ye or ne?

Found this on yahoo!:
sounds about right... I don't really encourage the junk food part but I guess whatever helps you diet efficiently. ..

For a perfectly balanced and satisfying 1,400-calorie daily plan, base your diet on the following foods:

1.5 cups of fruit
1.5 cups of vegetables
5 servings of whole grains
4 ounces of meat
2 cups of milk
4 teaspoons of oil
150 calories of junk food

Here’s what a typical day might look like:
Breakfast: 1 cup whole-grain cereal; 8 ounces skim milk; 1/2 cup berries
Lunch: 1 whole-grain pita; 2 ounces turkey; 1 cup shredded carrots; 2 tablespoons low-fat ranch dressing; 1 apple
Dinner: 1 cup cooked whole-wheat pasta; 2 ounces grilled shrimp; 1/2 cup broccoli; 2 teaspoons olive oil; 1 clove garlic
2 Snacks: low-fat yogurt; 150-calorie ice cream sandwich

R.I.P. Michael : [

So I haven't written in a while, but whatever. No major weight changes. I did however decide to increase my fiber intake to at least 20g a day. I've also replaced 2 meals a day with oatmeal. The third meal I just eat something light and healthy. This would actually work if I could resist snacking so much!

"Fiber-containing foods tend to produce a feeling of fullness in the stomach, thus helping you control the quantity of food you eat. Also, soluble fiber slows digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, which leads to a more steady release of natural energy. "

Breakfast today:
I made 1/2 cup of oatmeal with banana
and 1/2 cup oatmeal with strawberries... both had a little nonfat milk and I sweetened them with Truvia.
Drinking lemon lime Airborne because im starting to get sick : [
I'm a weirdo I actually like the taste of it haha.

14g. fiber so far.

No idea what to make for lunch.
dinner will be oatmeal again.

again, no one reads this haha

Well my scale is officially lying to me. The past few days I've been weighing about 116. This morning it said 110. I seriously dont think its physically possible to lose 5 pounds overnight. You need to burn 3500 calories in order to lose 1 pound. So yeah, I dont believe my scale. Its teasing me. Plus, I still have extra fat that hasnt gone away so I know that I havent reached my goal weight yet. Ugh! Its so frustrating!

Go to fitday.com

No one reads this blog, so I don't really feel bad about going almost a month without writing in it. I do however feel very bad about not working out since my last entry. That's probably why I haven't written...
Today's food:
Oatmeal with mixed berries, nonfat milk and a little bit of honey.
2 links of veggie sausage.

Bowl of brown rice with broccoli and Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce.

I'm full.

I found this brown rice from trader joes thats in a package and it's precooked. It says to tear open package, stick it in the microwave for 60 seconds and thats it. Well... The first time I tried it, I did exactly that. The rice tasted chewy and kinda hard. Like it wasnt cooked all the way or something. But it says it is pre cooked.... it kinda sucked. I bought 3 packs of them thinking that I had found the worlds easiest rice to make. So today I decided to try pack 2 and hope to make it better... AND I DID!
Here's the real instructions on how to cook this stupid rice:
Pour all the rice into a bowl.
Cover rice completely with cold water.
Cook for 4 minutes.
Strain the water.
BAM. Much better. Still a teeny bit chewy. But much better.
I just hate cooking rice for like 35 min. I'm just too impatient.

Alright i'm done with the internet for today.

chau.

I stayed up til 4am doing hw last night

I worked out for the 15th time yesterday. I finally got the nerve to try level 3 of my workout dvd.
I think it was the hardest thing my thighs ever had to do ever.
Seriously. This dvd is such a tease. You do level 1 until it feels kinda easy so you try level 2 and then its ridiculously hard and eventually it becomes less challenging, so you feel like you've actually gotten in shape. Then when you try level 3 you feel like a fat man running a marathon! I suck all over again! haha.

I'm going to get my hair done today : ]
I'm going from blond to light brown. Yaaay. Less damage!

I had a very yummy breakfast this morning
Egg whites
turkey bacon... thats only 150 calories
thennnn I mixed 1 cup light soymilk, 1 banana, a cup of coffee, and truvia(natural 0 cal sweetener) in a blender and made a banana latte! It was pretty bomb I must say.
1 cup of light soymilk is 70 calories. plus about 110 calories for a banana. 180+150= 330 calorie breakfast. I'm stuffed too.
Weird thing is when I mixed it all together, it somehow increased in size and filled the entire blender when it started out only filling one coffee mug. That means I could even split it with people if I want to cut calories and I'll still be pretty full.

Try this latte and let me know what you guys think!

Hi will. I know you read this.

I worked out on tuesday as my day 14, but that was saint patricks day.
Because I eat healthy every day, I allow myself a few days of eating whatever I want. Those days are holidays. My friend Liza threw a party with lots of yummy junk food. I ate a slice of pizza, chips and dip, chocolate popcorn, some cookies, chicken strips ... I actually dont really remember everything haha... but lots of terrible things went in my tummy. But the next day I was right back to eating healthy again! The terrible part is that I havent done my workout dvd since that day! I did go hiking on saturday morning with my friends though. This is becoming a weekly thing. Its great. : ]

So I've decided to stick to a 1000 calorie a day diet. Yesterday for breakfast I had cereal with light soymilk and a banana... and some coffee. I had a pickle for a snack. For lunch I had a bowl of pinto beans with a little parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. For dinner I had a pear and endive salad from my work. I was a little hungry late at night while studying so I had a cup of coffee and I was fine. It all added up to about 1000 calories. This morning I had my cereal with soymilk and a banana... thats 300 calories so far. Im thinking maybe a 300 cal lunch and 300 cal dinner with a 100 calorie snack in between ... lets seeeeeeee : ]

gotta get ready for my nutrition class now peaas.

Work out work in

So Friday, I did my workout. day 13.
Saturday, I went hiking with my friend and sister in the morning before babysitting and then going to work, so I didnt do my workout dvd.

But, we've decided to make it a weekly routine to try to go hiking saturday mornings! yayy.

Today, sunday... I worked from 12:30 until like 8 something.
No workout : [
Unless you count endless walking during my shift. My legs were tired. Could have been from the hike though. I have class at 1pm tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I can squeeze in a workout . I'll be pretty disappointed in myself if I put it off or something.

Yay, I go to my nutrition class tomorrow.
Hopefully I learn something fun : ]

I suck

I didnt do day 13 yesterday. My boyfriend was at home with me all day and I dont like working out in front of people. Its just weird. Plus I also was at school from 3-9.
So, I found this article on Yahoo! when I opened up my browser, and I thought it was interesting and good advice... so here you guys go:






A lot of people send comments to me looking for a simple starting point to losing weight. We all know that it has to do with lifestyle (eating, exercise, and attitude). You can go online and read countless articles on how do that.
Rather than making it too difficult, I thought it would be a fun idea to create an easy program with guidelines anyone can follow. So here is a basic program to help you get started. I realize a lot of you know this information already, but for those of you who really desire to find that beginning, let's go!
And don't forget, you need to have a plan. This means writing down your physical activities, and keeping a food journal.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
- 3 sets of 10-15 squats using your body weight
- 3 sets of 10-15 sit ups on a stability ball
- 3 sets of 10 push ups (go on your knees if you have too)
- 3 sets of side skater lunges, 8 per side
- 3 sets of 10-12 bicep to shoulder press using 2 to 10 pound dumbbells.
Remember only do what feels safe and go as low in each move as you can. Only use the amount of weight and perform the number of reps that reflect your fitness level. It's not a competition.
Tuesday, Thursday, and SaturdayGet out there and walk, bike, swim or any other activity that you can handle for 20-45 minutes. Do your best to safely break a sweat and if you can only go for 15 minutes, so be it. Just get moving. You can always increase your time as the weeks go on.
SundayToday is a rest day. Now if Sunday is a better day to train, then rest on another day. Create a schedule that works for you.
FoodI'm not going to tell you what to eat I'm just going to begin by giving you a few pointers.
Keep a food journal. That means write down everything you eat and drink during your day. Try to not eat a heavy dinner or eat too late.
Eat only until you are full (for most of us that is about eating half of the food we already consume). If you need to, just get it off your plate right away.
Don't wait to eat until you're starving. This leads to overeating.
Always carry a healthy snack to help you get to the next meal: handful of almonds, some fruit, or even a mini sandwich. No snack foods (chips, candy, fast food, fries, cookies, etc.).
Only drink water and your beloved coffee without all the other ingredients that turn it into a milkshake. This means no juices or sodas of any kind.
Choose your one night to have alcohol if you must, and it's better to have wine rather than beer or sugary cocktails (mojitos and martinis with sexy names).
Don't nuke it! Make your food yourself.
If you are feeling really motivated, then avoid food made of wheat (pasta, bread, and all baked goods of course). Be mindful that sugar and wheat can really impact your body weight.
On Sunday, eat what you want. This is not a license to go crazy -- this just means that you can relax, and get that much more fired up for Monday.
The beginning is always the toughest time, but if you are serious about wanting to make a change, this is a really simple way to do that. Lets stop talking about change and begin making it happen today.
Go get 'em and good luck.

So sleepy

I should be finishing my homework right now...

but I just had to say that day 12 was significantly easier than when I first started level 2. I guess after about 6 days, each level gets much easier! Tomorrow morning (technically today) will be day 13.



Time to continue on with my wonderful homework due tomorrow... yay!

So today was day 11 of working out. I didnt have time to do my workout dvd yesterday... but late last night before bed I was kind of craving a workout so I did crunches, leg lifts, side crunches, and all sorts of stuff to work the different muscle groups of my tummy and legs. It wasn't for all that long but I felt better. Todays work out was actually slightly easier! I feel a big difference in my legs. I can actually feel muscle! Its awesome. My arm muscles arent as easily squished down anymore too! lol. I'm such a dork.

Today I've had:
Honey bunches of oats with blueberries on top with light soymilk
Turkey sandwich with no cheese, on whole wheat with no mayo, guacamole instead, and lettuce and tomato from Quiznos
Chocowalla odwalla bar
Odwalla superfood smoothie

blehh I still feel hungry!

day 10

today is day 10 of working out, although I havent quite done it yet. I was supposed to do it yesterday but I woke up early to hang out with my best friend who I hadnt seen since before christmas. I went straight to work after and didnt get off until 11. I was sleepy and drowsy from being sick, so I guess I deserved that day off. But today I'm right back on track.

Also, I'm going to avoid bread. I eat way too much bread. Multi grain cheerios in the morning is ok, but for the rest of my day... I'm going to resist my inner carb urges. : ]

Ugh

Day 8 of working out to level 2 was somewhat easier than day 7. One day made a surprising difference. Its 8pm and I still haven't worked out today because I worked in the morning. But I will. After this. By this I mean the blog I am writing right now. Today is day 9.

I feel like all that I've been eating has been carbs. Like grains and breads kind of carbs. Oatmeal, LOTS and LOTS of whole wheat bread, brown rice, pinto beans, whole grain pasta, whole wheat pancakes, Luna bars.... it seems to go on and on. Will I lose weight by replacing bread carbs with fruits and veggie carbs? I really like bread. Like a lot. I could probably survive on bread and bread alone. It's just so yummy.
I mean, I do eat healthy... but its still possible to be fat and healthy. I want to be toned and thin and healthy. I can tell that I've developed more muscle already... but its underneath a layer of fat that has not gone away. UGH. Guys have it so easy. They get to eat more calories in a day than girls do and they also drop pounds like crazy without having to try all that hard...
I'm starting to catch a cold and I'm freezingggg, so now I guess it's time for me to warm up by working out.
Fun fun fun.

oh wow. working out is hard.

Day 7 of working out...

I decided to try level 2 because level 1 hasn't been as hard.

All I have to say is...
HOLY SHHHH...INING LIGHT UPON US ALL! That was fricken hard.

I felt like an obese man trying to run.

Seriously. I got all sweaty and out of breath. It was freezing cold and rainy outside and I had to go sit outside afterwards. I just had to keep telling myself that after maybe a week or so of doing level 2 it wouldn't be so bad.

Now that I've had time to cool down and relax, I can tell that I'm more energized. Before doing my workout earlier I was so cold that I was under like 3 blankets and didn't want to do anything until I warmed up. I hate being cold. I hate it
.
I already had a big bowl of oatmeal in the morning with some coffee and I'm still full from that. I tried to wait maybe an hour or so after breakfast before working out, but I feel like the coffee got all shook up in my tummy and now it kinda hurts.

Btw... I'm not losing weight. I have no idea why. According to my calculations, working out+eating healthy and low calorie foods should equal weight loss. I really wish I knew what I was doing wrong. My only plan is to stick with it for a while longer and see what happens. Its really reallly realllyyyy hard to stay motivated when you're not showing any progress. : [

I try to keep this updated

I've been a little busy lately with work and starting school, so I'm just now getting around to posting a new entry. Sorry if any of you actually read this haha.

Well... a few healthy foods that I absolutely recommend people add to their diets if they haven't already: Pinto beans, brown rice, grilled chicken breast, and oatmeal.

Now when I talk about these foods... that doesn't mean to eat them but covered in some fatty substance. Eating pinto beans with a buttload of cheese and sour cream. Sorry, that's not what I mean. If you want refried beans... choose nonfat. And seriously you don't need to eat the whole can. I like to use soycheese... but that's just me. I like it. The non refried beans are amazing too. Just season it a little and its great by itself. Pinto beans are filling and very nutritious. (Good for me cause I need the iron haha)

Brown rice... the healthier version of white rice! Yay. Get nutrients from this yummy food and create all sorts of dishes. My favorite is to add low sodium teriyaki sauce and pieces of broccoli and grilled chicken breast. Much healthier than your average teriyaki bowl. And ten times better. Now a lot of people have told me they don't like oatmeal. Seriously? You can flavor it however you choose! Its so good! I always sweeten it with Truvia (the zero calorie sweetener that's natural) I change it up all the time. Some days I add banana slices, some days I add zero calorie butter with some sugar free maple syrup. Some days I add berries. Then I always add a little light soymilk to make it creamier. I always tell people, "If you tried my oatmeal, you'd like it."

I really think they would.

Anyway. Chicken breast is the healthiest part of the chicken. Grill it. Don't fry it. Don't make it breaded. Top it off with whatever light(not fattening!) toppings you want. Yummm.

Also... I haven't been walking... but I bought this dvd called 30 day shred with jillian michaels from the biggest loser. Its got 3 levels, getting harder and harder as you go up a level. Each one is only 20 minutes long. In each one she mixes cardio, strength, and a little bit of abs. I'm on day 5. I'm only on level 1 so far and I already want to punch her in the face. I'm that sore. No... I'm kidding. I won't punch her. That's only a mere evil thought that occurs mid-workout.

...Then maybe when I'm walking up my stairs and saying "ow" with each step.
...Or walking all day at work nonstop.
...Or walking up and down stairs and hills at my school....

She's tough. In a manly kind of way. I don't know how she does it but she won't let me quit and she's not even in the same room. Creepy.

Im starting this thing called walking

Unrelated: Mitch Hedberg was the funniest man ever. Listen to him speak and die of laughter... seriously, I cant stop laughing.
: ]


The greatest thing that I ever got for free: a pedometer.
oh yes. Im obsessed with it. It came with my scale. Just in case anyone who reads this doesnt know what a pedometer is, its this little thing you clip onto yourself and it counts each step you take. It tells you how many miles you walk and how many calories you burned. I'm starting to walk everywhere now just because its fun to see how many miles you've walked. My goal is to walk 5 miles a day. I mean, on an average shift at my job I walk around 5 miles. But my walking will all be done outside of work... so any extra miles I walk during my shift will just be extra. So this is my plan... well I started it yesterday... BUT. I'm waking up early and going to the park by my house and walking around the field a few times. Its this beautiful park with a nice trail to follow. Lots of people walking their dogs. I want a dog... but anyway, I wore my new best friend pedometer and ended up walking over 7 miles in a little over an hour. Its seriously the best way to start your day. I've read that working out in the morning boosts your metabolism for most of the day. I followed my walk with 2 pieces of lean turkey bacon, 2 pieces of toast with I cant believe its not butter zero calorie zero fat spray (soooo good) and a banana. Oh and some light soymilk with sugar free chocolate syrup mixed in. I stuck it in the microwave for about 1 min... mmm best hot chocolate ever. I'm thinking of walking to jamba juice and getting something light... im wondering whats healthier though... something with only fruits and no dairy or sugar added... OR one of their "light" options under 200 calories .... which is sweetened with splenda I guess. Jamba juice has this Luna bar thats amazing too. I want the drink and the bar. Too much? I dunno.

So I bought this drink called enviga. When you drink 3 of them, its been proven to increase calorie burning by 60 to 100 calories. But you have to drink 3. If you drink more than 3, it has no more calorie burning benefits. I bought a 6 pack and then thought about it later. 3 drinks just for 100 calories at the most? It doesnt seem worth it. Theyre 5 calories each, and come in a couple flavors. Theyre made with green tea or something. I drank one after my walk today and then felt really nauseous and threw up. I felt better right away. Weird. I'm afraid to drink any more of them. I drank 3 last night and it just made me really full. I have 2 left. Anyone want one?

No one even reads this.

I need to order workout tapes for rainy days like this where I'm stuck inside.
Yeah I know the pictures are pretty dorky. I was bored what can I say?

New weird obsessions

I've recently gotten into some weird eating habits.

For starters, I never really liked apples all that much. Probably because my mom always bought those dark red ones. Occasionally she would buy granny smith apples, which let me have some small faith in apples. Anyway, the other day I was offered an apple slice and it was sooooo yummy. It was a fuji apple. I ate like 2 apples that day. Now I'm actually starting to buy them. Im eating them all the time. Yay for fuji apples : ]


Next, I have become obsessed with peanut butter. I can always find something delicious to mix with the peanut butter. Bananas. Apples. Jelly. Cereal. Honey. I like to just eat a spoonful or two when I want a snack. I bought Skippy Natural... It was the lowest in calories and fat that I could find. I also bought low sugar fruit spread. Put the two together on some whole wheat bread and you've created my new favorite snack! : ]

I think I've been eating too much or not working out enough these days because my weight is going back upppp! : [

I think I'm going to start walking in the mornings or something.

yum

Certain foods just go so well together. Its amazing.

Peanut butter and jelly

Frozen fruit and vanilla yogurt

Bananas and peanut butter

Pasta and cheese

Avocado and tomato





MY GOODNESS. Anyone who reads this:

name some more!
: ]

OH EM GEE

It's only about 3pm and I've eaten way too much today. I woke up really early. That may have something to do with it. I had a banana in the morning and a bowl of puffins cereal with frozen berries and some honey. Then... I had a special k protein bar. Those are stupid. Well, I'm stupid for buying it. Its supposed to fill you up or something with fiber and protein but after I read the ingredients I kind of regretted buying it. It has high fructose corn syrup in there and a bunch of other stuff that I try to avoid. I guess its one of those not so healthy things targeted towards people looking to become healthier. It was yummy though... : ]

Thennnnn.... I had another bowl of cereal with berries and a banana in it and sweetened it with Truvia [a naturally zero calorie sweetener. Think Splenda, but not artificially made]
Then, I had a peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole wheat. Oh and I drank a sugar free caramel light frapp. from starbucks.

So yeah, basically I've already eaten breakfast, lunch, a snack, and dinner. All before 3pm.
Not too sure what I'll do tonight around dinner time : /
I think I need something light like a salad and some veggies. BOOOO!

Oh btw, this is the best dressing in the entire universe:

Eating healthy pays off.

So I've been eating nothing but healthy food and trying to get at least some form of exercise in each day, whether it be walking or bike riding. Today is day 16 of only eating healthy. I bought diet pills 3 days ago. They give me this random boost of energy and put me in a really good mood. So weird. They're supposed to suppress your appetite too... so I get full really easily these days too. Ohhhh and I bought a scale! It tells you your fat and water percentage. Pretty nifty.
Sooo I weighed 115 this morning. Happy happy me. : ]
Then later I had a doctors appointment and was 114. Weird? I went to Trader Joes and bought frozen berries, broccoli, soy cheese slices, and this yummy cereal called Puffins. Its only 90 calories per cup, high in fiber, and low fat. I guess I can alternate between having oatmeal and that each morning... oh and I've been having egg whites and turkey bacon for breakfast for the past few days with a homemade berry smoothie. Right now I'm going to clean up the house and cook dinner for me and Angel. I'm thinking turkey burgers and a salad... but we'll see. : ]

Meals

Every morning I have oatmeal with a very small amount of 2% milk or nonfat soymilk with a banana and berries (strawberries or blueberries) in it.

I snack on fruit, nuts, and sometimes veggies with light ranch. Occasionally I have organic tortilla chips with salsa or handmade guacamole (avocadoes, tomatoes, seasonings, and a tiny bit of reduced fat vegan mayonaise)

for lunch I have an egg white sandwich which consists of whole wheat bread, avocado, and tomatoes. On the side I have a spring mix salad with a light dressing, tomatoes, and avocado.

for dinner I have the same thing as lunch or sometimes I have grilled chicken breast and broccoli instead of the egg white sandwich.

for dessert I either have some fruit or I have a banana with a little peanut butter on it.

I only drink water, no sodas or juices.

I havent been working out but I walk tons at work because I'm a hostess and have to show people to their tables and its a huge restaurant. Oh that reminds me... sometimes at work I get 2 small pieces of whole wheat bread and put honey on it....

I just bought some turkey burgers, so I can also have some of those for lunch too.

My very 1st blog!

I tend to NOT go online obsessively. I work and do other things outside of the computer world. This is my very 1st blog ever so please forgive me for the lack of creativity in the layout and all that fun stuff.

Alrighty... so as I write this I think of the reason I started this blog which is because of the stupid weight I gained over the holidays. I was eating pretty healthy before Christmas, mainly just small portions throughout the day. I was working out. I started at 120 and dropped down to 114!! Then my great idea came into play. I decided that my new years resolution would be to eat only healthy foods, mostly vegan kind of stuff... high protein, high fiber, low calorie, low fat, lots of fruits and veggies... and no sweets! (which is hard with my sweet tooth haha) Soooo around christmas I decided to eat WHATEVER I wanted, as much as I wanted because I knew I wasn't going to be able to after new years. Oh Mandee, you genius you, you're not as clever as you think. I swear I was eating a slice of cheesecake every day... and thats just one bad thing I ate. I can't remember what exactly I was eating, but just try to imagine anything fattening and yummy and thats basically what I ate for like a week or so. Anytime I craved anything, I let myself eat it... and as much as I wanted too! Now, I dont own a scale... so I wasnt aware until recently but I gained all the weight I lost back, plus more! January 1st came along and I've been eating very healthy. (I'll go into meal details later) Today is day 8 of eating healthy and I havent touched a single unhealthy thing. (woohoo!) For those of you wondering, I weighed 124 yesterday! Ewwwww I know. I gained like 10 pounds since my lowest weight. Time of day weighed and water weight and stuff are not counted into this so the accuracy could be off... but still. Its horrible. Now I have to work all that extra weight off. The only good thing is I pretty much killed my appetite for junk food by overdoing it. Next time I'm around a scale, I pray it drops significantly!