We started this morning, and I got my individual food plan.
Needless to say, it's very different from the way that I've been eating!
I need to eat a serving of protein at least 3x/day (tofu, fish, skinless chicken, low-fat cottage cheese - regular dairy, legumes or nuts/seeds don't count in this), 1 dairy serving/day, 1x day nuts/seeds, 1x/day whole grain, 1x/day legumes, 1x/day starchy veggie, 2x/day fruit, 4 tsp good oils/fats and a minimum of 5x/day veggies. Plus water - lots of water. No soft drinks, no caffeine after exercise. 3 meals/day plus 2 snacks, so that I'm eating every 3-4 hours and not having my blood sugar dip. Min. 30 min exercise, 6 days/week, and the grain gets eaten within 1 hour after the exercise.
The menu plan will need to be modified. Here are some of my thoughts:
Keep the hummus wrap, with veggies/sprouts. Make it on small tortilla instead of a large, and use 1/4 cup hummus or black bean dip. That will count for 1 grain, 1 legume, 1 veggie and possibly 1 oil. Eat after workout.
Breakfast: Keep a smoothie with 2 fruit, but change it to add protein powder and take away juice.
Lunch: veggies tofu curry, mock saag paneer curry, chicken over salad, salmon over salad, beef stew, chicken stir-fry with veggies
Dinner: balsamic salmon, roast chicken (3-4 oz.), turkey meatballs, egg, tofu curry, served with starchy vegetable (mashed or roast sweet potato, squash soup), regular cooked veg and a salad.
Snack #1: the hummus wrap with sprouts after the workout
Snack #2: veggies and greek yogurt dip, hard boiled egg
I'll need to plan Shabbat extra-carefully. I'm thinking of switching my schedule around so that most stuff is done ahead of time and I can workout just before dinner, so that I can have a serving of challah. The next day, do hummus, hard-boiled eggs, tomato, cucumber for breakfast, grain at lunch (with an extra grain if I do a massive walk in the afternoon) plus leftover chicken or beef stew, with veggies, guacamole and veggies for snack, another protein and veggie meal for dinner.
So far....I'm hungry, but not feeling bloated or sick. Time to eat.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Intake appointment for nutrition group
Had my initial appointment with the nutritionist, so that she could evaluate my life and develop a plan for me.
If I was Catholic, I would say that it's like going to confession. I had to be honest and admit my various health and food sins - the junk food at work, the lack of exercise, the fact that I often skip food and ride the adrenaline high until finally crashing when I do eat, the fact that I stay up WAY too late and then can't fall asleep and feel sluggish the next day.....
Clearly, what I am doing is not healthy. Cortisol and adrenaline and wild blood sugar swings are creating havoc on my body, and putting me at risk for all sorts of really nasty stuff. I also started to realize that I never really developed great habits, although I had some better periods (like when I was more active in high school). In the past, I looked skinny - but that was because I lost weight due to stress while eating fast food and chocolate.
It became even more painfully obviously to me that food and weight are just part of a bigger picture. One theme is that everything on the surface with me looks fine - but I cover up what's below. I don't look fat, but clinically I am. I talk about healthy eating and have a virtuous grocery cart - but I cheat at work when no one is looking. So, I need to come clean.
Tied in with that is being honest about my needs and actually scheduling them in, instead of sneaking around. My husband is actually good at this, which sometimes makes me jealous. My natural tendancy is to take on everything and forget about myself - making the kids' lunches but not my own, etc.
I need to do a master schedule, because that is how I work best. Without something in writing, I'm lost. I know that about myself. So, cravings don't really start at 2 p.m. at work. They start when I don't plan on Sat. night to make time on Sunday for shopping, scheduling and menu planning and prep.
I had a realization that the schedule doesn't have to seem too onerous. I can look at it the same way that I see a budget as permission to spend money. In other words - I can view exercise time as MY sacred time, and not feel that there is really something else that I need to be doing. I can view an earlier bedtime as permission to rest and not worry about things left undone. I can view work blocks as time to focus on work, without worrying about exercise or errands or calls. I can delegate the stuff that I don't like doing, so that I concentrate of the stuff that I do. This way - I'll sleep properly, do work when I should, shop and plan meals, have them ready to eat when I need them, exercise when I should and not worry about it the rest of the time, etc.
So, that's my homework for this weekend: Make a master schedule.
If I was Catholic, I would say that it's like going to confession. I had to be honest and admit my various health and food sins - the junk food at work, the lack of exercise, the fact that I often skip food and ride the adrenaline high until finally crashing when I do eat, the fact that I stay up WAY too late and then can't fall asleep and feel sluggish the next day.....
Clearly, what I am doing is not healthy. Cortisol and adrenaline and wild blood sugar swings are creating havoc on my body, and putting me at risk for all sorts of really nasty stuff. I also started to realize that I never really developed great habits, although I had some better periods (like when I was more active in high school). In the past, I looked skinny - but that was because I lost weight due to stress while eating fast food and chocolate.
It became even more painfully obviously to me that food and weight are just part of a bigger picture. One theme is that everything on the surface with me looks fine - but I cover up what's below. I don't look fat, but clinically I am. I talk about healthy eating and have a virtuous grocery cart - but I cheat at work when no one is looking. So, I need to come clean.
Tied in with that is being honest about my needs and actually scheduling them in, instead of sneaking around. My husband is actually good at this, which sometimes makes me jealous. My natural tendancy is to take on everything and forget about myself - making the kids' lunches but not my own, etc.
I need to do a master schedule, because that is how I work best. Without something in writing, I'm lost. I know that about myself. So, cravings don't really start at 2 p.m. at work. They start when I don't plan on Sat. night to make time on Sunday for shopping, scheduling and menu planning and prep.
I had a realization that the schedule doesn't have to seem too onerous. I can look at it the same way that I see a budget as permission to spend money. In other words - I can view exercise time as MY sacred time, and not feel that there is really something else that I need to be doing. I can view an earlier bedtime as permission to rest and not worry about things left undone. I can view work blocks as time to focus on work, without worrying about exercise or errands or calls. I can delegate the stuff that I don't like doing, so that I concentrate of the stuff that I do. This way - I'll sleep properly, do work when I should, shop and plan meals, have them ready to eat when I need them, exercise when I should and not worry about it the rest of the time, etc.
So, that's my homework for this weekend: Make a master schedule.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Joined nutrition group at gym
My initial weigh-in was 148 lbs - 2 lb for clothes = 146 lbs. If the electronic body composition scale is accurate, 36.5% of that is fat, which is classified as obese. It's a bit of a shock to see that, because I don't look obese, but I carry it in hidden spots and don't have the muscle mass to offset the numbers.
For the past couple of days, I've been good about making meals and following the meal plan.
I also got a bit more focused at work. Sept. was a disaster, with all of the holidays and my law clerk disappearing. Now, I'm actually at the office, and I got a new student to assist. That's keeping me more focused. So far, I'm making an effort to docket everything, and I managed to clean out the bottomless piles of files. My goal is to deal with everything up front, so that I'm more efficient and I don't have the stress that builds when I know that things are waiting.
That said, I'm no longer sure that my menu plan is so wonderful. The nutritionist said that the yogurt and nuts shouldn't be counted as protein, but considered carbs and fats, and she thought that my beloved morning smoothie was spiking my blood sugars. On the other hand - I finally figured out how to make quinoa that is properly cooked, and it worked well with curry.
Speaking of curry - my mock saag paneer was great last night, but it put me right to sleep! I crashed for the night just after 9 p.m. So, no work done, but I woke up refreshed, without an alarm clock, at 6 a.m., exercised, bathed a kid, and got all the lunches (including the adults) done in record time. I'll try to keep to earlier bedtimes (but not that early), but also want to avoid in general foods that will wipe me out. I keep trying to remember to drink water all day and keep eating small amounts to balance the blood sugars.
I need to build in workouts 4x/week. There is no way that I can do it otherwise. Maybe long walk Sat., workout Sunday, workout Tues. morning, workout Thursday - that sounds doable.
My goal - now in writing and made public at the gym as well as here - is to be down to 131 lbs by the middle of December. I'm motivating myself by thinking about that goal - how my picture is going to be displayed at the gym, and how I'll look and feel on vacation in January. It would also be a great start to my eventual goal of 123 lbs by Oct. 2011.
For the past couple of days, I've been good about making meals and following the meal plan.
I also got a bit more focused at work. Sept. was a disaster, with all of the holidays and my law clerk disappearing. Now, I'm actually at the office, and I got a new student to assist. That's keeping me more focused. So far, I'm making an effort to docket everything, and I managed to clean out the bottomless piles of files. My goal is to deal with everything up front, so that I'm more efficient and I don't have the stress that builds when I know that things are waiting.
That said, I'm no longer sure that my menu plan is so wonderful. The nutritionist said that the yogurt and nuts shouldn't be counted as protein, but considered carbs and fats, and she thought that my beloved morning smoothie was spiking my blood sugars. On the other hand - I finally figured out how to make quinoa that is properly cooked, and it worked well with curry.
Speaking of curry - my mock saag paneer was great last night, but it put me right to sleep! I crashed for the night just after 9 p.m. So, no work done, but I woke up refreshed, without an alarm clock, at 6 a.m., exercised, bathed a kid, and got all the lunches (including the adults) done in record time. I'll try to keep to earlier bedtimes (but not that early), but also want to avoid in general foods that will wipe me out. I keep trying to remember to drink water all day and keep eating small amounts to balance the blood sugars.
I need to build in workouts 4x/week. There is no way that I can do it otherwise. Maybe long walk Sat., workout Sunday, workout Tues. morning, workout Thursday - that sounds doable.
My goal - now in writing and made public at the gym as well as here - is to be down to 131 lbs by the middle of December. I'm motivating myself by thinking about that goal - how my picture is going to be displayed at the gym, and how I'll look and feel on vacation in January. It would also be a great start to my eventual goal of 123 lbs by Oct. 2011.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
One year till the big 4-0
I'm turning 39 this weekend.
That's motivation for turning all my half-assed schedules and plans into something firmer. I've got 365 days to make some solid changes.
So, my concrete goals to do by 40 are:
1. Get down to 125 lbs, which is right in the middle of my healthy BMI range and the weight at which I have historically felt most comfortable.
2. Get fit, so that I can run a mile, have plenty of energy for life, and engage in some fun fitness activities without hesitation.
3. Get a firm grip on finances - stay out of debt, pay down mortgage aggressively, develop and keep a budget, finance upcoming expenses without stress.
4. Develop better sleep habits, getting to bed before midnight.
5. Eat healthy foods (since it would be theoretically possible to lose weight while eating complete crap - I've done it before), with a focus on eating real foods.
6. Keeping focusing on family time: being on top of things with the kids, and making couple time.
7. Try to keep up with friends, etc. in a way that makes sense with my schedule - using Fri. night/Sat., reconnecting where possible.
Plan to get there in 365 days:
1. Get down to 140 by Nov. 11, so that I won't be overweight at the Dr. appointment. After that, lose an additional 15 lbs, hopefully by January.
2. Turn off computer every night and get into bed before 12 midnight.
3. Make a DETAILED master schedule on computer (not scrap paper), and save as a template. Every Sat. night or Sunday, customize it for the next week. Include EVERYTHING - every meal and snack for everyone in the family, exercise, work routines, etc. Then, follow it!
4. Don't keep cash around, so that I can't buy junk. Record every credit card purchase.
5. Docket daily, do billing/accounting weekly, do month end stuff on time. Record everything, both business and personal.
6. Schedule in time for the good stuff too - time for family, time for friends, time for self.
7. Keep this image of a trimmer, fitter, more relaxed, more accomplished self at my 40th birthday, and work toward it every day.
8. Keep this journal of the journey there.
That's motivation for turning all my half-assed schedules and plans into something firmer. I've got 365 days to make some solid changes.
So, my concrete goals to do by 40 are:
1. Get down to 125 lbs, which is right in the middle of my healthy BMI range and the weight at which I have historically felt most comfortable.
2. Get fit, so that I can run a mile, have plenty of energy for life, and engage in some fun fitness activities without hesitation.
3. Get a firm grip on finances - stay out of debt, pay down mortgage aggressively, develop and keep a budget, finance upcoming expenses without stress.
4. Develop better sleep habits, getting to bed before midnight.
5. Eat healthy foods (since it would be theoretically possible to lose weight while eating complete crap - I've done it before), with a focus on eating real foods.
6. Keeping focusing on family time: being on top of things with the kids, and making couple time.
7. Try to keep up with friends, etc. in a way that makes sense with my schedule - using Fri. night/Sat., reconnecting where possible.
Plan to get there in 365 days:
1. Get down to 140 by Nov. 11, so that I won't be overweight at the Dr. appointment. After that, lose an additional 15 lbs, hopefully by January.
2. Turn off computer every night and get into bed before 12 midnight.
3. Make a DETAILED master schedule on computer (not scrap paper), and save as a template. Every Sat. night or Sunday, customize it for the next week. Include EVERYTHING - every meal and snack for everyone in the family, exercise, work routines, etc. Then, follow it!
4. Don't keep cash around, so that I can't buy junk. Record every credit card purchase.
5. Docket daily, do billing/accounting weekly, do month end stuff on time. Record everything, both business and personal.
6. Schedule in time for the good stuff too - time for family, time for friends, time for self.
7. Keep this image of a trimmer, fitter, more relaxed, more accomplished self at my 40th birthday, and work toward it every day.
8. Keep this journal of the journey there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)