MARC JACOBS 2.0

I have drawn more than a few 'lines in the sand' over the past few months. Somehow the lines kept on getting moved. This time, I am serious. I need to be particularly serious right now as I am physically sidelined with a groin pull that might need a week or two to heal. Yesterday was the first day of my new seriousness. I harnessed the willpower that I somehow managed to corral when I initially began my weight loss. Sure, it was only one day, but one has to start somewhere.  So I (re)started yesterday. I need to cleanse my 'system files'. What I needed was a 'reboot'. On my first day after my personal reboot, I consumed under 1000 calories, much as I did for nearly four months straight when I first started from 309 lbs on December 24, 2014.  My intention is not to continue this for four months. Right now, I am taking some satisfaction that I was able to do this for one day. Today will present the next challenge. See you tomorrow.

Your Food Diary For:

Monday, April 4, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Egg, whole, cooked, poached, 3 large	215	1	14	19	446	1
Butterball - Bacon Style Turkey, 2 slices	70	1	6	4	300	0
	285	2	20	23	746	1
L U N C H
Trident - Alaskan Salmon Burgers, 1 patty	170	2	9	20	330	0
EARTHBOUND FARM - ORGANIC BABY SPINACH	20	0	0	2	65	0
Cabbage Soup, 2 cups	100	10	0	2	79	6
	290	12	9	24	474	6
D I N N E R
Trident - Alaskan Salmon Burgers, 1 patty	170	2	9	20	330	0
Chicken Noodle - Healthy Choice Soup, 2 cup	180	24	2	16	780	4
EARTHBOUND FARM - ORGANIC BABY SPINACH	40	0	0	4	130	0
	390	26	11	40	1,240	4
Totals	965	40	40	87	2,459	10
Your Daily Goal	1,984	248	66	100	2,300	74
Remaining	1,019	207	25	12	-159	63
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 54 extra calories from exercise today

.

   Your Exercise Diary for:

Monday, April 4, 2016

NOT APPLICABLE - NO EXERCISE

.
.

calories consumed 965 calories

total calories burned (from additional exercise) 0 calories

net 965 calories

. . . . . . . . . . .   

 fitbit day 215

2630 steps

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` 

.

After more than one year of averaging  3000+ calories every day, it was no small achievement to finally summon the willpower to ratchet down my appetite and keep my caloric intake under 1000 for the first time in more than one year. Perhaps a more well-balanced approach would be to find a the happy middle ground. Right now I would like to jump start my the change in direction that my weight needs to take - at least for a couple of days.

.

.

The way to keep a spinach salad low calorie... Do not add all the high calorie delicious things that I have been adding recently.  Right now I am going to simply have one ingredient in my spinach salad - at least for a few days while I reverse the course of my weight gain.

.

STARBUCKS

I am not a big coffee drinker. Starbucks was not a place that I visited too often. Until now. In my continuing quest to find places that serve healthy low calorie food - Starbucks has now become a new favorite place.

Two days ago, I ordered, for the first time, a Blueberry Whole-Grain Oatmeal which is only 220 calories. Yesterday, I returned and ordered a Spinach & Feta Breakfast Wrap which is only 290 calories.

This morning, Thursday, I tried the Bacon & Gouda Breakfast Sandwich (350 calories)
I will continue to not drink Starbucks Coffee - but Starbucks is now one of my favorite breakfast stops when I am on the road.

Starbucks Blueberry Whole-Grain Oatmeal 220 CALORIES

WEDNESDAY MENU

breakfast   Starbuck Spinach & Feta Breakfast Wrap                        290 CALORIES

lunch         Jimmy John's Bootlegger Club Unwich w/Provolone      280 CALORIES

dinner       Applebee's Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad & an Apple     450 CALORIES

total calories consumed   1020 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED
9AM YMCA Royal Oak, Michigan Elliptical 880 CALORIES
9PM  Days Inn Stairmaster 40 minutes            400 CALORIES

total calories burned  1380 calories

CALORIC DEFICIT -260 CALORIES

Starbucks Bacon & Gouda Breakfast Sandwich 350 CALORIES

Starbucks Spinach & Feta Breakfast Wrap 290 CALORIES

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.  We have all heard this before. The reason we have all heard this is that it is true. Those of us who load up on high fat, high calorie, low protein, processed junk food become more miserable, irritable, and slothful. (I have seven years experience in this category, I am definitely speaking from experience.)

Those of us who eat low fat, low calorie, high protein, healthy natural foods become more cheerful, easy-going, and energetic. (I have seven weeks experience in this category.  I can tell you that I prefer being in this group)

It is true, you are what you eat.  Or, as the extremely talented musician, Frank Zappa wrote nearly 35 years ago...."You Are What You Is." 

YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS (and you are what you eat)

Of course, if it is true that you are what you eat, after reviewing my menu for the past few weeks...I might start looking like this...

I have been eating a lot of spinach lately....I wonder if I am getting stronger

I am definitely going to discover the 'skinny person' hiding within me.  (I know that he is in there somewhere.)

MONDAY MENU
breakfast   3" SUBWAY SUNRISE MELT on FLATBREAD                         240 CALORIES
lunch         Jason's Deli Bowl Spicy Seafood Gumbo                                      230 CALORIES
dinner        Jason's Deli Salmonwich 1/2, sandwich, Beef Stew 1 cup             480 CALORIES

total calories consumed 950 CALORIES

calories burned
6AM    LaQuinta Elliptical Machine 30 minutes                              500 CALORIES
6PM     LaQuinta Elliptical Machine 30 minutes                              500 CALORIES

total calories burned  1000 CALORIES

NET CALORIC DEFICIT       50 CALORIES

Jason's Deli Dinner: 1/2 WILD SALMONWICH, CUP of BEEF STEW     480 CALORIES  

SUBWAY BREAKFAST:   3" SUNRISE SUBWAY MELT w/tomato      240 CALORIES   ($2.50)
The Subway Melt is a good value, at about a penny per calorie!

AISLE BE CAREFUL SHOPPING HERE

A few days ago, I mentioned that I ordered a salad in a restaurant which arrived to me dripping in high calorie dressing.  It doubled the amount of calories that I had anticipated consuming, and I ate it before I realized that this was not the low calorie salad that I had intended.  I want to give some more examples from the Applebee's Nutritional Information Website regarding the difference of salads with and without dressing.    I am not picking on Applebee's.   I like Applebee's.  I like that there are so many Applebee's restaurants around the country that I can and will be visiting.   I like their food.  I like the ambience of the place.   And I even like their salads.  I just have to remember NOT to get their salads with dressing.

CALORIE INFORMATION WAS LIFTED DIRECTLY FROM APPLEBEE'S WEBSITE

SALADS WITH & WITHOUT DRESSING                 CALORIES          

FRIED CHICKEN SALAD - NO DRESSING                                680
FRIED CHICKEN SALAD WITH DRESSING                            1110           430 calories of dressing!

GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD - NO DRESSING         370
GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD WITH DRESSING       800           430 calories of dressing!

GRILLED ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD - NO DRESSING      590
GRILLED ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD WITH DRESSING  1290          700 calories of dressing!

GRILLED SHRIMP'N SPINACH SALAD - NO DRESSING        630
GRILLED SHRIMP'N SPINACH SALAD WITH DRESSING      990          360 calories of dressing!

PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN SALAD - NO DRESSING           900
PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN SALAD WITH DRESSING       1340          440 calories of dressing!

I think I have made my point.   So, us folks who are trying to lose weight and think it's smart to eat a salad - we should be careful.    If you are going to have a salad dripping in dressing served at a restaurant... fugedaboudit (forget about it), you might as well have an Ice Cream Sundae.   It will not be healthier, but you might find it more satisfying - and it might be lower in calories!

AISLE BE CAREFUL I'll be careful in the SALAD AISLE, high calorie zone 

I have been writing and editing this page for a few days.  I had the idea of checking a salad dressing that we have in our own refrigerator with Hershey Chocolate Syrup that we buy for our daughter who enjoys chocolate milk.   Our daughter is a skinny rail, she eats healthy foods, and she enjoys treats too.   Very normal stuff.

Both of these products, Hershey's Syrup and Marie's Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing each have the same serving size: two tablespoons.  Hershey's 2 tablespoons is 100 CALORIES and MARIE'S CREAMY CAESAR 2 tablespoons is 120 CALORIES.   I found this culinary discovery fascinating.

MARIE'S DRESSING: 2 TBSP - 120 CALORIES

SERVING SIZE: 2 TABLESPOONS - 100 CALORIES

CONCLUSION:  If one finds both of these products in their refrigerator when searching for a salad dressing.   The LOW CALORIE OPTION is the Hershey's Chocololate Syrup!

I am not sure that it will taste so good on a salad, but one has to admit that that is a surprising fact.


MONDAY'S MENU (DAY 34)
BREAKFAST  hotel scrambled eggs, two small sausages                                  256 CALORIES
LUNCH            4 oz. Salmon, Chicken with Rice Soup                                      323 CALORIES
DINNER           85g Broccoli Rabe Rapini
                           1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
                          Premio Italian Chicken Sausage, Cup Chicken Noodle Soup     263 CALORIES

TOTAL CALORIC CONSUMPTION       842 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED

6AM  TREADMILL: 60 minutes @ 4 mph (4 miles) 600 CALORIES
6PM   TREADMILL: 60 minutes @ 4 mph (4 miles) 600 CALORIES
9PM   TREADMILL: 60 minutes @ 4 mph (4 miles) 600 CALORIES

NET CALORIC DEFICIT     958 CALORIES

LOST TURKEY

Regular readers of this blog know that I reported this past Saturday that I had lost 24 lbs in 24 days.   I am currently only weighing myself once per week so although I assume that I have continued to make progress - I can offer no evidence of additional progress at this time.

There is a reason why I am resisting the urge to weigh myself daily.  Seven years ago when I did lose 80 lbs (before I added them all back on and tacked on nine more for good luck) I did weigh myself daily.  One's weight can fluctuate a pound or two within a 24 hour period.  It would sour my mood to hop onto the scale and discover that my weight had bounced back up a pound or even two pounds over 24 hours.  I have removed this annoyance by weighing myself only weekly.

Over the three day holiday weekend I was focusing on just how much weight 24 lbs really is.   I found my answer at Mariano's Supermarket in Chicago when I was shopping with my family on Sunday.   I am posting a picture of me holding a 23 lb turkey.   As you can see, it requires two hands to hold it.   This turkey represents the amount of weight that I have lost.  It does appear that the additional spring in my step is not my imagination. You try carting around a 23 lb turkey all day and all night and see how debilitating it is.  Conversely, if one is freed from the burden of carrying an extra 24 lbs, the increased energy and zest for life skyrockets.

The thing is....
I am planning on LOSING THREE MORE TURKEYS (and maybe a couple of hens!)

Holding a 23 lb turkey.  I can't imagine carting this around all day.  No wonder I am lighter on my feet these days.

Tuesday started off well.  I woke up early and spent one hour on the treadmill before breakfast.

I made a mistake during the day when I ordered lunch at Applebee's.

Previously I had found something on the Applebee's nutrition website that I wanted to try.

A Grilled Shrimp 'n Spinach Salad should have been only 260 CALORIES.

(I failed to note that this is the calorie count without the dressing.)

When the salad came with dressing, it was absolutely fantastic - and I ate it....

The calories for this with the dressing is a whopping 500 calories.
I will not make that mistake again.
Lunch was more calories than I had planned.
I cut down on dinner to keep under 1000 calories for the day.

From now on, every time I order a salad - I will always ask the for the dressing on the side.

When I arrived home, I jumped back on the treadmill for another hour.

TUESDAY MENU

BREAKFAST   three poached eggs with two slices of turkey 'bacon'                                                                         280 CALORIES
LUNCH            APPLEBEE'S GRILLED SHRIMP 'n SALAD w/dressing                                                                        500 CALORIES
DINNER           3 Cups Baby Spinach w/two tablespoons of Marie's Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing         
                         Trader Joe's 1 cup Chicken Noodle Soup with veggies                                                                       175 CALORIES       
                               
 TOTAL CALORIC CONSUMPTION TUESDAY        955 CALORIES

Total calories burned during 2 hours of exercise 1200 CALORIES

NET CALORIC INTAKE WAS NEGATIVE 245 CALORIES

I am looking forward to stepping onto my scale on Saturday.