Alligatorob's Diary
- Thread starter alligatorob
- Start date
alligatorob
Respected Member
Thanks again LaMa and Cate, you make me feel like I have a cheering gallery.
It was a good day, ate well and feel ok. My digestive system is having a bit of trouble adjusting to the new diet of fruits and veggies, but it will just have to get used to it!
Friday
Breakfast
2 boiled eggs 156
banana 105
1 piece dry toast 110
Lunch
Oatmeal 150
Raisins 100
Snack
a few fritos 150, not the best choice I know but I did not eat many, the bag was labeled 160 cal and I shared a few with the dogs
Supper
hamburger patty 284
lots of broccoli 62
apple 95
Snack
a little sharp cheddar cheese 180
Nightcap
red wine, less usual 125
Total 1,517 calories
It was a good day, ate well and feel ok. My digestive system is having a bit of trouble adjusting to the new diet of fruits and veggies, but it will just have to get used to it!
Friday
Breakfast
2 boiled eggs 156
banana 105
1 piece dry toast 110
Lunch
Oatmeal 150
Raisins 100
Snack
a few fritos 150, not the best choice I know but I did not eat many, the bag was labeled 160 cal and I shared a few with the dogs
Supper
hamburger patty 284
lots of broccoli 62
apple 95
Snack
a little sharp cheddar cheese 180
Nightcap
red wine, less usual 125
Total 1,517 calories
Cate
Long term member
You have
alligatorob
Respected Member
Another good day, ate well and feel good. Its my get stuff down around the house day, I worked in the yard a lot, we are trying to get some grass established but seem to have more weeds than grass. At least its green.
Saturday
Breakfast
Grapenuts 200
milk 30
banana 105
Lunch
turkey sandwich, lean turkey, no cheese, no mayo 400
raw cucumber, pepper and carrot slices, no dip grapes 80
Snack
beer 150
Supper
lean hamburger patty wrapped in lettuce 284
steamed artichoke without dip 25
red wine 200
Total 1,474 calories
Saturday
Breakfast
Grapenuts 200
milk 30
banana 105
Lunch
turkey sandwich, lean turkey, no cheese, no mayo 400
raw cucumber, pepper and carrot slices, no dip grapes 80
Snack
beer 150
Supper
lean hamburger patty wrapped in lettuce 284
steamed artichoke without dip 25
red wine 200
Total 1,474 calories
alligatorob
Respected Member
Dogs, I have been thinking about our dogs.
A few years back we had a coonhound named Suzie, great dog I loved her howl. You could just put out a bowl of dog food for her and she’d eat what she wanted, not a lot but stayed healthy and never gained weight.
Then we got Sister, a beagle mix. Sister was part of a litter of puppies a friend found abandoned in the woods and near starvation, Sister was the healthiest. Sister is a really smart dog and spends most of her waking hours figuring out how to get food, and she’s really good at it. Left to her own devices she’d eat nonstop and be too heavy to walk. We had to take to feeding Suzie in another room, door closed, to be sure she got enough to eat.
Suzie left us a few years ago and we have a new dog, Taki some kind of mix, we were told half beagle half boxer. Taki is something in between, most days she can hold her own against Sister, but isn't as aggressive about finding food.
Point is I think our eating instincts play a big role in what we eat. Wandering in the woods Sister’s instincts served her well, if not found she might have been the only one of the lot to survive. I guess I am a lot like Sister, problem is I have no owner to control my food, and I have a very unnatural access to high calorie food. I think that is what a lot of us overweight people are up against, and it’s not surprising we have so much trouble fighting it.
No solutions here, just musings. I think understanding our problems can help with solutions, in my case I think I am fighting instinct. Humans have other instincts we overcome all the time. The aboriginal people we descended from were more violent and tribal than we are, killing most strangers who wandered into our territory. We control those urges pretty well, so I guess there is hope.
A few years back we had a coonhound named Suzie, great dog I loved her howl. You could just put out a bowl of dog food for her and she’d eat what she wanted, not a lot but stayed healthy and never gained weight.
Then we got Sister, a beagle mix. Sister was part of a litter of puppies a friend found abandoned in the woods and near starvation, Sister was the healthiest. Sister is a really smart dog and spends most of her waking hours figuring out how to get food, and she’s really good at it. Left to her own devices she’d eat nonstop and be too heavy to walk. We had to take to feeding Suzie in another room, door closed, to be sure she got enough to eat.
Suzie left us a few years ago and we have a new dog, Taki some kind of mix, we were told half beagle half boxer. Taki is something in between, most days she can hold her own against Sister, but isn't as aggressive about finding food.
Point is I think our eating instincts play a big role in what we eat. Wandering in the woods Sister’s instincts served her well, if not found she might have been the only one of the lot to survive. I guess I am a lot like Sister, problem is I have no owner to control my food, and I have a very unnatural access to high calorie food. I think that is what a lot of us overweight people are up against, and it’s not surprising we have so much trouble fighting it.
No solutions here, just musings. I think understanding our problems can help with solutions, in my case I think I am fighting instinct. Humans have other instincts we overcome all the time. The aboriginal people we descended from were more violent and tribal than we are, killing most strangers who wandered into our territory. We control those urges pretty well, so I guess there is hope.
Llama
Well-known member
I do think it's helpful to realize that our bodies aren't bad, weak, or gross for wanting what they want. There's always a reason and usually that reason is trying to help us - even if the world those strategies were developed for doesn't exist anymore. Understanding breeds compassion and that's rarely a bad thing.
Truffle Monster
Active member, Cyclist
You’re certainly motivated Rob! Well done.
As for the dogs ... my poor old boy Bailey (passed away nearly 3 years ago now) was always very thin. He was a shepherd cross Rottweiler and I was constantly copping abuse on walks from unlearned people thinking he was unhealthy. Dogs; like people are sometimes naturally thin or solid. Anyway he began to suffer arthritis later in life so doing some research I switched him to a 100% raw home made diet and it really put life back into him. After a year or so he succumbed to throat cancer. After a few months I brought home a 3 year old English staffy cross from the shelter I now volunteer for who has a whole range of health (mainly mental) issues. She had very dry skin and an oily coat. I immediately switched her to the raw food diet and she immediately picked up.
I’m mentioning this all only to highlight the importance of balance and species appropriate diets, natural food vs processed, whole foods vs chemicals etc etc.
As for the dogs ... my poor old boy Bailey (passed away nearly 3 years ago now) was always very thin. He was a shepherd cross Rottweiler and I was constantly copping abuse on walks from unlearned people thinking he was unhealthy. Dogs; like people are sometimes naturally thin or solid. Anyway he began to suffer arthritis later in life so doing some research I switched him to a 100% raw home made diet and it really put life back into him. After a year or so he succumbed to throat cancer. After a few months I brought home a 3 year old English staffy cross from the shelter I now volunteer for who has a whole range of health (mainly mental) issues. She had very dry skin and an oily coat. I immediately switched her to the raw food diet and she immediately picked up.
I’m mentioning this all only to highlight the importance of balance and species appropriate diets, natural food vs processed, whole foods vs chemicals etc etc.
alligatorob
Respected Member
Yesterday was a good day. In summer Sunday is my day to go fishing, but yesterday was too cold and windy so I stayed home and worked around the house some. Mostly just relaxed.
Tonight I fly to California for a meeting tomorrow, will try to keep the diary and diet up.
This is the most calories I have had in a day since I started the diet about 4 weeks ago, but not by a whole lot. It was also the first time I had some desert, about 1/4 cup of ice cream, it sure tasted good. Interesting that I seemed more satisfied with that ice cream than I would have been with a whole lot more before dieting. That said I will try to steer away from deserts for a while.
Sunday
Breakfast
Grapenuts 200
milk 30
banana 105
Lunch
turkey slices 120
banana 105
grapes 168
lettuce 5
tomatoes 20
Supper
beer 150
brown rice with veggies 350
tuna steak 120
Snack
a very little ice cream 80
Nightcap Whiskey 200
Total 1,653 calories
Tonight I fly to California for a meeting tomorrow, will try to keep the diary and diet up.
This is the most calories I have had in a day since I started the diet about 4 weeks ago, but not by a whole lot. It was also the first time I had some desert, about 1/4 cup of ice cream, it sure tasted good. Interesting that I seemed more satisfied with that ice cream than I would have been with a whole lot more before dieting. That said I will try to steer away from deserts for a while.
Sunday
Breakfast
Grapenuts 200
milk 30
banana 105
Lunch
turkey slices 120
banana 105
grapes 168
lettuce 5
tomatoes 20
Supper
beer 150
brown rice with veggies 350
tuna steak 120
Snack
a very little ice cream 80
Nightcap Whiskey 200
Total 1,653 calories
Llama
Well-known member
Starting to look more like a sustainable way of living, doesn´t it? I think this is a way better amount of calories for you to aim for while you´re losing weight. I made my own icecream for the first time today: sweet potato, coconut milk, and raisins. Sounds weird, tastes good, nice and creamy and surprisingly filling. Normal people would probably use banana instead of sweet potato, but I´m allergic.
Cate
Long term member
It sure does. I think you are doing well, Rob & your daily intake looks much more sustainable
alligatorob
Respected Member
Thanks LaMa and Cate, I hope it is more like a sustainable diet, but I know it will take time to see. So far it seems to be working, I am not hungry too much of the time. Posting early tonight, I am headed to the airport, had to forecast an evening snack, will correct in a follow up when I can. I am flying back real late tomorrow so may not be able to post then, but I will do my best to keep track of what I eat.
Monday
Breakfast
Grapenuts 200
milk 30
banana 105
Lunch
tuna steak 120
blackberries 62
snack crackers 210
Supper
brown rice with veggies 350
tuna steak 120 salad with tomatoes, lettuce and peppers, no dressing 70
blue cheese 175
Snack
predicted 200
Total 1,642 calories
Monday
Breakfast
Grapenuts 200
milk 30
banana 105
Lunch
tuna steak 120
blackberries 62
snack crackers 210
Supper
brown rice with veggies 350
tuna steak 120 salad with tomatoes, lettuce and peppers, no dressing 70
blue cheese 175
Snack
predicted 200
Total 1,642 calories
alligatorob
Respected Member
Today wasn't my best food day, but I went under rather than over on calories. I got into LA late last night and was up early this am, ate in the hotel deli, then had a make it yourself sandwich for lunch in a corporate cafeteria, not a great place to eat. They put out lots of high cal food in the meetings, danish etc in the morning, and cookies and brownies in the afternoon, I managed to resist all. My problem came at supper, it was a tight trip to the airport and when I landed all I wanted was to get to my car and get home. Result was I had no supper, I did eat some cottege cheese when I got home to kill the hunger pangs, it was too late and I was too tired to do any better. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday - a long travel/meeting day
Breakfast yogurt, cereal and fruit thing, the menu said 320 calories
Lunch turkey sandwich, calories a guess it had lean turkey, no cheese, and no mayo but lots of lettuce and tomatoes 450
banana 105 S
upper none, too busy getting into and out of the airport and home
Snack
cottage cheese 180
Total 1,055 calories, lower than ideal
Tuesday - a long travel/meeting day
Breakfast yogurt, cereal and fruit thing, the menu said 320 calories
Lunch turkey sandwich, calories a guess it had lean turkey, no cheese, and no mayo but lots of lettuce and tomatoes 450
banana 105 S
upper none, too busy getting into and out of the airport and home
Snack
cottage cheese 180
Total 1,055 calories, lower than ideal