Food Log for Tuesday~ March 30, 2010

Tuesday~

Breakfast:
Rice Krispies Cereal  150
Garelick 2% Milk  65

Lunch:
Chicken Parm. Dinner 490
White Sub Roll  190

Snack:
Triscuits 120
Dip 30

Dinner:
HEB Fully Cooked Shredded Pork Roast With Bbq Sauce  210 
Del Monte Summer Crisp Golden Sweet Corn  70 
Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice Herb Roasted Chicken  190 

Snack:
Ff Yogurt  130 
Drake's Sunny Doodles  105


Total: 1750

I have been using The Daily Plate to log my food.  I like it.  But, I think the recommended calorie amount for me is a bit high.  They recommend 2,016 calories.  I eat less on the days that I don't work.  I am trying to get my calories down to around 1600.  I don't want to go too low.  But, I still want to lose. lol.  I guess I am going to have to play with my calories and see what works for me.

I can see little signs that tell me that I am losing weight.  For one, I don't feel like I swallowed a watermelon anymore.  I don't have that bloated feeling.  I also can tell a difference in the way my clothes fit.  I wore a pair of jeans today that used to be so tight that I had trouble bending over or sitting down when I wore them.  Today, they were actually comfortable.  I can't wait until weigh in on Sunday.  I feel thinner! ;)  

So, I have been logging my food for a week or so now.  I think I have got that down.  Now I am working on doing some soul searching.  I need to figure out where I am emotionally right now.  I feel good because I am being proactive about my weight problem.  But, I still feel something else...I'm not really sure what it is.  It's a sort of a fearful, anxious and excited feeling.  I know that sounds totally crazy.  I just don't know what to call it.  Yet.  I think blogging about it will help me start to figure it out.

 I'm not a writer...so, please forgive me for any grammer problems.  I have been sort of scared to just blog about how I feel.  I read some really well written blogs and think...man, they are so good.  But, I finally decided today that this is my blog.  I need to use it for me.  And not be afraid of being "graded" on my writing abilities or the lack there of. 

So, to my current followers (and any there may be in the future)..."thanks for bearing with me."

Food Log for Monday~ March 29, 2010

B~ff Yogurt  130
Kashi Go Lean Crunch (container) 240

L~cobb salad  290
Triscuits (7) 120

S~snack cake 105

D~Chicken Parmesean dinner  490
2 slices of whole wheat bread  160
Salad  30

S~Nabisco Triscuit, Reduced Fat (7) 120
Heluva Good Bacon Horseradish Dip(1 TSP)  30 
Drake's Sunny Doodles (1) 105

Totals  1820

I went a little over yesterday.  I have been trying to keep my calories between 1700 and 1800.  I worked yesterday so I know I burned a lot of calories.  I am a housekeeper at a hotel.  I work 4 days a week.  It's a very physical job.  I am working on getting a walking schedule going.  I love to walk outside.  But, the weather has hindered that.  I am so looking forward to warmer days.

Food Log for Sunday~ March 28, 2010

March 28th, 2010

Calorie goal: 1,662; calories consumed: 1,793; calories burned: 173

Net calories: 1,620
                                 
Breakfast:
Ortega Whole Wheat Tortillas          260
Bacon, Sliced                                   120
Scrambled Eggs                                 140

Snack:
Kellogg's Shredded Wheat Miniatures 184
1% Milk  55

Lunch:
Cheerios Bowl  140 
Yogurt  80

Snack:
100% Whole Wheat Bread  80
Scrambled Eggs  70

Dinner:
100% Whole Wheat Bread  160
Kraft Single Slice Select American Cheese  70 
Move Over Butter  75
Creamy Tomato Soup  240

Snack:
Fruit Yogurt  119

Totals: 1,620

Thanks to Banded Girl I have discovered The Daily Plate.  I love it.  It's so easy to track your calories.  Thanks again Banded Girl!  I had a good day yesterday.  I didn't have any trouble staying within my calorie range.

Goodbye Pound and Don't Come Back!

I stepped on the scale this morning and.... I lost 1 lb. yea.  Seriously, I am excited about losing 1 lb.  I didn't gain.  I lost.  That is all I can ask for.  I am looking more forward to next week's weigh in.  I am gonna stick to my plan this week and start exercising. 

There are times when I feel like I can't do this and that I am all alone in this fight against the bulge.  But, then I log on here and see that "someone" has actually been reading what I have been writing and they even cared enough to leave a comment!  That's amazing to me.   You guys have taken the time to come to my blog, read it and comment.  Thank you so much.  You guys are amazing.   

Just wait...I'm gonna kick butt next week! 

Food Log for Saturday~ March 27

Here is what I ate today:

B~ shredded wheat, 1% milk= 230
L~ PB&J sandwich= 385
S~ kashi lean cereal, yogurt=210
D~ 2 small cheeseburgers, lettuce and tomato=690
S~ pineapple=200
Total: 1715

Not much to talk about today.  I wish Spring weather would come back.  lol.  It is freaking cold here again.  I did get a good walk in Wednesday, but since then it has been nasty outside.  Weigh in is tomorrow.  I don't know what to expect since I haven't been committed to my plan for very long.  Guess we will see.  Hope all of you have a great night!

Day 4~ Food Log for Thursday~ March 25, 2010

My great plans about posting my food log at the end of the day aren't working out. I keep forgetting about posting at night. So, I will be posting my food log for the previous day.

Food Log: Thursday~ March 25, 2010

B~ rice krispies with milk, banana = 300
S~ greek yogurt w/peaches=130
L~Link sausage sandwich= 470
D~ pasta with meat sauce, salad=650
S~ pineapple= 200

Total Calories: 1750

I still need to drink more water.  But, I did better yesterday on calories.  I do think that counting calories has freed me from food prison.  I'm free!  lol.  I have more options and I am in control of what I eat.  I still have trigger foods that I personally feel like I can't eat.  Such as pizza.   I think that as I make calorie counting a habit...that I will be able to eat pizza and not have to worry about making a huge pig out of myself.  Pizza is my #1 trigger food.  I have good intentions when I start eating it and then, I just can't stop until I have eaten 4 or 5 pieces.  Then, that makes me feel like crap.  So, I have a huge setback and end up going on a binge.  Then, I feel worse about not being able to control myself.  So, I just stop trying at all.  I have lived that senerio over and over again.  ANYWAY... NO PIZZA!

Day 3: How I'm Doing So Far...

I missed posting yesterday.  I was gonna wait until the end of the day so that I could post what I ate all day yesterday and how I was doing with counting calories.  But, I was so tired.  I feel asleep way before I usually do.  Guess I needed it.  I am a night owl.  I stay up late every night.  Then on Mon, Wed, and Fri. I have to be at work at 9.  Guess the loss of sleep caught up with me last night.   So, here is how my day went yesterday:

Food Log:  Lost it!   I had written down my calorie intake and now I can't find it.  UGH!

Counting Calories:  I had a bit of trouble with supper last night.  We were low on groceries and ended up having "breakfast for supper".  We had pancakes and sausage.  I had too many pancakes.  I ended up going over for the day.  But,  my husband went shopping and I am doing much better today.  I will be back later to post my food log.

Day 1: Counting Calories

 I started counting calories today.  I have done well.  I used up all of my calories and am not feeling hungry.  The hard part will be fighting off the urge to eat later tonight.  I think that I will do a better job of spreading my calories out tomorrow so that I can have some fruit for snack at night. 

American Idol is about to come on.... I will be back tomorrow.

Obesity Will Not Win!

I have decided that I have to stop looking for the next great diet that will magically help me shed this weight.   I have tried so many fad diets in hopes that one of them would be "the one" that would work for me.  But, with only a half hearted effort on my part.  The truth is that I have to decide that I want to lose this weight and that I will do whatever it takes to make that happen.  And not rely on some magic pill or potion to do it for me.   I have finally reached that point.  I have been reading various weight loss blogs the last few days.  And it made me realize that I haven't ever tried to lose weight.  Not really.  Those people with the weight loss blogs are serious!  They are committed and they are getting results.  They aren't making excuses as to why they didn't lose this week or why they ate something they shouldn't have.  They are doing what is needed to meet the goals that they set for themselves.  Thanks to all of you who have opened my eyes to the seriousness of my situation.  I am obese and I am slowly killing myself with the bad choices that I make on a daily basis. 

I will be counting every calorie that goes into my mouth.  And I will be keeping a food log so I won't miss anything.   I will begin to exercise.  I have to get myself moving.   I weigh 230 lbs and I am 5'7".  I am obese.  I hate that word and I hate admitting it.  But, it is a fact.  But, I vow right now to begin to change that.  I want to be around for my son while he is growning up.   I want to be a better wife to my husband.  I am so miserable all of the time and it makes me a royal pain to be around.  I want to be happy.  I know that "happiness is a state of mind".    I have heard all of that before... and I agree with that statement to a certain extent.  But, my state of mind isn't very happy right now.  I am tired all of the time.  It feels like I catch every sickness that comes around.  I don't feel good about myself anymore.  And I honestly can't remember the last time I did. 

 Short Term Goal:

I want to lose 25 lbs by our wedding anniversary.  It is in July.


Long Term Goal:

I want to weigh 145 lbs.  That is a loss of 85 lbs.  I can do it.  And I will.

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING!

This weekend will be spent relaxing at home.   My husband is teaching Joshua to cast a fishing rod.  He has a practice plug on his pole.  I took some pictures and wanted to share them.  ( I take pics of EVERYTHING) lol.  You can never get special moments back.  So, I have many pics of Joshua from birth till now.  It's hard to believe he is already 4 and will be 5 in June.  He has grown up so fast.

In this picture... Joshua has just cast his line and is reeling it back in.  They did this over and over.  It was so cute. 

Other plans for this weekend include.... haircuts for hubby and Joshua, Catching up on blog reading, getting homeschool materials organized for next week, and getting outside and enjoying this beautiful Spring day.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Great Weather..

Yesterday was such a pretty day.  The sun was bright and warm and the temps were in the 60's.  So, my son and I went on a scavenger hunt in our neighborhood.  It felt so good to be able to get outside and breath in the fresh air.  I enjoyed being able to walk outside again.  It was the first day that hadn't been too cold in a long time.  Today is supposed to be just as nice...so, I will be out walking again soon.  But, first I have to go grocery shopping for some fresh veggies and fruit. 

While we were out walking... we came acrossed the funniest thing.  I had to take a pic.

Funny, huh?  It felt like the tree was watching us.  lol.  I hope everyone has a great Thursday.  And if you can...get outside today.  You never know what you are gonna find.

Diet Decisions...

I have been trying to follow a less restrictive low fat diet.  I have been pretty much just winging it.  Just trying to watch my fat intake.  It worked for a while, but now I am starving all the time and I am making bad food choices.  I think I need something a little more controlled.  I quit Fat Smash because it was too restrictive.  Although I did lose 10 lbs on it.  So, I guess what I am looking for is something sort of in the middle.  Something structured, easy to follow and it won't make me feel deprived.  I don't even know if this kind of diet exsists.  Maybe I am just dreaming. 

I would love to be able to afford Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig.  But, that's out of the question.  I don't have the funds to shell out for that every month.  But, it would be easy to follow.

I am going to be doing some research on what kind of diet fits me.  I need to find something I can stick to.  I will let you all know what I find.  There has GOT to be something out there for me.  I know there has to be some sort of discipline on my part.  I have no problem with that.  I just don't want to feel like I am in food prison.  KWIM?

Moody Monday

I have been extra moody today.  I am 43...so I can blame some of it on menopause.  Then, there is the PCOS hormonal excuse.  Not really sure what's going on.  I have been angry one minute and just about to cry the next.  Maybe a good word for it is "emotional".  I don't know if Metformin causes mood swings or not.  I will have to research that. 

I ate way off plan today.  Dh cooked fried catfish and french fries.  I have to say that I did have a salad with it.  It was good, but I have got to get back on plan tomorrow. We also have to go grocery shopping soon.  I am out of fresh veggies and fruit. 

I need to figure out how to post a ticker on here so I can show my weight loss and how much more I have to go.   I am gonna spend tomorrow on that.  It is almost 2 am here.  I gotta get in bed.  Very sleepy...

Weigh in...

I am down 1 measly lb. today.  I had hoped for more...but, I'll take it.  I am now at 229.  220 has been a plateau for me for years.  I hope to get below it soon.  That will be a huge motivation for me.

RANT!

I feel the need to let some anger out.  I am so sick and tired of all the HAIR!   I have a beard and mustache.  I have to shave every day and still end up with a 5 o'clock shadow by the end of the day.  I feel so ugly.  I don't feel feminine at all.  I tried waxing... I really can't afford it and it freaking hurts.  I hate to lather up each day and shave like a man..but, I don't know what else to do.  I have shaved my beard and mustache for years.  It is coarse and black.  But, it grew in that way to start with.  I have seen women who had a light fine haired mustache.  They are lucky.  Mine never looked like that. 

Does anyone have a solution?  Maybe there isn't one.  PCOS robs women of their femininity.  It is an ugly disease.   I grow hair all over my body that isn't supposed to be there.  BUT, I lose hair on my hair that is supposed to be there.  Then there is the weight gain, infertility, skin tags, peroid issues and just over all feeling of turning into a man. 

I can't shake this depression that I have gotten into lately.  Sorry for the rant.  Thanks for taking the time to read it.

Spaghetti Squash

I have found my new favorite vegetable.  Spagehtti squash is so yummy.  And you can cook it in the microwave.  Anything microwavable is a hit with me.  lol.  All you have to do is cut the spaghetti squash in half.  Then, using a spoon...scrape out the seeds and pulp in the middle of both sides. Then place it (cut side down) in a microwavable dish, cover losely with plastic wrap (leaving one side open for venting) and put in the microwave for 10-12 mins. (depending on the size of your squash).  You repeat this procedure with the other side of the squash.  Be careful when removing it from the microwave.  It will be VERY hot.  Let it cool.  When it's cool...use a fork and start digging the "spaghetti" out.  Drag the fork from one side of the squash to the other side.  Then "spaghetti" will come out in long threads.  You can add a sauce to the squash and eat it like traditional spaghetti.  I just add a little butter, salt and pepper.  It is soo good.  Give it a try.

My PCOS Story

 I had been trying to get pregnant for 5 years.  I finally decided that I needed to go see a specialist to find out why I hadn't had a period in 8 years.   My periods were never regular.  But, this was the longest I had ever gone without one.  I went to see the doctor and he told me that I had PCOS.  He drew pictures to explain to me what was going on with my body.  I was so glad to finally find out what was wrong with me.  He put me on Progesterone and Clomid.   I took the Progesterone to make me start my period.  Then, I took the Clomid to make me ovulate.  But, it never did.   I did 5 rounds of that med combination.  My husband(at the time) started to hate what he called "sex on demand".  I had cysts removed from my ovaries via laproscopic surgery.  I had the test ran where they inject dye into your tubes to see if there is a blockage.  Our insurance didn't cover fertility drugs.  It just got too expensive for us to continue.  So, we stopped trying.  My doctor told me to come back if I decided I wanted to try again.  So, I just assumed I would never have kids.  He never told me that losing weight would help and he never mentioned Metformin. 

Well, my husband (at the time) and I started having marital problems and ended up divorcing. During my divorced  years, I lost 45 lbs.   Fast forward to 2004.  I married my current husband.   Three months after we were married... I got pregnant.  You can imagine my surprise!  I had taken MANY pg tests over the years and never got a positive until then.  I had a wonderful pregnancy.  I ended up with pre-eclampsia in the last month.  So, I was induced and my son was born 3 weeks early.  He was almost 8 lbs.  lol.  He was a big boy and he was perfect.  He is now 4... will be 5 in June.  I am so blessed to have a child.  I know that the weight loss was the key to being able to conceive.  Of course my husband thinks that he was the missing ingredient in the years before.  lol.  He may be right. 

I recently went to a new doctor who did more blood work on me.  She put me on Metformin.  I am really trying to follow a PCOS friendly diet.  I am cutting out junk food and sugar.  I want to get healthy.  I don't want to end up with heart disease or diabetes.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my story.  Women with PCOS can conceive.  They can be mothers.  I had given up hope.  But, God had other plans.  I am so thankful that he did.

Low Carb vs. Low Fat... Which One is Best for PCOS?

I have read over and over again that women with PCOS should follow a low carb diet.  My doctor told me to follow a low fat/low sugar diet.  There is a lot of bad press about low carb diets.  But, there are a lot of people who are losing weight low-carbing. 

But, for PCOS...which one is best?   Personally, I have a hard time sticking to a low carb diet.  I find it too restrictive.  I love fruit and bread.  Those are the things I miss on low carb.  Low fat seems to work better for me.  I don't find it as strict as low carb. 

So, I guess the answer is to find out which diet works for you.

Sherry

To Suffer or NOT to suffer...Isn't that the question?

Hi...My name is Sherry and I have PCOS.  I wanted to start a blog dedicated to my struggles and accomplishments while dealing with this syndrome.  I am currently overweight and pre-diabetic.  My triglycerides are off the charts.   I also have excess facial and body hair and skin tags.  I need to get this under control.  My doctor started me on metformin about a month ago.  I have been taking it faithfully.  The side effects in the beginning were pretty bad.. but, I have stuck with it.  The metformin is supposed to help control the symptoms of PCOS.  I am taking 1500 mg.  I can't tell a difference so far.  But, I haven't been on the med for very long.  My doc says that 3 months is the average amount of time for the med to get into your system and start doing it's job.  I have lost 10 lbs in the last 7 weeks.  That was due to an intense detox diet that I was on for 12 days. 

Currently, I am following a diet that consists of low fat and low sugar foods.  Or I guess I should say "trying" to follow a diet that consists of low fat and low sugar.  It's hard when my body is craving all the good stuff.  UGH!
So, drop in frequently and check out my progress. 

Sherry