Splenda?

So, what am I drinking? Too many drinks with splenda, so I have been afraid to put it down because Adam is going to scream. I drink a lot of tea (green and black with splenda), diet green gea (Arizona), and crystal light. I will occasionally drink plain water. No yelling! I know splenda and diet sweeteners are not good for me. See this article: http://www.womentowomen.com/nutritionandweightloss/splenda.aspx. Actually this article has some good tips, including one about shopping the perimeter of the grocery store to avoid all the processed foods in the center. Of course, I still crave those processed foods, but I am holding out hope that I will get used to not having them.

I know I need to drink more water, but I do better getting accustomed to one thing at a time. Right now, I am working on making myself eat (and learn to love) veggies. I like veggies, but I am accustomed to them being smothered in cheese sauce or in a casserole. I am teaching myself that steamed is good or raw is good (salads without smothering them in bleu cheese dressing).

Even though I haven’t posted my bodybugg food diary lately, I have been keeping it. I have trouble making my steps with I am home for the weekend. It is easy in Knoxville. I put on an iPod and danced tonight, so that is better and I actually enjoyed it. I find that for me the bodybugg is working because I login every day (at least twice a day) and put in all my foods. I will check the protein on my oatmeal, Adam, and update it if need be.

In the meantime, no yelling about splenda. I recognize the problem, but let me get the veggies down first and then I will work on the bloody splenda. My god, is there no end to my bad food habits.

On another note, I am totally allergic to Knoxville. I hit the city and within about 6 hours my eyes are swollen and water and itch. Then I cannot breathe well either. When will that city clean up its air? It has been at the top of the worst cities for asthma list for 3 of the last 5 years. It is clear to me that the rating is correct. Damnation!

Another Deficit

Okay, still going strong. Hungry today, but for some reason having to log and see calories consumed and burned seems to work for me. Don’t ask me why–actually I am sure it is that I am addicted to my new tech toy and obsessed with daily logins.

Have over a 900-calorie deficit today…that is almost a 1/3 of a pound of real, not just water, weight. YEAH!! I will have to be sure to eat my 1800 calories tomorrow (had under 1400 today), just to make sure my body doesn’t decide to horde fat because it thinks I am starving it. After years of being overfed, I am sure it feels starved already.

I have decided that Smart Balance peanut butter with Omega-3 oil is my FRIEND. I feel full when I eat it, which is really nice AND I like the taste. I had a salmon cup today that made me want to gag. I like salmon, but fresh, in sushi, or in a salmon patty if it is canned. I have to say that I think that is the last salmon cup I eat plain. It was gagful! Sorry Adam.

Okay, here is the food diary. Fruit and veggies to a certain extent, so that is good. I could have have more veggies for supper, but didn’t.

Bodybugg still going strong

Okay, it could be as Adam says that the bodybugg is just a tech toy; however, it is a tech toy that is working for me. I log all my food, watch my steps and activity levels, and basically just do more when I am wearing it. I am back at the university now and it is much, much easier to get the steps in and I don’t have a lot of time to eat and I don’t get ravenously hungry. What that says to me is that at home I am boredom eating–which has become a habit over the years, so I am just going to have to break the habit. I need an active hobby, so I am going to work on gardening. When I want to eat and I am not hungry, I will go and weed the yard. I actually want the garden to look better, so this might work.

So, here is my food for the day. Notice the whopping deficit–YEAH!!!! Ignore the veggie part. I did eat some, but could clearly eat more. Bought a bunch at the store today–let’s hope I eat them before they go bad, especially since the price of groceries of unbelievable right now. I bought enough for a week and spent $89 AND I live by myself here in Knoxville. I must be buying the wrong things. I swear I will have to start cutting coupons, and I really don’t have time for that.

I have to say that it amazes me that the Subway sandwich was much more filling and had fewer calories than the Lean Pocket. Unfortunately, I have been relying on them at school–fast and easy. I guess I will start taking my own ‘homemade’ food again.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to everyone. I had about 2/5 of a chocolate bunny today (and it certainly tasted good). I gave the rest to Dolph. However, today was not stellar. I need to eat veggies and I have having soooo much trouble doing that. AARRGGHH!!

That being said, today is my holiday from posting my food diary. I don’t want Adam to want to slap me. Even the Biggest Loser people get a day off, so this is mine. I entered everything I ate and didn’t totally sabotage myself, but it still isn’t pretty, so no chance to yell at me for today. Just know that I have a tiny deficit for the week, but not enough to even lose a pound, so I am going to have to ramp things up.

I go back to Knoxville tomorrow and will be walking a lot more, so that will help a lot. I just have to make sure that I keep walking here at home. Of course, I am behind in my work after being sick so long, so that is going to stress me out and make me not want to exercise, but (and this is for you, Adam) I will NOT use that as an excuse to not have a daily deficit. This week is a daily deficit week (of at least 500 calories a day). I will post every day.

Okay, off to bed. I have to meet people in Knoxville tomorrow to show them around campus. Not sure what I can show them, but I do know about a few buildings (dorms, law school, education building, university center, and the strip with the bars). Hope that will be enough! Don’t worry–no drinking for me. Too many empty calories. I would rather get my flavonoids from dark chocolate. Yum!

More Veggies, still protein deficient

Okay, okay. I ate veggies today and more fruit. I am still protein deficient. Will go get protein powder to make smoothies or just buy some chicken.

Adam, Dolph says if you could have seen what I was eating before you would not believe how much better I am doing. I am also leaping up from the computer and saying I need more steps and headed to the basement or to make some tea.

I am taking the splenda suggestion under advisement. I drink too much hot tea during the day to go to sugar and I don’t like tea unsweetened…or coffee for that matter. I have been reading the articles on artificial sweeteners and trying to decide what to do. I think I may do a test on the blog. Go to sugar in drinks (1 tsp) and avoid processed foods with splenda (like my yogurt). If I am not as hungry, I will make the switch. It doesn’t hurt to try.

BTW, my butter beans are homemade…so very little processed food today (at least for me).

Tonight I Did Have Goldfish for Dinner

Okay, yesterday I did not have goldfish (of the Pepperidge Farm variety–I am not a frat boy who eats live goldfish for kicks) for dinner, but I had them tonight plus a banana. I had fruit today, but I have to admit that veggies were non-existent and Little Debbie’s snack cakes crept in. Still, I had a calorie deficit for the day thanks to some energetic dancing to Addicted to Love, Don’t Cha, Buttons, Bootylicious and Hit Me With Your Best Shot. I still want to strut like the bloody Pussy Cat Dolls. That Girlicious show is just trashy though.

So here is my food for the day–goldfish, Little Debbie’s and all. Still protein low, fat heavy. I am amazed that for years nutritionists thought fat had no taste/flavor. Apparently a new study showed that it does. Well, I know lots of heavy people who could have told them that.

My husband thinks the bodybugg is keeping me on track…at least in terms of racking up some kind of calorie deficit and I have to admit I danced around the house just to create a deficit rather than a surplus and that is not something I do on a regular basis. I had fun though, so maybe I will continue that routine.

Song ideas? If you can’t dance to it, don’t send it. Anyone want to take square dancing lessons? That would be fun. Or quilting?

Thursday Food Diary (from bodybugg)

Okay, here is my food for today. Not great, not awful. I actually did not eat 1/2 ounce of salt pork, but I did put it in the butter beans. If anyone out there knows how to make butter beans taste good without salt pork, let me know. I only have a 6 calorie deficit today, but my bloody battery went bad on the bodybugg after only two days and I wasn’t paying attention so my 15 minute treadmill walk showed up as 704 steps. Since I only walked 10 minutes this morning and had over 1100 steps, I know something was wrong. AARRGGHHHHHHH!!!! I also rode my stationary bicycle for about 10 minutes, but the bodybugg doesn’t even notice I’m doing anything then. I wish they could fix the bicycle part. I had read on another blog that the bodybugg doesn’t work so well when your exercise is by bicycle, stationary or otherwise.

In other words, I am saying I am pretty sure my deficit is higher than 6 calories, but give me a deficit any day over a surplus. I don’t quite have a handle on putting food in the right place, but at least I enter it all–except for tea and diet tea. I have given up carbonated beverages (for about 3 months now) and I feel much better not drinking them.

Sleep, Glorious Sleep

If any of you are old enough to remember Oliver (the 1968 musical that is), then you recognize the title (Food Glorious Food–hot sausage and mustard). Please, sir, can I have some more?

Well, I don’t want hot sausage and mustard, but I have been sleeping like a log again today. Did you read the earlier post about avoidance? I guess sleep beats eating.

Anyway, I just bought some new sheets (600 tc) and a duvet with cover, so now the bed is so comfy and warm. I need a warm place since my husband wants the heat on 50 F because of rising prices. My sweats, socks, and sweater are no longer enough to keep me warm when working at the computer. Next I will be ensconced in a thermal blanket and stocking cap and it is SPRING here! Well, what can I say with rising prices, me in university again, two fat and happy cats who are persnickety about their food, etc, etc, etc, we have to save money somewhere. I would rather travel (when I can do it again), than be warm during the winter and that is saying a lot.

Avoidance

Well, I think I have always known that I use food/eating to avoid doing something I don’t really want to do, but it really smacked me in the face today. I have to finish setting up a course and am really having trouble getting motivated to do it, so I want to eat. I have had countless cups of tea (found PG tips at the supermarket here and I love PG tips), actually walked on the treadmill, checked all my email accounts at least 8 times, and played with the cats for way too long–though no doubt the cats think that is a good thing.

What else am I doing, writing in the blog. Avoidance–procrastination–whatever you want to call has its tentacles on me today. Actually going to work now. We’ll see how that goes. I know once I get into it, it will be fine. It is the getting started. I need electric shock or something.

First Day of Food Logging

Okay, for those of you who thought it would be a good idea for me to do this, here is my first day of food logging online. I entered absolutely everything and today was actually not a good day for me in terms of eating. I was hungry all day, but at least today was my last day on prednisone.

So, you have screenshots of my day on the bodybugg. I was absolutely shocked by the amount of fat I eat per day. I thought I was doing much better on that. However, I guess the walnuts and light Miracle Whip add up. Of course, I had ham today also AND potato sticks. Like I said, not a great day, but still a calorie deficit. I got on my treadmill at 10 p.m. to make up my shortfall in steps for the day (made 10,099).

On the bodybugg screen you have more options than what you can see here, but at least you get an idea of what is going on with the entering part of the bugg. The good part is once you get your typical foods logged in, it all gets easier and easier. I was able to add in foods using the labels on the packaging that I eat that were not on the bugg, such as a Weight Watchers meal and Activia light fat-free vanilla yogurt. I am here to tell you that fresh strawberries, fat-free vanilla yogurt and walnuts are to die for as a snack.

I hope you enjoy my food log. I am counting on those of you following this to harass me if I don’t post it one day. The only way this will work is for me to log what I eat. I am sorry that you have to open a file to view this. I will work on posting a .jpg screenshot tomorrow. However, it is late now and I need my beauty sleep.

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