No Refusal Thursday

Oh the temptations that come, smh My principal sends out an email on Tuesday telling us to save room for treats on Thursday because we have two "half" birthdays to celebrate. I'm still kind of new at this school, but thinking it's kind of weird to celebrate folks' half birthdays, but whatever. I know that I can just bypass whatever the treat is. Then come to find out today that it's MY half birthday along with our Assistant Principal. You see, she and I both have summer birthdays and since we're not in school during the summer, they acknowledge our "half" birthday. Okay, it's a cute idea now that I understand. Well my "team" which consists of the school administrators, office staff, librarian, diagnostician and one other specialist (us miscellaneous folks) drew names to see who would bring a birthday treat for whom. But of course, you don't just bring it for that person, you bring enough to share with the team. Well, guess who drew my name at the beginning of the year. My principal! She made me a Texas Sheet Cake (translation:  crazy good chocolate cake) And of course, I think she's a pretty awesome diva, so no I couldn't refuse chocolate cake made by my principal for my half birthday. I mean whomever made my treat, principal or not, it would've been rude to not eat some. And then we all ordered lunch out from Applebees. I don't particularly care for Applebees, so I really had to search the menu for something that seemed appealing. So today, turned into more calories than I intended, but not overeating, and I still felt very much in control. Still, too many sweets today!  

 

I recognize how inconsistent I've been with my plan lately. I see that I have work to do, and of course I'm pressing forward.   Here's my cake after we started digging in :)          

This Sista Ain't Sedentary!

I realized about a week ago that I don't have a sedentary lifestyle. I was thinking about/planning the time to start my workout regimen (perhaps around spring break), and most of the times when I am not following an exercise regimen, I have a "sedentary" lifestyle. But as I thought about starting my exercise program, I realized that that just isn't the case at this season in my life.   To start, at work I walk a lot. My school building is of decent proportions and I see about 20 kiddos per day, not all at the same time. So, most of the time I travel to their regular classrooms to pick them up and take them to my classroom for their time with me.   Then there's home...   I'm always talking about how I don't have time to sit down and watch my favorite television shows, but rather I listen to them as they play on the television while I'm doing whatever it is I need to do at that time. The only one I make time to sit down for is Scandal, go Scandal! But on commercials, I'm up doing something.   I have a 2 year old. When we get home, I don't even take off my work clothes, I'm usually trying to get something ready for him to eat and if I happen to be cooking for hubby and me too, then I'm also working on that. He eats, then he plays for a bit as I work on business-related things (more on that later) and then it's bathtime for the little guy, brushing teeth, putting on pajamas, filling up his humidifier (most nights), reading a bed time story, praying with him, singing him a song and putting him to bed. None of this is done while sitting except the story! Since he's two, I still pretty much do all of the above for him. He has started to zip up his own sleeper pajamas. :) If hubby is home, then he does the night night routine while I work my business.    Most of my evenings are spent working on my business. I am making products, jarring and bottling products, labeling products, packing orders to ship, printing shipping labels, moving boxes from one place to another. I use three rooms in my house for various business things, so I'm all over the house sometimes when working on the business and trying to get orders processed. The only thing I might do while sitting is tape up boxes that are packed and ready to go. Everything else is a standing appointment!   When I'm feeling worn out, I try to think of Beyoncé and how hard she says she has worked to get where she is. I do believe in the principal of reaping and sowing. It applies across the board. If I sow my effort, even when I'm tired, into my business, then I believe I'll reap the fruits of that effort.   Anywhoo, it was really cool to realize that even though I'm not doing any kind of structured exercise right now, I am not a sedentary girl, not right now!

Week 9 (Feb. 25-Mar. 3)

Feb. 25   Breakfast WW Breakfast Taquitos 240   Snack Graze.com Chili Rice Crackers 125 Graze.com Mango Chutney dip w/ crackers 85 SNACK total: 210   Lunch Beef Tips over Noodles 450 Mixed Veggies 50 Wheat Roll 120 MEAL total: 620   Snack 1/2 raspberry cinnamon roll 110 Diet Dr. Pepper 0 SNACK total: 110     Snack Tuna w/ cracker samples from Costco 50   Dinner Basil Pesto Tilapia (2 fillets) 240    Snack (random grazing) turkey breast 20 tuna 50 tortilla chips 40 laughing cow wedge 35 3 pistachios 25 SNACK total: 160   Water 56 oz.   TOTAL: 1630     Feb. 26   Breakfast Cracklin' Oat Bran, Dried Cranberries, Chocolate Chips (mixed, no milk) 300   Snack Fun-Size Snicker Bar 70 Hershey Kiss 25 SNACK total: 95   Lunch Individual Frozen Pepperoni Pizza 300 Mashed Potatoes (School Cafeteria) 70 Wheat Roll (School Cafeteria) 70 Apple Cobbler (School Cafeteria) 200 MEAL total: 640   Snack spoonful of albacore tuna salad 25 pistachios, about 4 30 SNACK total: 55   Dinner (we went to Lobster Fest at Red Lobster) House Salad w/ Red Wine & Vinegar Dressing 100 Lobster Artichoke Dip w/ Tortilla Chips (didn't like it so didn't finish it) 200 Stuffed Tilapia 600 Wild Rice 200 Steamed Broccoli 50 Bite of Hubby's Caramel Cheesecake 40 MEAL total: 1190   Dessert at Home Vanilla Pudding Cup 110   Water 48 oz.   TOTAL:  2390     Feb. 27   Breakfast Arbonne Vanilla Protein Shake w/ Coconut Milk 250   Snack 100   Lunch Cheeseburger (shout out to Hideout Burger in Mansfield, TX--great, fresh burger) 650   Snack tortilla chip w/ salsa 15 1/2 spinach & red pepper chicken sausage 60 SNACK total: 75   Dinner Tilapia Wrap w/ Chipotle Mayo, Salsa, and Pepperjack Cheese 375   Snack 2 rice crackers w/ albacore tuna salad 45   Water 76 oz.   TOTAL: 1495     Feb. 28   Breakfast Panera Bread Spinach Artichoke Baked Egg Souffle 405 (this item is 540 calories, but I cut off 1/4th of it and threw it away before I ate the rest)   Snack Panera Bread Muffie 240 (item is 320 calories, but again I cut off 1/4th and threw it away)   Lunch Applebees Pick N Pair Lunch w/ Roast Beef Bacon & Mushroom Melt and Grilled Shrimp Spinach Salad 800 Texas Sheet Cake (had to eat it for No Refusal Thursday) 350 Pecan Praline Cake 225 MEAL total: 1375   Dinner/Snack Turkey Breast Strips (4) 30 5 tortilla chips 60 salsa 10 1 T guacamole 50 MEAL total: 150   Water 52 oz.   TOTAL: 2165     Mar. 1   Breakfast Slice leftover Texas Sheet Cake 400   Lunch Large Slice Sausage Pizza 600 Turnip Greens 35 Okra & Tomatoes 35 MEAL total: 670   Snack Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds 230   Dinner Tuna w/ Pepper Jack Cheese Wrap 300   Water 66 oz.   TOTAL: 1600     Mar. 3   Lunch Tuna w/ Meunster Cheese Wrap 450 Skinny Cow Single Serve Caramel Ice Cream 150 MEAL total: 600   Snack Pistachios 50 Greek Yogurt Dipped Freeze Dried Strawberries (2) 75 SNACK total: 125   Snack Sabatasso's Frozen Pepperoni Pizza 300   Dinner Whole Wheat Spaghetti w/ Chicken Sausage 450 Turnip Greens 30   Skinny Cow Single Serve Dulce de Leche Ice cream 150 MEAL total: 630   Water 48 oz.   TOTAL: 1655            

So let's talk about today...

February 19th, I ate just over 2600 calories. This is not normal for most people. It's quite more than what I would need to maintain my weight and definitely more than I need if I want to keep losing weight. Well, sista, 2600 calories days won't get you where you want to be! I thought about not logging my calories on here today, but you know what, it's part of the deal. This blog is to help me and in many ways to keep me accountable. I don't know who is reading the blog right now, but I expect someday that this blog will be a great resource for people in the future. So whether someone's reading it now or later, I have to own it, own up to the fact that I overate badly today.   So as I try to analyze why (I do that about everything, a habitual overthinker), I know that my water intake has been shifty for the last week. I also know that yesterday and today I was hungrier than usual. I also wonder if the Set Point Theory is true. In brief, it's a theory that says that our bodies want to be at a certain weight and if you go below that, your appetite will increase as your body's way of making you get back to whatever that set point weight is. In a previous post I talked about how I've hovered on the 150s-160s border for close to a year now.   Whatever the case, I can tell you that between breakfast and lunch, I was really hungry and intentionally sought out an, ahem filling lunch. I could've, and should've, stopped eating for the day after lunch, but hubby had a rough day at work and wanted to go to Furrs Buffet. We went. I can tell you that today was one of those days where I was just tired of dieting. I try not to beat myself up about those days when I go off course and lose focus, but today I don't feel so great about 2600 calories. The only way to make myself feel better is to get it in gear and have a better day tomorrow. That's my goal, not to starve myself because today was bad, that's kind of eating-disorderish, but just to be more in control tomorrow. Here's to a better day, better DAYS ahead!

Week 8 (Feb. 18-24)

Feb. 18   Breakfast Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes (from Pinterest) 450   Snack The rest of the pancakes from breakfast 150   Lunch Tilapia Wrap 400 Ore Ida Waffle Fries 200 MEAL total: 600   Dinner Taco Salad 400 1/2 Chicken Burger Patty 150 MEAL total: 550   Snack 2 Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars (As a rule, I try not to buy granola bars and similar snacks, but these looked so good and were a new flavor I just had to try; they are pretty good, but it's hard to stop at just one) 280   Snack Baked Kale Chips 100   Snack Cracklin' Oat Bran (dry) 50 Pistachios 50 SNACK total 100   Water 60 oz.   TOTAL:  2230     Feb. 19 (today was not pretty)   Breakfast Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Packet 150   Snack Sweet & Smoky Pop Chips 250   Snack Snickers Fun Size 75 Hershey Kiss 20 SNACK total: 100   Lunch Philly Cheesesteak 750 Fries 50  (were cold so I did not continue eating them) Apple Cobbler 400 MEAL total: 1200   Dinner (we went out to Furr's) Blackened Tilapia 200 Carrot Casserole 75 Corn Casserole 100 Country Potatoes 100 Coconut Shrimp (2) 80 1/2 Chicken Enchilada 100 1/2 Chocolate Bliss Pie 200 1/4 Brownie 70 MEAL total: 925   Water 48 oz.   TOTAL: 2625   So let's talk about this...       Feb. 20   Breakfast Chocomole (Chocolate Avocado Pudding) 240   Snack Graze.com Billionaire's Shortbread 175   Snack Graze.com Boston Baguettes 85   Lunch (School Lunch) Meatball Sub 300 Black-eyed pea salad 75 Potato Smiles 75 Greens w/ Ham Bits 50 MEAL total: 500   Snack Pistachios 50   Dinner Turkey Burger on Ezekiel Bread w/ cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, olive mayo 480 steamed broccoli 25 MEAL total: 505   Water 64 oz.   TOTAL: 1555   Victory today!     Feb. 21   Breakfast Chocomole 220   Snack Graze.com Jaffa Cake 180 Apple Cinnamon "Flapjack" 240 SNACK total: 420   Lunch 2 Shrimp Spring Rolls 150 Beef Pho 300 MEAL total: 450   Snack (samples from Costco) Turkey Pot Roast Sample 25 Basil & Pesto Tilapia Sample 20 Cracker Trail Mix Sample 30 Orange Chicken Sample 40 SNACK total: 115   Dinner Orange Chicken 400 Steamed Broccoli 30 MEAL total: 430   Snack (more grazing than snacking here) 5 pistachios 35 Craisins 60 Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola Bar 140 1 Yogurt Dipped Strawberry 40 SNACK total: 275   Water 42 oz.   TOTAL: 1910     Feb. 22   Breakfast Panera Ham & Gruyere Breakfast Sandwich 440   Lunch (comfort food potluck at work) 1/3 fried chicken breast 175 Chicken Tetrazzini 200 Fried Okra 100 Black Bean Salad w/ Tortilla Chips 100 Homemade Corn 50 Lacey Cookie 120 1/2 piece pound cake 225 Banana Pudding 300 MEAL total: 1168   Done for the Day!   Water 64 oz.   TOTAL: 1618     Feb. 23   Breakfast 1/2 cinnamon roll 110 bacon egg breakfast taco 200 Mini Quiche 50 Trail Mix 50 MEAL total: 410   Lunch Dominos Pan Pizza--3 1/2 slices 1050   Snack Spinach & Red Pepper Chicken Sausage 100   Snack Pistachios 100   Dinner McDonalds Fish McBites (did not finish) 175   Snack DQ Choco Covered Strawberry Blizzard--Mini Size 320   Water 64 oz.   TOTAL: 2155     Feb. 24   Lunch Ham & Swiss Pretzel Sandwich 450 1/2 slice leftover cheese pizza 150 MEAL total: 600   Snack Honeycomb Crunch from Graze.com 185   Dinner Panda Express Orange Chicken 420 Honey Walnut Shrimp 370 Chow Mein (too dry, did not finish) 25 Fortune Cookie 25 Pepsi Max 0  MEAL total:840   Water 16 oz.   TOTAL: 1625  

 

Everyday Won't Be Perfect

I woke up this morning, President's Day, so no work, and made a delicious Pinterest breakfast of whole wheat oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes. I halved the recipe, except for the chocolate chips. Look, I'm a self-proclaimed chocoholic okay!   

    Anyway, I was doing pretty well for the day, but got the evening munchies pretty badly. Some of it was boredome eating, but some of it was "gotta face the day tomorrow" eating. I try to build in a day or two each week where I exceed my "diet" amount of calories, but today was super not planned as one of those day. Every diet day isn't perfect. That's just a given. But I still have every intention of reaching my goal. I'll just start again tomorrow. Every day's a day to start over!

February 16 Weigh In

    159 I am not at all disappointed by this "gain" because guess what folks, it's ovulation time!!! No, I'm not excited about ovulation because I'm trying to get knocked up or anything, but you may remember from a previous post that I said that most of us womenfolk can expect to see "gains" at ovulation just like we do during our menses. Now, I have had an issue with hovering in the high 150s to low 160s so I will be glad indeed to see the mid-150s. Hopefully soon!

Week 7 (Feb. 11-17)

Feb. 11

Breakfast
Cracklin' Oat Bran Cereal (dry)
150

Snack
Dried Apples
35

Snack
Better Oats Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Packet
130

Lunch
Mooyah Turkey Burger
700
Sweet and Smoky Pop Chips
140
MEAL total: 840

Snack
Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies (4)
240

Dinner
4 Turkey Sausage & Laughing Cow Wontons
150

Water
64 oz.

TOTAL: 1545


Feb. 12

Breakfast
Cinnamon Toast on Ezekiel Bread
320
Egg Beaters w/ Laughing Cow Wedge
100
MEAL total: 420

Snack
Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies (4)
240

Lunch
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup (didn't like it so only a couple of bites)
30
Whole Wheat Pasta w/ Sautéed Spinach, Garlic, Tomatoes, Lemon Juice, Pine Nuts, and Parmesan
350
MEAL total: 380

Snack
Chocomole (Chocolate Avocado Pudding)
150

Dinner
Fried Tilapia
400
Steamed Broccoli
30
MEAL total: 430

Water
64 oz. 1620


Feb. 13

My internet went out last night, so I am filling out my Feb. 13th entry on the 14th

Breakfast
Arbonne Chocolate Shake w/ Almond M ilk
250

Snack
Sticky Chocolate Pudding (from graze.com; you can join with code: W1WGHDMD)
180

Lunch
Whole Wheat Pasta w/ Spinach, Tomatoes, Garlic, Lemon Juice, EVOO, and Parmesan 
400

Snack
Dark Rocky Road (from graze.com)
180

Snack
Chocomole (Can you tell, I'm addicted to this?!)
200

Dinner
Teriyaki Chicken
300
Steamed Broccoli
30
MEAL total: 330

Water
64 oz.

TOTAL: 1540


Feb. 14

Breakfast
Vanilla Seeds (from graze.com)
180

Snack
Cheddar Gorge (from graze.com)
130

Lunch
Salad w/ turkey breast, shredded cheese, beets, croutons, mushrooms, olives, and lite ranch
400
Chicken Tortilla Soup
175
Chocolate Covered Strawberries (3)
180
Sugar Cookie
120
MEAL total: 875 

Snack
Yogurt Dipped Strawberries (3)
100

Dinner
Papa Murphy's Pepperoni Pizza
1100
1/2 Diet Dr. Pepper
0
MEAL total: 1100

Water
48 oz.

TOTAL: 2385


Feb. 15

Breakfast
Arbonne Chocolate Protein Shake w/ Almond Milk
250

Snack (Teacher's Lounge)
Cocoa Dusted Truffles (5)
300

Lunch
Grilled Chicken Panini
450
French Fries
325
MEAL total: 775

Snack
Dark Chocolate & Cherry Granola Bars (2@ 140 cals each)
SNACK total: 280

Water
48 oz.

TOTAL: 1605


Feb. 16

Breakfast
Cinnamon Ezekiel Toast
300
Pistachios
100
MEAL total: 400

Lunch
Pizza Hut Pizza Sliders (5)
1500
1/2 Diet Dr. Pepper
0

Dinner
Tilapia w/ Mango Salsa
250
Steamed Broccoli w/ Parmesan
125
MEAL total: 375

Water
48 oz.

TOTAL: 2275


Feb. 17

Breakfast
Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola Bar
140

Lunch
Taco Salad--lettuce, ground turkey, salsa, guacamole, sweet potato corn chips, and greek yogurt (instead of sour cream)
450

Snack
Chocolate Covered Katie Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies (6)
360

Dinner
Steamed Broccoli
30
Tilapia Wrap 425
MEAL total: 455

Water
64 oz.

TOTAL: 1405










 

February 9 Weigh In

157.5

Perricone Diet

Today is Day 1 of my doing the Perricone 3-Day Diet. It was not designed to be a weight loss diet, it was designed to be an internal skincare diet. That's my paraphrase. :) The diet is very clean, high protein, green foods, and some fruit. The only grain allowed is oatmeal and other than the fruit, no sugar! Even though it's a skincare diet, I am using it at a weight loss tool. I'm in two diet bets (dietbet.com) that end this week. I've met the goal which is 4% weight loss in 28 days, however, this is my special girly week so I'm trying to reduce water weight and get in any last minute weight loss that I can to counter any fluid retention that I do have by the time the final weigh in comes.

I will say that the Perricone diet definitely could not be a way of life for me, but 3 days, I can do. The diet has a lot of salmon on the menu. I like salmon, but a girl can only eat so much before she gets tired of it. I will say that I'm not finding myself hungry on this diet. I'm sure that has a lot to do with the high protein content. As a lifestyle, I would modify the diet to include a variety of protein products (not just salmon) and also some other grains, wholesome ones of course. I understand Perricone's rationale for the salmon though--it's wonderful for skin and this is a skincare diet! I'll let you all know if I get any skin benefits from it.

Here's a shot of dinner--baked kale chips and a salmon fillet

 

 

 

 

Edited to Add: I finally finished day 3, but I was so very tired today. The low carb lifestyle is not for me. I'm about moderation and less-refined/unrefined carbs.

 

 

Edited to Add: Well, I finished the Perricone 3-day diet on Thursday and today is Sunday. I didn't notice too much difference in my skin on Thursday, but today it is looking kind of radiant. Don't know if it's the diet or natural skin cell turnover. 

Week 6 (Feb. 4-10)

Feb. 4

Breakfast
1 Egg--Scrambled
60
Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal Packet
160
MEAL total: 220

Lunch
Beef Fajitas
525
Sweet Potato Fries
75 (didn't like, not worth the calories, threw them away!)
Blackberry Cobbler
300 (left some in the bowl, go me!)
MEAL total: 900

Dinner
Chicken Carmelized Onion Burger (no bun)
150
Cabbage Wedge
200
MEAL total: 350

Water
64 oz.

TOTAL: 1470

Feb. 5

Breakfast
Egg Beaters
50
Rolled Oats
150
2 Salmon Patties (canned red salmon, green onion, greek yogurt, egg beaters, pan grilled in olive oil)
150
Kiwi Fruit
40
MEAL total: 390

Lunch
Salmon Salad w/ Spinach, fresh lemon juice and EVOO
350

Snack
Walnuts
70
Apple
80
SNACK total: 150

Dinner
Salmon Fillet
250
Baked Kale Chips
150
MEAL total: 400

Snack
Greek Yogurt w/ Walnuts & Blackberries
150
Slice of Turkey Breast
50

Water
84 oz.

TOTAL: 1490


Feb. 6

Breakfast
Egg Beaters
50
2 Salmon Patties
150
Rolled Oats w/ fresh blueberries and walnuts
200
Cantaloupe
50
MEAL total: 450

Lunch
Salmon Fillet on fresh spinach w/ fresh lemon juice and EVOO
350
Blueberries
50
Cantaloupe
50
MEAL total: 450

Snack
Asian Pear (about 3/4)
75
Walnuts
75
SNACK total: 150

Dinner
BBQ Salmon Lettuce Wraps
300
Chocomole/Chocolate Avocado Pudding (from Pinterest) --You MUST try this!
300
MEAL total: 600

Water
58 oz.

TOTAL: 1650


Feb. 7

Breakfast
Egg Beater
35
Better Oats Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Packet
130
Cantaloupe
50
MEAL total: 215

Snack
Walnuts
75

Lunch
Salmon Fillet on Fresh Spinach
225
Boiled Egg
70
Fresh Lemon juice w/ EVOO
100
Blueberries & Blackberries
70
MEAL total: 465

Snack
Apple
80

Snack
Chocomole topped w/ crushed pistachios
250

Dinner
BBQ Salmon Lettuce Wraps
300

Water
52 oz.

TOTAL: 1385


Feb. 8

Breakfast
Arbonne Chocolate Protein Shake w/ Spinach
250

Snack
Better Oats Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Packet
130

Lunch
Blackened Catfish Fillet
225
Tartar Sauce
75
Dirty Rice
200
Turnip Greens
30
Quaker Oatmeal-to-Go Bar
220
MEAL total: 750

Snack
Chocolate Avocado Pudding
300
Lemon Chiffon Avocado Pudding (sample)
50
SNACK total: 350

Dinner
Homemade Pizza (dough recipe from Pinterest) w/ turkey pepperoni, turkey sausage, and roasted red peppers
700

Water
48 oz.

TOTAL: 2180


Feb. 9

Breakfast
Lemon Avocado Pudding
150
Skinny Banana Bread Pudding (recipe from Pinterest)
400
MEAL total: 550

Snack
Old Wisconsin Turkey Sausage Slices
60

Lunch
Salmon w/ Onions and Red Peppers on Fresh Spinach w/ Vidalia Onion Dressing
250

Dinner
(We went to a banquet and they were very skimpy on the portions, but no complaints from me about that!)
Chicken Fried Chicken (no gravy)
350
Mashed Potatoes (no gravy)
100
Macaroni and Cheese
150
Green Beans
50
Banana Pudding
100
Lemonade
75
MEAL total: 825

Snack
Tilapia Spring Rolls (2)
300

Water
40 oz.

TOTAL: 1985


Feb. 7

Breakfast
Chocomole
400
Blackberries
50
MEAL total: 450

Dinner
Panda Express
Chow Mein (1/2 portion)
250
Shanghai Angus Steak
220
Honey Walnut Shrimp
370
MEAL total: 840

Snack
Pistachios
125

Snack
2 Laughing Cow Wedges & Turkey Cold Cuts
100

Water
58 oz.

TOTAL: 1515

Weigh In February 2nd

I gained! :(
But did I really? I believe the "gain" is related to my womanhood, but there's still a tiny effect on my mind when I see this. Oh well, keepin' my eyes on the prize!