Lindas Journal - 2-29-2008.. BEWARE EDIETS!!

[lindalinda]

Hi! This is my first journal entry, but not the beginning of my diet. I have been on nutrisystem for a couple of months, and have lost 8 lbs so far. That doesnt sound like much but prior to that i lost 48 lbs on Atkins, Sugar Busters and a low-cal tuna based diet. (That last one worked really well but a friend of mine freaked out when i told her about it and made me quit- scared I would get mercury poisoning!) So now I am on nutrisystem, and it is going okay so far. I have a little trouble on the weekends and sometimes late at night wanting to snack. I work crazy shift work and that really effects me i think,my body really doesnt know when to eat, sometimes i work late into the night and sometimes I'm up at 4am. The nutrisystem food is so portable that it is easy to take to work. The snack and dessert options are also packed with protein and that really takes the edge off. My goal is to lose 20 more lbs by June 9th. (vacation). I amgoing on vacation with my son, my boyfriend, his son and a friend of my sons. So its bound to be kind of crazy. I want to be in peak physical condition so I can keep up with 2 12 yr olds and a 14 yr old. I will try to update this journal regularly with my progress, meals and exercises used.
For todays meals
Breakfast: Nutrisystem scrambled eggs 130 cal
2 strips pre-cooked turkey bacon 40 cal

snack: hard boiled egg 75 cal

Lunch : nutrisystem turkey hot dog 90 cal
whole wheat hot dofg bun 80 cal
1/2 slice fat free cheese 15 cal

Snack: air popped popcorn 120 cal


Dinner: chicken breast (nutrisystem) 130 cal
pesto (no oliveoil) 30 cal
mixed vegetables 30 cal

snack: nutisystem crunchy cheddar curls 110


snack: cottage cheese(2%) 90 cal


Exercise........havent done it yet, the plan is 1 hour on the stair machine

 

[Buckalew11]

Wow! linda! 1 hour on the stair machine and they'd be burying me!! Good for you! I hope you have a great workout!

I have thought about Nutrisystem more than once. My mom lost alot of wieght on it years ago (before the infommercials etc). It was a good system for her.

So are you planning on doing an event at WDW or elsewhere or just getting into shape?

 

[lindalinda]

I dont know anything about the events at WDW. I am just trying to be healthy and strong.

BTW, I didnt quite make an hour, but i got in 52 minutes before my son asked me to help him. Thats still a lot of calories , not sure exactly how many. I have to work tomorrow, and we are having SuperBowl food. I organized it, and told everyone the theme was "healthy replacement" In other words...bring what you would normally, but replace ingredients with healthy versions. Most people were up for it, a few scoffed at me, but hey...I tried. I am making a low-cal version of a crustless quiche. Egg beaters , low fat mozzerrella, grilled chicken, turkey bacon, and pesto. Its delish.
I am making another with egg beaters, low fat 4 cheese mexi mix cheese, turkey sausage, and taco seasoning. Oh and they have fat free half n half also. (I havent tried that one yet but it sounds good. They are very easy, low carb, low fat and low cal, and unusual enough for people to enjoy for a social gathering ( even tho we will be working) Happy Super Bowl everyone!

 

[NYcpa]

Welcome to journals.

You may want to take a look at the February exercise challenge. You determine how many min of exercise you want to shoot for during the month and keep track on the thread. You will receive encouragement from the others and it may help you to exercise when you feel like skipping it just to meet your goal.

Your choices for the SB party appear tasteful. Have a great day and hope you are able to stay within you planned food for the day.

 

[lindalinda]

So the challenges are minutes of exercise? I do keep track on the nutrisystem web site so I could see how many I've done for feb. already. I dont know how to do the signature things tho (makes my head hurt when Ive looked up how you do those) so I guess I could just note it on here. Thru feb 4th is 112 minutes. I take fridays off, exercise 6 days a week, 30 to 60 mins. cardio. I need to start up with resistance again,I stopped when my arms started looking like a linebackers. 1000 minutes is more than I have been getting, it looks like I have been doing 840 or so. Guess I need to step it up. looks like i need at least 38 mins. per day that I'm working, then a hour on saturday. I climb stairs at work, it takes a little over 7 mins so it looks like the obvious solution is to do it 5 times instead of 4. I'll give it a try, not sure if I can fit an extra on my breaks, if not i can obviously get 10 more minutes somewhere. Well I was looking for a way to step it up, I thought i was getting plenty of exercise, so right off the bat, an eye opener!

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Congratulations on your weight loss so far! I thought that the Nutrisystem plan sounded good, too, but I just don't think I could stick with it for too long. I am too picky. Your quiche recipes sound Delish and I have really been wanting som quiche lately!
WOW! for doing almost an hour on the stair machines!! I have never been able to do them for more than about 20 min. at a time.
The exercise challenges are nice and very helpful to me. You set however many minutes you think you can do. It can be really motivating knowing that if you slack off you won't meet your goals.
Someone else mentioned the WDW events. There are a few different events throughout the year. I know there is a 1/2 marathon and a whole marathon each January. There are shorter events too, but I am not sure the details. A lot of WISHers are training for these events. I haven't decided if I'm that brave yet
Good Luck! and Keep up the good work!

 

[lindalinda]

Okay, I'm not going to pretend i know how many calories I ate today. I dont think it was that bad considering, but I dont really know. Darn Superbowl!

Anyway, I did do the stairs 6 times so thats pretty good and may make up for some. Thats 42 minutes today. 142 so far for feb. 2328 steps today. I am going to try to do 5 sets per day, 1940 steps. That should cover my goal. Hopefully when I wake up tomorrow the scale wont have gone the wrong direction!

 

[lindalinda]

Well you guessed it, the scale is not my friend. Up 2 pounds in one day! I am hopeful that it was because some of the food was salty last night so I took a water pill and hopefully it will go away. I am back on track today
Breakfast- hardboiled egg 75 cal
snack- cheddar garlic mix- 130 cal
lunch- quiche 167 cal
dinner- chicken pasta parmesan 220 cal
snack - leftover quiche- 167
dessert- choc pudding- 100 cal

total cal-859

exercise 35 min climbing stairs 1940 steps 392 cal burned

5 sessions on the stairs instead of 4 is difficult. My breaks at work make that hard to fit in. So some days I may have to just do the stairs 4 times and add some extra stair machine at home, we'll see. Crossing my fingers that those 2 ls. disappear by tomorrow.

177 minutes for feb

 

[lindalinda]

Well I'm back on track today. Down 1 1/2 lbs so I'm almost over the superbowl gain. Heres what was on the menu today

fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25
Scrambled Egg Mix with Cheese 1 Package 150
Cheese, Cottage, 2% 1/4 cup 50
Cheese, Cottage, 2% 1/4 cup 50

fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25
Apple Cinnamon Soy Chips 1 Package 110

Pasta Parmesan with Broccoli 1 Package 180

fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25

Thin Crust Pizza with Cheese 1 Package 140
Luncheon Meat, Turkey Ham 1 oz 35

NutriCrunch Chocolates 1 Package 130

sugar free fudgesicle 1 40

960 calories...if i stay at around 1000 I can lose weight

Exercise for today ; I could only do the stairs 4 times. it is going to be hard to fit in more than that on a daily basis, so i will just do 5 when possible. to make up for it i added 15 minutes on the stairmachine at home. 468 caloies burned, 45 minutes of exercise today...

222 minutes exercise for feb.

I need to lose 1 1/2 lbs by saturday to stay on track.

 

[lindalinda]

Ok, I'm down another 1/2 lb. Which puts me back at pre-superbowl weight. Still need to lose 1 lb by saturday to stay on track. I put the clippy thing on my signature for the feb. challenge but I'm not sure what to do with it.

Heres my food log for today, some may seem un-healthy, but actually is nutrisystem and has added protein and low-fat.

Blueberry Bran Muffin 2 Muffins 120
fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25

Chicken Noodle Soup 1 Container 120

Cheese, Cottage, 2% 1/4 cup 50
fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25

Chewy Fudge Bar (NutriSystem Classics) 1.2 oz. 90

Cheddar Cheese Crunchy Curls (NutriSystem Classics) 1 oz. 110
Cheese, Cottage, 2% 1/4 cup 50

Hearty Beef Stew 1 Container 180

sugar free fudgesicle 1 40
Chocolate Pudding 1 Package 100

total calories: 910

exercise today climbed stairs 4 times 15 min stairmachine

468 calories burned 45 mins

267 min for feb.

 

[keenercam]

Hey, Linda! I am so glad you joined the February exercise challenge. Congrats on sticking to your plan and writing down what you eat.
Looking forward to sharing your journey here! :

BTW, I did nutrisystem back in 1990 and lost a good amount of weight on it (though I put it all back and lots more since then). I am sure it is so much better now. Keep up the great work!

 

[lindalinda]

keenercam,thanks for the encouragement, the nutrisystem is pretty good now, mostly i think because of the added protein factor.

Well , i didnt do quite so well today, tho the calorie count is not bad, I did not stay on track. This happens sometimes when i have early morning shifts, i am so tired from no sleep that I tend to want some snack food for energy. Thats what happened today.

todays menu

Cheese, Cottage, 2% 1/4 cup 50
fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25
Banana Spice Muffin 2 Muffins 120

baked chips 1 oz 120
fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25

fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25
Cheese, Cottage, 2% 1/4 cup 50
baked chips 1 oz 120
baked chips 1 oz 120

baked chips 1 oz 120
Black Beans and Rice 1 Package 160

Thin Crust Pizza with Cheese 1 Package 140

sugar free fudgesicle 1 40

total calories 1115, but too much junk!

exercise today....better....4 times on the stairs 30 min 1552 steps
15 min on stairmachine total calories burned 468

exercise minutes today 45 total for feb 312

If I have time later tonight I will do more on the stairmachine to make up for those chips.

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Wow Linda! I can't believe you can live on just 1000 calories a day! All I can say is you must be shorter and thinner than me by a long shot ;-)
You have been doing a great job at staying on track, don't get discouraged if you have an occasional bad day. You are doing really good on your exercising!! Keep up the good work!

 

[lindalinda]

Yes I am short, 5' 1 1/2", but I like to round it up to 5'2". And I agree 1000 calories doesnt seem like much, but it seems to be the magic number for me. If I go up to as much as 1400, which isnt really that much, I will gain weight. But if I'm careful and spread the calories throughout the day, I can do okay. Its really the shiftwork that hurts me. Believe it or not, I actually lost 2 lbs yesterday, even with eating those chips. Today I spent most of the day downtown, so I didnt actually eat, just had a starbucks (eeek!)

So here it is for today

Sliced Ham 1 Slice 50
Cheese, Fat-free 1 slice 30
Egg Beaters 1/4 cup 25
Egg Beaters 1/4 cup 25

Starbucks hot chocolate 1 tall 330

Chicken Breast Patty 1 Patty 130
pesto 3 tsp 15
pesto 3 tsp 15
Carrots, cooked 1/2 cup 35
Broccoli 1/2 cup 23

Cheese and Garlic Pretzel Sticks 1 Package 140

Chocolate Pudding 1 Package 100

sugar free fudgesicle 1 40

total calories 958

exercise today- none,its my day off

 

[lindalinda]

Busy, Busy day today, but I managed to get my hour of exercise in, in between running all my errands and picking up my son at a friends house. I work tomorrow so after errands and laundry I just decided the house wasnt gonna get that clean this week. Such is life. Heres my food for today.

NutriFlakes Cereal - 40% Bran Cereal 1 Bowl 100

Egg, poached or boiled 1 large 74

Sliced Ham 1 Slice 50
Egg Beaters 1/4 cup 25
Egg Beaters 1/4 cup 25
Cheese, Fat-free 1 slice 30

Cheddar Cheese Crunchy Curls (NutriSystem Classics) 1 oz. 110

Macaroni and Cheese 1 Package 250
Cheese, Fat-free 1 slice 30

sugar free fudgesicle 1 40

NutriCrunch Chocolates 1 Package 130

thats 864 total calories, however I went to a b-ball game with my son and had 1 small bite of his hot dog, 2 small bites of his pretzel and 5 licks off his ice cream cone. I'm figuring probably 100 calories for that, so i think 964 total calories

exercise: 60 mins on stairmachine 528 cal. burned

total min exercise for feb 372/1000

 

[lindalinda]

Lost another pound today, so maybe it wont be too bad after tonights dinner. We had a going away dinner for a guy at work, ribs, cornbread, etc. I expect that old scale to be mean again tomorrow but hopefully it will be temporary. I did get 30 mins of exercise climbing stairs 4 times, 336 cals burned.

todays food:

Egg Beaters 1/4 cup 25
Egg Beaters 1/4 cup 25
Cheese, Fat-free 1 slice 30
Luncheon Meat, Turkey Ham 1 oz 35
fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25

Bread, Corn 2" sqr 130
Margarine 1 tsp 34
Pork Spareribs 3 oz 337
Corn on cob w/o butter 1/4 35
Margarine 1 tsp 34
Green Beans 1/2 cup 22
fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25

tostidos light 1 oz 90
tostidos light 1 oz 90

fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25
fat free blueberry muffin 1 130

sugar free fudgesicle 1 40

total cal 1132

 

[lindalinda]

Well, I didnt gain any weight so thats good. And I did okay food-wise today and excellent on exercise. heres my meals:

fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25
Pop-Tart, Strawberry 1/2 105

Egg Beaters 1/4 cup 25
Egg Beaters 1/4 cup 25
Luncheon Meat, Turkey Ham 1 oz 35
Cheese, Fat-free 1 slice 30
fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25

Chocolate Drink 1 Package 150

fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25
Egg, poached or boiled 1 large 74

Cheese and Garlic Pretzel Sticks 1 Package 140

ocean spray cran-grape juice lite 4 oz 20
Chicken Pasta Parmesan 1 Package 220
sugar free fudgesicle 1 40

Chocolate Pudding 1 Package 100

Gelatin Dessert, sugarfree 1/2 cup 8

Exercise today- climbed stairs 5 times for 38 mins, did stairmachine for 15 mins.
total mins 43 total cals burned 557

total mins for feb 445/1000

 

[lindalinda]

happy valentines day everyone. my bf had to work tonite so i went to the movies with my son. i took nutrisystem snacks with me and had water so i did okay. food for today:

NutriFrosted Crunch Cereal 1 Packet 110
fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25

Egg, poached or boiled 1 large 74

Cheese, Cottage, 2% 1/4 cup 50
Cheese, Cottage, 2% 1/4 cup 50

fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25
Pasta Parmesan with Broccoli 1 Package 180

Cheddar Cheese Crunchy Curls (NutriSystem Classics) 1 oz. 110

sugar free fudgesicle 1 40

Chewy Fudge Bar - 10 pk. (NutriSystem Classics) 1.2 oz. 90

Thin Crust Pizza with Cheese 1 Package 140
Luncheon Meat, Turkey Ham 1 oz 35
Pasta, Cooked 1/4 cup 40
Sauce, Alfredo 2 tbs 65

Chocolate Fudge Cake 1 Cake 130

total cals 1164 (alfredo and pasta cals are estimated, i had one spoonful so i dont think it was really as many as i logged)

exercise for today: climbed stairs for 30 mins , did stairmachine for 40 mins. total 70 mins, burned 688 cal, total for feb 515/1000, over halfway

 

[lindalinda]

Today was a short day at work. I got a call to pick up my son at school because he was sick, so I only worked half a day. I hate it because it costs meleave at work, which I really can't spare, but what could I do. Poor kid slept all day. Luckily he is off school tomorrow and friday for winter break so he wont miss any more school. Since I was only at work half a day I only got to clim the stairs twice, about 15 mins worth. So I did the stairmachine for 30 mins at home. It just isnt as good as the real stairs. Anyway, heres what I had to eat today:

fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25
NutriCinnamon Squares Cereal 1 Packet 120

fat free hot chocolate 1 cup 25
Cheese, Fat-free 1 slice 30
Egg Beaters 1/4 cup 25
Egg Beaters 1/4 cup 25
Turkey Hot Dogs 1 Hot Dog 90

Cheese and Garlic Pretzel Sticks 1 Package 140
Macaroni and Cheese 1 Package 250

Popcorn, air-popped 3 cups 60
Popcorn, air-popped 3 cups 60

Chocolate Pudding 1 Package 100

sugar free fudgesicle 1 40

total calories 990

exercise 45 mins 432 cals burned for feb 560/1000

I am actually ahead of my weight loss goal timeline, but I would like to lose a pound this week anyway. I am going out of town with my BF and will be eating out all weekend, so I want to get ahead so that I have a little cushion to work with in case I gain some.

 

[lindalinda]

What a day! I'm pooped. I got up at 4am to go to work, then took my son to the orthodontist, had to argue with him a bit (he wants to pull teeth- I said no), came home, vacuumed downstairs and the upstairs hall, then the stairs(kind of) then did my laundry and the dishes. Then I exercised for a bit on the stairmachine and rewarded myself with a nice bath. I'm going out of town tomorrow for the weekend with my BF. So I will probably not do that great on this diet and I havent lost any weight since sunday. I really didnt do too great today either. Too many snacks. Calories are fine but i didnt have any veggies. Havent had time to go to the grocery so I've just been eating the nutrisystem food. Heres what I had today:

Scrambled Eggs - Smoke Flavor 1 Package 130

baked chips 1 oz 120
baked chips 1 oz 120

Chicken Noodle Soup 1 Container 120

Cheddar Cheese Crunchy Curls (NutriSystem Classics) 1 oz. 110

Macaroni and Cheese 1 Package 250

Chocolate Fudge Cake 1 Cake 130

sugar free fudgesicle 1 40

total calories 1020

exercise today 30 mins climbing stairs 15 mins stairmachine 468 cals burned

mins for feb 605/1000