Week 3, Day 1

Breakfast:
Banana, Grapefruit, Cinnamon Raisin bread w/Almond Butter

Lunch:
Assorted raw veg w/Hummus and whole wheat pita

Snack:
Orange

Exercise:
Body Sculpting class

Snack:
Rice cake w/Strawberry Jalapeno jam, dozen almonds

Dinner:
Veggie burger w/whole wheat bun, green bean casserole, egg/potato salad (Miley's BBQ)

Snack:
Dark chocolate square

xxx,
Bre

Week 2, Day 7: Weigh-in

Today I weighed in at 112.2. I don't feel like I am over-doing it so please don't be concerned. My whole life I've never eaten my 5 fruits/veg a day or exercised. I think my body is happy and I am feeling great.

*It is actually Friday for me, so I can't remember what times I ate.. so I will just leave them out. My iPhone has this awesome application that allows me to log my food and exercise, so that's why I have been kinda lazy with the blogging.

Breakfast:
Coffee, Oatmeal

Snack:
Special K Cereal bar

Lunch:
Slice Cinnamon Raisin bread w/tbsp. Almond Butter. Pomegranate Apple Sauce

Snack:
Powerbar, Apple

Exercise:
Buns-n-abs

Weigh-in day Herbalife tester snack:
Root beer float (powdery and has a Pepto aftertaste. Did keep my full for the trip to Walmart after class.)

Dinner:
Veggie Burger on Whole Wheat bun, baby carrots, steamed squash and zucchini

xxx,
B

Week 2, Day 6

9:30 am: DanActive (2g protein), Special K Cereal Vanilla and Almonds (4g protein), 1/2 cup skim milk (4g protein)

11:30 pm: Rice Cake (1g protein) w/ 1 tbls Almond butter (4g protein), Light string cheese( 8g protein), orange (1g protein), Bing cherries (1g protein)

3:00 pm: 2 Fig Newmans (2g protein), 1/3 Powerbar (2g protein)

4-5:00 pm: Simply Step class

6:30 pm: 1 cup carrots (1g protein), 3 tbls Hummus (3g protein)

8:00 pm: Chicken breast grilled w/Cajun seasoning (27g protein), Zucchini and squash - steamed (2g protein), 1/2cup Mashed potatoes (2g protein)

9:00 pm: 2 Dove dark choloate squares w/almonds (1g protein)

9:30-11:00 pm: 2 cops coffee

Total protein: 63 grams

Week 2: Day 5: Protein Monday

Since one of my very loyal and loving readers seems to be a bit concerned about my protein intake, I have decided to detail how many grams of protein are in each food consumed. A very common misconception is that people think protein can only be found in meat products etc. That is not the case. Protein is present in the majority of the foods you eat.

This is how I have calculated how many grams of protein my body needs each day:

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x (a number between 0.8-1.8 gm/kg) = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary. Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Bre's Protein needs:
115 lb female who is trying to lead a consistent life of exercise (at least 4-5 times a week)
115 lbs/2.2 = 52.27 kg
52.27kg x 1.2 = 62.73 grams protein/day

site: www.exercise.about.com


With that said... I think I do a fairly decent job of choosing the right things to eat and will of course try to eat more meaty proteins, but I'm not stressed about it. (I have detailed the protein consumption through the last few posts as well.)

9:30 am: 1 Banana (1g protein), DanActive drink (2g protein)

11:30 am: Yogurt (4g protein), 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (8g protein)

2:30 pm: Slice of cinnamon raisin bread (4g protein), 2 tbls. Almond butter (8g protein), 1 nectarine (1g protein)

6:30 pm: 2 tbls. Artichoke and Garlic hummus (2g protein), 1/2 cup of baby carrots (1g protein)

7:30 pm: Steamed Salmon (22g protein), Couscous (5g protein), steamed zucchini and summer squash (2g protein)

9:30 pm: 2 pieces of Dove dark chocolate squares w/almonds (1g protein)


Total protein: 60 grams

xxx,
B

Week 2, Day 4: Sunday

11:00 am: Banana (1g protein), 1 cup coffee w/Truvia

2:30 pm: Flatout Multigrain flat bread (9g protein) with 1/2 cup black beans (8g protein), 1/4 cup green chile canned, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (14g protein), deli turkey (13g protein)

6:00 pm: 1 orange (1g protein), Special k snack bar (1g protein)

8:30 pm: 12 almonds (3g protein)

9:45 pm: 1/2 hamburger (10g protein), assorted melon fruit (1g protein)

11:45 pm: 1 apple (1g protein)

Total Protein: *62 grams*

xxx,
b

Week 2, Day 3: Saturday

9:30 am: 2 slices cinnamon raisin bread (8g protein), w/ almond butter (6g protein), banana (1g protein), 3/4 cup v8 juice

2 pm: Orange (1g protein)

3:30 pm: Chicken (26g protein), avocado (1g protein), tortilla (6g protein) and salad (2g protein) with 12 almonds (3g protein), and Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing, Dove dark w/ almonds square

7:00 pm: 1 cup Special K Fruit & yogurt cereal (3g protein), 3/4 cup skim milk (7g protein), 1 cup coffee w/Truvia

10:00 pm: 3 Cranberry & Vodka drinks... I know: bad bad bad. But O and I had fun at the bar together so that's all that matters to me!


Total Protein: 58 grams

xxx,
B

Week 2, Day 2: It's Friday!

I am really loving oatmeal with blueberries stirred in. I did not grow up eating blueberries and so this is basically the first time in my life I've actually bought a container and eaten them... (unless I am decorating a fruit pizza but that doesn't count.) I recommend that everyone (well, my four readers) to try this breakfast because it is simply awesome!

Oh and in case anyone has been wondering what these probiotic drinks are that I have been hooked on, go to www.danactive.com and check out the commercial and other info!


9:00 am: Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal (7g protein) w/half cup of blueberries (1g protein), Probiotic drink (2g protein)

10:45 am: Special K snack bar (1g protein)

12:45 pm: Cinnamon raisin bread slice (4g protein) w/ almond butter (6g protein), banana (1g protein), orange (1g protein)

3:15 pm: Powerbar (9g protein), cherries and blueberries (combined 2g protein)

4-5:00 pm: Simply step aerobics

7:00 pm: Multigrain flat bread (9g protein) with turkey (5g protein), avocado (2g protein), shredded mozzarella cheese (8g protein) and fat free Italian, carrots (1g protein)

8:00 pm: 2 cups coffee w/ 1/2 cup skim (4g protein)

10:00 pm: Yogurt (4g protein), special k snack bar (1g protein)

11:30 pm: 1 cup Cherries (1g protein)


Total Protein: 69 grams of protein


xxx
B

Week 2, Day 1: Exhuastion

I'm not exhausted from the exercise itself per se. The exhaustion that I am experiencing is created solely by the opportunity cost of choosing to work out and grocery shop for healthy food, and then prepare the healthy meals INSTEAD of getting right to studying. If I left work right away and went straight home and started studying, then perhaps I would get to bed at a decent hour, but these extra hours of workouts are intruding on my sleep plans (went to sleep after midnight last night). I can't imagine what a full-time-working-mom does about working out, grocery shopping and cooking. They must have super powers.

So, last night I did the weigh-in, lost 2 lbs. I should probably start to make sure that I wear the exact same thing every time to provide more accurate results. In the class portion we learned about metabolism. Anyone can change their lifestyle to have a fast metabolism... it is not something that you are born with or are stuck with.

Also, another thing to stress about is not getting the Bubonic Plague. I mean seriously... what is the world coming to? Google: Bubonic Plague New Mexico and you can see what's going on. It won't let me post the link and I'm not patient enough to figure it our right now.)

On a lighter note: Food and Exercise for the day:

8:30 am: Quakers Weight Control Oatmeal, Probiotic drink, 1/2 cup blueberries (see nutrition info below)

11:15 am: dozen almonds, yogurt

1:15 pm: Bowl of Special K Vanilla and Almond cereal w/half cup of blueberries, one orange

3:15 pm: Power Bar, apple

4-5:00 pm: Simply Step aerobics class... I did pretty good today!

6:30 pm: Small bowl of Lentil soup w/carrots and salad w/ cucumbers and balsamic vinaigrette

Fun Facts about Blueberries!!!!

Health Benefits

Blueberries are literally bursting with nutrients and flavor, yet very low in calories. Recently, researchers at Tufts University analyzed 60 fruits and vegetables for their antioxidant capability. Blueberries came out on top, rating highest in their capacity to destroy free radicals.

An Antioxidant Powerhouse

Packed with antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanidins, blueberries neutralize free radical damage to the collagen matrix of cells and tissues that can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer. Anthocyanins, the blue-red pigments found in blueberries, improve the integrity of support structures in the veins and entire vascular system. Anthocyanins have been shown to enhance the effects of vitamin C, improve capillary integrity, and stabilize the collagen matrix (the ground substance of all body tissues). They work their protective magic by preventing free-radical damage, inhibiting enzymes from cleaving the collagen matrix, and directly cross-linking with collagen fibers to form a more stable collagen matrix.

A Better Brain with Blueberries

In laboratory animal studies, researchers have found that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Researchers found that diets rich in blueberries significantly improved both the learning capacity and motor skills of aging animals, making them mentally equivalent to much younger ones.

Promotion of Gastrointestinal Health

In addition to their powerful anthocyanins, blueberries contain another antioxidant compound called ellagic acid, which blocks metabolic pathways that can lead to cancer. In a study of over 1,200 elderly people, those who ate the most strawberries (another berry that contains ellagic acid) were three times less likely to develop cancer than those who ate few or no strawberries. In addition to containing ellagic acid, blueberries are high in the soluble fiber pectin, which has been shown to lower cholesterol and to prevent bile acid from being transformed into a potentially cancer-causing form.

Protection against Ovarian Cancer

Among their rich supply of phytonutrients, blueberries include a flavonoid called kaempferol. Research calculating flavonoid intake in 66,940 women enrolled in the Nurses Health Study between 1984 and 2002 revealed that women whose diets provided the most kaempferol had a 40% reduction in risk of ovarian cancer, compared to women eating the least kaempferol-rich foods. In addition to blueberries, foods richest in kaempferol include tea (nonherbal), onions, curly kale, leeks, spinach, and broccoli.

Healthier Elimination

Blueberries can help relieve both diarrhea and constipation. In addition to soluble and insoluble fiber, blueberries also contain tannins, which act as astringents in the digestive system to reduce inflammation. Blueberries also promote urinary tract health. Blueberries contain the same compounds found in cranberries that help prevent or eliminate urinary tract infections. In order for bacteria to infect, they must first adhere to the mucosal lining of the urethra and bladder. Components found in cranberry and blueberry juice reduce the ability of E. coli, the bacteria that is the most common cause of urinary tract infections, to adhere.

site: www.whfoods.com

Week 1, Day 7: Yesterday

Yesterday there was no time for blogging.

I did my weigh-1n and was down to 15.4 lbs so that is a two-pound loss.

I also turned in my food log so I will do my best to try and remember everything from yesterday...


8:30 am: banana, coffee w/Stevia

10:30 am: Special K snack bar and yogurt

12:00 pm: grilled chicken and pepper burrito (small, no sauce), pinto beans, a small scoop of Mexican rice, fancy salad with weeds and Arugula, walnuts, blue cheese crumbs, dried cranberries and Raspberry Vinaigrette

3:15 pm: 6 almonds, one Dove dark chocolate square (I had intended to also have a piece of fruit at this time, but I was side-tracked at work and forgot)

4-5:00 pm: Buns-n-abs class

5:15-6:00 pm: Weigh-in

7:30 pm: Salmon and couscous... also forgot my vegetables. It was a long day.

8:30 pm: 8 Junior Mints

Studied, submitted homework assignments and did a quiz until midnight :(

xxx,
Bre

Week 1, Day 6: Exercise hurts

My instructor of the Buns-n-abs class gets the weirdest look of pleasure every time we have done an exercise so long that we are about to pass out. He is completely exhilarated by the pain and shouts encouragement to us when really most of us want to poke his eyes out. (I'm assuming). He is a total masochist when it comes to exercising.

I am not. And his excited faces scare me.

FOOD FOR THE DAY:

8:45 am: Two Special K Red Berry waffles

11:00 am: 1 Gala apple and a lowfat string cheese

12:30 pm: Salad bar at Cattle Baron. I only took a small bit of pasta salad and everything else was green except the hominy. Also had 2 grapes and 2 strawberries which tasted like pesticide so I didn't have anymore. Mint

3:15 pm: dozen almonds, Probiotic drink, and a medium banana

4-5:00 pm: Abs-n-buns class

5-5:20 pm: Elliptical machine for further cardio

7:00 pm: I created my own awesome dinner. It is in the picture and I promise it tastes better than it looks. I started with a piece of whole grain flatbread, and then I used all-white chicken from a can, stirred it around in some Schlotszky's hot sauce with shredded mozzarella. I then spread out the chicken, opened a can of corn and a can of green chile's and spread those as well. I then put it in the toaster oven at 350 degrees for ten minutes so that the flatbread was nice and crisp and the other ingredients were hot and melty! It was freaking delicious. I also ate the rest of the can of corn.(See below for fun facts about corn!)


8:00 pm: one Dove dark chocolate square


RESEARCH:

Health Benefits of Corn

This popular food is high in fiber. In fact, it's notoriously hard to digest. But its insoluble fiber is tops at tackling common digestive ailments (like constipation and hemorrhoids) by absorbing water, which swells the stool and speeds its movement.

Corn is a surprising source of several vitamins, including folic acid, niacin, and vitamin C. The folic acid in corn is now known to be an important factor in preventing neural-tube birth defects. It's just as important in preventing heart disease, according to studies that show folic acid can prevent a buildup of homocysteine, an amino acid, in the body. Long-term elevation of homocysteine has been linked to higher rates of heart disease; folic acid helps break it down.

source: howstuffworks.com

Okay.. shower time and then bed!

xxx
Bre

Week 1, Day 5 cont.: My busy Sunday

My day consists of three things:

Eating (sorry no pic)

Laundry (mucho)

Homework (mucho mucho)

I need sleep!

Week 1, Day 5: Increased Matabolism = Starvation

So, changing your lifestyle to have three meals plus two to three snacks per day not only speeds up your metabolism, it makes you feel like you are starving all the time. I just about an hour and a half ago and right now I feel like I haven't eaten in days. It is probably the combination of the working out and the new eating habits (or what are trying to become habits). But all in all, I feel like I am eating all the time and never getting full! :( (However, I am having fun with trying to create fun snacks and enjoy reflecting on all of the goodness I keep putting into my body instead of the badness that I used to eat.)

New found nutrition info:

A bit of research I did today and that one bing cherry has approximately four calories in it, so I think I will make my future servings include one dozen cherries totaling approx. 48 calories. Pretty decent snack when paired with a lowfat yogurt. Hopefully enough to get me by for another hour and a half ;)

The Low-down

9:30 am: half a grapefruit with 1/2 a packet of Truvia

11:30 am: Probiotic drink, small banana, one piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter, 8 ounces of V8 Splash Lite Pineapple Mango juice

2:00 pm: 12 ounces of coffee with Truvia and 4 ounces skim milk (I needed a pick-me-up for studying)

3:00 pm: small chicken breast with leftover steamed zucchini, small nectarine

4:45 pm: dozen Bing cherries, yogurt

6:45-7:45 pm: I rode my bike and Omar skateboarded at the NMSU campus

8:15 pm: Bowl of lentil soup, a few multi-grain baked wheat thin crackers, salad with cucumbers and fat-free balsamic vinaigrette

News: (not for the shy and easily repulsed)

Certain movements have become even more soft than usual. Kinda squirty. My guess is the acidity from the fruit. Miley says I need more carbs. She's probably right. I'll start tomorrow. Hopefully there will be improvements soon.

More news:

I am working on putting all of my music from cds onto my computer and then back on to my iPhone, so now I will have some awesome tunes for my self workouts! yay!

xxx
Bre

Week 1, Day 4: Opportunity Cost of eating fresh food

Today I felt like I had no time to do anything!

While Omar and I were making dinner, (He was preparing lentils and I the fresh veggies), I took a step back and looked at how long I had been washing skinning and dicing the different fruits and vegetables. Had I just thrown some frozen veg into the steamer, I would have had an extra 30 minutes+ to study.

This is the food for the day:

8:45 am: 1 1/2 Special K Red Berry waffles (the other half was burnt by my awesome toaster)

11:45 am: 1 large Gala apple, Special K snack bar

2:00 pm: Turkey and lettuce on a whole grain flat bread wrap with fat-free italian dressing, small bowl of cut cucumbers and petite carrots with fat-free Balsamic Vinaigrette, one stick of lite string cheese, one square of Dove dark chocolate

6:30 pm: 1/2 orange

7-7:30 pm: bike ride and exercises at the park

8:00 pm: Bowl of lentil soup, steamed zucchini

9:00 pm: 8 bing cherries, one square Dove dark chocolate

It's 11:30pm.. and I still have loads of homework to do. It isn't homework that needs to be turned in, just homework that has to be done in order to study for the exams. My prof gives us timelines to help us stay on track but the load is so heavy I am about 5% complete with the assignment due yesterday! AND, this is only for one class.. I haven't even mentioned the other class yet, yikes!

Hopefully bed soon,
xxx
Bre

Week 1, Day 3: Food and exercise

Here is the run down for my ingestion today....


9:00 am: bowl of Weight Control Oatmeal from Quaker (Banana Bread flavor), coffee with Stevia, and half a cup of White Pomagranate hot tea

11:30 am: Half a banana, dozen almonds, small nectarine (yum)

1:00 pm: Bowl of Special K Fruit and Yogurt Cereal with skim milk

3:15 pm: Half grapefruit, Special K snack bar

4-5:00 pm: Simply Step aerobics class... I hated it a little less today

5:45 pm: yogurt

7:45 pm: Homemade Indian food from a friends house. This won't be happening often, so I enjoyed. Also had mango juice and about 4 bites of a chocolate cake.

That's it for me today. It's been busy busy and I will write more thoughts tomorrow.

xxx
Bre

Week 1: Day 2 cont.: Food and Water intake

Lunch was delicious. I had an Asian Grilled Chicken Salad from Boba. Opted out of the fried wontons and it was still deelish!

As far as water goes, Anela said you should take your weight, cut it in half and that is the amount of water in ounces that one should be drinking each day. Therefore, I should be drinking roughly 59 ounces of water a day, or a little more than 7 cups. This is no problem for me since I drink so much water already, however, I am trying to drink all of that before dinner time so that maybe I won't pee sooooo much during the night. Ug!

Another thing that I learned from class yesterday is that a lot of the time our body is thirsty but we misunderstand our body's signals and therefore think we are hungry. Anela offered a great tip to drink a full glass of water when hungry and/or before meals. This will help increase water intake and will also fill the stomach a bit so you won't stuff yourself full to the brim!


A run down of Food and Exercise for the day:

9:30 am - Grapefruit w/packet of Truvia

11:45 am - Asian Chicken Salad (no fried noodles)

3:00 pm - Gala apple (medium/large)

4-5:00 pm - 'Simply Step' aerobics class... I HATE this class. I stare at the clock the whole time waiting for it to be over :( Unfortunately, it is the best class for getting a work out so I will go back tomorrow to stare at the clock again.

5-5:15 pm - Elliptical. Not much of a workout. Flipped through a mag, but nonetheless was present at the gym during this time

5:30 pm - Herbalife Energy Deluxe bar.. or whatever it's called

6:45 pm - Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette and small piece of grilled Cajun chicken breast

7:15-10 pm - Homework!

7:30pm - one square of Dove dark chocolate pieces

8:00 pm - one Dannon Lite probiotic drink (35 cal). and a Special K snack bar (90 cal) ... I clearly didn't eat enough for dinner so had to find snacks. It is hard to figure out the portions. I'm still learning.


xxx
Bre

Week 1: Day 2: Weigh-in Recap and the day ahead

I successfully survived the weigh-in last night, had an amazing time and learned lots of cool new things. I weighed in at 117.4 lbs and they also took my measurements but those are out in the car so I'll add them later. This is a little heavy for my usual 115 lbs, so I am confident in an easy 2 lb drop back to my normal weight probably this week.

The way the challenge works is not based on body fat index, it is the percentage of your body weight lost. I did some math last night and figured out that I probably don't have much of a chance at winning the challenge. I weigh the least of everyone by about 40 lbs. If I set my goal for a 7 lbs weight loss to bring me down to 110 (the first four lbs won't be a problem, after that it's all an experiment), then that is only 6% lost. If someone weighing 160 lbs loses 15 lbs, it's 9% and the still have more weight to lose as I do not. Despite my underdog status, I am going to bulldoze through it both for the education and for the final result of leading a healthier lifestyle.

Last night after class, I headed to Wal-Mart to pick up things to snack on. I got apples, nectarines, cucumbers and almonds. This morning I ate half of a grapefruit for the first time in my whole life. I had tried them as a child but could never get into it. After my mom gave me instructions fit for a neuro-surgeon on how to eat the grapefruit, I prepared it last night and Tupperwared it for this morning. At my desk, I suffered through the first half, added tons more Truvia, and then actually enjoyed the last half. I'm an adult now! I also did some research on the benefits of eating grapefruit and what do you know? They are pretty awesome in helping a person lose weight:

Weight Loss Benefits of Eating Grapefruit

Eating grapefruit can benefit weight loss in many ways. They are low in calories, low in sodium, high in potassium and high in fat burning enzymes. These can benefit weight loss in different ways. The low calories means we can eat grapefruit freely without consuming too many calories. A low sodium intake helps flush away excess water weight caused from high sodium foods. And, the enzymes present in grapefruit help increase fat burning.

Another positive benefit of eating grapefruit is the high water content. Grapefruits are almost 90 percent water. Eating any fruit with a high water content helps boost water ingestion and research has shown that increasing water consumption can give more energy and help increase the metabolism. Many people are discovering the benefits of eating high water foods like grapefruit and many other fruits for help in losing weight.

site: weightlossforall.com

So, I successfully started off my day the right way! Oh, and for dinner last night I had grilled chicken breast (I tried the free range, no hormones, no additives and it was like miracle chicken! The taste is way better than regular-abused-and-pumped-full-of-chemicals-chicken, the only downside is it's more pricey) and half a plate of green beans and a side of lentil soup.

I always hear about how vegetables should be your biggest portion and your proteins and everything else should each be about a fourth of your plate. Well I figured out an easy way to do this: Start loading you plate FIRST with vegetables. Fill up half the plate and then the other half has room to share what we usually call the "main course" and another side. I hope I can keep it up!

Today, I already had my grapefruit, will meet Anela for grilled chicken salads in an hour, and have apples and almonds before my workout. Dinner is still a mystery.
I will attend the Simply Step class today at 4. It kicks my butt but that is what I need!!!

Have a good day, Eat a grapefruit!

xxx
Bre

Week 1: Day 1: Weigh-In Day

ME: Hi my name is Bre, and I'm out of shape.
YOU: Hi Bre

My usual lifestyle consists of working, eating, sleeping and school. I have falling victim to my bed, couch, floor and DQ Blizzards. I will make changes. I will become healthy.

WHAT AM I DOING:
I have chosen to participate in my friend Anela's Weight Loss Challenge program. This blog will basically serve as an online diary for me. It will contain the super interesting and gossip-worthy details of my 6-week challenge such as: exercise, food and water intake, hours of studying vs. hours of exercising vs. hours sleeping etc.

WEEK ONE GOAL:
My goal for this week is to research and plan meals for the next six weeks. I will begin preparing my lunches the night before work so that I never have to feel starved and raid the vending machine, as well as plan dinners. More fruits, veg and fish all around.

TODAY:
In about 20 minutes, we will do our weigh-ins and measure our body fat percentage. The challenge is based on body fat percentage loss, not pounds, and cash prizes go to the top three winners, as well as the winner of the most inches lost, I think. I will report back on all of this later!

OK, I'm heading out to MECA Therapies now. (Challenge headquarters and Anela's place of employment). A little excited and a little nervous!

xxx
B

P.S. This blog is mostly for me, but if you find it interesting, by all means, please check back regularly! Any motivation you can give will be mighty helpful!