A Fresh Start (Dec. 7, 2008 - the rest of my life)

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Diary of A M.A.D. Black Woman (motivated and determined)

With my 26th birthday right around the corner I am determined to overcome my poor eating habits and to aquire a healthier lifestyle which will lead to a new and improved me.

Here's my stats.....

Height: 5'2"

Age: 26

Weight: around 127 lbs (weight fluctuates between 121 -125)

Goal Weight: 115 lbs

SUPPORTIVE SCRIPTURE

I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

.....present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 1 Cor 9:27

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. 1 Cor 10:23

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Cor 10:13

For with God nothing will be impossible. Luke 1:37

PRAYER

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. (Psalm 141: 3)

MY MANTRA

"I will eat to bring God glory."


KEEPING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE

I will rely on God, not myself. My unhealthy eating is a spiritual battle and it is already won. In Christ I have the victory!
 
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Thank you!

Hi Camy,

Thanks a lot! I appreciate the birthday greetings. Feeling very motivated right now.
 
Welcome and congratulatins on your determination. You are such an inspiration to me!! I love all of your scripture. When I read those versus, I really felt motivated to continue my own journey. I'm definitely going to pray for you and incorporate some of your listed prayers in my day. I know with your positive attitude and the Lord's help you will get to your goal in no time. Keep up the great work.
 
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008

Didn't exercise this morning - my husband and I were chaperones at Junior Junkanoo last night so we didn't get to bed until 1:00 a.m.

Breakfast: oatmeal w/ wheatgerm; 2 glasses of water; cod liver oil pill

Lunch:glass of water; boiled cabbage, carrots w/ lambchop; 1 tangerine

Extra: small portion of chicken soup w/ noodles, dumplings, potatoes
(My husband made some chicken soup because he was feeling ill and I couldn't hurt his feelings when he offered me some so I had a little of it).

Dinner:cup of noni/ginger tea; boiled cassava

Cheated: Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich (no mayo), med. fries, med. vanilla frosty

MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1. went grocery shopping and resisted buying hot fries

2. also resisted buying hot dogs and cinnamon/raisin bagels

2. small portion sizes

3. no rice

____________________________________________________________________

I had Wendy's and though I started to feel bad about it later, I wouldn't allow that guilt to set in. Why? Because this time around, I've come to an awareness that I will never be perfect, hence, I can't eat perfectly day after day. Therefore, I refuse to strive for perfection with my eating plan. This plan is for life - not a few months. I've chosen to forget perfection and embrace progress. I read this in a wonderful article in Prevention Magazine titled, 10 Steps to the Body You Want, by Pamela Peeke, MD, and she couldn't be more right.

I'll just eat better tomorrow.

However, I must take into consideration that I'm an emotional eater and wasn't really hungry when I bought the Wendy's meal. I was pretty much full. I don't even know what was bothering me, but I just felt antsy like I needed something to eat to comfort me. I'm going to make a list of things that I could do next time I feel an urge to eat something.

ALTERNATIVES TO EMOTIONAL EATING

1. Write in my personal diary.
2. Read a book.
3. Go for a walk.
4. Spend time with God in prayer.
5. Read my Bible or my devotional book for women.
6. Work on my children's books.
7. Play Spider Solitaire (this always calms me)
8. Give myself a manicure
9. Pamper my husband
10. Color a page in a coloring book
Now I'm going to copy this list and keep it nearby so the next time I get to feeling like I did, I can do something on my list instead.

I got the following excerpt from

Emotional Rescues
When emotions push you to the fridge, try these quick fixes:

Angry: Blast the stereo, and sing or dance like Jennifer Lopez or Bruce Springsteen.
Anxious: Turn off the news, and tune in to Comedy Central.
Sad: Rent a feel-good movie such as The Shawshank Redemption, About a Boy, or I Am Sam.
Lonely: Join an online chat, or e-mail a long-lost friend.
 
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Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008

60 mins cardio/strength training

Breakfast: glass of water; 1/2 glass cranberry juice; oatmeal w/ wheatgerm; dried coconut pieces

Lunch: small portion lentil soup w/ ribs, potatoes

Snack: small portion lentil soup w/ ribs, potatoes

Dinner: small portion lentil soup w/ ribs, potatoes

Snack: cassava pone

MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. kept exercising even though I was interrupted twice

2. didn't add dumplings to the lentil soup

3. resisted eating cream crackers

4. resisted the urge to buy cookies

5. no rice/white flour

6. resisted second helping of cassava pone
 
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Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008

GOALS FOR THIS WEEK
1. continue to cut back portion sizes
2. increase physical activity
3. refer to list of alternative activities to replace emotional eating
_____________________________________________________________________

walked Sunny - 10 mins

Breakfast: boiled pumpkin w/ lentils, potatoes; cup of noni/ginger tea; glass of water

Lunch: small portion boiled cassava w/ curried chicken wings, fried plantains (coconut oil)

Snack: cassava pone

Dinner: cream crackers w/ tuna (no mayo)

Snack: cassava pone


MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. small portions

2. no rice

3. was careful about portion sizes

4. was out of olive oil so I used coconut oil in place of vegetable oil
 
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Monday, Dec. 15, 2008

45 minutes of yoga and upper body stretching

Breakfast: boiled cassava (small piece); small portion cantaloupe, honey dew, pineapple, grapes, watermelon, grapefruit; strawberry yogurt (4 oz)

Lunch: 1/2 banana (not hungry)

Snack: small portion cassava pone

Dinner: small portion Trinidad pelau (chicken wings boiled down with green pigeon peas, coconut milk and rice), fried plantain (olive oil)

Snack: small portion cassava pone

MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS!

At work we were treated to a Christmas breakfast buffet at a very lovely hotel. French toast, bacon, omelettes, salmon, sausages, muffins, donuts, biscuits, chicken souse...........I can go on and on. And it all smelled so good. But I made up my mind that I would only have fruits or veggies like I usually do and I stuck with it. It helped that I'm not really a breakfast person. I usually feel full when I wake up and can go until 10 a.m. or even 11 a.m. before my stomach growls. But of course, I usually eat breakfast anyway so that I can get my metabolism revved up.
It was still an accomplishment because I love french toast and I love sausages but I kept thinking that those weren't really healthy. On the other hand, I could have had salmon or chicken souse which are both pretty healthy and rich in protein but I want to continue with my newly formed habit of a light breakfast.
 
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Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008

33 mins cardio/strength training

Cheat Day: Today is my husband's birthday so I'm treating him.

Breakfast: small portion boiled cassava w/ lentils, potatoes, ribs

Lunch: 1 tangerine

Dinner: fried chicken wings w/ homemade fries

Dessert: cake w/ vanilla icecream

My Accomplishments!

1. chose not to eat pizza that was being shared out at work

2. exercised even though I wasn't up to it
 
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Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008

60 mins cardio/upper body strength training

Breakfast: glass of water; cup of ginger/noni tea; boiled cassava

Lunch: small portion Trinidad pelau (chicken boiled down in green pigeon peas and rice)

Dinner: Lay's jalapeno chips; 5-6 cream crackers; cranberry juice

Drinks: 2 glasses of water; 2 cups of ginger/noni tea


My Accomplishments!

1. exercised

2. resisted eating cake and icecream



I felt like eating something spicy. What I really wanted were dirty chips but there weren't any at the store that I went to so I settled for the Lay's brand (which wasn't spicy at all). I hadn't intended to cheat today - I guess it was just an off day. But, I did not go overboard. I didn't have any cake or icecream. I'll definitely do better tomorrow.
 
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Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008

25-30 mins of Yoga

Breakfast: glass of water/cod liver oil pill; oatmeal w/ wheatgerm

Lunch/Dinner: glass of water; peas n rice, w/ 1/4 baked chicken breast, bbq rib, baked macaroni, steamed cabbage/carrots

Snack: small portion cake and icecream

Snack: glass of cranberry juice, 7 cream crackers
 
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Friday, Dec. 19, 2008

It's going to be a challenge this holiday. I'll be visiting my parents so I won't be able to continue my regular exercise plan. My game plan is to look for every opportunity to go for walks and to lower my portions to make up for the missed cardio/strength training.

Breakfast: oatmeal w/ wheat germ; cod liver pill/water

Lunch: cream crackers, tuna with lime juice/cayenne pepper

Dinner: very small portion curried mutton

Snacks: 2 dunkin donuts, 5 small bags of hotfries, cranberry juice



I hate to log my poor eating choices but as hard as it was, and after careful consideration and much contemplation, I did it. Being honest sucks big time.

But it also helps. BIG time. I'm determined to stick to my goals now more than ever. I really wasn't hungry yesterday, I just felt peckish. I guess that played a role in my junkfood binge. And after eating the donuts, I felt nauseous so what was the point? Atleast, that killed any future donut cravings.

My Accomplishments?
hmmmmmm.................

1. ate a healthy breakfast
 
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Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008

Breakfast: oatmeal w/ wheatgerm; glass of water, two cups of ginger/noni tea

Lunch: med. apple

Dinner: small portion raw baby carrots, steamed porkchops, 1 banana

Snack: med. apple



My Accomplishments!

1. Resisted eating pizza for lunch.

2. Healthy breakfast.

3. Stayed focused and did not eat cheese balls.
 
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Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008

This is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Went for a hike and a long walk on the beach. (I carried Sunny when he got tired so that's about 5lbs additional weight).

Meal 1: large apple, banana, large glass of water/cod liver oil pill

Meal 2: small portion baked potato, baked chicken, raw baby carrots

Snack: 1 chic-a-stic, digestive biscuits

Sampled: piece of crawfish (prepared like cracked conch)

Sampled: pieces of coconut

Meal 3: 1 banana


I did a bit of sampling - which I hate to log. I guess it wasn't all that bad because I only had tiny samples and I did eat a very portioned lunch. Lately I haven't been all that hungry - just peckish.
 
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Monday, Dec. 22, 2008

40 mins brisk walk

Meal 1: large glass of water/cod liver oil pill, 1 apple, 1 banana

Meal 2: 1 wholewheat bagel w/ plain nonfat yogurt, 1/2 onion bagel (plain)

Snack: 1 pineapple cupcake, 1/2 coconut truffle

Meal 3: apple, raw baby carrots

Snack: 1 wholewheat bagel (plain)



I always, always, always get a pineapple cupcake from my favorite bakery whenever I'm home. This visit, I'm going to try to cut back on the bakery treats though and limit it to just this once. I'm trying to re-learn how to eat. I want to enjoy food without abusing it or over indulging.
 
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Tuesday, 23 Dec. 2008

Found this info in a post by Leigh P. - it really helps so I'm pasting it here for easy reference.

1)Eat For Your Goal-If needing to lose weight eat below your caloric needs. No more than 30% cut.
If needing to gain weight then eat above. Increase by 15% as needed.
Figure that out by going here.
BMI Calculator

2) Eat for Balance-Get at least 30% of every nutrient in a day (protein/carbs/fats). The other 10% is to do whatever you want with it.

3) Eat the right foods-This goes as follows.
Protein-Lean and Complete (chicken, turkey, egg whites, whey)
Carbs-Fruits and veggies should make up the majority of your diet and be paired with every meal.
Fats-Poly/mono fat balance high(fish oils, nuts, olive oil);Low Saturated fats

4) Eat Often- Eat 4-6 meals a day.
Each meal should contain 1 complete protein.
Each meal should contain 1 carb source of either fruit/veggies.

5) Eat 1 ingredient items-85% of your meals should be of one ingredient items.
An apples ingredients are an apple. An egg is an egg. You can certainly mix and match on ingredient items, but other than that your items 85% of the time should only be 1 ingredient items.

6) Drink Water-1/2 to 1 gallon a day for women who exercises, 1 to 1 1/2 gallon for men who exercise.

That's it. If you stick to that you will get results, plain and simple.
 
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Calorie Info

My results for the Women's Nutrition Guide Calorie Calculator


These results will help you to know how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, and the number of calories needed per day to achieve your goal weight in a healthy, steady manner.

You need 1867.9 calories per day to maintain your current weight without exercise.

You need 1804.1 calories per day to reach your goal weight slowly and maintain that weight without exercise.

If you reduce your current caloric intake to 1367.9 calories per day you will lose one pound per week without exercise.

If you increase your current caloric intake to 2367.9 calories per day, you will gain one pound per week.

Exercise and Calorie Needs

If you exercise for 30 minutes each day, you may increase your caloric intake to 2071.1 calories per day and still maintain your current weight.

If you exercise for 60 minutes each day, you may increase your caloric intake to 2325.2 calories per day to maintain your current weight.

If you exercise for 30 minutes each day, you will be able to reach your goal weight with 1999.7 calories per day.

If you exercise for 60 minutes each day, you will be able to reach your goal weight with 2244.1 calories per day.



Macronutrients

The United States Department of Agriculture suggests that approximately 50 percent of your calories come from carbohydrates, about 30 percent from fats, and approximately 20 percent from protein sources. One gram of protein has about four calories, one gram of fat has about nine calories, and one gram of carbohydrate has about four calories.

You need 233.5 grams of carbohydrates, 61.6 grams of fat, and 93.4 grams of protein per day for 1867.9 calories to maintain your weight of 125 pounds.

You need 225.5 grams of carbohydrates, 59.5 grams of fat, and 90.2 grams of protein per day for 1804.1 calories to maintain your goal weight of 110 pounds.

Please remember that these calorie counts are an average, you may need to adjust your calorie needs up or down slightly to get the results you want. Your results are calculated to help you understand how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, or the number of calories you need to lose weight slowly, over several months' time.
 
Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008

I'm using these few days (Dec. 20 - 31) before the new year to regroup and go over my healthy eating plan. I am composing a list of long term goals and a list of short term goals that will lead to long lasting achievements.

In the mean time, I have been on "Plan Me" and have been cheating a little while still adding fruits and veggies and watching portion sizes.

I'm still visiting my parents and taking a break from my usual routine but I'm looking forward to getting back on track. I miss my regular routine. I'm ready for the new year and the changes that it will bring mentally, physically, and spiritually!
 
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Dec. 28 - 31

I am going to drink lots of water and abstain from packaged/non-whole foods for the next few days for a mini cleanse.
 
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