Wednesday, March 31, 2010

What I Ate: March 31, 2010

  • Nillaccino frappe shake: 1 scoop Nectar cappuccino protein powder (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweeetened vanilla Almond Breeze (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat) with SF vanilla syrup and Splenda.
  • 1 slice cloud bread (52 kcals, 3.7g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 2.8g fat) with 1 slice Kraft FF Swiss (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs) and 3 slices Hormel Natural Choice deli turkey (50 kcals, 10g protein, 1g carbs, 1g fat). Total - (127 kcals, 17.7g protein, 3.5g net carbs, 3.8g fat).
  • 1/2 cup Mediterranean White Chili (106 kcals, 14.4g protein, 8.3g net carbs, 0.9g fat)
  • 1 vanilla creme Oh Yeah! RTD in Starbucks decaf, after work (220 kcals, 32g protein, 3g net carbs, 9g fat)
  • 4 small strawberries (20 kcals, 4g net carbs) and 1 tbsp. SF honey (24 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • Salad: 3 oz. pork tenderloin (139 kcals, 24g protein, 2g net carbs, 4.1g fat), 1.5 cups fresh herb salad (10 kcals, 1g net carbs), 4 pieces roasted broccoli (about 15 kcals, 1.5g net carbs), a few pieces thinly sliced raw red onion (5 kcals). Total - (169 kcals, 24g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 4.1g fat). This was sooooo good!
  • 3 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bites (120 kcals, 18g carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total:
936 calories
112.1g protein
47.9% kcals from protein
50.3g net carbs
21.5% kcals from net carbs
24.4g fat
23.5% kcals from fat.

My food goal today was to listen to my body, and not to eat unless I was hungry. It worked okay, but not great.

Exercise: 35 minutes on the elliptical this morning and the intermediate Pilates DVD tonight.

I must tire myself out by working out every day. Yesterday, I let Chocolate Cloud Bread stand in the way of my morning workout. Later, ironically, I watched The Biggest Loser instead of trying to fit something in for the evening. But my elliptical workout this morning, though brief, was fantastic. I was able to crank up the resistance more than ever before, and my usual resistance levels seemed too easy. I'm not sure what to do with this information. Studies show that people who lose a large amount of weight and keep it off usually exercise at least 60 minutes a day, so I don't want to intentionally cut back.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

What I Ate: March 30, 2010

  • 2 slices chocolate Cloud Bread (168 kcals, 7.4g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 5.6g fat) with 1 oz. fat-free cream cheese (30 kcals, 4g protein, 3g carbs, 0g fat) and 1 tbsp. SF honey (24 kcals, 3g net carbs). Total - (222 kcals, 11.4g protein, 10.5g net carbs, 5.6g fat).
  • 1 slice cloud bread (52 kcals, 3.7g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 2.8g fat) with 1 slice Kraft FF American cheese (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs) and 3 slices Hormel Natural Choice deli turkey (50 kcals, 10g protein, 1g carbs, 1g fat). Total (127 kcals, 17.7g protein, 3.5g net carbs, 3.8g fat).
  • 1 scoop Nectar cappuccino protein powder (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze (45 kcals, 2g protein, 2g net carbs, 3.5g fat). Total - (135 kcals, 25g protein, 2g carbs, 3.5g fat)
  • 1/2 cup Mediterranean White Chili (106 kcals, 14.4g protein, 8.3g net carbs, 0.9g fat) with 1 slice cloud bread (52 kcals, 3.7g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 2.8g fat)
  • 10 almonds (70 kcals, 3g protein, 1g net carbs, 6g fat)
  • Simple steak salad: 3 oz. eye of round steak (138 kcals, 25g protein, 0g carbs, 3g fat) over 1 cup fresh herb salad (7 kcals, 1g net carbs), a few pieces roasted broccoli (about 15 kcals, 1.5g net carbs). Total - (160 kcals, 25g protein, 2.5g net carbs, 3g fat).
  • 2 slices chocolate Cloud Bread (168 kcals, 7.4g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 5.6g fat) with 1 oz. fat-free cream cheese (30 kcals, 4g protein, 3g carbs, 0g fat) and 1 tbsp. SF honey (24 kcals, 3g net carbs). Total - (222 kcals, 11.4g protein, 10.5g net carbs, 5.6g fat).
  • 1 Calcet (40 kcals, 6g carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 2 Bariatric Advantage raspberry calcium citrate chewy bites (30 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 2 Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate lozenges (8 kcals, 2g carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total:
1,192 calories
111.6g protein
37.4% kcals from protein
54.3g net carbs
18.2% kcals from net carbs
32.7g fat
24.7% kcals from fat.

I need to work on listening to my body. I tried not to eat when I wasn't hungry today, but I failed on a few occasions. I usually don't reach 1,000 calories if I just eat when I'm hungry. But I know that, if I'm going to get better control over this compulsive eating thing, I need to retrain myself so that I don't eat when I'm not hungry.

I failed to get my AM workout in today, in large part because I let the Chocolate Cloud Bread have power over me. Isn't that pathetic? THANK GOD IT'S GONE. It's too tasty for me to handle right now!

What I Ate: March 29, 2010

  • Nillaccino frappe shake: 1 scoop Nectar cappuccino protein powder (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweeetened vanilla Almond Breeze (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat) with SF vanilla syrup and 2 packets Truvia.
  • 1 slice cloud bread (52 kcals, 3.7g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 2.8g fat) with 1 slice Kraft FF Swiss and 3 slices Hormel Natural Choice deli turkey
  • 1/2 cup Mediterranean White Chili - recipe forthcoming (106 kcals, 14.4g protein, 8.3g net carbs, 0.9g fat) and 1 charoset truffle (approx. 48 kcals, 0.5g protein, 8g net carbs, 2g fat).
  • 1 Believe mocha latte in decaf with last 2 LaNouba SF marshmallows (148 kcals, 20g protein, 10g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 4 charoset truffles (OMG! It was a depressing day at work, and I went HAYWIRE) - (192 kcals, 2g protein, 32g net carbs!!!!, 8g fat)
  • 1/4 cup skim milk in a venti Sbux decaf coffee (20 kcals, 2g protein, 3g carbs)
  • Steak salad: 3 oz. eye of round steak (138 kcals, 25g protein, 0g carbs, 3g fat) over 1/2 cup romaine hearts (4 kcals), 2 tbsp. chopped roasted broccoli (5 kcals) with 1 slice Kraft FF Swiss crumbled on top (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) with a calorie-free dressing made of Liquid Smoke, DaVinci sweetening syrup, and a few sprinkles of red wine vinegar. Total - (172 kcals, 29g protein, 3g carbs, 3g fat).
  • 2 slices chocolate Cloud Bread (168 kcals, 7.4g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 5.6g fat) with 1 oz. fat-free cream cheese (30 kcals, 4g protein, 3g carbs, 0g fat) and 1 tbsp. SF honey (24 kcals, 3g net carbs). Total - (222 kcals, 11.4g protein, 10.5g net carbs, 5.6g fat). I will try to make the chocolate clouds SMALLER next time! You have to add a whole cup of Splenda, which adds 96 calories to the recipe. I may try adding a combination of SF syrup, which is actually calorie-free, in combination with the Splenda next time. It will change the consistency, but I'll play with it more.
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 2 Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate lozenges (8 kcals, 2g carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total:
1,233 calories
121g protein
39.3% kcals from protein (BOOOOOO!!!)
76g net carbs (horrible)
24.7% kcals from net carbs
24.9g fat
18.2% kcals from fat.

Percentages only add up to 82.2%; granted, I did have a lot of sugar alcohols.

Not good. I am stressed about some stuff going on at work, and my solution to this was the 4 charoset truffles at 7PM. Then, I decided to taste the chocolate Cloud Bread to see how it turned out. "Tasting it" turned into eating 2 full pieces of it. After I ate it, I was in PAIN yet again. I have to stop compulsively eating, not just because of the calories, but because I'm going to destroy my insides if I keep this up. I must, must, must stop. And I know I'll be less tempted once I get my life back on track. ::sigh::

I did exercise. I did 3 miles of the Leslie Sansone 5-mile Fat Burning Walk, and did the best I could with my new Ana Caban Intermediate Pilates DVD. The Pilates is a fun challenge. I was getting a little bored with the Quick Start Pilates for Weight Loss (which, I suppose, is why I only did it twice between late February and mid-March.)

Monday, March 29, 2010

What I Ate: March 28, 2010

It was the day after the 10K. I woke up in Charleston and returned home in the afternoon, where I prepared food for the week and watched trashy TV.
  • 1 Pure Protein frosty chocolate shake (170 kcals, 35g protein, 4g net carbs, 1g fat)
  • 1 pack (2.5 oz.) Bumble Bee light tuna in water (70 kcals, 16g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat) with 1/2 pack Planders smoked almonds (125 kcals, 4.5g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 11g fat). Total - (195 kcals, 20.5g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 12g fat)
  • A little less than 1/2 cup Fage 0% (55 kcals, 9g protein, 4g carbs, 0g fat), 1 oz. soft fat-free cream cheese (30 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat), 1/2 scoop About Time birthday cake protein (52 kcals, 12.5g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat), 2 packets Truvia (6 kcals), lots of DaVinci SF white chocolate syrup. Total - (143 kcals, 25.5g protein, 6g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1/2 cup Mediterranean White Chili - recipe forthcoming (106 kcals, 14.4g protein, 8.3g net carbs, 0.9g fat)
  • 1/2 cup roasted broccoli (about 30 kcals, 1.9g protein, 3g net carbs, 0.3g fat)
  • 2 slices Cloud Bread - made 6 slices (104 kcals, 7.4g protein, 1g net carbs, 5.6g fat), 2 slices Kraft FF American cheese (50 kcals, 8g protein, 4g net carbs, 0g fat), and 1 oz. eye of round steak (46 kcals, 8.3g protein, 0g carbs, 1.2g fat). Total - (200 kcals, 23.7g protein, 5g net carbs, 6.8g fat)
  • Neapolitan protein shake: 1/2 scoop Matrix strawberry cream protein (55 kcals, 11.5g protein, 2g carbs, 0.8g fat), 1/2 scoop Inspire dutch chocolate cake protein (63 kcals, 15g protein, 1g net carbs, 0g fat), 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat), Torani SF chocolate syrup, Ideal sweetener. Total - (158 kcals, 27.5g protein, 4g carbs, 3.8g fat). This was great! Easy and tastes just like melted Neapolitan ice cream.
  • 2 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bites (80 kcals, 12g carbs, 3g fat)
  • 1 Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate lozenge (4 kcals, 1g carbs)
  • 2 Bariatric Advantage chocolate calcium citrate chewy bites (30 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total:
1,136 calories
148.5g protein
52.3% kcals from protein
46.8g net carbs
16.5% kcals from net carbs
27.8g fat
22.0% kcals from fat.

I wanted to work out in the morning, but I didn't have any of my videos. My ankle was bothering me a little, so I didn't want to do self-directed walk aerobics. So I tried something new - self-directed Pilates. I've seen Quick Start Pilates for Weight Loss so many times that I have the moves virtually memorized. I added in a few things from the intermediate DVD. It went great!

What I Ate: March 26, 2010

  • Nillaccino frappe shake: 1 scoop Nectar cappuccino protein powder (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweeetened vanilla Almond Breeze (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat) with SF vanilla syrup and 2 packets Truvia. Simple, but very delish.
  • 1/2 Flatout Light Italian, toasted and turned into crackers (45 kcals, 3.3g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 1.8g fat) with 1 Babybel Light cheese round (50 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 3g fat). Total - (95 kcals, 9.3g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 4.8g fat). Cheese and crackers! Yay!
  • 1 Believe Italian Cappucino (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat) split between 2 decaf coffees with 2 LaNouba SF marshmallows (28 kcals, 5g net carbs). Total - (148 kcals, 20g protein, 10g net carbs, 0g fat).
  • 4 slices Hormel Natural Choice smoked ham (60 kcals, 10g protein, 1g net carb, 1.5g fat)with 2 slices Kraft fat-free Swiss (50 kcals, 8g protein, 4g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (110 kcals, 18g protein, 5g net carbs, 1.5g fat).
  • Chick-fil-A Southwest Chargrilled Chicken Salad (240 kcals, 25g protein, 12g net carbs, 9g fat) - I actually didn't eat all of it, but I ate everything but the carrots, tomatoes, and about 1/2 the lettuce. Carrots, tomatoes, and lettuce have minimal calories, so I'm counting the whole salad.
  • Chocolate Extreme Smoothie protein shake (170 kcals, 35g protein, 5g net carbs, 0.5g fat)
  • 2 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bites (80 kcals, 12g carbs, 3g fat)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total:
993 calories
131.3g protein 52.9%
kcals from protein
54.5g net carbs
22.0% kcals from net carbs
21.8g fat
19.8% kcals from fat.

I didn't work out on Friday because I was saving up for the big 10K on Saturday!

Researchers: Food Addiction = Drug Addiction?

All I can say is, "Duh!" :-)

CNN: Fatty Foods May Cause Cocaine-Like Addiction
Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods may be addictive.

A new study in rats suggests that high-fat, high-calorie foods affect the brain in much the same way as cocaine and heroin. When rats consume these foods in great enough quantities, it leads to compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction, the study found.
Read the full story here.

This research might explain why I can only control myself around nuts if I buy a single serving. Nuts are healthy, but they are also high-fat and high-calorie and, based on anecdotal evidence, a notorious trigger food. Same with nut butters.

However, while there are some common "trigger foods" among compulsive eaters, some of us have really random triggers. For example, fiber cereal gets me every time.

In any event, science is telling me something very important here: Food addicts should probably avoid high-calorie, high-fat foods. For some of us, there is no moderation. According to this study, there aren't just the previously acknowledged emotional and genetic reasons for that; there are also hormonal reasons. Fascinating stuff.

Friday, March 26, 2010

What I Ate: March 25, 2010

  • Nillaccino frappe shake: 1 scoop Nectar cappuccino protein powder (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweeetened vanilla Almond Breeze (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat) with SF vanilla syrup and 2 packets Truvia. Simple, but very delish.
  • 1/2 Flatout Light Italian, toasted and turned into crackers (45 kcals, 3.3g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 1.8g fat) with 1 Babybel Light cheese round (50 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 3g fat). Total - (95 kcals, 9.3g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 4.8g fat). Cheese and crackers! Yay!
  • 1 Believe vanilla creme brulee (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat) split between 2 decaf coffees with 2 LaNouba SF marshmallows (28 kcals, 5g net carbs). Total - (148 kcals, 20g protein, 10g net carbs, 0g fat).
  • 4 slices Hormel Natural Choice smoked ham (60 kcals, 10g protein, 1g net carb, 1.5g fat)with 2 slices Kraft fat-free Swiss (50 kcals, 8g protein, 4g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (110 kcals, 18g protein, 5g net carbs, 1.5g fat).
  • Salad: 3 oz. pork tenderloin (139 kcals, 24g protein, 2g net carbs, 4.1g fat), 50 grams mushrooms (12 kcals, 1g protein, 1.5g net carbs), 20 grams red onion (8 kcals, 1g net carbs), 1 cup romaine (8 kcals), seasoned with Chinese five spice, soy sauce, Liquid Smoke, and DaVinci sweetening syrup to make a vinaigrette. Total - (167 kcals, 25g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 4.1g fat).
  • 20 unsalted roasted pistachios (80 kcals, 2g protein, 2g net carbs, 6g fat)
  • 1 slice kidney bean carrot cake, about 1/4 green pea-orange zest "ice cream" (frozen Fage 0%), and 1 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese.
  • Strawberries with SF honey - umm, wayyy too many sugar alcohols! Albeit, very tasty.
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 1 Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate lozenge (4 kcals, 1g carbs)
  • 1 Bariatric Advantage chocolate calcium citrate chewy bite (15 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Because I ate the carrot cake and pea ice cream, and because I didn't measure the strawberries and "honey," I'm not sure how many calories total I had today. I would estimate maybe 1,158 (808 plus 200 for the cake and ice cream and 150 for the strawberries and SF honey. Both estimates are probably a little high.)

I was supposed to have protein Fage for my last meal, but in a fit of compulsive eating, I ate the carrot cake and ice cream. It backfired. Made me sick. So, I didn't have the Fage and strawberries after all :-(

Exercise: This morning, I did Ana Caban's Intermediate Pilates Mat DVD for the first time. I was rusty on Pilates generally because I haven't been doing the Quick Start for Weight Loss DVD as much lately. Last time I did it was March 9, and before that, February 23. So in the past month, I'd only done Pilates twice!

It was hard to pick back up at a higher level, but I got through it, and I wasn't so bad at it that the workout was useless. I'm very happy with this DVD - it's not too much of a jump from the beginner level, but there are enough new moves that I've gotten my money's worth.

This evening, I walked three miles at Riverfront Park to break in my new running shoes. :-)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

What I Ate: March 24, 2010

  • Vanillaccino shake: 1 scoop Nectar cappuccino protein powder (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweeetened vanilla Almond Breeze (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat) with SF vanilla syrup and 2 packets Truvia. Simple, but very delish.
  • 1/2 Flatout Light Italian, toasted and turned into crackers (45 kcals, 3.3g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 1.8g fat) with 1 Babybel Light cheese round (50 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 3g fat). Total - (95 kcals, 9.3g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 4.8g fat). Cheese and crackers! Yay!
  • 1 Believe mocha latte (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat) split between 2 decaf coffees with 2 LaNouba SF marshmallows (28 kcals, 5g net carbs). Total - (148 kcals, 20g protein, 10g net carbs, 0g fat).
  • 4 slices Hormel Natural Choice smoked ham (60 kcals, 10g protein, 1g net carb, 1.5g fat)with 2 slices Kraft fat-free Swiss (50 kcals, 8g protein, 4g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (110 kcals, 18g protein, 5g net carbs, 1.5g fat).
  • Salad: 3 oz. pork tenderloin (139 kcals, 24g protein, 2g net carbs, 4.1g fat), 50 grams mushrooms (12 kcals, 1g protein, 1.5g net carbs), 20 grams red onion (8 kcals, 1g net carbs), 1 cup romaine (8 kcals) and 1/2 tbsp. spicy mustard (10 kcals). Total - (177 kcals, 25g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 4.1g fat).
  • Strawberry-white chocolate protein Fage: 1/2 cup Fage o% (60 kcals, 10g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 0g fat), 1 tbsp. SF/FF white chocolate pudding mix (20 kcals, 5g net carbs), 1/2 scoop About Time birthday cake protein powder (52 kcals, 12.5g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat), and DaVinci SF white chocolate syrup with 55 grams fresh strawberries sprinkled with Splenda (17 kcals, 3g net carbs). Total - (149 kcals, 22.5g protein, 12.5g net carbs, 0g fat). Gosh, this was delicious!
  • 2 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bites (80 kcals, 12g carbs, 3g fat)
  • 1 Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate lozenge (4 kcals, 1g carbs)
  • 2 Bariatric Advantage raspberry calcium citrate chewy bites (30 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total:
943 kcals
118.9g protein
50.4% kcals from protein
58.5g net carbs
24.8% kcals from net carbs
16.4g fat
15.7% kcals from fat.
Today's exercise: Leslie Sansone 30-minute walk DVD in the AM. I had yoga in the PM. I wasn't very good at it today! I washed my mat to make it less slippery, but it didn't work. I may need to invest in a yoga towel :-(

What I Ate: March 23, 2010

  • Praline shake: 1 scoop About Time birthday cake shake (103 kcals, 25g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carbs, 3g fat), 1 tbsp. SF/FF cheesecake pudding mix (20 kcals, 5g net carbs), and 1 glug DaVinci SF praline syrup. Total - (163 kcals, 26g protein, 6g net carbs, 3g fat)
  • 1 sundried tomato Flatout Light (90 kcals, 9g protein, 8g net carbs, 3.5g fat), 4 slices Hormel Natural Choice smoked ham (60 kcals, 10g protein, 1g net carb, 1.5g fat), and 2 slices Kraft FF cheese (50 kcals, 8g protein, 4g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (200 kcals, 27g protein, 13g net carbs, 5g fat)
  • 2 charoset truffles (approx. 96 kcals, 1g protein, 16g net carbs, 4g fat).
  • 1 Believe mocha latte (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat) split between 2 decaf coffees, with 2 LaNouba sugar-free marshmallows melted in (28 kcals, 5g net carbs). Can I get a YUM?! This was awesome. I heard about LaNouba marshmallows from Bariatric Eating, but I bought them from Netrition.
  • 1 scoop Nectar cappuccino protein (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze (23 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carbs, 1.8g fat). Total - (113 kcals, 24g protein, 1g net carbs, 1.8g fat)
  • Steakhouse salad: 3.25 oz. eye of round steak (155 kcals, 26.6g protein, 0g carbs, 4.6g fat), 35 grams portabella mushrooms, sauteed (9 kcals, 0.9g protein, 1.3g net carbs, 0.2g fat), 15 grams red onion, sauteed (6 kcals, 0.3g protein, 0.8g net carbs, 0g fat), over 1 cup hearts of romaine (8 kcals, 1g net carbs). Total - (178 kcals, 27.8g protein, 3.4g net carbs, 4.8g fat). Gosh, this was delicious! And ultra-satisfying!
  • 1/3 cup Fage 0% (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat), 1/2 scoop Nectar vanilla bean torte (45 kcals, 11.5g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat), 1 tbsp. Jello SF/FF cheesecake pudding mix (20 kcals, 5g net carbs), 1 tsp. Steel's sugar-free honey (12 kcals, 2.5g net carbs), and 1 tsp. Hershey's SF chocolate syrup (4 kcals) with sugar-free DaVinci praline syrup. Total - (121 kcals, 18.1g protein, 10.5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • About 2 oz. pork tenderloin - was tasting what I baked for the week (93 kcals, 16g protein, 0g carbs, 2.8g fat)
  • 2 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bites (80 kcals, 12g carbs, 3g fat)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 3 Celebrate grape iron + c (15 kcals, 4g net carbs)
Total:
1,217 calories
158.9g protein
52.2% kcals from protein
77.9g net carbs (really high! But not shocking considering that 35 of them were consumed before 8:30 AM!)
25.6% kcals from net carbs
24.4g fat
18.0% kcals from fat.

No workout yesterday. I woke up feeling terrible and groggy, and then I binge ate to make myself feel better. :-( My first three meals were all before 8:30 AM!

Then I went to work, got myself under control, took the charoset truffles to the office where I'm feeling less tempted these days, and went to support group after work. I had an urge to eat a charoset truffle after dinner and it was SO awesome that they weren't available!

My First Running Shoes.

After work on Monday, I bought a pair of these:

for the Cooper River Bridge 10K this weekend. Even walking, I still want real shoes. These are stability shoes, perfect for flat-footed people like me.

Yeah, so they aren't the most fashionable shoes ever, but I'm still glad to have them. My first real running shoes! :-)

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

What I Ate: March 22, 2010

I did liquid protein most of the day. Then I went home and went haywire. WTF is wrong with me? Why am I sabotaging myself?

  • 1 Pure Protein vanilla cream shake in two decaf coffees (160 kcals, 35g protein, 2g carbs, 1g fat)
  • 1 Oh Yeah! as decaf coffee creamer over several hours (220 kcals, 32g protein, 3g net carbs, 9g fat)
  • 1 LaNouba sugar-free marshmallow - yum! (14 kcals, 2.6g net carbs)
  • 1 Lean Body On the Go chocolate ice cream RTD shake (180 kcals, 25g protein, 0g net carbs, 7g fat)
  • Part of a Chik-fil-A chargrilled garden salad (about 150 kcals, 22g protein, 3g net carbs, 6g fat - I didn't eat the whole thing), 1 packet sunflower seeds (90 kcals, 2g protein, 3g net carbs, 7g fat) and 1 packet croutons (60 kcals, 1g protein, 9g carbs, 2g fat). Total - (300 kcals, 25g protein, 15g net carbs, 15g fat). This is where the day started falling apart. I didn't realize the salad had so many calories, but I guess it was the cheese. :-(
  • Praline shake: 1 scoop About Time birthday cake shake (103 kcals, 25g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carbs, 3g fat), 1 tbsp. SF/FF cheesecake pudding mix (20 kcals, 5g net carbs), and 1 glug DaVinci SF praline syrup. Total - (163 kcals, 26g protein, 6g net carbs, 3g fat). YUM. I only got down about half of this. I must have been drinking it too fast? But at least this confirms that my pouch/stoma/etc. still work. Counting half of this.
  • 3 charoset truffles (approximately 144 kcals, 1.5g protein, 24g net carbs, 6g fat) :-( :-( :-( DEVIL. I'm keeping these in the work freezer now. Gosh I was in SO much pain after eating this!
  • 2 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bites (80 kcals, 12g carbs, 3g fat)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total (approximate):
1,200 calories
131.5g protein
43.8% kcals from protein
66.6g net carbs ("666" is fitting considering the 24 carbs from the charoset)
22.2% kcals from net carbs
42.5g fat
31.9% kcals from fat.

Honestly, these totals aren't horrible. Some people think 1,200 or more calories is spot-on for someone nearly a year out who exercises frequently. I dunno though - the scale keeps going up, so . . . Maybe this is okay for maintenance, but I don't think it's acceptable if you're still trying to lose weight.

Exercise was 65 minutes on elliptical and squats/lunges in the morning.

Monday, March 22, 2010

This Sunday, at Yoga

I did this:
This is urdhva dhanurasana (aka wheel pose.)
Disclaimers:
  • I'm sure it looked nothing like that. I was able to get my feet flat and elbows straight though!
  • I couldn't do it on my own; we did it as a partner exercise where you hold on to your partner's ankles and they help you raise your shoulders.
But whatever. I did it! I also did reclining hero pose (with props), an asana that seemed difficult to most people in the class despite using props. I couldn't hold the asana the full 5 minutes or so, but I got into the pose and held it a respectable amount of time.

I was dabbling in Level 1.5, a half-step above my usual Basic class - and amazingly, I don't think my performance was completely embarrassing. Slightly, perhaps, but not completely. Yay.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

What I Ate: March 17, 2009

  • 1 scoop Matrix Cookies & Cream (130 kcals, 23g protein, 5g carbs, 2g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat). Total - (150 kcals, 23.5g protein, 5.5g carbs, 3.5g fat).
  • 5 of my asparagus/chicken Eggface bites (110 kcals, 11.5g protein, 3.5g net carbs, 5g fat)
  • 1 Believe Italian Cappucino protein drink in 2 decaf coffees
  • 1/2 Italian Flatout Light (45 kcals, 4.5g protein, 3.5g net carbs, 1.8g fat), 3 slices Hormel Natural Choice rotisserie chicken (50 kcals, 11g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat), and 1 slice Kraft fat-free American cheese (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (120 kcals, 19.5g protein, 5.5g net carbs, 2.8g fat).
  • 1 scoop About Time birthday cake shake in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (123 kcals, 25.5g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 1.5g fat).
  • Bacon-brussels sprout-strawberry omelet: 2 strips Jennie-O extra lean turkey bacon (40 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat), 1 strawberry/20 grams (7 kcals, 0.1g protein, 1g net carbs, 0g fat), and 51 grams oven-roasted brussels sprouts (40 kcals, 2.5g protein, 5.3g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1/4 cup egg substitute (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (117 kcals, 14.6g protein, 7.3g net carbs, 1g fat). This was delicious! AND I was satisfied, but I didn't stuff myself! Victory!
  • Creamy Irish coffee shake, in honor of the holiday! I got this recipe from Nikki at Bariatric Foodie (who is seriously one of my very favorite people in the WLS world, even though I've never actually met her.) 1/2 scoop Nectar vanilla bean torte (45 kcals, 11.5g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat); 1/2 scoop Inspire dutch chocolate protein (63 kcals, 15g protein, 1g net carbs, 0g fat); 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat), 1/4 cup Free Cool Whip (30 kcals, 6g net carbs); 1 tbsp. sugar-free Hershey's chocolate syrup (8 kcals, 1g net carb), a glug SF Irish cream syrup. Total - (166 kcals, 27g protein, 8.5g net carbs, 1.5g fat). I only tweaked it a little: I used 1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Breeze instead of a cup of skim, and used both chocolate and vanilla protein. I made it festive by warming the shake and adding 1/4 cup Free Cool Whip on top. This was way YUMMY. I must say, it didn't quite take me back to Dublin, but it took me to . . . Wales. Or Edinburgh. Or somewhere else really close to Ireland.
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 2 Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium citrate lozenges (8 kcals, 2g carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total:
974 calories
141.6g protein
58.2% kcals from protein
48.8g net carbs
20.0% kcals from net carbs
16.8g fat
15.5% kcals from fat.

For exercise, I did 45 minutes on the elliptical this morning, and a 75-minute yoga class after work. Yoga was so good tonight! The new assistant actually said I had a "beautiful practice" (not because I do the asanas even close to correctly, but I guess because I'm obviously working hard at it.)

And, check it out - no compulsive eating today :-) I'm trying to take it one day at a time.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

What I Ate: March 16, 2010

  • 1/2 scoop Inspire dutch chocolate cake protein (63 kcals, 15g protein, 1g net carbs, 0g fat), and 1/2 scoop Inspire cinnamon cappucino protein (55 kcals, 15g protein, 0.5g carbs, 0g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat). Total - (138 kcals, 30.5g protein, 2g net carbs, 1.5g fat).
  • 1 Believe mocha latte RTD protein in 2 decaf coffees (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 5 of my asparagus/chicken Eggface bites (110 kcals, 11.5g protein, 3.5g net carbs, 5g fat)
  • 1/2 spinach Flatout Light (45 kcals, 4.5g protein, 3.5g net carbs, 1.8g fat), 2 slices Jennie-O extra-lean turkey bacon (40 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat), and 1 slice Kraft fat-free American cheese (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (110 kcals, 14.5g protein, 5.5g net carbs, 2.8g fat).
  • 1/2 scoop About Time birthday cake protein (52 kcals, 12.5g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) and 1/2 scoop Inspire peanut butter cookie protein (66 kcals, 12.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 0.5g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat). Total - (138 kcals, 25.5g protein, 1g carbs, 2g fat).
  • 1/2 original Flatout Light (45 kcals, 4.5g protein, 3.5g net carbs, 1.8g fat) with 40 grams blueberry-lemon jam (38 kcals, 0.6g protein, 7g net carbs, 0g fat). Total - (83 kcals, 5.1g protein, 10.5g net carbs, 1.8g fat).
  • Weird but delicious salad: 1 2.5-oz. packet Bumble Bee tuna (70 kcals, 16g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat), 54 grams oven-roasted brussels sprouts (41 kcals, 2.6g protein, 5.4g net carbs, 0g fat), 3 strawberries/58 grams strawberries (20 kcals, 0.3g protein, 3.2g net carbs, 0g fat), and 2 strips Jennie-O extra lean turkey bacon (40 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat), with 1 tsp. mustard, a little soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and SF sweetening syrup (7 kcals, 1g net carbs). Total - (178 kcals, 24.9g protein, 9.6g net carbs, 2g fat). This was yummy, but it was too much food. I had to take a long time to finish it. I have got to stop overeating. And this was weird, because I didn't realize I was overeating when I sat down to eat. I guess I need to go back to strict limits on volume.
  • 1 scoop Nectar vanilla bean torte protein (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat). Total - (110 kcals, 23.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • LATE NIGHT BINGE - AGAIN! GAHHH!!! 1 spinach Flatout Light (90 kcals, 9g protein, 7g net carbs, 3.5g fat), about 1.5 oz. FF cream cheese (45 kcals, 6g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 0g fat), about 30 grams blueberry-lemon jam (29 kcals, 0.4g protein, 5.3g net carbs, 0g fat). Total - (164 kcals, 15.4g protein, 16.8g net carbs (!!!), 3.5g fat)
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 2 Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium citrate lozenges (12 kcals, 3g carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total:
1,223 calories
170.9g protein
55.9% kcals from protein
68.4g net carbs
22.4% kcals from net carbs
21.6g fat
15.9% kcals from fat.

My morning workout was 33 minutes on the elliptical and 30 minutes of upper body weights, squats, lunges, and calf raises. I wimped out on evening Pilates. I probably won't do Pilates again until Friday! :-(

As indicated above, I'm still struggling with the compulsive eating issue. I suppose one thing I need to do is cut out fruit for a while - it was really the fruit that I was craving when I ate the binge food. I still have a little more jam and some strawberries I'm probably going to make compote or jam with, but after that, I should probably 86 it for a while.

Confession: Still Eating Compulsively

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
-James 5:16, KJV

"Confession is good for the soul. It's also humbling to see it in writing and makes one more motivated to correct the error of their ways."
- Pam, on ObesityHelp.com's RNY message board. (Pam blogs at Journey to a Healthier Me.)

I couldn't decide whether to share this weekend's foibles publicly. I wasn't sure whether documenting my total noncompliance would be helpful, to me or to others. But after reading Pam's statement, the last line of a post in which she made her own confession, I realized that I need to post this if I'm going to deal with it and move on. Denial is what got me from 209 back up to 310 in the three years before my surgery.

I didn't log amounts of what I ate; I was temporarily insane and was eating whatever I could fit. So, here's a list of the items in which I over-indulged:

  • Pecans with raisins and semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Strawberry-rhubarb cider
  • Edy's slow-churned triple chocolate ice cream
  • Honey Nut Cheerios
  • Baked cheddar & sour cream chips (these were my favorite pre-RNY snack)
  • FitNutz chunky powdered peanut butter with more raisins
  • 100-calorie sandwich thin
  • Nutella (didn't eat much, but shouldn't have touched it at all. Fortunately, I didn't enjoy it - too sweet.)
  • Cameo apples
  • Probably other stuff that I don't remember
I've heard some post-ops say the foods they binged on pre-op no longer taste good to them. Sadly, that I doesn't apply to me. My tastes have never changed. I enjoyed eating this food, at least while it was in my mouth; the guilt came later.

The worst part is not that I tasted carby food, but rather that I ate uncontrollably. I overstuffed myself to the point of sickness 4 or 5 times on Saturday and Sunday alone. Not to mention all the Fiber One cereal I ate on Thursday and Friday nights.

I'm more concerned about the overstuffing than the nutritional composition of the food. I become morbidly obese binging on foods that are generally considered healthful. My childhood was full of baked chicken and vegetable stir-fry cooked in Pam, not fried chicken and macaroni pie. Overstuffing is extremely bad news post-RNY: It stretches the pouch, stretches the stoma, and could seriously injure me.

This is definitely not the first time I've overstuffed, of course. In fact, just last weekend, I overstuffed at Alex Guarnaschelli's Butter Restaurant in NYC. I felt slightly guilty about overeating and about what I ate (including a cheddar biscuit and a chocolate filled with caramel), but I was ultimately charitable with myself because it was a special occasion, and the food was incredible.

Not so this time. This was just a weekend at with the family. I'll be up there again in less than a month. And the food I ate was not special in any way.

I need to make sure overstuffing doesn't become a regular habit. The question is, how? I ordered a couple compulsive eating self-help books off Amazon yesterday. I'm usually not a fan of that literary genre, but desperation can make you do crazy things, like read self-help books.

So I've confessed. Now, here's hoping for humility, healing, and motivation.

March Menu for 2010 Dinner Challenge

Aside from my individual 50 goals for 2010, I'm participating in a competition to complete 10 challenges in 2010 with 40+ other people. One of the challenges is to cook a meal each month consisting of at least 2 courses that is shared with at least one other person.

Because I'm in South Carolina for the year and don't hang out with many people, I've come to rely on my mom to be my dinner companion for purposes of this competition. It's really fun - I get to be as inventive as I want to be, and because she's my mom, she can critique things she doesn't like without bothering me too much. The process is significantly improving my culinary skills, I think.

We had March meal this past Saturday evening. Part of the "egregious waywardness" I mentioned in my last post was related to cooking this meal. Of course, most of it wasn't - everything I prepared was WLS-friendly or at least WLS-tolerable, and the craziest stuff I ate wasn't a part of this meal whatsoever (as you'll see, there's no Edy's slow-churned ice cream or Cheerios on this menu.) But, that's another subject for another post (maybe. If I decide to relive the horror.)

Anyway, here's what I cooked for my mom Saturday night, with photos from my Blackberry:

Beverage
Spiced Strawberry-Rhubarb Apple Cider
Braeburn apples, strawberries, rhubarb, lemon, cinnamon, ginger, clove, artificial sweeteners

Appetizer
Shrimp & Grits
Carolina shrimp, soy grits, squid ink, fat-free cream cheese, fat-free cheddar sprinkle, extra lean turkey bacon, avocado, jalapeño

Entrée
Venison Rouladen
mustard, dill pickle, extra lean turkey bacon, scallion, in soffritto

Savory Cheesecake
fat-free cream cheese and sour cream, spinach, chicken breast sausage, mushrooms, leeks, toasted light Italian Flatout triangles, Fiber One-parmesan crust

Braised Cabbage
granny smith apple, pinto beans, tomato, lemon, white sesame seeds

Dessert
Deconstructed Chocolate-Hazelnut Soup
white chocolate frozen Fage 0%, vanilla caramel sauce (Nature Sweet brown), sweet potato, pecans, baked banana chips, "candied" orange supremes, fresh strawberries, Nutella (NOT WLS-FRIENDLY! Ok for non-op mom! And the soup itself has no Nutella in it - cocoa, choc protein, Almond Breeze, SF syrup - all good stuff)

Cooking is one of my favorite creative outlets. I've already designed the menu for April, and it's going to be interesting! There's a spring/Easter/Passover/pea & carrot theme. I can't wait.

If I can afford it, my next goal is to learn more about plating and get some different shapes of white plates to complement the food better. I know this month's entree looks particularly bizarre. Oh well - I'm a work in progress.

I'll spare you a detailed exposition on the food for now, but can give more details, reviews, or recipes if anyone's interested. However, I must let WLS people know that soy grits leave much to be desired texturally. But with 130 calories, 19 grams of protein, 14 total grams of carbs with 7 grams of fiber, and just 1 gram of fat in 1/4 cup dry (over 1/2 cup cooked), I'll definitely be eating them again.

Monday, March 15, 2010

What I Ate: March 15, 2010

After a weekend of waywardness so egregious that I cannot even begin to remember all I nibbled on, I'm getting back on track. I am behind on so many posts that I can't promise I'll give more details on the weekend anytime soon, but I'll get it done when I can.

Why does visiting my mom send me over the dietary deep end? Every time!

  • Chocolate Extreme Smoothie (170 kcals, 35g protein, 5g net carbs, 0.5g fat)
  • Kay's Naturals honey almond protein cereal (100 kcals, 9g protein, 12g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • Believe Italian Cappuccino protein drink (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • Another chocolate Extreme Smoothie (170 kcals, 35g protein, 5g net carbs, 0.5g fat)
  • 15 pistachios (60 kcals, 1.5g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • 1/2 original Flatout Light (45 kcals, 4.5g protein, 3.5g net carbs, 1.8g fat) with 40 grams blueberry-lemon jam (38 kcals, 0.6g protein, 7g net carbs, 0g fat). Total - (83 kcals, 5.1g protein, 10.5g net carbs, 1.8g fat).
  • 1/2 sundried tomato Flatout Light (45 kcals, 4.5g protein, 4g net carbs, 1.8g fat), 1/4 cup egg substitute (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat), 2 slices Jennie-O extra lean turkey bacon (40 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat), 1 slice Kraft fat-free American cheese (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g net carbs, 0g fat). Total - (140 kcals, 20.5g protein, 7g net carbs, 2.8g fat)
  • 1 Calcet lemon creamy calcium citrate bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 3 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (12 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in orange (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total:
915 kcals
126.1g protein
55.1% kcals from protein
55.5g net carbs

24.3% kcals from net carbs
13.1g fat
12.9% kcals from fat.
I drove back from Anderson this morning and had tire issues, so no AM workout. Then I didn't get back home until after 9 PM, so no PM workout. I've now taken 2 days off - gotta get back to it tomorrow!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

What I Ate: March 11, 2010

  • 1 scoop Inspire cinnamon cappucino protein powder (110 kcals, 30g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat). Total - (130 kcals, 30.5g protein, 1.5g carbs, 1.5g fat). This was my first time having this protein and I liked it a lot, even though it tastes nothing like coffee. This was pre-workout.
  • 2 second-batch rosemary-garlic Cloud Bread pieces (52 kcals, 3.7g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 2.8g fat) with 2 chicken-asparagus Eggface bites (44 kcals, 4.6g protein, 1.4g net carbs, 2g fat) and 1/2 slice Kraft fat-free American cheese (13 kcals, 2g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (109 kcals, 10.3g protein, 2.9g carbs, 4.8g fat).
  • 1 and 1/2 Believe Vanilla Creme Brulee RTD protein shakes in several decaf coffees (180 kcals, 30g protein, 7.5g carbs, 0g fat). I had 1/2 left over from yesterday, so decided to spread out the coffee love.
  • 1 pepper-oregano Cloud Bread (52 kcals, 3.7g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 2.8g fat), cut like pita pockets and stuffed with 2 chicken-asparagus Eggface quiche bites (44 kcals, 4.6g protein, 1.4g net carbs, 2g fat), 1/2 slice FF cheese (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat), and a little lettuce and tomato (5 kcals). Total - (126 kcals, I love the way this looked, like a falafel pita that I used to get in the pre-surgery days at Mamoun's. The quiche bites are green from the asparagus, so they look a lot like Mamoun's heavily parsley-infused falafel balls.
  • 1 scoop Inspire ice cream sandwich (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat). Total - (146 kcals, 30.5g protein, 2.5g carbs, 1.5g fat).
  • Tuna-brussels sprout BLT salad: 1 packet of Bumble Bee light tuna (70 kcals, 16g protein, 0g net carbs, 1g fat), 45 grams oven-roasted brussels sprouts, chopped finely (34 kcals, 2.2g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 0g fat), 1 strip Jennie-O lean turkey bacon (20 kcals, 3g protein, 0g carbs, 0.5g fat), tomato (5 kcals, 0.5g net carbs), handful of salad greens (10 kcals, 0.5g net carbs), and a dressing made of DaVinci sweetening syrup, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic (5 kcals), and seasonings. Total - (144 kcals, 21.2g protein, 5.5g net carbs, 1.5g fat). Delicious, but too much volume. The stuffed feeling slipped up on me.
  • 2 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bites (80 kcals, 12g carbs, 3g fat)
  • 1 Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium citrate lozenges (4 kcals, 1g carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs).

Then, in the evening everything went to pot: I consumed massive amounts of Fiber One cereal in the evening as I stayed up really late working on this meal. I also tasted a bunch of stuff, but I don't feel guilty about doing that.

So, poof went my totals.

Cardio was 1 hour on the elliptical at the office gym in thr morning.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

What I Ate: March 9, 2010

  • 1 Lean Body On the Go chocolate ice cream RTD shake (180 kcals, 25g protein, 0g net carbs, 7g fat)
  • 1 slice first-batch Cloud Bread (35 kcals, 3.3g protein, 0.8g carbs, 1.7g fat) with 2 rye-beef Eggface bites aka miniature crustless quiches (40 kcals, 4g protein, 1g net carbs, 1.6g fat) and 1 slice Kraft fat-free American cheese (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (100 kcals, 11.3g protein, 3.8g net carbs, 3.3g fat)
  • 1 slice first-batch Cloud Bread (35 kcals, 3.3g protein, 0.8g carbs, 1.7g fat) with 2 rye-beef Eggface bites aka miniature crustless quiches (40 kcals, 4g protein, 1g net carbs, 1.6g fat) and 1 slice Kraft fat-free American cheese (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (100 kcals, 11.3g protein, 3.8g net carbs, 3.3g fat)
  • 1 scoop Inspire peanut butter cookie protein (132 kcals, 25g protein, 1g carbs, 1g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat). Total - (152 kcals, 25.5g protein, 1.5g carbs, 2.5g fat).
  • Barbecue salmon salad: 3 oz. (when raw) salmon (99 kcals,17 kcals, 0g carbs, 3g fat) 1/2 sundried tomato Flatout (45 kcals, 4.5g protein, 4g net carbs, 1.8g fat), julienned and baked to a crisp; diced tomato (5 kcals), cilantro and lime, bbq sauce (10 kcals, 2g net carbs), 3/4 cup salad greens (8 kcals). Total - (167 kcals, 21.5g protein, 7g net carbs, 4.8g fat)
  • Chocolate-cream cheese protein mousse with blueberry-lemon jam: 3 oz. fat-free cream cheese (90 kcals, 12g protein, 9g net carbs, 0g fat), 1/2 scoop Nectar vanilla bean torte protein (45 kcals, 11.5g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat), sugar-free sweetening syrup, and Truvia/SweetLeaf, topped with 20 grams homemade no-sugar-added blueberry-lemon jam (19 kcals, 0.3g protein, 3.5g net carbs, 0g fat). Total - (154 kcals, 23.8g protein, 12.5g net carbs, 0g fat).
  • 1/4 Flatout with about 20 grams blueberry-lemon jam (43 kcals, 2.5g protein, 5.5g net carbs, 1g fat)
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 3 Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium citrate lozenges (12 kcals, 3g carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs). In light of my lab results (post soon to come), I'm upping my iron intake.
Total:
968 calories
120.9g protein
50.0% kcals from protein
48.1g net carbs
19.9% kcals from net carbs
23.4g fat
21.8% kcals from fat.

I slacked off in the morning, but I got myself together at 11 PM (after Biggest Loser and Chopped) to do the Ana Caban Pilates DVD.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

One-Year Surgery Follow-Up, and Goal-Setting.

Okay, I know - I'm not a year out. I'm not even eleven months out.

Nonetheless, I had my one-year follow-up on March 4. I was in New Haven for a conference, and it seemed smart to make an appointment while I was in town.

My last follow-up was on June 30th for a two-month visit, and I was not happy when I left. They didn't seem to be very happy with my progress. Even though I was exercising a lot and eating 500-800 calories a day, I was told to eat less and move more. I left the appointment more confused than ever about how to make my surgery work.

This visit was markedly different. According to their scales, I was 185.0. There were compliments all around. Of course, they also admonished me to watch my weight and labs very closely. My surgeon advised me not to become complacent and allow weight to creep back on. I've already been through the slow regain thing before, and I'll do whatever I can to avoid it.

My surgeon asked me if I had an ultimate goal weight (phrased in such a way that he was asking for my "dream weight" more than anything touched by realism.) I gave him my random goal weight of 152, which is half of my surgery starting weight of 304, and would give me a high-normal BMI of 24.2. He actually said that I could even go into the 140s (?!), but tempered that by raising the excess skin issue. He didn't give me any specific goals, but he mentioned that 170 might be reasonable, considering that I'm likely to have 15+ pounds of excess skin.

For now, I'm sticking with my 152-156 goal including the excess skin. I see my body. There's a lot of fat left on it that I should be able to lose before heading to the plastic surgeon's table.

This is a side note, but I recently read that BMI is not a good way of determining optimal health for African Americans, particularly African-American women. Apparently, black women tend not to show negative health consequences of a high BMI until it's over 38. Hmm.

What I Ate: March 8, 2010

I really need to catch up on posts for the last several days. I'm working on it!
  • 1 Pure Protein vanilla cream shake in several decaf coffees (160 kcals, 35g protein, 2g carbs, 1g fat)
  • 1 slice first-batch Cloud Bread (35 kcals, 3.3g protein, 0.8g carbs, 1.7g fat) with 2 rye-beef Eggface bites aka miniature crustless quiches (40 kcals, 4g protein, 1g net carbs, 1.6g fat) and 1/2 slice Kraft fat-free American cheese (13 kcals, 2g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (88 kcals, 9.3g protein, 2.8g net carbs, 3.3g fat)
  • 1 slice first-batch Cloud Bread (35 kcals, 3.3g protein, 0.8g carbs, 1.7g fat) with 2 rye-beef Eggface bites aka miniature crustless quiches (40 kcals, 4g protein, 1g net carbs, 1.6g fat) and 1/2 slice Kraft fat-free American cheese (13 kcals, 2g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (88 kcals, 9.3g protein, 2.8g net carbs, 3.3g fat)
  • 1 scoop Nectar fuzzy navel protein powder (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat) with 1/2 sleeve Crystal Light white peach tea (5 kcals, 1g net carbs). Total - (115 kcals, 23.5g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 1.5g fat). This was a happy accident. I had bagged the protein without labeling it (duh) and thought this was About Time birthday cake. I was going to make a "peach cobbler" shake. Once I realized my mistake, I thought the fuzzy navel protein would be pretty gross mixed into milk. Turns out it was one of the best peach smoothie tastes I've experienced since my Jamba Juice days. Will definitely be repeating this, especially during warmer weather.
  • Barbecue salmon salad: 3 oz. (when raw) salmon (99 kcals,17 kcals, 0g carbs, 3g fat) 1/2 sundried tomato Flatout (45 kcals, 4.5g protein, 4g net carbs, 1.8g fat), julienned and baked to a crisp; diced tomato (5 kcals), cilantro and lime, bbq sauce (10 kcals, 2g net carbs), 3/4 cup salad greens (8 kcals). Total - (167 kcals, 21.5g protein, 7g net carbs, 4.8g fat). This dish was a copy of my favorite salad from one of my favorite restaurants in Columbia, Blue Marlin. Instead of a cilantro-lime vinaigrette, I just added cilantro and fresh lime to the salad. I used my own homemade no-sugar-added BBQ sauce. Blue Marlin is great, but I haven't been there since I've been back here. This is mostly because I don't have anyone to go with, but it's at least partly because of their insanely delicious bread. That's temptation I could do without!
  • Pumpkin cream cheese protein mousse: I forgot to get more almond milk for the house, so I couldn't make a regular shake. No Fage either. So I decided to use fat-free cream cheese and sugar-free syrups as a base. I used 2 oz. fat-free cream cheese (60 kcals, 8g protein, 3.2g net carbs, 0.8g fat), 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. pumpkin - finished off the can (25 kcals, 1.2g protein, 2.5g net carbs, 0.3g fat), 1/2 scoop Nectar vanilla bean torte protein (45 kcals, 11.5g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat), sugar-free dulce de leche syrup, Truvia, and seasonings. Total - (130 kcals, 20.7g protein, 5.7g net carbs, 1.1g fat)
  • 2 of my new batch of Eggface "bites" - asparagus, chicken, onion, garlic, and cheese (44 kcals, 4.6g protein, 1.4g net carbs, 2g fat)
  • 1 rye-beef Eggface bite (20 kcals, 2g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 0.8g fat)
  • 3 Calcet calcium citrate creamy bites (120 kcals, 18g net carbs, 4.5g fat). I accidentally left my real calcium lozenges at home today.
  • 1 Centrum Silver complex multivitamin (5 kcals, 1g net carbs). I briefly misplaced my Celebrate multivitamins.
  • 1 Celebrate iron + c (5 kcals, 2g net carbs)
Total:
942 calories
125.9g protein
53.5% kcals from protein
44.7g net carbs
19.0% kcals from net carbs
22.3g fat
21.3% kcals from fat.

This morning, I did 45 minutes on the elliptical. I meant to do the Pilates DVD tonight, but I ran out of time :-(

Friday, March 5, 2010

What I Ate: March 3-4, 2010

I'm visiting New Haven. I've been pretty much eating protein bars and drinking protein drinks. Unfortunately, protein bars have a lot of fat! Wow. I didn't realize how much I'd been overdoing it until I sat down and calculated everything. I may do a bunch of liquids tomorrow!

One cool discovery was the Pure Protein RTDs at Target. They are the exact same as the ones I've been getting from Vitamin Shoppe, but they have 21 grams of protein instead of 35 - thus 110 calories instead of 170. Because I don't have any difficult meeting my protein requirements, I'm going to switch to the lower-calorie version.

Wednesday, March 3

  • 1 scoop About Time birthday cake protein (103 kcals, 25g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) with 1/2 scoop Matrix strawberry cream protein (55 kcals, 11.5g protein, 2g carbs, 0.8g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat). Total - (178 kcals, 37g protein, 2.5g net carbs, 2.3g fat)
  • 1 Power Crunch cookies & creme protein bar (205 kcals, 14g protein, 9g protein, 12g fat) and 1 Oh Yeah! chocolate peanut butter protein wafer (105 kcals, 7g protein, 3g net carbs, 6.5g fat)
  • 1 Oh Yeah! peanut butter cup protein wafer (105 kcals, 7g protein, 3g net carbs, 6.5g fat)
  • 1 Pure Protein frosty chocolate protein drink (110 kcals, 21g protein, 2g net carbs, 1g fat)
  • 1 Power Crunch peanut butter creme protein bar (200 kcals, 13g protein, 9g net carbs, 12g fat) and 1 Oh Yeah! chocolate mint protein wafer (105 kcals, 7g protein, 3g net carbs, 6.5g fat)
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 3 Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium citrate lozenges (12 kcals, 3g carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 2g net carbs)
Total:
1,075 calories
106g protein
44.5g net carbs
48.3g fat (!)

Thursday, March 4
  • 1 Pure Protein cookies & cream protein drink (110 kcals, 21g protein, 3g net carbs, 1g fat)
  • 1 Power Crunch peanut butter fudge protein bar (200 kcals, 13g protein, 9g net carbs, 12g fat)
  • 1 Pure Protein frosty chocolate protein drink (110 kcals, 21g protein, 2g net carbs, 1g fat)
  • 1 Atkins s'more bar (220 kcals, 17g protein, 13.5g net carbs, 9g fat) and 1 Power Crunch triple chocolate protein bar (210 kcals, 13g protein, 9g net carbs, 13g fat). I cannot BELIEVE I ate all this at once! Well, I paid for it. Got very tired and nauseous and had to leave the panel I was attending.
  • About 5 oz. of turkey breast at a dinner reception (225 kcals, 43g protein, 0g carbs, 4.5g fat), 1 strawberry (3 kcals, 0.5g net carbs), 2 bites of canteloupe (5 kcals, 1g net carb), eaten over the course of an hour or so. Total - (233 kcals, 43g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 3 Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium citrate lozenges (12 kcals, 3g carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 2g net carbs)
Total:
1,150 calories
128g protein
51g net carbs
40.5g fat

1,150 calories is a LOT for me, but interestingly the scale at my friend's house was down a pound this morning, so I'm not going to beat myself up too much. I would have been golden if not for the random extra protein bar.

I exercised both days. On Wednesday, I revisited my old stomping grounds, Payne-Whitney Gym, for a 65-minute treadmill ride and 27 minutes of weight training. On Thursday, I tried the new place, New Haven Fitness, where I just did 30 minutes on the treadmill. Later that day, I did an hour of yoga at a new studio there.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

What I Ate: March 2, 2010

Posted on March 10, 2010. Backdated for organizational purposes.

Weird day. I woke up at 3 AM a little stressed about work, so I ate a couple raw almonds and a few handfuls of Fiber One cereal and was at the office by 4 AM. Meal 2 was at 7:30; Meal 3 was at 11:20, and so on.

Due to my uncontrolled eating of almonds and Fiber One, I'm not calculating nutrition totals for this day. I can't estimate how many calories, etc. I consumed through those mini-binges.
  • Almonds and Fiber One
  • 1 Pure Protein frosty chocolate RTD shake
  • 1 scoop Matrix "perfect chocolate" protein in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze. I was trying this again because I haven't had any since June. I was hoping I'd like it now. Unfortunately, I am still not a fan, but it was better once I doctored it with less than a tsp. of cocoa powder and some sugar-free Torani chocolate syrup. Otherwise, it has a very obvious protein taste (and I'm not very sensitive to protein taste) and is not sufficiently chocolatey.
  • 1 scoop Inspire peanut butter cookie with 1 tbsp. cocoa in 1/2 cup vanilla Almond Breeze
  • 1 scoop Isopure dutch chocolate with 1 tbsp. cocoa and decaf VIA in 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
  • Egg & cheese sandwich: 2 slices garlic-rosemary Cloud Bread with 1/4 cup Egg Beaters and 1 slice fat-free cheese; pumpkin fluff with Fiber One: 2 tbsp. canned pumpkin, 1 oz. fat-free cream cheese, and 2 tbsp. Fiber One twigs mixed with cinnamon and sweetener. Yum. Umm, then I ate even more Fiber One. Ugh. I'm not buying this again for a WHILE.
  • 1 scoop About Time birthday cake and 1/2 scoop Matrix strawberries & cream protein powder


Due to the bizarre schedule, I did not work out on March 2. I was at the office from 4 AM until about 7 PM. I had to get to bed relatively early because I had a flight to New York the next morning.

NYT: In Obesity Epidemic, What's One Cookie?

Check out this genius post by Tara Parker-Pope of The New York Times' "Well" blog.

One excerpt that I found particularly insightful (the beginning of the post):
The basic formula for gaining and losing weight is well known: a pound of fat equals 3,500 calories.

That simple equation has fueled the widely accepted notion that weight loss does not require daunting lifestyle changes but “small changes that add up,” as the first lady, Michelle Obama, put it last month in announcing a national plan to counter childhood obesity.

In this view, cutting out or burning just 100 extra calories a day — by replacing soda with water, say, or walking to school — can lead to significant weight loss over time: a pound every 35 days, or more than 10 pounds a year.

While it’s certainly a hopeful message, it’s also misleading. Numerous scientific studies show that small caloric changes have almost no long-term effect on weight. When we skip a cookie or exercise a little more, the body’s biological and behavioral adaptations kick in, significantly reducing the caloric benefits of our effort.
And another:
As a recent commentary in The Journal of the American Medical Association noted, the “small changes” theory fails to take the body’s adaptive mechanisms into account. The rise in children’s obesity over the past few decades can’t be explained by an extra 100-calorie soda each day, or fewer physical education classes. Skipping a cookie or walking to school would barely make a dent in a calorie imbalance that goes “far beyond the ability of most individuals to address on a personal level,” the authors wrote — on the order of walking 5 to 10 miles a day for 10 years.

This doesn’t mean small improvements are futile — far from it. But people need to take a realistic view of what they can accomplish.
And another:
A person’s weight remains stable as long as the number of calories consumed doesn’t exceed the amount of calories the body spends, both on exercise and to maintain basic body functions. As the balance between calories going in and calories going out changes, we gain or lose weight.

But bodies don’t gain or lose weight indefinitely. Eventually, a cascade of biological changes kicks in to help the body maintain a new weight. As the JAMA article explains, a person who eats an extra cookie a day will gain some weight, but over time, an increasing proportion of the cookie’s calories also goes to taking care of the extra body weight. Eventually, the body adjusts and stops gaining weight, even if the person continues to eat the cookie.

Similar factors come into play when we skip the extra cookie. We may lose a little weight at first, but soon the body adjusts to the new weight and requires fewer calories.
And one more:
Dr. Ludwig still encourages individuals to make small changes, like watching less television or eating a few extra vegetables, because those shifts can be a prelude to even bigger lifestyle changes that may ultimately lead to weight loss. But he and others say that reversing obesity will require larger shifts — like regulating food advertising to children and eliminating government subsidies that make junk food cheap and profitable.

“We need to know what we’re up against in terms of the basic biological challenges, and then design a campaign that will truly address the problem in its full magnitude,” Dr. Ludwig said. “If we just expect that inner-city child to exercise self-control and walk a little bit more, then I think we’re in for a big disappointment.”
Great stuff. Check out the full post here.