Happy Halloween!!!

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” -Maria Robinson

Happy Halloween everyone! Candy everywhere but I got rid of most of mine. I might make a goodie bag for the mailman and garbage man. It would be a nice thing to do and it gets rid of the candy right?

I came close to my goal but only by eating what I shouldn't be eating.

And speaking of what we shouldn't be eating this whole low/no carb thing is for the birds because of the simple and complex carbs. For example a banana has 31 carbs but it's fruit it is supposed to be good for you but when you look at the numbers 31 carbs can make a huge difference.

Ah, but wait there's more. Read on my friends.

Complex carbs (pasta, potatoes, oats, vegies and grains) must first be broken down into simple sugars and then those simple sugars have to be converted to glucose before they can be absorbed into the blood.

This is good because the longer it takes for a carb to be broken down into glucose, the better. Why? Well a carb's rate of absorption into the bloodstream produces a proportionally strong release of the hormone insulin. Rapid absorption of glucose causes rapid secretion of insulin. This in turn signals your body to store fat. And this is followed by fatigue and cravings for more carbs due to the blood's sudden depletion of glucose.

In other words if a carb is broken down too fast it becomes your body's version of a catch-22. This is probably why my nutritionist friend told me that she always writes a diet for someone who wants to cut carbs as if they were a diabetic so they looked more to the glycemic index which makes perfect sense. Doesn't it?

No? Well there is more.....

Many simple carbs actually absorb at a much slower rate than many complex carbs. Most fruits, for example, contain fiber that slows down the digestion process. Also, sugar that comes from fruit and dairy must be converted to glucose before it can be absorbed into the blood causing yet another slowdown in the digestion process.
You will actually feel satisfied longer by eating an apple vs. an equal-sized bowl of pasta. Because even though pasta contains complete carbs those carbs are still broken down into glucose faster than the apple's sugar.

Translation: the longer it takes to turn carbs into glucose the better chance we have of burning off said carbs as energy before they hit the bloodstream and are stored as fat.

So the moral of this story kids is not so much to worry about carb numbers (in my humble opinion) but to rely more on the glycemic index. This measures the rate of absorption of carbs. A carb that has a low glycemic index absorbs slowly which is good. The higher the number the faster it absorbs which is bad.

There is only one exception to that rule of good vs. bad glycemic index numbers. Within 45-60 min of a workout (this number varies by source) you want to have a lean, complete protein (30-50g) along with carbs high on the glycemic index (30-60g). Because the carbs with the high glycemic index will rapidly absorb into the bloodstream and as the glucose causes an insulin spike the insulin will help shuttle the protein into the muscles repairing and building new muscle.

So there ya have it kids. Our carb lesson for the day. So we need to study the charts we have of the glycemic index and use that more as a reference than the carb numbers I'm currently counting.

And you thought I wasn't learning anything on this diet. Now if Damon the hottie cabana boy were here he would have had flowcharts, and graphics with colorful diagrams (he tends to go a bit overboard but he loves his graphics. You know what they say, men are so visual ;-)

Numbers for today

Calories 2116
Fat 92
Carbs 249
Proteins 69
8oz. glasses of water 0

Good News

“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.” -Lewis Carroll

Good news today. It is Saturday and that's weigh in day. I didn't think I would have lost anything this week but I stepped on the scale anyway this morning and was surprised to see I had lost 4 pounds this week! It was a great way to start the day.

Now the bad news is I tried and tried but was still over 600 calories short today. Damn it. I even broke into the Halloween candy hoping to make up some difference and those mini candy bars aren't adding up to much. I think 2 of them added up to about 150 calories. That wasn't a help at all. I got a chocolate fix even though I didn't want it.

Now what was it I said a few days ago about do-overs?

Totals for today

Calories 1513
Fat 58
Carbs 180
Protein 46
8oz. glasses of water 0

Eat all day long to no avail

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” -Albert Einstein

I get full from so little that I just can't eat as much as I'm supposed to. Maybe this is normal and will change as I continue to eat more meals throughout the day. Remember I'm used to eating once per day so this may take time to adjust. I'm guessing here but I do know that it is not good to eat less than the 2150 that is my goal.

Also I have GOT to eat more protein.

Now where do they come up with the measuring system for food? Some food is listed by weight. I had some soup for lunch today and put in some saltine crackers. The book lists a serving size as 4oz. Huh? How many crackers is 4oz? Saltine crackers are saltine crackers. No matter what brand name or generic I have never seen them look any different than any other brand so why can't they say 5 crackers???

Then to get even more insane I had some carrots with dinner. I open the bag of carrots to peel a couple and I look at the serving size. I am not making this up. Serving Size: 7" long 1 1/4" diameter. Servings per container vary.

So now in addition to the scale you need to have a tape measure in your kitchen. How insane is this? It's a frickin carrot people, it's good for you. So just give us a number of calories and say 'per carrot'. 7 inches and 1 1/4" diameter is insane unless you are measuring something else.......ok I went there but you were all thinking it. You know you were. Admit it. I'll wait.

Now don't you feel better? Good. Let's move on.

Totals for today

Calories 1819
Fat 56
Carbs 266
Proteins 60
8oz. glasses of water 4

Better but not there yet

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.” - Aldous Huxley

Now I know why it's so easy to miss meals. Because this eating all day is exhausting! Geez, it seems like I just finish a meal/snack and 'bing' it's time to eat again. I missed breakfast because I get sidetracked too easy and eating has never been a priority.

I know, an overweight person saying eating has never been a priority? But it's true. I can forget to eat every single day. I can be hungry then decide I want to finish whatever I'm doing and before I know it 3 hrs have passed and I still haven't eaten yet. This is my ongoing problem. It's hard to break old habits of eating one meal a day.

But man what to eat? I pulled out a Quaker granola bar and a bag of 100 calorie goldfish and then thought, "well that's not a lunch" so I put it back and made a sandwich instead (which of course is killing me in the carb dept).

If I can keep this up I will be much better than I have been the last week or so, right? So keep your fingers crossed out there that I continue to remember or if you have seen Damon the hottie cabana boy send him my way please.

Totals for today

Calories 1940
Fat 73
Carbs 266
Protein 65
8oz. glasses of water 2

Looking for the fork.....in the road that is.

“I didn't fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong” -Benjamin Franklin

This quote fits how I feel right about now. I am not failing in dieting and exercising but I seem to be finding all kinds of ways to do it wrong.

More missed meals today and no matter how I tried to make up for it I just couldn't do it.

Not much else to say. There is no excuse for the fact that I am continuing down the wrong path. Time to find the fork in the road and get back on the right path.

Totals for today

Calories 1579
Fat 70
Carbs 166
Proteins 50
8oz. glasses of water 2

Someday I'm going to surprise you

“Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted.” - Author Unknown

You heard me. Someday I will actually get this together and be eating more than the 2150 calories per day. I know we all have dreams right? Try not to quash mine will ya? I'm getting as tired of failing at this as you are reading about it. Believe me.

Tomorrow is a trip to the grocery store and hopefully find something exciting, healthy and come closer to the goal.

Ah,ah, ah! I said no quashing the dreams people. It is my pipe dream, let me have it at least until I go to the store and find out that this exciting, healthy thing does not actually exist. I may have better luck finding Damon the hottie cabana boy in the grocery aisle right?


Totals for today

Calories 1611
Fat 59
Carbs 218
Proteins 57
8oz glasses of water 4

Damon the hottie cabana boy is not doing his job!

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” -Leonardo da Vinci

Ok it isn't Damon's fault, I really can't blame him. I can try but remember he doesn't exist (but wouldn't it be nice if he did?). In the end it is my own fault for missing meals and trying to make up for it all in one fell swoop.

That is NOT the way this is done. But just like anyone who has fallen off the ladder and fallen back into old habits, tomorrow is another day full of do-overs.

Every moment we live is really a do-over or at least our chance at one so I am going to take the opportunity to have some do-overs tomorrow. Hopefully I won't need it but who am I kidding?

If I can get my sleep pattern on track I think it would make a huge difference. Sorry, just thinking out loud.

To do-overs everyone.....clink!

Totals for today

Calories 1811
Fat 63
Carbs 255
Proteins 66
8oz. glasses of water 2