Sifen's Journal

Drink that water, girlfriend! Go, go, GO!

Mmmm..yummy Indian food. I have a weakness for it as well. Trust me, give in to that craving when you have it or you'll binge later.
 
Drink that water, girlfriend! Go, go, GO!
I'm drinking, all right! :) It's more than I've ever done, and aside from peeing all the time, I feel really great about it.

Mmmm..yummy Indian food. I have a weakness for it as well. Trust me, give in to that craving when you have it or you'll binge later.
Definitely. Indian and Thai are two cuisines I absolutely cannot live without. Thanks to cookbooks and online recipes, though, I'm experimenting with healthier versions on my own-- I'll post any good results here, so maybe we can both enjoy tasty, healthy Indian dishes! :)
 
Hi Sifen,
you are doing absolutely great!! I haven't even THOUGHT about making cookies yet!!

Good for you for knowing YOU are the one in control :D
 
Hi Sifen,
you are doing absolutely great!! I haven't even THOUGHT about making cookies yet!!

Good for you for knowing YOU are the one in control :D

Hehe, thanks! I was raised in a dessert-any-time-of-day household, which made it a little difficult to give up having sweet snacks all the time. Still, I feel the need to have something yummy in the evenings. At least when I make the cookies myself, I know what I'm getting into! (Plus they have oats in them, yay oats!) I just know I'd go crazy without having some sort of cookie or cake in the house, even if it's making me a little bit crazy to sit here and not eat them. Though I am kinda proud that I haven't binged on them at all!

Thanks for the encouragment!

Sifen
 
Well you are doing great!!

I have white, milk and dark chocolate in my cookie jar right now (the big chunk/huge bar kind) and every so often I break off a piece, but that's so different then freshly baked cookies!

You're doing great!
 
I really admire your strength and self-discipline in having those yummy cookies there and having the willpower to resist them...seems like whenever I have something sweet around, I just can't stop thinking about it til I have some. (not one--SOME) lol Way to go on your day...looks like you did really well!

x
Monica
 
Week one wrap-up

M2M - I started off with a bag of chocolate chips (for my chocolate/sweet fix) and was having my usual problem--- every time I was in the kitchen I'd dip my hand in and have a few, 'cause they were so small what damage could they do, right? So I turned them into cookies, which for me is easier to control since they're physically bigger and therefore have a bigger mental impact on me. Kudos to you for not eating all the chocolate in the jar!

Monica - It's all about not letting those darn cookies win the bet. ;)

So this is the end of my first week, so I'm going to look at how I've been doing and come up with some new goals based off the ones I started with in my first post.

1. Join a local gym and attend a class at least once per week.
I haven't joined one yet, though I have been actively jogging:
Miles by day: 1.5, 2, 2, 1.5, rest day, 2, 2.
Total for week: 11 miles! YES! I will call this one a success, and try to hit up a gym membership next week.

2. Don't eat or snack past 7 pm.
Most days, I've done pretty good. I'm changing this rule to 8 pm though, since I go to bed late and tend to have late dinners. Also 8 pm still means I have a fast of at least 10 hours every night, and usually more.

3. Drink two glasses of water every day.
Blowing this one away! Or should I say, drinking it away, thanks to the Halloween Challenge!
Ounces of water by day: >12, 60, 86, 86, 90, 86, 98.
Total for week: At least 518 oz! Yay! And I feel like I can already see the results in my skin... probably just psychological but it still feels good. :)

So--- updated goals for Week 2:
1. Join a gym already so I can start training with weights.
2. Don't eat or snack past 8 pm.
3. Drink 86 oz or more of water every day.

And new goals:
4. Jog 2.5 miles 6 out of every 7 days (leave one day for rest).
I've noticed that every time I jog, it gets a little easier. Today, when I hit the 2-mile mark, I felt I could keep going. I didn't this time, though, since I knew I would be reassessing my goals tonight. I don't want to push myself too hard at the beginning and then give up because it gets too difficult. So I've upped next week's daily mileage requirement to 2.5. It's not a huge increase, but I'm not looking for huge right now. If I follow through with this goal, I'll be jogging 15 miles per week, which blows my mind. Though I suppose what blows my mind harder is the knowledge that I can actually do it! :)

5. Record calories for at least two meals per day.
I've written once before in here that I'm not a calorie counter, but I think I need to be-- at least until I get the hang of knowing what is actually in foods. Like earlier today, after I had my lunch and looked at the nutritional content of peanut butter I was like, "130 fat calories per serving?!?! What!?!?" and I don't want to be doing that again. :) I also need to learn portion control. I don't see myself tracking cals forever, but I know right now that it's an important step I need to take, since many times I literally did not know what I was putting into my body (ie, 110-calorie cookie episode).

Next week's check-in is September 27. If it's anything like this week's, I'll be happy.

Thanks for keeping me motivated!

Sifen
 
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I'm not a calorie counter, but I think I need to be-- at least until I get the hang of knowing what is actually in foods.
I thought I could just estimate it all and sometimes it works and then there is the other 6.5 days in the week.
 
September 21

One more day until the weigh-in for the Halloween Challenge! Eep! ...actually, no eep. I felt really good this last week, whether the scale reflects a loss or not. I just feel like I'm doing better overall, and eventually my body will start to show that--- though I'm notoriously impatient!

It's now 58 degrees out and I'm all set to go jogging... but 58F is kinda cold to me! I'm from Houston, it shouldn't get like this until November at the earliest! That gym membership is really going to start being necessary. Though I'd rather not jog on a treadmill, 'tis better than not jogging at all. Hopefully that point is still a ways away though.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Sifen

Edit, 7:15 pm: D'oh! I definitely had one more cookie today than I meant to. You may have won this round, cookies, but you'll not win the war!

DAILY RECAP for SEPT 21, final update 9:01 pm:

Breakfast: Bowl of oatmeal w/milk and syrup (265 cal)
Lunch: 2 oz diced baked chicken, 2 oz diced green pepper, 1 tsp mayo, cayenne/garlic powder/black pepper on a slice of toasted whole grain bread (OH SO YUMMY!) with a cup of 2% milk and a handful of baby carrots (~ 335 cal)
Mid-afternoon: Same open-faced sandwich as above (~270 cal)
Late afternoon: A cookie (110 cal)
Dinner: Homemade chicken fried rice: 2 oz chicken breast, green pepper, broccoli, an egg, rice, and some soy sauce (~400 cal?)
Dessert: 2 cookies (215 cal)
Total cals = 1595 cal
Water: 90 of 86 oz completed!
Exercise: Jogged 1.5 miles, then 1 mile

Yays for today:
- First day jogging 2.5 miles, and I still feel great!

Boos for today:
- Ate one more cookie than I meant to. Dang!
 
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Hey fellow Freddy member! Looks like you're doing well. We pound slashers need to keep each other up, man. How do get started running? I would love to eventually one day become a really good runner but I get shin splints and my ankles act up every time I even ACT like I want to pound some pavement. Do you start with a run-walk or speed walking? I would love to build a good running program.

Looks like you're doing well. Be sure to check out my diary as well and give me feedback!
 
How do get started running? I would love to eventually one day become a really good runner but I get shin splints and my ankles act up every time I even ACT like I want to pound some pavement. Do you start with a run-walk or speed walking? I would love to build a good running program.

Well, I'm not really all-out running yet-- M2M could completely overtake me with her speedwalking! But I started last summer. The gym I went to was about half a mile from my apartment, so I would walk there (kind of a warm-up) and use the treadmill for awhile when I got there before doing weights. The treadmill is a little more low-impact than pavement, so shin splints weren't a problem.

I started slow, both in speed and in distance-- maybe a mile at a time doing a slow jog (4 mph) with plenty of walking breaks during it. By the end of the summer, I was running up to seven mph for three miles at a time... but I let that go during the school year and gained all my weight back. :mad: So I'm back to square one, jogging pretty slowly to build back up to that point. I still walk for about half a mile before I start to jog, plus I stretch really well before and after. I absolutely love jogging outdoors, now that it's an option.

If your ankles are bothering you, perhaps you need shoes with ankle support? I'm definitely not a professional, but if you'd really like to make running a hobby, the folks at foot locker or somesuch might have an idea. Or a doctor, if your exercise program is being monitored by one.

Right now your classes seem to be doing you good, so if you can't jog right away, I'm glad you've found something you enjoy!

Sifen
 
I felt really good this last week, whether the scale reflects a loss or not. I just feel like I'm doing better overall, and eventually my body will start to show that

That is a HUGE accomplishment sifen!! You should print that out and put it on your refrigerator!! You're doing great!
 
It looks like you're doing great and you have just the best attitude about things! I'm really excited for you and your running program (thanks for the tips - I'm going to try them in earnest as soon as my back stop hurting). Go, girl, go!

Die, fat cells..DIE!:)
 
September 22

Yay! 170!!! And this time I'm not gonna pass it off on a water fluctuation... after this last week, I totally earned that pound GONE! And I'm gonna keep on drinking myself silly on water, pounding that pavement like I'm being chased by saber-toothed snails, and eating up those colorful fruits and veggies! Yay!

Hehe... happy Sifen. Could you tell? :) Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Sifen

2:11 pm: I was surprised to see how many calories are in 1/4c raisins-- 130! They're a healthful snack though, so it's not like I'll stop eating them. :)

DAILY RECAP for SEPT 22, final edit 11:05 pm:

Breakfast: Leftover bowl of homemade chicken fried rice (see yesterday: ~400 cal)
Lunch: Slice of whole-grain bread w/1TB peanut butter, cinnamon and raisins (345 cal)
Mid-afternoon: Black plum (20 cal)
Late afternoon: 1c grapefruit juice (100 cal), baby carrots w/hummus (~140 cal)
Dinner: Slice of whole-grain bread w/1 tsp mayo, cayenne pepper, turkey, and a slice of swiss w/handful baby carrots (295 cal)
Dessert: Two cookies (215 cal)
Total cals = 1515 cals
Water: 92 of 86 oz completed
Fruits/Veggie servings: Green pepper, raisins, black plum, grapefruit juice x2, baby carrots x2
Exercise: Jogged 1.5 miles, then 1 mile

Yays for today:
- Lots of fruits, veggies, water, and jogging. I feel great!

Boos for today:
- Nothing from the white group, but that's a small boo. :)
 
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Wow! well done on reaching the 170! I enjoyed reading about the jogging, it seems that you have a sensible approach. I started out walking with the dog, and then progressed to interval jogging, slowing down to a walk to get my breath back every now and then. As time went by, I needed less intervals, and could put more effort into the running. I also bought a nice pair of running shoes as one of my goal rewards, they help motivate me. I also sometimes wear a heart monitor - a nice cheap one, that tells me as I am running, how hard I am really working - if I slow down for an interval - I can see on the monitor wrist watch when my heart rate has slowed down.
 
September 23

Here it is, already 3 pm and I really have neither eaten nor drank much of anything today. Yikes! I didn't have much breakfast because I wasn't hungry, and am just now eating lunch. I had maybe 2 oz of water hours ago and am trying to down more right now. I've just been all over the place since I woke up and haven't had much of a chance to sit down til now. I feel good, though. There's chicken and matzo ball soup cooking on the stove and a honey cake baking in the oven. Both should be tasty for dinner tonight. Now I just have a ton of dishes to wash, and maybe I'll have time to go for my jog this afternoon!

Sifen

DAILY RECAP for SEPT 23, final update 12:42 am:

Breakfast: Half a bowl of oatmeal w/milk and syrup (130 cal)
Lunch: Slice of whole-grain bread w/1 tsp mayo, cayenne pepper, turkey, and a slice of swiss w/handful baby carrots (295 cal)
Late afternoon: Bits of the honey cake I was baking (~100 cal), raisins (130 cal)
Dinner: Bowl of chicken/matzo ball soup (including baby carrots, onions, and celery) w/challah and apples dipped in honey (no idea on the cals here, probably no more than 600)
Dessert: Honey cake (~200 cal)
Total cals = 1455 cal
Water: 66 of 86 oz completed
Fruits/Veggie servings: Baby carrots x2, raisins, apple, combo onion/celery
Exercise: Jogged 1 mile, then 1.5 miles. Also lots of walking. Also laundry.*

* Just in case anyone is wondering why I count 'laundry' as exercise, I don't have a washer/dryer in my apt and do two loads of laundry at a time. It's only about a five minute walk to the laundry facility, but I have to make three round trips (6 walks @ 5 minutes apiece = 30 minutes), two walks which involve carrying the two loads of laundry. So for me, I still count that as exercise! :)

Yays for today:
- Jogged instead of blowing it off!
- Made chicken soup from scratch, yum tasty goodness!

Boos for today:
- Started the day off unhealthily, then
- Missed my water goal for the first time in a week or so! Grr!
 
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Nice job on losing 2 pounds !!

After reading your diary, it's pretty easy to understand why. What a nice plan you have for yourself. ;)
 
Congrats on your first couple of pounds. Isn't it an awesome feeling to know that the plan is underway and really working?:)
 
Nice job on losing 2 pounds !!
After reading your diary, it's pretty easy to understand why. What a nice plan you have for yourself. ;)

Congrats on your first couple of pounds. Isn't it an awesome feeling to know that the plan is underway and really working?:)

T2, Antagonist, I've gotta thank you both. I was about to blow off my daily jog for no real good reason, but I logged in here, saw your messages and realized that I was being ridiculous; I'm not tired, sore, or sick, and my 'day off' isn't until Monday. I just got back from my jog, and I feel absolutely great! :) So thanks for the encouragement-- it really made a difference to me today!

Sifen
 
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