Nancy Weighs In: 2019

Saturday, December 14, 2019

12/14/2019 Weigh In

210.5. No change from 12/12.

The TRX exercise system has not yet arrived; it's scheduled to get here on 12/18, which is this coming Wednesday. Just in time for Christmas!

I'm doing well this holiday season. I've not eaten any Christmas cookies or made any Christmas goodies. That will change for four days when Tess and Kraig get here; they will want Christmas sugar. I will make ONE (count it, ONE) eggnog cheesecake, and I will make pie crust cookies (I'll bring a plate of those to the neighbors next door). Then I will toss the rest of the wheat flour, since that's a BIG evil food for me; pie crust dough is about my favorite food on the freaking PLANET. Horrible for me, of course, but I do love the stuff. Always have. But I can't eat it if I don't have the ingredients around to make it. That's called "removing opportunity." It works.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
10:00 am: Personal trainer, water
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Dinner: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Thursday, December 12, 2019

12/12/2019 Weigh In

210.5, down 1.5 lb from yesterday's 212.0. Another 1.5 lb and I'll be owing myself a reward for losing another 10 lb!

I'm definitely back on the straight and narrow!

The TRX exercise system has not yet arrived; it's stuck in limbo in the UPS system because I want my UPS boxes delivered to a safe address. Well, it will get here eventually.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
10:30 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Dinner: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

12/11/2019 Weigh In

212.0, down one pound from 12/9/2019's 213.0.

I'm back on the straight and narrow, and the loss of the pound I gained in Meddy Oulde England shows that. Now to keep it up and get more off!

I ordered a TRX exercise system (they were having a half-price sale), and it shipped last night;. That will help with keeping the strength up and it will also help a LOT with my sore hips (which so effectively prevent me from moving much). This is the system they have at the gym; straps support me as I bend and squat and move my joints in ways that would surely have me falling on my head if I didn't have the straps to support me.

And there's always the NordicTrack. I've been remiss with that lately, and I notice the difference in breathing and in ability to walk any distance at all. With the travel plans I have for next summer, I'd better get my butt in gear and get on that.

I'm also needing to increase my water intake. I'm thirsty!! No, I'm not showing a high blood sugar; my A1C was "perfect" last year, and it will be again this year since I'm not eating piles of processed sugar (and will avoid most sugar over the Christmas holidays). I simply am dehydrated. Traveling has done that, I think. Airplanes are desiccators.

Today's Plan:

Monday, December 9, 2019

12/9/2019 Weigh In

213.0, up one pound from 11/22/2019's 212.0.

I'm actually quite pleased with that. Thanksgiving ... Hog-Out Holiday ... happened in the interim, as did a week-long trip to London, which is the Land of Scones and Clotted Cream. I gained only a pound over the two weeks, despite all that. I could have lost weight (I certainly did enough walking in London), but I didn't. No excuses. And yes, I enjoyed myself.

I shall be back on the straight and narrow today. I have some grocery shopping to do for salad stuff (mine wilted) and eggs, but that will be an easy thing to do.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Chicken thigh (air fried), water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Friday, November 22, 2019

11/22/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change since 11/17; that was Sunday and today is Friday. I stepped on the scales yesterday, but did not have time to make the blog entry.

It's been five days without change. I hate ... HATE ... plateaus. They are frustrating as all get out. If this one does not break tomorrow, I will do an egg-grapefruit day tomorrow to kick it into gear.

Next week is Thanksgiving. I'm off to the Boston area to visit my daughter; we plan to do sushi on the holiday itself (no one in my family, including me, likes turkey). I'm staying in a friend's condo in Gloucester, MA, about two blocks from the beach ... to which I will go and walk. I can walk a beach for miles and miles. The ocean air, even in late November, does something for me.

Jim wanted to be scattered at sea. I will fill four small urns with his ashes, one each for his three sons and one for me, and keep those, and I have part of his ashes (and his eyeglasses) in a lovely rosewood box urn on my dining-room mantel. That box urn I will eventually cause to be interred in a national cemetery (he was a veteran, and I will have my ashes interred with his when the time comes), but I will do as he wished and scatter the rest of his ashes on the Gloucester shore this Thanksgiving. It's been five years as of 12/7; it's time to follow his wishes.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

11/20/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change. For several days now, no change.

Well, that's frustrating. I HATE plateaus like this. I followed my Plan to a T yesterday. If I do that again today and tomorrow and still lose nothing, I'm kickstarting this process with an egg-grapefruit day on Friday.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: Climb the State St. hill
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

11/19/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change. Again. Sigh. Well, that's what I get for not following yesteday's Plan well. I had two bowls of yogurt last night, and I put butter on my Wasa bread. On the other hand, I drank all the water I was supposed to drink yesterday.

Exercise becomes a necessity today; it's snowing enough to require me to shovel the sidewalk. So ... I shall shovel the sidewalk after I get home from the 341a meeting I must attend with a client. And I get to test out how my CR-V does in the snow!

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: Shovel snow off my sidewalk
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 Shovel snow off my sidewalk
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Monday, November 18, 2019

11/18/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change from yesterday.

I have no profound words this morning; I'll just keep on plugging away, taking the weight off little bit by little bit.

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Sunday, November 17, 2019

11/17/2019 Weigh In

212.0, down 0.75 from 11/15's 212.75. I forgot to step onto the scales yesterday.

Hey, I've lost 17 lb since I started on 10/6 (I started, if you recall, at 229 lb)! And that's WITH the yogurt "cheat" every night! I shall continue the yogurt "cheat"; it adds good flora to my gut, it tastes good, and it keeps me away from worse things ... like chocolate ice cream... I mix 1 tbsp of Hershey's special dark cocoa powder and 1 tbsp of sweetener into two ice-cream scoops (about 1 cup) of plain nonfat thick Greek yogurt (all that is about 90 calories).

I have three more pounds to go for my next Reward (another new pair of yoga pants). I think I'll wear yoga pants on the plane to and from London (whence I shall travel very soon), along with my pressure socks and a t-shirt and a sweater.

I saw "Mary Poppins" at Schenectady Light Opera Company (SLOC) yesterday (the show was delightful!). At intermission, they had for sale soda and cookies and muffins. I bought water. And I walked to and from SLOC ... probably a total of about a mile. I need to walk more.

Friday, November 15, 2019

11/15/2019

212.75, down 0.25 from yesterday's 213.

Excellent! I seem to be doing well!

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: Walk up and down the State St Hill at least from Broadway to Pearl St., water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/14/2019 Weigh In

213, down 0.5 lb from yesterday's 213.5.

Okay then!

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

11/13/2019 Weigh In

213.5. No change.

Thank goodness no change. I ended up finishing off the crackers in the house last night, on top of following my Plan for the rest of the day. That added probably 1000-1100 calories to yesterday's intake. That can't go on, of course; the rationalization is that now the crackers are GONE and I'm not buying any more. But did I need to finish them all off last night? I did not. I simply had a case of late-night munchies.

Back to the straight and narrow today.

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

11/12/2019 Weigh In

213.5. No change from yesterday, and that's fine.

I was completely and delightedly startled by yesterday's precipitous drop and don't expect the same drop day after day after day ... though that would be nice!

I got back on the straight and narrow yesterday (well, all but the package of Club crackers I ate last night ... the last package of Club crackers in the house). I will stay on the straight and narrow today.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Monday, November 11, 2019

11/11/2019 Weigh In

213.25, down 1.75 from two days ago's 215!

Well ... that's a nice surprise!! I got very, VERY lazy yesterday and went entirely off-track. Didn't even weigh in. Food and drink consisted of three stacks of Ritz crackers (at 480 calories each) and five cups of cocoa brewed with peppermint tea (now THAT is How To Make Cocoa...).

Today I'm thirsty and I don't feel great (not bad ... just not great). I will get right back on the bandwagon and drink my eight glasses of water and eat right.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Saturday, November 9, 2019

11/9/2019 Weigh In

215, down 0.25 from yesterday's 215.25.

Yesterday's egg-grapefruit day was a success. Eight eggs, eight grapefruit halves, eight glasses of water and nothing else for one day cleanses the system and kickstarts the weight loss. 0.25 lb is a good start; we'll see what tomorrow brings.

And I'm almost halfway to my 10-lb mini goal (10 pounds is a far more achievable goal than is the ultimate goal of 150 lb; that's 65 lb from now, and I need to break that one down; the whole goal is just daunting. I will get there, little bit by little bit).

I've been bad about climbing onto my NordicTrack lately; I'll use today to kick that back into gear.

Today's Plan:

Friday, November 8, 2019

11/8/2019 Weigh In

215.25. No change.

Well, that's surprising, considering all the Club crackers I ate last night.

I shall do an egg-grapefruit day today to clean that mess up.

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
11 am: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, 5 minutes walking, water
Lunch: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
3 pm: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
5 pm: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
7:30 pm: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
9:30 pm: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit

Thursday, November 7, 2019

11/7/2019 Weigh In

215.25, down from the aberrant 215.5 of yesterday and back to where I was two days ago.

Good. No Club crackers last night!

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes walking, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
12:30: gym with personal trainer
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

11/6/2019 Weigh In

215.5, up 0.25 from yesterday’s 215.25.

That’s what I get for eating a stack of Club Crackers at 3 a.m.

I couldn’t sleep last night, I was so hungry. I’m not sure why; usually, I’m fine after the yogurt. But last night, I was STARVING. And thus I made a bad choice.

Tonight I have a date. We’re meeting at the coffee shop at Barnes and Noble in Wilton. His name is Richmond; I don’t know his surname, which is fine; he doesn’t know mine, either. We’ll see what happens....

Today's Plan:

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

11/5/2019 Weigh In

215.25, down 0.25 from yesterday! Little bit by little bit...

I cannot sing the praises of the old Diet Center weight-loss diet highly enough. It works. I feel good while I'm on it. And the weight comes off at a healthy rate.

Diet Center has revamped its weight-loss diet, I believe; it's now online and not quite so regimented. Me, I like the old regimen. I don't need the online thing, I have done this and am doing it on my own, and I have no doubt that I will reach my goal weight.

However, I have a trip coming up; I'm off to London right after Thanksgiving. The eating regimen will be different for a week. I will take food with me on the plane for the trip so I don't eat airline food on the way over. I will get a lot of exercise while I'm there; I'm going to be walking around museums and around the streets of London doing the tourist stuff I've never done. I will, though, maintain control of my eating whilst there, but I will not kick myself for stalling or even gaining a bit over that week; I will simply return to the regimen when I get back.

Last year at the holidays, I said those very words and didn't follow through. I ate whatever I damn well pleased from November until October; the result was that I gained back 29 of the 50-something pounds I lost last year. I shall remember that, and not repeat the mistake.

Today's Plan:

Monday, November 4, 2019

11/4/2019 Weigh In

215.5. No change from yesterday. And that's okay.

I didn't quite follow my Plan yesterday. I skipped lunch; had brunch instead because I didn't get my keister downstairs to the kitchen until around 12:30-12:45. So I gave myself a three-egg-white-one-egg-yolk spinach omelette and a bowl of strawberries for brunch, then chicken and bok choy for dinner. Not a huge deviation, but worth mentioning.

Daylight savings time ended yesterday. Can't wait for March when it starts up again!

Today's Plan (which I shall follow better, since it's NOT 12:30 at this moment):

Sunday, November 3, 2019

11/3/2019 Weigh In

215.5, down 0.5 lb from yesterday's 216.

It's coming off! Every loss is a win for me and my health! Little bit by little bit, I'm losing all there is of it ("it" being the extra tonnage).

And now it's time to eat. I'm hungry, and it's well past breakfast time.

Today’s Plan:

Saturday, November 2, 2019

11/2/2019 Weigh In

216.0. No change.

It's a gray day. We had a big windstorm a couple of nights ago that knocked most of the leaves down from the trees, so it's beginning to look a lot like winter. I already can't wait for the dead sticks that are the hibernating trees to come to life again ... in May. And Daylight Savings Time ends tomorrow. Darkness will reign. In 50 days, we'll have the winter solstice ... and then Christmas is upon us. And another year will be gone into the history books.

Winter is not my favorite season. Jim died in the winter (Dec 7). The days are short in the winter, and the nights long; I don't react well to that much darkness. It's always a sad season for me. But then spring comes and things look up again ... eventually.

At least there's no snow on the ground ... yet.

Meanwhile, we go through day by day. Just because winter is a sad season does not give me a reason to break my healthy eating. So ...

Today’s Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken stir-fried with bok choy, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Friday, November 1, 2019

11/1/2019 Weigh In

216.0. After losing 2.5 pounds in two days, no change is no surprise.

Today is the Measurements Day; it's the first of the month. Here we go:

	10/6/19	11/1/19	Month Difference
Weight	229	216	13
Bust	46.5	46	0.5
Waist	47	45	2
Hips	46.5	44	2.5
Upper Arm L	13.25	13.25	0
Upper Arm R	14	13.75	0.25
Mid-Thigh L	22.5	21	1.5
Mid-Thigh R	23	22.75	0.25
Calf L	15	14.75	0.25
Calf R	15.5	15	0.5
Inches Lost	243.25	7.75	7.75

I'm down 13 pounds and 7.75 inches overall. In less than a month. There's a WIN!! The next milestone is 209 lb ... that will be 20 lb gone. The goal after I hit the 209 goal will take me to 199 ... and I'll have to move the heavy weight on the scale! But I have seven pounds to go from where I am now to get to 209. Well, all I need to do is Follow The Plan. Easy enough.

Today’s Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken stir-fried with bok choy, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Thursday, October 31, 2019

10/31/2019

216.0, down 1.75 lb from yesterday's 217.75!!!!!

WTF!!!!! HUGE WIN!!!!!!!!!

This won't continue, but WOW!!! I dropped 2.5 lb in 2 days (I was 218.5 on 10/29)!! It's drops like this that make plateaus worth tolerating. Clearly the Plan is working for me.

I'm not bored with the same. old. thing every day; the food is good, and I mix it up in the salads. Right now my salad has lettuce and three colors of peppers in it (red, yellow and orange). Tonight I'll have bok choy stir-fried with my chicken for dinner.

I've been combining pre-breakfast, breakfast and 10 a.m. fruit by starting the day with three glasses of water-with-lemon-juice and putting 1C strawberries on my bran pancake.

Today’s Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken stir-fried with bok choy, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

10/30/2019 Weigh In

217.75, down 0.5 lb from yesterday’s 218.5! Yeah!! It does work!! WIN!!!

The tricks, of course, are to (1) actually reach my goal weight, and (2) actually maintain my goal weight once I’ve reached it. I have never persevered long enough to actually hit my goal. Ever. In my entire weight-loss history (and that history is extensive) I have never once gotten to goal. So: here’s the challenge. I will reach my goal of 160 lb within one year. It’s on my calendar.

After I reach my goal, I will do monthly challenges to maintain that goal weight. But let’s reach it first.

Today’s Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
10:30 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
1:45 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

10/29/2019 Weigh In

218.5, down 0.5 from yesterday's 219! Hurray!! I'm working on the next 10 pounds!! 9.5 pounds to go .... It's so much easier for me to put it on than it is to take it off, so I'm really quite proud of myself for losing the 10 pounds in three weeks; it will probably take a bit longer than that to lose the next 10, though; it's coming off in fits and starts, little bit by little bit. Well, 2 lb per week is a healthy rate. Frustrating, but healthy.

The Plan with the NordicTrack ... yeah, that didn't work out. I did 5 minutes on the machine yesterday. But I ate right and will work up my time on the machine. So let's be a bit more realistic today.

My Reward comes today; I ordered these red yoga pants from Amazon. They should really be quite stunning! And they give me something other than shorts and the black yoga pants to wear to the gym ... which is good!

I have to modify the Plan today; I have a dentist's appointment at 11 (for fillings; I hope to God he uses his laser drill and not novocaine) and a client coming in at 2. But it still works!

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
9:30 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
11 am: dentist
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
1:45 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Monday, October 28, 2019

10/28/2019 Weigh In

219.0. Again no change.

I rewarded myself for the 10 pounds lost yesterday with a new pair of RED yoga pants. They should arrive from Amazon tomorrow.

I didn't go badly off my Plan yesterday, but I did eat an extra bread serving. For whatever reason, I was HUNGRY last night. I don't know why; usually, I'm not hungry on this new lifestyle. Maybe I was just bored.

Y'know, I bet that if I climb on my NordicTrack for half an hour each day, the numbers might go down faster. What do you think? I'll give that a whirl this week and see what happens.

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
9 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
10 am: Strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
1 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
2 pm: Wasa, water
3 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Sunday, October 27, 2019

10/27/2019 Weigh In

219! Down 0.25 from yesterday! Ten pounds gone from the start of this phase of losing the tonnage, three weeks ago! HUGE win!! Time for a REWARD!! Mama needs a new pair of yoga pants!

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 am: Strawberries, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Saturday, October 26, 2019

10/26/2019 Weigh In

219.25. Still no change. But 9.75 pounds gone from the day I restarted, so that's good. Only 0.75 pounds of it were this week, though; that's bad.

This is one tough plateau. It will break eventually, but "eventually" is taking its own sweet time coming, I must say! Talk about frustrating....

Yesterday did not go as planned at all. I ended up actually eating less than planned; I skipped out on breakfast and lunch. I had an extra piece of fruit, dinner, both bread servings and the yogurt. But I can't really do that every day; I was hungry by the time I finally ate, and I'm sure I didn't get all the nutrition my body requires on a daily basis. And I didn't drink nearly enough; I think I got in only half of the water requirement. Well, I'll do better today.

Gotta go grocery shopping today with the $67 left in my checking account after paying the massive bills this month. But I only need lettuce and chicken; those are cheap. And payday is on Friday, so we're good.

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 am: Strawberries, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Friday, October 25, 2019

10/25/2019 Weigh In

219.25. No change.

It’s coming off, but in its usual fits and starts. Ugh. That’s the frustrating part of this journey.

Of course, yesterday did not go according to plan. I forgot when planning it that I had Toastmasters last night, which screwed with the planned times. Today will be better; I have no evening plans.

Here’s wishing for daily visible weight drop! But I know that’s pie in the sky. It comes off at its own rate. Little bit by little bit.

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 am: Strawberries, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Thursday, October 24, 2019

10/24/2019 Weigh In

219.25. No change from yesterday.

That's not a huge surprise, given that I ate sushi last night. It was good sushi, too, but it's not on the Approved Foods List at all (well, the fish is, but rice? Not!!). At least I didn't gain.

So. Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 am: Strawberries, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water

I'll skip the yogurt tonight unless I'm really hungry at 9:30 pm.

I go to the gym for a personal training session today. That's a Good Thing.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

10/23/2019 Weigh In

219.25, down 0.75 from yesterday's 220.

Gotta love an egg-grapefruit day! It's not even all that difficult to do; I got munchie/hungry last night at bedtime, but that's really the only time I was hungry all day, and I did manage to survive that. However, it is only for ONE DAY; more than that and I lose all those phytochemicals in the veggies and I would build up my already high bad cholesterol from all those egg yolks. I try to limit egg-grapefruit days to only one per month.

Today is a different kettle of fish. I have a dinner planned with my friends at a sushi restaurant. An all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant. While fun, I shall keep a tight eye on what, exactly, I'm eating. And no tea/lemonade mix; just water tonight.

Today's Plan
Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 a.m.: Pear, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5:30 pm: Salad, water
Dinner: Sushi, water
7:30 pm: Apple
9:30 pm: Yogurt

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

10/22/2019 Weigh In

220. No change. Again. No change since Saturday, and today is Tuesday.

Hmmm.

Egg-grapefruit day today.

You know, the funny thing about an egg-grapefruit day is that you really are not hungry. It's rigorous and it's nothing to do every day, but I don't get hungry on it. And it actually works. I expect to see SOME change tomorrow after having completed it.

Today's Plan
Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: 1 egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
10 am: 1 egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
Lunch: 1 egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
2 pm: 1 egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
4 pm: 1 egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
Dinner: 1 egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
7:30 pm: 1 egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
9:30 pm: 1 egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water

Of course, it would help to hop up on the Nordic Track for half an hour. I haven't done that, and I do need to start. Gotta get in shape for the Great Western Trek next summer (or the summer after; depends on money)!

Oh, hey ... it's Derek Jacobi's birthday today! Happy Birthday, Sir Derek!

Monday, October 21, 2019

10/21/2019 Weigh In

220.0. No change. Yet again.

This is still called a plateau. Frustration increases since I've been following my Plan and am still seeing no immediate results. If this happens again tomorrow, I'll do an egg-grapefruit day to kick the weight loss back into gear (gotta get some real, uncracked eggs for that; all I have are egg whites).

I'm on a panel, speaking tonight, so I need to vary my Plan just a bit.

Today’s Plan
Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 a.m.: Strawberries, water
Lunch: Egg white and spinach scramble, water
2 p.m.: Wasa, water
4 p.m.: Wasa, water
Dinner: Chicken with Diet Center mayo, salad, water
9:30 p.m.: Yogurt with apple chunks in it (with cinnamon and stevia ... yum!), water

Sunday, October 20, 2019

10/20/2019 Weigh In

220.0. No change. Again.

This is called a plateau. Frustration reigns since I've been following my Plan and am seeing no immediate results. As a member of the first TV generation, I'm used to instant gratification; I want it NOW. Well, I guess I'm paying for that one-pound precipitous drop a few days ago.

Nine pounds gone from Day 1 of this weight-loss session. That's a win.

Today’s Plan
Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water (1/4 C egg whites, 2 Tbsp unprocessed wheat bran, cinnamon, stevia)
10 a.m.: Apple, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 p.m.: Wasa, water
4 p.m.: Wasa, water
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7:30 p.m.: Strawberries, water
9:30 p.m.: Yogurt (with 1 Tbsp dark chocolate powder, 1 tsp stevia, a few drops almond extract ... yum)

Saturday, October 19, 2019

10/19/2019 Weigh In

220.0, down nothing from yesterday. That's not a surprise, but...

I have lost 9 pounds in two weeks! WIN!!

Today’s Plan
Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 a.m.: Strawberries, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 p.m.: Wasa, water
4 p.m.: Wasa, water
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7:30 p.m.: Apple, water
9:30 p.m.: Yogurt

Personal training this morning, and I'm running late. Of course.

Friday, October 18, 2019

10/18/2019 Weigh In

220.0, down one pound from yesterday’s 221.0!

I have lost 9 pounds in two weeks! WIN!!

I had a hard time sticking to my Plan yesterday due to scheduling; I wasn’t hungry at all, probably because I was so busy. So the fish salad I was supposed to have for dinner morphed into an egg-white-and-spinach scramble ... which was quick, easy, and quite tasty and filling (who knew!).

Today’s Plan
Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 a.m.: Strawberries, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 p.m.: Wasa, water
4 p.m.: Wasa, water
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7:30 p.m.: Apple, water
9:30 p.m.: Yogurt

Thursday, October 17, 2019

10/17/2019 Weigh In

221.0, down 0.75 from yesterday’s 221.75.

Okay then! It’s coming off!

I varied from yesterday’s plan only by subbing a bowl of strawberries for the Orange last night. But this Plan is very, very easy to stick to. I don’t get hungry, cravings are in the background and quite manageable. I eat nine times per day, so feeding my need to eat something is satiated. Yeah, this plan works. And I feel good. I have more energy.

Today’s Plan
Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 a.m.: Apple, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 p.m.: Wasa, water
4 p.m.: Wasa, water
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7:30 p.m.: Orange, water
9:30 p.m.: Yogurt

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

10/16/2019 Weigh In

221.75, no change from yesterday.

That's no surprise. I did, after all, drop over a pound between yesterday and the day before. Little bit by little bit.

TODAY'S PLAN
Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 a.m.: Apple, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 p.m.: Wasa, water
4 p.m.: Wasa, water
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7:30 p.m.: Orange, water
9:30 p.m.: Yogurt

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

10/15/2019 Weigh In

221.25, down 1.25 lb from yesterday's 222.5!!

YEAH!!!!

I'll take it!!

2.75 lb to go to my first reward for losing 10 lb! Let's see: that reward should be ... hmmm. I'll figure it out. There's nothing I really desperately want or need right now.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: lemon juice, vitamins

Breakfast: Bran pancake, water

10 a.m.: Orange, water

Lunch: Chicken salad, water

2 pm: Wasa, water

4 pm: Wasa, water

Dinner: Fish salad, water

7:30 pm: Apple, water

9:30 pm: Yogurt

1/2 hour exercise

Monday, October 14, 2019

10/14/2019 Weigh In

222.5, down from yesterday's 222.75.

There's a poem that I read as a kid about a child who wants a little bit of pie. Then another little bit of pie. Then another, and another and another. Finally, "Little bit by little bit,/You've eaten all there was of it." Well, little bit by little bit, my weight goes down and down and down. Finally, I will reach my goal weight. Little bit by little bit.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 am: apple, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
Dinner: Chicken salad, water
7:30 pm: Orange, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

1/2 hour exercise (Nordic Track)

Sunday, October 13, 2019

10/13/2019 Weigh In

222.75, down from yesterday's 223.0.

Hey. 0.25 pound is 0.25 pound. It's better than nothing. And I was hungry yesterday. I was (and am) very proud of myself for sticking to my Plan! I did NOT eat crackers. I did NOT eat a second dish of yogurt. I did NOT eat pizza. And I could have. But that would have sabotaged the Plan. All I did was move the times up by half an hour. That worked.

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, water
10 a.m.: Strawberries, water
Lunch: Fish salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
Dinner: Stir-fried chicken and bok choy, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Saturday, October 12, 2019

10/12/2019 Weigh In

223.0, down from yesterday's 223.75 (no change yesterday from 10/10).

0.75 lb gone. Last Saturday, I weighed 229.0, so there is now six pounds less of me this week! I'm happy about that!

No time to ruminate on it, though; gotta get ready to go to my personal training session this morning. And the traffic will be horrid, I think.

Today's Plan is the same as every day's Plan. It works well for me.

Pre-breakfast: lemon juice, vitamins

Breakfast: Bran pancake, water

10 a.m.: Apple (in the car), water

Lunch: Chicken salad, water

2 pm: Wasa, water

4 pm: Wasa, water

Dinner: Fish salad, water

7:30 pm: Pear, water

9:30 pm: Yogurt

Thursday, October 10, 2019

10/10/2019 Weigh In

223.75, down from yesterday's 224.75.

A pound a day! Very, very nice! I'll take it! At that rate, I would be 70 pounds lighter in 70 days ... by Christmas. Yeah, like that's going to happen.

The reducing diet is going well. I'm a little hungry by meal times, but the meal satisfies. Yesterday's herbal teas kept me happy for snack in the morning. Today I'm doing fruit for a morning snack ... actually, for a top-off to breakfast, since I just woke up at 10 a.m. So the very first thing I get to do is drink three glasses of water, one with lemon juice in it, eat a bran pancake and ... oh, I'll eat an apple first thing.

Lunch is chicken salad and water. Right now, I have to thaw the chicken.

2 pm is herbal tea.

3 pm is Wasa and water.

Dinner will have to be early today; I have a Toastmasters meeting at 6, so dinner, fish (probably halibut tonight; I bought haddock, halibut and salmon yesterday), Wasa and water, will be at 5.

I'll get home from the Toastmasters meeting at about 8:45, at which point I'll have a bowl of strawberries and water.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

10/9/2019 Weigh In

224.75, down from yesterday's 225.75.

Another pound gone!

The rate won't last, but I'll take it while it's good for the taking.

Today I have meetings all day. That means, of course, that I must brown-bag my lunch and daytime snacks. I have herbal tea and Wasa at work, but no salad or protein (other than protein powder which is not in the Plan). I shall bring with me a bag of salad greens and a cooked salmon fillet. As my husband always said, "Prior planning prevents poor performance."

Today's Plan:

Pre-Breakfast: glass of lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: bran pancake made with cinnamon and stevia, water
10 a.m.: herbal tea, water
Lunch: salad, salmon, water
2 p.m.: Wasa, water
4 p.m.: herbal tea, Wasa, water
Dinner: salad, chicken, water
7:30 p.m.: apple, water
9:30 p.m.: 1/2 C Greek yogurt with cocoa powder and almond extract, water

UPDATE:

Yeah, the schedule worked sort of okay today. And the herbal tea worked magnificently as a midmorning and mid afternoon pick-me-up. I had fish for dinner rather than chicken. I was hungry at dinnertime, but the salad, fish, apple and water filled me nicely, and 1/4 C of yogurt was probably overkill.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

10/8/2019 Weigh In

225.75, down 1.25 lb. from yesterday's 227.0.

YES!! 1.25 lb lost yesterday ... I'll take it.

And I woke up this morning not hungry. Yes, I can easily eat, but I'm certainly not ravenously hungry. I rather like the two cheats I had yesterday (an extra piece of fruit and 1/2 C plain nonfat Greek yogurt with almond extract, Stevia and cocoa powder); they seem to satisfy the hunger. I shall keep them for the moment.

I am working on exorcising the demon that has kept me fat for all these years. I've always been heavy, and that has sat badly with a demon whose voice has been with me forever. The driving force behind that demon ... a fat-shaming close family member ... has been dead and gone for nearly five years now, and it's time to get that voice out of my head. I deserve to be fit and healthy ... even though, yes, I'm now in my 60s and have arthritis in one hip and extraordinarily tight hip flexors in both hips, so I now walk with a gimp and can't run at all. I walk, actually, like my grandmother walked ... grabbing onto solid objects as I pass them for support. That pisses me off. I never liked that grandmother much.

This is the shape I need to get out of before I go on my Grand Tour of (some of) the western National Parks next summer. Weight loss, NordicTrack, and personal trainer to the rescue!

Goals. Time to set goals. I will weigh 210 lb by Thanksgiving. That's a goal. It's achievable; not easy, but achievable. I have 1.5 months to lose 15.75 lb. It's an important goal; I'm off to England for a week right after Thanksgiving! First time in decades I will have visited London!

Long-term, 145 remains the pie-in-the-sky dream, but that is totally invisible to me at this moment. I'll do this in shorter chunks.

So. Today's Plan:

Pre-Breakfast: glass of lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: bran pancake made with cinnamon and stevia, water
10 a.m.: orange, water
Lunch: salad, chicken, water
2 p.m.: Wasa, water
4 p.m.: 1/2 C Greek yogurt with cocoa powder & almond extract, water
Dinner: salad, chicken, Wasa, water
7:30 p.m.: apple, water
9:30 p.m.: 1 C strawberries, water

The yogurt and the strawberries are cheats on the strict diet. I figure that if I plan the cheats, I won't cheat the Plan.

UPDATE at 10:26 pm:

I stuck to the Plan ... except for some of the times. I exchanged the timing of the Greek yogurt and the strawberries (1 cup of strawberries is less than I wanted it to be...), and I had the Greek yogurt at 8:15, not at 9:30. I am now going to bed comfortably full.

Tomorrow will be challenging since I'll be in my office all day with clients. I'll likely do the same Plan tomorrow, except I'll substitute salmon for chicken for lunch.

Monday, October 7, 2019

10/7/2019 Weigh In

227.0, down from yesterday's 229.0.

That feels good. Two pounds gone in one day on the conditioning diet. Today begins the weight-loss diet. That's a whole different kettle of fish. Speaking of which, I'll be eating a lot of fish. And chicken.

As lovely as it is, the two-pounds-per-day thing will not last; I know that. I will hit plateaus, I will get frustrated, I will curse and vent and bitch and moan ... and the weight will come off. It just won't do it the way I want it to. Well, so be it. When needed, I'll do an egg-grapefruit day.

And it's time to get onto the NordicTrack. That will do at least two things: it will help the weight peel off and it will get me into shape for my Grand Plan for next summer.

It's also time to start taking advantage of the swimming membership I have at the gym. I love to swim. I love to be in the water. But it's something of a PITA to drive from Schenectady to Guilderland to do that.

Time to eat breakfast. Breakfast will be a glass of water, then a bran pancake (2 Tbsp unprocessed bran, 1 egg, some flavoring ... I'll use cinnamon) and a glass of lemon juice/water and vitamins. That'll keep me going til 10:30, at which point I'll have a pear and a glass of water. Then at noon I'll eat a salad with lots of lettuce and spinach and some chicken and a glass of water. At 3 pm, I'll have a Wasa and a glass of water. For dinner at 6, I'll have broiled salmon, lots of salad, Wasa and water. For snack at 7:30, I'll have an apple and water. And I'll spend the entire day peeing. When I get hungry in the evening, I'll climb on the NordicTrack and get my blood sugar cranked up with some exercise.

So ... that's the Plan for today.

UPDATE: I stuck to the Plan pretty well today. I added 1/2 cup Greek yogurt with almond extract and cocoa powder for dinner’s dessert and an orange at about 9:30 tonight. That’s not a bad plan; with those two additions, I did not feel hungry. And that makes me happy. It’ll slow down the weight loss somewhat if I continue those two cheats, but not significantly, I think.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

10/6/2019 Weigh In

229.0. Grumble.

When last I weighed myself, 11 months ago, I was 200.75. Clearly, I've slipped. My excuse (and that is EXACTLY what this is): Christmas happened. With eggnog cheesecake. Then I didn't go back onto the Plan. While Christmas will happen again, eggnog cheesecake won't.

It's time to get it back in gear and get this show on the road.

I started the Diet Center conditioning diet yesterday, and have one more day to go with that. Then it's chicken-and-fish, chicken-and-fish, chicken-and-fish forevermore.

I have a goal. I have Big Plans for next summer: I'm going to camp my way through the western National Parks. I'll start at probably the southern end with Grand Canyon, then drive up through the Rockies, hitting national parks along the way. I've gotten lots of recommendations for which parks to see; the Big Four on my list are Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain and Glacier. To do this effectively, I need to be at least 50 lb ... preferably 70 lb ... lighter than I am right now by the time my birthday rolls around in late June.

I Can Do This.

MEASUREMENTS

Neck 16.5"
Chest 46.5"/43.25"
Waist 47"
Hips 46.5"
Upper L arm 13.25"
Upper R arm 14"
L thigh 22.5"
R thigh 23"
L calf 15"
R calf 15.5"