Events of September 2008

Dieting - argh! It is so difficult to keep it up when the world markets are in the toilet and everything we have worked for and saved for is evaporating before our eyes. Lets pray that we keep our jobs and continue earning through these unfortunate times. Hold on tight to your shirt. Today - I will logon to WW online and actually weigh in. It has really been a bad month. Maybe October will be better. I would like to lose 12 pounds by Christmas. Is that possible when pasta is less expensive than veggies - but this is not a good excuse. Lets tighten up our belts and ride this out. It is a very sad time - I think we would all agree. Lets look for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

A Little Vacation from Diet Blogging

I am back - I took a little vacation from my diet blog and am ready to recommit to blogging weekly. I have been dieting, somewhat - at least I am not gaining the weight that I have lost since beginning this blog. I have been concentrating on work now - September is ridiculous - always has been. There is enough work to fill two months-but I do it every year. It is hard to stay focused on dieting and tracking when the stress of work kicks in full force. Focus is the key- and those salty crispy corn chips that the staff loves comes calling my name. I think I will start this week by opening WeightWatchers online and keeping it open during work hours - this way I can just enter my meals as I eat them. Other goals for the week:
1) Walk to and from work
2) Don't eat chips
3) Drink the water
4) Use the stairs
5) Track my meals

Dieting and the End of Summer Blues

It is back to school time and fall fashions are in the stores, the mornings are a little cooler- the end of summer blues are heading my way. Got on the scale this morning and am flat from last week. Again, to put a positive spin on this, it is better than gaining weight. It is getting busy at work so I am finding less time to track my meals and also less time to blog. Need to get my priorities in order and make dieting and tracking one of them. Goals for the rest of the week and for the labor day weekend
1) Go to the Gym
2) Walk to work
3) Use the stairs instead of the elevator
4) Track my points
5) Drink plenty of water and tea
I feel good today - at least that is a start

Tuesday - Dieting on a Long Weekend

Just back from a long weekend in Florida - and I am happy to say that I lost three pounds over the past five days. Plus, I think I probably gained some back on Monday - I ate the cheese crackers on the plane - you know the ones with the cheesy substance between 2 wheat (are they really wheat?) crackers, had a Starbucks Vente Skim Latte, had a Bento Box lunch when I came home, with a Kirin lite beer, and I can't forget to mention the steak I had for dinner.
I ate slender food at my mom's - they were dieting so I did well just being there. I did eat some things that they did not - like potatoes and pretzels but I still did good. Weighed in and logged on WW online this morning. I went back and logged in Mondays points - they were off the chart. But today I will begin to track my points again - even if I go over. I am going to try cutting down on the carbs - this is what they were doing and it seems to work really well.
Goals for the week
1) Go to the Gym at least 2 evenings during the week
2) Drink 2 cups or more of the oolong tea
3) Eat Fish and Chicken for dinner
4) Log in my WW points every day
5) Don't eat the candy that is in the office
Seems easy right- lets see if I can keep the momentum going

Weight loss - diet blogging for the joy of it

I must admit - I am very excited. My Diet Blog is finally listing in the search results. I just needed to be patient which I was not. I was beginning to lose interest. So now back to diet blogging for the joy of it and dieting and exercise to achieve results. I did not follow all the goals that were set out for the week - but tomorrow is another day. I have some new and improved enthusiasm for the process.
For the last two days I have had some pain in my kidney area- and am drinking cranberry water to clean out my system. I don't know what is causing it - maybe too much protein. I am using unsweetened cranberry extract that can be purchased in the health food store and mix it in a bottle of Perrier water. The pain is subtle but noticeable but is not hindering my mobility - so I will go outside today to a street fair (I think there is one on Madison Avenue) and walk walk walk. I am ready to begin in earnest now - and I am ready for results. rah -rah - rah!

Monday -a new week begins

The pace remains extremely slow. I weighed-in this morning and I am down one one pound. Again, better than up one - right? So it goes- slow slow slow. Today will begin my two cup of oolong tea a day - I wonder if this will make any difference at all. Did go to the gym both Saturday and Sunday- Saturday I used the recumbent bike for 30 minutes and Sunday I used the same bike for 10 minutes and then did a circuit on the weight machines. This was definitely more enjoyable than the bike alone, as it added some variety and challenge.
So I start my Monday again with this weeks goals - which are often shot to hell by Thursday.
1) Track my meals and count my points
2) Drink at least 2 cups oolong tea a day
3) Walk to work and home if not raining
4) Bring lunch to work every day
5) Use the stairs instead of the elevator
Wish me good luck for week four.

Sunday- started my research

On Saturday, I began some on-line research so I could gather some new dieting ideas. I did not come across much that was new. However- I did read about Chinese oolong tea which is purported to support weightloss efforts. I think I will try two cups a day - I am using the regular Twinings oolong tea that I have in the apartment. Find out more about the purported many health benefits of oolong tea at http://www.oolongtea.org/e/index.html .

Thursday - Weekend approaches

I weigh myself everyday and although I have essentially stayed within the WW points - the scale does not really move that much. It is time to take this dieting thing to the next level - I need to do some on-line research in order to make some changes that "rev-up" the metabolism. I would cut back on the points or the carbs a little but I think that may even lower my metabolism. It's a slippery slope. I will keep up the counting anyway and see if I can add some other elements to the plan to juice it up. I will let you know what I learn.

Monday - new beginning

This is the beginning of week three of my dieting journey. Only somewhat successful in week one and two - did lose 2 lbs - not very much. I guess by WeightWatchers standards better than gaining during the week. Went to the gym yesterday and pedaled 30 minutes on the stationary bike and also did some leg stretching when I came home. I would like to do this more often - it will help in so many ways.
This is a new week with some more realistic goals- so here they are.
1) Track my points every day even if I go over (I have no special events this week so this should be easier task)
2) drink the water
3) limit the alcohol
4) eat chicken, fish and veggies- Monday through Friday
5) Walk as much as possible
Good Luck

Friday - diet style

All right - I have to admit, Lunch on Thursday at Smith and Wollensky was close to phenomenal. The serving sizes for the Restaurant week lunch menu were not pared to match the pared down price of the lunch. The quality of the food, the service and the value were top notch. The experience exceeded my expectations in so many ways. I had the green salad with the house dressing, the filet mignon, the cheese cake (wow) and a glass of red wine. Everyone had a great afternoon- I am so happy. Exceeded my points values for the remainder of the week and it was worth every bite. So now I enter Friday with diet as priority. I will keep it simple today - I have sliced turkey, ham and lite swiss cheese. I will make some roll-ups for lunch with a green salad. I need to veggie it up today and prepare all my meals - diet style. I will also add a few more steps to my day and improve the burn rate. Good Luck.

Thursday - Need a push for the rest of the week

Diet wise, I did well through Wednesday. I sneaked a peak at the scale on Wednesday morning and it was down a smidge so that was encouraging. Still not drinking enough water though. Today I am taking the staff out to lunch. It is New York restaurant week and we have a reservation at Smith and Wollensky. I have been bringing lunch to work so usually my choices are well planned out in advance. I will let you know how delicious it was and I will probably need to spend the rest of the week recovering the ground I lose today. Smart choices need to be made.

Monday - best of five

Today is weigh-in day and the beginning of week two. My weight loss for the week was so minor that I needed to do a best of 5 - on and off the scale - until I found a number I was satisfied with. I know that I can do better this week.
My goals for week two are:
1-Try to eliminate wheat products and most dairy for the first few days to reduce inflammation
2-Eat fruits and veggies to keep me satisfied
3-Have fish and chicken as an alternative to beef
4-Give up the wine and beer during the week
5-Have more non-sweetened ice tea as my beverage of choice (no artificial sweetener also)
6-Walk at least 30 minutes each day (or go to the gym and bike for 30 minutes)
7-Drink water
8-Stay within the WW daily points
Need lots of luck for week 2 to stay focused.

Horray it's Saturday - Day Six

It is Saturday and I am heading off to the Long Island Raidroad - on my way to Ronkonkoma for a family visit. The temperature this afternoon is going to rise above 95 - or so they say. It's a good day to drink lots of water. Maybe that will help my slimmimg efforts. I will try to avoid the buttery, creamy, fatty foods that will be abundantly available at my fathers house. Hoping that they won't serve me a half pound hamburger off the grill. I will try my best to keep it together.
Lots of Luck to me.

Food for Thought - Day Three

I started this blog 3 days ago - and I realize now that I have become obsessed by it. I wish I was as obsessed with my diet. I had planned to go to the gym on Wednesday - but instead I spent the evening researching online at my desk.
I ate way too much again on day three and I went over my points balance by 10. I am tracking points diligently (even though I go over). I think that this is prudent - at least when I fail to lose a single pound I will completely understand why.
I am in my 40's now and losing weight have become almost impossible. It was never easy - but if I focused and dieted 3 or 4 days of the week I would be able to lose one or two pounds in that week. I think my metabolism has hit rock bottom.
Regular exercise will probably be the key to my success. The problem is that my extra weight has put pressure on my joints (hip, knees and ankles). In the summer heat - a simple walk can be painful and somewhat dangerous. How do I overcome this? If I can't exercise, I won't be able to lose the weight? I will walk home from work tonight. I guess that is a start.
I have read other diet blogs and many have said that this blogging helps to improve dieting success. Is this true? Time to get off my butt.

Day Two - Week One

Day two, Tuesday - Way less encouraging than day one. Started the day by getting on the scale to record my success from what I thought was a perfect first day. What a mistake - the scale moved up a few notches. Yikes. What happened? I thought at least it would have moved down a smidge - even if it was just to shed some water weight.

So, my day Tuesday - "All Star" game day - Pizza tonight from Patsy's (topped with sausage). I used up all of my points and then some. Had some wine also (with the Pizza). I tracked all my points on WW online - this is good since I get to visually see how much all this food adds up to. It adds up pretty quickly. Time to slow it down - What am I waiting for? Tomorrow?

Day One - Week One

Today is Monday, the first day of my Diet and My Diet Blog. After all the years of dieting, I should be an expert at losing weight- but I am not. I have tried many diet programs over the years and I believe that if I have the will power and stick to any of the plans, the weight loss will come. That being said, how come I am here again, back at the starting point of my dieting journey? The key is will power and sticking to it for the long run. Lack of focus is a diet buster. I am hoping that my Blog will help me maintain my focus and stay honest. It can’t hurt – right.

I weighed myself this morning, the first time in over a month. I was not surprised at the number. I have set an initial weight loss goal of 20 lbs. I have a bit more than that to lose – one step at a time.

Mostly, I did the right things today. I logged into WeightWatchers online (also for the first time in months) and entered everything I ate. I did not drink the volume of water that they recommend – I have a hard time with that. I will try to drink more tomorrow. (Water that is). I made healthy food choices today – fish, rice, veggies and fruit. I did have a light beer when I came home from work– it’s only 2 points–can that count towards my water?

So – pretty good for day one, I am encouraged. Wish me good luck – I need it. I really want (need) this to work.