This is my first journal entry. I am hoping that posting it online will help keep me motivated to keep it going. I also plan to keep archives on my website. I am new here - my intro is in the biography forum. My past trend with online groups is not to post very frequently, but I will try to post "updates" at least once a week or so.

I've worked so hard at losing my weight, and I'm discouraged because it's starting to come back again, about a 10 lb gain so far. Somehow I had convinced myself that it's "ok" to have anything I want (donuts, candy bars, takeout, etc.), and have been overeating, big time. I can think of all the excuses in the world, but when it comes down to it, I just need to "get with it" and start with the program again. This is my first major setback since I first started my new WOL in March of 2001.

So, I have taken some first steps in hopes that I will find some inspiration, by becoming active in a support group, as well as counting my calories again, which I used to do religiously. Another goal is to start exercising again, which I haven't done since the first part of summer. I did run up and down the stairs a few times in my apartment building this evening, which is a start :). I have an exercise bike plus there's a great walking trail right across the street from here, so it's not like I don't have anything to do.

I would appreciate any support, and I look forward to becoming a regular member.

David

Hi David.
welcome to diettalk, and congratulations on your weight loss so far.. recognising that you need to look at refocusing is a huge step and i applaud you for that.
i have been on my own journey for 5 years now and many times i have had setback s but thats all they are. it isnt failure its a learning process.
i look forward to getting to know you better and watching your continued success.
the most important thing i have learnt is that i need to do something that i can live with FOREVER!
hugs bell :)

hi david, i know all about losing then gaining then losing then gaining..it is the pits..but it sounds like you have come to grips with what has to be done and are on your way back down..way to go!! looking forward to hearing more from you..

Thanks guys :) I am feeling better and more positive. It is definitely a learning process. I was thinking that my "WOL" was almost over when I hit 179, so I thought I it was ok to start eating what I wanted. But it's a "Way of Living" meaning the rest of your life - that was something I learned when I first started, but some how conveniently "forgot". Anyway I'm back now :). My goal is to lose another 20 lbs.

Hi David. Congratulations on taking that first big step. You know, the one where you recognize that you have to make some changes or you will have undone all you have done.

You sound like you know what you want and know how to achieve it - so I wish you sustained motivation and I hope to get to know you better.

Sherri

Welcome to Diettalk David!

I think, reading between the lines, that you have some good ideas on how to go about it. The scary part for me too is the what to do when it's all over... I'm terrified of being on my own and trying to maintain my loss. I guess the good thing is that I'm certain I will lose and reach my goal.

This is a great group of people and we all love to help each other out. Getting a journal is the best first step.

:wave:

Hello David,

I'm happy to see you have started journaling with us. It will be fun visiting back and forth. One thing about the public journal, everyone is wanting to share their tips and words of advice.

Since I've read your "bio" and visiting your homepage, it's obvious you know exactly what needs doing and how to go about it. The motivation can be a sticky point with all of us now and then. But since everyone here is always so willing to try to lift a fellow member up and help them along, I'm sure you will find lots of ideas on how to motivate yourself and keep it going.

Have a good week.........keep smiling........:)

Sandie

Thank you all for your replies :). I thought I would share how today went - I may stay close by, at least for the next few days until I'm sure I'm back on track again. I'm very pleased. Having a support group to be accountable to seems to be helping. So far, my caloric intake today is 1848. Which, is close to what it was when I was losing my weight. I still have the evening and another snack or two to go. No sweets at all today. I went to the store last night and got a bag of apples which will be a good substitution... would appreciate any ideas for other substitutions - something quick and convenient. I also get things like a pack of peanut butter & crackers, yogurt, bananas, etc., but these things can get kind of old after awhile.

Thanks,
David

excellent david!! what kind of apples do you like? fuji are my favorite..one good snack i like that i consider a treat is two rectangles of chocolate graham crackers and a glass of non fat milk..very yummy...keep up the great work!!

Thanks for the idea sooz, I may give that a try. I guess it doesn't matter that much what kind of apples I get, I usually just buy whatever they have available, which will vary depending on what store I'm at. Sometimes I've gotten the organic apples at wild oats, but I don't go there too often these days.

Hello david and welcome to DT.
I too know how bad it feels to re-gain as i have done. i too have also had the idea its ok to eat in some of my old habits but its not the way as i gained from doing so.
I havent been exercsing like i was either and i need to get back on track with that too.
i use an exercise biek and do weight training and crunches. in the good weather i walk. i am on ww and count points which is like counting calories but in a different way.
the cold weather and the holidays really set me back and gave me less motivation but i will get it back too. as they say its only set backs which are normal and part of the learning process but only failure comes when we quit altogether.
your doing well and i also know what you mean about some foods getting old and boring. i try alot of variety and that helps too,
hope to talk to you again and best wishes on your journey here.

Hi david_d and welcome to diettalk...Good think you aren't titled david_J or I would have to think you are my brother posting here.. :D ...Good luck on your weight loss journey.. Hugs joanne :rose:

That was part of my mistake too, not exercising. My excuse at the time was that it was summer, and too hot to do much of anything, but even when it started getting cooler, I still didn't exercise. I am learning that it is essential for weight loss (and even maintenance), but I need to somehow find the motivation to stay with it.

Thanks joanne :) I've been lucky with domain names & user names lately. I just registerd a domain name (davidsweb.org) and also at fitday I have a new user name of david_d.

I finally got to my exercising. In the past I would walk, but I haven't been in ages, actually since the beginning of last summer. I'm going to make a pact to start again, and will post it here...

stationary bike, 30 minutes - 305 calories burned
climbing stairs - up and down 12 flights; 150?

Not too sure how many calories I burned on the stairs, as I only spent about 10 minutes on it. Does someone know of a good activity calculator? I used to know of one but now I can't find it.

David

good work on the exercising!! i think you will find a calculator at www.fitday.com ..its a good place to log your food and weight also..

Thanks sooz - I entered it in fitday but wasn't sure if I chose the right activity. It's kind of hard to tell what they mean with some of those.

Just stopped by to say hi.

Looks like you are getting yourself back on track - good for you! I think there are a lot of people (me included) that have a tough time getting into an exercise routine and keeping at it. I find it so easy to find something else that is more urgent (ha!) at the time.

Keep up the good work - you'll be seeing results in no time!!

Sherri

Thanks Sherri

I'm going walking in a few :). And, I just spent $50 and joined dietwatch.com. I thought I'd give it a 3-month trial run to see how it goes, at least I am hoping it will help get me into a good routine again, and will try and follow the meal plans they provide pretty closely. I'm reading everything over now. Too bad I wasn't into this when it was free :).

David

Hello David,

glad to see your doing well and have a plan of action with recording your meals. that is important to do to write it down so you can see how your doing and what your eating.

keep going strong!

Thank you, Minnie, I've been looking them over pretty well, and I probably shouldn't have spent my $$ on it, especially this close to Christmas, but it's spent, so I'll try and utilitze it the best I can.

One of my main goals is to quit diet pop. Just to give some history, I became addicted to it, back around 1990, when I moved away to college, and I drank a lot, between 12 - 24 cans per day, and this was regular and you can imagine how many calories that was - now I drink diet. In the past I would spend as much as $80 - $100 a month just on pop, but I'm finding it difficult to quit, I think partly because caffiene is more "acceptable" then smoking is (I quit back in april of 99), if that makes any sense. Another reason is that I love staying up at night working on the computer, but I also tend to sleep during the day (I'm not working at the moment, and my classes are in the evening). Recently I've started using generic a lot - I found a good brand at Walmart that tastes pretty close to d pepsi, but it's hard being so darn dependant on the stuff and having to go to the store all the time - I go nuts if I don't have it in the house. Anyway I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through this...

Thanks,
David

I'm kind of keeping close tabs here, I hope that's ok with everyone :). I was on usenet for awhile, and I think I feel more comfortable here. Just a different atmosphere for some reason.

I went walking today, and I even jogged some, a little over 2 miles. It was nice to be at it again, and I plan to do it 3 times a week. In the past I've been self-conscious about jogging because of my "flab", but not today :). I WILL do this.

David

wow david, 2 miles is awsome!! what a great beginning!! think how far you will go after a few weeks!!

Keep it up David. I hope that you motivation inspires me. I generally get out and walk early in the mornings (sometimes it is still dark out). I have really been lax as the weather turned cold. But .... I too, WILL do this!!

:ex:

It sounds like you are all geared up for a great beginning here David. I can't walk 2 miles on a good day, so I am envious...(arthritic knees). But I'm really happy for you that you have bounced off to a great start.................Keep it going kiddo.

Sandie

Thank you all, I appreciate your being here :)

Hi all,

Just wanted to let everyone know how the past few days went. I've been doing very well as far as keeping my calories down. I've kept it right around 1800 - 2000 all week, and have lost about 2 lbs. It's still a little early to jump for joy, with the weight fluctuations and all, but I'll take what I can get :). At least it's on a downward trend now :).

The exercise still needs some work. I went walking some on Sunday, and on Wednesday of last week. Also, I've started making out menues a week in advance, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. I posted it on the fridge and have been following it religiously, and of course, accounting for Christmas and the festivities and all. I think this has been helping as much as anything. I still struggle with the sweets, but now I make room for it in my caloric limit, and will eventually work it out of my diet for good.

Anyway, just wanted to check back in... I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas :)

Take care,
David

Hello David,

I've been out of town for the past several days, and unable to use the computer. I mostly wanted to pop in and wish you a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.

I do hope you find the time on occasion to join us in the chat room now and then.

Take care now. I hope Santa is good to you.

Sandie

Hi Sandie,

I'm just getting home from my parents'. We had a very nice Christmas, and it was a white Christmas. Here in N.E. Oklahoma we got about 9" of snow, and we were snowed in for a couple of days. One of my gifts was "MasterCook", which I'm about to install now. It was good to be with family, but also good to be back :).

I may stop in the chat rooms sometime. It's been awhile, that might be fun. Thanks :).

David

Hello again David,

I'm glad you had a nice visit with family for Xmas, and even happier to see you have arrived home safely.

I know all about the snow. We have 24" and climbing, and it's hasn't even slowed down yet. I can't wait to see what it will have for me to take pictures of tomorrow morning. It's also very windy outside, so no doubt there are going to be some monster snowdrifts. There are already cars just parked and abandoned on the roadside here.

Take care now.
Sandie

Thanks Sandie, I wonder if you all are getting the same storm that we had. I saw earlier this morning on the radar that it was moving up the eastern seaboard. They had predicted it it several days in advance, but to me it seemed to come upon us kind of suddenly. Maybe because we all had our minds on Christmas. Anyway, I'm glad to be back. I'll be hoping that you all stay safe & sound.

Take care,
David

Not that anyone is interested, but my approximate caloric intake today was 3119. Not to terribly bad considering :)

David

HI David, good to meet you , I have only been here since August but found the support here very good. I am a walker outside in all kinds of weather, I have found it becomes very important, it is a commitment, I do not always want to, but it is my number one thing to do daily and it is not easy as I have chronic pain issues, if can be of any assistance to you please pm me.... I am a grand mother and great gram-ma but I am hanging in there losing weight and getting healthy... a late bloomer??? You can do this:) sandycan

Hi there David :wave:

Yes, I think that storm you had is exactly what hit us too. They were saying on the news it was a nasty and deadly storm, and before it even hit us, it had claimed 15 lives already.

And like you, it seemed to sprung on us almost suddenly. Yes, they had been saying there was a possibility of a few flurries sometime late on Xmas day. Then it changed to possibly an inch or two accumulation. The day before Xmas, they finally said they were now thinking 12"+ could hit here, and Xmas day that was changed to 18"+. I guess so. We ended up with 28" total, and it was the enough that our small hick town was featured on the evening TV news out of Scranton, Pa because we had the most snowfall for the state of Pa right here in our back yard.

About 10 miles northeast of here is Hancock, New York, and they had several travelers stranded there and put up in the church hall because highways were shut down. And about 35 miles south west of here thousands are without electricity, and some will not be restored until Saturday. I haven't hear of any fatalities yet though. Some from highway accidents, but none from freezing so far.

So I would say this was one of the biggest storms of this new century now. I know many places broke 30 or more year records. I am one of the few that can sit back and enjoy it. But that's because I'm an old lady that's retired now, and don't have to worry about getting to work every day. Retirement does have it's benefits...............LOL

Oh, just in case you didn't realise, of course it matters how many calories you consume. I'm sure for a young man on the go 3000 wasn't bad. But for me, it would be devastation............LOL.

Have a good day kiddo.
Sandie

Sandie, I should have mentioned that I set aside Christmas day as a major cheat day. I allow one or two days out of the month where I let myself go "overboard". Usually on cheat days I'll order a pizza or something, but yesterday was mostly from snacking, turkey dinner & a huge breakfast (sausage & egg casserole, a family tradition on christmas morning).

Am glad you don't have to get out in the elements. Most of our snow has already melted away, as it was above freezing the past couple of days.

sandycan - Thanks for the encouragement. I also am finding a sense of condidence in myself as I try to become more healthy, so I think I know what you're talking about. I am still struggling with the sweets, and with just staying motivated in general. I may pm you sometime - I could use all the help I can get.

David

Hi everyone,

Christmas is finally over... I think partly my recent weight gain could be due to stress and the holidays, but there's also another "reason". I remember thinking at the time, that I was going to try and see what I could get away with. And, unfortunately I found out. I feel more in control now and there are several things I need to change in my life. For one, I am going to try and get on a halfway normal sleep/wake schedule again. Since I'm not working at the moment my tendency is to stay up all hours, and sleep during the day. I also have a sleep disorder (mild PLMD/RLS) which doesn't help much, but if I take my meds it doesn't seem to be too big a problem. I'm planning to quit (or cut way back) on my caffiene consumption. The amount I'm drinking isn't healthy and I'll bet things will start beginning to improve once I can focus on that. This will be one of my new year's resolutions.

This Christmas was kind of unusual. I did have a nice time with my family, but with the storm coming on so suddenly, plus with my being in school my mind was on other things, and I never really got into the holiday spirit. Anyway, it was more stressful this year for some reason and I'll be glad when things start getting back to normal. I now actually have a clean kitchen, which hasn't been clean since the beginning of the semester :).

I'm doing pretty well with my eating plan so far. I've made out my menu for the week (I'll give a URL below) and will try and follow it pretty closely. I'm trying to include more veggies in my diet. I've always been a "junkie" and recently I bought some fresh spinach & brussels sprouts for the first time, plus a bunch of other stuff. I'm trying to get into the mindset of liking vegitables, but it's difficult after a lifetime of being conditioned not to. Hopefully they won't all go to waste :).

Anyway, here's a URL to my menu for this week. Would appreciate any comments... mainly I'm trying to be healthful, follow the pyramid and watch my calories.

http://www.davidsweb.org/way_of_living/menu/12-29-2002.htm

Take care,
David

david i think it is great how you have planned your menu..i especially like what you plan to do for new years eve by having your dinner planned to be new year's snacks..i will do the same..i also like how you planned to have your snickers bar..treats are fine to include once in a while like that..i see you like to have big breakfasts..way to go on doing all the work to plan your meals and figure out the calories!! sounds like you are really back on track!

Hello David ~

Big Hoorahs to you boy. You are great at preparing a menu buddy. You totally put me to shame. That's the one thing I've tried to do, and just cannot get it together at all. I am too much "into the moment" and eat what I am in the mood for at the time and withing my diet plan. Well, usually that's what I do. The past two weeks all have gone haywire, but I still did try most of the time.

I really envy your ability to be that organized and then stick to it too. You see, I have tried doing that. But when the time came to eat a particular meal, I just didn't want it at all. Then I would start rooting about the house for something that would please me, and end up taking the wrong things. Now I don't plan at all. I just make certain when I do my shopping to have plenty of the right things available at all times, so that it doesn't matter. All I have to choose from are acceptable regardless.

One thing I need to do is up my water intake, and stop nibbling after dinner. One of my plans are to try and do without after dinner. But if I must eat something, it can only be fruit. That way I can't see how it could undermine my efforts in a negative way.

You are doing really well. My hat's off to you. Keep up the good work buddy. Take care now and I hope you have a great New Year, and enjoy yourself New Year's Eve.

Sandie

Thanks sooz & sandie - in the past breakfast was always something quick and simple, and I'm trying to make it make it a more important meal. One thing I've done is to set up a dinner table. I've always just eaten on the couch in front of the TV (or at my computer) and I wanted a place to actually sit down and enjoy my meals, at least every once in awhile.

I am finding it more difficult to go "exactly" by the menu. Last night for example I decided to order a pizza. I had forgotten to include it in my plans and it just sort of "felt" like a pizza night :). And, on Sunday I had tacos for lunch. So there will be substitutions here and there. I have thought about trying to make it a little more flexible, perhaps choosing from a list of available items, until things start running out again and I have to go to the store again. Having to buy these items each time is a little costly too.

Anyway, will keep you updated on my progress. Thanks for your replies.

Take care,
David

A PS - I don't think I mentioned this but next semester I'm taking a class in nutrition, to apply towards my degree. I'm really looking forward to it & hope to learn a lot :)

David

david i hope you share with us what you learn in your class..how exciting!!

Thanks, I may try and put some info on my website, as long as it isn't copyrighted.

What a great idea David. You will learn so much, and be able to apply it to your own lifestyle and share the information with others and possibly help them improve their lives as well.

Looking forward to seeing your progress. I just have a feeling you are going to be an exemplary student and member here at DietTalk too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR
Love, joy, happiness and good health to you always
Sandie

Just checking back in... I'm still doing pretty well as far as calories goes, but when it comes to exercise, I'm still having a problem with motivation. Today my caloric intake was 1756.

I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for an exercise video - maybe on DVD? When I first started with my WOL I bought a tae-bo tape set. It was pretty expensive and I found it was too intense and eventually lost interest. So maybe something that's low-impact or for someone who's just starting? Would appreciate any recommendations...

Thanks,
David

hi david, i dont know about dvd's but the video i started out with was Richard Simmons original "Sweatin to the Oldies" tape..it is a good one for beginners, it has all ages and sexes on it, and people of all sizes..at the end the people are introduced and it says how much weight they have lost..when i started, i could not do this tape for the whole length of the tape, but day by day i worked up to finishing it..you may be able to get this tape on his web site, or it is probably available on ebay also..ebay is a good place to look for less expensive alternatives...

i know alot of people also like Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds tape..but i am not personally familiar with it..maybe some people who have used it will comment..

Thanks sooz - I'll look into that. I thought a dvd might last a little longer... The instructional part of the tape set I bought isn't working anymore, but maybe that was because my VCR needed cleaning or something, I'm not sure. Anyway, I'll check it out... Thanks :)

David

i have had my tape for years with no problems..but sometimes vcr's do eat tapes..i did the ebay search for you..there are tons of richard stuff there

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&query=Richard+Simmons+&cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&ht=1&from=R10&currdisp=2&itemtimedisp=1&st=2&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&BasicSearch=

Thanks... I am headed over to walmart tomarrow and may get something while I'm there. Thanks for the suggestion.

David

walmart is a great place to look! hope you find something you like!!

I ended up going to the video store to rent Sweatin' to the Oldies to try it out. And, yesterday I made it through the whole thing without any problem. I decided to buy the DVD from Amazon.com. I liked it because they use different types of people - guys & gals and of differnet sizes. Most of the exercise videos I've seen have participants who are already in great shape.

Am feeling much more positive about my WOL. Yesterday was a good day - I had about 2000 calories and burned about 320 in exercise. It's good to be back again :).

hey david! im glad you liked it!! i like it for the same reason..did you watch it all the way to the end where they introduce them and say how much they have lost? its a really good video!! way to go!!

I did see the end of it, they came on just as I was about to turn it off, so I thought I would sit down and watch it. After doing this tape I think the tae-bo was a little too adanced for me, being a beginner. Maybe I can work up to it eventually but for now this is perfect. Thanks again :)

By the way, my Nutrition class starts on Thursday, but we're expecting a "blizzard" in on Wednesday night so it might get canceled. I'm hoping it doesn't though. This is one class I'm really looking forward to.

yikes, we dont know about blizzards in southern calif lol..

tae bo is more advanced, but will be a great work out for you later..one thing about the tae bo tape is, i always feel so "up" after i have done it...and another thing about tae bo..i bought the three tape deal, the instructional tape, the basic tape and the 8 min tape..and i have to say, the instructional tape is much harder than the actual basic tape..so if you are stuck on the instructional one, you might try moving on to the actual tape and see how you do with it, if you have the same tapes as i do...

i have tried other richard simmons tapes, but the first one is the one i really like..for some reason, i connect to that one the best..

Yeah, they were making a big deal about it in the weather forcast, so I guess this is supposed to be a big one.

Actually it was the instructional part of my set that got eaten, so all I have now is the basic workout. And, some of those kicks they do kind of get to me, I guess one has to build up to it.

I've actually heard this tape recomended to other's asking the same thing, so I figured it must be pretty good.

Hi all, Wow, it's been awhile since I posted. I've been hanging in there, but haven't lost much, and if anything may have gained a little. Unfortunately I made the mistake of "allowing" sweets back into my WOL and now I can't seem to stop. I am doing better then I have been, but just had a minor set back tonight. That darn snack machine down the hall is a little "too" convenient.

Other then that things have been going pretty well. I'm on the verge of beginning a new WOL. I've decided to adopt the diabetic exchange diet as I've heard some good things about it, and it correlates closely with the food pyramid which I've been trying to follow anyway. I chose this diet partly because it runs in the family, and I have a sensitivity to sugar (but still within the normal range). I've been working out my menus and have ordered a couple of things from diabetes.org that I'm hoping will help with the meal planning. I may also look into sugarbusters and see what that's all about.

I'm through with my Nutrition class - if I remember correctly I mentioned something about that earlier. I enjoyed it a lot and I've put some info on my website if anyone wants to take a look.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi to anyone who might be "listening" :). In the past my tendancy has been to lurk and make an appearance every few months or so to check in.

Take care,
David

Hi David,
nice to see a post from you. a friend of mine has done the diabetic exchange eating plan and has had success with it. i am sure you will also.
i know what you mean about letting certain things back in and then struggling to get back on track. i had a weekend like that just gone and am back on track but craving junk still... i will not give in and i know you wont either.
keep up the good work!
hugs bell :)

David

It is a fantasy all dieters have of being able to eat NORMAL, but as compulsive people we rarely are aware of appropriate portions and eating at appropriate times. We use food to express ourselves----our boredom, our happiness, our disappointments. We use it to procrastinate and focus on food rather than the issue at hand.

Hopefully as you get closer to goal, I hope you find you like yourself better when you make choices that fit that lifestyle of health and a sense of well being. You would think the pain of self loathing for binging would keep us from using that method to cope with emotions but that isn't how our compulsive mind works.

Eating is a choice. Making a wrong choice doesn't mean you've BLOWN it but that you need to re-assess what you've eaten and adjust your plan to keep your goal in sight.

Hope to read of your successes.

Donna

Thanks Donna & Bell,

I appreciate your support. I guess I'm still struggling with this. I'm not going to let it bother me though, but I am going to start exercising again, maybe that will help offset the extra calories and get me to losing weight again. And, I'm finding that this usually happens late at night. I wonder if it's because I'm not eating enough during the day. I lost all my weight using the 'no diet' approach, only eating when I was hungry and I did pretty well with it. Now I'm wanting more structure and an actual plan to follow, so I've decided on the diabetic exchange system & the pyramid. I'll have three square meals / day and three snacks. One in the afternoon and two in the evening. I've actually written some stuff down as an example and will post it here. I'd appreciate any input you might have. I'll probably try and follow it for awhile until I get used to it.


1800 kcal

Exchanges allocated

starch: 8
fruit: 4
milk: 2
veg: 4
meat: 6

---------------

Breakfast:
9:30am

2 starch
1 fruit
1/2 milk

Bran buds 1/3 cup - 82 kcal
English muffin 1/2 ea. - 64 kcal
orange juice 1/2 cup - 57 kcal
skim milk 1/2 cup - 40 kcal

TOTAL kcal: 243
---------------

Lunch
12:30pm

2 starch
1 meat
1 fruit
2 veg

bread 2 slices 220 kcal
deli meat 1 slice - 24 kcal
lettuce/tomato - 10 kcal
Vegetable soup - 1/2 cup 61 kcal
apple - 1 ea. - 63 kcal

kcal: 378
---------------

Snack #1
3:45pm

1 fruit
1 starch
1 lean meat
1 veg

banana, small 93 kcal
1 slice bread 100 kcal
deli meat 1 slice - 24 kcal
v8 juice 1/2 cup 23 kcal
1 fat

TOTAL Kcal: 240
---------------

Dinner
5:30pm

1 starch
1 milk
2 veg
3 protien

Brown rice - 1/3 cup - 72 kcal
spinach - 1/2 cup - 29 kcal
chicken breast - 3 oz. 183 kcal
yogurt 100 kcal

TOTAL Kcal: 384
---------------

Snack #2
8:30pm

1 fruit
1 starch

zucchini bread 1/2 134 kcal
apple 63 kcal

TOTAL Kcal: 197
---------------

Snack #3
1:00am

1 starch
1 protien
1 milk
1 fat

peanut butter 1 tbsp 100 kcal
crackers, club 70 kcal
milk 1/2 cup 40 kcal

kcal: 210
---------------

Total kcal: 1669

Donna, Thanks for reminding me about eating being a choice - I remembered you had said that when 1am rolled around and decided NOT to visit that snack machine. Instead I fixed a frozen entre (actually about the same amount of calories as a snickers) which will keep me satisfied for the rest of the evening. If only I can keep this up. Thanks for the encouragement :)

David

Hi Group,

Just thought I say hi again and check in. I'm not doing so well as far as my diet is concerned but I am exercising so that's good. I found a new walking path that has lots of hills and have even been walking/jogging a little. I know there's no excuse for snacking, but I think I've got it mostly out of my system now. I think part of the probem is that I may not be eating enough, so I'm going to start tracking my calories again. Instead of eating "good" foods I head for the candy bar (lately I've discovered krispy cream donuts, something I swore I'd never do). Also my scale broke so I'm kind of nervous about that.

Some good news, I'm starting in school full time now and hopefully will have my bachelor's within a couple of years. I will be getting it in MIS, and hope to get a good job after I graduate. This may be a challenge within itself considering we're the second worst in the nation for unemployment, with all the layoffs we've had here. But, I am ready for this. Because of an illness I've never been able to support myself completely until now.

Anyway, hope all is well with everyone. I just wanted to say hey.

Take care,
David

Hello,

walking is such good exercise, i myself have a bad road here to walk on so i do the walk away the pounds tapes at home and they are so great and give a good workout using resistance bands for strenght training of ABS and upper body.

sometimes when not eating enough we make bad choices. i especially do when i am really hungry.

take care and hang in there. you can do it!!!!