Diet Trouble Shooting: Ice Cream Portioning

One of my biggest problems with food is portioning. I feel bad spending extra on pre-portioned packages, but at the same time, I feel bad when I over eat because things aren't portioned already.

Diet Trouble:
Last time I bought the Breyer's Double Churned carton was with Mark, my boy friend, because we intended to make root beer floats. We didn't actually do this. Instead the box stayed at my place and has called to me from the freezer until I couldn't take it anymore. After weeks of resisting, I totally gorged myself on it.

Diet Solution:
Next time I plan on getting ice cream for root beer floats with Mark, I will request that we buy 2 of those tiny, single serving packages instead of a whole carton. That way, if we don't eat it, I will only reach for 1 serving instead of 4 servings worth that I would have eaten out of the regular carton.

If I go to the store by myself and end up in the frozen foods section (aka Ice Cream section), I will look at the Skinny Cow products instead of the Breyers Double Churned.

If you have any other solutions let me know!

Goals: For the End of the Year

In order to build momentum, I am setting a few goals. There are 13 weeks between now and the end of this goal period. Between today, October 1 and January 1st I am going to:

• Run 70 miles or more
• Lose 26lbs (or 2 lbs per week)

• Run the 10K in the Davis Turkey Trot on November 21 (without walking)
• Participate in Hope Walks on October 18
• Weigh myself officially on Thursdays
• Start keeping track of my water consumption
• Abstain from drinking any soda (unless it is in a mixed drink)

Red Light Foods

I am losing weight using SparkPeople, and my mom is losing weight using Weight Watchers. I recently went to a meeting with her and they talked about avoiding your red light foods. I had trouble thinking of any because I rarely finish whole packages of food, and that was how it was explained.

A red light food is something that you have trouble not buying, and then cannot control eating. If you start eating it, you eat the whole thing. The only difference for me is that I usually attempt to separate portions before I eat. With my "red light foods," the portions I make for myself are significantly larger than what I want or intend to eat; but I eat everything I bring out. I feel bad after eating them because I usually don't log my calories before I eat my red light foods. I really shouldn't even buy them to begin with, but my boy friend and I love to eat foods that I can't handle when we are together.

My List:

• Chips- Pringles, Sun Chips, Tortilla chips.
• Ice cream
• Fries
• Sweets- candy bars of all kind, especially chocolate
• Desserts- cake, pie, pretty much anything in a starbuck's display

I know that I have trouble with certain foods, but at the same time I can't resist them. I know I shouldn't buy them, but somehow they end up in my house and then I end up eating them. I am sure that I have more red light foods, but as of now, these are the foods that I have identified.

Starting today, on October 1, I will not buy "stupid foods", as mentioned above (except occasionally one Starbucks Petite Vanilla Scone), and I will not reach for foods that I don't want. I will listen to myself when I hear my little voice telling me to beware and that I will regret buying/eating/being in the same aisle with.

Also, I am going to attempt to be better at logging my food before I eat it. I did a much better job of logging foods before when I was beginning, and I also lost much more weight. I think I need to carry around my old notebook so that I don't forget to log if I don't have a computer.

What are some of your RED LIGHT FOODS?

The End of Two Weeks of Fast Break

I am at the end of my 2 weeks of Fast Break on Sparkpeople. I have been struggling so hard not to lose everything I have gained, but it is really difficult. I feel like I have gained all of my weight back. I am having significant problems with tracking and with moderating how much I eat. I feel like I have had a week long binge. It is discouraging. My consolation is that I still care, and I still try to log on to SparkPeople daily. If I can't track what I eat online, then I "log" in my head. I try to keep a running tally, but that is difficult, because I am not in a place mentally where I can eyeball servings yet, or even guess the health values of most foods.

On my honor, I swear that from this night forward, I will make a harder attempt to track before I eat, and to not "justify" in my head.

Last weekend was my undoing, and this weekend I will be in a similar situation, so I am making some guidelines. I shouldn't eat chips this weekend, so I won't. I shouldn't drink soda this weekend, so I won't. I shouldn't eat dessert this weekend, so I won't (unless there is a lemon bar in which case a bite or two should suffice). I can make better decisions for myself and feel good about them.

Weight Loss Milestone Rewards

Nora's Weight loss rewards:

140: get a manicure
135: Flat boots
130: Pencil Skirt
125: Belly Button Ring & Hollister Jeans (on the same day) :-)
120: New Backpack- that fits right
115: Weight loss ring- to always wear and remember how far I have come
110: The Dooney & Bourke Giraffe Print Bag I have wanted so bad for the last year

I have been thinking about ways to keep myself motivated so that I can reach my goals. As I was going through the SparkPeople message boards I saw some people with their rewards lists under their comments. I decided to make a list of my own.

As I was writing down the weight "milestones" I finally reached 120lbs. My heart dropped, and my eyes welled up. I haven't been that light since I was in junior high, and I can hardly imagine being that small and slender again. My end goal is 10lbs lighter than that at 110lbs and I can hardly wait. I am so ready to lose this weight. I feel like it is holding me back.

So. Whenever I reach a milestone on the way to my final goal it will be a celebration for me. I already feel empowered, and I haven't even been able to step on a scale in 2 weeks. I am already proud of myself for being this committed to my health and well-being.

Tracking Food Calories

For me, tracking the food that I eat is the key to weight loss. My problems come when I forget to write down what I eat. When I have to write down everything I eat and keep track of how many calories are in each meal, it gives me a reality check. I will think twice about eating something that is high calorie, low nutrition if I know I have to be honest with myself and write it down.

Sparkpeople.com is especially helpful because everything there has the calories already programed into the system so as long as I have internet, I can track. If I am at work, and I eat a candy from the (damn) candy jar, I can go online and track it and the reality of having 1 or 2 bites account for 100 or 150 calories will keep me from eating another. The internet is everywhere and SparkPeople keeps me honest.

Day 2-- the First Blog Entry

I am really liking how SparkPeople.com works so far. I think maybe I won't lose my motivation this time, like I usually do. In general, when I decide to lose weight I will be really good about tracking my calories for about a week, and then forget what I was doing. Not only does this website make it so I can update from school or work (it is no Excel document where I have to guess at values), it also lets me track my exercise and provides motivational strategies. I don't generally take exercise into account.

I am really hoping to be a part of the SparkPeople community but how do I make friends? Is it too forward to just add someone who sounds interesting?

Day 2-- the First Blog Entry

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