Two Steps Forward, No Steps Back ... My Health Focused Log

[Lost Dog]

Originally Posted by UConnJulie

Thanks guys (except Roland!!!! ) ... Galya, knowing you are checking on me will keep me honest ...

My house ... 9:00 pm ...

Me: "Hmmm ... I'd like a snack ... "

Little G on my shoulder: "Have some cottage cheese or Fage and fruit ... you'll feel better in the morning!"

Little R on my other shoulder: "Nah ... have some ice cream ... mmmmm ... more fat!!!"

Me: "But Galya will be checking in my log ... I might as well have the healthy snack!!"

Well, if I have to choose between being the little angel or the little devil, you which shoulder to look to.

[Biskit]

Julie,

You are one brave and honest woman. You're being honest and forthright with not only us, but yourself. That is admirable. I don't know how to give you tough love, but I will try to support you in your quest.

I'll be watching, good luck.

Deb

[Espi]

Julie, don't be hard on yourself : you did the right thing!

LOL over your little girl conversation. Also LOL'd over Roland's advice. Truly, he was right: you need to beef up a bit more since it will allow for faster wt loss and hence better total loss Apparently it's too late now?

And I just had to jump in with advice on the late night snack. NO NO NO: taking more carbs at night will be better for you as it allows for better sleep. Do it with the right snacks though. Not the ice cream but eating a meal closer to bed time with things like sweet potatoes.
Protein is a tad low though. It's OKish in that you really only need approx. 2g/kg LBM (not BW) but eating more protein will keep you satiated better. But alas, then you end up eating less carbs/fats. I've dropped my own P intake in the past year and feel happier with that decision: more yummy fats and carbs. Maintenance dropped a hair, but not really much. Still, it's more than in your plan. In that sense I'd say: follow your heart/soul Julie! Not what a plan says, but what you thrive on, both physically and mentally.

Happy 2008!

[UConnJulie]

Deb, thanks!

Espi, well, I am limiting protein per Schwarzbein's recommendations ... too much increases adrenaline production and taxes adrenal recovery. I have been doing this for a while ... I still get plenty of protein and am well satiated. Actually, I don't sleep well with too many carbs at bedtime ... I do better with low GI fruits like berries, and a healthy dose of protein and fat ... I tend to sleep deeper and wake more refreshed with less morning hunger. Just goes to show, everyone is different!!

[Espi]

Interesting on what makes you sleep better. I'm not always experiencing that result of better sleep, but mostly. Thought sweet potatoes are pretty low glycemic already

Your observation about lower protein intake coincides with mine. Except that I used to have protein much higher before (up to 200g when I still had dairy) and am now at around 130g. You weigh more than me and 100g seemed 'scary' low. Yet, by all scientific standards, it should be enough.
And yes.. eating less P has its' perks too: one can eat more fat & carbs and also, less bath room visits!

[L'ilJ]

Hey Julie. Your plan sounds awesome. Sensible and smart. I'll be excited to see your progress over the next few months. I am rooting for you!

[UConnJulie]

Thanks Jill! It will be interesting ...

Did some more yoga this morning ... lots of balancing postures, got my calves and legs really burning (in a good way!).

Here's today's menu ... feeling good with no cravings ... and after one perfect clean day, I am down 1.8 lbs ... under 180 now which feels good (today's weight was 179.4)

Intake Report - Total Day
for UConnJulie
Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Food Intake Items:
Breakfast
Breakfast Power Grains, 1/3 cup
EGG, CHICKEN, BROWN, large, cage-free; whole, all-natural, fresh, 2 eggs
FLAX SEED, GROUND, 1 tbsp
GOAT CHEESE, SOFT, 1 oz
SPINACH, BABY, Organic, 2 cups
Lunch
BROCCOLI FLOWER CLUSTERS, RAW, flowerets, 1 cup
CARROT, BOILED, NO SALT, drained, sliced, 1 cup
RAISIN, SEEDLESS, not packed, 2 tbsp
SALAD DRESSING, BUTTERMILK RANCH, homemade old fashioned buttermilk, 2 tbsp
Turkey Burger, Lean, 1 patty
Afternoon Snack
APPLE W/SKIN, RAW, 3/lb (2.75'' dia), 1 medium
CUCUMBER W/PEEL, RAW, sliced, 1/2 cup
MOZZARELLA BALLS, FRESH, Wegmans, small, 10 pieces
TOMATO, RED, RIPE, RAW, year round avg, 120 grams
Dinner
CHICKEN BREAST, BONELESS, ROASTED, MEAT ONLY, broiler/fryer, meat only, 2.25 oz
OLIVE OIL, CALIFORNIA, EXTRA VIRGIN, Organic; 100% first cold pressed unrefined, 1 tsp
SWISS CHARD, RAW, 2 cups
WILD BLEND RICE, DRY, Lundberg, Organic, 1/8 cup
Evening Snack
BLUEBERRY, RAW, unthawed, 1 cup
COTTAGE CHEESE, 4% MF, CALIFORNIA STYLE, 1/2 cup

Nutrient Value
Calories 1630.77
Protein (g) 107.60
Carbohydrates (g) 132.77
Dietary Fiber (g) 23.11
Fat (g) 76.58

PCF Ratio: 26-32-42

Exercise Intake:
Activity Duration Calories
Yoga, moderate vinyasa 00:25 161
Totals: 00:25 161

Calorie Usage Summary
Calories to maintain weight: 1872
Calories earned through exercise: 161
Total calories to maintain weight: 2033
Calories from food intake: 1631
Today's calorie deficit: -402

If you continue to repeat this intake and activity, you can anticipate losing 1 lb. of body weight every 8.7 days.

Just to make note of the calorie thing ... according to my calculations using the formula in the book, I should be getting 1652 calories on non-workout days. My software program uses a different formula to calculate metabolic rate, thus the difference. I am attempting to eat at the levels "prescribed" by Cass in the book for at least a few weeks although it seems to be less than I normally eat. But I've been gaining weight eating how I eat, so that has to stop!!!

[UConnJulie]

Breakfast Power Grains ... a recipe

I have missed having my morning oatmeal. I couldn't find any gluten-free oats anywhere locally so I had to send for them from Bob's RedMill. They came last week and I have been enjoying this recipe from Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Cookbook (Crockpot Porridge page 9) ... I modified it to make it gluten-free by substituting some GF grains for the wheat ones the recipe originally called for.

1/2 cup creamy buckwheat cereal
1 1/2 cups steel cut oatmeal
1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup brown rice
1/4 cup amaranth
6 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 1/2 Tbs quality vanilla
Pinch nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook overnight on lowest heat setting.

Makes about 8 cups.
Per 1/3 cup serving:
Calories=101
Protein=3.16
Fat=1.19
Total Carbs=20.6
Fiber=2.42

It's not very sweet which is nice, but has a good texture and whole grain flavor. I like to top mine with 1 Tbs ground flax and 1 tsp bee pollen (adds some mild sweetness).

[Espi]

It has been my impression that it's not so much gluten contamination that is problematic, but the fact that oats have a protein that's so reminiscent of gluten.
So, now you have guaranteed gluten-free oats, I'm curious what your experiences will be.

[UConnJulie]

Well, that is the issue for some people ... for others it is that the oats are contaminated with gluten. Similar I guess to how lactose is similar in structure to gluten, so sometimes those with gluten intolerance will also have issues with lactose. I seem to fall into the latter category ... I have had this for each of the past three mornings and have had no joint pain. I know that I am sensitive to contamination because every time we eat dinner out, I have pain the next day (from contamination I assume since I always choose something inherently gluten-free).

[Espi]

Again, interesting. The joint pain is definitely something that affects me too. Do you also suffer from 'near instant' short-term memory loss when eating gluten in excess?

[UConnJulie]

I don't know ... I haven't gone back to it since I cut it out (since I feel so much better without it) except for the small contaminations ... I am way less foggy than I was 8 months ago, but that could just be from getting my hormones in better balance.

[L'ilJ]

So Julie, just curious. Since this is a long challenge, are you incorporating any "free" meals into your plan? I always seem to do better with a "diet" when I incorporate a cheat/free meal on a periodic basis. Gives me something to look forward to. My current eating plan gives me one free meal a week with which I can eat something I've been craving (within reason).

[UConnJulie]

I might ... I haven't really decided ... the cravings are so much less when I just avoid everything ... but a girl can't live without chocolate!! And there's JB's 10% rule, so I'll probably just stick with the 90% compliance rule ... I don't know ... I've "cheated" so much in the past few weeks that I haven't really been thinking about treats!!!

[RobLL]

Julie - my chocolate candy, wife calls it fudge. No cook. 8 oz Nestle pre-melted baking chocolate, 8 oz nut flour of your choice, 1-1 an 1/2 cups Splenda or other sweetener, 2 tsp vanilla, enough heavy cream to be able to stir it up. Spoon into a cake tin, refrigerate, score with a knife into pieces. Store it in fridge or freezer.

[UConnJulie]

Thanks Rob ... I have some 85% and 100% dark chocolate that I use when I get the cravings ... a little goes a long way!! Your fudge would have me eating the whole pan!!!