Pep Talk Diary for Weight Loss

[Little Linguist]

Okay, I don't know whether this should go in the blogs or here because it is a diary but it's to keep track of my health. I figure if I have to publically account for my diet and exercise routine, I can keep on track better. Plus, I have the added benefit of getting feedback on what I can improve or info regarding mistaken caloric counts.

So I need a pep talk. Okay, I'm 5'2" and a fatty. Well not quite that bad, but I am slightly overweight. Although a certain part of that (2-3 kg) is due to something beautifully overweight the rest could sort of say auf Wiedersehen without bothering me too much.

I'm 65.5 kg today. Ferk. I SHOULD be between 50-60 kg. In May I was 62.5 but I kinda got off track after I started working a lot. The good news? I have vacation coming up so I can basically exercise every day.

My plan is to keep a very, very anal-retentive account of my caloric intake and activity level so that I can plan a systematic system of weight loss that will stay the ferk off. That means slow but steady. Soooooo if I have to be honest about all the crap I'm putting into my body and how freaking lazy I am, maybe I'll motivate my ass to do something about it. That's my hope, anyway.

You guys don't have to respond. It's more for me than anyone else, but any constructive criticism or advice would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch!

Ehh, when I say a fatty, I am kindaaaaa exaggerating a bit, as I wear a size 38 (that's an 8-10 in US sizes - some say 8; others say 10 so I don't know). Eh, size 40 shirts because of my boobs. *shrugs* (that's a 10-12). Buuuut I want to get down to a 34-36. Sooooo :-) Here goes nothing.

[Grayscale]

2 pieces of advice...

when it comes to reforming diet, slow and steady also applies. every few weeks, pick a new food to replace with a healthier alternative and over time your tastes will adjust. once it becomes second nature, it will be "the norm" and you wont have to think twice about it.

when determining target weight, body fat percentage is a much more insightful indicator of health than only body weight. you can get an analyzer (or even a scale that has one built in) at most department stores. they arent super accurate, but they will help you chart your relative progress better than weight.

BMI is pretty much useless



oh, and great idea with the accountability thing! you should also tell a few close friends so it's not as easy to give up.

[BryNTP]

Good luck and don't lose anything important!

[Little Linguist]

Caloric Intake today:

Breakfast:

Protein Bar: 175 kcal
Pear: 75 kcal
Black coffee (250 ml) 0 kcal
Water (250ml) 0 kcal
Total: 250 kcal

Lunch:
1 Whole Grain, High Fiber, Pumpkin Seeded Roll: 150 kcal
2 Slices Turkey 100 kcal
Assorted Condiments (lettuce, tomato, cukes) 75 kcal
Mayonnaise 100 kcal
500 ml Milk 325 kcal
Total: 750 kcal

During workout: 0.5 L water 0 kcal

Snack: Protein Bar: 175 kcal
Water 0.5 L 0 kcal
Total: 175 kcal

Dinner
125 g mackerel filets with tomato sauce 200 kcal
1 Salad (Greek cabbage salad with lots of mixed veggies) 250 kcal
500 g low-fat yogurt 275 kcal
Total: 725 kcal

Water: 1 L

Total caloric intake: 725 + 175 + 750 + 250 = 1900 kcal = too damn much

Evaluation: Cut out the protein bar snack, the mayonnaise, and the mackerel filets and you're good to go. (Shit, it adds up quickly, doesn't it???)

Activity Level

Walked 500m to the bus stop (10 minutes) 35 kcal
Walked around town for about an hour later 100 kcal
Did 30 minutes of the elliptical machine at the gym 345 kcal
Walked back to my work (10 minutes) 35 kcal
Walked to the hair dresser (10 minutes) 35 kcal
Walked to the train station (10 minutes) 35 kcal
Walked home (10 minutes) 35 kcal

Otherwise I was pretty sedentary, I must say.

So about 620 kcal?

BMR: 1097.55 (let's say 1100) for 5'2", 65 kg, age 28
Calories burned: 1100 + 620 = 1720

SHIT! 1900 - 1720 = 180 more calories eaten than burned. Ferk. Double ferk. Triple ferk.

Ooooookayyyyyyyy - well, tomorrow I have to do MORE exercise and LESS eating, apparently. Grrrrrrrrrrr!

Awww, 'tis okay, Little - you'll get the hang of it!!!! You're just starting out, after all.

[Little Linguist]

Originally Posted by Grayscale

2 pieces of advice...

when it comes to reforming diet, slow and steady also applies. every few weeks, pick a new food to replace with a healthier alternative and over time your tastes will adjust. once it becomes second nature, it will be "the norm" and you wont have to think twice about it.

when determining target weight, body fat percentage is a much more insightful indicator of health than only body weight. you can get an analyzer (or even a scale that has one built in) at most department stores. they arent super accurate, but they will help you chart your relative progress better than weight.

BMI is pretty much useless



oh, and great idea with the accountability thing! you should also tell a few close friends so it's not as easy to give up.

Thank you for your support, and yes, I really think the accountability thing will do wonders for me. After all, I don't think I could bear eating a cupcake, a raisin-almond pastry, and a crispy strip if I had to declare it (that's like, egads, 1000 kcal right there!!!) So I think it's a good bit of motivation!!!

You're welcome to comment on anything you notice or to mention potential healthy alternatives to what I'm eating (not an expectation - just if you have the time and inclination!)

Originally Posted by BryNTP

Good luck and don't lose anything important!

Hey, thanks for the support. Please feel free to comment on the diet/exercise blog anytime!

[Grayscale]

no or lite mayo, -100, 300 calories of dairy instead of 600 (3x~100 kcal servings)... that could be 2x8oz skim milk (160 kcal total) and 1x no-fat yogurt cup (100 kcal), that would take another 340 off.

right there is 440 kcal!

you also forgot to add the 1.2x multiplier to your BMR for a normal day of little to no activity. if you do *extensive* walking or any exercise on top of that, then add that number on top. so your calorise used would be ~1100x1.2=1320, +345 eliptical, +250 - a bit less than 2 hours of walking, meaning total used is over 1900. BMR alone is like... how many calories you'd use if you were in a coma.

so my suggestion: cut out the protein bar in the morning since you have the turkey and mackerel, move the (no-fat!) yogurt to breakfast, no mayo, then you can have either 2 cups of (no fat) milk at lunch or 1 at lunch and 1 at dinner. that will help balance out the meals a bit more and would shave you down to 1450 for a 450 calorie deficit, which is pretty good for long term weight loss.

nice work! im impressed with how well you documented everything. if you keep this up i think you will be happy with your progress

[Little Linguist]

Originally Posted by Grayscale

no or lite mayo, -100, 300 calories of dairy instead of 600 (3x~100 kcal servings)... that could be 2x8oz skim milk (160 kcal total) and 1x no-fat yogurt cup (100 kcal), that would take another 340 off.

right there is 440 kcal!

you also forgot to add the 1.2x multiplier to your BMR for a normal day of little to no activity. if you do *extensive* walking or any exercise on top of that, then add that number on top. so your calorise used would be ~1100x1.2=1320, +345 eliptical, +250 - a bit less than 2 hours of walking, meaning total used is over 1900. BMR alone is like... how many calories you'd use if you were in a coma.

so my suggestion: cut out the protein bar in the morning since you have the turkey and mackerel, move the (no-fat!) yogurt to breakfast, no mayo, then you can have either 2 cups of (no fat) milk at lunch or 1 at lunch and 1 at dinner. that will help balance out the meals a bit more and would shave you down to 1450 for a 450 calorie deficit, which is pretty good for long term weight loss.

nice work! im impressed with how well you documented everything. if you keep this up i think you will be happy with your progress

Hey, Greyscale, thanks a lot for taking the time to help me. I think that's a *really* good plan! I will definitely put it into effect.

DOH! I did forget the multiplier - you're right LOL. Although I'm not super-active, I'm totally not in a coma yet. Hehehehe

Yep, so I will get started on that tomorrow and see what happens.

[Metamorphosis]

Burning more calories (via exercise) than you ingest tells you're body this:

"I'm starving. Please hold onto everything."

[Little Linguist]

Originally Posted by Metamorphosis

Burning more calories than you ingest tells you're body this:

"I'm starving. Please hold onto everything."

Really? I thought that was only if you eat, like 800 calories or something. Then how can one lose weight?

[Grayscale]

Originally Posted by Metamorphosis

Burning more calories than you ingest tells you're body this:

"I'm starving. Please hold onto everything."

lol... this is literally the only way to lose weight, i mean, except for cutting off limbs or something.

youre probably thinking of people who eat so little that their body begins to not only burn fat for energy, but digest lean mass like muscles, bones, and organs for nutrients. also, it will slow your metabolism so that the fat lost will actually be even less than you would if you had a smaller deficit.

what you have to do is ensure you eat enough calories and nutrients that your body is getting everything it needs, but less total calories than you need so your body will use fat to make up the difference. this is done by eating better quality foods... think more nutritional bang for your caloric buck, then cutting out some foods like complex carbohydrates that are a primarily for energy.

someone who eats 3000 calories a day of junk food isnt eating nearly as well as someone who eats half as much calories of healthy food. junk food tends to be high in sugar and carbohydrates, so the person who eats healthy will probably feel hungry quite a bit more often, that's a sign that they have a higher, healthier metabolism that isnt being fed by processed sugars and such.

i eat and burn about 3500 calories a day and im still always hungry if im eating like a should... seems like it's when i have a bunch of junk food that i dont feel hungry thats because im eating a ton of energy - fat, sugar, etc. but that doesnt mean im getting the nutrients i need.