Food Journal Recap - January 24th - 27th, 2012

Well, I've been a bit busy this week.  Running around town working.  Needless to say with work and my volunteering responsibilities I am a bit overwhelmed, and haven't caught you all up on what is happening.  I have to say, even with all the running around, I have managed to not eat horribly (for the most part).

Here goes (to the best of my memory) -
1/24/12 
Breakfast - 
Planters breakfast bar

Morning snack - 
Planters breakfast bar (I was still hungry so I had another one)

Lunch - 
Chicken salad on whole wheat pita with lettuce

Snack -
Trail mix

Dinner - 
Chicken Taco Chili - it's a weight watchers recipe I found online.  It wasn't bad, my kids all ate it.  I thought it needed more of a kick, next time.

Water -
Here's where my memory is fading me, but I drank a ton of water each day.



1/25/12
Breakfast - 
I FORGOT!!!  I had to work first thing, and I was so busy trying to get things done I simply forgot
I grabbed a handful of trail mix around 10:30am when I tried to remember why I was so hungry :)

Lunch - 
Jimmy John's - One of my favorite things to eat when I'm out working (can we say tax write off :).  I had the Italian Night club with extra vinigar and oil.
1/2 a pickle

Snack - 
Slice of Ham with a little veggie dip and a couple green peppers wrapped inside.

Dinner - 
We decided to take the kids out for dinner to Jack Stack (our favorite BBQ in KC) since we had a gift card.
Hubby and I split a sampler platter which comes with ribs, chicken, sausage, and burnt ends (Can we say YUMMY)
So I ate the chicken breast, one rib, and 2 burnt ends with some fries, and 1/2 a slice of toast.  Not tooooo horrible right?

Water - 
I had lots of water as I was haulling boxes around for work.
1 soda
Coffee I'm sure in there somewhere



1/26/12
Breakfast -
Did I mention I've been busy?
Again I forgot, so around 10 or so, I threw some chicken salad on a whole wheat pita with lettuse as my breakfast as I was walking out the door.

Lunch - 
Needless to say I wasn't very hungry at lunch, but I knew if I didn't eat I'd be starving by dinner.  I tried to have a couple handfuls of trail mix (I have been leaving it in my car which helps) but it wasn't helping me not be hungry.  So I stopped at Culvers and got just 2 chicken tenders.  It helped me get through the day and not be starving

Snack -
Trail mix - several handfuls throughout the day

Dinner -
I had my chipotle leftovers.  I realized I had not very much meat so I doctored it up with some grilled chicken I had on hand, extra salsa, cheese and some mexican yogurt dip.

Water - 
Lots, 1 Sweet tea, and coffee




1/27/12
Breakfast -
I REMEMBERED :):)):
I cooked up 8 mini quiches (they are almost gone :)

Lunch - 
Chic fil a - Here's the thing.  I ordered a Chicken salad combo with a sweet tea.
I ate a 1/2 a sandwich and literally ONE fry and I was full.  What is that?  I can eat, I am a eating person, to be full after a 1/2 sandwich, and 1 fry is hilarious to me.  I must be doing something right.  So I saved the sandwich and fries for later.

Snack - 
the other 1/2 of my chicken salad sandwich, and a couple more fries (never finished the fries)

Dinner - 
Porkloin
Steamed peapods and potatoes
Salad with celery, red onion, carrots, French Dressing (here I was trying to not go with the Ranch thinking I was making a good choice, and the second ingrediant was High Fructose Corn Syrup, oh well, smarter choices will be with my next salad dressing purchase :)

Evening Snack - 
Went out bowling with the girls, so to prevent over intoxication :) I ate a Chicken quesadilla at 9pm or so.  However I made that within my 4 hour window as I didn't go to bed until almost 2am :):):)

Water - 
LOTS of water.  I drank a ton of water throughout the day, and then while out with the girls to prevent sickness :)  I probably drank over 100oz of water
Alcohol intake - 4 captain and cokes, 1 lemon drop shot
1 - sweet tea.

So there you have it, all that I've been up to the last few days as far as food.  I've been really busy, but I'm still trying to be good about my food.

To snack or not to snack???

Today's question is this...to snack or not to snack?

I realize that you are supposed to eat several times a day vs. 3 times a day.  Of course my body and brain would be happy with 1-2 times a day if I could eat a giant meal.  However I am really trying to do this the right way.  So I have been having an afternoon snack everyday, which is great cuz I'm trying to eat a small lunch, and it helps me get through.  However I am occasionally also eating an evening snack.  Not always, but more often then not.  I don't however, ever eat a morning snack.  Let me lay out my daily meal times for you, and you can see what I'm talking about, then maybe you can help.

8-9am - Breakfast (depends on how kids are doing and the morning routine if I eat before or after they go to school)

Lunch - 11:30am ish

Snack - 3pm ish (I try to have something before kids get home from school, otherwise it gets hectic)

Dinner - 5-6pm - I know this is early for some people, but I try to have dinner on the table between 5 - 5:30 since most of our evening activities start at 6pm.  Sometimes though, we eat at 4:30 but not often.

Evening Snack - 9pm ish - after kids are in bed

I have a couple of trains of thought I am pondering, and am looking for a consensus to adapt :)  So please weigh in if you have any input on this subject at all.

I hear you should eat 6 times a day, which means I am not eating enough, but where do I add food, and what do I take out cuz I'm not really hungry?

I hear you should NOT eat 2 hours before bed, which I am close to since I go to bed around 11pm.  But what if it's later than 9pm, do I eat a snack anyway, or do I go to bed later to keep the window, or do I not snack and skip a "meal" so to speak???

What if I'm not hungry by 9pm?  Do I not snack?

How big of a snack is really required to count as eating if I'm not hungry?  Could a slice of cheddar be enough, or do I need 1/2 cup size? 

Do I need a protein with every eating time?  Or would veggies or fruits be enough?

Does a smoothie count as eating?  If I were to make a fruit smoothie for a snack does that count?

Thanks to all for your help, and for listening today :):):)

Food journal - January 23, 2012

Breakfast -
1 scrambled egg w/ ham, peppers, red onion, swiss cheese
Toast w/ butter spread (still trying to get rid of stuff, then I'll switch to real butter only :)

Lunch -
Chipotle - One of my absolute favorite places to eat.  I had a Barbacoa bowl (shredded beef) with Brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, corn salsa, green chile salsa, sour cream (I said it before I thought about it, next time I will omit), lettuse.  The best part was I couldn't finish it.  I was full less than 2/3 of the way through YAY!!!  So I brought the leftovers home. 

Snack -
Handful of trail mix, as I was really busy yesterday

Dinner -
Rotiserrie Chicken from the grocery store (there was a sale, if you bought ten pasta packs, you get a free chicken)
Creamy chicken rice from Knorr (not great but I had a small portion)
Green beans with butter (from a no salt added can - still hard to get the kids to switch to fresh)
All said and done, dinner for the whole family cost about $2.60 and we have leftovers :):):)  So I at least accomplished my "don't break the bank" goal :):):)

Evening Snack -
Whole Wheat pita chips
garlic hummus

Water -
4 - 24oz cups water
2 1/2 cups of coffee
0 - soda

Food Journal - January 22nd, 2012

Breakfast -
Breakfast on the go pack

Lunch -
Leftover Chicken stir fry, and left over cheesy veggies

Snack -
Garlic Hummus with Whole Wheat Pita chips
2 bites of a brownie

Dinner -
Cheeseburger salad - AKA a cheeseburger with no bun :)  93% ground beef with a slice of american cheese.  Nestled on a bed of lettuse, sliced pickles, red onion, mayo and mustard.
Sweet potato fries - with natural sea salt
green peppers w/ ranch veggie dip

Snack -
???  dunno yet

Water intake -
1 cup of coffee
2 32 oz. cups of H2O
0 - soda

Food Journal - January 21st, 2012

Breakfast -
I scrambled 3 eggs, but only 2 yolks with peppers, ham, mozz cheese.  I split them with SB (My youngest is the Snuggle Bug around here :):):)

Lunch -
Since it was Pinewood Derby day, I had a hot dog with a Rice Krispie Treat (to support the girl scouts ;)

Snack -
Brownie, again still at pinewood derby so I bought a brownie from the Girl scouts

Dinner -
Grilled Chicken
Ranch potatoe/cauliflower mix - typically I make Ranch potatoes that are baked.  I mixed them with cauliflower to cut down on the carbs.  Not to shabby, 2 of three kiddos didn't mind
Steamed veggies with cheese (the frozen steam packs), I ate only broccoli with cheese

Snack -
Air popped popcorn - with real unsalted butter, and a bit of popcorn salt

Water intake -
1 - coffee
2 - pepsis (courtesy of the Girl Scouts)
3 - 24oz. of H2O

Food Journal - January 20th, 2012

Breakfast -
Planters nut-ritious bar

Lunch -
So here's the deal, I was working downtown yesterday right next to my favorite restaurant.  Of course I had to have lunch.  But let me tell you what I would normally eat.  First Hubby and I usually share the Jambalya as an appetizer, then I eat way more than what I should of the bread and butter they serve (cuz the food it hot, and the bread helps it not be so spicy, and of course it's really yummy :).  Then I would order a full portion of the Blackened Chicken Diane with Jambalya instead of the dirty rice.  I can typically eat it all, however I try usually really hard to save some to bring home for the next days lunch (since it comes with two chicken breasts) but not always.  So it makes my order from yesterday SLIGHTLY better.

I ordered a 1/2 order of the blackened chicken diane, with Jambalya, NO appitizer.  When the waitress asked if I would like some bread I said NO!!!  Huge step for me in and of itself.  The really impressive part for me, was not that I ate half of what I normally would, but at the end I was full, REALLY full which is new.  I don't get "full" easily, and I really should have brought some of it home for left overs, but I endulged :(:(:( and enjoyed the meal.  So if for nothing else, I am happy my stomach is getting smaller to where less food is making me fuller easier.  The meal did come with a variety of steamed fresh veggies (brocoli, carrots, and zuchini), 1 red potato, and the the chicken came on a bed of Jambalya with peppers, sausage and all sorts of yummy stuff, with sauteed mushrooms on top.

Snack -
Small handful of trail mix as I was still full from lunch

Dinner -
1/2 whole wheat pita with chicken, swiss cheese, green peppers, lettuse and cucumber dip in it
5 Carrs crackers

Evening snack -
bowl of popcorn

Water intake -
3 - 24oz cups of water
2 - cups of coffee
1 1/2 fountain diet pepsis
I was in need of caffiene today because my son was up sick all night, and of course mom was also up all night.  I had to work a full day (Dad worked from home with a sick KK) so I needed the energy.

Food Journal - January 19th, 2012

Breakfast -
"Breakfast on the go" pouch

Lunch -
Whole wheat pita w/ grilled chicken, green pepper, cheddar cheese, lettuse, and cucumber yogurt dip
Green peppers w/ veggie dip

Snack -
I was hungry today, don't know why.
12 pita chips with garlic hummus
1/2 cup of trail mix

Dinner -
Lemon Pesto Chicken (it needed more pesto, but was fast to cook)
Whole Wheat Linguine
Salad with spinach, and other veggies.  Ranch dressing

Water intake -
4 - 32oz. glasses of water
1 - Cherry Coke (my throat was scratchy, and it simply sounded good)
1 - Large glass of milk

Food Journal - January 18th, 2012

Breakfast -
4 mini quiches
1 pack "breakfast on the go" nuts, raisons, and granola I think.

Lunch -
Whole Wheat pita with grilled chicken, slice of ham, green pepper, lettuse and cucumber yogurt dip
5 Triscuits, and chedder cheese slices

Snack -
12 whole wheat pita chips with garlic hummus

Dinner -
Chicken Stir Fry with low sodium soy sauce
Brown Rice

Water intake -
2 cups of coffee w/ cream and splenda
4 - 32oz of water
1 - 16oz glass of milk

Food Journal - January 17th, 2012

Breakfast -
6 mini quiches

Lunch -
I went to a friends house for lunch and instead of our typical "Chinese" take-out, she made us a nice healthy lunch (thanks for the support DM).
Turkey sandwich on toast, w/ lettuce and mayo
Strawberries dipped in Vanilla yogurt (this was really yummy, I'm going to keep this idea in my back pocket)
a couple pita chips.

Snack -
Whole Wheat pita chips
Garlic hummus

dinner -
Meatloaf & mashed potatoes/cauliflower
Ceaser Salad

Water intake:
4 - 32 oz glasses of water
1 - coffee
1 lg. glass of milk

Food Journal - January 16th, 2012

Breakfast -
8 mini quiche
2 lg. cups coffee

Lunch -
Chicken Veggie soup w/ 5 saltines

Snack -
Brownie (I've had brownies in my house twice in the last week for DD, I've only eaten one small one.  Not to bad :)
Cheese Stick (to try and balance out the sugar a bit)

Dinner -
Leftover Chicken Cattitore

Evening Snack -
1/2 cup Trail mix - I made this tonight after going to the grocery store (and using all my money saving coupons btw :).  It has peanuts, raisins, craisons, raisonets (w/ dark chocolate), almonds, peanut M&M's (w/ dark chocolate) and a handful or plain M&M's cuz I have them in the house.

Water intake -
WAY more than I can count.  Lost track :)
2 cups coffee
1 - glass of milk
0 - soda (I actually even had one in my hand cuz I was going to drink it, and realized I didn't even want it :):):):):):):):):)

Exercise -
2 mile walk  - I dropped my car off at the Firestone by my house for an Oil Change.  I walked the trail home.  One reason, because it is windier so it is longer (1 1/2 miles on the road) and two because it has more hills (more resistance :):):) 

Overall, I'm happy with my day.  I feel like I'm still eating too much.  Maybe because I'm eating less, but more often, but I feel like I'm over doing it, but I am really trying to watch my portion size.  Maybe I'll knock it down, just a bit tomorrow, and see if I'm hungry?  Don't know, but I'll see ;):):)

I am not counting pounds!!!

I am not counting pounds on this journey, in fact I do not even OWN a scale.  This is all about feeling good, being healthy, and looking good in my clothes (or looking good in my new clothes as the ones I currently own will not fit me by the end :):):). 

I have always been someone who weighs more than I look.  I don't know why that is, if it's muscle mass, or bone density, or whatever it is but I have won every bet I've ever entered regarding my weight.  Even when I was bone thin in HS I weighed WAY more than anyone would guess.  A year or so ago I went on an exercise binge.  I was at the gym 4-5 days a week.  Usually for Zumba, but I did Step twice a week, Zumba twice a week, basic aerobics, added in some weights on occasion, and even doubled classes with step then body pump, or Zumba then yoga, etc.  I did this for almost 6 months fairly consistently.  In that time, according to the scale at the gym I lost 3 lbs.  I lost some inches, and my pants were starting to fall off.  My muscles were starting to show, but I was not losing belly fat :(:(:(  Needless to say, because of the scale, I was getting very discouraged.  I know logic says muscle weighs more than fat, and that was some comfort, but you'd think I would have lost SOMETHING since I have a LOT to lose. 

So that being said, this time, NO SCALE!!!  I want to be happy when my jeans fall off, and not discouraged when the scale doesn't move.

Food Journal - Day 11 - January 15th, 2012

Breakfast -
Scrambled Eggs - I made for eggs, only one with a yolk, and only ate half cuz I shared it with my kiddos.  The eggs had a sliced of crumbled (low sodium) bacon, green pepper, onion, mozz cheese, and cheddar cheese.
1 slice whole grain toast with butter spread

Lunch -
Leftover meatloaf, mashed tators (with cauliflower :), and a bit of corn and gravy

Snack -
handful of blueberries
5 slices of Cheddar cheese
5 triscuits
a small handful of MIL's trail mix (raisins, peanuts, peanut m&m's, and I don't know what else)

Dinner -
2 slices of pizza (DD has friends over celebrating her birthday, so her choice) compared to my usual 4 slices of Little Ceasars pizzas
Side salad with Italian dressing, green peppers, and parm. cheese.

Evening snack -
Microwave popcorn

Water intake -
2 lg. cups coffee
4 - 32oz cups water
0 - soda

Exercise -
30 minutes of Zumba ;):):)  Back at it, now to get back in shape :)

I am WAY out of shape!!!

Today I started back exercising.  If you read my original post you know that I had a minor (girl) surgery in December, and wasn't supposed to exercise until Friday, January 13th, 2012.  So today I decided that it was time I jump back on the wagon.  HOLY COW!!!  I'm so out of shape, I barely made it through the warm up on my Zumba DVD and I was getting sweaty and winded.  It wasn't that long ago, I could do the entire DVD and feel like I could do it again.  So I made it through 30 minutes of Zumba, and was melting, and exhausted :(:(:( 

Well, I'm back on the wagon now :):):)  Feels good to be moving again, and starting my new ME out right :):):)

Day 10 - Food Journal - January 14th, 2012

Okay, not a good day -

Breakfast -
NONE :( 

Lunch -
Left over Chicken & Vegetable soup

Snack -
handful of Blueberries
5 slices of Cheddar Cheese
5 Triscuits

Dinner -
Homemade Chicken Cattitore with Whole Wheat Egg Noodles

Evening Snack -
12 whole wheat pita chips (serving size says 12 chips :)
Heaping tablespoon of Garlic lovers hummus (Serving size says 2 tbls.)

Water intake:
2 Cups coffee
Approximately 50oz of Water (not sure, dropped my favorite water cup.  It broke and spilled :(
1 16oz glass of milk
0 - soda :):):)

Food Journal - Day 9 - Friday, January 13th, 2012

Breakfast -
8 mini quiche

Lunch -
Leftover Peppersteak with a smidgen of brown rice - It was in a regular size bowl vs. my typical large one :)

Snack -
8 Carrs crackers and cucumber, garlic, yogurt dip

Dinner -
Meatloaf - made from 93% lean ground beef (this is KK's favorite meal, so you know you gotta do what you gotta do :)
Mashed potatoes - I tricked them :):):)  Approximately 1/4 of the potatoes were actually cauliflower.  I didn't tell any of them, and no one noticed!  I couldn't even tell, and I knew they were in there.  Next time, 1/2 will be cauliflower to see how far I can go before anyone can tell :) 
Gravy - I know BAD, but I used 1/2 fat free, and I didn't make my plate a soup bowl like normal, so that was a bonus
Corn - Canned low sodium corn

Snack -
WELL, it was Bunco night.  I have one night a month I go out with some girlfriends and snack.  I did pretty well.  Actually, a couple of people brought healthy options because they were thinking of me :):):)  Thanks ladies :):):)  So I had a variety of the following:
1 - lemon cookie
Fresh salsa w/ tortilla chips (healthy without the chips, so I used heaps of salsa, less chips :)
Cowboy dip w/ tortilla chips (also healthy without the chips, but I wasn't going to eat it with a spoon)
7 layer dip w/ tortilla chips
couple pretzels out of the chex mix
Crystal light
I only went back for more 1 time, and only had a bit of salsa and cowboy dip when I did. 
YAY me!!!

Water intake -
4 - 16oz. cups water
Approximately 32oz. of crystal light
2 large cups of coffee
Large glass of milk with dinner (btw I realized last night I drink milk with dinner every night and haven't written it down yet, oops :)
0 - soda, count that again 0000000000000 sodas :):):)

To eat, or not to eat? That is the question of today :)

Okay, here is my dilema of the day.  Is it better to eat an unhealthy breakfast (say an egg McMuffin from McD's) or not eat?

I ran into this problem today where I have someplace to be at a certain time, and I have a hubby who threw out his back, and a vomiting child, and the clock is ticking to get out the door and get a shower, and clothes on, and sheets in the laundry, and so on and so on.  Needless to say I did not have the time to make a healthy breakfast for myself (I actually even microwaved leftover coffee from yesterday because I didn't have time to brew a fresh pot).  I almost stopped at McD's for a something, but didn't really have time for that.  I was still 5 minutes late to my appointment as it was. 

This is not the first time I've encountered this issue in my struggles over the years to eat better, and in most cases the time ends up being the priority, and I skip breakfast.  I can't do simply a doughnut, or cinnamon roll either as it sends my sugar levels into chaos and without the protein I will end up with the shakes, and dizzy, and ultimately my eyes go wonky and I can't see.  So I'm better for those purposes to not eat if it's only a sugar something, even if it kick starts my metabolism for the day. 

So which is it?  Eat an unhealthy, fast, whatever I can get my hands on breakfast, or skip until I can eat something healthy later in the morning, maybe even until lunch?  I am really curious to hear the answers to this question.  I'd also like solutions for a fast and healthy option to have available in a pinch.

Can't stop thinking about food!

I can't stop thinking about food!  I think about it all day, what I can, and shouldn't eat.  What I'm going to make, when I'm going to make it, what I need to shop for to be healthy etc. 

The big problem is that it is making me feel hungry all the time!  I am beginning to feel a bit deprived, and I don't want that.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to cheat either, but I would like to know when the food will just be a way of life, and not controlling my brain. 

I am trying to drink water whenever I'm hungry, and I try to wait 30 minutes before I eat to see if I'm still "hungry" or just fooling myself.  I find that I am not really "hungry" it is just my new obsession with doing it right and trying not to give that has it on my mind CONSTANTLY!!!  I have my menu plan layed out (at least dinner and what is available in my house), so I was hoping that it wouldn't be on the forefront of my brain all the time. 

Hopefully this will pass before to long, and I won't have to have the think about so much it will just be a way of life.

Food Journal - Day 8 - January 12th, 2012

Here is my food Journal for yesterday:

Breakfast:
8 mini Quiche (4- spinach, and 4 bacon cheese).  You all know these, you get them frozen then cook.  I have a bunch in my freezer I need to get rid of as I bought them for some company, that didn't come due to illness.  I'm the only one in my family that likes them.  One good thing though, is I actually read the ingredients and was surprized by the amount of real food that is in them.  I was a bit shockd.

Lunch:
Spinach Ravioli - again, left over in my freezer, and I need to get rid of stuff.  It's a spinach/mozzarella ravioli that you toss in Olive oil with herbs and Parmesan.  It also had no trans fat, and lots of actual food in them.  So it was good

Snack:
String Cheese

Dinner:
Vegetable Chicken soup - I made this in the crock pot.  1 1/2 lbs chicken, some frozen mixed veggies, celery, fresh carrots, cauliflower, onions, a variety of seasoning (no salt) and low sodium chicken broth.  Turned out pretty good.  I didn't really miss noodles as it was really thick and 2 out of 3 kids actually liked it.

Evening Snack:
12-15 pita chips (it was the bottom of the bag, so they were small pieces so I'm not sure)
1 1/2 Tbsp. of Garlic lovers hummus :):):)

Water:
3 - 16oz cups
1 - Cherry coke
4 lg. cups of coffee.

Prayers for Anna!!!

So yesterday was not a good evening.  For those of you who know me personally you know the story already, for those of you who don't here is a brief overview.

My hubby cousin's daughter who recently turned 5 was diagnosed with cancer in November 2010.  The cancer is very aggressive, resistant to treatment, and many times fatal.  Little Anna has undergone chemo and radiation for just over a year.  All things were looking good when she completed her treatment in December.  Well, long story short, she had an MRI yesterday and the cancer is back.  The really big worry is that upon relapse this type of cancer unfortunatly almost always ends up poorly.  She has beaten the odds before, but the odds are stacked even higher this time. 

PLEASE PRAY FOR ANNA!  She is 5 years old, loves to Dance, and if full of life. 

Thank you!

Day 7 - 1/11/12 - Food Journal

So yesterday was day 7, YAY ME!  I made it a whole week :):):)  It was a fairly uneventful day as far as "the plan" is concerned.  In-laws left in the morning to continue on their trip to Texas.  I caught up on some emails and online stuff that needed to be done.  I ran a couple errands in the afternoon.  Took DD to Gymnastics, and KK (Karate Kid, aka my oldest son) to Karate, and had a Cub Scout recharter meeting at my house.  So my evening was hectic but fairly uneventful.  So not much else to say about the day.

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs - I made 5 eggs but with only 1/2 the yolks for the FIL, MIL and myself to share yesterday with ham, a slice of leftover bacon, little bit of onion, and shredded cheese in them. 
1 slice of whole grain toast with it :)

Lunch:
Leftover pepper steak from the other night will maybe a tablespoon of brown rice in it (cuz we didn't have hardly any rice leftover and I didn't feel like making new rice just for me)

Snack:
String Cheese

Dinner:
This is where it got tricky.  Since my evening was back to back stuff, people started showing up for our meeting just as I was getting food ready for my kiddos (we were having leftover night as we have way to much stuff in the fridge).  So I grabbed a meatball to hold me over, and at one point I grabbed a handful of sweet potato fries I made for the kids.  Then at about 10pm, after the meeting I sat down with my real dinner.  1/2 a chicken breast from the other day, 1/2 cup of corn, and another (larger) handful of sweet potato fries.  I know the timing was bad, and I shouldn't eat that late (even though I didn't go to bed until 12:30am) but I hate eating in front of other people when they are eating so that is just how it went.  Such is life I suppose.

Water intake:
3 - 32oz cups (I think)
3 - large cups of coffee
1 - regular cherry coke

Day 6 - Food Journal and stuff :)

So Day 6, holy cow what a day :):):)  My hubby left WAY TO EARLY IN THE MORNING for 4 days in Kentucky (again) for work.  My parents in-law were here and so it became project day.  I have to say, I love my in-laws, but they have more get-up-and-go than anyone I've met in my life!  My MIL loves to organize stuff, and FIL likes to work on "projects".  So after going through my youngest sons room on Monday (literally gutted the closet, toy box, under the bed etc) she worked to finish that as well as did 3 (maybe 4 I didn't count) loads of laundry.  My FIL decided to tackle the van!  Do you remember that I have three kids?  We also travel a lot, and eat in the car alot so you can probably imagine the mess.  Of course then you need to remember I am a home stager, and my van is also my work truck so it hauls furniture, trees, potpourri, and a bunch of other random stuff that likes to shed in my car :):):)  So three hours later the van was done and it was on to routing some boards (that I have put off for 3 years :):):) 

Anyway, I spent my day helping keep all the projects running smoothly, I returned a duplicate Christmas present, and brought my daughter her lunch she forgot in the car, as well as got one of my two Christmas trees down (finally :)  It was a very productive and exhausting day :):):)

I can't believe I am approaching a week of this new lifestyle.  I'm still very excited about it, and very proud of my progress thus far.  Thursday I will take another picture of myself, not because I think it will be different than it was last week, but I am hoping to take one each week to see the progress all said and done. 

Now down to business...

Food Journal Day 6 - January 10th, 2012

Breakfast -
Last piece of egg casserole
3 cups coffee

Lunch -
Leftover meatball sub with Ceaser salad

Snack -
1 coconut layer bar (they are gone now, thank goodness :):):)
String cheese

Dinner -
almond, Parmesan, oven backed fried chicken (from SB cookbook).  The large half of one boneless skinless chicken breast
Rice pilaf - homemade version with brown rice, multi-grain pasta, and low sodium chicken broth.
Canned corn

Dessert -
small slice of Oreo ice cream cake (this is gone now too :):):)

Butter vs. Margerine???

Okay, so I have been using the natural sea salt.  Actually, I can say I've purchased it, and used it only the once on the Sweet Potato Fries and haven't touched any type of salt since either in cooking or eating (unless it was there when I started, but I have added none).  I appriciate all the input on the salt issue, and am going with the less is more theory and so my new salt only has one ingredient, SALT :):):)

Now onto another dilema.  Real butter (no salt of course) or the gazillion types of margerine, diet butters, kinda like butter but not, and anything of the sort. 

Years ago when I did South Beach (which really worked for me, I just have kids, and low resistance for a long period of time) I was using the diet butter.  I am now using whatever is on sale with my eyes on Trans Fat, and low sodium.  I also use real butter for cooking and such, but the no trans fat stuff in the tub for soft butter.  I think I'm doing okay, but I'm not sure.  I like the idea of real butter, and all that, but I like the low fat part of the margarine as well.  HELP is greatly appreciated.  I think about it and remember my grandma used to cook with LARD and lived into her early 90's, so maybe there is something to be said about "the old fashioned" way.

Day 5 - January 9th, 2012 - Drama Daughters Birthday :):):)

So today is my "Drama" (also darling, but more drama :) Daughters birthday.  She was not to thrilled that on her first whole day back home that she had to go to school, and had a doctors appointment where she got her flu shot.  I told her she already skipped the first two days back after Christmas break so such is life. 

Anyway, my Mother in-law made Brownies for my DD to take to school, and it was all I had not to "sample" them as I LOVE brownies.  I did nibble on a crumb that fell off, but not a whole brownie :)  The evening came and DD chose to have Subway as her birthday dinner, I was very happy about this choice for my "diet" purposes :)  Kids all had piano lessons, then we had Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Cake from DQ for dessert.  DD received a Justice outfit, radio, Itunes Gift card and some cash to take to the American Girl Doll store.  So she is a happy girl :)

Okay, onto business and my journey.  Today's food journal -

Breakfast - 
Egg Casserole
3 cups coffee :( - I'm trying to stick to two, but some days I need the added boost.

Lunch -
Chicken salad on whole wheat pita with lettuce
12- 15 pita chips with garlic hummus

Snack -
2 coconut, chocolate, 7 layer, yummies
10 Carrs crackers with cucumber, garlic, Greek yogurt dip

Dinner -
6" Subway club on 9 grain honey wheat bread (the fact that I went with a 6" is huge for me, not to mention I didn't get the Philly steak which is my favorite)
Variety of veggies with dip.
20oz. pop - half diet, half cherry coke (if you bought the drink the 6" subs were BOGO, so I did)

Dessert-
1 slice of DQ Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Cake - It's my DD's birthday and so you have to do what you have to do :):):)

Water intake -
Probably not great.  I kept misplacing my water so I didn't keep good track but I'm thinking around 6 8oz. cups, 3 large coffee's, 1 pop. 

So that is yesterday's food journal :)  I'd say I'm doing well all said and done, and I"m not starving, and I'm not really craving a ton of crap. 

Day 4 - January 8th, 2012

Well today was a decent day.  Worked on boxing up my Christmas stuff.  My hubby's parents came into town and brought my daughter home :) YAY :).  They also brought a variety of yummies as they are on their way to Texas for the Winter and needed to rid it all out of their house.  We also had a parents meeting today as well.  So busy day but good. 

Now to the food stuff :)

Breakfast -
Scrambled eggs with ham and cheese (hubby made breakfast :)
1 slice of bacon

3 cups of coffee (not great but very tasty)

Lunch -
chicken salad in a whole wheat pita with lettuse
12 pita chips with garlic hummus

Snack - I was hungry :(
4 ham rolls with onion
6 ham rolls with pickles

Dinner - Hubby wants me to acknowledge that I did go back for seconds.  Although I appreciate his calling me out on my bad habit, it wasn't what he thought.  Since I was first to plate up, once I served my kids, I noticed we may run short on rice.  So I purposely took a small portion (about what I'd served my kids) to make sure everyone had some.  Then I went back for just a bit more cuz I was still hungry.  So you see, although I did break one of my rules there was a good reason.  I did thank hubby for trying to call me out on it, but I didn't want to explain my actions at that time in front of company. 
Pepper Steak - This is hubby's dad's recipe which uses about a 1/4 C. of flour in the whole thing so for my portion was very little.  It has onions, and green peppers, steak and the majority is canned tomatoes.
Brown Rice - I'd say 1 cup cooked max

Snack -
2 coconut, yummies ;)  I don't know what is in them but I know there is Walnuts, and coconut :)  My mother in-law brought us a whole bunch of yummies which is very sweet of her, but very dangerous for me :(

Water -
6 - 8oz cups of water
3 - large coffees
1 - Cherry Coke Zero
Not the best day but better than I was 4 days ago :):):)

See you all tomorrow.

Salt epidemic

Okay, so here is my dilemma -

Salt vs. Sea Salt vs. Salt Substitute vs. Kosher Salt

Everything I read lately when its a "healthy" recipe, or better for you stuff they use or have sea salt.  I compared labels yesterday at the store.  The Sodium intake is the same with the sea salt and table salt per tsp.  the kosher salt had less sodium per tsp (but the ingredients were the same as the sea salt).  Then the salt substitute has WAY less sodium, but a bunch of stuff I can't pronounce.  So what is better for you?  I don't know!  Please weigh in with opinions, or facts, because I am truly at a loss.  I bought Natural Sea Salt yesterday because that was the only one with one ingredient.  But I don't know if that is truly the way to go (not that I use a lot of salt anyway). 

Day 3 - January 7th, 2012

Day 3 summary -

So yesterday was Saturday.  My hubby was home from a week long trip for work (leaves again Tuesday AM :(, my two boys were here (my daughter is still in Iowa with the grandparents) and not eating bad is tough when everyone is home.  We basically stayed home, I ran to the store for a couple of things, but we worked around the house (I'm finally getting the Christmas stuff down).  I was quite impressed with my food intake yesterday.  I had NO DIET POP at all yesterday, can you believe it?  I am completely dependant on Caffeine and I had no Cherry Coke Zero at all!  So that is an accomplishment for me in and of itself :):):)

Food Journal - Day 3

Breakfast -
Egg Casserole (only one slice left - YAY!)
1 large cup of coffee with Cream and splenda

Lunch -
Taco salad - with leftover taco meet (93% ground beef), lettuce, green peppers, salsa, ranch veggie dip (I didn't have plain sour cream), and 5 Multi grain tortilla chips (check these out, all whole grain and tasty too http://www.foodshouldtastegood.com/#/home/ they really are good, and not that expensive)

Snack -
10 Carr's crackers with Tzacki cucumber and garlic dip (made in Greek yogurt from Costco)

Dinner -
Meatball subs - I made these out of frozen meatballs as they were on sale, and I had a coupon :) 1/2 ragu and 1/2 progresso sauce, whole wheat (and whole grain) sub buns that I buttered (with Smart Choice) and garlic powder then toasted, and fat free Mozz cheese.  So not HORRIBLE, and the kids thought they were awesome. 
Sweet potato fries (approximately 10-15) - I bought these frozen from Costco (can you tell I went to Costco recently :), I wasn't sure, but i thought I'd try them.  They are fairly low ingredients on the package so I thought I'd try them.  I'm not really a sweet potato fan, okay, that is an understatement, I really dislike them quite a bit in any fashion, but I am trying to step outside the box.  They were actually pretty good.  I added some "natural sea salt" to them and they kids liked them too.
Salad - I made a salad with Olive Garden dressing, cauliflower, green peppers, carrots, Parmesan cheese. 

Water intake -
I drank so much water yesterday that I lost count :):):)  I think I was somewhere over 10 - 8oz. cups of water, and 1 large glass of Crystal light.  NO POP!!! 


So not to bad for a weekend.  I'm curious to see what a week with food changes, and no exercise will do.  I'm going to TRY to take a pic once a week to see the changes.

Not to shabby :)

Well I survived the football party and didn't do so bad.  I didn't really snack TOO much beyond my meal.  I tried my plan, and that did pretty well for me, but I figured out something that really helped...

You know how you go to a party and MOST of the time everyone congregates in the kitchen, around teh food.  So tonight when we were hanging by the food, I was in a conversation with someone and I suggested we go sit on the couch and chat (away from the food).  This was fantastic!  First, there wasn't any food for me to grab as I gab, and Second it was less crowded, and third more comfortable than standing!  Then as the evening went on I would return to the couch and chat with others as well.  I did grab a bite or two (okay more than that) but mostly green peppers (my favorite veggie), or a meatball.  I did have a couple small potato skins along the way, but compared to what I feared, all went pretty well.

Okay, so today's food journal:
Breakfast -
Egg casserole (same as yesterday)
2 cups of coffee with splenda and cream

Lunch -
Chicken salad sandwich (same as yesterday)
Veggies & dip

Snack -
6 ham roll ups

Dinner -
pulled pork
beef brisket
4 meatballs
green peppers and a couple carrots
3 - halfs of potato skins
handful of spinach dip and pumpernickel bread
couple pretzels
a bit of buffalo chicken dip with tortilla chip
several crackers with cucumber and yogurt dip
a deviled egg
2 diet cokes

Water intake:
9 - 8oz. cups :):):):)  Yay me!

Uh Oh... football party!

I'm going in with a plan!

So tonight we are going to a football/birthday party.  This is a HUGE danger zone for me.  Last I saw they are expecting 90+ people.  The people are not an issue for me, anyone who knows me might classify me as a "social butterfly" as I truly love and thrive in social settings.  However, that being said, I also used to be a smoker (it's been 11 years since I quit so no longer even a minor issue for me) and now I have learned instead of standing around socializing and smoking I stand around and socialize and EAT!!!  Have I mentioned my love affair with dip?  I love to DIP, anything and everything.  So since everyone is asked to bring a something I am certain there is going to be a ton of yummy stuff, and a large variety of DIP!!!

I have decided to go in with a PLAN!  Since we are eating dinner there (I think it's some sort of brisket in BBQ if I remember correctly) I am going to plan for a rational portion control (which means no heaping plate, and no seconds for sure) on the meal portion regardless what is served.  My mommy did teach me to eat whatever is served at someone elses house because that is the polite thing to do :).  Then as the evening progresses with the temptations of the yummy dips I am going in with a game plan.  I am going to scope out the healthiest options available and try to stick with those.  I am not saying that I will not "sample" things but I am going to be aware of what is around me.  I know, not on the "diet" but I did say that I was still going to live, and I know myself very well these days and I will never succeed at this if I NEVER allow myself some room when out with friends and the buffet of snacks is in my face.

Okay, hubby is on his way from the airport.  I'm going in, armed and prepared for my temptations.  Wish me luck, as I attempt to not throw it all down the toilet on Day 2 :)

Day 2 - Jan. 6th, 2012

My battle with breakfast -

So here we are, day 2, almost 11am.  I once again had my egg casserole thing, and am on my 2nd cup of coffee (typically 2-3 LARGE cups of coffee a day).  Yay for me, I ate food before noon :)  I have to say I despise the necessity to eat breakfast.  I do not like breakfast food.  Eggs with all sorts of stuff in it is about the only thing I find fairly tasty but it gets old REALLY quick.  I do also like hash browns, but not really health food cuz I like them fried crispy, smothered in salt and ketchup.  I don't really like bacon, although I tolerate it (but again NOT HEALTH FOOD).  I desperately dislike cereals, of all kinds.  The idea of putting milk on food is just plain weird to me (but on occasion I like Cookie Crisp for dessert :) cuz cookies in milk is okay).  I don't like fruit, I don't like pancakes, waffles I can handle on occasion but of course need to have powdered sugar, butter, and syrup on them (not so healthy either), sausage is gross, what else is there?

So I am at a loss for what to eat for breakfast.  It must be easy and convenient, or something I can prepare ahead and reheat.  Tasty is a must or I simply will skip and only drink coffee.   I have issues with food being to dry.  I love condiments of all sorts, but especially any type of dip :)  So advice, ideas, help, thoughts?

Food Journal - Day 1 - 1/5/12

Okay, so as promised here is today's food intake.  I have to say that this is something I've been prepping to do for several days, but just decided today to blog about it. 

Breakfast - Egg casserole - I'm guessing about 2 eggs were in it.  I made this earlier this week because I detest most breakfast foods.  So the Casserole had 8 eggs, some milk, ham, green pepper, onion, canned mushrooms, swiss cheese and a smidgen of pepper.  I topped it off with my daily crutch of coffee (with 3 splenda and the new cinnabon creamer, I know bad stuff, but it's true).

I stopped at McD's for a Large coffee for $1 with 3 splenda and cream.

Lunch - I had a chicken salad sandwich - chicken salad from Costco, they make it from their rotisserie chicken.  It was on a Whole Wheat smushed bun thing my mom left me when she left for AZ for the winter.  It had celery in it, and lettuce on it.  I also had a variety of veggies (with dip that I made with Ranch seasoning and lite sour cream).  Drank a diet soda with it.  I think that was it.

Snack - Yesterday, in prepping for my new plan I chopped a ton of raw veggies (I have to say I love raw veggies with dip), and I made ham rolls with deli ham, 1/3 fat free cream cheese and green onions, as well as some with dill pickles for my son.  I put them in my fridge and when the kids ask for a snack it gives me something other than chips or whatever to grab, and it has a crunch and is very tasty.  So i think I had 6-10 bites of these today (so maybe 1 1/2 slices of ham and 1 1/2 green onions, with 2 T.ish of cream cheese). 

Diet coke

Dinner - Chili - I made chili two days ago, so I had left overs.  It had 93% ground beef, kidney & chili beans, tomatos, and onions.  Probably to big of a bowl, but with hubby out of town, someone has to eat the left overs.

So I don't know if or what I'll have for an evening snack yet.  However, I realized as I've been researching healthy diets, and recipes, I forgot to add WATER into my plan.  So starting at about 6pm tonight I started drinking water.  So now I'm 4 cups in, and probably 2-4 more to go. 

Todays Food Journal

This is the beginning

Okay, so I've decided to start a blog to help keep me on task while I struggle my way through the process of losing weight.  I am not a writer, I am a Home Stager.  I'm a horrible speller so you'll have to excuse my many mistakes as we move on.  I also tend to over use :):):), so I'm sorry if that bothers you.  I'm going to lay out my plan to lose weight and try to track my progress, downfalls, and successes along the way.

GOALS:
     Be Healthy - with heart disease on both sides of my family (Mom and Dad both have heart problems) this is very much on the forefront of my brain, and since I have the tire around the tummy, it is very likely in my future if I don't change something soon.
     Lose weight - according to the guidelines I need to lose somewhere between 40-50 lbs.
     Like what I see in the mirror
     Not Break the Bank - I know I need to be healthier, but I also need to be out of debt.
     Set a good example for my kids - I figure by being healthy that helps my kiddos.  One they will have a good role model for their lives, and two I will be here in the long run to support, love and cherish them.

So here is my plan:
Food -
I am a mom of three and I can't say that I'll never have another slice of pizza or an order of fries, in fact I would rather stay over weight than say that :).  However I can say that when cooking at home I will make choices that will promote the overall health of me and my family.  Here are the guidelines I plan to follow:
     Low Fat - which means 93% fat free ground beef, leaner meats, low fat sour cream, and cutting fats whenever possible.
     Low Carb - not no carb, but LOW carb.  I will choice whole grains, less sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, and any other carb I can get rid of
     Low sodium - I have Heart Disease in my family, and since I'm not one to add a lot of salt to anything but french fries anyway (which I shouldn't be eating), this should not be an issue.
     Tasty - I have to make sure things taste good or I will FAIL.  I love food, I spend much of my time thinking about food and when it doesn't taste good I will cheat. 
      Kid Friendly - Everything I make must ultimately pass the kid inspection.  I don't plan to make them eat broccoli every night, however I also will not be making two meals so if I make broccoli it will likely be accompanied or combined with something they will eat like CHEESE :)  I can then disguise it enough for them to eat it. 
     Less Processing - So the more I read, or watch about healthy eating I am buying into the less processed, more whole food theory.  I can't say I'm going to personally prepare every item on my menu, but I will be very aware of the things that I buy. 

Exercise -
Okay so exercise is NOT my favorite thing!  Maybe I should say that again, EXERCISE IS NOT MY FAVORITE!!!  However, I do enjoy Zumba (I was a dancer when I was a kid), but since our current budget does not allow for our gym membership it's not as fun without the class.  I do have one of the DVD sets though, so that will help.
So the plan is to exercise 3-4 times a week.  I am hoping to get the p90X for my birthday in February, but I will work on my Zumba.  That being said I can not start exercising  until January 13th (due to Dr. orders after a minor surgery in December).  I also would like to do better at walking outside, and riding my bike.

Not Breaking the Bank -
So every time I am at the grocery store and try to chose healthier choices, I tend to spend more money. Well, recently I have been doing really well price matching sales at Walmart, and combining with coupons. I can't say I'm a coupon guru by any means, or that I've been "paid" to grocery shop, but I have noticed a HUGE decrease in my grocery budget. So my plan is to continue to use these strategies but towards leaner meats, fresher fruits and vegetables, as well as for the other stuff (shampoos, soaps, etc.)
I also don't currently have a gym membership.  I had one for 5 1/2 years and cancelled it in December due to budget constraints, the reason for all of this not to break the bank.  I have not plan to get a new membership as we didn't really utilize it effectively anyway.  So I'll have to use my DVD's and the great outdoors for my exercise program.

I will also NOT be joining a weight loss program.  I have contemplated it, and looked into several however they cost money.  Money I don't have.  Which brings me to this blog.  I need some accountability.  I also need ideas, and motivation and most of all someone to tell about all my struggles. 


So there you have it, the goals, the plan, and the reasons.  I hope some of you out in the World will follow my jouney to keep me accountable and maybe we can help each other if you happen to be on a similar road to a lesser you :):):)