As I said in my intro I am wanting to drop some pounds, but mostly wanting to tone up the saggy baggies and the floppy sloppies and so on and so forth that are the buttocks of five babies.  I gave up on the saggy, deflated, life sucked dry boobies that were (unless anyone has proof that the old jr. high exercise of ‘we must, we must, we must improve our busts’ really works, because I’d do it).  What hurts?  MY butt, my bum, my arse and all it’s angst.  My belly that wasn’t and now is.  And I’ll have to suffer a few more days before it’s better. And I’m not sure I can.  OOOOWWWWWWW!!

I skied yesterday and I felt pretty good. I think the exercise bike is helping me to gain strength back in my legs. Today I did a routine on the exercise bike and then went shopping. I soon found that I didn’t have enough protein on board and suffered from low blood sugar. But I held on and made myself a nice salad full of lean beef and cheese and now I’m doing better.

I keep telling myself that the best thing for my Insulin Resistance is to get my weight down, balance my diet and exercise so that I don’t develope Type 2 diabetes.

It scares me, and so I think maybe this is what is keeping me on track.

Okay. Finally. It feels like a breakthrough of some kind to have this finally “click” in my head.

I’m going to walk you through how I figured this out, and then maybe you can do the same.

1. Calculate my Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR):

• 655 + (4.3 x weight in lbs.) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)

This is how many calories, at my current weight, that it takes for me to be alive. The base calculation, the bare minimum caloric intake to stay alive at my current weight if I do absolutely nothing but sit and flip the remote. The BMR will decrease as a person loses weight, because it takes less energy for organs to function if a person carries less weight.

My BMR: 1613.40

2. Find out how many calories I burn each day, doing what I do. I design, I paint, I take care of my kids. Most of my work is sedentary, like light office work.

• I looked here: Calorie-count.com and found “light office work” (Activity: Sitting – Light Office Work
  General (Chemistry Lab Work, Light Use Of Hand Tools, Watch Repair or Micro-assembly, Light Assembly/repair), Sitting, Reading, Driving At Work)

• Theres a “calculator” here for a more general number.

Using the calculator, my total burn categorized under “light activity” is 2216. This means that I burn about 603 calories per day working at home.

My Additional Calorie Burn per day: 603

3. Figure out additional calorie burn from exercise. I swim laps for 30 minutes, or treadmill for 3 miles. One or the other, but never both, since I only have an hour to devote to exercise a day. Both average 300 calories burned.

• Get exercise calorie burn here.

My Additional Calorie Burn from exercise each day: 300

4. Total my average calories expended per day:

• 1613.40 + 603 + 300 = 2516.40

This is how many calories I burn a day. I can tell you right now that I was accustomed to eating between 2500 and 3000 calories a day, so that explains the slow and steady gain over the last 9 months. So, with a few more calculations, I can figure out what I want to do with this information.

5. Figure out what would happen on a 1500 calorie diet:

• 2516.40 Calorie Burn Per Day

• -1500.00 Calories In

• 1016.40 Calories Burned & Not replaced

Using this figure, I can determine approximately how long it will take to lose a pound, as long as the calories I eat are fat burning, I am expending energy with exercise, and I am flushing my system with 80+ ounces of water a day. I obviously can’t expect to lose anything if my intake is 1500 calories worth of saturated fats.

• 3500 Calores in a pound of fat

• ÷ 1016 (positive energy burn)

• 4 days to burn 3500 calories, or one pound of fat.

Based on a 1500 calorie diet, according to CalorieKing.com‘s Diet Diary program, my calories should be broken down into these components in order to actually expend fat:

• 41.7 g. Fat
  112.5 g. Protein
  169 g. Carbs
  25 g. Fiber

There you have it, my “A-HA” moment. I’m not a nutritionist or dietician by any means, but this makes sense to me.

My success this week has been based on jump-starting my metabolism and getting used to eating small meals frequently. It’s been a major success after 4 days, and I’ll post that menu under recipes for anyone who wants to really seriously alter your taste buds, hunger pains and cravings. It doesn’t even get easier until the 4th day, and it’s recommended for just 6 days.

Not much to say this morning except that you all have posted some really good info and reminders.  Thanks so much!  Today is weigh in day and I have no worries.  I am actually kind of excited to see what their scale shows.  I had my morning of 6 dollar size pancakes and veggie sausage patty with 1 cup of milk.  Will have a yogurt for lunch and a ww chewy bar.  Not sure about dinner yet.  Tomorrow, I have to go to a birthday party at the Olive Garden and am trying to figure out what to eat.  I am thinking minestrone soup and some salad and maybe a piece of bread and a small glass of wine.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  It is nasty rainy here today.  When it is like that, when I am home, all I wanna do is nap and watch movies.  I do walk my dogs for 10 minutes twice a day so that counts as a little.  I would like to crank that up to maybe 1/2 hour twice a day and then do something else.  I’ll make it happen, all I gotta do is start and then I will be okay.  Thats always been the hardest part for me as I have kind of a fibromyalgia kind of thing and that would be the best thing I could do but it always is a struggle at first to get started with exercise.  It’s great to see all of you ladies’ progress. 

I fill a gallon pitcher of water and put it in the fridge every morning as I’m fixing my coffee (for 3 mornings now) and by bedtime, it better be gone. Helps me get it all in. And, if I want something like a diet coke, I have a “must drink 2 glasses of water first” rule. Just a thought.

by Sue Gilbert, M.S., for iVillage

Q: Dear Sue:

Would you please send to me a list of the 10 absolute worst foods you can eat?

Thanks, Leslie

A: Dear Leslie:

There are so many products that belong on the list that I couldn’t limit it to 10, so rather than focus on individual brands I stuck to food categories. Foods and ingredients on this list don’t need to be avoided entirely. Just be sure to eat them sparingly if you eat them at all.

Hydrogenated fats

These are mostly man-made fats that are used in bakery items and stick margarine. Studies show that it isn’t so much how much fat there is in your diet that causes problems, as what kind of fat, and hydrogenated fats are the worst. Avoid buying cookies, crackers, baked goods or anything else that has hydrogenated oil on the ingredient list. Fortunately, the FDA now requires that food manufactures identify the amount of hydrogenated fats in their products—look for trans fats on the nutrition panel.

Olestra

Olestra is a fake fat, used to make non-fat potato chips and other snacks. You’d think, with all the bad rap fat has gotten, a non-fat fat would be great. But Olestra has been shown to bind with fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D and K and carotenoids—substances thought to keep the immune system healthy and prevent some cancers—and to eliminate them from your system. Proctor and Gamble, the company that produces olestra, has acknowledged the problem with vitamins A, E, D and K and is now fortifying it with them.

Olestra has also caused digestive upset in some people, especially when they eat a lot of it. Often, it’s not just fat in the potato chips that causes problems for people; it’s the fact that they are displacing healthier foods, such as fruit, so Olestra can just perpetuate an unhealthy habit.

Nitrates

Many foods, especially cured meats such as bacon and hot dogs, use nitrates to preserve color and maintain microbial safety. Nitrate is harmless, but it can convert to nitrite, which can form nitrosamines, a powerful cancer-causing chemical, in your body. Whenever possible, look for nitrate-free preserved meats. When you do eat foods containing nitrates, have a glass of orange juice at the same time (for instance, orange juice with your morning bacon). Vitamin C is known to inhibit the conversion to nitrosamines in your stomach.

Alcohol

This one item has created more problems than all the rest put together. Of course, it is possible to consume alcohol wisely and safely and enjoy it immensely, such as a fine glass of wine with a delicious dinner. But even if you exercise caution in no other area of your diet, this is the area where you should.

Raw oysters

Raw oysters can carry deadly bacteria that can cause severe illness or death. Because it is strictly “buyer beware” when buying them, you take a big risk every time you do. To date, no government or independent body inspects seafood for safety or will guarantee its quality. Oysters are a nutritious food, and are great to include in your diet, but if you do, cook them first!

Saturated animal fats

That means fatty meats, especially beef and pork, or the skin on poultry. It also includes full-fat dairy products such as cheese, milk and cream. Fatty meat and dairy products do have some contributions to make to a diet, but none that can’t be found elsewhere.

Soda

Drinking soda is a poor way to get fluids. They are full of sugar or artificial sweeteners and often contain caffeine, artificial colors and flavors. Substitute homemade soda by mixing sparkling water with fresh, 100 percent juice.

Low-acid home-canned foods

Home canning can be dangerous for foods low in acid such as green beans, carrots or other garden vegetables. The potential of botulism is high because home canners often do not reach the temperatures and pressures necessary to kill the botulism spores that may contaminate the food. Low-acid home-canned foods are one of the main causes of food poisoning.

High-fat snacks, chips

Even if they are made with vegetable oil, they should be minimized. The balance of fat in our diets has shifted too far to the omega-6 variety, found in most processed vegetable oils. It is thought that too many of these fats may be leading to certain chronic diseases. Instead, focus on fruits and non-fat whole grains for snacking.

Liquid meals

They aren’t inherently bad for you, but they do keep you from eating whole, natural foods that contain more nutrients and fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals. They may be okay for people who are too sick to eat, but don’t let them displace the real foods in your diet.

From iVillage on MSN Health & Fitness:

· Keep track of everything you eat and drink. Write it down as soon as you swallow so you don’t forget! No need to estimate calories—just write down the type of food or beverage and the amount.

· Cut your fat intake in half. That means half as much margarine or butter on toast, vegetables and your morning English muffin; half the mayonnaise on your noontime sandwich; and half the oil in the pan when you saute foods. You get the idea!

· Limit sugary treats to three times per week maximum. On those occasions, make sure you follow our snack suggestions for sweet ideas that won’t derail this diet.

· Include good sources of protein at every meal: chicken, fish, legumes, peanut butter, cottage cheese, eggs or yogurt.

· Eat at least one meatless lunch and dinner each week to reduce fat, increase fiber, and get yourself into the habit of building meals around whole grains, beans and vegetables.

· If you’re not currently using skim milk, go down one level of fat content in the milk you use. For example, if you currently use two percent, use only one percent. If you insist on whole milk, try two percent.

· Eat at least two servings of fresh fruit every day. Choose whatever type of fruit is in season.

· Instead of fruit juice for breakfast or a snack, drink water. Add a slice of lemon or lime for zest.

· Include two servings of vegetables with lunch and dinner, for a total of at least four servings per day.

· Choose one to two servings of foods made from whole grains with every meal.

· Shut off the TV whenever you eat—that includes meals and snacks. Studies show that we automatically eat larger portions when we snack in front of the tube, and typically those foods are high in fat and sugar, which means excess calories.

· Choose calories you can chew—that means drinking only calorie-free beverages (except for milk). Sodas are loaded with empty calories, and fruit juices provide less fiber and vitamins per calorie than the fruit they’re made from.

· Plan ahead for meals and snacks so you know exactly what you plan to eat. Last-minute choices tend to be higher in calories and lower in satisfaction.