Motivation

Here at the Going4Gold Gang it's all about sharing what your doing as an individual then sharing with the rest of the gang. 

Everyone is Welcome 

 

 

Christmas day was interesting at my house!  Started with 3 excited kids and one tired man watching from a 17 hr time difference on a laptop computer as they tore presents open.  It was nice that he could watch them!  I ate some yummy Flaxseed apple waffles for breakfast and then found out my turkey was bad, so we ended up eating some chicken patties with stuffing and breadsticks for a late lunch.  Then for supper I had a jello pudding 100 cal cup with lite cool whip, a cup of fresh pineapple and a handful of baby carrots.  (in that order too, I threw the carrots in at the end since I had NO veggies today!)  This was an empty day for me, no real value in my calories at all.  I ended the day at 1219 and way higher fat than I like thanks to the chicken patty and breadsticks.  Oh well, every day can't be an "A" day can it??  Today was a B for me, that's life in the real world.

Here's my breakdown for the day, not very good, but not too bad for having a dinner disaster either! 

Fat - 28.1% (44 grams)
Protein - 13.1% (47 grams)
Carbohydrates - 58.8% (209 grams)
Alcohol - 0.0%
Other - 0.0%

Daily Sodium Intake - 2,128 mg
Daily Cholesterol Intake - 57 mg
Daily Fiber Intake - 23 grams

 

WEDNESDAY MENU -- A VEGETARIAN DINNER!

Happy Wednesday to youuuuuuu..... It's a grey and cold and foggy day here in central California. My menu is all planned (yay!) and we're planning for a delightful (and sunny!) afternoon in the mountains before heading home before dark. I'm glad we're finally going since, once again, I seem to have seriously depleted our supply of fresh veggies.... hee hee hee. Who would have ever thought that I'd need to go grocery shopping TWICE a week just to keep fully stocked with spinach, tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, red peppers, acorn squash, butternut squash, artichokes, asparagus, brussell sprouts, onions, mushrooms, green beans and cabbage! Anyway, as part of my goal to aim for 10 meatless meals per week, tonight will be a vegetarian dinner for me -- with my protein coming from two Boca vegan burgers and two slices of Kraft fat free sharp cheddar singles. I thought that they'd be pretty tasty marinated in garlic and grilled with diced onions ... yum! yum! yum! I am excited because my wonderful DH took the entire week off from work, so we have five more sleep-in/snuggling days together before he goes back to work!

We had a good friend over for dinner yesterday (Dec. 25), which was really nice. (Spicy tuna sashimi salad, cinnamon-roasted acorn squash, garlic-lemon grilled asparagus and toasted english muffins with roasted red pepper hummus!) After we watched a movie together (one of my favorite musicals from the 1950s ... 7 Brides for 7 Brothers), she went home and we decided to clean out one of my wonderful DH's closets. (OK, I decided to do that, and my bemused and cooperative husband was a pretty good sport as I decided to declutter at 10pm at night!) Anyway, we now have a bunch of bags of men's clothing all in the midst of being Freecycled, and a LOT more closet space ... wooo hooo!

Thanksgiving? Stuck with my healthy eating plan. Vacation to the coast? Stuck with my healthy eating plan. Holiday parties? Stuck with my healthy eating plan. Christmas? Stuck with my healthy eating plan. Wooo hooooo! I'm sticking with this ..... which is nothing short of miraculous!!!!!!!! Now all I need is for my scale to cooperate, ya know?

BREAKFAST

one toasted Thomas' light multigrain english muffin (100 calories)

two tablespoons of roasted red pepper hummus (64 calories)

one cup of Kashi Go Lean cereal (140 calories)

one-half cup of unsweetened vanilla almond breeze (20 calories)

one cube, Laughing Cow light gourmet mini bites (7 calories)

LUNCH

one large serving of grilled southwest chicken breast (200 calories)

eight ounces of roasted butternut squash (102 calories)

one peeled, diced medium cucumber (24 calories)

one medium sweet red pepper, sliced (31 calories)

six ounces of steamed spinach (39 calories)

DINNER

two Boca vegan burgers, marinated and grilled (200 calories)

one medium peeled cucumber, diced (24 calories)

one toasted Thomas' light multigrain english muffin (100 calories)

two slices of Kraft fat free sharp cheddar singles (62 calories)

three servings of shredded cabbage, grilled (63 calories)

3/4ths of a cup of diced onions, grilled (50 calories)

TOTAL CALORIES: 1196 (not including snacks)

VEGGIE SERVINGS: 14

FIBER: 57 grams

NUTRITIONAL BREAKDOWN: (9.6% fats / 35.0% protein / 55.4% carbohydrates)

Dances .... just for you!

Keep in mind my daily calorie goal is 1500!

Week 1 average calories (Dec 1-7)   1360

Week 2 average calories (Dec 8-14) 1331

Week 3 average calories (Dec 15-21) 1460

Week 4 average calories (in progress) (Dec 22-25) 1492

Overall calorie average for December ... so far (1-25th) ...  1406 calories

What I've noticed is that I definitely get hungrier (and eat a bit more) about 1-1.5 weeks each month, matching pretty closely to my monthly cycle... and I think this is perfectly normal.  For me, the key is to ONLY eat healthy foods when I have the "hungries"... whole grain bread/cereal and lean proteins or veggies .... so that I know that I am fueling my body and not just getting tempted by sweets.

=^..^= MOLLY

I know I am a bit late but I wanted to post my STUFF from yesterday, better late than never huh?  I ate the typical Christmas dinner, and weighed all of my servings to ensure that I was acurate.  I normally don't do pie for breakfast but my mom and dad came over to watch our kids open gifts and they wanted pie, so I ate pie too. 

Tamleech, Hi!  My husband spent a year in South Korea from 1993-1994.  He was at Camp Hovey, where is yours?  That was a really hard Christmas for me, we had only been married for a year when he went.  He got out of the Army in 1996 so he is finally "free" now. 

This is my diet and I did have two Clementines before I went to bed, who knows what they are in calories, they sure were good.  I will look them up before I eat more. 

Tue, Dec 25 2007

  Breakfast

 diet pumpkin pie- 56
 light whipped topping- 20
 
  Dinner
 
 ham -140
 cole slaw cabbage  -17
 slaw dressing -60
 cranberry sauce  -100
 roll  -100
 Sweetpotato - Cooked, Baked In Skin, Without Salt  -103
 olive oil spread  -120
 potatoes-100 
 skim milk-45
 whey protein-110
 peanut butter-90
 Fiber One-60

  Snacks
 
 diet pumpkin pie-56
 light whipped topping-20
 
Total Calories Consumed 1,197
Nutrition Report B+

Aaaah, the downside of the holiday time; I always like the downhills better after climbing mightily to the top (don't holiday errands feel like that sometimes?  not to mention emotional highs and lows...)

Thankee kindly BB and Molly, glad to be back.  Though we LOVE going to the mountains when we can (about a 4 hour trip, not too bad).  The Comberland Plateau, Obed-Emory, Great Smokies, and Blue Ridge all link arms in that part of the world, providing wonderful opportunity to be outdoors -- we like to fish (and release) on the lake, or sometimes find an isolated trout stream, to either get out the fly rods, or the kayaks, or both.  The Appalachian Trail cuts right through there, so day hikes are a fun activity, too.  Plus road or mountain biking, hey, a weekend's usually not enough!  And my mom's house so cozy, with a view of 2 mountain ranges from the deck, that sipping coffee until it's time for another nap is pretty kewl as well.  For those of you from the west, the mountains in the east are the old men and women geologically speaking; more rolling than steep, green and blue with elevations that aren't much more than 3500 feet or so.  You'll find you a holler most every walk; in the spring rhododendrons and umbrella plant, jack-in-the-pulpit and trillium.  Clear streams (some more than others), and a vast variety of birds.  In the Smokies, we've stumbled across black bears more than once.

The family gathering was enjoyable; we got Nicholas, SO's grandson playing the harmonica, plus nephew on the banjo and me on the piano for a rousing chorus of "I've Been working on the Railroad," the new holiday standard.  (I know how everyone round here digs that banjo beat, baaaaaby).  I was exhausted by the time we got home around 10 pm.  930 miles of traveling since Saturday.  today I'm doing my best to recover and get some work done in the office.

(BTW, SO outdid himself and got me a beautiful silver and crystal beaded necklace an artist friend made.  It's also engraved with his initals and the year.  So wonderful and thoughtful.  I got him flannel sheets with penguins on them (ha); some wide-screen movies he likes, bike gear, and some detail scrubbers for the car, the boy likes to clean, no doubt!)

I got so weary of eating yesterday, HAD IT with the buffet.  SO and I both remarked it's time to quit playing defense and make an offensive run to healthy eating, and quick.
1805 calories total for christmas day; had a one-inch bite of pecan pie, and two gingerbread cookies, and hovered at the vegetable tray the rest of the night.  Some cheese threw my fat grams out of whack; no low-fat options, and since I don't eat beef or pork cheese was my option on rye bread, with all the aforementioned veggies and some vegetarian baked beans.

Fat - 31.4% (65 grams)
Protein - 18.5% (86 grams)
Carbohydrates - 50.1% (232 grams)
Alcohol - 0.0%
Other - 0.0%

Daily Sodium Intake - 2,065 mg
Daily Cholesterol Intake - 172 mg
Daily Fiber Intake - 35 grams

I'm also reflecting on the new year coming up, setting goals but also working to live mindfully EACH day; I have a bad habit of setting the bar too high then getting bummed out when I don't or can't meet my impossibly high standards for myself.
So here's what I'm planning (my top 10 of '08, like Casey Kasem used to say):

- Exercise 6 days a week.  Take Mondays off.
- Keep the workouts mixed up (don't get into a rut).
- Get at least 75 grams of protein a day
- Get at least 30 grams of fiber a day
- Drink at least 100 oz. of water a day (that's 5 sports bottles, BTW)
- Take measurements once a week, also take a photo to track progress and have a visual reference  (this helped me at the beginning of my weight loss journey, but somehow got out of the habit.  A good thing to pick back up again!)
- Don't STEW over weight issues -- SHARE joys and concerns, and MOVE ON.
- Set some performance goals and work toward them.  (eg -- less than 30 minutes 5K run in my next triathlon; break 30 minutes in the local bike time trial by August;)
- Make workout dates with friends and keep them.  Don't plan a big lonely workout, then bail and beat myself up (or eat to feel better.)
- Don't eat to feel better; or to celebrate, or to compensate.  Eat to live.

Hey G4G pals, any thoughts or reflections?  Or Casey Kasem top hits?
- RG

Really enjoyed that, rivergrrrl...I could almost hear and see it all...sigh! It was beautiful in a bunch a'ways!!! Glad you had such a nice holiday!!!

Tamleech- What a wonderful thing that web cams and internet can be!!! My son-in-law shared live video with my daughter and me while he was in Iraq last year... The time gap is confusing! But, it was awesome to share time together that way- glad for ya'll, tamleech!!! Sorry about your poor turkey!!! You did fine, ESPECIALLY considering all the pressure and limited options- just think what most folks did yesterday! and Thanksgiving! and today, etc! * shudder! *

I would have had way too much and felt terrible, too... Not really much pleasure at all!

Hope everybody comes back soon, missing melaniearriaga and our new michelled67, especially! May have overlooked 'em, but hope they'll chime in again soon! Where's Forks!!! Did I miss her today??? I love her morning coffee breaks, lol!!! Hope she's catching up on the rest she needs- what a busy holiday season she's had...!!! Moving + Holidays, Wow!!!  Sweet dreams, Forks!!!

Keep on, "Keeping on," Dear Molly- it can't be long till your hard work rewards you with a new scale level- 200's coming soon!!!

* waves at 4sq, I'm late, too, lol! you did good!!! *

Here's yesterday's 'Damage Report," lol!

Breakfast

Egg, Whole - Raw, Fresh   B  74

Celery - Raw   A  2

Deli Skinless Natural Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast   51

Red Onion - Vegetables   A   4

Hellmans' Canola Lower Calorie, 1 Tbs.   D+  45

Sara Lee 100% Multi-grain Bread   B-   45

Sara Lee 100% Multi-grain Bread   B-  45

Coffee, Instant, Regular, Powder   B+  12

Original Lite - Coffee-mate Powder   20

Sugar Light Brown - Granulated, Brown & Powdered Sugar   23

Coffee, Instant, Regular, Powder   B+   12

Original Lite - Coffee-mate Powder   20

Sugar Light Brown - Granulated, Brown & Powdered Sugar   23

Grands! Biscuits Butter Tastin'   D+   16

Bacon, 40% fat free, Gwaltney   25 

Lunch

Coffee, Instant, Regular, Powder   B+   12

Original Lite - Coffee-mate Powder   20

Sugar Light Brown - Granulated, Brown & Powdered Sugar   23

Squash, Winter, Acorn - Cooked, Baked, Without Salt   A   86

Turkey, All Classes, Meat Only - Cooked, Roasted   B   67

Sugar Light Brown - Granulated, Brown & Powdered Sugar   11

Shedd's Spread Country Crock Regular (Soft) - Regular   90

Brown & Serve Rolls - White   58 

Dinner

Collards - Cooked, Boiled, Drained, With Salt   A   114

Oil, Olive, Extra Virgin   24

Deli Skinless Natural Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast   51 

Snacks

COOL WHIP - WHIPPED TOPPING - FREE - COOL WHIP   90

Oranges - Raw, Florida   A   65

Fiber One   A   68

Total Calories Consumed   1,265

Nutrition Report

Fat - 24.0% (36 grams)
Protein - 24.4% (83 grams)
Carbohydrates - 51.6% (176 grams)
Alcohol - 0.0%
Other - 0.0%

Daily Sodium Intake - 3,299 mg
Daily Cholesterol Intake - 342 mg
Daily Fiber Intake - 43 grams
Nutrition Grade A

2007-12-25   1,265 calories

I splurged on 'free' cool whip, lol!!! One- count 'em, one!- roll, ( they were cooked a minute too long, and less tempting, lol!!! MAJOR VICTORY for me!!!) Also, One taste of BAD biscuit, (They have 25% daily sodium and 3 g. TRANSFAT EACH!!! My husband's favorite- now only occasionally, since we noticed that!!!) I was so full with the 'Luscious' Acorn squash I had, and the collards later, that stuff wasn't so hard to resist!

Also, I'm too close to a scale change!!! Great motivation!!

Looking forward to a great New Year, and a wonderful change NEXT CHRISTMAS!!! Wooo Hoooo!!!!! Going for the Gold!!!!

 

Original Post by 4square:

 

Tamleech, Hi!  My husband spent a year in South Korea from 1993-1994.  He was at Camp Hovey, where is yours?  That was a really hard Christmas for me, we had only been married for a year when he went.  He got out of the Army in 1996 so he is finally "free" now. 

My husband is at Osan air base.  We have been in for 14 years and since our daughter is severely disabled we are staying in as long as we can.  The military takes really good care of us.  Everyone in his job field has to do this one year tour in Korea so we knew it was coming sooner or later. 

I loved that Forks!!! Thanks!!!

I'm here to announce...

Heavy drum roll please!!!

My fingers hurt!!!

I just spent 3 hours typing a EPIC!!! Lol!!!

It's in the weight loss forum, by request, as I shared a hand-out from my Nutritionist... which agreed with a lot of what you shared, Dances!!!

Missed you, this morning.

Hope you enjoy it, if you want to read it. I believe it will help me, if I can just be consistent!!!

Happy, Healthy New Year, Gang!!!

Edited to add: Wow!!! I made 500!!!

In case anyone REALLY cares, I had banana squash and green beans instead of butternut squash and spinach (for lunch).  And instead of a whole cucumber, I had half a cucumber and half a cup of cherry tomatoes. My calories are still in line, of course.... just a slight veggie variation!

=^..^= MOLLY

hi all!!

I just wrote a really long PM to someone and I am all typed out!!  I had a busy day today helping my mom get a new entertainment center hooked up and set up.  Talked to my BIL about CC because he is doing a grapefruit diet.  He is a truck driver and I guess I can understand why he would try a fad diet, when eating healthy is so hard to do when you have such a wierd schedule.  I gave him some tips hopefully he listens to some of them.  He wants to lose about 50 pounds more so far he has lost 7 pounds with his grapefruit. 

This is my nutritional info for today I don't feel like listing the whole diet.  I will tell ya'll that I tried tilapia for the first time because of your suggestions.  I actually liked it.  That was a huge step for me to try fish that wasn't breaded or deep fried.  I still put it on a light multigrain english muffin along with some leaf spinach, and it was good.

Nutrition Report

    Fat - 24.8% (38 grams)
 Protein - 24.6% (85 grams)
 Carbohydrates - 50.6% (175 grams)
 Daily Sodium Intake - 1,397 mg
Daily Cholesterol Intake - 137 mg
Daily Fiber Intake - 43 grams

calories 1,208

Yay for food adventures w/ 4SQ!  And "Molly's Confessions," the hot read of the day.  BB, that's a useful and informative treatise on nutrition, I've taken some notes and hints and want to start working with some of the info on calorie dividing throughout the day.

Today's report --
Calories = 1785, Burned = 2550, Deficit = 765
Fat - 27.9% (56 grams)
Protein - 19.1% (85 grams)
Carbohydrates - 53.0% (237 grams)
Alcohol - 0.0%
Other - 0.0%

Daily Sodium Intake - 2,005 mg
Daily Cholesterol Intake - 153 mg
Daily Fiber Intake - 37 grams
Ate some nuts for a snack today with a granny smith, good combo but fat still too high, must adjust.  Ate some salt-free butter with my ezekiel toast this morning, like Forks, I enjoy a bit of taste and texture of the real stuff.  Gotta work some more lean protein in for "burning" purposes.

Exercise, 60 minutes on the bike trainer, and putting away all the stuff from traveling.  Tomorrow night back to run the stadium steps -- hopefully I won't be as sore as last week!
Yummy food of the day = roasted beets, with some pineapple

Rivergrrrl-

Roasted beets with pineapple???

I love pickled beets, never heard of roasted...share your recipe, pleeaaseee?

Any good recipe for baby carrots, anybody???

I must have missed everybody when I begged before!   With all the healthy  veggie's among us, I felt sure there was a tested-and-good-tasting method for carrots in somebody's favorites! I hope! I gotta' deal with 'em soon...!!!

I'll report in tomorrow- still working on it now, and too tired, lol!!!

 Hope all that typing helps other folks that felt frustrated like me... Some told me of their struggles, and mine were only half as difficult as what they've been through!!! And they are a regular encourager here- fighting their own discouragements privately and not giving up... gulp! I feel humbled my their positive and uncomplaining attitude...! I gotta' tighten up my own positive thinking- their sharing privately has been on my mind for many days now, and I really hope some of that info will help them. They requested the info, and I dreaded all the typing, so I was slow sharing it. Maybe, now that it's all typed in, they'll understand my delay and forgive my tardiness!!! 

Sweet dreams, Gang!!