/hihi !! I hit my target weight yesterday, and today I was 131.8 pounds on the scale!! Now to KEEP it that way! I am keeping my fingers crossed that it this isn't just a fluke and I really have reached my goal weight for April :D
I'm embracing my British citizenship this morning by actually watching some of the wedding...I do wish they could just skip Prince Charles and make William King as he would look sooooo much cuter on the coins, I wouldn't mind having his face in my pocket ;)
Calories for the day so far:
Breakfast:
300 calorie Naked Mango Drink -the perfect breakfast on the go!
A 5 juice blend with other natural Ingredients. An amazingly exotic, incredibly yummy multitude Of mango. and purest stuff in the world. That means no added sugar, no preservatives. The fruit inside*: 3/4 mango, 1/3 orange, 1 apple, 1/4 banana, & a hint Of lemon. *Per BOTTLE.
All NATURAL.
100% juice SMOOTHIE.
NO sugar ADDED.
Lunch: Jason's Deli is bringing me a sample veggie sandwich- as I coordinate events for my job they want me to try out their fare and possibly use them for catering in the functions and I'm not complaining!! ;)
Workout:
I'm not sure if I will get a work out in tonight as I'm going out for drinks with the girls and don't want to get sweaty right beforehand! But I will be getting a LOT of physical activity over the weekend as we are going camping by the beach! :D Im so excited!
I quite believe it, I just celebrated my TWENTY FIFTH!!WOW….a quarter of a CENTURY old already!
I love this style of cake!
I had a lovely birthday with lots of joy and suprises! My man baked my a mint chocolate cake with dark Godiva chocolate and organic sugar, all by himself! What a cutie! He also took me on a suprise birthday trip! My man took my camping at gorgeous Florida springs, and then to a hotel right on Daytona Beach!
our view, and the fabulous rocking chairs I loved!
I also got the perfect persent...a little blue box from Tiffany&Co!
With a horseshoe charm necklace I'd loved for years but had only ever had the imitation version of! There was also a romantic poem in the box that my man had written. I thought it was written by Tiffany's, and he had just signed it, and when he said he'd made it up all by himself I cried! It was just tooo sweet!
So happy!
Looking back over my accomplishments I felt it too, 25 years is a long time! I’ve done a lot ...
I learnt how tofunction in the world on my own, going from being a child to a woman (kind of- still feel like a girl sometimes LOL). From 17 onwards I have lived on my own, paid my bills and worked through school...no silver spoon in life but hey, its character building right?
I travelled and lived all over the world- Africa, India, Belgium, Nepal, Tenerife, Australia, England and now I live in the USA. I spoke and read Bengali, and absorbed the cultures of every place I went, fuelling my passion for travel and appreciation for this earth and its people.
I’ve gambled everything for love, leaving my home of London to move to the USA and be with a man I fell for on safari in India. '
After being a bit of a gypsy I’ve found a home. Home really was where my heart was, London didn’t feel like home when my heart was in Florida!
I’ve adopted and cared for two adorable dogs that bring me so much daily joy.
I am finally able to afford to pursue my dream of going to college. I also work full time while I do that, and am proud of the fact that I’m putting myself through school and maintain a high GPA!
25 and HAPPY =D
There are still things to do though! Losing at least 10 more pounds is one of those goals! After my birthday celebrations and lots of cake I’m at 134 pounds….My goal is 125 this summer….
I feel like this is the weight that my body will look good. On the beach this weekend I had some candid photos taken while building sand castles (lots of fun btw- I love being a bit of a kid sometimes!!)
Some angles looked ok, most didn’t, especially from the side! My stomach pooched over my bikini top in a crease, and that is NOT something I want to be worrying about when sitting down! Sure, its fine when I stand up and suck it in, but I don’t want to have to angle for a good photo while sitting!
I have been working on my posture, but I know that having strong abs and less fat are very important too!
That was my goal for this summer, to not have to feel self conscious.
I feel a lot better, but not quite there…I still have work to do and I know I haven’t been really pushing it- Ive been doing my workout DVD a bit but not putting in sweaty hours at the gym!! And that is really the key to molding a body!
New goals:
132 by the end of April- thats 2 pounds in 13 days, achievable!
128.5 by the end of May (minus 3.5 pounds)
125 by the end of June
Today’s Food Log:
Breakfast:
280 calories of Green Monster Juice (fruit+spirulina, pre made)
100 calorie VitaTop
50 calories of creamer
Lunch:
440 calories of whole wheat and soy vegetarian sandwich
Mid-Afternoon Snack: Cascade Fresh Fruit Juice sweetened yogurt, 130 calories
Dinner:
Recovering from the birthday extraveganza I went light- Spicy Tofu, pan seared + brocolli and cauliflower seasoned with lemon juice and salt!
So about 1200 calories, yay...!
Oh...and then a few pieces of chocolate left over from my birthday but thats allowed right hehe...and some cashews...
/hihi 133.6 pounds this morning.....I sure would LOVE to see 132, my April goal, on the scale soon! I guess I cant really expect that if I'm not working out at least 4 days a week or sticking to my 1200 calorie a day limit religiously!
I did workout on Saturday, and walked the dogs on Monday but the recommended time to work out in order to achieve weight loss is SIXTY minutes, 4 to 5 times a week, and I'm not doing that! I think I'm getting a little bit bored with Jillian's 30 Day Shred DVD (GASP!) and I should probably go to the gym, just to get motivated again! Sometimes seeing other people working out helps me do the same...
I also just read this on a workout forum on livestrong.com
For the 30 Day Shred take at least one day off. Also don't do each level for 30 days, you will do yourself a disservice. Your body will quickly adapt to the workout and doing a sinlge level can cause you to plateau which in turn could become boring and frustrating. When you feel like you can do more go to the next level. Also doing these videos for 30 days in a row, and also not taking a break will lead to an overuse injury and I would be willing to put money on that. If you get injured you will take 10 steps back. Remember that muscle does not grow while you are working out, it grows when you are resting. Working out breaks it down so your body can come back during rest, repair it and add more. Rest is as important as the workout itself.
and this, which I identify with- the Shred seems to sculpt your body more than lose a lot of weight (I've lost an inch off my hips and waist!) :
didnt loose much weight at first with it, but i lost major inches/body transformation by level 2 - I think total i lost 4 lbs doing it, i gained a few pounds at first- but i saw a difference in my body when i looked in the mirror, put on clothes... so i suggest jsut taking measurements, look at what you are putting in your body, and you will see a difference. I started loosing weight consistently when i started BFBM and NMTZ and doign the shred! Best combo in my opinion. Well then!
Today's Food Log:
Breakfast:
Fat free organic milk with sugarless coffee -50 calories Veggie Burger Patty + 2 slices whole wheat bread and hummus = 250 calories Total for breakfast= 300 calories
Lunch:
I had to do a lunch order for the office. I know that the Jimmy John's sandwiches I order are high in calories and fat so I went to their website and used their nutrition tool to make my vegetarian option better! http://www.jimmyjohns.com/menu/nutrition.aspx
I replaced the mayo with Italian vinaigrette and the sandwich went from 674.35 to 559 calories and 35 grams of fat to 22 grams of fat! And honestly it wasn't that different, it was still a yummy sandwich!
Dinner:
Half a Naked Fruit Juice (160 calories), a cup of Delites Ice cream (100 caloreis), and a handufl of cashews- this put me over my limit I bet!!
So, for my nutrition class my teacher had us write down our food and water intake for 4 days, then enter all that information into mypyramidtracker.gov and do an anaylsis of our diet. These are my results:
Introduction :
Since January 2011 I have been endeavoring to eat a more healthful diet and this has resulted me dropping from 143 to 133 pounds, which was one of my goals. I already track my meals daily as part of my lifestyle in order to really monitor my calorie intake, and measuring out everything initially really helped me to understand foods better. For instance, I learnt that a tablespoon of olive oil has 120 calories. Prior to January I had endeavored to make low calorie, healthful meals but had thought nothing of putting a tablespoon of olive oil into a dish I was making. Now that I realize how high the fat content is I only use a fraction of that amount, or an alternative such as lemon juice or Braggs Liquid Amino. I enjoyed this chance to take a ‘snapshot’ of my diet and really analyze it, to make sure I was getting enough of every essential nutrient.
Strengths:
My protein intake was more than adequate for all four days according to both the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and the Food Guide Pyramid. I was surprised to find this, as I thought that it might be lower. As a lifelong vegetarian I have always had to defend my diet. ‘How do you get enough protein?’ is a common question. Honestly, I never really ‘try’. Its not a big endeavor to incorporate one of the many healthful vegetarian proteins into my diet and from studying this class I have come across so much evidence that plant based proteins are superior to animal based proteins. Legumes help to prevent cancer and provide fiber. Most Americans consume too much protein and not enough fresh fruits and vegetables, I’m happy to be in the minority!
My diet included lots of fruit. On each day I exceeded the required amount of fruit. It also includes regular yogurt, a good probiotic, and lots of fiber and fresh sources of nutrients. Several times a week I get a lot of fresh nutrients by making myself fresh fruit and yogurt smoothies, supplemented with spirulina, flaxseeds and fresh spinach (the taste is masked by the fresh fruit).
Weaknesses:
The only nutrient below 70% was Vitamin A, which was at 69.4%. There were also two days where protein should have been a little higher; it was just ‘adequate’. I understand from my nutrition textbook that my protein intake should be higher than the average. I also want to eat more ‘mutually supplementing’ proteins such as rice and beans, or more quinoa. My milk intake was below the recommended three cups, it was only two cups. My sodium was high on two days as well, as I ate too much processed soy. I also did not eat enough carbohydrates but that was part of my
A comparison of my food intake with the Food Guide Pyramid recommendations: (please view supplementary document for my corresponding Food Guide Pyramid charts)
My average milk cup equivalent was 1.8 when it should have been 3 cups. My protein average oz equivalent: 5.4 which is great, as 5.5oz is the recommendation. The sources of my protein are low fat, healthful vegetarian options which are lower in calories. My average vegetable equivalent was 2.8 which was above the 2.5 oz recommendation. The fruit average cup equivalent was 3.4 which was above the 2 cup recommendation. My average grain oz equivalent: 4.1 – not so good, 6oz is the recommendation but I am endeavoring to lose weight so I cut down on carbohydrates, in an attempt to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
A comparison of my diet with the New (2005) Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Please View supplementary document for comparison with the dietary guidelines)
I had more happy than sad faces on my summary charts which was good to see. However, on three days my milk intake fell short, and on two days I had higher saturated fat which is not good in a diet, especially one focused on weight loss. I also had two days where I went over the sodium threshold.
Limitations of the analysis:
I felt like the readings were limited to an extent as a lot of specific food items could not be found, for instance Amy’s Organic Spinach Lasagna, which is only 270 calories and made with whole-wheat and natural ingredients and is more healthful than a full fat 500 calorie generic ‘Spinach Lasagna’ which I had to select from the food list as that was the only option. I also couldn’t really find specific vegetarian items such as my chicken scaloppini, which are made with quinoa, kamut and soy and much more healthful than the ‘soy chicken drumsticks’ I had to find and use as the closest comparison.
Changes I could make to improve my diet and specific food choices that would be appropriate for those changes.
My sodium was increased on the day where I had an Amy’s Frozen meal, and frozen burger patties. I want to eat less processed protein and more fresh lentils and tofu as they are lower in sodium than more processed vegetarian mock meats (I had given up canned ‘mock duck’ from Chinese stores as I realized how high the sodium content was, but didn’t realize that burger patties fell into the same category).
I also want to work on increasing my milk intake. In the textbook it states that women suffer from osteoporosis more then men, and that young women don’t drink enough milk to prevent this disease later in life. I had thought myself to be better than the average, as I had usually have yogurt every day but I’m still below the guidelines. I also want to work on eating more vegetables so that my fruit and vegetable intakes are more equal, rather than my fruit intake far exceeding my vegetable intake. Specific vegetables I would choose, especially to increase my vitamin A intake are: Brocolli, carrots, kale, pumpkin and sweet potatoes.
Diet Analysis Project Summary Chart
Diet Component Average Intake % of Recommended Top 2 Food Items - Specific foods supplying the highest amount for each diet component
Two foods = Fruit and Soy
Nutrient Intakes on 3/23/2011- mypyramidtracker.com
Calories: Intake Value:1533 = 79% of Recommended Intake
Protein : Intake Value:87 = 189 % of Recommended Intake
Carbohydrates : Intake Value:226 = 173 % of Recommended Intake
/hihi So last month I got out a simple tape measure from a cheap sewing kit and measured all sorts of body parts. I wrote down the measurements in inches for my arms, waist, hips, thighs, stomach and butt.
I figured that it might be another great way to see my progress, especially if the scale was the same but I was still working out. Well, guess what?! It IS a great tool- the scale has been the same for a while, but when I measured myself again over the weekend I found out I'd lost an INCH off my waist and hips!
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! /XD
I had NO idea :D I mean I thought I looked a bit better in the mirror but I had no proof that anything had changed..now I do! My goal is to lose some inches off my thighs next :)
This weekend I got up and worked out on Saturday morning, feeling pretty proud of myself :) I find soooo many other tempting things I'd rather do on a Saturday!!
Still at 133 pounds, oh well....keep trying!! I did go out TWICE this weekend to say goodbye to my darlin friend /no who is moving to Cali! I'm sure that wasnt tooo great for the waistline, but it was good for the heart :)
Farewell Dinner
Today's Food Log:
Breakfast: Fat free organic milk and cereal- 300 calories coffee with creamer, no sugar= 80 calories
Running total so far: 900 calories consumed - 300 left
Dinner: 200 calorie Amy's split pea soup with two handfuls of wilted spinach (wilted into the hot soup)
Was doing well then I had a 50 calorie drink, about 50 calories of cashews, about 200 calories of chips and low fat sour cream= 1400 calories total, or a little more- def. over my daily limit of 1200!! I was in a snacking mood :( How to overcome that??? Its hard...
I've been trudging along fine, I'm at 133 to 134 pounds...but I have not exactly been pushing myself, especially on the work out front!
I'm also NOT at my goal of 132 for April! Time to GET THERE :)
It is time for me to get SERIOUS again- I've been eating healthfully but I stopped tracking my daily calories and getting in daily workouts and both are SOOO important in order to move the number further down on the scale!
I did a workout on Tuesday night (went to see the comedian Daniel Tosh last night so no time lol! He was fantastic!!!) and it felt SOOOOOOOOOO great to stretch out my muscles and the next day my back wasn't painful at work like it had been and my legs felt limber and I cant believe I don't do at least 20 minutes of Jillian's 30 Day Shred daily as a body tune up!! I'm going to get serious about working out, I promise!!
To remind myself of my goals I set after vacation here they are again:
So goals are -
limit snacking eat 1200 calories a day work out at least 5 times within the week drink more water and reach 132 Pounds by April
During lunch I saw a free vegan buffette on the plaza and joined the line- but they ran out of food just as I got to it! So I guess the Gods of Dieting are trying to tell me something LOL ;)
Snack: Chobani Greek Yogurt 160 Calories
Total for the day so far= 810 calories
Dinner: Sauteed mushrooms, 1 soy chicken breast and sauteed fresh spinach- yum!!
Orange carrot Naked Juice- 100% Fruit And Veg Fruit Smoothie, no sugar added- contains 1 orange, 2 and a half carrots, 1 and a half apples, half a mango, a hint of lemon and banana -240 calories 1 cup of water 2 cups of coffee with half a cup of milk
Dinner: 2 'Chicken' Scallopini's (frozen) sauteed with 2 cups fresh spinach, salsa, + 1 wholewheat deli flat with hummus, onion, half a cup yogurt 1 cup of cranberry 1 dulce de leche sweet 2 more cups water
