TCTBTF: Week 3

Monday 1/19

If you’re trying to eat better, I highly recommend writing about it. I swear these three weeks have flown by. Normally, when I get back on the wagon the first two weeks are the worst; it’s hard for me to get used to the smaller portions and I’m usually super-cranky because I’m having a hard time adjusting.

Not so now. These three weeks have been a breeze.

Breakfast is usually one of the same few items – multigrain Cheerios, oatmeal, scrambled egg whites, whole wheat toast, yogurt, fruit, juice, water. Lunch is some sort of sandwich with veggies or something from the breakfast menu. Dinner is my biggest meal and it’s always a lean meat, veggies, with either wild rice or whole wheat pasta. Snacks are fruit, granola bars, yogurt, or whole wheat crackers.

Tuesday 1/20

I’ve been soda free for three weeks! But I have a new addiction. Peanut butter. Good lord. I eat a spoonful with breakfast… another with a snack. I spread it on celery and bananas.

Wednesday 1/21

Kali wants my peanut butter. She never thinks about peanut butter, but now, all of sudden, she wants peanut butter.

“Mommy, can I have some?”

I want to say, “Get your own!”

But she has no job.

She now spreads it on bananas. So that means she’s dogging my bananas too.

I asked Donny to pick up more peanut butter tonight.

Thursday 1/22

Good God, I love peanut butter. This peanut butter tastes funny though.

Who told Donny to get reduced fat?

I’m sure he’s trying to be helpful, but yeah… don’t.

I weighed myself before going to class. Down 7lbs. That’s crazy talk. I haven’t worked out all week because I just don’t have the time. There’s no way I lost 7lbs in one week. That can’t be right.

Friday 1/23/09

It wasn’t. This week’s damage?

-2lbs

Three week total? 7lbs.

Now, imagine what I can do if I just work out?

Next week I pledge to:

1. Do the Wii Fit x2
2. Elliptical at least once
3. Take a walk around neighborhood with Jack if weather permits.

How bout you? How was your week? What could you be doing better, and what are you willing to pledge for next week to get there?

Note: I am not on a peanut butter diet. I just thought the picture was funny. Also, spare me the lectures about peanut butter. Remember, my caloric intake is still higher than most because I’m breast feeding.

TCTBTF: Week 2

Too Cute To Be This Fat: Week 2

“Walking Nearly Killed Me. Fo’ Real”

Monday 1/12

I started school today. I logged in to my online classes, read a few syllabi, made notes in my day planner as to when things were due, and logged out. I’m waiting for the books for those classes to arrive in the mail so there wasn’t much else I could do. (Biology, Biology online lab, and Spanish, btw.)

This is really a good mode for me to be in when trying to lose weight. I succeed when I make lists, write down dates, and track my actions. When I get into this mode, the pounds seem to fly off.

I’m down another three pounds since Friday. At first I was like, “Woohoo!” Then I wondered have I finally gotten so big that I’m at the “the bigger you are the faster you lose weight” stage. Ugh.

Tonight I baked Applesauce Oatmeal muffins. A sparkpeople.com recipe. They had me eating two for breakfast tomorrow and since I knew I’d never be able to actually bake with Jack awake in the morning, I decided to bake them tonight while everyone was asleep.

Jack woke up just as the muffins were done. Good boy.

Tuesday 1/13/09

I just had my spark-approved breakfast of:

Two applesauce oatmeal muffins

1 banana

1 strawberry/banana yogurt

1.5 tbs peanut butter

water

I looove peanut butter. I measured out the 1.5 tbs and put it in a ramekin, then I grabbed my banana, yogurt, two muffins, and headed back upstairs. Jack is sleeping so I’m all tippy-toey.

The muffins are good. I wish they were sweeter, but they may be just sweet enough. (Note: Donny later said he grabbed one of his way out to work and that they tasted like paper and ass. He gets on my nerves.) I think they’re perfect for a low-cal carb/sweet fix when you’re craving them. What I found particularly enjoyable was putting some peanut butter in my mouth before biting into a muffin. Yum.

Tonight I go to my two journalism classes; Intro. To Mass Communication and Basic Newswriting. This is the first time I’ll be going to an actual class (and not online) since 2007. At the same time that I’m excited to go and get out of the house, I’m also worried that Jack will not drink breastmilk from the bottle. We’ve tried giving him some after cereal feedings and he just kinda plays with it.

I pumped about five ounces and it’s in the fridge. Donny can take a bit of it and mix it with cereal for Jack’s dinner and then try to bottle feed him the rest. God, please let my baby eat while I’m gone.

Wed. 1/14/09

Last night, walking to my classroom, I damn near had a heart attack. It was like I was carrying ME on my back. I gotta lose weight. For real.

I am proud of myself for taking healthy snacks with me to school so that I wouldn’t be tempted to stop at Wendy’s on the way to school… and on the way home.

I brought with me carrots w/ lite ranch dressing, granola bars, and two bottles of water.

Today I had multi-grain cheerios, a banana, and 1.5 tbs of peanut butter for breakfast. My morning snack was strawberry yogurt.

For dinner I’m gonna have homemade pizzas, with homemade whole wheat dough, and low fat cheese. I’m thinking I may sauté some onions and MAYBE put some grilled chicken on there as well. I’m definitely going to experiment though because there are some good ways to have a healthy pizza and it’s relatively cheap to make. You surely save money having a big bag of whole wheat flour and a few packets of yeast (28 cents a packet) on hand versus ordering out.

Thurs 1/15/09

Class again today. The same thing: I had to walk from the parking deck to the English building and damn near had a heart attack. Just the effort of lifting my legs to take steps after awhile was almost too much to bear. I’m definitely walking uphill and the big bag with books and laptop doesn’t help either. I think we’ll know I’m making progress when I don’t write about what torture it is to walk to class.

The most unhealthy thing I had was a hot dog on a whole wheat bun before running out the door. Other than that it was my usual healthy breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

When I left class I walked to the building that houses the computer lab. I walked out of the English building into the biting cold and looked from the other building to the parking deck, from the parking deck back to the building. I could walk to the parking deck, get my car, and drive to the computer lab. I decided to walk. I need the exercise obviously.

Big mistake. It was cold and I’m out of shape. What was I thinking? By the time I walked into the warmth of the building I was panting with my mouth open, my face was red, my ears felt like they were gonna fall off, I was teary-eyed, and my nose was running. I had to get myself together before asking directions to the lab. After I got my log-in password to use the school’s wireless connection (my purpose for hitting up the lab), I walked to the parking deck.

That was probably the most vigorous exercise I’d had all week.

I’ve found that having good protein in the morning makes me less hungry in that break between breakfast and lunch. I’ve become a fan of smearing a tablespoon of peanut butter over a banana or even putting a little on my granola bars.

I pretty much devoured a big box of Multi-Grain Cheerios this week.

For lunch I had some tuna with whole wheat crackers and grape juice.

My driving home from class snack has been carrots with lite ranch dressing. I also drink lots of water during class.

Fri. 1/16/09

Ok, two weeks down. What’s the damage?

-2lbs

Two week total: 5lbs

I think today is an oatmeal kinda day. It’s cold outside. A cup of oatmeal w/ maybe a sprinkle of brown sugar instead of regular… some yogurt and granola for a mid-morning snack. Lunch: ham on wheat, carrots and cucumber w/ lite ranch, and a banana. Apple slices and granola bar for afternoon snack.

Not sure about dinner yet. I haven’t been downstairs so I don’t know what Donny may have taken out. I don’t smell anything cooking so I know he didn’t set a roast to cook in the slow-cooker (my new favorite meal.)

I think, from reflecting on this week, that next week it’s time to seriously add some exercise. I could have lost more, I’m sure, with it. I went to freecylce.org and someone is giving away a treadmill that is permanently on an incline. But, hey, free is free and free is me.

How bout you? How’d you do this week? Any tips/recipes you want to share?

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup old fashion rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup non-fat milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 egg whites
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sugar
raisins or nuts (optional)

Nutritional Info

	Fat: 0.5g Carbohydrates: 20.5g Calories:93.5 Protein: 2.9g

Soak the oats in milk for about one hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
Combine the oat mixture with the applesauce and egg whites, and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl measure and whisk the dry ingredients together.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined. Add nuts or raisins if desired.
Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough. Spoon muffin mixture into muffin pan.
Combine the cinnamon and sugar and top each muffin with some of the mixture.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.
Remove from pan, cool and enjoy.
These can be frozen and reheated in the microwave for a quick breakfast.

Number of Servings: 12