Daily Numbers

Ok!  I have been learning quite a bit this week while I have been counting calories and controlling portions... the first is that I can't believe how many calories are in things! Things such as cheese and crackers, that I would have thought nothing of sitting down with for a "snack" and eating half a box of wheat thins and half a brick of cheese - by myself!!!!  Though, I wouldn't be hungry for dinner... good thing, because the calories in that would have equaled a meal - and a really caloric meal at that.  Wow. 

Plus, the fact that a few simple changes/alterations in your meal can mean big savings in calories - or big gains!  Mike and I sat down for dinner last night - with almost the same meal, and a 800 calorie difference.  Unbelievable!  I had the chicken and sauce on a salad, and was so full, I had to forgo my rice and beans.  Plus, I drank water.  He had a salad, the chicken and sauce, and a cup of instant mashed potatoes...and 2/3 of a bottle of Pepsi.  The pepsi and the potatoes were a whopping 500 calories more.  He had a 1300 calorie meal!  With just a little change.  

I'll tell you more of what I am learning tomorrow. ;)

Exercise:

2.6 miles on the treadmill, 401 cals burned in 45 minutes

Breakfast:

Before walk - 1/2 banana and p.b.: 75 cals

After walk - 4 whole wheat ritz and 1 oz mozz: 150 cals

then later: Banana mock danish and coffee: 390 cals

Lunch: 

1 cup Indian Rice and Beans Blend, raw spinach leaves and some chicken from last night!: 370 cals

Snack: 

10 whole wheat ritz crackers, 1 tbsp natural p.b. and 1 oz mozz. cheese: 335 cals

Dinner:

Shredded Chicken Salsa taco with avocado and sour cream... and side salad: 380 cals

Total:  401 cals burned, 1700/1778 eaten.  Phew!  Just made it!

So, I Bought A Scale.

I sent Mike to get a scale at BJs for me this week.  We had a coupon, so it was only $9.99! I have never owned a scale in my life, never used one to help me lose weight - in fact, I always looked at fat grams and carbs during diets to help me control my eating - never calories and never really my weight.  This is all so different for me. I always looked at weighing one's self every day as over obsessive, since it can change a lot even during the day!  But, there is something to be said about knowing all the facts - measurements, healthy eating, calorie counts and....my actual weight.  It all factors in together so you can get the whole picture!  

And not looking at calories specifically and not weighing myself is probably the reason I am where I am today. 

Since I signed up on the Adios, Fatty blog, as someone who will be accountable and has to "weigh-in" every week, and since I am truly counting calories now - I figured a scale would be a good idea.  Plus, it's pretty.  Glass and metal, with a digital readout.  Like Mike said, it's too pretty to belong in our ancient old house. ;)

But, like I said, it's kind of annoying when you weigh yourself in the morning...knowing you were 203.6 yesterday...and this morning you are 200.6.  Huh.  And then by noon, you are 202.3...and then by 5pm, you are 203.6 again.  Grrrrrr.....  But!  That 203.6 is better than the 205 I started with!  And I know it's accurate because Mike said his weight was exactly the same at the doctor's office a few days ago, where I read out 205 last week.

So, I am hoping it will help in my fight!  Otherwise, it will end up in the garage sale pile.

Daily Numbers

Exercise:

2.7 miles on treadmill

380 cals burned in 45 minutes

Breakfast: 

Before walk - 1/2 small banana and p.b: 70 cals

Right after walk - 4 wheat thins and 1 oz mozzarella: 125 cals

Late Breakfast/Early Lunch:

Pear Banana Mock Danish: 345 cals

french vanilla coffee: 75 cals

Late Lunch/Snack:

P.B. and J on wheat: 295 cals

french vanilla coffee: 60 cals (less mix added)

Dinner:

Chicken with Grape Shallot sauce on salad with some avocado and shredded parm cheese: 488 cals

french vanilla coffee: 50 cals

Yep, that's 3 cups of coffee - and for me, that's three times the norm.  Probably why I am still awake.

380 cals burned and 1508/1778 calories eaten.  Way low for me!  I'm hoping the scale will show me some love on Sunday night.

Daily Numbers

Ok, so today I binged A LOT, and I was worried I was going to be way over...but I'm not.  Weird.

Still, the binging and no eating for hours is what was bad too!  To keep my metabolism running smoothly and not just dump a bunch to process and then get hungry... it really, truly is hard to eat in a healthy way.  

So, today's numbers!

Exercise: 45 minutes on the treadmill - burned 375 cals.

Breakfast: 

1/2 banana and 1 tsp. natural p.b. before my walk: 70 cals

Then all this over a period of an hour while I was feeding the kids and cleaning up:

Simple Harvest Oatmeal packet with 1/2 cup blueberries: 200 cals (yikes!)

1/2 banana: 40 cals

tiny piece of (the end of the) toast with tiny bit of butter: 85 cals

1 oz mozzarella cheese: 90 cals

Total just for breakfast: 490 cals... oops! it all adds up..... ;)

Lunch:

Natural Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich: 215 cals

Snack:

Ham, cheese and whole grain Wheat Thins (ahhh, I love those little things...): 375 cals (I told you I binged today!!)

Dinner:

Pork chop and fusilli pasta with a parmesan bacon cream sauce... I know!  So bad - but it was SO good! and a handful of red grapes: 525 cals - hard to believe, but I only had a small amount of sauce and only a little bit of meat.  Most of the calories were in the pasta!  Wow!

Total:  375 burned exercising and 1605/1778 calories eaten.  

Calorie Need Calculations

I have read a few blogs about exactly how to find out the number of calories I should be eating in a day.  There are just so many factors that go into a definitive number, so I will never really know by these calculators what will be the right number for me. The best way is to start with these numbers and see if you are losing or gaining and then tweak it according to your body.

The first guide calculator I found was on another weight loss blog.  She is a fan of the Biggest Loser and this is the calculator/formula they go by.  Then, they kick it up a notch by working out 5-6 hours a day!  Yikes!  My additions are in pink.

According to Kristi at Adios, Fatty (private blog):

1. Find your BMR (google BMR Calculator) ...I used this one. My BMR is 1,715.

2. Take your weight x 7, and subtract that from your BMR. My weight is 205 pounds.  So, 205 x 7 =  1435. BMR of 1715 - 1435 = 280.  This is the caloric daily deficit you should aim for.  So with my BMR as 1715, I should eat 280 fewer calories a day than my BMR, so I should be eating  1435.  That sounded way too low...so I did a little more checking and it turns out, I think you have to use this equation first, factoring in what exercise you do in a day and subtract your deficit from this number.  I think. Here's the equation:

 
I used the Harris Benedict Formula to determine the number of calories I should eat in a day to maintain my weight.  This equation varies according to how much exercise you are getting.  For me, since I want to incorporate my exercise in separately, I chose to use the "sedentary" formula.  This formula is your BMRx1.2. My weight-maintaining caloric intake is 2,058.  

Sooooo.... that means I should take 2,058 - 280 = 1778.  That sounds a little more doable, since I normally eat like a horse.

I still have to check with her to find out if my math is wrong...

The research that I have done suggests to vary your calorie intake a little bit every day to keep your metabolism moving!  Also, vary your exercises too, since the same exercise every day can cause a plateau in your metabolism. Even a constant speed/incline in the same workout will not do much to kick start your metabolism either and will do more to hurt you in the weight loss department!

Use the number of calories you would eat to maintain your weight (mine was 2,058) and multiply by 7.  This is the weekly amount of calories to maintain your weight.

Then, do the same for your actual weekly calories and subtract this from your maintenance calorie number. This is how many calories you saved this week!  Since you won't lose day-to-day, a weekly total will let you have a little bit more one day and a little less the next.  It's much less restricting and really how your body will calculate it anyway!  Take your total calories and subtract that from your weekly calorie goal.  That is your weekly defecit.  And 3500 calories is 1 pound of fat, so if you've shaved off 3500, you should lose 1 pound a week!  Exercise calories burned is combined with calorie defecits to see even bigger gains.  So, add up your weekly totals there too and see what number you come up with!

My weekly goal totals are:  

14,406/week if I want to maintain my weight

12,446/week (with my 280 cals a day defecit) to lose weight

1970 calories saved per week

3500 cals/week (burned and saved) = 1 pound 

7000 cals/week (burned and saved) = 2 pounds

I would have to save 219 more calories each day if I wanted to boost the calories saved to 3500/week.

Or, burn 219 calories a day exercising for the whole week.  

This is all to lose 1 pound each week!

Experts say it is wise to not lose more than 2 pounds per week - and that is a tough goal to meet anyway!  Also, be wary that you not go under 1200 calories a day, since that will work against you.  Your metabolism will virtually shut down and store all the fat as the body goes into "emergency mode".  Like I said, keep your calorie level around the same, with a few variations to make your metabolism work in top shape for weight loss. 

The second calculator I found here is actually closer to the number I got after all that above, so it's making me think I might have done the numbers right...but who knows??!

Ok, enough with the math lesson!

Daily Numbers

Today:

Exercise:

350 cals burned on the treadmill walking at various inclines/speeds for 45 minutes

Breakfast: 

Tiny banana and natural peanut butter before workout: 115 cals 

Spinach Egg Scramble and 1 piece whole wheat toast with butter: 320 cals

Snack:

1 oz mozzarella cheese: 80 cals

Lunch:

Spinach salad with hard boiled egg, olives and tomatoes, with dijon dressing: 265 cals

Snack: 

5 olives: 25 cals

Starving!  Had a ham sandwich...ouch: 340 cals.

Dinner:  Pot Roast Sandwich with gravy and swiss cheese (yum!) with only the bottom part of bun!  Mashed potatoes and gravy: 550 cals

Total: 350 burned, 1695/1778 eaten!  Yay! 

Back on Track

I'm not sure you can say "Back" on Track if you never really got on it in the first place!

But, that's where I am.  After two weeks of being sick and caring for the sick, I have finally "started" again.  I am learning to deal with this calorie restricted new day, looking forward to the day when I can just eat to maintain!  

Hopefully I will get my numbers up daily - I want this blog to be my motivator, the vehicle of accountability to myself.  For both diet and exercise! I also want to post them in case there is anyone out there looking for advice in exactly how to get where they want to be and hopefully, if you are reading this blog, it might help you in some way. 

I want to post all the info that helps me, from BMR Calorie Calculators to getting better organic foods and lots of healthy recipes up here. Also any tips and tools that help me along the way. Motivational quotes, books, other websites, etc. will also find their way on to this blog, rounding out the road map to a new me!

I'm also back on track with some of my other organizing projects - I'm hoping to post about the progress on those in this coming week.  Stay tuned!