I am BACK!

Hello, select handful of people who were reading my fitness blog earlier in the year!  I know I only had a handful of posts, even though I said I was going to update it every day.  I'm not gonna lie, I don't feel the slightest bit bad about not keeping that promise.

Okay, when I put it that way, I broke a promise and I'm sorry.

I guess what I meant to say was once you hear my excuse/story/reason/whatever, perhaps you'll understand?  I hope so, 'cause I appreciate your continued support in this maddening effort.  Or at least, slightly labored effort.

Anyways, on with the story.  I'm sure you'll remember me mentioning that my mom was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.  Thanks to one major surgery, she is now CANCER FREE (Praise GOD!) and completely back to herself again.  However, that one surgery was, as I mentioned, major.  I spent a lot of time running the house and taking care of Mom right around the time I stopped posting updates.  Not only that, this past semester was my second-to-last semester as an undergrad college student (I don't want to say my last semester EVER as a college student, 'cause who knows, maybe grad school is a possibility, but anyway), and as such it was heavy laden with many, many writing projects, including a brutal 20 - 25-page research paper that involved more literary research and analysis than I ever care to do for the rest of my life.

So, bascially, after I was done with my daily self-flagellation, my affectionate term for doing all that writing for school, why on Earth would I want to write a blog post if I could flop across the couch and turn my brain off in front of the TV instead?  Don't even lie, you'd do the same if you were me.  I think.

If you're not convinced yet, let me shovel one more excuse onto the pile (shoveling is good core/upper body exercise!).  I promise, it's only one excuse but it comes in three parts.  Part 1 - Hallmark.  Part 2 - Discount Stable.  Part 3 - Kent State Stark Academic Success Center.  What these three seemingly-disconnected establishments have in common is that they all employ Michelle Jarvis (that's me) on a part-time basis.  While she is taking care of her recovering mother and killing herself slowly with homework assignments.  And she's gonna stop talking in third person now, 'cause it's creeping her out.

What Michelle is–ahem, sorry–What I am truly contrite about is that shortly after I stopped posting updates on my blog, I stopped the nutrition plan, too.  It was simply becoming too much to manage.  Which probably isn't true.  It was more or less of a mental block.  I told myself I was still eating sensibly, but let's face it, we are capable of lying to ourselves.  I'll spare you the details.  Just use your imagination.

Okay, I didn't eat that.  Boy.  Your imagination really thinks I'm a pig.

Suffice it to say, I left The Long and Winding Road so I could Get Back to a more convenient dietary lifestyle.  I Should Have Known Better, and . . . this is exhausting, so for now, I'm just gonna Let It Be.

And with that, a tiny bit of encouragement from my awesome friend Rebekah (see? I get by with a little help from my friends), I have decided to revive my blog.  I have been doing very good, with no cheating whatsoever, and I have been drinking all 3 Stumpies.  But before I congratulate myself too much, I must remember I've only been doing this for two days.  Heh.  I'll keep it going, though.  If you help me.

I have continued my weekly meetings with Justin, Mom, and Sue, so I haven't been a completely lazy slob.  Sure, there was a great big break in there while we waited for Mom to recover, but we've been going regularly ever since.  I'm still hoping he waits to do a fitness evaluation for another few weeks, 'cause I'm afraid of what the numbers will say.

Well, that's all for now, folks!  Hopefully you'll be seeing more regular posts from me.  Not promising daily ones, but at least a few times a week!





P.S.  Here's another reason why I took a break from the nutrition plan.  This was my first cheat meal, of many.  Two big pieces of Mom's homemade lasagna and a glass of zinfandel.  Mmmmmm MM!

If you don't think Mom's lasagna is a good reason to go off a nutrition plan, then I'm not sure we can still be friends.







Oh, and you should be proud of me.  I ran 1.3 miles today.  Boo-yah!

Day 7 - February 6, 2011

DAY 7 - February 6, 2011

A very status quo kind of day.  I was feeling really crummy emotionally, but I still managed to stick with the diet.  This was day one of major freak-out over the fact that my mom has cancer, which is probably why I didn't write a whole lot down in my journal.

Meal #1: 8:30 AM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 4 oz. yogurt (C = 23, P = 3, F = 2, cal = 120)
• 1 cup 2% milk (C = 12, P = 8, F = 5, cal = 130)
• ½ scoop protein mix (C = 2, P = 13, F = 1, cal = 70)
• 2 oz. red grapes (C = 9, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 35)

TOTAL: C = 46, P = 24, F = 8, cal = 355

Meal #2: 12:00 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 cup Cheerios (C = 20, P = 3, F = 2, cal = 100)
• 1 cup 2% milk (C = 12, P = 8, F = 5, cal = 130)
• ½ scoop protein mix, sprinkled over cereal (C = 2, P = 13, F = 1, cal = 70)
• 2 oz. red grapes (C = 9, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 35)

TOTAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 335

Meal #3: 2:30 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 piece pita (C = 24, P = 8, F = 2, cal = 140)
• 2 tbsp. hummus (C = 4, P = 2, F = 4, cal = 50)
• 1 slice whole wheat bread (C = 13, P = 2, F = 1, cal = 70)
• 1 slice ham (C = 1, P = 5, F = 1, cal = 30)
• 1 slice turkey (C = 1, P = 6, F = 1, cal = 30)

TOTAL: C = 43, P = 23, F = 9, cal = 320

Meal #4: 7:30 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 2 broiled chicken tenderloins (C = 0, P = 23, F = 1, cal = 110)
• 1 McIntosh apple (C = 22, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 80)
• 1 chocolate peanut butter Special K protein bar (C = 25, P = 10, F = 6, cal = 180)

TOTAL: C = 47, P = 33, F = 7, cal = 370

Meal #5: 10:30 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 chocolate Special K protein shake (C = 29, P = 10, F = 5, cal = 190)
• 1 capsule fish oil (C = 0, P = 0, F = 1, cal = 10)
• 1 slice whole wheat bread (C = 13, P = 2, F = 1, cal = 70)
• 1 tsp. strawberry jam (C = 4, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 15)
• 2 hard-boiled egg whites (C = 0, P = 8, F = 0, cal = 35)

TOTAL: C = 46, P = 20, F = 7, cal = 320

DAILY TOTALS

GOALS:

• C = 230
• P = 140
• F = 40
• cal = 1840

CONSUMED:

• C = 225 (-5)
• P = 124 (-16)
• F = 39 (-1)
• cal = 1700 (-140)

I don't really have much else written down in my journal.  I really didn't feel like writing much that day.

Physical Activity for the Day

Not enough!

Did you drink all three Stumpies?

No.

Day 6 - February 5, 2011 - And the catch-up begins!

DAY 6 - February 5, 2011

Aaaaaand we're back!

Okay, I've been away from the blog for a bit because the whole weekend of February 5th was quite worrisome and choppy.  Mom's diagnosis had me a bit preoccupied.  But, I did remain faithful to my diet, as you will see.

Meal #1: 9:30 AM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 4 oz. yogurt (C = 23, P = 3, F = 2, cal = 120)
• ½ scoop protein mix (C = 2, P = 13, F = 1, cal = 70)
• 1 cup 2% milk (C = 12, P = 8, F = 5, cal = 130)
•  2 oz. red grapes (C = 9, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 35)

TOTAL: C = 46, P = 24, F = 8, cal = 355

Meal #2: 11:30 AM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 4 oz. yogurt (C = 23, P = 3, F = 2, cal = 120)
• ½ scoop protein mix (C = 2, P = 13, F = 1, cal = 70)
• 1 cup 2% milk (C = 12, P = 8, F = 5, cal = 130)
•  2 oz. red grapes (C = 9, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 35)

TOTAL: C = 46, P = 24, F = 8, cal = 355

Meal #3: 3:00 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 piece pita (C = 24, P = 8, F = 2, cal =140)
• 2 tbsp hummus (C = 4, P = 2, F = 4, cal = 50)
• 1 slice whole wheat bread (C = 13, P = 2, F = 1, cal = 70)
• 2 oz. tuna (packaged in water) (C = 0, P = 10, F = 1, cal = 50)

TOTAL: C = 41, P = 20, F = 8, cal = 310

Meal #4: 7:30 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 2 broiled chicken tenderloins (C = 0, P = 23, F = 1, cal = 110)
• 1 apple (C = 22, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 80)
• 1 chocolate peanut butter Special K protein bar (C = 25, P = 10, F = 6, cal = 180)
• 1 capsule fish oil (C = 0, P = 0, F = 1, cal = 10)

TOTAL: C = 47, P = 33, F = 8, cal = 380

Meal #5: 10:00 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 slice ham (C = 1, P = 5, F = 1, cal = 30)
• 1 slice turkey (C = 1, P = 6, F = 1, cal = 30)
• 1 sandwich roll (C = 22, P = 6, F = 2, cal = 100)
• 1 slice American cheese (C = 0, P = 4, F = 6, cal = 70)
• 4 oz. red grapes (C = 18, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 70)

TOTAL: C = 42, P = 21, F = 10, cal = 300

DAILY TOTALS

GOALS:

• C = 230
• P = 140
• F = 40
• cal = 1840

CONSUMED:

• C = 222 (-8)
• P = 122 (-18)
• F = 42 (+2)
• cal = 1700 (-140)

If you're like me, you crave sweet things from time to time.  Whenever this happens, go get some red grapes, wash them, take them all off the vine, put them in a Tupperware bowl, and pop it in the fridge.  Now you have a quick, delicious, healthy way to satisfy (for a time) a craving for something sweet. They're cool, crisp bursts of sweet juiciness.  They are YUMMY.

Of course, every once in a great while, if you're craving something sweet, go get some ice cream or something.  Don't drive yourself crazy.

I'm really starting to get in a rhythm with figuring this stuff out.  It's fun and easy, really.  All I had to do to alleviate the frustration I was feeling was find foods that were high-C, low-P and -F, or high-P, low-C and -F.  And the good news is, it's all delicious and I feel great.

I'm starting to notice a difference in the way my clothes are fitting.  I can't wait for weigh-in day!  (Day 15; I'm gonna try to weigh myself once every 2 weeks.)

Physical Activity for the Day

Not enough!

Did you drink all three Stumpies?

 . . . no.  I've been having water motivation problems.  I think one reason I'm having a hard time with this is because I'm tired of having to pee all the time.  Also, drinking water has a cooling effect, and considering the weather, I'd rather not feel any colder than I have to.  But, I need to keep drinking my Stumpies!  Someone motivate me to keep chugging!

No, I haven't forgotten . . .

For those of you wondering if I've fallen off the bandwagon already, I'm still here!  I've just had some stuff crop up in my life recently that has kept me away from long stretches at the computer.  Which, it's good that I'm not at the computer for long stretches, but it's not so good that I'm also not getting long stretches of sleep and today I've gone long stretches where the slightest little bit of food is making me want to . . . well, you know.  Rest assured, readers, that I haven't strayed from the dietary straight-and-narrow, with the exception of today.  And that's not even in the sense that I'm over-indulging or eating stuff I'm not supposed to.  It's the fact that I'm just . . . not eating.  The only thing I've consumed all day is one Special K protein shake under Mom's strict orders.  I know, I need to eat more (and believe me, I would love to), but if a food source that isn't even solid made me pull over and aim my hurl machine at the bushes, I'm not sure I want to try much else.

I'll pull a catch-up day here pretty soon.  You'll get to see that I have been a good girl in absence of my blog posts.  I've still been recording my meals in the hard copy of my journal.  Oh, and by the way, I'm meeting with Justin tomorrow.  Hopefully my stomach likes the idea of holding onto whatever I give it by morning.

And there's been something I've been meaning to share with you guys for a really long time.  Whenever I need to check the nutrition facts on something, and I'm not sure what they were for whatever reason (such as the product didn't have a label), I go to www.calorieking.com.  They've got a great food search program on there that allows you to find nutrition facts on pretty much anything.  It's a great way to track how much you're eating.  I know the common idea is that tracking calories, proteins, carbs, fats, fiber, sugar, etc. is a major pain, but I'm finding that it's not.  It's only too much work if you think it's too much work.  I find that the more discipline I have with keeping tabs on what (as well as how much of what) I'm eating, the less likely I am to slip up and the more determined I am to stay focused.  Hopefully Calorie King helps you like it's been helping me!




So, how has your nutritional plan been going?  (Notice I didn't say "diet."  Isn't that so politically correct of me?  :D)

Day 5 - February 4, 2011 - PERSONAL TRAINER DAY!

DAY 5 - February 4, 2011

Today was the big day–Meeting #1 with Justin.  He told me to eat a high-protein meal at least an hour before the session, so this is what I had:

Meal #1: 8:30 AM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• ¼ cup oatmeal (C = 14, P = 13, F = 1, cal = 75)
• ½ scoop protein mix, mixed in with oatmeal(C = 2, P = 13, F = 1, cal =70)
• ½ cup 2% milk (C = 6, P = 5, F = 3, cal = 65)
• ½ chocolate Special K protein shake (C = 15, P = 5, F = 3, cal = 95)

TOTAL: C = 37, P = 25, F = 9, cal = 305

Feeling sufficiently prepared, I hopped into the van with Mom, and away we went to EZ Fitness (it's a misnomer, I tell you).  The first thing we noticed was that Sue's van was not in the parking lot, but we went inside anyway.  We hopped on the treadmill to begin our warmup.  Halfway through, Justin walked by and said he'd be running late with his first client of the day, but we could just hang out after our warmup.  Sue wasn't there yet anyway, so it didn't really matter.

Here was my warmup:

• 3:30 with a speed of 3.5 mph @ incline of 5.0
• :30 with a speed of 3.0 mph @ incline of 5.0
• :30 with a speed of 3.0 mph @ incline of 2.5
• :30 with a speed of 2.5 mph @ incline of 2.5
• 5 minutes total

After we finished, Justin was still with his client and Sue hadn't arrived yet.  So, we sat at the front tables, chatted with several members who were coming and going, and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Justin eventually joined us.  We called Sue a few times with no response.  It was creeping closer and closer to 10:00 by this point, and our appointment was at 9:30.  Hoping everything was okay, we distracted ourselves by talking about Justin's new girlfriend (who is bringing C.S. Lewis into his life, so I think she needs to stick around!).  Finally, around 10:05, Sue rushes through the door, teary-eyed, because her driveway was so icy she could hardly get out of it and she was worried that Justin had canceled our session and that she had let us down.  Poor thing!  We assured her that it was just fine, and Justin even told us he didn't have another client until 11:00.  So, we continued.

First, Justin took some baseline numbers.  Always my least favorite part.  In October, I had a single paid session with Justin in which he took my baseline numbers, which include measurements of hips, legs, arms, and chest, as well as calculating a percentage of body fat.  My arms and legs went up half an inch, which he said was no big deal, and my hips and chest stayed the same.  However, my body fat percentage went up three and a half percentage points!  That was . . . shocking.  It was 29.7 in October, which is still too high, but it was 33.2 yesterday.  Ay-yai-yai!  To give you an idea of what it should be, females in my age range should have a body fat percentage of 10-18.  He said I can get into that range . . . but how???

Next, we warmed up . . . again (but with Sue this time) . . . on the elliptical.  Three minutes at 75 RPMs. Piece of cake It was easy!

Since it was our first session, we did a lot of "tests."

• Upper Body Fit Test

This was basically, "How many pushups can you do in a minute?"  Since we were weak females (heh), he let us do them on bars that were about three and a half feet off the ground (except Mom–hers was closer to four and a half feet).  Mom got 47, Sue got 39, and I came in at the back of the pack at 36.  Despite the fact that I have man arms, I've never had the best upper body strength.  Of course, Justin had to show us up and do 50, without the bars, but whatever.

• Lower Body Fit Test

Are you familiar with what is known as a "wall sit?"  If not, it's pretty easy to guess what it is.  You sit with your back against the wall on an imaginary chair with your knees at a 90º angle.  He had us hold it for as long as we could.  Mom got 1:05, Sue got 0:55, and I got 0:57.  We all felt pretty good about that because 0:30 is considered "good," 1:00 is considered "excellent," and 1:30 and anything beyond is considered "superhuman and you should have a series of graphic novels based on the prowess of your thigh muscles."  Or something like that.  I can get there.  My years as a horseback rider have given me really strong legs, but wall sits are still pretty tough!

• Stress Test

Bet you can tell this one's a fun one, eh?  It's a test to see how well your heart can handle cardio workouts.  The idea is to get as close to your maximum heart rate as possible.  Fun!  We each had a step elevated to 12", and for 3 minutes, we took steps to the cadence of "up, up, down, down," at around the rhythm of 120 beats per minute.  Mom had a hard time with it and had to quit about 2 and a half minutes into the test.  In the 3-minute stretch, Sue took 87 steps (each sequence of "up, up, down, down" counts as one step) and I took 83.  I'm still trying to figure that out, since we were both doing the same cadence at the same rhythm for the same amount of time.  Hmm.  Anyways, my heart rate got up to 184.  My max is 198.  (To find yours, subtract your age from 220.)  I fell into the "excellent" category, which is funny, because I would not come close to considering myself in excellent shape.  I was honestly surprised I could do that for the full 3 minutes!

• Core Strength Test

For this one, we each held a front plank for as long as we could.  To do a front plank, lay on your stomach, line up your elbows so they're underneath you're shoulders, and put your toes on the ground.  Then, lift your body off the ground so that it makes a straight line.  That's a front plank.  1:00 is considered "good" in the sense that, "Eh . . . it's not bad, necessarily, but it could be better."  2:00 is considered excellent.  Sue is a beast, so she got to 1:20-something.  Mom got 1:00 and I got 1:03 (which was beating my record by 3 seconds!  Woohoo!).


And so concluded my first training session.  Justin will be busy coming up with some exercise plans for the 3 of us (we call ourselves "The Three Chicks"), and I'll let you know how we do with them, as well as the trips we take to the gym when we're not meeting with Justin.  Mom unfortunately was just diagnosed with endometrial cancer, so she'll need surgery here within the next few weeks.  While she's recovering, all 3 of us are taking a break from meeting with Justin, but Sue and I will still be going to the gym.  Mom's upset that she'll have to go back to square one, but she knows–and I think you'll agree–that getting rid of this cancer is the more important thing right now!  She'll be just fine.  This is a very easy cancer to eradicate, and God is good and He'll take care of us!


Justin advises eating protein after a workout, because the body is looking for food and one of the energy reserves it taps into is your protein.  Protein is what your muscles fibers are made of, so you don't want your body eating away at all that hard work you just did!  So, I ate the "second half" of my first meal of the day:

Meal #2: 12:00 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• ¼ cup oatmeal (C = 14, P = 13, F = 1, cal = 75)
• ½ scoop protein mix, mixed in with oatmeal(C = 2, P = 13, F = 1, cal =70)
• ½ cup 2% milk (C = 6, P = 5, F = 3, cal = 65)
• ½ chocolate Special K protein shake (C = 15, P = 5, F = 3, cal = 95)

TOTAL: C = 37, P = 25, F = 9, cal = 305

The rest of the day went like this:

Meal #3: 2:00 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 piece pita (C = 24, P = 8, F = 2, cal =140)
• 2 tbsp hummus (C = 4, P = 2, F = 4, cal = 50)
• 1 slice whole wheat bread (C = 13, P = 2, F = 1, cal = 70)
• 2 oz. tuna (packaged in water) (C = 0, P = 10, F = 1, cal = 50)

TOTAL: C = 41, P = 20, F = 8, cal = 310

Meal #4: 4:30 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 2 broiled chicken tenderloins (C = 0, P = 23, F = 1, cal = 110)
• 1 apple (C = 22, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 80)
• 1 chocolate peanut butter Special K protein bar (C = 25, P = 10, F = 6, cal = 180)

TOTAL: C = 47, P = 33, F = 7, cal = 370

Meal #5: 9:30 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 24, F = 7, cal = 325

• 1 garlic butter pollock fillet (C = 0, P = 16, F = 3, cal = 90)
• 1 cup Mrs. Grass Chicken Noodle Soup (C = 19, P = 5, F = 2, cal = 110)
• 1 slice whole wheat bread (C = 13, P = 2, F = 1, cal = 70)
• 1 tbsp. strawberry jam (C = 12, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 45)
• 1 capsule fish oil (C = 0, P = 0, F = 1, cal = 10)

TOTAL: C = 45, P = 24, F = 7, cal = 325

DAILY TOTALS

GOALS:

• C = 230
• P = 140
• F = 40
• cal = 1840

CONSUMED:

• C = 207 (-23)
• P = 127 (-13)
• F = 40
• cal = 1615 (-225)

Overall, it was a pretty great day.  My personal training session was a lot of fun.  I can't wait to go back!  Which is happening next Wednesday at 9:30, by the way.  Justin is a very encouraging, motivational person who doesn't make me feel like I'm a failure if have a slip-up.  The picture I had in my head of a personal trainer was that super mean woman from NBC's The Biggest Loser.  She's in better shape than I'll ever be, but if I had a personal trainer like that, there's no way I'd want to keep at it.  Justin isn't like that at all.  It also helps that I'm doing this with Mom and Sue.  It's great to have a support system.  While I was discouraged by my body fat percentage, I'm hoping that being more conscious of the fat I'm consuming will bump down those numbers.

Also, in regards to having Mom and Sue there, my competitive side comes out around them.  That could be a bad thing, because I don't want to push myself farther than I should and end up hurting myself just to beat them.  But on the flip side of the token, it could be a good thing, because it encourages me to push myself farther than I thought I could go.  Several times, especially during the wall sit and the front plank, I know I would have quit if I hadn't looked up and saw them still toughing it out.  So, my advice for today: get a workout buddy!  It'll keep you accountable and challenge you to give that extra push to reach your fitness goals.  Plus, your buddy will be able to make sure you're still going to the gym and eating right and so on.

I forgot to ask Justin those questions.  Gosh darn it.

Physical Activity for the Day:

Note: Read everything above.  I have another fitness evaluation in 4 weeks.  Hopefully we see some improvement by then!  (Or, maybe I'll have another one after Mom's surgery and recovery period . . . hmm.  Even more time for improvement!)

Questions for Justin:

• None today!

Did you drink all three Stumpies?

 . . . no.  I only got through one and a half Stumpies.  I was going to bring Stumpy to work with me last night and keep it behind the counter so I could sip on it here and there, but I was in a rush when I left and forgot it.  After I got home, it was a little late to play catch-up.

And I have no idea what some of the bullets are red and some of them are black.  Huh.

Day 4 - February 3, 2011

DAY 4 - February 3, 2011

For some reason, I'm already getting tired of typing the word "February."

This morning I discovered a delicious (and very filling, I might add) way to enjoy my protein mix.  Here's my recipe:

Protein Smoothie

• 16 oz. Diet Lipton Green Tea
• 1 cup mixed berries (I use strawberries, black and red raspberries, and blueberries)
• 1 scoop Body Fortress protein mix (vanilla-flavored; 1-month supply available at Wal-Mart for $14.88)

Just toss it all in a blender and blend it for 30 seconds or so.  You'll get several servings of a delicious, berry-flavored, high-protein smoothie! (I had all of mine in one sitting, just because I had already planned the entire smoothie for my breakfast and didn't realize how much smoothie I was getting myself into.  It is quite filling.)

The rest of my day went remarkably well.  I got very close on all of my values and didn't feel racked with hunger like I did yesterday.  Thanks to some help from my friend Hannah, I have discovered some low-fat, high-protein foods, which significantly boosted my protein levels, and my friend Sharon suggested a great way of keeping track of calories which makes more sense than what I had been doing.  For uniformity's sake, though, I'll keep posting the way I have been.  I'm too lazy to think of a new way to format this.  Heh.

Meal #1: 8:00 AM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 chocolate peanut butter Special K protein bar (C = 25, P = 10, F = 6, cal = 180)
• 1 scoop protein mix (C = 3, P = 26, F = 2, cal = 140)
• 1 cup mixed berries (C = 17, P = 1, F = 0, cal = 70)

TOTAL: C = 45, P = 37, F = 8, cal = 390

Meal #2: 11:00 AM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 slice ham (C = 1, P = 5, F = 1, cal = 30)
• 1 slice turkey (C = 1, P = 6, F = 1, cal = 30)
• 1 Sandwich Thin (C = 22, P = 6, F = 2, cal = 100)
• 1 slice American cheese (C = 0, P = 4, F = 6, cal = 70)
• 1 cup mixed berries (C = 17, P = 11, F = 0, cal = 70)

TOTAL: C = 41, P = 22, F = 10, cal = 300

Meal #3: 3:30 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 piece pita (C = 24, P = 8, F = 2, cal =140)
• 2 tbsp hummus (C = 4, P = 2, F = 4, cal = 50)
• 1 slice whole wheat bread (C = 13, P = 2, F = 1, cal = 70)
• 1 tsp strawberry jam (C = 4, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 15)

TOTAL: C = 45, P = 12, F = 7, cal = 275

Meal #4: 7:30 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 cup strawberries (C = 12, P = 1, F = 0, cal = 50)
• 1 chocolate Special K protein shake (C=29, P = 10, F = 5, cal = 190)
• 1 garlic butter pollock fillet (C = 0, P = 16, F = 3, cal = 90)

TOTAL: C = 41, P = 27, F = 8, cal = 330

I know the word "butter" there is going to send you into a tizzy, but look at how low the fat content is!  And fish is an excellent source of protein.  I ordinarily don't like fish, but those Gorton's fillets aren't too bad.

Meal #5: 10:30 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 cup Mrs. Grass Chicken Noodle Soup (C = 19, P = 5, F = 2, cal = 110)
• 1 slice whole wheat bread (C = 13, P = 2, F = 1, cal = 70)
• 2 tsp strawberry jam (C = 8, P = 0, F = 0, cal = 30)
• 2 broiled chicken tenderloins (C = 2, P = 23, F = 1, cal = 110)
• 1 capsule fish oil (C = 0, P = 0, F = 1, cal = 10)

TOTAL: C = 41, P = 31, F = 5, cal = 330

DAILY TOTALS

GOALS:

• C = 230
• P = 140
• F = 40
• cal = 1840

CONSUMED:

• C = 213 (-17)
• P = 129 (-11)
• F = 38 (-2)
• cal = 1625 (-215)

I'm still a little bit off on my calories, but I got pretty darn close with everything else!  And I feel great.  Not hungry or anything.

Physical Activity for the Day:

Jackknifes (abdominal exercise) - 2 sets of 15 reps

Russian twists (abdominal and oblique exercise) - 3 sets of 15

Leg set

• Not sure if this has a technical name, but Justin has tortured my mom and me with this before.  Basically, you do 5 hop squats, go immediately into 5 deep squats, and on the fifth one, hold it for 5 seconds, then immediately repeat the whole thing.  Three times.  It's . . . fun.

Questions for Justin:

• None today.
• Tomorrow is my first session with the personal trainer.  Eep!  Hopefully I'll come back with some more exercise tips and ideas, and hopefully I'll be alive enough to blog about them later!

Did you drink all three Stumpies?

Yes, I did!  (Boy, I tell ya, all that water makes it hard to sit still for too long!  :-P)

Day 3 - February 2, 2011

DAY 3 - February 2, 2011

Today was supposed to be my meeting with Justin.  Unfortunately, we were getting pounded with ice and snow and rain and cold and all kinds of yuckiness like that.  So, we rescheduled for Friday.

Meal #1: 8:00 AM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8

• ¼ cup oatmeal (C = 14, P = 13, F = 1, cal = 75)
• ½ scoop protein mix, mixed in with oatmeal(C = 2, P = 13, F = 1, cal =70)
• ½ cup 2% milk (C = 6, P = 5, F = 3, cal = 65)
• ½ chocolate Special K protein shake (C = 15, P = 5, F = 3, cal = 95)

TOTAL: C = 37, P = 25, F = 9, cal = 305

Meal #2: 10:30 AM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8

• ¼ cup oatmeal (C = 14, P = 13, F = 1, cal = 75)
• ½ scoop protein mix, mixed in with oatmeal(C = 2, P = 13, F = 1, cal =70)
• ½ cup 2% milk (C = 6, P = 5, F = 3, cal = 65)
• ½ chocolate Special K protein shake (C = 15, P = 5, F = 3, cal = 95)

TOTAL: C = 37, P = 25, F = 9, cal = 305

Meal #3: 2:00 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• 1 piece pita (C = 24, P = 8, F = 2, cal =140)
• 2 tbsp hummus (C = 4, P = 2, F = 4, cal = 50)
• ½ cup Mrs. Grass Chicken Noodle Soup (C = 10, P = 3, F = 1, cal = 55)

TOTAL: C = 38, P = 13, F = 7, cal = 235)

Meal #4: 5:00 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• ½ Sandwich Thin (C = 11, P = 3, F = 1, cal = 50)
• ½ 93% lean beef patty (C = 0, P = 16, F = 6, cal = 115)
• 1 cup mixed berries (C = 17, P = 1, F = 0, cal = 70)

TOTAL: C = 28, P = 20, F = 7, cal = 235

Meal #5: 8:00 PM

GOAL: C = 46, P = 28, F = 8, cal = 368

• ½ Sandwich Thin (C = 11, P = 3, F = 1, cal = 50)
• ½ 93% lean beef patty (C = 0, P = 16, F = 6, cal = 115)
• 1 cup mixed berries (C = 17, P = 1, F = 0, cal = 70)
• 1 capsule fish oil ( C = 0, P = 0, F = 1, cal = 10)

TOTAL: C = 28, P = 20, F = 8, cal = 245

DAILY TOTALS

GOALS:

• C = 230
• P = 140
• F = 40
• cal = 1840

CONSUMED:

• C = 168 (-62)
• P = 103 (-37)
• F = 40
• cal = 1335 (-505)

YIKES!  What happened with those numbers?  Maybe yesterday's overage on grams of fat made me a little gunshy.  No wonder I was so hungry when I went to bed.  I'm missing so much of every value (except fat, heh) that it's almost like I'm missing a meal and a half.  I need some help with this before I starve myself!

Physical Activity for the Day:

*hangs head in shame*  Well . . . I didn't do anything today.  Totally sedentary.  Since my personal training session got postponed, I thought I was off the hook.  Wrong!  I could have done some plank exercises, or various other floor exercises I do at the gym, and I even could have done the Special K Workout DVD (which never ceases to kick my tubby little butt all over the place).  No excuse for my lack of activity.  I just . . . didn't do it.

Questions for Justin:

• Why do I feel so hungry?  Is it because my body is adjusting to the different diet?  Am I not getting enough of a certain value?

Did you drink all three Stumpies?

Yes, I did!