I am happy that the goal of this phase of "Project Traci" is being met! My sleep pattern seems to be reset and I've been tired at a reasonable hour, sleeping between 6 and 7 hours a night, and (usually) waking up refreshed and on time. My energy levels have been much better, too...
Funny thing happened this morning -- put on my sweatpants in preparation for a busy day of cleaning, laundry and taxes and realized that I had to use the drawstring in the waistband to keep them up. I've owned these crazy pants for 12 years and that's the first time I've ever had to do that. What a great feeling! Now I wish I hadn't had to turn down the last-minute shopping trip to Montana that my friend proposed. I had such a busy week this week that I was too tired to even contemplate getting up early for a day-trip like that. Next time for sure, because I don't think I'll be able to get away with pinning the waistbands on my summer clothes this year...
Today's Menu
Breakfast: fieldberry yogurt with strawberries, coffee
Lunch: 3 egg vegetarian omelette (yellow & green pepper, portobello mushroom, onion, spinach), jasmine green tea, water -- I added a little bit of cheese because an omelette just isn't right if there's no cheese -- had the restaurant substitute sliced tomato for the toast/hash brown side
Dinner: Dr. Mike's taco salad (with salsa, tomato, onion, cheese) -- and a slice of pizza (couldn't resist...)
No snacks today -- slept in so breakfast was late and then so was lunch. Dinner was at a reasonable hour, so I didn't get to that "too late" starving stage I've found myself in a few times this week.
I'm looking forward to weigh-in #2 on Monday. And some awesome sleep tonight!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Cycle 1 (Accelerate) -- Day 9/10/11/12
Well, that's a string of busy days! Heading into the weekend with a positive mindset...
Despite the crazy-busy of Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, I still managed to eat properly for the most part. Didn't manage all of the water on any of those days and I got run over by the coffee-train on Wednesday, but I'm still feeling great and have so much more energy than a month ago. The 6 hour sleeps are fantastic, too!
Tuesday: Hmmm, that seems so long ago, but it's only been two days. It was a quieter day at work, so I was able to keep to better meal times. Breakfast and morning snack were standard fare and lunch was my favourite -- the freaking amazing taco salad from the original book. I left early to get my boy to his Cadets group and there was a parent meeting happening at the same time, so dinner (unfortunately) was a gong-show. I wound up at Tim Horton's (closest option to the school, and they just don't do salads) -- two chicken ceasar wraps and a medium decaf. to go. I rolled up a free coffee. Yay, me...
Dr. Mike's food tip for Day 9: Experiment with seasonings -- no reason for the food to be bland. Good advice if you're going to try that green bean casserole...
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for Day 9: Vary your exercise routine. Really? What if you don't have one? Oh, right. Start one -- dummy...
Wednesday: Again, quiet at work which was great. I was up an hour early to see my girl off on her school ski-trip and was so exhausted by the afternoon -- probably should have backed off on the coffee, but that's hindsight. Anyway, I got lots done and ate well (was really hungry all day...wonder what that's all about...perhaps because of getting up so early?). Again, standard breakfast and snack with chicken-vegetable soup for dinner. I met up with my coworkers after instruction was done and treated myself to a glass of red wine and a yummy dip that was loaded with cheese and a lot of "legal" items (tomatoes, onion, red pepper, artichoke). It came with flat bread (baked) and nacho chips, but it was a smallish appetizer so I will be considering that my "cheat" for the week. No pizza pig-out this weekend for me!
Dr. Mike's food tip for Day 10: Plan ahead. Stock up on healthy foods and always keep some proper snacks with you so you won't be tempted by something quick -- like the Timmy's drive thru...
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for Day 10: "Listen" to your body. Pay attention to sharp pain and sudden fatigue -- don't overdo it!
Thursday: Well, back on the wagon today! Nothing of note to report -- great sleep, more energy, productive day at work. Breakfast was scrambled eggs/grapefruit/coffee, lunch was a huge salad with tuna and green tea, but when dinner time rolled around, I found I couldn't face another tomato-based concoction (as much as I love the turkey chili and chicken soup), so a quick stop at the grocery store fixed that. I grabbed a couple of frozen salmon fillets (yes, I chose fish -- twice today -- this is new territory for me...) and cooked them up with a little lemon juice and dill -- paired with the green bean casserole (lots of salt and pepper to give that any flavour -- thanks for the tip, Doc!), it was a fantastic meal!
Dr. Mike's food tip for Day 11: Condiments are OK as long as you choose the low calorie/ low carb/fat and sugar free varieties. I don't usually like the taste that goes with these choices, so have opted to cut them out completely for now. I make my own salad dressing (most days) from olive oil/balsamic vinegar. If I absolutely have to have cheese or bottled dressing or soy sauce, I use a bare minimum.
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for Day 11: Fitness takes time, so don't get discouraged if you've been a lazy-butt for years and aren't seeing immediate results. Keep a fitness log and keep going! Maybe I should get started...
Friday: Another day of good food behaviour while at work -- yougurt/strawberries/coffee for breakfast, turkey chili and green tea for lunch. Lots of water in-between. Then I came home, where there was shepherd's pie cooking. Yep -- the wagon ran me over again! I will admit to having 2 dinner rolls AND a piece of apple pie AND a glass of wine afterward -- apparently I can't be trusted to make good choices when I'm really hungry. I hadn't taken enough food to work with me for snacking (hello, food tip #10 -- dummy...) and was ravenous when I got home. My plan had been taco salad and tomato-leek soup. Guess I'll have that tomorrow instead of pizza...
Dr. Mike's food tip for Day 12: Probiotic supplements are a great substitute for the probiotic foods (yogurt, etc.) -- the supplement needs to contain 10 to 20 billion CFU's.
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for Day 12: Exercise is a great remedy for stress. Regular exercise causes the brain to release more serotonin which is a natural mood elevator -- great for warding off depression.
Weekends are usually awful for me. I get so busy with my household "projects" that I forget to eat. Hopefully I can stay on top of things and not fall into the trap I did tonight.
Despite the crazy-busy of Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, I still managed to eat properly for the most part. Didn't manage all of the water on any of those days and I got run over by the coffee-train on Wednesday, but I'm still feeling great and have so much more energy than a month ago. The 6 hour sleeps are fantastic, too!
Tuesday: Hmmm, that seems so long ago, but it's only been two days. It was a quieter day at work, so I was able to keep to better meal times. Breakfast and morning snack were standard fare and lunch was my favourite -- the freaking amazing taco salad from the original book. I left early to get my boy to his Cadets group and there was a parent meeting happening at the same time, so dinner (unfortunately) was a gong-show. I wound up at Tim Horton's (closest option to the school, and they just don't do salads) -- two chicken ceasar wraps and a medium decaf. to go. I rolled up a free coffee. Yay, me...
Dr. Mike's food tip for Day 9: Experiment with seasonings -- no reason for the food to be bland. Good advice if you're going to try that green bean casserole...
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for Day 9: Vary your exercise routine. Really? What if you don't have one? Oh, right. Start one -- dummy...
Wednesday: Again, quiet at work which was great. I was up an hour early to see my girl off on her school ski-trip and was so exhausted by the afternoon -- probably should have backed off on the coffee, but that's hindsight. Anyway, I got lots done and ate well (was really hungry all day...wonder what that's all about...perhaps because of getting up so early?). Again, standard breakfast and snack with chicken-vegetable soup for dinner. I met up with my coworkers after instruction was done and treated myself to a glass of red wine and a yummy dip that was loaded with cheese and a lot of "legal" items (tomatoes, onion, red pepper, artichoke). It came with flat bread (baked) and nacho chips, but it was a smallish appetizer so I will be considering that my "cheat" for the week. No pizza pig-out this weekend for me!
Dr. Mike's food tip for Day 10: Plan ahead. Stock up on healthy foods and always keep some proper snacks with you so you won't be tempted by something quick -- like the Timmy's drive thru...
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for Day 10: "Listen" to your body. Pay attention to sharp pain and sudden fatigue -- don't overdo it!
Thursday: Well, back on the wagon today! Nothing of note to report -- great sleep, more energy, productive day at work. Breakfast was scrambled eggs/grapefruit/coffee, lunch was a huge salad with tuna and green tea, but when dinner time rolled around, I found I couldn't face another tomato-based concoction (as much as I love the turkey chili and chicken soup), so a quick stop at the grocery store fixed that. I grabbed a couple of frozen salmon fillets (yes, I chose fish -- twice today -- this is new territory for me...) and cooked them up with a little lemon juice and dill -- paired with the green bean casserole (lots of salt and pepper to give that any flavour -- thanks for the tip, Doc!), it was a fantastic meal!
Dr. Mike's food tip for Day 11: Condiments are OK as long as you choose the low calorie/ low carb/fat and sugar free varieties. I don't usually like the taste that goes with these choices, so have opted to cut them out completely for now. I make my own salad dressing (most days) from olive oil/balsamic vinegar. If I absolutely have to have cheese or bottled dressing or soy sauce, I use a bare minimum.
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for Day 11: Fitness takes time, so don't get discouraged if you've been a lazy-butt for years and aren't seeing immediate results. Keep a fitness log and keep going! Maybe I should get started...
Friday: Another day of good food behaviour while at work -- yougurt/strawberries/coffee for breakfast, turkey chili and green tea for lunch. Lots of water in-between. Then I came home, where there was shepherd's pie cooking. Yep -- the wagon ran me over again! I will admit to having 2 dinner rolls AND a piece of apple pie AND a glass of wine afterward -- apparently I can't be trusted to make good choices when I'm really hungry. I hadn't taken enough food to work with me for snacking (hello, food tip #10 -- dummy...) and was ravenous when I got home. My plan had been taco salad and tomato-leek soup. Guess I'll have that tomorrow instead of pizza...
Dr. Mike's food tip for Day 12: Probiotic supplements are a great substitute for the probiotic foods (yogurt, etc.) -- the supplement needs to contain 10 to 20 billion CFU's.
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for Day 12: Exercise is a great remedy for stress. Regular exercise causes the brain to release more serotonin which is a natural mood elevator -- great for warding off depression.
Weekends are usually awful for me. I get so busy with my household "projects" that I forget to eat. Hopefully I can stay on top of things and not fall into the trap I did tonight.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Cycle 1 (Accelerate) -- Day 8
Well! Colour me surprised! Weigh-in #1 this morning has me down 5 lbs -- registering 124 lbs before breakfast. That's awesome news, because it all seems to be falling into place -- sleep is better, more energy, less brain fog and now some bloat/fat has left me. There's the motivation to keep going!
Dr. Mike's food tip for today: Some fats are "friendly" -- Omega 3's boost your metabolism, so choose salmon or tuna whenever you can and use olive or flaxseed oil for cooking. I love the olive oil in my salad dressing with the balsamic vinegar -- so tasty and apparently really good for you!
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: Safety first, folks! Wear brightly coloured clothing when out walking or biking and remember to wear that helmet when you're out on your bike!
Today's Menu
Breakfast: 2 large eggs (scrambled), 1/2 grapefruit, coffee, multivitamin/Omega 3/probiotic capsules
Morning Snack: vanilla yogurt with chopped Granny Smith apple and cinnamon, mandarin-orange green tea
Lunch: Dr. Mike's tomato-leek soup, water
Dinner: baked salmon, green salad (with tomato, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, olive oil/balsamic vinegar), water
Great day at work, too! The boss was in to help with prep for tonight's instruction and that allowed me to find the time to eat on time. That certainly helps keep things on track, although it was almost too late by the time I managed to fit in a lunch break -- started to get dizzy and develop a headache, but managed to get past it just in time. The tomato-leek soup was pretty good, but not terribly filling. Note to self -- remember to pack a salad for next time...
Here's an article from Dr. Mike regarding hydration tips where he clarifies the why/why not of coffee and black tea vs. green tea consumption: Hydration Tips: What You Need To Drink, When and Why. I have posted the link under "Useful Links" below as well.
Dr. Mike's food tip for today: Some fats are "friendly" -- Omega 3's boost your metabolism, so choose salmon or tuna whenever you can and use olive or flaxseed oil for cooking. I love the olive oil in my salad dressing with the balsamic vinegar -- so tasty and apparently really good for you!
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: Safety first, folks! Wear brightly coloured clothing when out walking or biking and remember to wear that helmet when you're out on your bike!
Today's Menu
Breakfast: 2 large eggs (scrambled), 1/2 grapefruit, coffee, multivitamin/Omega 3/probiotic capsules
Morning Snack: vanilla yogurt with chopped Granny Smith apple and cinnamon, mandarin-orange green tea
Lunch: Dr. Mike's tomato-leek soup, water
Dinner: baked salmon, green salad (with tomato, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, olive oil/balsamic vinegar), water
Great day at work, too! The boss was in to help with prep for tonight's instruction and that allowed me to find the time to eat on time. That certainly helps keep things on track, although it was almost too late by the time I managed to fit in a lunch break -- started to get dizzy and develop a headache, but managed to get past it just in time. The tomato-leek soup was pretty good, but not terribly filling. Note to self -- remember to pack a salad for next time...
Here's an article from Dr. Mike regarding hydration tips where he clarifies the why/why not of coffee and black tea vs. green tea consumption: Hydration Tips: What You Need To Drink, When and Why. I have posted the link under "Useful Links" below as well.
Cycle 1 (Accelerate) -- Day 7
Yesterday I fell off the wagon -- and then promptly got run over by it. I don't regret the pizza at all -- had an excellent sleep and felt great when I woke up this morning. So I'm not going to dwell on my little stumble and will move forward and see what the next 10 days brings.
So far, this first week has resulted in much better sleep and a bit more energy. Today I had enough to do all of the laundry, clean the bathrooms and start digging out the boy's bedroom so I can dust and vacuum properly. If you wonder why I would need energy and motivation for that particular project, imagine an episode of "Hoarders" and you'll know what I'm talking about. I don't expect to finish it today, but have some time before I head out to work tomorrow afternoon, so I'll likely finish it then. We'll see...
Dr. Mike's food tip for today: Green tea contains chemicals that increase fat-burning and stimulate calorie-burning -- 3 cups a day is recommended.
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: Stretch your muscles for a couple of minutes after exercising to avoid dizziness, cramping and sore muscles.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: 2 large eggs (scrambled), 1/2 red grapefruit, coffee
Morning Snack: skipped -- still full from breakfast (using large eggs make a huge difference -- who knew?)
Lunch: Dr. Mike's tomato-leek soup (still a bit full from breakfast, so didn't eat a whole serving), multivitamin, probiotic capsule, Omega 3 capsule, mint green tea
Afternoon Snack: vanilla yogurt with red grapes (yeah, I know -- fruit after 2:00 is bad -- just couldn't face baby carrots today)
Dinner: baked chicken breast topped with salsa, green bean casserole (from the workbook)
With tomorrow being Monday, I guess it will be time for a weigh-in. I'll only be doing that once a week as the weight loss is secondary this time. I seem to be nearly back on track with the sleep and energy -- any weight I lose will be a bonus!
So far, this first week has resulted in much better sleep and a bit more energy. Today I had enough to do all of the laundry, clean the bathrooms and start digging out the boy's bedroom so I can dust and vacuum properly. If you wonder why I would need energy and motivation for that particular project, imagine an episode of "Hoarders" and you'll know what I'm talking about. I don't expect to finish it today, but have some time before I head out to work tomorrow afternoon, so I'll likely finish it then. We'll see...
Dr. Mike's food tip for today: Green tea contains chemicals that increase fat-burning and stimulate calorie-burning -- 3 cups a day is recommended.
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: Stretch your muscles for a couple of minutes after exercising to avoid dizziness, cramping and sore muscles.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: 2 large eggs (scrambled), 1/2 red grapefruit, coffee
Morning Snack: skipped -- still full from breakfast (using large eggs make a huge difference -- who knew?)
Lunch: Dr. Mike's tomato-leek soup (still a bit full from breakfast, so didn't eat a whole serving), multivitamin, probiotic capsule, Omega 3 capsule, mint green tea
Afternoon Snack: vanilla yogurt with red grapes (yeah, I know -- fruit after 2:00 is bad -- just couldn't face baby carrots today)
Dinner: baked chicken breast topped with salsa, green bean casserole (from the workbook)
With tomorrow being Monday, I guess it will be time for a weigh-in. I'll only be doing that once a week as the weight loss is secondary this time. I seem to be nearly back on track with the sleep and energy -- any weight I lose will be a bonus!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Cycle 1 (Accelerate) -- Day 6
Well, that's much better! I slept very well last night (a solid 6 hours with a couple of "breaks") and felt quite refreshed this morning. It seems to help that the cleanse function of this cycle is finally starting to work...
Dr. Mike's food tip for today: Coffee, tea, pop, energy drinks, juice and sports drinks do NOT count toward your water intake. Nor does wine, unfortunately. In fact, for every cup of one of those drinks you have, you need to add 8 oz. of water to your day. If you want flavour in your water, add a slice of lemon or lime.
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: If 17 minutes of exercise is too much to do in one shot, break it up into 2 smaller workouts -- whatever it takes to get yourself moving
Today's Menu
Breakfast: 2 large eggs (scrambled), Del Monte peaches (packed in water), cranberry/pomegranate green tea, multivitamin, probiotic capsule, Omega 3 capsule
Morning Snack: Granny Smith apple with cinnamon in vanilla yogurt (I think I'm starting to like this more than the red grape/vanilla yogurt combo that I love so much...), coffee
Lunch: again, no time for such nonsense
Dinner: Delissio Rising Crust PIZZA! Yup, pizza -- 2 slices of bacon-cheeseburger, 1 slice of Hawaiian, 1 slice of Canadian...
I know, I know -- the day started out so promising. The tomato-leek soup was in the fridge at work all ready to go when it was time for my break. Unfortunately, my break didn't happen. I went in to my office at 10:00 for my first parent meeting and between meetings (one where I had double-booked myself -- way to go, dummy), meetings showing up early, people dropping in unexpectedly, emails that had to be sent and phone calls that needed returning, I finally managed to come up for air at 2:30 -- which is when I got to eat the yogurt. Thank goodness for my helper -- he managed 4 hours of instruction, all the testing that was going on, ran interference for the teachers and got started setting up Monday's instruction. It wound up being a super-productive day for both of us!
Needless to say, I was ravenous when I got home and said "screw it" and joined the family in the pizza pigout...
Let's find the bright spot in the food failure. I managed ALL of my water and then some. There -- always look for the cup to be half full and you'll find something positive. And, tomorrow is another day...
Dr. Mike's food tip for today: Coffee, tea, pop, energy drinks, juice and sports drinks do NOT count toward your water intake. Nor does wine, unfortunately. In fact, for every cup of one of those drinks you have, you need to add 8 oz. of water to your day. If you want flavour in your water, add a slice of lemon or lime.
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: If 17 minutes of exercise is too much to do in one shot, break it up into 2 smaller workouts -- whatever it takes to get yourself moving
Today's Menu
Breakfast: 2 large eggs (scrambled), Del Monte peaches (packed in water), cranberry/pomegranate green tea, multivitamin, probiotic capsule, Omega 3 capsule
Morning Snack: Granny Smith apple with cinnamon in vanilla yogurt (I think I'm starting to like this more than the red grape/vanilla yogurt combo that I love so much...), coffee
Lunch: again, no time for such nonsense
Dinner: Delissio Rising Crust PIZZA! Yup, pizza -- 2 slices of bacon-cheeseburger, 1 slice of Hawaiian, 1 slice of Canadian...
I know, I know -- the day started out so promising. The tomato-leek soup was in the fridge at work all ready to go when it was time for my break. Unfortunately, my break didn't happen. I went in to my office at 10:00 for my first parent meeting and between meetings (one where I had double-booked myself -- way to go, dummy), meetings showing up early, people dropping in unexpectedly, emails that had to be sent and phone calls that needed returning, I finally managed to come up for air at 2:30 -- which is when I got to eat the yogurt. Thank goodness for my helper -- he managed 4 hours of instruction, all the testing that was going on, ran interference for the teachers and got started setting up Monday's instruction. It wound up being a super-productive day for both of us!
Needless to say, I was ravenous when I got home and said "screw it" and joined the family in the pizza pigout...
Let's find the bright spot in the food failure. I managed ALL of my water and then some. There -- always look for the cup to be half full and you'll find something positive. And, tomorrow is another day...
Friday, March 16, 2012
Cycle 1 (Accelerate) -- Day 5
OK, I don't get it...
I had ZERO carbs yesterday outside of the permitted fruit portions and I felt like crap again today. Slept much better (6 straight hours again), but I had a headache that just wouldn't quit. Must be something else (the weather is going to change in the next 24 hours -- that sometimes does it for me). Or maybe it's work -- we're busy, busy, busy right now and I haven't been able to keep regular meal times.
Today I wanted pancakes. I got yogurt. Seems like a pretty unfair trade off...
Dr. Mike's food tip for today: Drink your water! It helps flush body waste and metabolize stored fat. OK, Doc, point taken...
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: Recruit a workout buddy -- hubby (um, not likely), children (the daughter will be up for a walk), friend (my friends are very busy themselves and scattered throughout the city -- planning a workout with them would be a logistical nightmare...lol! But they are encouraging me in other ways and that is just as valuable!) -- you're less likely to jam out of your workout if someone else is counting on you.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: strawberry yougurt with diced strawberries added, pomegranate green tea, multivitamin, Omega 3 capsule
Morning Snack: skipped this -- took my headache back to bed after the kids left for school and had breakfast quite late...
Lunch: Ricky's Restaurant's BCLT Salad with chicken -- B = bacon bits, C = cheese, L = lettuce, T = tomato (lots of greens and other good stuff like spinach, carrot -- unfortunately the chicken had some kind of breading -- gotta remember to ask when the menu doesn't specify), water
Afternoon Snack: small yogurt (Silhouette 0+ toffee flavoured), mint green tea
Dinner: baked chicken breast, Dr. Mike's green bean casserole (from the workbook -- pretty good, a bit bland for my taste)
I love my Fridays off! The highlight of the day is a lunch date with my kids where we catch up on the news of the week and make plans for our weekend which always includes pizza/movie night and another evening of fun food and entertainment. Since the family got "fun" food tonight (burritos with all the fixings), I decided to try something new, hence the green bean casserole. Not necessarily "fun", but definitely different.
Part of the afternoon involved grocery shopping and I picked up the ingredients for the tomato-leek soup from the workbook -- smelled amazing while it was cooking -- going to try that tomorrow...
I had ZERO carbs yesterday outside of the permitted fruit portions and I felt like crap again today. Slept much better (6 straight hours again), but I had a headache that just wouldn't quit. Must be something else (the weather is going to change in the next 24 hours -- that sometimes does it for me). Or maybe it's work -- we're busy, busy, busy right now and I haven't been able to keep regular meal times.
Today I wanted pancakes. I got yogurt. Seems like a pretty unfair trade off...
Dr. Mike's food tip for today: Drink your water! It helps flush body waste and metabolize stored fat. OK, Doc, point taken...
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: Recruit a workout buddy -- hubby (um, not likely), children (the daughter will be up for a walk), friend (my friends are very busy themselves and scattered throughout the city -- planning a workout with them would be a logistical nightmare...lol! But they are encouraging me in other ways and that is just as valuable!) -- you're less likely to jam out of your workout if someone else is counting on you.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: strawberry yougurt with diced strawberries added, pomegranate green tea, multivitamin, Omega 3 capsule
Morning Snack: skipped this -- took my headache back to bed after the kids left for school and had breakfast quite late...
Lunch: Ricky's Restaurant's BCLT Salad with chicken -- B = bacon bits, C = cheese, L = lettuce, T = tomato (lots of greens and other good stuff like spinach, carrot -- unfortunately the chicken had some kind of breading -- gotta remember to ask when the menu doesn't specify), water
Afternoon Snack: small yogurt (Silhouette 0+ toffee flavoured), mint green tea
Dinner: baked chicken breast, Dr. Mike's green bean casserole (from the workbook -- pretty good, a bit bland for my taste)
I love my Fridays off! The highlight of the day is a lunch date with my kids where we catch up on the news of the week and make plans for our weekend which always includes pizza/movie night and another evening of fun food and entertainment. Since the family got "fun" food tonight (burritos with all the fixings), I decided to try something new, hence the green bean casserole. Not necessarily "fun", but definitely different.
Part of the afternoon involved grocery shopping and I picked up the ingredients for the tomato-leek soup from the workbook -- smelled amazing while it was cooking -- going to try that tomorrow...
Cycle 1 (Accelerate) -- Day 4
Well, I paid for those cookies with sleep. I had a really light sleep and felt absolutely awful and wrung-out this morning -- had to go back to bed for a couple of hours after the kids left for school. Way to go, dummy...
Ah, well, I guess that's scientific proof that one shouldn't eat cookies at 10:30 PM.
Today was busy at work, but I made a point of finding time to eat that lunch. Of course, it was rushed, but at least I ate...
Dr. Mike's food tip for today: Probiotics are friendly bacteria that help your digestive tract form a barrier against bad bacteria and also help you lose weight.
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: Put your gym times (if that's how you're getting your exercise in) on your calendar and plan your workout for early in the day -- get it over with before you do anything else and you'll feel better for the rest of the day. I guess if you're like me and just walking, you should put that on the calendar, too. And if you're using a smart-phone calendar application, you can set it up so you get nagged until you do it!
Today's Menu
Breakfast: 4 egg whites, scrambled (with red pepper, mushroom, 1 tbsp of salsa), Del Monte diced peaches (packed in water), cranberry/pomegranate green tea, multivitamin, probiotic capsule, Omega 3 capsule
Morning Snack: vanilla yogurt with Granny Smith apple & cinnamon
Lunch: Dr. Mike's Chicken Vegetable soup
Dinner: large green salad* with tomatoes, baked chicken breast, Kraft Mandarin Orange dressing
* I've been using bagged salad (yes, terribly lazy) -- this one had pieces of carrot, radish, purple cabbage and a few snap peas.
No official workout/exercise today (are you shocked?) but, again, lots of walking at work -- not really exercise, but I was on the move all day. I have the day off tomorrow and the weather has been nice, so I might just go for a real walk and listen to the birds singing down by the pond.
Ah, well, I guess that's scientific proof that one shouldn't eat cookies at 10:30 PM.
Today was busy at work, but I made a point of finding time to eat that lunch. Of course, it was rushed, but at least I ate...
Dr. Mike's food tip for today: Probiotics are friendly bacteria that help your digestive tract form a barrier against bad bacteria and also help you lose weight.
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: Put your gym times (if that's how you're getting your exercise in) on your calendar and plan your workout for early in the day -- get it over with before you do anything else and you'll feel better for the rest of the day. I guess if you're like me and just walking, you should put that on the calendar, too. And if you're using a smart-phone calendar application, you can set it up so you get nagged until you do it!
Today's Menu
Breakfast: 4 egg whites, scrambled (with red pepper, mushroom, 1 tbsp of salsa), Del Monte diced peaches (packed in water), cranberry/pomegranate green tea, multivitamin, probiotic capsule, Omega 3 capsule
Morning Snack: vanilla yogurt with Granny Smith apple & cinnamon
Lunch: Dr. Mike's Chicken Vegetable soup
Dinner: large green salad* with tomatoes, baked chicken breast, Kraft Mandarin Orange dressing
* I've been using bagged salad (yes, terribly lazy) -- this one had pieces of carrot, radish, purple cabbage and a few snap peas.
No official workout/exercise today (are you shocked?) but, again, lots of walking at work -- not really exercise, but I was on the move all day. I have the day off tomorrow and the weather has been nice, so I might just go for a real walk and listen to the birds singing down by the pond.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Cycle 1 (Accelerate) -- Day 3
Good morning! I slept 6 hours straight last night -- that's better than I've been sleeping for weeks now! It's really encouraging to have this result happen so fast.
I'm not going to bother with my food journal today -- I ate my usual breakfast and morning snack and that was it until I got home from work. Work was insanely busy, super productive and included a really positive visit from my boss (who is also back on the "path" after a busy weekend of entertaining). Unfortunately, busy=no lunch + an hour of overtime + late dinner (Dr. Mike's Chicken Vegetable soup with a wee bit of parmesan cheese sprinkled on it -- yummy!). I did manage most of the water today, though.
And then I ate a cookie...
Six cookies, actually...
In my defense, they were small (Anna's ginger cookies)...
I think this is about the point where I caved to the carb craving last time. Sigh...
I'm not going to bother with my food journal today -- I ate my usual breakfast and morning snack and that was it until I got home from work. Work was insanely busy, super productive and included a really positive visit from my boss (who is also back on the "path" after a busy weekend of entertaining). Unfortunately, busy=no lunch + an hour of overtime + late dinner (Dr. Mike's Chicken Vegetable soup with a wee bit of parmesan cheese sprinkled on it -- yummy!). I did manage most of the water today, though.
And then I ate a cookie...
Six cookies, actually...
In my defense, they were small (Anna's ginger cookies)...
I think this is about the point where I caved to the carb craving last time. Sigh...
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Cycle 1 (Accelerate) -- Day 2
I want a cookie...
Badly...
So far, so good, but here I am at the end of the day, and all I can think about is a cookie -- that chunk of biscotti I seriously considered having with my tea while I was out with my friend. She talked me down, but that craving was really strong. I don't remember it being this tricky last time out...
I did much, much better with my water intake today. It helped to get two glasses out of the way before I left the house for the day (one with lemon, one plain).
Dr. Mikes' food tip for today: eat as many cleansing veggies as possible -- dieters who eat a variety of veggies have less body fat. I'm not so worried about the body fat this time, but am going to make more of an effort to get along with the veggies in my fridge...
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: use visualization while you exersise -- picture the new, toned "you" during the daily workout. That's great advice for people who work out...
Today's Menu:
Breakfast -- 2 poached eggs, strawberries, pomegranate green tea, multivitamin/probiotic capsule/Omega 3 capsule
Morning Snack -- vanilla yogurt with red grapes, large black coffee
Lunch -- green salad (with tomato, celery, cucumber), 1 tbsp. Kraft Signature dressing* (extra virgin olive oil with fig balsamic vinegar)
Dinner -- Dr. Mike's turkey chili, small green salad, 1 tbsp. Kraft Balsamic vinaigrette**
* 1 tbsp = 45 calories
** 1 tbsp = 60 calories
All salad dressings are not created equal, it seems. You have to be careful and read those labels carefully.
Feeling pretty good at the end of the day!
Badly...
So far, so good, but here I am at the end of the day, and all I can think about is a cookie -- that chunk of biscotti I seriously considered having with my tea while I was out with my friend. She talked me down, but that craving was really strong. I don't remember it being this tricky last time out...
I did much, much better with my water intake today. It helped to get two glasses out of the way before I left the house for the day (one with lemon, one plain).
Dr. Mikes' food tip for today: eat as many cleansing veggies as possible -- dieters who eat a variety of veggies have less body fat. I'm not so worried about the body fat this time, but am going to make more of an effort to get along with the veggies in my fridge...
Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today: use visualization while you exersise -- picture the new, toned "you" during the daily workout. That's great advice for people who work out...
Today's Menu:
Breakfast -- 2 poached eggs, strawberries, pomegranate green tea, multivitamin/probiotic capsule/Omega 3 capsule
Morning Snack -- vanilla yogurt with red grapes, large black coffee
Lunch -- green salad (with tomato, celery, cucumber), 1 tbsp. Kraft Signature dressing* (extra virgin olive oil with fig balsamic vinegar)
Dinner -- Dr. Mike's turkey chili, small green salad, 1 tbsp. Kraft Balsamic vinaigrette**
* 1 tbsp = 45 calories
** 1 tbsp = 60 calories
All salad dressings are not created equal, it seems. You have to be careful and read those labels carefully.
Feeling pretty good at the end of the day!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Cycle 1 (Accelerate) -- Day 1
Here goes...
The time change this weekend did not do me any favours -- this morning I felt like I was hit by a train sometime over night. Of course, the butter tart binge before bed probably didn't help matters either...
Weigh-in #1 was this morning, and I was tipping the scales at 129 lbs. That was a bit of a surprise. I say it was a "bit" surprising, because, well, there were butter tarts, pasta, burritos, wine and spicy perogy pizza last week in addition to the Timmy's treats and assorted cookies with my coffee. That pretty much sums up my weekly eating habits since the holidays. No wonder I feel like crap...
So back to the beginning with me! I picked up the workbook today and will be using it to track my day. Sometimes it's hard to remember what went down when I get home from work, so the book will be my constant companion and blog writing helper. So far, I like it. It's laid out very well and includes places to record your meals, water, exercise and musings for the day. It also includes 17 new recipes (some variety for those of us who are dying to get our hands on the cookbook next month and don't have a lot of time to troll the Internet for suggestions) and grocery shopping lists. Very nice!
Today's Menu:
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, 1/2 white grapefruit, pomegranite green tea, supplements (probiotic, multi-vitamin, Omega 3)
Morning Snack -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt with chopped granny smith apple & cinnamon, mandarin orange green tea
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's Chicken Vegetable soup, water
Afternoon Snack -- no time for such nonsense -- sucked back some water and carried on with the craziness that was my work day...
Dinner -- large green salad with tomato, red pepper, celery, cucumber, tuna, balsamic vinegar/olive oil, pomegranite green tea
Looking at my food log, I realize that I made it through the day without a single cup of coffee. And I can't remember wanting one. However, I do find myself wanting a cookie. Good thing there aren't any in the house anymore...
Dr. Mike's food tip for today was a reminder to set realistic goals and not beat yourself up too much for slipping. Move on and start watching for the triggers that trip you up so you can avoid them. No negative self-talk allowed!
So, what are my goals? Sleep. Fewer headaches. Energy. Maybe lose the last few pounds that were missed the first time out (and the friends that they seem to have made) that would be 9 lbs to drop. Totally doable.
Did you exercise today, Traci? Not officially. I was in motion pretty much all day today. Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today was to get 17 minutes of easy exercise, like walking around the mall, so I'm counting my hectic running around at work. Probably a huge cop-out, but whatever...
Did you drink all your water today, Traci? No...when do I ever??? I will do better tomorrow!
The time change this weekend did not do me any favours -- this morning I felt like I was hit by a train sometime over night. Of course, the butter tart binge before bed probably didn't help matters either...
Weigh-in #1 was this morning, and I was tipping the scales at 129 lbs. That was a bit of a surprise. I say it was a "bit" surprising, because, well, there were butter tarts, pasta, burritos, wine and spicy perogy pizza last week in addition to the Timmy's treats and assorted cookies with my coffee. That pretty much sums up my weekly eating habits since the holidays. No wonder I feel like crap...
So back to the beginning with me! I picked up the workbook today and will be using it to track my day. Sometimes it's hard to remember what went down when I get home from work, so the book will be my constant companion and blog writing helper. So far, I like it. It's laid out very well and includes places to record your meals, water, exercise and musings for the day. It also includes 17 new recipes (some variety for those of us who are dying to get our hands on the cookbook next month and don't have a lot of time to troll the Internet for suggestions) and grocery shopping lists. Very nice!
Today's Menu:
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, 1/2 white grapefruit, pomegranite green tea, supplements (probiotic, multi-vitamin, Omega 3)
Morning Snack -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt with chopped granny smith apple & cinnamon, mandarin orange green tea
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's Chicken Vegetable soup, water
Afternoon Snack -- no time for such nonsense -- sucked back some water and carried on with the craziness that was my work day...
Dinner -- large green salad with tomato, red pepper, celery, cucumber, tuna, balsamic vinegar/olive oil, pomegranite green tea
Looking at my food log, I realize that I made it through the day without a single cup of coffee. And I can't remember wanting one. However, I do find myself wanting a cookie. Good thing there aren't any in the house anymore...
Dr. Mike's food tip for today was a reminder to set realistic goals and not beat yourself up too much for slipping. Move on and start watching for the triggers that trip you up so you can avoid them. No negative self-talk allowed!
So, what are my goals? Sleep. Fewer headaches. Energy. Maybe lose the last few pounds that were missed the first time out (and the friends that they seem to have made) that would be 9 lbs to drop. Totally doable.
Did you exercise today, Traci? Not officially. I was in motion pretty much all day today. Dr. Mike's exercise tip for today was to get 17 minutes of easy exercise, like walking around the mall, so I'm counting my hectic running around at work. Probably a huge cop-out, but whatever...
Did you drink all your water today, Traci? No...when do I ever??? I will do better tomorrow!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Here I go again...
Well, I'm back...
Last time out this project was about re-inventing myself. It started by just wanting to feel better -- lack of energy, mental fog (or is that a "brain cloud", Joe?), and an intense dislike of what I saw in the mirror every day led me to make some dramatic lifestyle changes. It worked. Though I didn't quite reach the weight loss goal I had set (it wasn't really about that, but it was fun to watch the number go down every few days), I did reach the clothing goals and I had so much energy I couldn't believe it -- don't remember ever having more. As an added bonus, I found I was thinking more clearly than I had in ages and that mental clarity helped me make some major decisions regarding what and who I spend my energies on. What a great feeling!
What is it all about this time? Mostly, it's about sleep. I love sleep. More than I love chips. Now, don't get me wrong -- I sleep. Just not deeply and all night -- I'm right back where I was when I started out last June. The mental fog is back, too, and brought with it a great lack of energy and motivation do more than sit on my butt. I also find that I am far more irritable than I was and really need a nap in the afternoons. That is not an option when you're working full time, so what's a girl to do?
Get back in the saddle, that's what! The holiday pre-diet was a spectacular failure but that's not going to be the case this time.
Though I learned some valuable eating and nutrition lessons last time out, I have reverted back into some old habits:
Last time out this project was about re-inventing myself. It started by just wanting to feel better -- lack of energy, mental fog (or is that a "brain cloud", Joe?), and an intense dislike of what I saw in the mirror every day led me to make some dramatic lifestyle changes. It worked. Though I didn't quite reach the weight loss goal I had set (it wasn't really about that, but it was fun to watch the number go down every few days), I did reach the clothing goals and I had so much energy I couldn't believe it -- don't remember ever having more. As an added bonus, I found I was thinking more clearly than I had in ages and that mental clarity helped me make some major decisions regarding what and who I spend my energies on. What a great feeling!
What is it all about this time? Mostly, it's about sleep. I love sleep. More than I love chips. Now, don't get me wrong -- I sleep. Just not deeply and all night -- I'm right back where I was when I started out last June. The mental fog is back, too, and brought with it a great lack of energy and motivation do more than sit on my butt. I also find that I am far more irritable than I was and really need a nap in the afternoons. That is not an option when you're working full time, so what's a girl to do?
Get back in the saddle, that's what! The holiday pre-diet was a spectacular failure but that's not going to be the case this time.
Though I learned some valuable eating and nutrition lessons last time out, I have reverted back into some old habits:
- Coffee -- far too much every day. It's "roll up the rim" time again, and that's not helping, because when you're in line for your daily cup of java, why not get a breakfast sandwich or a bagel with cream cheese to go along with it? Several times a week...
- Vodka coolers -- not necessarily a "bad" treat to have on the weekend if you make sure you drink extra water -- which I don't...
- Red, red wine -- same as the vodka coolers...
- Water -- not nearly enough every day -- been drinking coffee...
- Carbs with every meal -- potatoes, rice, bread = bad, bad, bad...
- Chips and dill pickle dip -- once I get started, a large bag of Ruffles only lasts for two days -- then what happens with the leftover dip? You buy more chips...
- Butter tarts and cookies -- not all the time, but often enough...and always more than one. They go so well with all that coffee...
- Toast -- I love toast, any time of the day, with jam -- not a bad thing, unless it's 11:00 PM and you're craving it to the point of distactability. At least it was the good, multi-grain stuff...
- Veggies/salad -- haven't been going there at all unless someone puts it on my dinner plate for me...
- Fruit -- ditto...
It's going to be very helpful that a friend is starting a cleanse today -- she is a dedicated health and nutrition enthusiast and I always find her Facebook posts to be very motivational. We've vowed that "no crap shall pass" our lips for the next few weeks.
So, as I sit here enjoying the last butter tart for a while, I am cooking up my Chicken Vegetable Soup and Turkey Chili for the week, having laid in a large supply of cleansing vegetables and lemons during the grocery shop earlier today. Planning to buy the workbook on the way to work tomorrow and then I'll be all set for Part 2 of Traci's 17-Day Diet Project!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Holiday Preparation -- Activate Cycle Day 4/5/6/7
Day 4 (Thursday)
(Accelerate menu -- or, at least that's what I attempted...)
Weigh-in #1 -- 127 lbs. Yay! That puts me back to where I was at the end of Cycle 3 -- down 20! Now, for a few more -- only two to go to get to my original goal and anything after that is gravy (oh, how I love gravy).
It felt SO GOOD to wear properly fitting pants to work today! Oh, it was bliss not having to deal with safety pins to hold them up! Finances aside (because it's really, really expensive to replace an entire wardrobe all at onces...lol!), why was I so reluctant to let the old pants go? Why were those pants so important to me? I just don't know -- maybe it was just laziness, but it's now time to move forward. They have been washed one last time and are now awaiting transport to the clothing donation drop off bin, including the 2 pair I had held on to "just in case"...
If only the day had continued on the positive note it started on. It was pretty much all downhill from when I got started on chores at home before heading out to work. Then work was a nightmare as well -- super busy day because I was so far behind that I barely had time to catch up, let alone deal with today's stuff. It didn't help that some family "crap" was thrown into the mix -- sent me right into a tailspin that I didn't get out of for the rest of the day...
Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled with green pepper/mushroom/salsa, Granny Smith apple, green tea, probiotic supplement, vitamin pack
Morning Snack: skipped it -- too busy & felt yucky anyway...
Lunch: skipped it -- no time & felt like I was going to be sick at any moment...
Dinner: pork chop, brown rice, steamed veggies (carrots, peas, corn) -- so much for my "no carb" day...
Yup -- you read that right -- vitamin pack -- purchased months ago at GNC and then sat for ages on the counter waiting for me to clue in. Really, how hard is it to "remember" to take vitamins? Anyway, each packet contains a multi-vitamin,a calcium capsule, an energy enhancer, and CLA. The energy enhancer is meant to boost metabolism (burn calories, that is) and energy levels. I could definitely use more energy in my days. The CLA is linoleic acid (gotta Google that...) which is a fatty acid derived from safflower seeds.
Day 5 (Friday)
Activate Menu: pretty much didn't happen...
Today was a complete and utter fall off the wagon day. I started out the day with a proper diet-friendly breakfast of vanilla yogurt/strawberries/granola & coffee. We spent the major part of the rest of the day downtown for Remembrance Day services. This included treating the kids to lunch out (which is something we do when I have Fridays off anyways...) at one of the food courts in a downtown shopping centre. I opted for a wrap/salad combo -- turkey, brie, lettuce & tomato in a whole wheat wrap with a small beet salad & a tiny Caesar salad on the side -- very tasty. We did a lot of walking which was a good thing for me, because I didn't make a single good choice about dinner, which consisted of our standard delivery pizza (which I ate entirely too much of) and a glass of red wine.
Skipped the supplements today, because I'm not entirely convinced that they didn't make me sick on Thursday. Or maybe it was the apple -- sometimes apples don't agree with me. The stress didn't help matters, either. I will try the vitamins again next week once things settle down around home...
Day 6 (Saturday)
Accelerate Menu: not even close...
Breakfast: pretty sure I ate before work, just don't remember what I had...
Morning Snack: super busy at work -- didn't have time for anything more than coffee...
Lunch: Dr. Mike's chicken vegetable soup, water
Afternoon Snack: 2 gingerbread men -- I shouldn't shop when I'm hungry...
Dinner: 3 beef burritos (whole grain wraps) with refried beans/Spanish rice/lettuce/cheese/sour cream, citrus peach juice mixed with soda water, glass of red wine -- yup, all around bad but so very tasty...
Day 7 (Sunday)
Activate menu: nope -- started out the day with toast and coffee and no protein whatsoever, so I just gave up, had an apple and a granola bar for lunch and will start the whole process over tomorrow because it's "date night" tonight and we're going out for nice food...
Weigh-in #2: 125 lbs! I guess stress, extra walking and skipping meals contributes to weight loss. However, the headaches, broken sleep and resultant fatigue are side-effects that I could live without. Pretty sure the family can live without cranky mommy, too...
(Accelerate menu -- or, at least that's what I attempted...)
Weigh-in #1 -- 127 lbs. Yay! That puts me back to where I was at the end of Cycle 3 -- down 20! Now, for a few more -- only two to go to get to my original goal and anything after that is gravy (oh, how I love gravy).
It felt SO GOOD to wear properly fitting pants to work today! Oh, it was bliss not having to deal with safety pins to hold them up! Finances aside (because it's really, really expensive to replace an entire wardrobe all at onces...lol!), why was I so reluctant to let the old pants go? Why were those pants so important to me? I just don't know -- maybe it was just laziness, but it's now time to move forward. They have been washed one last time and are now awaiting transport to the clothing donation drop off bin, including the 2 pair I had held on to "just in case"...
If only the day had continued on the positive note it started on. It was pretty much all downhill from when I got started on chores at home before heading out to work. Then work was a nightmare as well -- super busy day because I was so far behind that I barely had time to catch up, let alone deal with today's stuff. It didn't help that some family "crap" was thrown into the mix -- sent me right into a tailspin that I didn't get out of for the rest of the day...
Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled with green pepper/mushroom/salsa, Granny Smith apple, green tea, probiotic supplement, vitamin pack
Morning Snack: skipped it -- too busy & felt yucky anyway...
Lunch: skipped it -- no time & felt like I was going to be sick at any moment...
Dinner: pork chop, brown rice, steamed veggies (carrots, peas, corn) -- so much for my "no carb" day...
Yup -- you read that right -- vitamin pack -- purchased months ago at GNC and then sat for ages on the counter waiting for me to clue in. Really, how hard is it to "remember" to take vitamins? Anyway, each packet contains a multi-vitamin,a calcium capsule, an energy enhancer, and CLA. The energy enhancer is meant to boost metabolism (burn calories, that is) and energy levels. I could definitely use more energy in my days. The CLA is linoleic acid (gotta Google that...) which is a fatty acid derived from safflower seeds.
Day 5 (Friday)
Activate Menu: pretty much didn't happen...
Today was a complete and utter fall off the wagon day. I started out the day with a proper diet-friendly breakfast of vanilla yogurt/strawberries/granola & coffee. We spent the major part of the rest of the day downtown for Remembrance Day services. This included treating the kids to lunch out (which is something we do when I have Fridays off anyways...) at one of the food courts in a downtown shopping centre. I opted for a wrap/salad combo -- turkey, brie, lettuce & tomato in a whole wheat wrap with a small beet salad & a tiny Caesar salad on the side -- very tasty. We did a lot of walking which was a good thing for me, because I didn't make a single good choice about dinner, which consisted of our standard delivery pizza (which I ate entirely too much of) and a glass of red wine.
Skipped the supplements today, because I'm not entirely convinced that they didn't make me sick on Thursday. Or maybe it was the apple -- sometimes apples don't agree with me. The stress didn't help matters, either. I will try the vitamins again next week once things settle down around home...
Day 6 (Saturday)
Accelerate Menu: not even close...
Breakfast: pretty sure I ate before work, just don't remember what I had...
Morning Snack: super busy at work -- didn't have time for anything more than coffee...
Lunch: Dr. Mike's chicken vegetable soup, water
Afternoon Snack: 2 gingerbread men -- I shouldn't shop when I'm hungry...
Dinner: 3 beef burritos (whole grain wraps) with refried beans/Spanish rice/lettuce/cheese/sour cream, citrus peach juice mixed with soda water, glass of red wine -- yup, all around bad but so very tasty...
Day 7 (Sunday)
Activate menu: nope -- started out the day with toast and coffee and no protein whatsoever, so I just gave up, had an apple and a granola bar for lunch and will start the whole process over tomorrow because it's "date night" tonight and we're going out for nice food...
Weigh-in #2: 125 lbs! I guess stress, extra walking and skipping meals contributes to weight loss. However, the headaches, broken sleep and resultant fatigue are side-effects that I could live without. Pretty sure the family can live without cranky mommy, too...
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Holiday Preparation -- Activate Cycle Day 3
Good day today!
I was starving last night, and desperately craving chocolate (that is the first time that has happened since I started this project in June -- not bad...). You would think that because Hallowe'en was just here that there would be some chocolate in the house. Nope. The kids didn't go out this year, so I had bought a couple of boxes of treats for the house -- and it's all gone. Just a few packets of Reese's Pieces left. Yuck...
Anyway, I settled for a Nutrigrain bar around 10:00 (Traci hangs her head in shame -- she should have just gone to bed...) -- tasty, but not satisfying when you want chocolate...
Did a little shopping before work and bought some new pants for work. No more clown pants for me!! So excited -- get to wear pretty new things tomorrow!
Today's Menu:
(Activate menu)
Breakfast: peaches & cream oatmeal (yummy -- I will explain in a bit...), coffee
Morning Snack: vanilla yogurt with red grapes, coffee
Lunch: small bit of steak, 1/2 cup brown rice, steamed baby carrots/yellow beans/green beans (all leftovers from Monday), water
Dinner: chicken breast stuffed with ham and swiss cheese, noodles, steamed peas/carrots, water
Evening Snack: glass of red wine (it was a long day...)
I was starving last night, and desperately craving chocolate (that is the first time that has happened since I started this project in June -- not bad...). You would think that because Hallowe'en was just here that there would be some chocolate in the house. Nope. The kids didn't go out this year, so I had bought a couple of boxes of treats for the house -- and it's all gone. Just a few packets of Reese's Pieces left. Yuck...
Anyway, I settled for a Nutrigrain bar around 10:00 (Traci hangs her head in shame -- she should have just gone to bed...) -- tasty, but not satisfying when you want chocolate...
Did a little shopping before work and bought some new pants for work. No more clown pants for me!! So excited -- get to wear pretty new things tomorrow!
Today's Menu:
(Activate menu)
Breakfast: peaches & cream oatmeal (yummy -- I will explain in a bit...), coffee
Morning Snack: vanilla yogurt with red grapes, coffee
Lunch: small bit of steak, 1/2 cup brown rice, steamed baby carrots/yellow beans/green beans (all leftovers from Monday), water
Dinner: chicken breast stuffed with ham and swiss cheese, noodles, steamed peas/carrots, water
Evening Snack: glass of red wine (it was a long day...)
- Peaches and cream oatmeal. This is so easy to do -- I cooked up 1/3 cup of quick cooking oats and mixed in a Del Monte Orchard Peach fruit bowl (packed in water, not light syrup) and a splash of milk (just enough to thin the mix a bit). That fruit bowl is only 30 calories -- great -- but it's not the equivalent of a whole peach, so I probably should have had another fruit as well...
- The chicken at dinner was NOT something that is "allowed" -- prepackaged and breaded -- but it was waiting for me and I couldn't face the salad that I had planned, so I ate it. The noodles were bad, too. Not even going to talk about them...
- Too much coffee again today, but at least I avoided the chocolate treats that are hiding in the white cupboard at work...
- The wine? It was a long day...
I managed most of the water I needed today. I feel better this week than I have in the past few weeks, which I attribute more to the water than anything else, though I'm sure cutting the bread out has helped. I was having toast or a sandwich every day for a while, and the weekly weekend pizza pigout probably wasn't a good idea, either.
Well, I get to weigh-in tomorrow morning. Looking forward to it!
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Holiday Preparation -- Activate Cycle Day 2
Back in the saddle...sort of...
Today was the low calorie day of the rotation -- no starch allowed -- this was a tough one because I really wanted toast with my breakfast. Oh, well...
I didn't pack a big enough lunch so I was pretty ravenous by dinner time. Gotta remember to stock up on some appropriate snacks and keep them in the fridge at work. I did better with the water today, but still didn't quite get enough in to compensate for the extra coffee that a co-worker brought in -- a lovely treat on a day when it was sorely needed.
Today's Menu:
(Accelerate menu)
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, 1 mandarin orange, green tea
Morning Snack -- vanilla yogurt with strawberries, water
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's amazing taco salad (oh, how I have missed that meal!)
Dinner -- Dr. Mike's chicken vegetable soup, small green salad with carrots, cabbage, dressing (balsamic vinegar/olive oil), water
Oops, just realized that I missed the second probiotic serving...
One pair of my dress pants that was fitting "just right" when I got to Cycle 4 is now so big that they look like clown pants -- all baggy and falling off if it weren't for the safety pins I used to hold them up. It's gratifying -- this particular pair of pants used to be so tight that I had to leave the waistband button undone and they were super-uncomfortable to sit in -- really tight in the bum. Not so much anymore! Looks like I'll be doing a little shopping this week...
Today was the low calorie day of the rotation -- no starch allowed -- this was a tough one because I really wanted toast with my breakfast. Oh, well...
I didn't pack a big enough lunch so I was pretty ravenous by dinner time. Gotta remember to stock up on some appropriate snacks and keep them in the fridge at work. I did better with the water today, but still didn't quite get enough in to compensate for the extra coffee that a co-worker brought in -- a lovely treat on a day when it was sorely needed.
Today's Menu:
(Accelerate menu)
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, 1 mandarin orange, green tea
Morning Snack -- vanilla yogurt with strawberries, water
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's amazing taco salad (oh, how I have missed that meal!)
Dinner -- Dr. Mike's chicken vegetable soup, small green salad with carrots, cabbage, dressing (balsamic vinegar/olive oil), water
Oops, just realized that I missed the second probiotic serving...
One pair of my dress pants that was fitting "just right" when I got to Cycle 4 is now so big that they look like clown pants -- all baggy and falling off if it weren't for the safety pins I used to hold them up. It's gratifying -- this particular pair of pants used to be so tight that I had to leave the waistband button undone and they were super-uncomfortable to sit in -- really tight in the bum. Not so much anymore! Looks like I'll be doing a little shopping this week...
Monday, November 07, 2011
Holiday Preparation -- Activate Cycle Day 1
Well, looks like I'm starting this stage of my journey at 129 lbs -- not bad at all. That's only 2 lbs up from where I ended and, truth be told, a mere 4 lbs from my initial goal weight. All the more incentive to do this holiday season pre-diet -- get to that goal weight and maybe lose a little extra, "just in case" weight.
Dr. Mike offers some easy-to-follow holiday strategies for getting through the festive season. He recommends pre-dieting by following Cycle 1 or 2 in order to shed some weight before the food craziness starts. My plan is to spend the next 17 days on Cycle 2, which leaves time to do Cycle 3 before party season gets into full swing. That season starts with our son's birthday in mid-December and doesn't let up until well after New Year's -- lots of birthdays mixed in amongst the standard office parties and general celebrating.
Why Cycle 2? Simple. I don't need to drop too much more weight, so there's no need to go for the dramatic results that you get with Cycle 1. I've been slowly replacing my wardrobe with new bits that fit properly -- an enjoyable activity, yes, but I really don't want to start over again! Based on my results from the first go-around, I should only lose about 4 or 5 lbs on Cycle 2 which will put me right where I want to be.
Some of the tips Dr. Mike offers for the pre-diet process:
Today's menu:
(Activate Menu -- sort of...)
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, strawberries, green tea
Morning Snack -- vanilla yougurt with red grapes, coffee
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's chicken vegetable soup, water
Dinner -- steak & mushrooms simmered in tomatoes, steamed mixed vegetables (yellow beans, green beans, baby carrots), water
Mistakes made today -- too much coffee, not enough water, no carb at lunch, no salad at dinner, only one probiotic. Did I actually learn anything the first time? Doesn't look like it...dummy...
Back on track tomorrow! Weigh in on Thursday!
Dr. Mike offers some easy-to-follow holiday strategies for getting through the festive season. He recommends pre-dieting by following Cycle 1 or 2 in order to shed some weight before the food craziness starts. My plan is to spend the next 17 days on Cycle 2, which leaves time to do Cycle 3 before party season gets into full swing. That season starts with our son's birthday in mid-December and doesn't let up until well after New Year's -- lots of birthdays mixed in amongst the standard office parties and general celebrating.
Why Cycle 2? Simple. I don't need to drop too much more weight, so there's no need to go for the dramatic results that you get with Cycle 1. I've been slowly replacing my wardrobe with new bits that fit properly -- an enjoyable activity, yes, but I really don't want to start over again! Based on my results from the first go-around, I should only lose about 4 or 5 lbs on Cycle 2 which will put me right where I want to be.
Some of the tips Dr. Mike offers for the pre-diet process:
- eat breakfast every day, eat dinner before you go to a party...
- keep healthy snacks with you at all times...
- bank your calories (I love this one) -- behave on non-party days and eat lightly on the day of a party, reserving those uneaten calories for the feast...
- make smart choices (ie. more vegetables & fruit than protein) at a buffet -- fill up on that fibre...
- watch your alcohol intake (dang, not so crazy about this one)...
- stick to your exercise routine -- it burns calories and holiday-related stress -- better yet, increase the fequency &/or duration of your workouts (good luck with that one, Traci)...
- set a regular bedtime and stick to it -- proper sleep is necessary for weight loss and stress management...
Today's menu:
(Activate Menu -- sort of...)
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, strawberries, green tea
Morning Snack -- vanilla yougurt with red grapes, coffee
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's chicken vegetable soup, water
Dinner -- steak & mushrooms simmered in tomatoes, steamed mixed vegetables (yellow beans, green beans, baby carrots), water
Mistakes made today -- too much coffee, not enough water, no carb at lunch, no salad at dinner, only one probiotic. Did I actually learn anything the first time? Doesn't look like it...dummy...
Back on track tomorrow! Weigh in on Thursday!
Sunday, November 06, 2011
Arrive Cycle Update #4
It's amazing how life can get away on you -- I haven't posted in weeks -- where did the time go? There hasn't been much to report. Maintenance is quite easy and I've found that some of those old cravings just aren't there anymore. Can I still polish off a large bag of Ruffles in two days? You betcha! Do I want to? Nope!
Back-to-school can sure keep you busy. We've had several parent information meetings in the evenings and running around getting new shoes, etc. on the weekends. Kids sure keep you on your toes!
Made it through Thanksgiving without completely overdoing it and didn't gain (permanently) anything back. We only had one big dinner (ham, mashed potatoes, gravy -- oh, my!), but it was a three day weekend for me, and I never do well in the eating department when I'm home for extended periods -- get so wrapped up in household projects that eating becomes secondary -- and I wonder why I get headaches. We had pizza on Friday, burritos on Saturday -- both standard weekend fare around here, but I totally neglected lunch, snacks and water consumption -- and I will admit to consuming entirely too much coffee and alcohol through the course of the week. Not good...
I have to admit that this has become typical weekend behaviour for me, so I obviously still have some bad habits to break. In the last month I've been to a couple of social functions and have also met some friends for breakfast or dinner; for the most part I've made good choices. But when you're at a baby shower and people show up with homemade samosas, deep fried wontons and cake, well -- you can hardly blame me for indulging...
When I got to Cycle 4, I thought I would stick to Cycle 1 through the week and then do the "strategic cheating" on the weekend. Breakfasts have been easy to regulate, but it has been harder than I thought it would be to stay on top of lunch and dinner -- starchy foods are such a temptation for me. I compromised and followed Cycle 3 as closely as possible and tried very hard to limit carb consumption to early in the day. I haven't always been successful, but this new lifestyle is still a work in progress and is getting easier -- though I still struggle with choosing salad over starch...
For the most part, my bad behaviour hasn't really had much of an affect on me -- only a couple of pounds back and I've endured a few nights of really bad sleep, but those had as much to do with the boy's attitude and crap as any bad eating that went on. Plus, I was sick for two weeks, so food wasn't really something I was interested in and sleep was elusive...
Here is a short article about how eating certain foods can improve your sleep -- very informative: Eat to Sleep Well. Some of the foods allowed in Cycle 1 are specifically mentioned as being good for promoting sleep.
This link will take you to a really yummy recipe for oatmeal -- it's going into my holiday repertoire of recipes and will be a standard for Thanksgiving breakfasts for years to come (though my boys didn't really care for it): Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal. It's ideal for Cycle 2 breakfasts and reheats well...
I am a big slow cooker fan. It's such a great way to have a delicious, hot meal waiting for you when you get home from the daily grind. My work schedule isn't very convenient for cooking proper evening meals, so I am trying to make a point of using both of my larger crock pots every week so that we eat at a decent time through the week -- I'm not terribly consistent, but am getting better at planning. My favourite cookbooks for this purpose are from the Company's Coming series and one of our favourite fall recipes is a squash soup. This recipe came from their website and is very similar to the one I do -- also great for Cycle 2 meals: Spiced Squash and Apple Soup.
These recipe links are also listed at the bottom under Recipes.
17 Day Diet News:
Why am I back? It's time to pre-diet! Yes, Christmas is coming and that means lots of yummy temptations. Thanksgiving was one thing -- just one day of delicious foods. The Christmas season is something else altogether -- I have a weakness for shortbread and fruitcake and mashed potatoes or stuffing with gravy. It's going to be everywhere -- including my house because it's my turn to host dinner.
Anyway, I'm back to Cycle 2 tomorrow. There's enough time to get through Cycle 2 (and 3 if needed) before the holiday food madness starts. My hope is to be better about fitting some exercise in this time around as well. So, weigh-in #1 will be tomorrow morning and a little goal setting will happen in the evening.
Back-to-school can sure keep you busy. We've had several parent information meetings in the evenings and running around getting new shoes, etc. on the weekends. Kids sure keep you on your toes!
Made it through Thanksgiving without completely overdoing it and didn't gain (permanently) anything back. We only had one big dinner (ham, mashed potatoes, gravy -- oh, my!), but it was a three day weekend for me, and I never do well in the eating department when I'm home for extended periods -- get so wrapped up in household projects that eating becomes secondary -- and I wonder why I get headaches. We had pizza on Friday, burritos on Saturday -- both standard weekend fare around here, but I totally neglected lunch, snacks and water consumption -- and I will admit to consuming entirely too much coffee and alcohol through the course of the week. Not good...
I have to admit that this has become typical weekend behaviour for me, so I obviously still have some bad habits to break. In the last month I've been to a couple of social functions and have also met some friends for breakfast or dinner; for the most part I've made good choices. But when you're at a baby shower and people show up with homemade samosas, deep fried wontons and cake, well -- you can hardly blame me for indulging...
When I got to Cycle 4, I thought I would stick to Cycle 1 through the week and then do the "strategic cheating" on the weekend. Breakfasts have been easy to regulate, but it has been harder than I thought it would be to stay on top of lunch and dinner -- starchy foods are such a temptation for me. I compromised and followed Cycle 3 as closely as possible and tried very hard to limit carb consumption to early in the day. I haven't always been successful, but this new lifestyle is still a work in progress and is getting easier -- though I still struggle with choosing salad over starch...
For the most part, my bad behaviour hasn't really had much of an affect on me -- only a couple of pounds back and I've endured a few nights of really bad sleep, but those had as much to do with the boy's attitude and crap as any bad eating that went on. Plus, I was sick for two weeks, so food wasn't really something I was interested in and sleep was elusive...
Here is a short article about how eating certain foods can improve your sleep -- very informative: Eat to Sleep Well. Some of the foods allowed in Cycle 1 are specifically mentioned as being good for promoting sleep.
This link will take you to a really yummy recipe for oatmeal -- it's going into my holiday repertoire of recipes and will be a standard for Thanksgiving breakfasts for years to come (though my boys didn't really care for it): Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal. It's ideal for Cycle 2 breakfasts and reheats well...
I am a big slow cooker fan. It's such a great way to have a delicious, hot meal waiting for you when you get home from the daily grind. My work schedule isn't very convenient for cooking proper evening meals, so I am trying to make a point of using both of my larger crock pots every week so that we eat at a decent time through the week -- I'm not terribly consistent, but am getting better at planning. My favourite cookbooks for this purpose are from the Company's Coming series and one of our favourite fall recipes is a squash soup. This recipe came from their website and is very similar to the one I do -- also great for Cycle 2 meals: Spiced Squash and Apple Soup.
These recipe links are also listed at the bottom under Recipes.
17 Day Diet News:
- My friend did amazing with her project! She is getting more sleep in one night than she was getting in a week prior to starting the diet -- she is so excited and I'm so happy that she is getting the results she wanted. She's lost enough inches that she needs to buy new clothes now -- happy, happy days for her!
- Another friend has read through the book and tried out Cycle 1 but just isn't ready to commit yet. To her I say -- when you're ready, it will work for you!
Why am I back? It's time to pre-diet! Yes, Christmas is coming and that means lots of yummy temptations. Thanksgiving was one thing -- just one day of delicious foods. The Christmas season is something else altogether -- I have a weakness for shortbread and fruitcake and mashed potatoes or stuffing with gravy. It's going to be everywhere -- including my house because it's my turn to host dinner.
Anyway, I'm back to Cycle 2 tomorrow. There's enough time to get through Cycle 2 (and 3 if needed) before the holiday food madness starts. My hope is to be better about fitting some exercise in this time around as well. So, weigh-in #1 will be tomorrow morning and a little goal setting will happen in the evening.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Arrive Cycle Update #3
Well, it's been another couple of weeks and I'm pleased to report that I am holding steady at 18 to 20 pounds lost, depending on the day. I'm calling it 20, because I like to work in multiples of 5...
The purging process continues and two more bags of clothes have been donated! Some parts of my wardrobe are just too big now, but others have been turfed purely for psychological reasons. Several relatively new things that still fit (some blouses and sweaters) are gone because they used to be paired with my "fat" clothes and also represent an unhappy period of my life.
I have gotten some really wonderful compliments lately -- this is definitely a motivating thing when you've fallen "off the wagon" a bit:
Remember those incredibly supportive friends I talked about last time? Several of them met up with me for dinner the other night -- what an amazing group of women! Thank you all a thousand times over for being so supportive and non-judgemental. Love you!!
Here's what I learned this week:
Here is a link to a live chat that Dr. Mike participated in early last week -- I was unable to be a part of it as it was happening while I was at work, but watched it over the weekend. It takes about an hour to get through, but is very informative. Just a few of points if you plan to take the time to sit through it:
One of the things that I found most helpful was his discussion of the transition difficulties (plateaus) that some people experience when switching to a new cycle. He cautions you to be patient because there are constants at play that can't be controlled (ie. genetics, body frame, metabolism), so individual results vary. The "good luck" and "bad luck" cards that fate has dealt you will have an impact on how quickly the pounds melt away. Focus on the variables that can be controlled (ie. exercise, water intake, etc.) and don't be discouraged if the number on the scale doesn't change for several days, because it eventually will.
I mention this because I know of a couple of ladies who had started a "project" for themselves and seem to have stopped -- not sure if this is the case, but I wanted to put something out there that might entice them to start up again. It is hard some days, but I hope you consider trying again...
The purging process continues and two more bags of clothes have been donated! Some parts of my wardrobe are just too big now, but others have been turfed purely for psychological reasons. Several relatively new things that still fit (some blouses and sweaters) are gone because they used to be paired with my "fat" clothes and also represent an unhappy period of my life.
I have gotten some really wonderful compliments lately -- this is definitely a motivating thing when you've fallen "off the wagon" a bit:
- "I love that outfit! You're one hot mama!" -- from a coworker...
- "Why are you dressing so nice for work all of a sudden?" -- from my son...
- "What have you done? You look fantastic!" -- from my cousin's wife, who I've not seen in 4 years -- then she took note of the name of the book...
- "Are those pants new? They're really nice, but they're almost too big!" -- from my boss, commenting on dress pants I bought just 3 weeks ago...
Remember those incredibly supportive friends I talked about last time? Several of them met up with me for dinner the other night -- what an amazing group of women! Thank you all a thousand times over for being so supportive and non-judgemental. Love you!!
Here's what I learned this week:
- I can enjoy Glee and Survivor without a half a bag of chips. And, by half a bag, I'm talking about the BIG bag of plain Ruffles -- with Philly dill pickle dip. I indulged in my "permitted" glass of wine both nights and found that I didn't even want the chips...
- I can go to a party with a buffet dinner and behave myself. It is really easy to limit myself to a few pieces of cheese and some raw veggies (no dip) from the appetizer table and then one reasonably filled plate of dinner; I made a point of choosing lots of carrots and only a few potatoes, one small bun and small portions of the meat (chicken breast & prime rib). It was awesome to be satisfied after only one helping (that I didn't even finish, by the way...).
- Breakfast out is easier now than Cycle 1 -- had a western omelette with whole-grain toast, fruit and tomatoes on the side (substitution for the potatoes -- are you proud of me?) the other day. I couldn't finish...
- I did make the taco salad topping -- and only had it twice in the last 2 weeks...
- Raw veggies for snacks really didn't happen all that often, either...
- Those 2 salads/day I was going to have? Didn't happen. I did have some salad through both weeks, but not every day. Can I just say -- salad is yummy but it's not my favourite thing -- going to try to do better in this area...
- The plan to cut back on the coffee consumption went well, for about 4 days. Now I'm right back where I was. The good news is, that I've been better about the water -- definitely drinking more these past two weeks than I was, but still not enough...
- Bad things I ate (and I totally knew better): Pumpkin Spice Latte (venti size -- hey, it only comes out in the fall...), fries with gravy & a beef dip, 5 slices of pizza on both Fridays (family movie night), Shake N Bake chicken (I know, I know...), Peking dumplings with plum sauce, pomegranite martini, bacon (of the pig variety -- turkey bacon, while "permitted", is gross)...
Results of my bad behaviour:
- My friend Scale and I have had a few major disagreements this week. I think she's delirious, because some days she tells me I'm up 4 pounds and then another day, I'm back to my new normal. Not sure where she's getting that nonsense...
- A few really bad nights of sleep...
- Headaches, afternoon fatigue, mental fog, a couple of really bad mornings where I had to go back to bed for an hour, general lack of energy/motivation...
- Remember my friend who is working on her own journey? She is on Cycle 2 and is doing great! She has lost inches more than pounds, but believes she is down a whole size now. Her real motivation was not the weight loss but rather to get more/better sleep, and it is working for her -- not every night, but it's coming with more consistency every week. I'm so proud of her!
- I hear that another friend has downloaded the book to her IPad and has read it "cover to cover", so to speak. I am really looking forward to her updates!!
- One of my coworkers started recently and reported that she was down 5 lb in 6 days. I expect that she will experience some serious results because she goes to a spin class regularly.
- There is a workbook now available -- companion piece to the main book that acts as a food journal/personal trainer so you can track the good and bad of the day/week.
- The cookbook should be available in March.
Here is a link to a live chat that Dr. Mike participated in early last week -- I was unable to be a part of it as it was happening while I was at work, but watched it over the weekend. It takes about an hour to get through, but is very informative. Just a few of points if you plan to take the time to sit through it:
- There is a really irritating ad at the beginning and another at 26 min. in that you can't avoid.
- He takes several 2 min. breaks (presumably to Tweet, but I'm not sure...) so you will have a chance to refill your coffee cup or unload the dishwasher -- whatever floats your boat...
- The sound doesn't cut in until about 36 sec. in, so don't worry if you can't hear him.
One of the things that I found most helpful was his discussion of the transition difficulties (plateaus) that some people experience when switching to a new cycle. He cautions you to be patient because there are constants at play that can't be controlled (ie. genetics, body frame, metabolism), so individual results vary. The "good luck" and "bad luck" cards that fate has dealt you will have an impact on how quickly the pounds melt away. Focus on the variables that can be controlled (ie. exercise, water intake, etc.) and don't be discouraged if the number on the scale doesn't change for several days, because it eventually will.
I mention this because I know of a couple of ladies who had started a "project" for themselves and seem to have stopped -- not sure if this is the case, but I wanted to put something out there that might entice them to start up again. It is hard some days, but I hope you consider trying again...
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Arrive Cycle Update #2
Happy to report that the weight loss is holding steady at 19 lbs gone!
I've been fairly careless this past week. Although I've been keeping a close watch on when I eat those carbs (and which ones), I'm finding it very challenging to forego rice or potatoes with dinner -- I also didn't see a salad all week (Traci hangs her head in shame...). Those fantastic potato salad leftovers don't count as a proper salad, no matter how tasty -- I essentially ignored all "green food" all week...
Here's what I learned this week:
Results of my bad behaviour:
Confession time:
My plan going forward:
One thing I learned years ago was to have meats on a rotation basis -- if you have beef on Monday, you shouldn't see it again until Thursday at the earliest. A nutritionist cautioned me to put at least 3 days between eating "problem" foods if you are dealing with a food sensitivity. I know that beef affects me that way, and it's looking like pork is going to be a problem, too. Great...
17 Day Diet news:
There has always been more to "Project Traci" than this weight loss -- as I've said before, it was never about the number on the scale (that's just how I chose to measure my progress) or the size of my clothes. It was about starting to feel better about myself -- who I am, what I believe in, the priorities I set -- and it was very hard to evaluate any of that when I felt like crap all the time and couldn't maintain concentration for more than 10 minutes. I didn't like what I saw when I looked in the mirror and doubted my sanity some days -- my self-esteem was almost non-existent. So a large part of my journey has been to sort all of that out; I'm still working on it and will be for a while -- some people are not going to be happy with the choices I make but to them I say, "People in glass houses...". One thing that I realized this week was that some of those old doubts and feelings were coming back -- partly because I have some people in my life who have not been supportive at all of this process -- and partly because I wasn't following my new lifestyle properly. Why the backslide??? It's a vicious circle -- people who should believe in me and support me weren't, so I started to question my motives because I was allowing these people to have power over me. So, I made some very difficult decisions in the past couple of days -- I am taking my power back and forging ahead without them.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has believed in my journey and understood the "why" behind it -- I know who I can count on!
(((HUGS))) to you all!!!
I've been fairly careless this past week. Although I've been keeping a close watch on when I eat those carbs (and which ones), I'm finding it very challenging to forego rice or potatoes with dinner -- I also didn't see a salad all week (Traci hangs her head in shame...). Those fantastic potato salad leftovers don't count as a proper salad, no matter how tasty -- I essentially ignored all "green food" all week...
Here's what I learned this week:
- Beef 4 evenings in a row is not a good thing -- in the TMI category of "not good"...
- When desperate, I will eat the yucky flavoured Ruffles...
- I have some incredibly supportive friends who I will be forever grateful to have in my life -- and some very self-absorbed, non-supportive "friends" whom I thought would understand why I needed to work on me -- and have proven otherwise (more on this later)...
Results of my bad behaviour:
- Little/no energy or motivation -- it has taken a very concentrated effort to get anything accomplished all week, and on a few of those days it was all I could do to get out of bed...
- I have been very, very tired all week, even though I am sleeping fairly well -- the super-hot weather hasn't helped, but once I'm asleep, I stay that way but it hasn't been particularly restful sleep...
- Most mornings upon waking I have felt ill, and then most afternoons come down with a headache around 2:30 -- not good when you are teaching small children how to read...
- Mental fog (is that like a "brain cloud"??) has returned with a vengeance -- also not good when you are teaching small children how to read...
Confession time:
- OK -- already admitted to not a single salad all week. I did eat my usual veggies (cucumber, grape tomatoes) with my lunches, which were mostly sandwiches (with lettuce -- love, love, love lettuce on my sandwiches)...
- I drank LOTS of coffee every day -- yup, completely overdid the negative water and didn't drink any extra water to compensate for it. To be honest, I didn't make my minimum water requirements on any one day last week -- which probably accounts for the hangover-like feeling every morning -- dehydration is a nasty thing...
- Pizza, burritos, TimBits, Ruffles, chai tea latte -- not every day, mind you, but often enough...
My plan going forward:
- Two salads a day -- not necessarily as the main meal, but definitely a proper side salad will be a part of lunch and dinner...
- Make a batch of turkey chili to have on the nights when beef or pork is on the menu, especially if we've had it in the past couple of days...
- Have some of Dr. Mike's freaking amazing Taco Salad fixings on hand in case I want to do a meal-sized salad (I probably should...)
- No more than two cups (and I mean "cups" -- not those monster latte mugs) of coffee each day, instead of the four or five that I did this week -- and yes, the extra-large Timmy's counts as two cups -- dummy...
- Get all that water in -- I learned that lesson back in cycle one -- and then again in cycle 2 -- and then again in cycle 3 -- slow learner...
One thing I learned years ago was to have meats on a rotation basis -- if you have beef on Monday, you shouldn't see it again until Thursday at the earliest. A nutritionist cautioned me to put at least 3 days between eating "problem" foods if you are dealing with a food sensitivity. I know that beef affects me that way, and it's looking like pork is going to be a problem, too. Great...
17 Day Diet news:
- I am super-happy to report that one of my dear friends is enjoying fantastic success in her personal project -- she has lost some weight (more than she anticipated, I think!) in her first 10 days and is sleeping much better than before -- this was her reason for starting and I am so proud of her and excited for her!
- My boss fell "off the wagon" so to speak...lol! She was away on business for a week, and she's not followed the program since she's been back. We had a nice chat about it the other day -- she has noticed that she feels awful too and is getting back on the horse on Monday. While she was away, she "recruited" two more people into the lifestyle -- and they are loving it!
- The cookbook is coming! It will be a little on the late side for those of us who have already started, but I will be getting a copy anyway: The 17 Day Diet Cookbook
There has always been more to "Project Traci" than this weight loss -- as I've said before, it was never about the number on the scale (that's just how I chose to measure my progress) or the size of my clothes. It was about starting to feel better about myself -- who I am, what I believe in, the priorities I set -- and it was very hard to evaluate any of that when I felt like crap all the time and couldn't maintain concentration for more than 10 minutes. I didn't like what I saw when I looked in the mirror and doubted my sanity some days -- my self-esteem was almost non-existent. So a large part of my journey has been to sort all of that out; I'm still working on it and will be for a while -- some people are not going to be happy with the choices I make but to them I say, "People in glass houses...". One thing that I realized this week was that some of those old doubts and feelings were coming back -- partly because I have some people in my life who have not been supportive at all of this process -- and partly because I wasn't following my new lifestyle properly. Why the backslide??? It's a vicious circle -- people who should believe in me and support me weren't, so I started to question my motives because I was allowing these people to have power over me. So, I made some very difficult decisions in the past couple of days -- I am taking my power back and forging ahead without them.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has believed in my journey and understood the "why" behind it -- I know who I can count on!
(((HUGS))) to you all!!!
Friday, September 02, 2011
Arrive Cycle Update #1
Well, here I am, nearly two weeks into Cycle 4 and am thrilled to report that I'm at 128 lbs and holding! Yes, you read that correctly -- 128 lbs! Somehow, I've managed to lose another two pounds, which is really, really encouraging. I've been keeping a fairly close watch on the scale because some of my "cheating" hasn't been particularly "strategic" -- I will admit to some naughtiness in the evenings -- potatoes or rice with dinner, and we won't mention the fries (will discuss this in a bit...) -- though I'm very careful with what I'm eating during the day. I had planned to follow Cycle 1 during the week but that hasn't really happened -- more like Cycle 3 because some days I really, really want a sandwich for lunch...
Dr. Mike gives some handy tips for success in this cycle:
To that last point: I'm keeping a ratty, old pair of track pants that I've practically lived in for the past 10 years -- they are practically falling off/apart, but that's what I'm wearing on the weekend while I clean house/do yardwork/watch TV -- to remind myself how far I've come, because they were so tight before...
Dr. Mike also recommends that you enjoy no more than three of your "favourite" meals between Friday and Sunday night (we'll see about that -- it's pizza night tonight, our wedding anniversary tomorrow and a long weekend to boot), as well as weighing only on the weekends (that's totally do-able)...
Here's what I know after two weeks of maintenance:
Another bag of clothes is nearly ready to go away -- the closet cleanout continues! And, yes Mom, I've kept a couple of bigger things, just in case. I'll hang onto them for a few months, but then they're outta here...
Wardrobe replacement has begun and the irony of this is not lost on me. When I started this journey, I had a closet full of clothes that I couldn't wear because they didn't fit properly and I refused to go and buy new things. Now, I have a closet full of clothes that I can't wear because they don't fit at all -- and I am excited to replace everything! I am looking at those smaller sizes and learning to love shopping again!
True story: my hubby and I were at the outlet mall a couple of weeks ago. I went into my favourite ladies' shop and tried on some pants that were just one size smaller than what I had at home. Guess what?? Too big!!! Oh, yes! WAY too big!! They were a clearance item, so a smaller size wasn't available -- I tried some skirts next and walked out of there with two tailored ones that are 2 -- 3 sizes smaller than anything I have owned in years! Like my boss said to me one day, nothing tastes as great as thin feels!
Two dear friends are embarking on their own journeys this week -- one has chosen to try The 17 Day Diet, the other something very similar. Good luck, girls! You're going to rock it!
Dr. Mike gives some handy tips for success in this cycle:
- Observe the 5-pound stop signal -- when you see the scale register a 3 to 5 pound gain, stop what you're doing and get back on Cycle 1 until they're gone.
- Be a breakfast lover -- eat something for breakfast even if you're not hungry in order to avoid getting the munchies mid-morning and eating something you'll regret.
- Get on good terms with salad -- this is still a hard one for me...
- Make healthier substitutes -- reduced-fat, reduced sugar foods like mustard instead of mayo, skim milk, no butter, fat-free ice cream/sour cream/salad dressings.
- Exercise portion control -- no second helpings...
- Move it, keep it off -- bump up the time spent exercising/do extra chores.
- Avoid overboard syndrome -- no pig-outs -- make a list of trouble foods (can you say "butter tarts", Traci?) and avoid them -- plan your week's menus in advance.
- No more guilt trips -- you have permission to indulge as long as it's planned and limited to the weekend only -- don't beat yourself up if you have a mis-step, just get back on that horse on Monday morning.
- Stay focused -- make a list of reasons to stay slim and remind yourself every day of how great you look!
To that last point: I'm keeping a ratty, old pair of track pants that I've practically lived in for the past 10 years -- they are practically falling off/apart, but that's what I'm wearing on the weekend while I clean house/do yardwork/watch TV -- to remind myself how far I've come, because they were so tight before...
Dr. Mike also recommends that you enjoy no more than three of your "favourite" meals between Friday and Sunday night (we'll see about that -- it's pizza night tonight, our wedding anniversary tomorrow and a long weekend to boot), as well as weighing only on the weekends (that's totally do-able)...
Here's what I know after two weeks of maintenance:
- French fries are evil and give you nightmares...
- Shake N Bake chicken, while tasty and seemed like a good idea at the time, resulted in hangover-like symptoms the next morning...
- I can't be trusted around potato chips, especially Spicy Ketchup Ruffles, even if they're on the other side of the room...
- Rogers makes a fabulous, low fat, 5-grain granola (try the Raspberry Almond one) that is great with milk as a cereal or mixed into your yogurt for breakfast...
- Renee's Gourmet Yogurt Dressing is a good alternative if you don't have time to make Dr. Mike's dip -- cucumber & dill is very tasty -- no sugar, but it is pretty high in sodium -- just stick to that 1 tbsp...
Another bag of clothes is nearly ready to go away -- the closet cleanout continues! And, yes Mom, I've kept a couple of bigger things, just in case. I'll hang onto them for a few months, but then they're outta here...
Wardrobe replacement has begun and the irony of this is not lost on me. When I started this journey, I had a closet full of clothes that I couldn't wear because they didn't fit properly and I refused to go and buy new things. Now, I have a closet full of clothes that I can't wear because they don't fit at all -- and I am excited to replace everything! I am looking at those smaller sizes and learning to love shopping again!
True story: my hubby and I were at the outlet mall a couple of weeks ago. I went into my favourite ladies' shop and tried on some pants that were just one size smaller than what I had at home. Guess what?? Too big!!! Oh, yes! WAY too big!! They were a clearance item, so a smaller size wasn't available -- I tried some skirts next and walked out of there with two tailored ones that are 2 -- 3 sizes smaller than anything I have owned in years! Like my boss said to me one day, nothing tastes as great as thin feels!
Two dear friends are embarking on their own journeys this week -- one has chosen to try The 17 Day Diet, the other something very similar. Good luck, girls! You're going to rock it!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Day 58/59 (Arrive Cycle Day 1/2)
Welcome to the end! Let the "strategic cheating" begin!!
This is where Dr. Mike breaks it to you -- you're going to be on some kind of diet forever. Not like that's any kind of surprise -- anyone who's ever dieted knows that this is the case. But let's not call this a "diet". A friend of mine says she prefers to call it a change in lifestyle -- because that's really what it is -- a new way of living.
Day 58
The "official" number is 130! Woot! That's 17 lbs gone -- permanently. I had hoped for 20, but when one doesn't do the exercise consistently, one has to accept the smaller number. But I am thrilled to death with the results.
The plan going forward now is simple -- Cycle 4 for 17 days and then reevaluate. If that number stays the same, then I will likely continue on the same path and then do the whole project again after Christmas because, let's face it, that is the most evil time of year for food/diets, and I have a particular weakness for the cookies and fruitcake and wine. If the number goes up, well, I guess it's back to square one for a while...
Day 59
I celebrated my success today by putting two bags of baggy clothes in the donation bin after work -- so tired of holding my pants up with a saftey pin. Now there's no turning back -- I have next to nothing to wear now so it's off to the mall with me this weekend.
Here's how the "strategic cheating" in Cycle 4 works. You "behave" during the week but get to take the weekends off! What??? Let me explain...
During the week (Monday through Friday lunchtime), you follow your favourite of the previous three cycles and then on the weekend (Friday dinner through Sunday dinner) you get to eat what you like -- within reason, of course -- really, there should be no excuse for lapsing back into your old, bad eating habits if you've followed the diet properly -- those bad habits are what got you in trouble in the first place, so be careful. Dr. Mike recommends no more than three of your favourite meals over the weekend -- and NO BINGING!
I've decided that I have to follow Cycle 1 through the week since apparently I can't be trusted around carbs -- scientifically proven last night by my consumption of an entire box of KD all by my onesie. I have paid for it all day. Way to go, dummy...
More on Cycle 4 tomorrow...
This is where Dr. Mike breaks it to you -- you're going to be on some kind of diet forever. Not like that's any kind of surprise -- anyone who's ever dieted knows that this is the case. But let's not call this a "diet". A friend of mine says she prefers to call it a change in lifestyle -- because that's really what it is -- a new way of living.
Day 58
The "official" number is 130! Woot! That's 17 lbs gone -- permanently. I had hoped for 20, but when one doesn't do the exercise consistently, one has to accept the smaller number. But I am thrilled to death with the results.
The plan going forward now is simple -- Cycle 4 for 17 days and then reevaluate. If that number stays the same, then I will likely continue on the same path and then do the whole project again after Christmas because, let's face it, that is the most evil time of year for food/diets, and I have a particular weakness for the cookies and fruitcake and wine. If the number goes up, well, I guess it's back to square one for a while...
Day 59
I celebrated my success today by putting two bags of baggy clothes in the donation bin after work -- so tired of holding my pants up with a saftey pin. Now there's no turning back -- I have next to nothing to wear now so it's off to the mall with me this weekend.
Here's how the "strategic cheating" in Cycle 4 works. You "behave" during the week but get to take the weekends off! What??? Let me explain...
During the week (Monday through Friday lunchtime), you follow your favourite of the previous three cycles and then on the weekend (Friday dinner through Sunday dinner) you get to eat what you like -- within reason, of course -- really, there should be no excuse for lapsing back into your old, bad eating habits if you've followed the diet properly -- those bad habits are what got you in trouble in the first place, so be careful. Dr. Mike recommends no more than three of your favourite meals over the weekend -- and NO BINGING!
I've decided that I have to follow Cycle 1 through the week since apparently I can't be trusted around carbs -- scientifically proven last night by my consumption of an entire box of KD all by my onesie. I have paid for it all day. Way to go, dummy...
More on Cycle 4 tomorrow...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)