How To Lose Thirty Pounds

I thought it would be a quick reminder of how far I've come to visually make a chart to track my progress. Hopefully this will give me encouragement if I start to lose enthusiasm!! As of September 10, 2009, I've lost a total of 15 pounds: I'm halfway towards my goal of losing 30 pounds!

Here it is. A timeline of how I look throughout my program, from the front & back and at the waist. As you can see, its a lot of work for a very gradual result. Maybe the lack of instant gratification is why so many people get discouraged? I've tried to keep the same outfit, location and 'look' for these photos (although I caught the sun a little during the summer - which I don't like to do out of skin cancer fears) so any differences can just be attributed to weight loss.

Looking online for calculators that will help me figure out what is a healthy weight for myself, I've found the following sites:

• FoodFit.com - Calculate Your Ideal Body Weight


• Halls.md - Ideal Weight


• Extremely Smart - Calculate Your Ideal Weight


• Health Status - Ideal Weight Calculation

And here is what they have to say about me:

• FoodFit.com - 108 to 118.8 lbs (I'm over by 19.2 pounds)


• Halls.md - People's Choice - 121 pounds, Medical Recommendation - 104 to 137 lbs. (I'm over by 17 pounds for what most people my age and size would describe as their ideal weight, medically I'm just 1 pound over the recommendation)


• Extremely Smart - I don't know! The calculator only works in Internet Explorer and I use FireFox..


• Health Status - My ideal healthy weight is 122 pounds. My ideal weight range is between 109 pounds to 136 pounds. Again, I'm over by between 2 to 29 pounds and over the ideal healthy weight by 16 pounds.


My conclusion is that 105 is an ambitious, but not unhealthy, goal to have.

Start:

Weight: 138 pounds
Height: 5' 2"
Age: 36
Frame: Small

Weight can fluctuate based on lots of things that have nothing to do with how 'fat' you are. Here is a summary of where I am upon starting my new fitness regime on March 7, 2009. This way, I can accurately see my progress (and not get discouraged!).

I'll be monitoring these stats on a weekly basis.

Measurements
Chest: 39"
Waist: 38 1/2"
Hips: 39"
Thigh: 23 1/2"
Upper Arm: 12"

Weight: 133 lbs.

Measurements
Chest: 38 1/2" (I wish I wouldn't have lost this half inch..)
Waist: 37 1/2" (I've already lost an inch!!)
Hips: 38" (I've already lost an inch!!)
Thigh: 22 1/2" (I've already lost an inch!!)
Upper Arm: 12"

I was seriously let down when I got on the scale and saw I gained 3 pounds. Taking my measurements I was enthusiastic again though, especially about my waist and arm measurements dropping!

Weight: 135 lbs.

Measurements
Chest: 38 1/2" (no loss - good!!)
Waist: 35 1/2" (losing another 2 inches this week means a total loss of 3 inches!)
Hips: 37" (lost another 1/2 inch this week, total of 1 1/2 inches!)
Thigh: 22" (lost 1/2 inch this week, total of 1 1/2 inches!)
Upper Arm: 11.5" (I LOVE having lost this half inch!!)

138 pounds (my starting point) was a wake-up call for me: I've never been that heavy before and I knew I had to do something! I've been eating small portions, made quite a few substitutions and restrictions in my diet, been very strict with myself and have been working out 3 times a week (and working up a sweat!). I know that lean muscle weighs more than fat. My measurements have been getting smaller. My clothes fit better. BUT - I weigh 3 pounds more than I did when I started my program. I could understand maybe not losing as much as I thought I should due to muscle building, but actually GAINING weight??

This is enough to make me want to just call it quits. I'm going to hang in there though..

I was terrified to get on the scale this week. Even though I increased my exercise program and have made no change to my caloric intake, midweek I shot up to 141 pounds, more than where I started! I was relieved to find myself back down to 133. Taking my measurements, I've made a modest improvement this week.

Weight: 133 lbs.

Measurements
Chest: 37" (total loss of 2 inches from the program start.)
Waist: 35" (another 1/2" down, total loss of 3 1/2 inches!)
Hips: 37" (stayed the same)
Thigh: 22" (stayed the same)
Upper Arm: 11" (Total loss of 1 inch from the beginning of my program!)

I've had a couple wrenches thrown in my program. I got strep throat. My husband is renovating the living room (where I exercise). I got fed up with keeping such a detailed food log.. We had a holiday - Easter. So, how am I doing? I've lost another 2 pounds and several inches!!! I've been holding true to the lessons I've learned about portion control, eating mainly fruit and veggies, eating lean grilled meats and skipping things like salad dressing and mayo (using lemon juice or hummus instead). I've also replaced sauteeing with steaming and / or using my George Forman grill. Finally, I've really limited rice, potatoes and bread and stopped taking sugar in my coffee. If I can lose weight even without exercising, imagine what I can do when I start again!

Weight: 131 lbs.

Measurements
Chest: 37" (same as last time.)
Waist: 33" (another 2" down, total loss of 5 1/2 inches!)
Hips: 36.5" (lost another half inch)
Thigh: 22.5" (gained half inch here)
Upper Arm: 11" (Total loss of 1 inch from the beginning of my program!)

I'm getting back in to my program gradually. I'm happy with my legs and my aerobic fitness level. I do need to work on my arms more though, and DEFINITELY my abs. Since winning my home gym, my other family members are using it, but not me yet. There are some abs-specific exercises that I can do for that and I plan to start tomorrow. I've added Billy Blanks workouts to my mix. These are harder than the firm, but also include more abs exercises (I'm not using the resistance bands yet).

During my daughter's ballet class at the Y, I've started jogging on the treadmill. I also get a treadmill session on those Sunday time slots, as well as on Tuesdays during the 1/2 hour between my son's soccer class and the art class that both my son and daughter attend. Right now, I'm jogging about 2 miles in that 1/2 hour workout frame.

I'm still not back to really naughty foods (fried eggs, salad dressing, cheese and mayonnaise will never be regulars in my diet again!). I'm not keeping a food log, so I'm not as strict with myself. Also, I've been so busy that I've been happy to let my husband cook the meals. He doesn't trim fat off meats, roasts everything in oil (not even on a rack, just right in the fat), is very generous with oil while sauteeing vegetables and cooks very meat-centered meals.

All in all, I'm very happy to be maintaining my recent 5-pound weight loss with doing nothing more than increasing my activity level. This week though I think I will resuscitate my food log and focus on raw fruits & veggies to try and loose another 5 pounds quickly for summer!

Weight: 133 lbs.

Measurements
Chest: 36" (lost another inch..)
Waist: 30" (another 3" down, total loss of 8 1/2 inches!)
Hips: 36.5" (staying the same from my last measurement)
Thigh: 21" (total loss of 2 1/2 inches from my program's start)
Upper Arm: 11.5" I've gained half an inch after not doing my workouts for a while (Total loss of 1/2 inch from the beginning of my program!)

I'm very happy with my fitness level, its just the diet I need to work on. Flab-wise though, my abs still need some work - I'm getting better but rely too much on my treadmill running (which doesn't touch the abs). I'm still not using my home gym yet. I'm still doing the Billy Blanks Boot Camp workout, but haven't started using the bands. I have noticed however that the push ups are getting easier and I'm completing more of his abs exercises. Its safe to say I'm working out between 5 and 7 days a week at home.

During my daughter's ballet class at the Y, I'm still jogging on the treadmill - depending on how much time I have I'll clock between 1 1/2 and 2 miles in under half an hour. Tuesday mornings, I'm hoping to make it in to the Y for a Mat Pilates class 45 minutes before the toddler's art class. I'm also looking at doing 45 minute mat pilates courses at the Y around my kids' summer programs.

I'm still not back to really naughty foods (fried eggs, salad dressing, cheese and mayonnaise will never be regulars in my diet again!). I'm not keeping a food log, so I'm not as strict with myself. I've persuaded my husband to prepare more green salads. With the warmer weather, we're also getting grilled meats from him rather than the usual roasts!

I've shed another pound and it looks like my measurements are going down.
Weight: 132 pounds

Measurements
Chest: 35" (lost another inch.. maybe this is because I measured myself in a sports bra)
Waist: 32" (up 2" - maybe my measuring skills are not consistent, total loss of 6 1/2 inches, which sounds more realistic than 8 1/2 inches.)
Hips: 36" (I lost 1/2 an inch since my last measurement)
Thigh: 20" (total loss of 3 1/2 inches from my program's start)
Upper Arm: 11" I've re-lost my half an inch with increased weights on the Firm and doing Billy Blanks Tae Bo (Total loss of 1 inch from the beginning of my program!)

I passed the 100-mile cardio club at the Y!! That means that in the space of 1 month I did over 100 miles in the cardio room, on the treadmill, elliptical machines and exercise bikes. My son wants me to join the 100-mile aquatics club, but I don't know about that one. 44 laps is 1 mile - that's 4400 laps! With the aquatic club they give you 'til the end of the year to complete your 100 miles though. I've signed up for 100-mile cardio again this month.

Starting last week when I upped the treadmill speed to either 5.5 mph or 6 mph depending on my energy, I've gone from 131 pounds down to 128. During this time I've also started using the sauna about 1/2 an hour each day. I'm exercising 7 days a week, running at least a mile. Yesterday, I did about 1 1/2 miles on the treadmill at 5.5 mph, 1 1/2 miles on the elliptical machine on a fat-burning course and about 6 miles on the exercise bike at a heart rate of 120 (my fat-burning zone). I also spent 1/2 hour in the sauna. I'm really determined to hit 125 pounds by next week: that means I've got 3 pounds to lose this week. When I'm down to 125 pounds, I'm going to start hard-core on my abs exercises. I just think its easier to work on your abs if you've whittled down the belly fat initially.

I've cut back even more with my diet. High-carb foods like rice, potatoes and white bread are totally out of the question. I've cut back on bread of ANY kind as well, even the whole-grain stuff. Wine is no longer a nightly treat for me, I only allow it maybe once every couple of weeks. I'm still not eating much dairy and absolutely no fried foods, desserts, high fat foods, butter, mayonnaise, etc.. I'm not keeping a food log: I've got to start that again but I'm just so busy! I'm also opting out of dinner with my family and making salads most of the time.

My measurement are either staying the same or increasing, with the exception of my waist (where I've lost).

Weight: 128 pounds

Measurements
Chest: 36" (gained an inch.. and I'm in a sports bra!)
Waist: 30" (down 2" - 8 1/2 inches total loss?)
Hips: 36" (staying the same since my last measurement)
Thigh: 21.5" (gained 1 1/2 inches - total loss of 2 inches since the program start)
Upper Arm: 11" Staying the same (Total loss of 1 inch from the beginning of my program!)

Our local YMCA had their "sunmmer sparkle" the other week: they close down parts of the facility in rotation for a deep cleaning. As summer was drawing to a close and my now-beloved cardio room was one of the first areas to be shut for 2 days of cleaning, we had to come up with a plan on how to best use the time and still keep fit.

The kids all had to go to the doctor, whose office is still located out in the suburbs. I thought we'd make the most of that trip and visit the local forest preserve afterwards. The preserve has a fenced area where about a dozen elk are kept and I thought the kids would enjoy seeing them. Arriving their, we got more ambitious and ended up jogging and walking the 7.8 mile path around the perimeter of the preserve. We had a fantastic day out and saw more than just elk. Caterpillars, bunnies, deer, cranes.. It was a great summer day out and we'll be doing this again. AND it was a good workout!

Another favorite trip for my son and I is now taking 7am jogs around Lincoln Park Zoo and on the nearby Lake Michigan beach up to Navy Pier and back. I'm not sure on the mileage here, but its good time connecting with my son and is really enjoyable / invigorating. I LOVE summer mornings and 7am is truly the best time to see the Lincoln Park Zoo. The zoo is empty and the animals are awake, alert and hungry for breakfast. You don't have to peer over crowds or try to see if you can spot the animals. They're all there on rock tops and out in the open (or pouncing out at you when you jog past) looking at you!!

I've also started following the Sonoma diet. My mother hardly ever cooks anything from scratch, she really dislikes cooking: everything in her house comes from a box or a jar. I've seen a copy of 'The Sonoma Diet' book on a bookshelf by her kitchen counter for several years now and rifled through it on my last trip to her home. Not only did this book have some interesting looking recipes (that you have to cook from scratch), it also bases itself on a diet void of all my mom's favorite fixings: white bread, butter, potatoes, processed flours, iceberg lettuce, etc.. I asked if she'd mind if I take the book and she quickly agreed to let me. Since then, I've followed the Wave 1 suggested meal plan very faithfully and have lost another 4 pounds in 9 days! I was skeptical, the food includes oil, cheese and is very tasty: somewhat different to my recent diet of plain steamed veggies and salad with just lemon juice. The food is so good in fact, my husband has been raving about it and he's not trying to lose weight. I'll be continuing on with Wave 2 and will definitely report back here..

My measurement are going down yet again, which I love to see. I haven't measured myself that frequently: sometimes the measurements vary so much I think I really need to learn how to do it properly. My old clothes have been fitter better and better consistently since starting this fitness journey, and that's the real test. I'm back in my 3/4 jeans comfortably!!

Weight: 124 pounds

Measurements
Chest: 36" (staying the same)
Waist: 29.5" (down 1/2" - 9 inches total loss?)
Hips: 35" (lost another inch)
Thigh: 19.5" (lost 2 inches - total loss of 4 inches since the program start)
Upper Arm: 10" (Down another inch - total loss of 2 inches from the beginning of my program!)

I started out doing only 2 of the workouts in The Firm's Total Body Sculpting program. These were Total Body Sculpting with Christa D. Riley and Total Muscle Shaping with Stephanie Huckabee. This is per the workout rotation schedule given with the set. Christa Riley's Total Body Sculpting is definitely easier than Stephanie Huckabee's Total Muscle Shaping. I didn't start doing either of them with dumb bells (also per the program's instruction) as I figure out the routines and get used to using The Firm box.
I can see where you can easily adapt this workout to be more or less intense through your positions, your choice of weights and your use of the box.

I recognized some of the steps from a step aerobics class I did in college, but felt some of the routines needed a little more background info on the steps: it got confusing! A good reference is Turnstep's Directory of moves. I would suggest going over this for practice when you're not working out. Some of the common moves I saw were: the A step, basic left, basic right, corner to corner, diagonal, grapevine, L step, mambo (cha cha cha) and the straddle. I like these pages because they give step-by-step (no pun intended!) instructions as well as illustrated feet patterns.

One very confusing part occurs about halfway through Stephanie Huckabee's Total Muscle Shaping. What I'm doing now when I reach that part of the workout is just doing the straddle step repeatedly on the box. I figure this will keep my heart rate up and work my glutes at the same time. I keep watching and might take notes on the routine to hopefully get it down - its that complicated! I say this though and someone who has done a lot of step aerobics may find it simple. I suppose complicated routines like this are good to keep your interest in a program however.

I'm a stay-at-home mother who works independently online (I publish articles here at Squidoo, at eHow, Buzzle and HubPages as well as maintaining my own shopping site, Centsible.net. Even with my 4 kids, this qualifies me for a pretty sedentary activity level.

In order to be able to burn fat by limiting myself to 1,398 calories per day, I need to exercise at least 3 times per week. If I don't exercise, I can eat no more than 1,345 calories to maintain a weight of 105 pounds once I reach my goal or consume no more than 1,220 calories daily for fat loss.

So.. to lose weight and keep it off I'll need to exercise regularly.

Here is where I'll keep track of how much I'm exercising..

Week 1

• Saturday, March 7, 2009 - no exercise


• Sunday, March 8, 2009 - no exercise


• Monday, March 9, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Body Sculpting - with Christa D. Riley (approx. 51 minutes, no weights used)


• Tuesday, March 10, 2009 - no exercise


• Wednesday, March 11, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Muscle Shaping - with Stephanie Huckabee (approx. 50 minutes, no weights used)


• Thursday, March 12, 2009 - no exercise


• Friday, March 13, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Body Sculpting - with Christa D. Riley (approx. 51 minutes, no weights used)

Week 2

• Saturday, March 14, 2009 - no exercise


• Sunday, March 15, 2009 - no exercise


• Monday, March 16, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Muscle Shaping - with Stephanie Huckabee (approx. 50 minutes, no weights used)


• Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - no exercise


• Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Body Sculpting - with Christa D. Riley (approx. 51 minutes, 2 lb. weights used)


• Thursday, March 19, 2009 - no exercise


• Friday, March 20, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Muscle Shaping - with Stephanie Huckabee (approx. 50 minutes, 2 lb. weights used)

Week 3

• Saturday, March 21, 2009 - no exercise


• Sunday, March 22, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Fat Blasting Cardio - with Lisa Kay (approx. 35 minutes, no weights used)


• Monday, March 23, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Muscle Shaping - with Stephanie Huckabee (approx. 50 minutes, 3 lb. weights used)


• Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - no exercising


• Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Body Sculpting - with Christa D. Riley (approx. 51 minutes, 3 lb. weights used)


• Thursday, March 26, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Fat Blasting Cardio - with Lisa Kay (approx. 35 minutes, no weights used)


• Friday, March 27, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Muscle Shaping - with Stephanie Huckabee (approx. 50 minutes, 3 lb. weights used)

Week 4

• Saturday, March 28, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Fat Blasting Cardio - with Lisa Kay (approx. 35 minutes, 2 lb. weights used)


• Sunday, March 29, 2009 - no exercising


• Monday, March 30, 2009 - no exercising, I'm WAYYY too busy and I'd dearly love a spare hour to do this!!!


• Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - no exercising - non-stop busy-ness!


• Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - no exercising - I feel rough


• Thursday, April 2, 2009 - no exercising - I've got strep throat!


• Friday, April 3, 2009 - no exercising - again..

Weeks 5 and 6

• No Exercising - remodeling going on in my "exercise room" (the front room)

Week 7

• Saturday, April 18, 2009 - no exercising - remodeling going on in my exercise room


• Sunday, April 19, 2009 - 10 minutes on a stationary bike, 30 minutes on an elliptical machine


• Monday, April 20, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Body Sculpting - with Christa D. Riley (approx. 51 minutes, 2 lb. weights used)


• Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Fat Blasting Cardio - with Lisa Kay (approx. 35 minutes, 2 lb. weights used)


• Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - no exercising


• Thursday, April 23, 2009


• Friday, April 24, 2009

Week 8

• Saturday, April 25, 2009 - 30 minutes on an elliptical machine


• Sunday, April 26, 2009 - 15 minutes on a treadmill (10 minutes walking at 3.5 mph with a light jog at 5mph in the middle)


• Monday, April 27, 2009 - The Firm Body Sculpting System - Muscle Shaping - with Stephanie Huckabee (approx. 51 minutes, 8 lb. and 3 lb. weights used)


• Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - no exercise


• Wednesday, April 22, 2009


• Thursday, April 29, 2009


• Friday, April 30, 2009

     

The food log I'm keeping is not meant to be a diet plan or even an ideal way to eat. I'm simply keeping track of what I eat and writing it down (very publicly!). Writing down EVERYTHING that you eat makes you aware of exactly what and how much you're eating. Particularly in regards to snacking. If you work in an office where people keep lots of candy jars or bring in fattening snacks, you will definitely be surprised at how much you eat if you write down every time you grab a handful of M&Ms or a donut hole..

I have never been a calorie counter and I never will be. I also don't count fat grams or trans fats or anything else like that. I have a general idea about what foods are fatty (french fries, potato chips, etc..) and what foods are high in calories (soda pop, cheesecake, chocolate, etc..). Frying anything adds fat grams to it, so I generally choose grilled, sauteed or steamed foods. Occassionally I really enjoy deep-fried food though and will indulge. I also LOVE a good piece of cheesecake with a sugary cappuccino from time to time.

Dieting is temporary, so it stands to reason that any weight loss will also be temporary. You need to change your eating habits in order to maintain whatever weight loss you accomplish. I find it helpful however to see how many calories would maintain your desired weight and see how you currently compare to that.

With that in mind, I visited an online calorie calculator to see how many calories would maintain a weight of 105 pounds. For a women of my age and height (and provided that I exercise 3 times weekly), a diet of 1,541 calories per day would maintain a weight of 105 pounds. With my current weight and an exercise regimen of 3 times per week, I would need to limit myself to 1,398 calories per day for fat loss or 1,104 calories per day for extreme weight loss.

The online calorie calculator I used takes into account your height, weight, sex, age and activity level.

Again - I am not a calorie counter!! I want to check out that the food choices I'm making are in line with the goals I've made and my plans to get there. I'm not counting the calories before eating or making meal plans around calories. I'm checking out what I've ate and seeing if I'm making smart choices or not for weight loss.

I'm using Mike's Calorie and Fat Gram Chart to get my numbers. I couldn't find alot of the foods that I eat on this listing though, so around Week 2 I also started using The CalorieCounter.com.

This is a listing of some foods I frequently ate while dieting and how I am counting these calories:

Fruits & Vegetables

• Black Olives - 80 calories - (10 olives)


• Grapes, Red or Green Seedless - 110 calories (1 cup)


• Green Beans - 44 calories - (1 cup)


• Green Salad - 15 calories - (1 cup)


• Tomato - 25 calories - (1 whole)


• Beets - 35 calories - (1/2 cup)


• Broccoli - 31 calories - (1 cup)


• Apple - 100 calories - (1 whole)


• Carrots (Baby) - 4 calories - (each baby carrot)


• Peach - 66 calories - (1 whole)


• Tangerine - 50 calories - (1 whole)

Grains & Cereals

• English Muffin - 110 calories - (1 piece)


• Kashi GoLean Crunch Breakfast Cereal - 190 calories - (1 cup)


• South Beach Diet Breakfast Bar (Cinnamon Raisin) - 140 calories - (1 whole bar)


• Whole-Grain Bread - 110 calories - (1 slice)


• Brown Rice - 450 calories - (3/4 cup)


• Pita Bread - 210 calories - (1 whole bread)


• Mostaccioli - 105 calories - (1 cup, plain)


• Wheat Germ - 50 calories (2 tbsp.)

Dairy Products

• Skim Milk - 80 calories - (1 cup)


• Egg (poached) - 74 calories - (1 whole egg)


• Low-Fat Cottage Cheese - 80 calories - (1/2 cup)


• Non-fat Plain Yogurt - 110 calories (1 cup)


• Feta Cheese - 90 calories - (1/4 cup)

Meats

• Grilled Chicken (skinless) - 120 calories - (4 oz.)


• Grilled Salmon - 318 calories - (4 oz.)


• Grilled Ground Turkey - 160 calories - (4 oz.)


• Deli Turkey Slices - 50 calories - (6 thin slices)

Sauces & Miscellaneous Items

• Hummus - 25 calories - (1 tbsp.)


• Marie's Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing - 40 calories - (2 tbsp.)

Beverages

• Red Wine - 125 calories(6 oz.)


• Guinness Beer - 125 calories - (1 draught can)

I'm aiming to eat no more than 1,394 calories daily.

If I follow my plan, I'll lose weight. There is no mystery to weight loss. You just need to exercise more and eat less. OK - you could eat more things like raw veggies and fresh fruit. The eating less part pertains mostly to fats, sugars, carbs, etc.. I don't really follow any 'diets' though, as I firmly believe that weight loss is not a temporary program. Weight loss involves changing your habits. No one has time to count calories, fat grams, whatever, on a daily basis. I'd like to have an idea of how many calories I'm consuming in order to ensure success. When estimating portions and caloric values, I'm going to be generous. I'd rather think I'm eating more than I am and still see result than think I'm eating less than I actually am and be disappointed.

After the fact, I'll be roughly translating my food log into the number of calories consumed. I'll also make notes where I could reduce calories by leaving out certain items.

Every week I'll have to reevaluate the maximum calorie count I can have to still lose weight. This is because every week I'll be losing week and this factor will slightly change my dietary requirements. Below is a listing of maximum daily caloric intakes for me during my weight loss plan.

Here is the online tool I'm using to determine the calorie level required for weight loss.

Week 1 (138 pounds) - 1394 calories
Week 2 (133 pounds) - 1373 calories
Week 3 (135 pounds and increasing exercise to 5x weekly) - 1471 calories
Week 4 (133 pounds and increasing exercise to daily) - 1635 calories
Week 12 (still 133 pounds and exercising daily) - 1635 calories
Week 13
Week 14 (fluctuating around 133 pounds and exercising strenuously every day) - 1722 calories
Week 20 (128 pounds and daily intense exercise) - 1691 calories for fat loss or 1268 calories for extreme fat loss

My fellow Kab's Fab Squid Squad team member, AmandaBB tweeted about a lens that she just updated on diet advice and I happened to have a look. It looked great and like she really knew what she was talking about, but it was in Dutch and I don't speak that language. I had a look at her profile and saw that she also had her Diet Advice lens published in English. Yay!

I used her information to calculate my Basal Metabolic Rate. My weight in pounds of 133 translates to 60.45 kilograms. Multiplying this by 8.3 (for a 30 - 59 year old woman) I get 501.772. Adding 846 to this, I get 1347.772. This is my Basal Metabolic Rate. Multiplying my BMR by 1.5 (for an average activity level), I arrive at 2021: This is my caloric intake needed to maintain my current weight.

I think AmandaBB's equation is right on track: this seems consistent with other charts I've researched.

• Saturday, March 8
  2 glasses water, 1 cup orange juice, 2 cups black coffee, 1 tangelo orange, 1 orange, 2 pancakes with 1 pat of butter and approx. 1 tbsp. syrup, Salad (1 cup romaine lettuce, 1 cup broccoli florets, 1 tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese, 1 tbsp. tomato, 1 tbsp. Marie's Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing), Salad With Chicken (1/2 chicken breast sauteed in olive oil, romaine lettuce, 1 carrot, 1 cup broccoli florets, 4 strawberries, 1/2 cup croutons, 2 tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese, 2 tbsp. Maries Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing), 2 glasses red wine
  
  1439 calories (45 calories over) - I could've been on target if I would've left croutons off my salad, or left out the cheese, or only had 1 glass of wine instead of two. No big deal.
  
  


• Sunday, March 9
  5 glasses water, 2 cups coffee, Huevos A La Mexicana (at The Golden Nugget Restaurant - 3 corn tortillas, 3 scrambled eggs, 1 cup green bell pepper, 1 cup onions, 1 cup tomato, 1 tbsp. salsa, 1 tbsp. sour cream, 1 cup refried beans, 1 cup Spanish rice, 3 tortilla chips), 1/2 cup Coca Cola, 1/2 piece cheese pizza (I got so hungry I cheated)
  
  1677 calories (283 calories over at breakfast alone!) - OK, my breakfast out with my daughter was no good for me! Thats all I can eat today and I'm still over target. It was a nice mother/daughter morning out after ballet class and I'd like to make it a habit, but I think I'll just order a poached egg and some dry toast next time! No dinner tonight..
  
  


• Monday, March 10
  3 glasses water, 2 cups black coffee, 2 whole poached eggs with 1 slice dry whole wheat toast, 1 whole fresh tomato stuffed with 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 7.5 oz. steamed skinless chicken breast, 1 small baked potato with 1 tbsp. salsa, 2 cups salad (romaine lettuce, tomato, green onions, cucumber, black olives, balsalmic vinegar, lemon juice)
  
  880 calories (600 calories under and I feel full!) - Its really strange that I feel full and I supposedly ate only 880 calories today. I'm counting poached eggs at 100 calories each, the toast was 100 calories, the cottage cheese was 100 calories, the potato was 150 calories and the chicken was 250 calories. I can't wait til Friday to see if I actually lose something! Yesterday I ate too many calories and was starving. Today I'm supposed to be under and I feel like I ate too much. Very weird..
  


• Tuesday, March 11
  3 glasses water, 1 cup black coffee, 1 cup GoLean Crunch cereal, 1 cup skim milk, 2 strawberries, 1 orange, 1 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup hummus with 20 baby carrots, Turkey Sandwich (2 slices whole-grain bread, 1 tbsp. guacamole, 4 cucumber slices, 4 deli-slices of turkey breast), 2 cups green salad with balsalmic vinegar and lemon juice
  
  1275 calories (almost right on!) - I had to convert tablespoons to cups to calculate my hummus calorie count. 16 tablespoons to a cup, 8 tbsp. to 1/2 cup. At 50 calories for 2 tbsp. this was 400 calories! I can't go crazy with the hummus I guess.
  


• Wednesday, March 12
  3 glasses water, 3 cups black coffee, 1 cup Kashi's GoLean Crunch cereal with 1 cup 2% milk, 1/2 cup hummus with 1 cup baby carrots and 2 green (spring or scallion) onions, 1 orange, 1 banana, 4 oz. grilled chicken, 1/2 cup couscous, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 2 cups salad (romaine lettuce, mushrooms, radishes) with 1 tbsp. ranch dressing
  
  1410 calories (just over!) - I won't get obsessive with the calorie counting. My rough guesses are coming out correct! I'm just over today, not a big deal at all.
  
  


• Thursday, March 13
  3 glasses water, 3 cups black coffee, 1 omelette (2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1 tbsp. 2% milk, 1/4 cup mushrooms, 1 tbsp. green scallion onions, 1 tbsp. salsa) and 2 slices dry whole grain toast, 3 stalks celery with 1/4 cup hummus, 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, 2 cups red leaf lettuce and 3 oz. tuna (water-packed) in 1 pita bread, 3 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1 1/2 cups green beans with lemon juice, 1/2 baked sweet potato, 2 cups green salad with 1 tbsp. Marie's Raspberry Vinaigrette, 1 glass red wine
  
  
  1358 calories (just under!) - I'm getting the hang of this! Its eye-opening on some of the calories. I can remember sitting there with a tub of hummus and several pitas, not thinking I was being bad. Now I know where this came from!! Not hungry at all today.
  


• Friday, March 14
  3 glasses water, 3 cups black coffee, 1 South Beach Diet high protein breakfast bar (cinnamon raisin), 1 whole raw tomato with 1/2 cup cottage cheese, Turkey Sandwich - (2 slices whole-grain bread, 6 slices deli turkey meat, 1 tbsp. hummus), Chicken Pita (4 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1 cup green leaf lettuce, 5 black olives, 1 tbsp. chopped tomato, 1 tbsp. taramasalata, 1 pita bread), 1 cup fruit salad (cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, starfruit), 1 Goose Island Summertime Ale
  
  
  1320 calories (74 calories under!) - 1 cup of plain fruit salad is 45 calories. Thats a good snack to keep. Taramasalata is a hefty 60 calories per tablespoon! I don't think I could eat copious amounts of that though! I'm also learning to love my George Forman grill. Its really quick and fat free!!.
  
  

• Saturday, March 14
  
  5 glasses water, 2 cups black coffee, 1 cup Kashi GoLean Crunch cereal with 1 cup skim milk, 4 oz. grilled chicken breast, 2 cups salad (red leaf lettuce, cucumber, radish, tomato) with 1 tbsp. Marie's Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing and 1 tbsp grated quesadilla cheese, 1/2 cup baby carrots with 2 tbsp. hummus, 4 oz. grilled chicken breast, 3/4 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup cooked, sliced beets and 1 cup green beans



• Sunday, March 15
  
  3 glasses water, 2 cups black coffee, 1 South Beach Diet breakfast bar - Cinnamon & Raisin, 1 whole raw tomato with 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 2 cups Greek salad (romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, black olives, feta cheese, lemon juice, balsalmic vinegar) with 1 pita bread, 3 oz. grilled salmon, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1 glass red wine




• Monday, March 16
  
  2 glasses water, 2 cups coffee, 1 cup Kashi GoLean Crunch cereal with 1 cup skim milk, 2 apples, 1 turkey sandwich (2 slices whole-grain bread, 6 deli slices turkey, 1 piece red leaf lettuce, 1 slice tomato, 1 tbsp. hummus), 2 cups green salad (red leaf lettuce, green scallion onions, cucumber, celery, tomato) with balsalmic vinegar and lemon juice, 1 cup steamed broccoli and cauliflower, 4 oz. grilled salmon




• Tuesday, March 17
  
  1 glass water, 3 cups coffee, 2 cups green salad (romaine lettuce, celery, green scallion onions, radishes) with 1 tbsp. feta cheese and lemon juice & balsalmic vinegar, 3 tbsp. hummus and 1 cup baby carrots, 1 peach and 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli & cauliflower, 1/3 cup boiled beets, 1 cup brown rice, 4 oz. grilled salmon, 1 Guinness beer (its St. Patricks Day AND Guinness is less-fattening than light beers as its hydrogenated and not carbonated - even though it is heavier tasting!)




• Wednesday, March 18
  
  3 cups water, 2 cups coffee, 1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal with 1 cup skim milk, 1 tangerine, 2 tostones (fried plaintains) - I cheated!!!, 1/2 cup hummus with 1/2 cup baby carrots, 3 scallion onions, and 3 stalks celery, 4 oz. grilled salmon, 1/2 cup steamed green beans with lemon juice, 1 cup brown rice, 1 cup mostaccioli pasta with creamy mushroom sauce (I cheated again, my husband made WAY too much of this for him and the kids and it was just sitting there on the stove so I had to have a little..), 2 glasses red wine



• Thursday, March 19
  
  2 glasses water<, 4 cups coffee, 2 poached eggs, 2 slices dry, whole-grain toast, 1 Turkey Sandwich (2 slices whole-grain bread, 6 slices deli turkey breast, 1 leaf red-leaf lettuce, 1 tbsp. hummus), McDonald's Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken and 1 Dressing Packet, 1 Turkey Burger (1 English muffin, 4 oz. grilled, ground turkey), 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1 cup green salad (green leaf lettuce, scallion onions, radishes, tomato, celery) with feta cheese, black olives and lemon juice & balsalmic vinegar




• Friday, March 20
  
  3 cups water, 2 cups black coffee, 1 cup plain, nonfat yogurt with 2 tbsp. wheat germ, 1 apple, 1/2 tangerine, 1 cup red seedless grapes, 2 cups green salad (green leaf lettuce, scallion onions, radishes, tomato, celery) with feta cheese, black olives and lemon juice & balsalmic vinegar, 1 Turkey Burger (1 English muffin, 4 oz. grilled, ground turkey), 1 glass red wine, 1 slice frozen cheese pizza

• Saturday, March 21
  
  
  • 3 glasses water
  
  
  • 1 cup black coffee
  
  
  • 1 cup Kashi GoLean cereal with 1 cup skim milk
  
  
  • 1 turkey sandwich (2 slices whole-grain bread, 1 green leaf lettuce leaf, 3 slices deli turkey, 1 tbsp. hummus)
  
  
  • 1 South Beach Diet Breakfast Bar (Cinnamon Raisin)
  
  
  • 2 cups green salad (iceberg lettuce, carrot)with 1 tbsp. sliced almonds
  
  
  • 2 cups penne rigata pasta with tomato sauce (tomato, capers, chipotle peppers, red & green bell peppers)
  
  
  • 1 turkey burger (1 english muffin and 4 oz. grilled ground turkey)
  
  
  • 1 glass red wine
  
  
  • 1 glass warm sake
  
  
  
  


• Sunday, March 22
  
  
  • 5 glasses water
  
  
  • 3 cups coffee
  
  
  • 1 cup mixed fruit (watermelon, canteloupe, honeydew), 1 tangerine
  
  
  • 1 Chicken Wrap Sandwich (1 spinach tortilla, 6 oz. grilled chicken breast, 2 cups iceberg lettuce, 1/2 cup green bell pepper, 1/4 cup tomato salsa, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tbsp. chihuahua cheese)
  
  
  • 1 tbsp. cole slaw
  
  
  • 1 whole tomato with 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 2 cups steamed vegetables (carrots, green beans and zucchini) with balsalmic vinegar & lemon juice, 3 stalks celery with 2 tbsp. hummus
  
  
  • 1 turkey burger (1 hamburger bun and 4 oz. grilled ground turkey)
  
  
  
  


• Monday, March 23
  
  
  • 3 glasses water
  
  
  • 3 cups black coffee
  
  
  • 1 cup Kashi GoLean cereal with 1 cup skim milk
  
  
  • 1 1/4 cup baby carrots with 4 tbsp. hummus
  
  
  • Chicken Pita Sandwich (1 pita bread, 1 cup skinless roasted chicken, 2 cups red leaf lettuce, 2 tbsp. feta cheese, 5 black olives, 2 slices tomato)
  
  
  • 2 cups tomato, 2 cups green salad with lemon juice & balsalmic vinegar
  
  
  
  
  


• Tuesday, March 24
  
  
  • 1 cup water
  
  
  • 3 cups black coffee
  
  
  • 2 poached eggs
  
  
  • 2 slices dry whole-grain toast
  
  
  • <1 South Beach Diet Breakfast Bar (Cinnamon Raisin)/li>
    
  • 1 orange
  
  
  • Hamburger (6 oz. lean ground beef - grilled, 1 english muffin, 1 tomato slice, 1/2 tbsp. tomato ketchup)
  
  
  • 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1 cup steamed green beans, 1/4 cup steamed red bell pepper - all with lemon juice
  
  
  
  


• Wednesday, March 25
  
  
  • 2 glasses water
  
  
  • 2 cups black coffee
  
  
  • 2 poached eggs with 2 slices whole-grain toast
  
  
  • Chicken sandwich (2 slices whole-grain toast, 1 tomato slice, 2 leaves red leaf lettuce, 1/2 cup roast skinless chicken meat)
  
  
  • 1 Soft Shell Beef Taco 1 whole wheat tortilla, 1/2 cup lean ground beef
  
  
  • 2 tbsp homemade fresh salsa (tomato, cilantro, chipotle chile, lime juice, apple cider vinegar), 1/3 cup mashed sweet potato & apple, 2 cups red leaf lettuce, 2 cups fruit salad (kiwi fruit, strawberries, star fruit)
  
  
  • 1/2 cup whole grain rice
  
  
  
  


• Thursday, March 26
  
  
  • 2 glasses water
  
  
  • 2 cups black coffee
  
  
  • 1 cup sliced fruit (strawberries, kiwi fruit, starfruit), 1 apple
  
  
  • 2 cups steamed vegetables (red bell peppers, zucchini), 1 tbsp. black olives, 1 tbsp. crumbled feta cheese with lemon juice
  
  
  • 1 cup brown rice
  
  
  • 1 ground beef taco (1 whole-wheat tortilla, 1/4 cup lean ground beef, 2 avocado slices, 1 cup red-leaf lettuce, 2 tbsp fresh salsa)
  
  
  • 1 chicken sandwich (4 oz. grilled chicken thighs, 1 english muffin, 1 red-leaf lettuce leaf)
  
  
  • 1 whole raw tomato with 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
  
  
  
  


• Friday, March 27
  
  
  • 4 glasses water
  
  
  • 3 cups black coffee
  
  
  • 1 turkey sandwich (2 slices whole grain toast, 1 packet Buddig honey-roasted turkey, 1 slice tomato, 1/2 cup red-leaf lettuce, 2 pickle slices)
  
  
  • 1 apple
  
  
  • 2 cups steamed green beans, broccoli and carrots
  
  
  • 1 Hamburger (4 oz. lean ground beef, 1 english muffin, 1 tomato slice, 2 pickle slices)
  
  
  • 2 glasses red wine
  
  
  
  

• Saturday, March 28
  
  
  • 2 glasses water
  
  
  • 3 cups black coffee
  
  
  • 2 poached eggs
  
  
  • 2 slices whole-grain bread
  
  
  • 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
  
  
  • 1 apple, 1 orange
  
  
  • 1 rice cake with 1 tbsp. hummus
  
  
  • 3 cups steamed vegetables (zucchini, green beans, red bell pepper)
  
  
  • 1 grilled chicken sandwich (1 english muffin, 4 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1 slice red leaf lettuce, 1 tbsp fresh tomato salsa)
  
  
  • 1 cup Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (made it for the kids, I got hungry again, it was around..)
  
  
  • 2 glasses red wine
  
  
  
  


• Sunday, March 29
  
  
  • 2 glasses water
  
  
  • 4 cups black coffee
  
  
  • 1 South Beach Diet Breakfast Bar (cinnamon raisin)
  
  
  • 1 Chicken Wrap Sandwich (1 spinach tortilla, 6 oz. grilled chicken breast, 2 cups iceberg lettuce, 1/2 cup green bell pepper, 1/4 cup tomato salsa, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tbsp. chihuahua cheese)
  
  
  • 1 Chicken Sandwich (2 slices whole grain bread, 1 packet Buddig chicken slices, 2 slices red-leaf lettuce, 1 tomato slice, 1 tbsp hummus)
  
  
  • 2 tbsp. cole slaw
  
  
  • 1 cup fresh fruit (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, strawberry, grapes)
  
  
  • 2 cups Irish stew (steak, potatoes, celery, onions, carrots, broth, Guinness) - I had no time to cook and my husband made this
  
  
  • 1 Guinness beer
  
  
  
  


• Monday, March 30
  
  
  
  • 1 glass water
  
  
  • 2 cups black coffee
  
  
  • 2 tbsp. hummus with 1 cup baby carrots
  
  
  • 1 veggie sandwich (2 slices whole-grain bread, 1 tbsp. hummus, 1 tomato slice, 1 red onion slice, 1 leaf red-leaf lettuce)
  
  
  • 2 cups steamed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, green bell pepper, mushrooms)
  
  
  • 1 1/2 cups brown rice
  
  
  • 1/2 cup steamed tilapia
  
  
  
  
  


• Tuesday, March 31
  
• 1 cup water


• 1 cup black coffee


• 1 cup tea with 1 tsp. sugar (my husband forgot I'm not taking sugar)


• 1 cup steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, green bell pepper)


• 1 cup fresh fruit (cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberry, grapes)


• 1 cup Kashi GoLean cereal with 1 cup skim milk


• 1 whole tomato with 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese





• Wednesday, April 1
  


• Thursday, April 2
  


• Friday, April 3
  

Starting in the middle of week 4, I got really run-down feeling and didn't keep my food log. The next day I felt absolutely lousy and didn't even eat (thus, no food log). I got much worse and ended up going to the emergency room that night. What was wrong with me? Strep throat!

No wonder I felt terrible! I got it taken care of with a shot of penicillin rather than a course of antibiotics. I didn't feel like working out though, so that was also off track. Earlier in the week, my schedule got so super-busy I hadn't had time to work out then either. On top of all this, my husband started painting and building shelving in our front room - the room that I use to work out.

Just when I though things could get no less hopeful for my weight loss plan, an old friend of mine invited me over to her house for a dinner.

The thing is - all of these events are real life. And real life is what we're living in!I couldn't work out for a while. I was presented with a festive dinner party. I was taking a break from my food logging. I still tried to eat with the sensible options I have learned so far. OK - my friend's garlic bread and cheese spread with veggie lasagna, followed by macadamia nut cookies was not diet-friendly. I approached it knowing the challenge though, and reminded myself that it was a temporary break from my current plan.

I did not give up on my dieting because I'm not on a "diet". I'm learning to eat more healthfully and in accordance with a caloric intake that will maintain my ideal weight. I need to get down to that ideal weight first though, and have to LIMIT my eating (healthy or not) as well as exercise regularly. If I mess up here and there, I won't give up. That's because I'm changing the way I eat permanently. And as I said before, I do like the occassional cheesecake or indulgent Sunday brunch. If overall I'm eating healthy foods, I can have something extravagant here or there (and maybe throw in some extra activity to burn it off).

Sign up at Squidoo and make your own committment to losing weight! Be sure to send me a message after you've joined and I'll cheer you on!