Weekly Review - April 21, 2008

I only have two more weeks before I go back to my doctor and I think I will finally meet my goal. I am actually looking forward to the visit this time because I know I will do well. Especially, if I keep having weeks like this one in which my meals were great and I got my exercise completed (thank-you again to the person who helped motivate me!). Listed below are my total calories for each day. Sorry this post is so short, but I have to go out of town for several days and need to leave soon. I hope I can stay on course, but we will find out next week. Also, check out the tip for this week that I received at work. Have a great week!

Monday (453 calories)
Tuesday (570 calories)
Wednesday (831 calories)
Thursday (674 calories)
Friday (754 calories)
Saturday (540 calories)
Sunday (514 calories)

Calm Mind, Healthy Body
Experts now agree: Your mental and emotional health are directly connected to your physical well-being. People often forget that caring for their mental well-being is essential to overall good health.

Know the Signs
Chronic physical symptoms can result from worry, anxiety or depression. These signs may include back or neck ache, appetite changes, diarrhea or constipation, general aches and pains, headache, sleep problems, fatigue, dry mouth, chest pain, or heart palpitations. (Note: Pain or physical discomforts that come on suddenly or are severe warrant a call to your health care provider.)

Make the Connection
You may find it difficult to talk to people about your emotions. But talking about whatever might be bothering you, no matter how small or silly it seems, is a good first step toward feeling better. You might want to start with your health care provider, especially if physical symptoms have been affecting your daily life for several weeks. Other people you should to talk to include your family, close friends, a pastor or minister, a counselor or someone from your workplace employee assistance program.

Make Some Changes
Realize that improving your mental health can lead to feeling better physically. Instead of just taking pain medicine for your headache or putting a heating pad on your aching back, pay attention to how your thoughts and feelings might be at the root of your pain.

Try to focus on the positive. Keep a journal of everything that goes right each day. Find time to do things that make you happy.

Let yourself relax. Meditating, praying, visualizing a positive scene or simply breathing deeply for a few minutes can help calm your mind. The key is to practice these techniques every day.

Finally, practice good health habits. Regular exercise, a healthy diet and adequate sleep are important to help both your mind and body stay in tip-top shape.

~Think Positive and Stay Healthy~

Weekly Review - April 14, 2008

I think this week has gone well for me. There were a few days where I wanted to eat something bad, but I kept to my meal plan. I was even able to get in the three days of exercise as my doctor requested.
I keep thinking I gained weight, but I know that is not possible given what I am eating. I think I am just going through a mental process. I return to the doctor on May 14th and I truly believe I will reach my goal this time. The Saturday following my doctor visit I will be seeing one of my best friends that I grow up with. She has not seen me for two years, so it will be quite the surprise because she does not know that I had surgery.

This weekend I decided to go shopping. As you know, there is not a lot out there for big people, but since I have lost weight I have a lot more options. However, I am not sure what I like, what is in style and what looks good on me because I still see the fat guy. I am not sure what I will do in the future, but this time I settled for some new shorts. I will have to figure these questions out as I lose more weight.

As for my weekly food plan, I decided not to waste space by posting it unless you want it. I have decided to only post my total calories for each day.

Monday (797 calories)
Tuesday (899 calories)
Wednesday (681 calories)
Thursday (768 calories)
Friday (963 calories)
Saturday (491 calories)
Sunday (515 calories)

Calorie Facts: If you're watching your calories, here's a quick explanation of some common food product terms: "Calorie-free" - the product has fewer than 5 calories per serving. "Low-calorie" - each serving contains 40 calories or less. "Reduced" or "fewer" calories - the product has at least 25 percent fewer calories than the standard version. "Light" or "lite" the product contains at least one-third fewer calories or 50 percent less fat than the standard version.

~Think Positive and Stay Healthy~

Weekly Review - April 7, 2008

Overall this has been a good week for me when it comes to eating. I have posted my weekly food below, and from the results I did really well (except that I am addicted to ketchup). I planned everything and maintained good portions. Around 90% of the foods are on the list of the World’s Healthiest Foods. I like the quote: “If there is one thing we can control, it is what we put in our mouths!”

I did not get to exercise this week due to back pain. I also cut a chunk out of my finger when I was cutting up the squash and zucchini. It bled for two days and still hurts like hell, but I was finally able to get a liquid bandage on it. I am actually looking forward to getting at least 3 day of exercise in next week. I think it was good I did not do it this week because I had more time to plan and focus on my meals.

Providing my blog works, I will post some helpful information and tips this week. I also plan on posting my “Weekly Reviews” at the end of each week. I think it will help keep me grounded.

TIP: BJs (similar to Sam’s Club) sells packages of thinly sliced chicken breast cut into 4 to 5 pieces with each slice being only 80 calories, which helps cut your calories and ensures you get your protein.

~Think Positive and Stay Healthy~

Monday (535 total calories)
2 Granola Bars (180 calories)
Broccoli (120 calories)
Chicken (160 calories)
Ketchup (60 calories)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend (15 calories)

Tuesday (753 total calories)
Protein Bar (200 calories)
Mints(20 calories)
Broccoli (140 calories)
Chicken (160 calories)
Watermelon (103 calories)
Ketchup (120 calories)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend (10 calories)

Wednesday (758 total calories)
Apple (110)
Mints (20 calories)
Banana (105)
Broccoli (130 calories)
Chicken (160 calories)
Ketchup (120 calories)
Watermelon (103 calories)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend (10 calories)

Thursday (820 total calories)
Apple (110)
Banana (105)
Broccoli (50 calories)
Chicken (80 calories)
Ketchup (90 calories)
Squash and Zucchini (60 calories)
Grouper (211 calories)
Grapes (104 calories)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend (10 calories)

Friday (902 total calories)
2 Protein Bars (400 calories)
Grouper (297 calories)
Squash and Zucchini (50 calories)
Ketchup (45 calories)
Grapes (100 calories)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend (10 calories)

Saturday (766 total calories)
Grouper (297 calories)
Broccoli (70 calories)
Ketchup (90 calories)
Squash and Zucchini (50 calories)
Pineapple (249 calories)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend (10 calories)

Sunday (808 total calories)
Chicken (80 calories)
Ketchup (105 calories)
Broccoli (50 calories)
Watermelon (142 calories)
Grouper (200 Calories)
Squash and Zucchini (67 calories)
Strawberries (144 calories)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend (20 calories)

Reflection

I might not have been happy with the doctor, but my reaction was not good either. I guess I figured since I was doing badly, at least by his terms, I might as well live up to them. This past weekend I had pizza twice and I am glad I did have it because it made me realize just how bad it was for me to eat. Like I told the doctor, I have mostly been eating chicken and fish with vegetables, so when I ate the bad stuff this weekend it was nasty. I think if you eat right, then you know it. I am sure if I had exercised more then I might have met “his goal” and he would have been happy, but this is not about him (which some of you reminded me). He wants to get me down between 200 and 190 lbs, which does sound good, but I personally am not in a hurry to lose over a 100 lbs in one year; especially since it took me longer then that to gain it all.

I will admit that I am happy to have lost weight and I plan on continuing that trend even, if it is not as fast as he wants me to lose it. I am changing what I eat by looking at the foods value and calories, which means I will be working more fruits in my eating plan. I will do as he asked and eat around 1,000 calories or less per day. I will also exercise three to four times a week. I am going to try and work that in this week even though I hurt my back. I am going to try my best, and at the end of the month, when I weigh in again for him, whether it is a gain or loss, I will be happy knowing I did my best.

In order to help me focused I plan on posting my weekly meals and exercises like I did before. I hope I can keep up with it, but I think it might be one way to keep me from slipping. I will also post some useful tips/information shared with me at work. I wish you all the best and thank-you for taking the time to read my blog and comment. I truly appreciate it. ~Best Wishes~

Frustrated and Disappointed

Today was the wonderful day I got to see my doctor. As you know my goal was to reach 250 lbs by today. I was nervous on my way to his office because I wasn’t sure if I had made my goal. I really didn’t want another fill because of all the trouble I had last time. I was going to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. Well, I arrived and my name was called. I walked to the dreaded scale and it read 254 lbs. I was upset I didn’t reach my goal, but still happy I lost 6 lbs. Also, according to them this marked my 50 lb weight loss marker; it marks 54 lbs for me because I had gained 4 lbs before I started my pre-op diet for the surgery. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the doctor, but what I got was not happiness. He read my chart and told me he was not happy with my loss and expected it to be double that amount. I told him I thought I was doing well. I also informed him I had dropped a couple of dress sizes, which I guess is a unique saying, but to me means clothes sizes. He then asked me if I wore dresses and I told him no. You think the doctor would be happy that I have gone from a size 46-44 in pants to a size 40 and from a 2x in shirts to a XL (in some cases L). He also asked if I was eating pizza, which I haven’t done in awhile and told him I was mostly eating fish, chicken and broccoli. He told me he expects me to lose between 6 to 8 lbs on a monthly basis. He also told me to eat no more than 1,000 calories a day and exercise 3 to 4 times a week. He felt the band was doing its job, but I wasn’t and if I didn’t lose at least 6 lbs by next month I might have to get a fill. Needless to say, I am full of negative feelings and hope I can use them to push me to lose the weight he wants by next month. I guess time will tell. I hope ya’ll are doing better then me. ~Best Wishes~