Health and Fitness January, 2013

[Nancy]

I've done some shopping and walking today.
Next up ex. bike time. done

[OKay]

Keeping On.....

After weeks of comparing how My Fitness Pal (MFP) and Fitbit determine the calories needed/burned, I'm going to try switching to Fitbit and follow their guidelines. I will still be recording my food on MFP. This probably doesn't make sense but I'm recording it here for future reference & accountability.

Yesterday my doctor office called and told me the repeat ultrasound (breast lump) is scheduled for April 30th. If I stay on track, I will be at my ideal weight April 17th. I want this excess weight off before the test.

Still holding on to 8.2lb loss, but now it is time to turn up the beat and get going to meet the next goal on Feb 17th.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Harriet: when you say you are limiting the sugar and then list an egg as a source, I'm confused. My three glasses of 1% milk have 39g of carbs in them yet are required by WW (even in the low-carb version) and I note my weight loss is better when I get my milk (I'm assuming the fat and protein curbs other cravings or at least fills the tummy.)

I could limit table sugar (and do just because it is easy to do so) but I don't worry about carbs in non-processed foods. Staying away from gluten has cut them in processed foods because I'm also avoiding gluten-free cakes/cookies/crackers right now as well.

I'm up. Have had a headache come and go since Sunday but yesterday it was bad at lunch (but I hadn't eaten much by that point) and then at bedtime. Actually that bordered on unbearable despite 400 mg of Advil. I had to treat it with heat/cold (heat on the back of my neck, cold compress over forehead) to get to sleep and again when it woke me in the night. I'm hoping it is my period but I don't usually get headaches from that. OTOH, I had gluten stuff on Sunday (a bit) and Monday (don't ask!) and am wondering if the headache is a reaction to extra gluten carriers in my system.

Forgot to tell you that my bowels had returned to my pre-hepatitis routine (and that flipped back for Monday and Tuesday) so something is going on there. I'm wondering if my liver is working differently now and can't filter as well as it used to.

[Cowinkie]

Well I decided I can't live without some oatmeal and peanut butter in my life...

I'm down 2 and being careful about what I eat. I love oatmeal in the morning...I use a 1/2 dry cup and fix it in my microwave. I don't use milk on my oatmeal and save that for my coffee. When I get tired of oatmeal I switch to an egg and turkey sausage. Yesterday I ate out with my friend. I had two eggs, 2 slices of bacon...thats a really treat for me...2 very thin slices of melon and part of a homemade buscuit. I didn't eat lunch, just 2 Tbls of peanut butter and an apple. For dinner I has left over streamed chicken and 3/4 cups of rice.

Spent 1 hr on my glider Mon. night while I watched the Biggest Losers...couldn't do much last night cause my eyes were dilated and the light was giving me a headache.

Good for you Okay....I have a month to go before my son shows up for his visit. I want him to be able to "see the differenc" with me. His reaction is a good motivator for me. I still need to get Sweetie to help me set my pedometer. I keep forgetting. Think I'll go do that in just a minute.

[Harriet]

Kathryn, of course eggs are a wonderful food in the first place, and especially so for those who are watching their weight/waistlines. So many studies like this one prove eggs are better than various other breakfast choices if we don't want to crave a lot of food later. But trying to limit sugars particularly, they do pop up as having some sugars, as most foods do.

When I enter 2 eggs into my Everyday Health online counter, it calculates the 1 gram of sugar it calculated the other day. At 1.5 eggs, btw, it doesn't calculate any - I know because back when my hens were only laying small eggs, that's how I entered 2 of them. But evidently for that online site, 2 entire eggs crosses a line and they tell you about a sugar gram. I'm pretty sure I'm not getting the whole gram of sugar, BUT in theory, a USDA size "Large" egg would have .38 grams of sugars and an "Extra Large" would have .45 grams, so they may not be too far off.

Really, this tiny amount of sugars is negligible - a gram for goodness sake. I wouldn't even have paid attention except it became a higher percentage of my day's sugar when the total sugar goal was only 15 grams. (Very hard to manage.)

I'm having better luck thinking in terms of meals like the Drs Heller (Carbohydrate Addicts) suggest, in order to reach Cruise's ideal of so little sugars. Basically, for breakfast and lunch I try not to have anything but proteins and a variety of veggies that are low-carb. The closest I've come to cheating on this was a small serving of green peas, which are a little bit carby. Then at supper I have what they call a "reward meal" and go ahead and include breads, potatoes or desserts in moderation. The idea being that I won't crave sweets if I haven't already tempted myself with them. Then having them as the last meal of the day won't cause such a problem. If I were just trying to limit sugars at each meal I don't think I'd do as well. I also don't have sweet tasting things like chewing gum or calorie-free drinks until evening. Tonight I had a Zevia black cherry soda with supper - I've always thought those are helpful, and Cruise recommends them.

So far, so good and have even been able to contemplate better carb choices, like the Irish Oatmeal I had for supper's "first course" this evening. Like Cowinkie, I'd been missing it. The rest was not so virtuous and included Texas toast . Successfully at 18 grams of sugar for the day, however, and very satisfied. Interesting.

[OKay]

Sharing a funny......
I don't want to brag or make anyone jealous......but I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school.

Keeping on...

Scales are down another 1lb today. I have 25 days to lose 7 lbs. That is .28 lb a day.....or about a lb lost every 3-4 days.

I have my meal plan for today -
B: Oatmeal, pumpkin, yogurt, blueberries, cinnamon, flaxmeal
L: Beans and salad
S: 2 slices of the BEST Hawaiian Pizza in the entire world

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

OKay: thanks for the giggle.

Keeping on here too.

Finally blew the WW program yesterday. But I'm OK with that due to the headache (caused by my period, which, uncharacteristically showed up on time this month.)

I've got cramps today so am working out extra hard (that does help a lot.)

My WW week has two more days and rather than restart, I'll just focus on eating just the exercise points and base points since there are not more flex points.

I ate handfuls of the nuts and bolts while making them last night but now that they are put away, they'll stay in dh's office and I won't be tempted by them. I was being tempted by the zip lock bag full of the cereal in pantry so that's why I made them up. I could have tossed them but that wasn't fair to dh who isn't doing gluten free and doesn't really need to diet.

Bought rice cakes yesterday for the first time. They are a 1 pt snack and basically gluten free (but not labeled that way, I assumed because other stuff is made in the same factory.) They are another thing to eat while drinking my milk so I don't gag on them but they aren't a wonderful new diet 'food' for me to have either. I prefer more substantial snacks so if I needed to get peanut butter in me, would put it on an apple or celery rather than a rice cake, or have cheese on a slice of cucumber.

[Nancy]

Did 4 mi. on the ex. bike & took a walk last evening it finally has warmed up here a bit yea!

[helia]

I giggled too, OK.

Yes, I've noticed that too Kathryn. I haven't had much in the way of cramps since I got serious with my jogging. Of course, I haven't really jogged in the last 3 weeks but still. . . .

I did the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes today at the gym. So, that was a major accomplishment - just getting in some sort of exercise. I didn't really get sweaty, though. . . maybe I'll need to push harder next time I'm on one. I'll try to get in a 30 minute jog tomorrow.

[Harriet]

Hi to helia.

I need that warming trend to come my way, Nancy, but understand the cold is hanging around!

Wanted to tell Cowinkie, who had mentioned an eye doctor's recommendation of supplements for the eyes, to also check out astaxanthin if she has not already.

In realizing Kathryn was actually posting more about the milk than about the eggs, I started to look up sugars in milk. (I know that the Drs Heller want you to save milk for supper except for a little in coffee if you want.) But I got sidetracked into learning that milk can aggravate acne. Also learned that my Evening Primrose Oil I take for my hair since being diagnosed hypothyroid, is considered a good supplement to reduce acne, too. I've talked to dd about this and she says she'll certainly take the EPO but doesn't want to give up milk! (Some people had good luck switching to skim.)

I feel overstuffed tonight. I had a slice of super thin crust vegetable pizza from the healthy food store (they make it fresh continuously) and a serving of Irish oatmeal. But I also indulged in some tortilla chips (no sugar, but feel very bulky in the tummy!)