JustSuper's Journal

Yay!!!!! I broke into the 160s!!! Whoo-hoo! Thank goodness!
-M

So I walked, 6 miles on Saturday. And in doing so, I accidentally injured my foot. Now I can't walk at all, well not aerobically. I am trying to get better so I can get back to my program.

My program is an intelligent approach I found the other day on the Good Housekeeping website. 30 mins a day of walking, followed by a small 20 min 6 step calisthenic program 3 times a week. Check it out:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/fitness/fitness-plan-two-weeks-oct06

I weigh myself everyday to get the best results. Most people would say, you shouldn't do that. However I found it has kept me on track and motivated.

My new perspective is taking it 5 lbs. at a time. Lose this 5 lbs. then the next 5 lbs. and so on. I have 7 sets of these to manage if I want to reach my goal by Christmas.

It is amazing to me how easy it was to lose the first 65 lbs. Since the plateau hit me, it has been a up hill battle to lose even a single lb. And it isn't like I am not working for it. I am actually working harder, checking and rechecking what I am eating to get enough protein, potassium, fiber and calories to function, while keeping sodium, carbs, and fat low.

Every time I reached a small plateau in the first 65 lbs. I would monitor something new, and that usually helped. All I have left to monitor are my carbs, and it has been incredibly hard to do, while keeping that sodium level down. However I will continue to reduce my carbs as best I can while maintaining other aspects of my diet.

I'd love to be where I was several months ago, where I was losing 10 lbs. a month. Now I can barely squeeze out 5 lbs. The 170's have been particularly challenging. However I am optimistic that I will find the key I need to start losing again, so I can reach my perfect weight and BMI.

Wish me luck! Thanks!

Today we are going as low-carb as I can possibly go, and still get enough to eat, while maintaining low sodium. This is a contradiction in terms.

Low-carb rarely means low sodium, because products that are low-carb use sodium for taste. Plus I am a picky eater and on a budget. I am using Atkins to help curb the carbs, but surprisingly the Atkins franchise of foods has significantly dwindled when it comes to shopping at the supermarket.

Sure, I could do it on my own, if I want to eat tofu. Tofu is about the perfect food, except when it comes to that whole taste thing. In order to give tofu something to write home about you must add flavor, which usually means adding salt or sodium laden products. And if not high sodium, then high sugar or fats.

I will likely be experimenting with tofu, in the coming months to help keep the sodium and the carbs low. It will be a challenge, but one I am willing to accept.

For those of you who are watching my diet, it goes a little something like this, "Diet Royale™ (c) M.E. Gober, 2009-2013":
Eat a King size breakfast
This means the most food, calories and sodium you will eat all day. This is also where you need to get your protein and other nutrients to help you make it through the day.

Snack like a Queen
This can be your highest calorie snack of the day.

Eat a Prince size lunch
The calories should be at least 150-200 less than breakfast, but larger than dinner.

Snack like a Princess
The calories of this snack should be less than your Queen snack, and greater than your Maiden snack.

Eat like a Pauper at dinner
Go for broke. This meal should have the fewest calories in a day. Try to avoid heavy carbs and high sodium

Snack like a Peasant or Maiden
This should be your smallest snack of the day, preferably something like an apple or a serving of carrots.

In addition to following this regiment:
Drink 8 oz water with ever meal and snack. Add 16 additional oz throughout the day, so you are getting a minimum of 64 oz. of water a day.

Calories: 1400-1500
Fat: 30 g
Sodium: 1500-1800 mg (or lower)
Potassium: 3000-3600 mg
Net Carbs: 97 g
Fiber: 35 g
Sugar: as low as you can get it
Protein 140 g

Exercise: 20 min cardio daily, 20 min calisthenics, balance ball, pilates or yoga daily. Weight training every other day.

This has been a rough battle, just to get over the threshold of the 170's. As you can see I am still there. I am going to work even harder to get in to the 160's. Wish me luck!