Sharing my Journal, Day 3

November 9 Food and Exercise Journal
time- food/exercise (points)

8:30am- granola bar (4), banana (1.5)

1:30pm- 6 crisp n' light wasa crackers (2), 1/2 cup ff refried beans (1), 1/2 cup salsa (0), 1 tsp EVOO (1), almonds (4), Hi-C (2)

5:15pm- Curves circuit training (+2 AP)

6:30pm- 1 cup brown rice (4), 1/2 cup black and kidney beans (1), veggies (0)

8:30pm- 2 graham crackers (3), 1 tbs peanut butter (2.5), almonds (2)

Points Summary
23/23 DP used
5/20 WAP used
2 AP earned
0/23 AP used

GHG Summary
fruits/vegetables: CHECK!
healthy oils: half check
liquids: CHECK!
lean protein: CHECK!
vitamins: CHECK!
whole grains: CHECK!
activity: CHECK!
sugar/alcohol: CHECK!

Lessons learned:
I probably should have added a teaspoon of EVOO to my dinner. That was my original plan, and I forgot to do it. So, I'm human and forget things sometimes, oops! :-)

Also, I had planned for an hour of Nordic Tracking, and instead listened to my body and went to bed early. This was probably for the best, since it's definately cold and flu season here, so I need my body to be operating on as much sleep as possible. But it also means that I am now behind on my exercise minutes goal of 1650 for November. So tonight's exercise is NOT optional.

Today's Plan:

breakfast- granola bar (4), banana (1.5)
lunch- wasa (2), EVOO (1), salsa (0), beans (1); steamed veggies (0)
dinner- rice (3), beans (1), veggies (0), EVOO (1)
snacks- grapes (1), almonds (5), graham crackers (3), peanut butter (2.5), Hi-C (2)
exercise- dog walk (+1), nordic track (+5)

Should I go back to eating chips?

I have issues with chips.

I've mentioned it... oh, several times on here.

I even started a no-chips-for-three-weeks challenge.

And I've almost done it!!!

In three days I will have gone 21 days without eating chips.

...

I'm nervous about what that means. Do I go back to eating chips? Do I buy a bag to celebrate?

That seems counterproductive.

Maybe I should continue in a chip-free life? At least for awhile?

I don't know.

But I promise that I will figure it out by Saturday's grocery run.

WWYD?

Sharing my Journal, Day 2

November 8 Food and Exercise Journal
time- food/exercise (points)

8:30am- banana (1.5)

9:30am- granola bar (4)

12:30pm- 1/2 cup ff refried beans (1), 1 tsp EVOO (1), salsa (0), wasa crackers (2), leftover rice and beans from Sunday (3)

5:10pm- Curves circuit training (+2 AP)

6:30pm- 1/2 cup edamame (1), 1 cup brown rice (4), 1 tsp EVOO (1), salad (0)

7:00pm- 15 minute walk with Rose (+1 AP)

8:30pm- 1 cup grapes (1)

8:45pm- 1 hour Nordic Track (+5 AP)

10:00pm- 12 triscuits (5), salsa (0), apple (1), 1 tbs PB (2.5)

Points Summary:
Daily used: 23/23
WPA used: 5/25 (remaining)
AP earned: 8
AP used: 0/21 (remaining)

GHG Summary:
fruits/vegetables: CHECK!
healthy oils: CHECK!
liquids: CHECK!
lean protein: CHECK!
vitamins: CHECK!
whole grains: CHECK!
activity: CHECK!
sugar/alcohol: CHECK!

Lessons learned:
I did really well yesterday. I planned well and ate well. I love days like yesterday.

This week I am trying to stick with the "use 5 WPA every day" to spread them out evenly. Just to experiment with how that affects my weigh-in and my appetite. So far, so good. Those extra five points daily have felt luxurious. Usually I eat most of them on one or two days, and stick to my DP the rest of the week. I think that spreading them out like this will really help me to avoid any mini-binges this week.

Today's Plan:
breakfast: granola bar (4), banana (1.5)
lunch: wasa (2), EVOO (1), beans (1), veggies (0)
dinner: rice (4), beans (1), EVOO (1), veggies (0)
snacks: almonds (4), graham crackers (3), Hi-C (2), grapes (1), peanut butter (2.5)
exercise: Curves (+2), Nordic Track (+5)
Points Plan: 28/23

Sharing my Journal, Day 1

Time to share my journal on here again! Just feeling like it will help me stay on-plan.

This weekend went really well, points-wise, but I could have made some better GHG decisions. Here's what happened yesterday:

November 7 Food and Exercise Journal
time- food/exercise (points)

11:00am- 4 graham crackers (6)

1:00pm- 2 boca burgers (2), baked french fries (6), green beans (0)

2:30pm- long walk/jog (+5)

4:30pm- Hi-C juice box (2)

6:00pm- 1/2 cup brown rice (2), 1/4 cup beans (.5) 1/2 tsp EVOO (.5), veggies (0)

9:00pm- 1/2 tbs peanut butter (1), small apple (1)

10:00pm- redvines (3)

Points Summary:
Daily Used: 23/23
WPA Used: 1/26 (remaining)
AP earned: 5
AP Used: 0/13 (remaining)

GHG Summary:
Fruits/Vegetables- CHECK!
Healthy Oils- NOPE!
**Dairy- NOPE!
Liquids- CHECK!
Lean Protein- CHECK!
Vitamins- NOPE!
Whole Grains- CHECK!
Activity- CHECK!
Sugar/Alcohol- CHECK!

Lessons Learned:
**I'm not going to worry about dairy anymore. I have now experimented with both ways a vegan WW-er can handle dairy: Substitute with soy milk, or ignore it. Both ways result in the same results on the scale and in how I feel. I am now choosing to ignore it, so this won't appear in my GHG checklist tomorrow!

Also, I'm very bad at remembering my vitamin, but I figure that if I remember at least a couple of times every week, that's enough to fill any nutritional void that may be there.

Today's Plan:

breakfast- granola bar (4), banana (1.5)

lunch- wasa crackers (2), 1/2 cup ff refried beans (1), 1 tsp EVOO (1), salsa (0), steamed veggies (0)

dinner- 1 cup brown rice (4), 1/2 cup beans (1), 1 tsp EVOO (1), veggies (0)

snacks- leftovers (3), apple (1), 1 tbs peanut butter (2.5), 12 triscuits (5), 1 cup grapes (1)

exercise- Curves (+2), dog walk (+1), Nordic Track (+5)

28/23 DP
5 WPA used
8 AP earned

Vegan compliment

I think that I've mentioned on this blog that I belong to Curves. My mom and I go together at least three times a week most weeks.

Anyway, one of the ladies who works there gave me some pretty big compliments yesterday.

She started by asking for vegan book recommendations!!! I told her all about The Kind Diet of course. How it was the book that changed my life, literally. She wrote it down.

She told me that she has noticed that not only have I lost a lot of weight since going vegan, but I carry myself with more confidence and appear much happier and healthier.

!!!!!

This is the moment that I have been waiting for since beginning The Kind Diet. Not only have I noticed that I'm happier and healthier, but now I know that others are noticing, too. And apparently I carry myself with confidence now. Me. Confidence!

:-)

I don't even remember telling her that I was vegan, but I guess that back in April when I made the switch I was so proud that I told anyone who would listen.

My point is, hang in there. If you are newly vegan, or just considering it, (or "flirting", as Alicia says), what the book claims about the health benefits are true.

And I am not the only one who notices my improved health and outlook on life. It's obvious to everyone now.

And, I may have inspired someone to give veganism a try. To this vegan, there is no greater reward than that!

Lose 50 Pounds in 2010 (and other accomplishments)

42.6/50
7.4 pounds left/8 Weeks left in the year!
I can do it. I have 8 weeks left in which to lose 7.4 pounds. I can do this!!!

It has been a long ride, 2010. I can't believe how much I've accomplished this year (so far), and not all of it has been weight-loss related.

First off, it will be my first full year as a non-smoker. I quit smoking in July 2009.

Secondly, I have seen an advisor at The University of Memphis, and am planning on visiting financial aid later this week as well as registering for the spring 2011 semester next week. I'm so excited to start school again! This is step one in becoming the adult that I've always wanted to be, with a real career and everything. :-)

Third, I have finally overcome my depression. My therapist, Bob, says that I only need to check in monthly now. And that's just as a precaution. He is amazed at how much progress I've made.

Fourth, Stacey and I are in a great place as a couple. At the beginning of the year, I wasn't sure if we were going to make it. Now we are more in love than ever, and are more committed to a future together than we've ever been.

Finally, I have lost 42.6 pounds in 2010. How amazing is that?! Even if I don't make my ultimate 2010 weight-loss goal of 50 pounds lost, that is pretty amazing. 42.6 pounds since January 1, 2010. And I'm still going strong!

Sometimes, it is necessary to step back and look at all of your accomplishments, big and small. For me, finally, I have several BIG ones!!! Yay! :-)

Somehow...

... I lost two whole pounds last week.

Not complaining.

I don't know if it's because of "no chips" or what, but I'm pretty excited about it. And I still ate all of my favorite foods (outside of chips). And I still ate all of my 35 WPA plus a few AP. And lost 2 pounds.

Okay, I am going to do the exact same thing this week, and hope for simular results!! But I'm not going to expect to keep losing two pounds every week, that would be crazy... or would it?

Time will tell. :-)