Sunday, June 30, 2013

Going Over Calories



So yesterday I went over my calorie limit for the day.  It wasn’t much, and I’m not too upset by it, but it’s still an icky feeling.  Another downside is that today I didn’t get to do the 1 hour of elliptical I normally do, as I spent the day in the sun having fun with my best friend for her 30th birthday.  We played croquet, chatted, and just overall had a good time!

A lot more fun when booze is involved


Food Diary for 6/28/13:
1 Folgers Gourmet Caramel Drizzle Coffee w/ 2 Tbls fat free creamer-60 calories
1 Whole Wheat Tortilla-130 calories
1 serving roasted vegetables-101 calories
1 Tbls Butter Flavored Crisco-110 calories
1 Cup Buttermilk Pancake Mix-440 calories
1 Multigrain Sandwich Thin
4 Slices Oscar Mayer Honey Ham-60 calories
1 Light & Fit Greek Pineapple Yogurt
1 Fiber One-Chocolate Pretzel chewy bar-90 calories
Total calories: 1171

I did not exercise so there are no exercise calories to subtract

Food Diary for 6/29/13:
1 Strawberry Greek Yogurt-80 calories
1 Homemade Green Chili Chicken Enchilada-284 calories
½ cup Goya Yellow Rice-216 calories
1 Multigrain Sandwich Thin-100 calories
4 Slices Oscar Mayer Honey Ham-60 calories
10-15 white corn tortilla chips-210 calories
½ cup homemade salsa-35 calories
6 Tbls Guacamole-150 calories
1 Weight Watchers Ice Cream Bar-140 calories
Total calories: 1275

I did not exercise so there are no exercise calories to subtract

6/29/13 is definitely an estimate, as I was not the one to do the cooking.  I went to a dinner party at a friend’s house, and I saw her making the enchiladas from a 300 or less calorie cookbook.  The 284 calories is from a pre-existing enchilada recipe from the MyFitnessPal database.

Something I will have to get better at

One thing I’m struggling with while doing calorie counting is snacking.  Now I’m not talking about going to fridge to grab something because I want to eat, but more “hey, I’m cutting up some watermelon for later, how many calories can a few pieces really be if I eat them now?”  And the truth is that I don’t really know how to count those.

I find myself wanting to leave extra calories open at the end of the day to cover those little nibbles, but how many calories would be good? 100? 200?  The last thing I want to do is unintentionally put by body into a starvation mode and risk not getting the nutrients I need to stay healthy.  I’m not looking to lose weight extremely fast, I’m not looking for a crash diet.  I’m looking for a lifestyle that is maintainable.

I suppose it will be a trial and error, as well as a force of willpower to resist those urge to nibble when I shouldn’t be.  Does anyone have any tips they want to share on how to do this?

Music Addition

Today’s addition is Forgive Me by Leona Lewis



I like this song on the elliptical, as well as walking because the beat is strong and steady, and not too fast.  Leona Lewis also has a voice that is unique…she isn’t auto-tuned, she isn’t bubbly.  She has a sultry quality that almost reminds me of Christina Aguilera. Enjoy!

Friday, June 28, 2013

What is Raiding Obesity?



In World of Warcraft, Raiding is a term we use where a group of 10-25 people go to a specific location to kill big creatures known as Bosses, in hope that once dead they will drop a piece of gear you need.  When typed like that, it sounds a little silly, but I assure you it is a lot more difficult than it seems.  There are strategies that must be followed, things that must be avoided, and there is very little room for error.

How many times have you tried to kill me now?


When I approached the idea of blogging about my weight loss journey, I wanted to treat it almost like I did raiding.  So Meet Brutallus, my “Obesity” Boss.

Blizzard, please don’t sue me for using him, I have no monies :(


In World of Warcraft, this boss is part of a Burning Crusade Raid known as Sunwell Plateau.  In my Blog, he will simple be known as Obesity, and it is my job to kill him.  Here are some things you should know about him:

Health
91 Hit Points
-Now most Bosses in World of Warcraft have thousands of Hit Points.  The reason Obesity has only 91 is because each hit point is a pound I need to lose. 

Abilities
Self-Heal:  When Obesity casts this, he gains hit points.  In the context if weight loss, this means I’ve gained weight instead of lost :(  I’m hoping he doesn’t cast this ability too often.
Stall Time:  When Obesity casts this, it means he neither gains nor loses hit points. 
Epic Smash:  When Obesity casts this, it means he has stunned me and I am not able to do anything.  In terms of weight loss, this means that I have gone off-plan for more than a special occasion.  This move is avoidable, so I’m hoping that I never get hit by it!

Loot Table
Once this boss is dead, I expect a lot of things to drop!  A lot of cloth gear, maybe some leather pieces.  A trinket called Boost of Confidence, which increases overall happiness.  Shoes, necklaces, rings…literally a whole new gear set!  It’s an exciting loot table :)

My Strategy

My strategy to kill Obesity is two-fold.

Diet-This is the biggest part of the strategy, and it involves a lot of self-control on my part.  The goal is to stay below 1200 net calories each day, with the only exception being Special Occasions, where I will watch portion sizes.  I can eat whatever I like, as long as I stay under 1200 calories!
Exercise-This part allows me to adjust my diet as needed, and also helps to build lean muscle mass, which in turn helps burn more calories.  While Diet is the most important, Exercise adds enough “oomph” to help push it along.

My Abilities
Stab-This is my primary attack that uses the energy from Diet and Exercise to fuel it.  In terms of weight loss, when I use this move, I lose weight!  Yay!
Bubble-This is a protection move, and I can only use it on Special Occasions.  It allows me to just manage portions instead of count actual calories for one day.

Where is Obesity Now?

Every Monday I will track my weight loss, and adjust Obesity’s health bar pictured below. 

This was the best adjustable bar I could find, don't judge me!

I will also tell you what moves were cast, just like a turn-by-turn table top game!  It may seem silly, goofy, or to some even stupid.  But for me, if I think of weight loss like a game, it’s a lot more fun than if I think about it as something that is a chore.