NROL - Week 9 - Tuesday

I didn't get much sleep last night. I fell asleep after 11 and woke up at 4:30, tossed and turned for about 45 minutes then fell asleep for half hour. I am getting my son's cold and I feel run down. The lack of calories yesterday and the cold today have really knocked the wind out of my sails. I did cardio today, but no Tabata. I did the Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout and the standing Ab Jam segment, but I knew there was no way I'd make it through anything super intense. I also have little appetite and the food I do eat is tasteless.

6:45 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:00 AM - chicken breast w/ cheese, sour cream & picante sauce on tortilla

11:15 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

3:35 PM - popcorn (air-popped) w/ chili powder; great stuff to snack on while watching Iron Man with my son

5:00 PM - broccoli

7:00 PM - banana; dinner is taking forever to cook

7:10 PM - chicken drumsticks; I know it's been a messed up eating afternoon/evening but I haven't felt like cooking (or eating - but I did get super hungry)

Calories - 1390
Carbs - 122 (23 fiber)
Protein - 130
Fat - 46
C/P/F Ratio - 34.5/36.6/28.9

NROL - Week 9 - Monday

In my last blog, Hayley asked me some good questions that I don't want to get buried, so I am going to answer them here. I'm not sure how helpful my responses will be for you, Hayley - or to anyone else reading this. But it's weird that I was just thinking about these questions (or similar) before logging in today and seeing Hayley's comment.

What do you think has helped you more than anything to cope with bingeing? Was it the books you read or just pausing before bingeing? Blogging your food each day? Any words of advice?

Honestly, the biggest thing that has helped me is that I am now aware of the problem. I mean, I knew I had a problem but until I realized and accepted that it was more than just loving sweets, I couldn't get it under control. The books were helpful only so far as helping me realize how common this is, and that there is hope in dealing with it. I haven't been all that great about implementing the strategies in the books. That's just laziness on my part.

Blogging helps A LOT. When I fell off the wagon over the spring and summer, I wasn't blogging as specifically as I am now. I'd work on one long post and just post it at the end of the week. For a while, I'm not even sure I bothered to write anything down, and I definitely felt like crap about it. My thought process at that time was, "Since I'm not accountable anywhere, I can eat whatever crap I want." And of course, the more crap I ate, the worse I felt, and the less I wanted to even put it all out there. And the cycle would continue. So daily accountability of exactly what I'm eating and what I'm doing for exercise helps me deal with it. I don't know if it's having control this way that keeps me from losing control in other ways, but I feel better when I blog. For me, mood is a huge factor in whether or not I binge. As long as I stay happy (or at least moderately positive), I'm good. The minute I let myself get too depressed, I stop caring about what I eat.

As far as advice, I'm not sure. I'm way too new at this to feel qualified to say anything at all. I get frustrated every day with this, probably because I'm also trying to diet while I deal with the binge issue. I hate not being normal. This is harder than quitting smoking cold turkey, and probably the hardest thing I've ever done.

Sleep was crappy last night. I feel asleep before midnight but kept waking up from about 2:30 AM until 5:30 AM. Then I just stayed awake in bed. I was going to get up and workout but I didn't want to wake my son up.

Today's workout was Fat Loss 1B, with 45 second rest periods:

[superset w/ full rest]:
(conventional) deadlift
2x10x62
1x10x67
db incline bench press 3x10x25

[superset w/ full rest]:
Bulgarian split-squat 3x10x7.5 (per leg)
mixed-grip lat pulldown 3x10x68

[superset w/ full rest]:
Romanian deadlift
2x10x62
1x10x67
Swiss ball lateral roll 3x10xbw (per side)

Do you know what I love about the workouts at the end of a program? They are shorter! Fewer reps and shorter rest periods cuts a good portion of time off my workout. Not a lot but enough that I notice it. I'm all about short duration, high intensity.

6:45 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:00 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

12:20 PM - roast w/ onions & green beans sauteed in butter; I waited a bit too long to eat, but I got distracted cleaning the house; I should have split this into two meals; I was going to because I knew I was full after the first plate but I waited half hour then ate the rest when I was absolutely not hungry

5:10 PM - cucumber

6:05 PM - peanut butter & jelly sandwich; I was getting hungry and cranky and the thought of eating chicken breast made me even crankier

And this evening, my husband really, really ticked me off - so much that I stormed out of the house and went for a drive. I calmed down quickly though, and came home, because I didn't want to end up going somewhere and buying food. I wasn't hungry at all - the thought of eating actually made me want to vomit - but my rage was so intense that I would have eaten candy bar after candy bar. I honestly don't know how I managed to hang on but now that I'm home and past the worst of it, I'm just going to bed.


Calories - 1243
Carbs - 104 (28 fiber)
Protein - 108
Fat -  50
C/P/F Ratio - 32/33.2/34.8

NROL - Week 8 - Sunday

150 today, down 1.5 pounds from last week. Progress, slow but sure. Still, I'm 6.5 pounds above this year's low. I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing for now. I'm fairly satisfied with my nutrition and exercise as they are.

9:20 AM - banana & cottage cheese, coffee w/ cream & Splenda

1:30 PM - chicken wrap (roasted chicken dark meat, sour cream, picante sauce, cheese, low carb/fat tortilla); I almost bought lunch at McDonald's but decided to come home and make my own lunch

4:25 PM - cucumber

6:30 PM - eggs, turkey bacon, cheese, tortilla; I was way under on calories for dinner so I indulged :)

Calories - 1454
Carbs - 100 (18 fiber)
Protein - 114
Fat - 67
C/P/F Ratio - 27.5/31.3/41.2

NROL - Week 8 - Saturday

I absolutely did not want to do any cardio today. I didn't even want to get out of bed but my son had school. I was asleep by 10:30 last night so I really shouldn't be tired, but my son kept waking me up with his sniffles. I think the air is too dry for him in the house. Time to break out the humidifier, I guess.

Oh, and I did end up doing my cardio - Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout and Ab Jam, plus a Tabata.

I'm a little bit cranky this afternoon because my son and I were stood up by the mom of a girl in his class. We made plans to do something with the kids this afternoon and she did not get in touch with me. I'm angry and want to stuff my face.

Now I'm cranky because my husband and I are having a parenting disagreement. I'm of the opinion that it is not okay for our son to punch him in the face, even with boxing gloves on. We bought a punching bag for punching. There is no need to punch people.

6:45 AM - cantaloupe & cottage cheese

9:40 AM - roasted chicken (dark meat) & pinto beans; this was so good and filling

12:40 PM - Bacon ranch grilled chicken salad w/ ranch dressing from McDonald's

5:00 PM - roasted chicken (dark meat) & green beans

8:00 PM - air popped popcorn; I had do have something!!! Better to eat this than the cookies or ice cream

Calories - 1617
Carbs - 159 (37 fiber)
Protein - 136
Fat - 52
C/P/F Ratio -38.7/33/28.4

NROL - Week 8 - Friday

Another night of not much sleep. I fell asleep around midnight and got up at 6ish. I definitely need to keep an eye on my sleep patterns.

Today was Fat Loss IA, with 45 second rest periods:

[superset w/ full rest]:
squat 3x10x47
bent over bb row 3x10x42

[superset w/ full rest]:
supine hip extension 3x10x10
db push press 3x10x20

[superset w/ full rest]:
rotational lunge 3x10x10 (per leg)
swiss ball crunch 3x10x25

6:40 AM - cantaloupe & cottage cheese

9:00 AM - Special K Protein Plus cereal w/ skim milk; this stuff is sort of growing on me; it made a good post-workout snack

11:35 AM - cheesy pasta w/ beef, coffee w/ Splenda & cream; I tried out a new version of mac & cheese (whole wheat pasta, melted colby & cream cheese w/ milk & Worcestershire sauce) - it was ok, a bit gritty but filling enough

3:00 PM - cucumbers

6:30 PM - eggs w/ green pepper, onion, mozzarella cheese, picante sauce; I wanted turkey bacon with it but decided not to so I'd have room for a snack later if I want one

Actually, I had two bites of the lasagna I made for my husband. I'm not going to try to get it into the tracker. I will skip the evening snack.

Calories - 1559
Carbs - 128 (18 fiber)
Protein - 137
Fat - 60
C/P/F Ratio - 32.1/34.2/33.7

NROL - Week 8 - Thursday

Schools were closed today because of weather. We have a nor'easter AND an unorganized tropical system. At some point in the night, we lost power. I haven't seen wind like this since Hurricane Irene back in 2003. The rain has been somewhat heavy. My son and I intend to hang out in our pajamas all day, and hopefully get some Wii time in. So no cardio today. I haven't decided whether or not I want to feel guilty. There's no good reason for not doing it. I just don't want to. And since I subscribe to the "cardio is optional" philosophy, I'm not going to worry about it anymore. Besides, I'll make up for it Saturday because my son has school - half a day for making up today and yesterday afternoon.

I'm reviewing the Biggest Loser Workout Vol 2 today. I am absolutely disgusted with it! First, they separate the women's cardio from the men's. They also do different power sculpting program for women and men. The women don't use weights at all! They do standing body weight work, which is fine, but I think it sends the wrong message. THERE IS NO REASON A HEALTHY WOMAN SHOULD NOT LIFT WEIGHTS! What the hell?? The men's power scultping segment is awesome - dumbbell presses, rows, combination movements. If I were to do anything on the DVD, it would be the men's strength training. Even the men's high intensity cardio was superior - they did intervals.

I was exhausted again this afternoon. I could easily go to bed right now (it's 4 PM as I type this) and sleep until morning. I went back to Tuesday's menu to see if there was anything similar I'd eaten in the afternoon that would make me so sleepy. Cucumbers. Then I remembered that Monday night and last night, I was up quite late watching tv (damn the new season!!). I should probably start noting how much sleep I get, too.

7:00 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

9:40 AM - cantaloupe & cottage cheese; since today is a lazy day, I'm trying to stay lower calorie and putting longer periods of time between meals

11:45 AM - chicken breast w/ cheese & picante sauce on tortilla; I'm just starving - the long time between meals isn't going to work

12:15 PM - mozzarella string cheese

1:20 PM - cucumbers

3:30 PM - roast, green beans w/ turkey bacon & light Italian dressing; early dinner today

6:35 PM - peppermint drops; I don't think I peeled all the baking cup off - what's the nutritional information for paper?

Calories - 1304
Carbs - 76 (16 fiber)
Protein - 133
Fat - 54
C/P/F Ratio - 22.9/40.2/36.8

NROL - Week 8 - Wednesday

Exercise sucked today! I worked hard and wanted to cry by the time I finished. It took everything out of me! Today was Fat Loss 1B, with 60 second rest periods:

[superset w/ full rest]:
(conventional) deadlift 3x12x62
db incline bench press 3x12x25

[superset w/ full rest]:
Bulgarian split-squat 3x12x5 (per leg)
mixed-grip lat pulldown 3x12x67

[superset w/ full rest]:
Romanian deadlift 3x12x62
Swiss ball lateral roll 3x12xbw (per side)

6:35 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:05 AM - protein pancakes (oats, cottage cheese, egg substitute) w/ butter; I normally have a problem eating non-flour based pancakes but these were surprisingly good; I added a bit of Splenda and some Capella flavor drops and just a little bit of butter and 0 calorie syrup

1:30 PM - chicken breast, cheese, picante sauce on tortilla; I probably should have had some vegetables but I've got this serious addiction to spicy sauces and just had to have this

4:25 PM - celery & cauliflower w/ picante sauce; the great thing about hot sauces is that my mouth is on fire for a long time and I can't eat anything else

6:10 PM - skinless chicken thighs in butter & garlic, broccoli; OMG! This is the best chicken I have ever had!! I know I ate more than I should have but wow! I loved it.

Calories - 1657
Carbs - 120 (24 fiber)
Protein - 154
Fat - 66
C/P/F Ratio - 28.4/36.6/35

NROL - Week 8 - Tuesday

I'm exhausted and off to a late start with my blog today. I really don't feel like typing anything - I just want to go to bed. My son's bedtime isn't for 2 more hours. I don't think I can make it.

Today I did the Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout and a Tabata. Well, I started a Tabata and learned I can't really jump fast/hard/heavy in my living room without crap falling off shelves, so I made one round of jumping before starting over with the regular Turbo move I've been using. I didn't think I'd get through the 8 rounds, but I did, even though I could definitely feel myself losing steam toward the end.

6:40 AM - apple & cottage cheese

9:45 AM - chicken breast, cheese, salsa, sour cream on tortilla, coffee w/ cream & Splenda; this was so satisfying, even without chipotle sauce (which I must get more of, by the way - the spice is fantastic)

12:00 PM - I went to a friend's house to watch a movie, and she had Tostitos Scoops w/ salsa and a veggie tray w/ dressings. I had some Scoops w/ a little bit of shredded cheese - I'll admit, I had more than one severing, probably closer to two. My friend commented that "they are low fat, so you don't have to feel as guilty!" I decided, and even said, that I wasn't going to feel guilty AT ALL for eating those tortilla chips. And you know? I don't! I also stuffed myself with vegetables for the rest of the afternoon. I'm very proud of myself for the way I handled those chips. But as a result, I won't have numbers today, because I can't even estimate how much I ate in terms of vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, green peppers).

5:55 PM - sliced turkey; I gobbled this down (no pun intended) while waiting for my chicken to finish baking

6:25 PM - chicken sandwich w/ mustard, mayo, cheese & turkey bacon; probably a bit much, but I'm starving and just want to eat and go to bed

NROL - Week 8 - Monday

I am all confused about the NROL schedule. I always think it takes 2 weeks longer to complete the program than it actually does. I thought this was a 6 week program but it looks like I'll be done next week, after 4 weeks. I'll have time to do Fat Loss II before I go on vacation!! I didn't think I would, so I planned on going back to Break In for a couple weeks, as filler. Awesome!

Today was Fat Loss IA, with 60 second rest periods:

[superset w/ full rest]:
squat 3x12x42
bent over bb row 3x12x38

[superset w/ full rest]:
supine hip extension 3x12xbw
db push press 3x12x15

[superset w/ full rest]:
rotational lunge 3x12x7.5 (per leg)
swiss ball crunch 3x12x20

For some reason, the workout today was pretty easy, and I didn't even sweat like I normally do. I wasn't out of breath much. My form was good, too! So, I'll be bumping the weights up again next time, even though today's were up from last time. Next time I do Fat Loss IA, I do 3x10. Exciting. I think it's the 3x15 that kicks my ass.

I'm going to stop indicating where I eat, unless it's out of the ordinary. Assume I ate on the couch, at the table, or at my desk. I'll still note circumstances and feelings, for the most part, especially if they are negative.

It's a high calorie day. I've been starving.

6:40 AM - apple & cottage cheese;

9:45 AM - scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, & chipotle sauce, toast w/ butter; I felt a little guilty for having butter, but only for a split second; the meal wasn't all that satisfying, but I had things to do and needed to eat

10:00 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

1:20 PM - chicken breast, cheese & chipotle sauce on tortilla, celery; I'm trying to keep the calories down because of poppers tonight but it's not working well; I am so damn hungry today - I hate PMS!

4:25 PM - Special K Protein Plus cereal w/ skim milk; still yuck

6:30 PM - chicken breast, cheese & chipotle sauce on tortilla

9:30 PM - turkey bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers (half w/cream cheese, half w/ mozzarella cheese)

Calories - 2095
Carbs - 169 (41 fiber)
Protein - 188
Fat - 86
C/P/F Ratio - 30.8/34.1/35.1

NROL - Week 7 - Sunday

No weight change this week, still at 151.5. I did not expect to see a loss, but I'm not sure if I'm really frustrated with my progress or if I'm just PMSing. I think exercise and food have been fine, but what if they are only good enough for maintenance and not good weight loss? There's so much conflict between the rational side of me and the impatient, emotional side. I know healthy weight loss takes time. I know there's some room for improvement in my nutrition and exercise. But I want it now and I want it fairly easily. I often consider going back to Atkins, but that's not the answer. I cannot sustain Atkins-style eating for the rest of my life. I lack the patience to follow the carb ladder. I don't like all that fat, especially on my meat. I don't like the texture at all, so I won't eat fatty meats. And of course, there are other fat options but still, the amount of grease in most Atkins meals is too much for me. Once in a while, fine, but not every day or even the majority of days in the week. I just can't do it. I want beans or brown rice or whole wheat whatever at times. I want my Cheerios and the Special K protein cereal I just bought and haven't tried yet. At the same time, I don't want to do super low fat. I want cheese and avocados and the occasional regular burger.

The irony: this week, I have more Atkins-style foods planned: crustless pizza tonight, jalapeno poppers tonight and Monday for evening snacks.

I do have to be more active. I need to use the Wii more often. I'm never going to get a good cardio or strength workout from the Fit (or the Sports) but I can work on my balance, which is really horrible and would probably improve my lifting. I'm still considering the Jillian Michaels Ultimatum but I need to see the exercises in action before I decide. I saw a short demo but it wasn't enough to convince me. I just know I need to get off my butt.

I also wonder if artificial sweeteners are giving me trouble but there's no freaking way I'm going to cut them out. I'm not drinking plain water all day. No way. I refuse to compromise on this. I drink my 80 ounces before moving on to coffee and pop. And no, I will not drink my coffee unsweetened, and I don't like Stevia. So sucralose is here to stay. But I am aware that it could be hindering my progress.

To summarize the week - I'm still not planning my meals out well, and I've overeaten a few times this week. I'm still very frustrated that I just can't be normal and eat without weighing everything out.

9:25 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda; eggs w/ chipotle sauce, onion & green pepper; eaten on couch; I delayed breakfast longer than I should have and the eggs were sort of bland, but I'm saving calories for dinner

12:40 PM - peppermint drops; eaten at desk; I am in a really bad mood and had to have something before I committed a felony

12:50 PM - pinto beans & mozzarella string cheese; eaten at desk; I'm so hungry and irritated right now

1:15 PM - broccoli; eaten at desk; is 15 ounces of cooked broccoli at once a binge? I'm certainly full now.

6:20 PM - Special K Protein Plus cereal w/ skim milk; eaten at desk; YUCK!!! I had high hopes for this but don't like it; it tastes like bran flakes but I shouldn't be surprised because the numbers for it looked quite healthy; my Atkins meal never materialized because my husband didn't slice up the pepperoni for me, even though I asked him a million times

9:30 PM - turkey bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers (half w/cream cheese, half w/ mozzarella cheese); eaten on couch; it's been a long times since I've had these and they are always a great treat

Calories - 1660
Carbs - 153 (43 fiber)
Protein - 120
Fat - 72
C/P/F Ratio - 35.1/27.5/37.4

NROL - Week 7 - Saturday

I got on the Wii Fit for a Body Test today. I've lost 3.5 pounds since the last time I used the Fit (about 24 days ago). Yay. Of course, I don't rely too much on the Fit's data because I'm usually on it at different times of the day and conditions are never consistent. I need to actually use the thing.

There's leftover soup today. It seems like a bottomless pot! I only used 2 servings of pasta, 12 ounces of frozen vegetables, and about 24 ounces of chicken. It's gone a long, long way! I had a bowl last night, my husband had two bowls. I estimated (fairly accurately, IMO) the calories in the entire thing and it was about 1200. I had one serving yesterday and two today. Not bad at all, I think.

7:45 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

8:25 AM - eggs w/ chipotle sauce, turkey bacon, toast w/ butter; eaten on couch; I know it was a little much for one meal but I've been craving some toast w/ butter

12:00 PM - chicken soup; eaten on couch; I had two bowls and there's still some left for dinner.

2:30 PM - chicken soup, eaten at desk, I ate the rest, about a full bowl

5:00 PM - apple & cottage cheese; eaten at desk; I feel like it's pointless to keep logging what I eat in my tracker, but I guess I'll stick with it for the day

6:45 PM - tuna wrap w/ cheese, mayo, celery & chipotle sauce; eaten at desk; I also licked some peanut butter and nutella off my finger after I made my son a sandwich - it wasn't much at all though

No numbers today because of the soup.

NROL - Week 7 - Friday

Today was Fat Loss 1B, with 60 second rest periods:

[superset w/ full rest]:
(conventional) deadlift
2x12x57
1x12x62
db incline bench press
2x12x20
1x12x25

[superset w/ full rest]:
Bulgarian split-squat 3x12x5 (per leg)
mixed-grip lat pulldown 3x12x67

[superset w/ full rest]:
Romanian deadlift
2x12x57
1x12x62
Swiss ball lateral roll 3x12xbw (per side) - I still don't understand the point of these

6:35 AM - cottage cheese & cantaloupe; eaten on couch

10:00 AM - mozzarella string cheese; eaten in kitchen; I was so dizzy from a pain in my ovary that I thought it might be a good idea to eat something before heading out to go grocery shopping; the pain had subsided by then (thank you ibuprofen!!) but it knocked the crap out of me for about half hour

11:00 AM - chicken breast & coleslaw; eaten on couch

11:20 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

3:00 PM - chicken breast w/ mozzarella cheese & chipotle sauce on tortilla; eaten at desk; I actually forgot to eat, so I threw this together

6:30 PM - homemade chicken soup w/ mixed vegetables, whole wheat pasta; eaten at couch; I didn't measure this out or enter specifics into my nutritional tracker, but I had one bowl

8:00 PM - Cheerios w/skim milk; eaten at desk; I didn't measure any of it out, and it was a full bowl; I worried that it would make me eat at least more cereal, when I really shouldn't, but it didn't

I really wanted to try a serving of ice cream or a candy bar today, but I want to do it on a day I can be 100% accountable and log everything accurately. Today was not that day.

No numbers today because of the dinner and cereal.

NROL - Week 7 - Thursday

I've decided to make some changes to my workout schedule. Instead of cardio MWF and weights TThSa, I'm switching those around. My reasons are three-fold. I need to have music when I lift and on Saturdays, I don't have the house to myself, so it's not easy to get my music playing. And instead of doing a video on Saturdays, I'll use the Wii with my son - this way I get some use out of that and get some quality time with the kid. Or, I can sleep in if I've had a good week. Good idea, I think. It leaves my weekends more flexible in terms of type and quality of exercise. I was going to wait until next week to implement this change, but I think I will do it immediately, which means weights two days in a row. Fortunately, the program is designed to do it that way, since the body parts I'll be working out aren't the same.

Today was Fat Loss IA, with 60 second rest periods

[superset w/ full rest]:
squat
2x12x37
1x12x42
bent over bb row
2x12x34
1x12x38

[superset w/ full rest]:
supine hip extension 3x12xbw
db push press 3x12x15

[superset w/ full rest]:
rotational lunge 3x12x7.5 (per leg)
swiss ball crunch 3x12x20

8:10 AM - cottage cheese & cantaloupe; eaten on couch before workout

11:30 AM - tuna fish, cheese, mayo, mustard, chipotle sauce, celery on low carb, low fat tortilla; eaten on couch; I was hungry again shortly after eating but didn't eat more food just yet

11:45 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

2:25 PM - peanut butter & jelly sandwich; eaten on couch; I haven't had one of these in forever, and I worried it would trigger some cravings; it was satisfying in a sweet way, but not very filling at all

6:30 PM - green beans & pork loin; eaten at table; good food, but I was still hungry after eating; I'm thankful the sandwich earlier didn't trigger anything

Calories - 1393
Carbs - 117 (28 fiber)
Protein - 110
Fat - 58
C/P/F Ratio - 32.8/30.8/36.4

NROL - Week 7 - Wednesday

I made it through the night but the urge to binge was still there in the morning. Not as much as it was last night, but man, I really can't take much more of this before I do lose it. My son threw up at school today so he has to stay home tomorrow (school policy is 24 hours since vomiting before returning). I need a vacation.

Don't ask me why, but I decided to get some extra exercise today. I did the Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout, then I did the standing segment of the Turbo Jam Ab Jam. Then, a Tabata. And if that weren't enough, I walked to the library to pick up a book. It's only about a mile, round trip. The weather is finally cool enough for me to be outside and not be miserable. There was a nice, stiff breeze today, so I took advantage.

6:40 AM - apple & cottage cheese; eaten on couch

10:00 AM - tuna wrap (cheese, tuna, mayo, celery, mustard), coffee w/ cream & Splenda; eaten on couch; I was really hungry, even after eating this

1:20 PM - peppermint drop; eaten in kitchen; I needed something - anything - to eat while cooking

1:30 PM - chicken breast, broccoli, whole wheat pasta w/ Caesar dressing, coffee w/ cream & Splenda; eaten on couch; very filling and I stuck the vegetables in just so I can get more fiber

4:55 PM - peppermint drops; eaten at desk; these things are addictive; I just needed something to hold me over until dinner, and these have protein

6:10 PM - mozzarella string cheese; eaten in kitchen; still hungry and trying to figure out what to have for dinner

7:35 PM - scrambled eggs w/ chipotle sauce, mozzarella cheese, onion; eaten at desk; I was really going to skip dinner, even though I was hungry, then decided that would not be a good idea

Calories - 1829
Carbs - 129 (22 fiber)
Protein - 158
Fat - 74
C/P/F Ratio - 28.4/34.7/36.9

NROL - Week 7 - Tuesday

Fat Loss IB, 75 second rest periods:

[superset w/ full rest]:
(conventional) deadlift 3x15x57
db incline bench press 3x15x20

[superset w/ full rest]:
Bulgarian split-squat 3x15x3 (per leg)
mixed-grip lat pulldown 3x15x62

[superset w/ full rest]:
Romanian deadlift 3x15x57
Swiss ball lateral roll 3x15xbw (per side)

6:35 AM - apple & cottage cheese; eaten on couch; I was quite hungry even though I ate pretty late last night

9:05 AM - Cheerios w/ skim milk; eaten on couch; I absolutely could not wait to eat anything after my workout; I needed something quick and easy and this was it

10:05 AM - salsa & cream cheese on tortilla; eaten on couch; I was still hungry after the cereal, and even after eating this

10:45 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

1:00 PM - chicken sandwich w/ mayo, mustard & cheese; eaten at desk; I'm ravenous today; I feel full at this moment but my mouth wants more

2:10 PM - celery; eaten at desk; I'm a little upset because my son's preschool teacher called to tell me my son's been a little upset today; it's making me wonder if there's anything I should be doing or if this is just normal 4 year old stuff; she said he's pretty sensitive (which I know - he gets it from me), and that made me feel bad

4:30 PM - mozzarella cheese; eaten in kitchen; I swear, I could eat a horse

5:50 PM - tomato slices; snacking in the kitchen; I have a sick kid so I'm trying to get in what I can when I can

6:40 PM - chicken breast & coleslaw; eaten at desk; the urge to binge is overwhelming tonight; I am incredibly restless and can't think of a single thing to eat that will satisfy this

7:05 PM - peppermint drop; eaten in kitchen; I could eat a million of these, and I'm going to have to play around with the flavors

Calories - 1605
Carbs - 128 (28 fiber)
Protein - 137
Fat - 68
C/P/F Ratio - 30.7/32.7/36.5

NROL - Week 7 - Monday

Business as usual today. I feel a little bloated from yesterday but nothing bringing me down. I did the Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout and followed up with a Tabata. I wasn't sure I wanted to do the Tabata, but I've committed to doing them if I do a short workout - anything under 30 minutes get a Tabata Chaser. I am so glad I started doing these! It's hard to describe the physical and emotional feeling after those 4 minutes. I just love it!

Once again, I forgot my weekly summary yesterday! I've been lax on writing out and pre-planning what and when I'll eat each day. It really all depends on when I eat my first meal. Sometimes it's before I take the kid to school, sometimes it's after. Right now, it's not a problem - I'll just have to keep it in mind if it gets too loosey-goosey!

Looking back on last week, I don't think I did too badly. A couple instances of overeating, but nothing to write home about. That's probably why I forget to summarize. I've just been so boring! If I do have an episode, I'll be sure to analyze it to death.

7:55 AM - apple & cottage cheese; eaten on couch before workout; I wasn't going to eat but decided I'd better if I wanted the energy for the Tabata

11:00 AM - broccoli & onion omelet w/ chipotle sauce & mozzarella cheese; eaten at desk; now that I'm out of muffins, it's the perfect time for me to get back to eating vegetables with my meals; I wanted green pepper with my eggs, but ate that yesterday; broccoli was a good substitute

11:30 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

3:45 PM - green pepper (I found 2 little slices in my veggie bowl!) & cucumber; eaten at desk; I forgot to eat a proper lunch

6:30 PM - grilled cheese sandwich (w/ double fiber bread) & coleslaw; eaten at desk; I put off eating as long as I could, waiting for my husband to get home, but I had to eat without him before I ate everything in sight

8:50 PM - chicken breast & coleslaw; eaten on couch; I wasn't really hungry, but I needed to boost my calories

Calories - 1539
Carbs - 128 (27 fiber)
Protein - 116
Fat - 71
C/P/F Ratio - 31.6/28.8/39.6

NROL - Week 6 - Sunday

I weighed in at 151.5 today - down half a pound since last week. From a rational standpoint, that's good, acceptable loss. From my own twisted mindset, it's slow. I feel thinner though, if that counts!

The problem I'm having today is the cookout. I don't intend to measure out my food once my guests arrive, but I'm trying to use that as an excuse not to measure the rest of the day, when I really should. It feels like a "free pass" to eat what I want, in this case, the remaining sweet potato muffins. If I do that, it's 800 calories and 120 grams of carbs, just from the muffins. Not a good idea. I could probably eat half a cantaloupe without breaking a sweat, too. (But if I do break a sweat, can I count it as cardio?)

7:40 AM - cottage cheese; eaten in kitchen; I was in a hurry and just wanted to get something down

8:20 AM - sweet potato muffin; eaten in kitchen; I actually put 2 on my plate but put 1 back; good for me

8:30 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

10:55 AM - mozzarella cheese sticks; eaten at desk; it's taking everything in me not to dive face first into all the food in the refrigerator

Shortly before noon, I decided to have a bowl of Cheerios. I didn't measure and BAM! Next thing I knew, I was eating the remaining muffins. I ate all three of them and felt guilty, but decided it could be worse. Then it got worse. I had a few chips (not many, certainly not enough to qualify as a binge), then I ate a bunch of the vegetables I had out for company. I am fine with that. I don't think I went overboard on anything except the muffins, and even that, I wouldn't say I binged.

And now I'm wondering if I'm just saying things don't qualify as binges just to make myself feel better. I did not really feel out of control. I made a conscious choice to eat all three muffins at once. I deliberately overate? I guess I'll leave it at that. I don't feel like this is going to hinder my progress. I'm certain I can be perfectly on track tomorrow.

Okay, I just had some potato chips and I really thought I'd pig out on them. I really couldn't have if I tried. I probably had 2 serving and had to stop for fear of bursting. Progress? I don't know. In my head, I want to eat, but my body is telling my head to STFU.

No numbers today.

NROL - Week 6 - Saturday

Today's exercise was the NROL Fat Loss IA program, which supersets pairs of exercises, with 75 second rest periods:

[superset w/ full rest]:
squat
2x15x32
1x15x37
bent over bb row 3x15x34

[superset w/ full rest]:
supine hip extension 3x15xbw
db push press 3x15x10

[superset w/ full rest]:
rotational lunge 3x15x5 (per leg)
swiss ball crunch 3x15x15

Next time I do this workout, I do 3x12, with 60 seconds of rest. Yikes!

Food-wise, things are going well. Overall, I don't find myself craving junk food very often. There have been chips and ice cream in the house for the last month, and I've not had any. The thought does cross my mind now and then, but it's not that frantic, overwhelming kind of obsession. I know I haven't beat this by a long shot, but I'm pretty proud of myself so far. Of course, I'm just finishing Week 6, which is usually one of my problem areas. Allowing myself to eat things like the brown rice salad and the sweet potato or pumpkin muffins has really helped keep the binges at bay.

I will admit that I am nervous about tomorrow. I'm hosting a cookout. I do have healthy foods planned but my concern is overeating those. Would it look odd if I weighed my food before I ate it? The company I'm having over is aware of my "diet" and I know they are supportive, so that wouldn't really be an issue. And it's fruits and vegetables I'd be snacking on before our meal, which is going to be grilled hamburgers, coleslaw, and corn on the cob. My husband wanted chips but I don't think those will be a problem for me. Also, I've eaten meals in the last 6 weeks and haven't tracked them. Okay, only 2 meals in that whole time, but it's still an area where I need to have some control. Oh well. We'll see how it goes.

7:40 AM - apple & cottage cheese; eaten on couch; I really wasn't hungry but I needed to eat before working out

9:40 AM - sweet potato muffin; eaten on couch; I sure was hungry by the time I finished working out and getting a shower; I wanted 2 muffins but stuck with just 1

11:30 AM - pork ribs & brown rice salad, coffee w/ cream & Splenda; eaten on couch; I just cannot get enough food today; fortunately, I want "good" foods instead of junk

2:50 PM - brown rice salad; eaten at desk; I just can't stop thinking about food; I'm so hungry and I know this won't keep me full until dinner

7:00 PM - McDonald's Asian Grilled Chicken salad w/ light balsamic vinaigrette dressing; eaten at desk; this was pretty good, but not very filling; I was going to have another muffin, but decided to hold off; then I saw that I forgot to include the one I ate earlier in my tracker, so I thought I had more wiggle room with calories, but I don't; that upsets me

Calories - 1512
Carbs - 135 (16 fiber)
Protein - 116
Fat - 58
C/P/F Ratio - 35.3/30.4/34.4

Alwyn Cosgrove's Warp Speed Fat Loss eBook

Has anyone heard anything about this ebook? I have no plans to buy it (for $97, on sale - WTF???) but I'm curious as to people's thoughts on it. Some of the names I respect in the fitness biz are really promoting it. I don't know what to think. If you see it mentioned on any message boards, please let me know! I want to know what others are saying about it.

And now I'm even more confused. On one board, I see Lyle McDonald credited with this particular program, and there's controversy surrounding it. I must get the scoop!

Ok, I just found this thread. I'll be reading it now. It's lengthy.

Alrighty - I am on page 2 of the thread I linked to and I doubt there is anything in the ebook that I couldn't figure out on my own. One poster on the thread said the calorie recommendation for her was just over 1000 per day. So I can just imagine what the rest of it's like - eat right (but very little), lift weights, do HIIT, do steady state cardio. The program is designed for people with less than 20 pounds to lose in a hurry.

No thanks.

Oh, I want to add that I have nothing against quick weight loss diets, and if you can maintain your loss, fantastic. I can't. So for me, I have to take the slow and steady route. I can drop weight like mad when I restrict calories and work out like a fiend. But I can't do it for long.

NROL - Week 6 - Friday

Cardio was not going to happen at all today but I sucked it up. I did the Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout. I was out of sync, even though I ate beforehand. I followed up with another Tabata, same thing I did Monday. It was so freaking awesome!! I felt great after finishing Round 8!! Wiped out, but great.

I have a few more pats on the back to give myself. I went grocery shopping today and it was tempting to buy myself a candy bar. I didn't. On the way home, there was an open bag of grapes at the top of my grocery pile, and I almost plucked on out, but I stopped myself. One grape would not have been too bad, but I knew if I started eating the grapes, I would have kept going. Right now, I'm still in the stage of really needing to measure my food and I was worried that if I had any unknowns in my day, it would throw me off track. And by the time I got home, I forgot all about the grapes.

6:40 AM - apple & cottage cheese; eaten on couch; I was not really hungry but I needed something so I didn't crash during cardio

8:55 AM - sweet potato muffins; eaten on couch; I probably shouldn't have eaten 2 muffins, especially without protein, but I was so hungry after exercising, and they were easy and quick; no regrets

12:05 PM - broccoli, chicken breast, coffee w/ cream & Splenda; eaten on couch; very satisfying after I'd been so hungry

3:45 PM - salsa & cream cheese on low carb tortilla; eaten at desk; only a little hungry, but I ate because it will be a while before dinner

7:15 PM - baked eggs w/ green pepper, onion, colby cheese; eaten at desk; I didn't think this would satisfy me at all but it was surprisingly filling; I think I'm good for the night

Calories - 1746
Carbs - 153 (25 fiber)
Protein - 126
Fat - 74
C/P/F Ratio - 34.3/28.3/37.4

NROL - Week 6 - Thursday

Caution: There may be much cursing aimed at Alwyn Cosgrove in this blog. He's the guy who designed the workouts in the New Rules of Lifting book. The Fat Loss IB workout isn't even the most difficult in the book and I'd love nothing more to shove this book up someone's butt. Unfortunately, I have the e-book version and not a physical version.

Ugh, Fat Loss IB:

[superset w/ full rest]:
(conventional) deadlift 3x15x57
db incline bench press
1x15x10
2x15x15

[superset w/ full rest]:
Bulgarian split-squat 3x15xbw (per leg, damn it)
mixed-grip lat pulldown 3x15x62

[superset w/ full rest]:
Romanian deadlift (I definitely overestimated my ability to RDL, especially after the CDL and BSS)
1x15x62
2x15x57
Swiss ball lateral roll 3x15xbw (per side) These feel stupid, but whatever!

It took me forEVER to get through this workout! The Bulgarian split-squats were awful, and I could only do them in groups of 5 before needing to regain my balance. I bought a Wii Fit so I could work on balance. I should probably go ahead and do that.

7:00 AM - apple & cottage cheese; eaten on couch; this meal was really an after thought, as I was going to wait until I got back from taking my son to school to eat, but changed my mind at the last minute

9:20 AM - Cheerios w/ skim milk; eaten on floor after workout; no kidding - I practically collapsed on the floor to eat because my legs were so shot. I didn't want to eat just yet but I had to have something right away

10:15 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda; the water heater on our cooler is so much easier than boiling water on the stove top (yes, I use instant coffee because I suck at making coffee)

12:40 PM - chicken breast, brown rice salad; eaten at desk; I was starving, and really proud of myself for only eating 1 serving of the brown rice salad

2:20 PM - salsa & cream cheese on tortilla; eaten at desk; these are really rich - I may have to cut back on the amount of cream cheese; I feel nauseated but still hungry

6:30 PM - scrambled eggs w/ avocado & broccoli, turkey bacon; eaten at dining table; I delayed dinner as much as I could because I just didn't know what I wanted to eat; it was good though, and very satisfying; I doubt I'll be hungry again

Calories - 1435
Carbs - 121 (30 fiber)
Protein - 111
Fat - 58
C/P/F Ratio - 33.2/30.6/36.1

NROL - Week 6 - Wednesday

Turbo Jam's 20 Minute Workout - for people who are just too lazy to put in more effort.

Chalene doesn't say that so I add my own commentary to the video as I go along. No tabata today because my arms and legs are a tad sore from yesterday. No serious DOMS though! Still, I'm not looking forward to Deadlift Hell tomorrow.

There are two things I need to work on: vegetables and staying active during the day. I don't eat nearly as much of the green stuff as I should and I don't get off my butt all that much. I wish I could find a job during my son's school hours, so I'm not watching television or on the computer all day.

Calories were a little high today, and I had multiple servings of carby stuff, but I'm not feeling guilty about it at all.

8:20 AM - sweet potato muffin, protein shake; eaten at dining table after cardio

11:10 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda, eggs, turkey bacon, brown rice salad; eaten on couch; that brown rice salad is pretty darn good and I wanted more, but I've been trying not to overeat today

1:45 PM - brown rice salad; eaten on couch; did I mention that this is great stuff?

6:20 PM - chicken breast, brown rice salad; eaten at desk

9:30 PM - sweet potato muffins; eaten on couch while watching a movie; I probably should have only had 1 muffin, but 2 isn't horrible!

Calories - 1934
Carbs - 215 (22 fiber)
Protein - 127
Fat - 60
C/P/F Ratio - 45/26.6/28.4

NROL - Week 6 - Tuesday

Today I did the NROL Fat Loss IA program, which supersets pairs of exercises, with 75 second rest periods:

[superset w/ full rest]:
squat 3x15x32
bent over bb row (supposed to be seated cable rows but I don't have the equipment - I also had to play with the weights to find a good weight)
1x15x24
1x15x29
1x15x34

[superset w/ full rest]:
supine hip extension 3x15xbw
db push press 3x15x10 (the videos make these look so easy - they aren't!!)

[superset w/ full rest]:
rotational lunge 3x15xbw (that's per leg)
swiss ball crunch 3x15x10

I need to be honest and say I was terrified to start this program. I'd heard horror stories of how people feel really sick when they first start it. I'll admit, I didn't feel wonderful, and I definitely felt like I worked my butt off but it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. It was hard, for sure! I can already feel my arms getting sore. I am definitely dreading my next NROL session though - the exercises listed are scary!! But I'm probably just psyching myself out.

I also need to be honest about some of my lower calorie days. I think I've had 2 in the last week or so and both times, I've enjoyed the feeling of not eating when I was hungry. Since I'd already posted by blog each day, I didn't want to have to make edits or deal with accounting for anything the next day, so I just didn't eat. And it was empowering. I loved the empty feeling in my stomach. I felt thin and in control.

And this is not a good thing. I need to be very, very careful that this doesn't become a regular occurrence or I'll risk developing a different eating disorder to go along with the binge eating. Unfortunately, I am tempted to skip dinner tonight. I could very easily find a few things to distract myself. Now, why can't I just as easily distract myself when I want to binge?

This is ridiculous! I lifted weights today, so in my theoretical world of calorie and carb cycling, I should be eating higher carbs and calories today, but here I am, barely over 1000 calories for the day, trying my hardest not to eat. This is some messed up stuff I've got going on in my head. I recognize this pattern. It usually happens about 2 months into on-plan eating. I'd wager I'll have a binge within a week if I don't get myself under control.

I'm starting to get cranky and tired, since I took my melatonin on an empty stomach. I have to put my son to bed soon, and I might fall asleep in his bed, as tired as I am. I can't decide whether to post this blog or wait to see if I eat anything. What the hell is wrong with me?

Ok, screw it - I am going to bed.

6:45 AM - apple & cottage cheese with cinnamon & Splenda; eaten on couch before workout; as expected, I was starving because I skipped dinner last night; fortunately, this was enough to satisfy me until well after my workout

10:40 AM - sweet potato muffin, homemade protein shake (protein powder, skim milk, coffee); I had absolutely no appetite after I worked out so I pushed my breakfast by an hour; I ate/drank slowly on the couch; it was great and very filling

11:00 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

1:45 PM - chicken breast, avocado & broccoli w/ light balsamic vinegar; eaten on couch; I was still hungry after eating but decided not to go digging around for more food

Calories - 1088
Carbs - 103 (14 fiber)
Protein - 99
Fat - 35
C/P/F Ratio - 36.6/35.1/28.2

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffin Recipe

Oh my goooooooooooodness!!!!!! I adapted the pumpkin carrot muffin recipe I've been using to make some sweet potato muffins and I was blown away! I like them better than the pumpkin carrot muffins! Here's what I did:

Mix
1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potato
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 large eggs

Mix
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (I also threw in some Capella Flavor drops [cinnamon, about 24 drops] and some pumpkin pie spice, probably 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

Stir the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture until moistened. Spoon into 12 muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

Per muffin:
180 calories
6 g fat
30 g carbs (2.5 g fiber)
3.5 g protein

I would love to find a way to cut some carbs and boost the protein a bit. Is brown sugar necessary or can I use Splenda? I know there's a brown Splenda, but I like the liquid Splenda.

NROL - Week 6 - Monday

Back on the exercise wagon today. It was nice to have a week off, but really, it made me all funky. Today, I did the Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout and it felt great! I followed that up with my first ever complete Tabata!! I did a Turbo Jam move and by Round 6, I wanted to puke my guts out. By the end of Round 8, I felt pretty freaking good! I was proud of myself for actually doing it, and I am going to aim for twice a week. I was really running out of steam though, because I didn't eat breakfast before working out. The only bad thing is, I've had a headache ever since, and I don't know if it's related to the workout or not because I've had a headache pretty much since my son started school almost two weeks ago.

Continuing the avoidance theme from yesterday, I pulled up the spreadsheet I keep my measurements in. I haven't taken any since March 31 of this year. Here and now, I make a commitment to stop avoiding measurements, and take them between each NROL program. Since I just came off the Break In and start Fat Loss I this week, I sucked it up, and it isn't pretty.

Neck: 14.25 inches (+0.5)
Bust: 41 inches (+0.5)
Rib Circumference: 37 inches (+1.5)
Waist: 37.75 inches (+1.25)
Belly: 42.25 inches (+2.75) [motherfrakker]
Hips: 40 inches (+1)
Thighs: R=23.5 inches (+1) L=23.5 inches (+0.75)
Calves: R=14.5 inches (+0.5) L=14.5 inches (+0.5)
Biceps [flexed]: R=12.25 inches (+0.25) L=12.5 inches (+0.5)
Triceps: R=13.5 inches (+0.5) L=13.5 inches (+0.25)
Forearms: R=10.25 inches (no change) L=10.25 inches (+0.25)
Wrists: R=5.75 inches (no change) L=6 inches (+0.25)
Weight: 152 pounds (+7.5)
Body Fat: 37% (+4) [of course, I'm using a Tanita scale and probably not consistent conditions from the last measurement]
Lean Body Mass: 95.8 pounds (-1.2) [negative is not a good thing in this case]
BMI: 27.8 (+1.3)

So, as you can see, spring and summer were not good to me. I am really pissed right now, at myself, for falling into bad habits. Whether this will serve as motivation or trigger a binge is uncertain at this point. I certainly feel motivated to turn this anger into something good.

And while I'm good and pissy, can I get a rant in here? I often read of people complaining that after a week or two of exercising, they have gained a few pounds, and people chime in with,"Oh you're just gaining muscle!"

NO YOU ARE NOT!!!!!!!!!! It's most likely water retention from the exercise or normal weight fluctuations. Yes, newbies to WEIGHT LIFTING can gain muscle but not that much in that short a period of time, and certainly not from lifting the pink 3 pound dumbbells in a quest to "tone" up! Of course, you can't tell them that! It's great that they are exercising, yes, but muscle gain does not happen over night, especially if you're not loading those muscles up well!

9:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese, coffee w/ cream & Splenda; eaten in kitchen

12:00 PM - chicken breast, avocado, onion & cheese on low carb/fat tortilla; eaten at dining table while reading a book; very filling meal

4:50 PM - yogurt; eaten at desk; I was getting hungry and still hadn't decided what to have for dinner; I really wanted to eat my son's double cinnamon French toast sticks

5:50 PM - sweet potato muffin; I was just shocked how good these turned out; I was hoping they'd taste like crap so I wouldn't want more, but that was not to be; I did manage to limit it to 1 muffin; I think they will go great in the mornings with a protein shake

I didn't get to eat dinner. My son was a pain in the butt to put to sleep and my husband couldn't be bothered to help me. Asshole. Now I'm going to be angry and resentful until morning.

Calories - 1159
Carbs - 104 (15 fiber)
Protein - 89
Fat - 45
C/P/F Ratio - 35.3/30.3/34.4

NROL - Week 5 - Sunday

Weighed in at 152 today - that's down 1.5 pounds from last Sunday. I was actually surprised to see loss, and actually debated weighing in. I do that - avoidance. If I don't see it, it's not real. If I don't acknowledge it, it never happened. But lying to myself doesn't make me feel better.

It's been a funky week. Something hasn't felt right and I think it's the lack of exercise. I am really, really looking forward to tomorrow so I can sweat again! Next time there is a break in NROL, I'm not using it as an excuse to skip cardio, as well.

Since I messed up the schedule for weight lifting, I didn't do a summary of my "progress" during the Break In program. I didn't make huge gains in my weight lifting, but for the record:

Squat: 27 pounds to 32 pounds (+ 5 pounds)
Static Lunge: body weight to body weight+7.5 pounds (+ 7.5 pounds)
2 Point Dumbbell Row w/ Elbows Out: 10 pounds to 15 pounds (+ 5 pounds)
Pushups: body weight on knees (no progress, except they might have been easier the last week)
Swiss Ball Crunch: body weight (no progress, but I hate these stupid things)
Deadlift: 42 pounds to 57 pounds (+ 15 pounds)
Step Up: body weight on 16" step to 20 pounds [2 10-pound dumbbells] (+ 20 pounds)
Dumbbell 1 Arm Shoulder Press: 10 pounds to 15 pounds (+ 5 pounds)
Close-Grip Lat Pulldown: 40 pounds to 62 pounds (+ 22 pounds)
Reverse Crunch: body weight (no progress, but I hate these stupid things, too)

And just as a reminder, these were all 2 sets of 15, except the crunches, which were 2 sets of 20.

I think I also forgot last week's binge summary. There wasn't really anything noteworthy last week, and nothing this week. Lots of temptation and desire to binge but no acting on it. I did overeat a couple times, but it was legal foods. There I go again, assigning legality to my foods. I have to stop that.

10:15 AM - scrambled eggs w/ chipotle sauce, bacon, coffee w/ cream & Splenda; eaten on couch; I was starving and it is a miracle I didn't eat everything in the refrigerator; I wasn't in the mood to cook, but common sense won out

11:15 AM - mozzarella string cheese; eaten on couch; I was still hungry from breakfast

1:50 PM - chicken breast, coleslaw; eaten at desk; I wanted to just eat the rest of the coleslaw (about 2 servings worth) but forced myself to eat only 1 serving and have some protein with it

5:40 PM - stuffed cabbage (ground beef, red beans, brown rice, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce); eaten at dining table;

Calories - 1508
Carbs - 63 (10 fiber)
Protein - 114
Fat - 87
C/P/F Ratio - 16.8/30.5/52.7

NROL - Week 5 - Saturday

I am making, what I hope will be, a fabulous dinner of roasted pork loin and homemade coleslaw. I used Linda Sue's My Favorite Coleslaw recipe, but I used light mayonnaise, liquid Splenda, and added some red onion. It needs to chill in the refrigerator for a few hours but the first little taste of it was wonderful, and even my husband sounded like he was enjoying himself a little too much. He actually had a bowl a little while ago and said it was the best coleslaw he's ever had. Yay me!

8:35 AM - cottage cheese, coffee w/ cream & Splenda; eaten on couch; I was hungry, but too lazy to cook anything

10:05 AM - Cheerios w/ skim milk, coffee w/ cream & Splenda; I ate standing in the middle of the living room; it's so hard not to eat the whole damn box of cereal

1:20 PM - tilapia w/ mayo, mustard & onion, broccoli; eaten at table while reading; it didn't feel like enough food

2:30 PM - baby carrots, mozzarella string cheese; eaten at desk; is it possible to binge on vegetables? I was full but could not (or would not) stop eating those carrots. I feel guilty for eating so much but as far as overeating goes, carrots are a pretty darn good choice. Right? RIGHT???? Now I'm trying to rationalize eating all those carrots (almost 10 ounces).

4:35 PM - roasted pork sirloin, homemade coleslaw; eaten at table; this is the best meal I've made in a while. I loved the entire meal and really savored it. There's room in my day for seconds later!

6:40 PM - more dinner, eaten on the couch; I really wanted to not eat to keep my calories low, but I gave in to temptation

Calories - 1743
Carbs - 114 (22 fiber)
Protein - 146
Fat - 82
C/P/F Ratio - 25.6/32.8/41.6

Pumpkin Carrot Muffins - Recipe

I found this recipe on SparkPeople.com and it's absolutely wonderful! I make it all the time. I'd like to find a way to lower the carbs a bit, though, or at least make it better carbs, and increase the protein.

1/2 cup pumpkin
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated carrots
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Beat together pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and egg.
Add in carrots.
In a separate bowl, blend together flour, salt, soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
Add to the pumpkin mixture.
Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-14 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.


Number of Servings: 6

166 calories
27 g carbs
6 g fat
3 g protein

NROL - Week 5 - Friday

I just noticed the other day that the time stamp for my blogs corresponds to the time I create the entry, not the time I actually publish it. I start each entry in the morning and just edit throughout the day. If anyone knows if/how I can change that, please let me know! Thanks!

I had a small bite of my husband's fried catfish when he was cooking and I licked my finger after making a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich for my son. Just holding myself accountable :)

6:35 AM - apple & cottage cheese; eaten on couch

10:15 AM - round steak, American cheese, low carb tortilla, coffee w/ cream & Splenda; eaten at desk; I was hungry but didn't want to eat at all; not the most satisfying meal but I hate leftovers being in the refrigerator for too long

1: 05 PM - red beans & chicken breast; eaten at desk; I really wanted to go to McDonald's for a salad (okay, send my husband there to get me one) but I settled for this

4:00 PM - cottage cheese; eaten at desk; I went to the store hungry and barely made it out without diving head first into the deli spread

6:45 PM - tilapia w/ mayo, mustard & onion, broccoli w/ light balsamic vinaigrette dressing; eaten on couch; this stuff was so good and I know I ate more fish than I should have in one sitting; very satisfying meal but I feel like I want to eat more

Calories - 1413
Carbs - 106 (26 fiber)
Protein - 170
Fat - 40
C/P/F Ratio - 28.9/46.4/24.7

NROL - Week 5 - Thursday

I woke up at 4 AM today. I planned on watching some stuff on my Tivo while I drank a lot of coffee. But then my son woke up too and insisted on cartoons. I wasn't in the mood to argue.

I had a feeling that skimping on my calories yesterday would bite me in the big butt today. It's barely past lunch and I'm already over what I ate yesterday. Good grief!

There was a weak moment this afternoon when I almost popped some ice cream into my mouth. There's still quite a bit in the freezer and for the most part, it doesn't tempt me. I didn't even want any today when I got my son's snack, but I had a very sudden urge to take a bite. Fortunately, it passed.

8:00 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda, pumpkin carrot muffins; I desperately wanted all the muffins that were left. So I ate them. Not a binge - it was only 3 small ones. I made sure to eat the overflowing ones last week.

11:05 AM - eggs w/ cheese, mayo & Worcestershire sauce, bacon; eaten on couch while watching tv; I was quite stuffed after this

4:30 PM - pepper jack cheese; eaten at desk; I probably overate the cheese but I really don't care

7:40 PM - red beans & chicken; eaten at kitchen counter; I ate while my husband made fried green tomatoes - I had one thin slice of that (I didn't add it to my tracker though); I'm still hungry

Calories - 1725
Carbs - 129 (18 fiber)
Protein - 102
Fat - 91
C/P/F Ratio - 29.6/23.4/47

NROL - Week 5 - Wednesday

More cleaning today. I think I'll be able to finish up tomorrow, so maybe I'll throw in some cardio Friday and Saturday, maybe even Sunday if I'm feeling froggy. Then again, I just reread the plan of attack for the next NROL phase - 4 days a week of lifting. Maybe I'll rest up. I'm scared of the Fat Loss I plan LOL! Ok, wait, I'm really confused by this book. I guess you can work out 2, 3, or 4 times per week, but not more than 2 days in a row, and once you finish the 12 workouts in Fat Loss I, that's it. Move on. Well, if that's the case, I'll do the 3 times a week as I originally planned!

I decided not to shampoo the carpets, so I'm done with house cleaning. I'm going to be a slug tomorrow! My body aches.

Low calorie day - too low, but I got too busy to eat.

8:15 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

8:45 AM - apple & cottage cheese; eaten at desk; I'm not interested in food today.

9:45 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

11:05 AM - homemade protein shake, Cheerios w/ milk; eaten on couch

5:20 PM - mozzarella string cheese; eaten in kitchen while dinner cooks; I got so busy cleaning that I didn't eat.

6:00 PM - round steak, broccoli; eaten at dinner table; it was quite filling and I ate slowly

Calories - 1097
Carbs - 85 (13 fiber)
Protein - 106
Fat - 41
C/P/F Ratio - 30/37.3/32.7

NROL - Week 5 - Tuesday

House cleaning today. All week actually, so no formal exercise. I can't believe the timing of my scheduled NROL bread! I don't think I'd be up for all that lifting plus moving heavy furniture and scrubbing all day for 3 or 4 days.

I spent about 3 hours cleaning today. My body is so tired.

6:45 AM - apple & cottage cheese; eaten on couch; I was starving!!

8:15 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

9:40 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda, hamburger, pumpkin carrot muffins; eaten at desk; I don't know what happened but I was suddenly ravenous!! I tried to resist the muffins but couldn't. I'm actually disappointed that a) I ate so soon and b) I ate so much. I'm already over 1,000 calories for the day. Of course, now this means I am going to try to compensate by eating very little until dinner.

6:00 PM - beef stroganoff; eaten at dinner table; as I suspected I'd be, I was really hungry. I ate quite a bit and I still feel hungry, but I'm going to try not to eat again today.

Calories - 1753
Carbs - 158 (15 fiber)
Protein - 111
Fat - 75
C/P/F Ratio - 36/25.4/38.6

NROL - Week 5 - Monday

No formal cardio today. I'm having a really "off" day. I'm not all that hungry, but I don't know if I'm "punishing" myself for yesterday's dinner. So, I might be trying to convince myself that I'm not hungry. I don't know.

I'm currently reading Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. I have no plans to review it here. It's good reading, but it's heavy (and not because he says dietary fat is a good thing). I like books written in simple terms. This stuff feels Shakespearean.

And WOW! I just realized that the NROL Break In workouts only go 4 weeks, so I have this week off from weight training! That's fantastic because I have heavy duty house cleaning to do and could use every second to get it done! I have no idea why I was thinking it was 6 weeks long. YAY!!!!

9:00 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

12:30 PM - homemade protein shake, pumpkin carrot muffin; eaten on couch

2:10 PM - pepper jack cheese; eaten at desk; I'm grazing today

3:10 PM - broccoli w/ mayonnaise & mustard dressing

5:50 PM - mozzarella cheese; eaten in kitchen; just something to hold me over until dinner

7:15 PM - hamburger on roll w/ mustard & ketchup, green beans; eaten at dining table; my husband makes the best burgers - smoked over chunks of hickory!

Calories - 1819
Carbs - 113 (22 fiber)
Protein - 108
Fat - 112
C/P/F Ratio - 24/22.8/53.3