keep up.

My back has been hurting the past couple of days. A lot. Dang. I thought I was past that. But I've been in bed with a sinus infection, and I guess being in bed so much has messed up my back. Didn't used to. But time and age do take their toll. Another snow storm is headed our way tomorrow, so I went to the store today to get some milk and yogurt and stuff, and I took advantage of the time out to do some walking. I'll spend some time on the bike when I get done here. I had a bit of a routine before -- walking at the store nearly every day, time on the bike, etc. But with the weather being ridiculously bad this whole past month, plus time away over in Iowa, I haven't done my walking. I think that has contributed, too, to my back issues. I really don't handle pain well, so I hope I can make it go away soon. I guess during these winter months I'll have to develop a different routine. My older son got me a Biggest Loser workout DVD and some resistance bands for Christmas, so I really don't have any excuse, right? Help me remember that, please. I need the reminders!

Today's Tip:
Holidays DO derail even the best intentions when it comes to diets. But that's okay as long as you get back on track when they're over. C'mon, let's get back on track together! We CAN do this!

AND...do you want to burn an extra 270 calories a day? Burn 'em up during those pesky TV commercials in the evening! Run in place, sprint up and down the stairs, do some jumping jacks, pull your stationary bike into the room and bike during the ads...anything to keep yourself moving during each 2-minute interval. That's all it is -- 2 minutes at a time during a 2-hour stretch of TV watching. Easy-peasy!

Week 16, Day 5

Hi Everyone! I hope your holiday weekend has been going well. Mine has been calm and a great time to rest. I haven't been focused so much on fitness and diet as I have been on rest and peace. Yesterday I asked you about goals and motivators, and my friend Claire said this coming year she wants to focus on getting more sleep. Getting enough rest is such an important part of our overall health! So I've been getting rest this weekend in preparation for hitting it really hard when Season 9 of the Biggest Loser begins this coming Tuesday.

Okay, now for the food and exercise journal. Um...food first. Breakfast was crappy. I had crackers and some leftover Hershey's kisses. Terrible, huh? Honest, though. And for dinner I had some pasta with tuna, cheese, and mixed veggies. I like this particular mix of veggies because it has red peppers, broccoli, snow peas, carrots, green beans, and cauliflower -- a nice mix of colors and flavors. As for exercise...sadly, not much. I hurt today. I think this sub-zero weather isn't helping. Even my face hurts today. And I'm really, really tired. I keep telling myself I'll do better tomorrow. But...then tomorrow turns into today and I don't get it done. Really, I need to get it done. Now that I've told you about my terrible habit of procrastination, maybe I'll have better luck at overcoming it. Let's see if I can just conquer it at least one day -- tomorrow. :)

Today's Tip:
Keeping with the idea of sleep being important to our overall health, I found some interesting information on the National Institutes of Health website. They report that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirms that not getting enough sleep is tied to several health problems, including obesity. Ways to get better quality sleep, according to the CDC, include:

* Keep a regular sleep schedule.
* Avoid stimulating activities for two hours before bedtime.
* Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol in the evening.
* Sleep in a dark, quiet, well-ventilated room.
* Avoid going to bed hungry.

To read more about it, click here.

Week 16, Day 4

What a great way to start 2010 -- watching reruns of Season 3 from Biggest Loser. I missed Season 3 when it originally ran, so this was great! This was awesome motivation to get me completely in the mood to get going and not fall in the trap holiday eating can put us in. Wooohooo!

Now that's not to say I ate well today. LOL. I didn't do badly. But I didn't eat really well. I had 3 banana mini muffins for breakfast. Two yogurts for lunch. A really crappy Burger King hamburger for mid-afternoon snack --and believe me, I wish I hadn't. Ugh -- how do people eat those things? I didn't sleep well last night because I was babysitting Little Man and kept one ear open for him, so I was really tired today and got a soda at Burger King to load up on caffeine. Big mistake. Really, I don't know how I drank those things before. Nasty. Completely nasty. I had a couple of sips and had to throw the rest out. Anyway, for dinner I had a bowl of Italian wedding soup -- canned, and added the traditional blackeyed peas for New Years to it. Not great tasting, but who am I to argue with tradition? And the whole shebang was only about 400 calories, so it wasn't too bad. I'm guessing the whole day only cost me about 1000 calories. So I guess it wasn't too bad a start to the new year.

Little Man gave me a bit of a workout -- as always. I love the little guy to pieces. And he's old enough now that we can really interact. He brings toys to me now for us to play with. And...he runs from me when he doesn't want to do what I want him to. I can't be mad at him -- it's too cute to watch his little hiney running from me! First Son and Wifey went to Brownville, NE, last night and spent New Year's --and their 2nd anniversary -- at an elegant little bed and breakfast inn on the Missouri River. Dinner was served, their room was upgraded to the best possible, and fireworks were shot off at midnight. It was all quite festive, and I'm so glad that Adam and I were available to watch Little Man so First Son and Wifey could go spend a special anniversary together. And I'm delighted that I've come far enough in my journey to have quite efficiently taken care of an 18-month old. Six months ago I couldn't have. Again...a great way to begin the new year!

RESOLUTIONS
The temp tonight is 16 below zero -- that's the actual temp, not the wind chill. Since I have asthma, that's a concerning figure. And this is all the more reason for me to continue without ceasing on this journey. I must get in shape if only because the extremes of each season shouldn't be a life-and-death event for me. I'm not one to make a whole list of New Year's resolutions, but I am always aware of WHY I'm on this journey, why A New Suit exists. What are YOUR motivators as you enter 2010? What are YOUR hopes and dreams for the coming year -- and how can I help you achieve them? Let me know!