Can't do it

I'm off diet this week altogether.  Sorry readers.  There's just too much going on for me to think about this too.  Hopefully I'll do better next week when I start over... again.

Sigh... not doing so well

I have been good and stayed within my calorie range Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week but, really, I'm just not feeling this diet.  I have never enjoyed dieting.  That would be weird.  But, usually, I am pretty motivated.  Not this time.  I just don't want to do it.  I'm not interested.  I'm really down about the whole thing.  Last night I was so frustrated I didn't even know what to do with myself.  I'm taking the weekend off, as I said I probably would.  Hopefully I'll make mostly smart eating decisions anyway and maybe I'll think of something to motivate myself.  Any suggestions? 

I wish I could be one of those people who could just exercise and stay at a normal size.  I can't even get motivated to do that though.  Maybe I've just had too much on my mind with moving and wondering if I'll have a job or not.  I really don't know what my deal is.  

Anyway, I hope you have all had a good week.

Tasty

Tonight I had a wonderful, delicious dinner.  A pulled pork sandwich, cheesy potatoes, and green beans.  "What?!" you say, "You already fell back off the diet wagon???"  Nope.  The entire meal was 500 calories.

180 calories of pork + 110 calorie bun + 70 calories (4tbsp) sauce + 120 calories 2/3 cup potatoes + 20 calories of green beans =  500 calorie dinner

It was fabulous.  Although, I will say, I could totally have eaten another one of those sandwiches.  That puts me at 1100 and something calories.  I will have a 100-150 calorie dessert later and cap off the day in the 1300s somewhere.  Also, I will ride my bike for half an hour after I finish this post.

If ever you are looking for a good bbq sauce, and you don't have time to make your own (or get somebody else to make it for you, as I would) let me suggest this kind:

Budweiser bbq sauce.  I had never seen it before today.  It is very good.  Much better than your run-of-the-mill bottled bbq sauces.  It's just the tiniest bit spicy and has a very good flavor.

Also, if you are looking for a very delicious low-calorie dessert I highly recommend these:

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis (make sure you get the minis, the regular ones are obviously more calories).  They are super delicious, they cook in the microwave, and they are 150 calories each.  They have caramel ones too.  Enjoy!

Diet starts again

Ok, I didn't do well this weekend or Monday so I'm starting over (again) today.  So far I have eaten 680 calories.  210 at breakfast and 470 at lunch.  Now, remember, I am counting calories this time not focusing so much on the actual Flat Belly Diet.  However, I am trying to stick in a MUFA with most meals.  I had 10 olives with lunch.  

My biggest resource is SparkPeople.com which, again, I highly suggest if you are trying to lose weight.  It has informational articles, blogs, weight loss teams, message boards, and tons of resources to help you count calories.  It will help you set up a program, tell you how many calories you should eat in a day (I get 1200-1500), and suggest recipes if you want them.  Also, you get "points" for doing healthy things and those points earn you silly trophies on the website.  I like silly trophies.

The thing I like about counting calories is that it allows you a lot more freedom with what you eat as long as you can exercise some kind of portion control.  It is also a lot easier to eat out, if you are like me and like to do that.  Most restaurants, especially chains, have their nutrition information somewhere on their website. 

I must be honest and say that I am still really down on this dieting thing despite my change in program.  I just can't seem to get into it this time.  I sort of feel like I've been on a diet for most of my adult life and I'm really just tired of dieting.  Really really tired of dieting.  Then there's also still the bitterness about not losing weight at any kind of reasonable rate and gaining it at warp speed even when I am eating mostly healthy stuff.  I look at an unhealthy food and I gain a pound.  Sigh.

Also, I should be upfront and say that I usually don't diet on the weekend.  I've found (during past diets) that it helps me keep my sanity and makes me be more focused on the diet during the week.  I know that sounds counterproductive but last time I did it I lost like 15 pounds.  There are some diet resources that say dieting for 4-5 days and then not dieting for 2-3 days keeps you from plateauing and keeps "shocking" your system into continuing to lose weight.  I don't know if that's true but I have read it in a few places.  That said, don't be too disappointed in me if I report not-so-healthy choices over the weekend.  You were forewarned.

Anyway, I want an elliptical now but I'm not allowed to buy anymore exercise equipment because I sort of used to collect it and then not use it so I have prohibited myself from purchasing anymore.  Why do I want an elliptical?  Several reasons.  
 
1 - it is sort of like low impact running and I'd really like to be a runner but it really messes up my knees

2 - It burns a good amount of calories

3 - it doesn't hurt your bum like riding an exercise bike for a long time does

4 - you can do it while you watch brainless television at night

Maybe I will look for one on Craigslist.

Have a nice day!

Weekend = Fail

I've blown the weekend.  I'll start over tomorrow with my regular old counting calories plan.  Got to go to the grocery store today.

And the scale says.... (Part 2)

That I gained more weight.  Super.  I have lost like 2 1/2 pounds in two weeks which is ridiculous.  Today at the doctor I told them about this and she said they'd test my thyroid, so they took blood.  No idea how long it takes to get results back from something like that.  She said they'd call if it was abnormal.  Then she told me it probably was not my thyroid and was probably just because I was getting older that it is hard to lose weight.  I am only 28.  Not that old.  We'll see what happens.

Have a good weekend!

So, it's decided

I'm officially counting calories with a Flat Belly Diet influence.  I couldn't wait until tomorrow to decide officially because I started doing it today.  I just can't always be so prepared ahead of time to have things ready to cook.  Today, for example, I didn't have time to go to the grocery store so we didn't have any FBD appropriate dinner or lunch makings.  Also, I sometimes forget to eat.  I know this sounds strange coming from somebody who so enjoys eating but I frequently skip meals by accident.  Like this morning, I accidentally didn't eat breakfast.  I got busy trying to get out of the house to run errands and then had some visitors come by and I just forgot.  Anyway, what I did eat todady was a repeat of yesterday's lunch (corndogs - yumtastic) and a Zaxby's buffalo/blue salad for dinner.  I'm at about 1262 calories for the day.  Also, I rode my bike for 30 minutes and drank a couple of liters of water.  Liters kids.  It's all going metric by the time you're in eighth grade.  Get on the bandwagon now.

A little plug for Zaxby's.  They have EXCELLENT salads.  Now, really, some of them are sort of high in calories to be a salad, especially if you use the dressing.  But, the buffalo/blue has enough buffalo sauce on the chicken that, when combined with the blue cheese crumbles, you don't need dressing.  So you can have the entire salad and the delicious toast for 762 calories.  If you are like me and tend to eat smaller meals for breakfast and lunch then this is not an unreasonable number of calories to eat at dinner.

Tomorrow is anniversary-diet-day off!  I'll check in to let y'all know how the weigh in goes in the morning but, other than that, talk to you Saturday!  Have a great weekend!