Mern - I am probably not consuming enough calories. I run, lift weights and do a few other things so I know I am burning enough. I think I might just have to add in a small snack or two of veggies or nuts in order to get things back on track. Thanks for the ideas! BTW, my b-day was on the 24th. :)

Thursday Report

I'm giving myself a B+ for effort yesterday. But I had a harder time working out a "goal achieving" menu due to my agreement with my doc yesterday to work on raising my calories to over 1200. Problem while I'm still learning how to do it is increasing my calories and lowering my sat fat percentages without increasing my fixed carbs. I used to add mono unsaturated fats to reduce my percentage of saturated fat, but the diet guidelines stress that monounsaturated fats are consumed INSTEAD of sat fat, not in addition to sat fat. I used to add more lean meat or fish (zero carb) to reach my calorie minimum if I had already reached my carb limit, but on this diet I can have only 5 oz. total of meat, fish, or poultry per day. I spent a lot of time yesterday pre-logging and juggling foods and portion sizes and just couldn't find the right combination of foods to get over 1200 calories and reach my fat targets, so my fat is high. I have an appointment with a dietitian Oct. 24, so until then I will be doing some self-help web surfing to learn more about food choices to reach my goals and formulating reasonable modifications to my TLC diet.

Calorie limit 1500: 1088, 1293, 1169, 1273 (Average so far is 1206 calories)
Total fat calories limit 35% of total calories: 41% 33%, 34g, 37%, (average so far is 36.25%)
Saturated fat target changed to 9% of total calories: 14%, 9%, 9%, 12% (Average so far is 11% of 1205 calories)
Meat, poultry and fish limit 5 oz. per day: YES, YES, YES, YES
Cholesterol under 200mg: 101mg, 189mg, calling it green at 204mg, 162g (Average so far is 164mg
Net carbs (total carbs less fiber) 25g: 23g, 25g, 25, 24g
Fiber minimum 25g: 25g, 43g, 26g, 34g
Protein minimum 120g: 103g, 156g, 149mg, 142 protein
Exercise 5 days: day off, NO, NO, NO
Water 64 oz.: No, maybe 48 oz., YES, Don't think so
Remember to take both morning and evening supplements: Half, YES, YES, YES
Nutritious evening snack that won't take me off target:
Monday: sugar free chocolate,
Tuesday:celery stuffed with reduced fat cheese and olives and half a protein shake
Wednesday: protein shake with fresh strawberries added
Thursday: one oz. no preservative ham and zero cholesterol egg substitute on half a low carb, high fiber tortilla
Ideas for modifications to make after consultation with dietician Oct 24, if not sooner:
--Change meat/fish/poultry target from 5 oz. per day total to the already allowed 200mg cholesterol. That would help give me more calories without increasing my fixed carbs.

Mern, this is like one of those math problems...if two trains are traveling on tracks leaving Chicago (waving to Ann ;)) and Texas (hi, Kayla ;)), and one track is straight, one is not; one must go 55 mph and the other varies speed with a maximum of 70 mph, when will they have to leave to meet in Denver at 3:00 PM on Friday?

You are doing great to hang in there. I would be face first in the frozen yogurt by now. October 24? Who knew dieticians were so busy?

Darlene, looks like you are doing pretty good! One of my traps is the same...getting home too hungry and then it's pretty much over.

Hadena, hope you feel better soon!

Ann, hopefully you'll see a good drop soon. Sounds like you're on a good routine, not too shabby having two little ones!

Cassie, the dietitian had three other openings before October 24 but they were at times when I will be providing transportation to my younger grandkids to or from school. Thanks for the much needed chuckle over the train math problem. Uhm, where and at one time of day did the train wreck? :p I must confess to you that yesterday, because of feelings of deprivation, I treated myself to a 100 calorie no sugar added ice cream bar :p but in all sincerity I know I can't make feelings of deprivation a lifestyle diet. My numbers were slightly disappointing yesterday but I did learn (from taking my averages this week for dietary cholesterol and saturated fat) one modification that might help. I already brought my blood cholesterol down to normal with a limit of 300 and then 250mg per day. Based on the fact that my dietary cholesterol so far this week is only 164mg, I'm going to use that as "wiggle room" to modify my meat goal from 5 oz. per day maximum to the already allowed 200mg dietary cholesterol per day. There's Doc's voice in my head again: "You don't have to be perfect--just better than you USED to be." It might prove as a valid way to increase calories and bring down my total fat/sat fat percentage of total calories. Adding 2 oz. tuna to yesterday's food would have brought my calories to a more "tummy satisfying" 1323 and reduced my percentage of total fat 1% to 36% with a target of 35%. I'm confident I can formulate some ideas and give them an adequate trial run between now and my dietitian appointment. :)

I'll catch up with the rest of you later. Have only my 8 year old grandson to take care of today, but it's his last day here before school starts the day after Labor Day, so I want to do something special with him--don't know what yet--but I need to make a run to the grocery store first.

Ok, can only stay a minute - too much to do in the three hours before going back on the bus.:eek:

Sorry if I overstepped my bounds, Mike & Tori - got swept up in the hilarity of it all. :o

To everyone- I hope you all have a fine weekend - I won't be online from this afternoon until Monday. Got an escape planned - Friday to Monday in a cabin in the wilds of VT...Will keep track (best I can) in a notebook, and will enter it all in on Monday night. whew. Am hoping I get the rest and the peace that my spirit so desperately needs. See you in September!

Blessings and happiness to you all!

Judi-it's all in good fun. no bounds overstepped :p

Bounds??? We have bounds???

that's what I was thinking too, but apparently someone messed with my antipsychotic drugs again and my nice streak continues :D

Log all food. Good, bad and ugly. M,T,W, TH
Walk at least 10000 steps a day. 14,652, 10,046,13270, 12446,
Take supplements. M,T,W,TH
Drink 64 oz of water daily. M,T,W, Th
Keep caloric intake below 1800 each day. M,T,W, Th

Notes: Mern- I think it is wonderfully inspiring how you manage your nutrition. Kudos.
Judi: I love browsing through the activities on the Fitday activities. I'm glad driving a bus is on there. Also in there, chamber maid, Anishinaabe jiggle dancing... chasing cattle... lots of fun !

argh, phone keeps ringing... I'll get back to you all later.

I think my scale is plotting against me:rolleyes:I lost an inch on my thighs and 2 on my waist in the last 2 weeks but my scale says I have lost .5lb whats up with that:confused:
I hope you all have a great friday, I am off to work.