Okay, so I didn't publish a new post every day this week. It was a busy week, filled with working and getting the kids started back to school. I still followed the plan though, and have come to one conclusion: you can't do Weight Watchers and follow Canada's Food Guide. HOWEVER, that all depends on how many points Weight Watchers allots for you. In my weight category, I am given the minimum number of points, which is 26 per day, with 49 extra points per week that can be 'dipped into' if needed, for extra treats or special events, like a wedding or something. Well, the past week, I seemed to average about 30 to 35 points per day, which ended up using up all my 49 points and then some. But I suppose that for someone who is joining Weight Watchers at a higher weight and given more points to use, then it would work out just fine.
The funny thing is, I lost a bit of weight, which I wasn't expecting. My weight yesterday was 163.2 lbs (down 1.2 lbs), body fat 30.9 % (up .9%), water 50.4% (down .7%), and bone density 5.8% (down .1%). My BMI is at 24.7%, which is down .2%. As I probably said on a previous post, I don't put a whole lot of faith in my scales, mainly when it comes to all those other readings besides the weight.
How did I feel this week though? Well, I had a weak moment with some cookies one day, but considering my 'Aunt Ruby' was due for a visit at the end of the week (which could also explain the weight loss), my cravings for carbs and sugar were noticeably down. Probably because of all the bread and grain products I was eating. I had a piece of peach pie one night after dinner, and a couple of rum and diet Cokes another night while playing Monopoly. But I followed the food guide religiously, happily downing sandwiches for most lunches. I felt satisfied, and sometimes actually a bit hungry, which surprised me. I thought I'd be more full. I was never starving though, which is a good thing. I felt pretty good though, contented and not at all deprived.
I won't detail everything I ate though, it is very time-consuming and probably gets boring and repetitive. I have already planned out my menus for next week; I find it really helps with my grocery shopping and helping me to remember. I haven't figured out any Weight Watcher points for next week though, as this past week it was pretty consistent every day and because of all the grains, I know that there's little chance for keeping within the point range. Tonight I'm going to The Keg for dinner with my "healthy" friends from the Myrtle Beach story...yes, we're still together, after 26 years! That's many more years than both my marriages put together! Anyway, because of that, today I won't be having any servings of protein, because I anticipate that whatever I get for dinner will equal two proteins (although I probably will try and have fish). I'll have a grilled cheese for lunch, so at least I'm having some protein but can count it as a milk product. I'm sure we'll be talking and laughing too much for me to even eat that much anyway, that's how it usually works with us. I always feel sorry for the server, as it takes us forever to get around to even looking at our menus. I will try and get some salad into me though! That reminds me...if I get the Keg-sized Mojito, can I count the mint leaves as a veg/fruit serving?
Saturday, 8 September 2012
Saturday, 1 September 2012
Feeling strangely hungry on day 2...
I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm ravenous, but I'm definitely not feeling as disgustingly full as I thought I might today.
My eating schedule was a bit mixed-up, and I had to switch around a few things due to timing and food in my fridge! But, here goes (forgive me if it looks slightly different every day, I'll probably forget how I post it from one day to the next):
8:30 am 1 cup skim milk = 1 milk, 2 WW points
9:00 am Breakfast at McDonald's with Rod; I had a BLT bagel, but asked them to make it without mayo, knowing that to have it on would take care of both of my oils for the day (and bad oils, at that!). It was dry and bland, but I choked it down like a trooper. Also, I was surprised at the amount of tomato and lettuce on it, more than I thought, and probably put on by the McDonald's cook to make it easier to swallow. Anyway, I'll break it down:
1 multigrain bagel = 2 grains, 6 WW points
3 slices bacon = extra fat, 4 WW points
1 serving hash browns = 1 veg (I assume), a fat, 4 WW points
medium orange juice = 3 fruit, 5 WW points
(geez, this isn't looking good...)
11:30 am 1/2 cup Minute Rice brown rice = 1 grain, 6 WW points
1 cup skim milk = 1 milk, 2 WW points
1 whole wheat English muffin = 2 grain, 3 WW points
2 Tbsp. peanut butter = 1 meat, 5 WW points
6:00 pm 2 slices sprouted grain bread = 2 grain, 3 WW points
75 gm deli sliced turkey = 1 meat, 1 WW point
2 cups spinach salad = 3 veg, 0 WW points
1 Tbsp. herb dressing = 1 oil, 1 WW point
1 cup skim milk = 1 milk, 2 WW points
8:30 pm 1 large peach = 1 fruit, 0 WW points
Totals for today:
Grains: 7 servings
Fruit and Vegetables: 7 (the spinach salad consisted of 2 cups spinach, with 1/2 cup tomatoes, cucumber, and orange pepper)
Milk and alternatives: 3 servings
Meat and alternatives: 2 servings
Weight Watcher's points: a whopping 44!!!
I'd better take more care in planning future menus!
I was moderately active today, doing laundry and hanging clothes on the line, helping Rod install our front doors, gardening, and grocery shopping. I have got a bit of a headache, but that could be because my neighbour is burning plastics again. Grrrrr! At least his wife gave me some lovely tomatoes and pole beans from her garden, so we'll definitely enjoy those over the next couple of days. I just wish my tomatoes would hurry up and ripen so I can make some salsa!
My eating schedule was a bit mixed-up, and I had to switch around a few things due to timing and food in my fridge! But, here goes (forgive me if it looks slightly different every day, I'll probably forget how I post it from one day to the next):
8:30 am 1 cup skim milk = 1 milk, 2 WW points
9:00 am Breakfast at McDonald's with Rod; I had a BLT bagel, but asked them to make it without mayo, knowing that to have it on would take care of both of my oils for the day (and bad oils, at that!). It was dry and bland, but I choked it down like a trooper. Also, I was surprised at the amount of tomato and lettuce on it, more than I thought, and probably put on by the McDonald's cook to make it easier to swallow. Anyway, I'll break it down:
1 multigrain bagel = 2 grains, 6 WW points
3 slices bacon = extra fat, 4 WW points
1 serving hash browns = 1 veg (I assume), a fat, 4 WW points
medium orange juice = 3 fruit, 5 WW points
(geez, this isn't looking good...)
11:30 am 1/2 cup Minute Rice brown rice = 1 grain, 6 WW points
1 cup skim milk = 1 milk, 2 WW points
1 whole wheat English muffin = 2 grain, 3 WW points
2 Tbsp. peanut butter = 1 meat, 5 WW points
6:00 pm 2 slices sprouted grain bread = 2 grain, 3 WW points
75 gm deli sliced turkey = 1 meat, 1 WW point
2 cups spinach salad = 3 veg, 0 WW points
1 Tbsp. herb dressing = 1 oil, 1 WW point
1 cup skim milk = 1 milk, 2 WW points
8:30 pm 1 large peach = 1 fruit, 0 WW points
Totals for today:
Grains: 7 servings
Fruit and Vegetables: 7 (the spinach salad consisted of 2 cups spinach, with 1/2 cup tomatoes, cucumber, and orange pepper)
Milk and alternatives: 3 servings
Meat and alternatives: 2 servings
Weight Watcher's points: a whopping 44!!!
I'd better take more care in planning future menus!
I was moderately active today, doing laundry and hanging clothes on the line, helping Rod install our front doors, gardening, and grocery shopping. I have got a bit of a headache, but that could be because my neighbour is burning plastics again. Grrrrr! At least his wife gave me some lovely tomatoes and pole beans from her garden, so we'll definitely enjoy those over the next couple of days. I just wish my tomatoes would hurry up and ripen so I can make some salsa!
Friday, 31 August 2012
Day One
This was actually surprisingly easy today. Here's a breakdown of what I ate, followed by how I felt:
Extra: I put mustard on both my sandwiches, which is a freebie, and had an iced coffee this morning brought to me by a friend at work, for 4 WW points. I considered taking off a milk from one of my meals to make up the difference, but just left it the way it was.
Totals for the day:
Fruit/Veg - 6 servings. That's weird, because I could have sworn I put down the required seven servings. I'll have half a glass of orange juice before bed to make up the difference.
Grains - 6 servings.
Milk and alternates - 3 servings
Meat and alternates - 2 servings
Oil - 1 serving
Weight Watcher points - 34 (would have been 30 without the iced coffee)
5:45 am 3/4 cup Apple Cinnamon Cheerios = 1 grain, 3 WW points
1/2 cup skim milk = 1/2 milk, 1 WW point
9:30 am 1 serving Activia yogurt = 1/2 milk, 3 WW points
1 large banana = 1 fruit, 0 WW points
11:45 am 2 cups tossed salad = 2 veg, 0 WW points
1 Tbsp. Kraft Herb dressing = 1 oil, 1 WW point
2 slices Sprouted Grain bread = 2 grains, 3 WW points
75 gm deli-sliced turkey = 1 protein, 1 WW point
1 large peach = 1 fruit, 0 WW points
3:00 pm 1/2 Dempster's 12 Grain bagel = 1 grain, 3 WW points
1 Tbsp. peach jam = 1 WW point
1 cup skim milk = 1 milk, 2 WW points
5:00 pm 2 slices Sprouted Grain bread = 2 grains, 3 WW points
75 gm summer sausage = 1 protein, 7 WW points
1 cup skim milk = 1 milk, 2 WW points
6:30 pm 1 cup grapes = 2 fruit, 0 WW points
Totals for the day:
Fruit/Veg - 6 servings. That's weird, because I could have sworn I put down the required seven servings. I'll have half a glass of orange juice before bed to make up the difference.
Grains - 6 servings.
Milk and alternates - 3 servings
Meat and alternates - 2 servings
Oil - 1 serving
Weight Watcher points - 34 (would have been 30 without the iced coffee)
I've felt pretty good today. I had my usual two 16 oz cups of green tea this morning also, and indulged in a Coke Zero when I got home from work at 1:30. I wasn't starving before my morning break, nor before lunch, but looking forward to both meals. I felt a little pang of hunger at around 3 pm, so had my snack then. I expected it to hold me over until quite late, but actually found I felt like eating dinner at the usual time. Now, at 7:45 pm, I feel satisfied. Not as full as I expected. As energetic as I can be for the end of a work-week! Tomorrow I expect that my dear husband will want to go to McDonald's for breakfast, so I've allowed for that (tomorrow's Weight Watcher points are pretty high, to say the least).
Eating Well With Canada's Food Guide....?
I was glancing through a book yesterday, a book that I'm supposed to be studying from to write the exam for my Food Handler's Certificate. In it, I was immediately attracted to the bright rainbow of colours that makes up Canada's Food Guide. Although somewhat familiar with the guide, I took a good look at it, and at what I, as a 44-year old woman, should be eating.
I should be eating a lot more, apparently.
Seven to eight servings of vegetables and fruit. Six to seven servings of grain products. Two servings of milk and alternatives, and two servings of meat and alternatives.
The meat and milk aren't a problem for me, and the veg and fruit category, although possibly posing a bit of a struggle some days, is mostly doable. But six to seven servings of grain, to someone who has spent the past decade or so avoiding bread like the plague, just seems to me, well, wrong.
But then again...if I'm eating that amount of food, particularly all those grains and veggies, it stands to reason that I won't have room for any of the Six Dreaded C's, namely Chocolate, Cookies, Cake, Candy, Chips, and...Crap. So perhaps, in the long hours that stretch between my work-assigned 11:45 lunchtime and family-assigned 5:30 suppertime, I'll snack on 300 calories worth of grains, milk, and fruit, say, instead of the same caloric intake of cookies. Maybe I won't even crave those sweets, having carbs in the form of whole grains and veggies in my system to satisfy those cravings before they even begin.
I wouldn't go so far as to say I've struggled with my weight; I'm usually within the healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) range, hovering between the middle of this range and the top. I enjoy food, plain and simple, and have little time or energy for strenuous exercise (I'm on my feet from 5:30 am to 5:30 pm, with little more than an hour total sit-down time in between). However, few women are ever one-hundred percent satisfied with their weight, unfortunately, and it's no secret that a lot of the blame for this falls on how famous women and models are perceived in the public eye. One can't stand in the grocery-store checkout line without being bombarded by magazine covers featuring toned torsos and whittled waists. I actually read a fact the other day from Fact Hive on Twitter, saying that the average Victoria's Secret model is 5'8" and 112 lbs. Although I am 5'8", I think my left leg weighs 112 lbs. The lowest I've weighed in my adult life is 128 lbs, and I didn't feel well at all. I think I may have even fainted at one point.
A funny yet I suppose rather poignant thing happened to my two friends and I while on vacation in Myrtle Beach, once upon a time, a long time ago. We were about twenty, and going for a stroll down the beach. We were by no means overweight, yet we didn't have stick-thin aerobic-instructor bodies either. We were curvy, slim, and strong. A couple of cute guys were approaching us, and just as they passed us one of them said "Well you girls look healthy".
"Healthy??? How dare they say we look healthy!! What on earth is that supposed to mean, anyway?" We were, all three, pretty indignant. Healthy. How dare they. Now, if they had said "You girls look so thin and frail that I expect a stiff breeze could come along at any second and blow you away", well, then we would have been flattered.
Anyway, enough lecturing about what's wrong with society, that's not the purpose of this blog.
What I'm going to do is this: I'm going to follow Canada's Food Guide and see what happens. I'll see how I feel, how I look, if my weight changes, if I have more energy. My suspicions are that I'll probably gain weight, at least at first. My body just isn't used to that much food, especially the grains, and years of yo-yo dieting have probably slowed down my metabolism. But I'm also wondering if (and hoping that), after a period of adjustment, maybe my body will respond by becoming stronger, more resilient, and maybe (not that it matters, I swear it doesn't matter...) just a little more trim.
So here are the rules:
1) Follow the food guide, having the minimum portions when a range is given i.e. 7-8 servings of fruit and veggies, I'll have seven. For the 6-7 servings of grains, I'll have six. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/food-guide-aliment/view_eatwell_vue_bienmang-eng.pdf
2) For milk products, although for my age group it states 2 servings, I have been diagnosed with borderline osteoporosis (osteopenia), and my mother most definitely suffers from osteoporosis, so I will follow the milk allowance for ages 51+, which is 3 servings daily.
3) I will, whenever possible, choose whole grains over white, processed grains. I usually do this anyway, preferring the taste of whole grains.
4) According to the guide, at least one veg has to be a dark green leafy, and at least one has to be orange. I googled orange vegetables, and there are only a few (pumpkin, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes). This is because of beta-carotene, which is also found in tomatoes, broccoli, peaches, cantaloupe, and apricots. I'll try and include at least one of these beta-carotene containing foods each day.
5) I'm allowed a couple of tablespoons of healthy, unsaturated oil per day according to the guide, and I'm also allowing myself minimal amounts of sugar (i.e. to sweeten tea, perhaps some jam on toast). I'm not on a diet, after all; I'm just following the food guide.
6) I will continue to take the following supplements daily: wild salmon oil, garlic, vitamin D, and a B-complex vitamin. I probably won't need much in the way of vitamins, but as flu season is approaching I am a firm believer in not getting the flu vaccine, but instead taking mega-doses of vitamin D and garlic. It's worked for me very well in the past few years (touch wood).
7) Almost forgot...fish. Two servings a week. I'll have to go with canned salmon and tuna, for the most part, as fish isn't a favourite in my family. They'll tolerate it maybe once a month or so, but weekly? Probably not. I usually try and order it when I go out for dinner. Note: I had THE. BEST. fish tacos at a little beach bar in Roatan, Honduras this past February. I'm almost afraid to have them anywhere else, because I know they won't compare. This little lady liked sharing them with me, too:
I've done Weight Watchers, with some success, in the past. I haven't been to meetings, but have done it online. Although I think it offers the most freedom regarding food choices compared to other diets, I have often wondered how it compares to Canada's Food Guide. Although all fruits and most vegetables are free on Weight Watchers, I wonder how the points add up with the rest of the food choices. So, as a matter of interest, I'm going to keep track of points also, using the 26-point a day system with 49 weekly 'free' points to use up.
I'll try and report daily, or every few days if I get busy, and keep you posted on my stats (probably once a week). I weighed myself this morning, and here's the damage...I can't believe I'm publishing this:
Weight: 164.4 lbs
Body Fat: 30% According to this chart, I'm at the top end of average: http://www.builtlean.com/2010/08/03/ideal-body-fat-percentage-chart/
Water Content: 51.1% Not too bad, but not great. This link explains why this number is important: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art13909.asp
Bone Density: 5.9% I'm not really sure what this is supposed to mean.
BMI: 24.9 (based on my weight, and height of 5'8") Again, I'm right at the top end of the acceptable BMI range, which is 18 to 25.
The scales I use are probably not very scientific, and in fact I can step on them twice within thirty seconds and get two different readings. But they're all I have and I'll at least have an idea if things are changing or not over the coming weeks.
Bon appetit!
I should be eating a lot more, apparently.
Seven to eight servings of vegetables and fruit. Six to seven servings of grain products. Two servings of milk and alternatives, and two servings of meat and alternatives.
The meat and milk aren't a problem for me, and the veg and fruit category, although possibly posing a bit of a struggle some days, is mostly doable. But six to seven servings of grain, to someone who has spent the past decade or so avoiding bread like the plague, just seems to me, well, wrong.
But then again...if I'm eating that amount of food, particularly all those grains and veggies, it stands to reason that I won't have room for any of the Six Dreaded C's, namely Chocolate, Cookies, Cake, Candy, Chips, and...Crap. So perhaps, in the long hours that stretch between my work-assigned 11:45 lunchtime and family-assigned 5:30 suppertime, I'll snack on 300 calories worth of grains, milk, and fruit, say, instead of the same caloric intake of cookies. Maybe I won't even crave those sweets, having carbs in the form of whole grains and veggies in my system to satisfy those cravings before they even begin.
I wouldn't go so far as to say I've struggled with my weight; I'm usually within the healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) range, hovering between the middle of this range and the top. I enjoy food, plain and simple, and have little time or energy for strenuous exercise (I'm on my feet from 5:30 am to 5:30 pm, with little more than an hour total sit-down time in between). However, few women are ever one-hundred percent satisfied with their weight, unfortunately, and it's no secret that a lot of the blame for this falls on how famous women and models are perceived in the public eye. One can't stand in the grocery-store checkout line without being bombarded by magazine covers featuring toned torsos and whittled waists. I actually read a fact the other day from Fact Hive on Twitter, saying that the average Victoria's Secret model is 5'8" and 112 lbs. Although I am 5'8", I think my left leg weighs 112 lbs. The lowest I've weighed in my adult life is 128 lbs, and I didn't feel well at all. I think I may have even fainted at one point.
A funny yet I suppose rather poignant thing happened to my two friends and I while on vacation in Myrtle Beach, once upon a time, a long time ago. We were about twenty, and going for a stroll down the beach. We were by no means overweight, yet we didn't have stick-thin aerobic-instructor bodies either. We were curvy, slim, and strong. A couple of cute guys were approaching us, and just as they passed us one of them said "Well you girls look healthy".
 |
| Still "healthy"...last February, hiding behind my book. |
Anyway, enough lecturing about what's wrong with society, that's not the purpose of this blog.
What I'm going to do is this: I'm going to follow Canada's Food Guide and see what happens. I'll see how I feel, how I look, if my weight changes, if I have more energy. My suspicions are that I'll probably gain weight, at least at first. My body just isn't used to that much food, especially the grains, and years of yo-yo dieting have probably slowed down my metabolism. But I'm also wondering if (and hoping that), after a period of adjustment, maybe my body will respond by becoming stronger, more resilient, and maybe (not that it matters, I swear it doesn't matter...) just a little more trim.
So here are the rules:
1) Follow the food guide, having the minimum portions when a range is given i.e. 7-8 servings of fruit and veggies, I'll have seven. For the 6-7 servings of grains, I'll have six. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/food-guide-aliment/view_eatwell_vue_bienmang-eng.pdf
2) For milk products, although for my age group it states 2 servings, I have been diagnosed with borderline osteoporosis (osteopenia), and my mother most definitely suffers from osteoporosis, so I will follow the milk allowance for ages 51+, which is 3 servings daily.
3) I will, whenever possible, choose whole grains over white, processed grains. I usually do this anyway, preferring the taste of whole grains.
4) According to the guide, at least one veg has to be a dark green leafy, and at least one has to be orange. I googled orange vegetables, and there are only a few (pumpkin, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes). This is because of beta-carotene, which is also found in tomatoes, broccoli, peaches, cantaloupe, and apricots. I'll try and include at least one of these beta-carotene containing foods each day.
5) I'm allowed a couple of tablespoons of healthy, unsaturated oil per day according to the guide, and I'm also allowing myself minimal amounts of sugar (i.e. to sweeten tea, perhaps some jam on toast). I'm not on a diet, after all; I'm just following the food guide.
6) I will continue to take the following supplements daily: wild salmon oil, garlic, vitamin D, and a B-complex vitamin. I probably won't need much in the way of vitamins, but as flu season is approaching I am a firm believer in not getting the flu vaccine, but instead taking mega-doses of vitamin D and garlic. It's worked for me very well in the past few years (touch wood).
7) Almost forgot...fish. Two servings a week. I'll have to go with canned salmon and tuna, for the most part, as fish isn't a favourite in my family. They'll tolerate it maybe once a month or so, but weekly? Probably not. I usually try and order it when I go out for dinner. Note: I had THE. BEST. fish tacos at a little beach bar in Roatan, Honduras this past February. I'm almost afraid to have them anywhere else, because I know they won't compare. This little lady liked sharing them with me, too:
I'll try and report daily, or every few days if I get busy, and keep you posted on my stats (probably once a week). I weighed myself this morning, and here's the damage...I can't believe I'm publishing this:
Weight: 164.4 lbs
Body Fat: 30% According to this chart, I'm at the top end of average: http://www.builtlean.com/2010/08/03/ideal-body-fat-percentage-chart/
Water Content: 51.1% Not too bad, but not great. This link explains why this number is important: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art13909.asp
Bone Density: 5.9% I'm not really sure what this is supposed to mean.
BMI: 24.9 (based on my weight, and height of 5'8") Again, I'm right at the top end of the acceptable BMI range, which is 18 to 25.
The scales I use are probably not very scientific, and in fact I can step on them twice within thirty seconds and get two different readings. But they're all I have and I'll at least have an idea if things are changing or not over the coming weeks.
Bon appetit!
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