Wt: somewhere in the neighborhood of 164-165 lbs.
Ketosis: moderate.
We've been using a Withings scale to keep track of weight loss on the diet. It's beautiful, fancy, wirelessly connected to the internet, and not at all cheap. We bought it expressly for this weight loss effort, to make it all that much more involved and fun.
So you step on the scale in the morning, the gorgeous, thin, glossy blue-black smooth-surfaced scale. It weighs you, takes an estimate of your body fat by bioelectric impedance measurement, and calculates your body mass index. It then sends all of this information to their website, where you can log in and look at pretty graphs of your fat decreasing in time, obsessing over every data point to your heart's content. If there are multiple users of the scale it automatically recognizes which one you are and sends your data to the right place. It is remarkably good at this. KCA stepped on it the other day; her weight and mine are only a few pounds different, but the scale correctly decided that she wasn't me. On the downside, it then refused to take her measurements. It's not a scale anybody can just step on and use. It has standards.
It's also a bit high strung in how it takes measurements even of people it knows. I stepped on it multiple times this morning and got returns ranging from 164.7 (depressing) to 164.2 (better, but still not lower than my happy Thursday weight of 163.6). I ran a bunch of side-by-side trials of the Withings vs. JRS's old scale that I've been using happily for years now. The old one, while not as pretty and unable to talk to the internets, is much more consistent in its measurements (also weighs about a pound less; but that's a calibration issue).
I generally prefer the work horse over the race horse (plus, have a history with it). But it's really nice to be able to see graphs without ever writing down a thing. An added benefit from the Withings website is the ability to download the data to a spreadsheet, so you can do what you like with it. This is particularly useful as their website has some design issues, namely the inability to look at points on the graph that are too close together (they also have an iPhone app that is very nice and doesn't have this problem).
I'm simultaneously keeping track of everything eaten on SparkPeople.com, and in the end will hopefully be able to look into how and on what time scales weight loss responds to consumption of calories, fats, carbs, etc.
Interesting side note: after playing with both scales for a while this morning, I finally took a shower. Stepped on both again after the shower - hair still wet - and had miraculously lost more than a pound!! It had been a while since my last shower, but I didn't realize dirt could weigh that much.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Day Five: paying for bingeing on carbs.
Wt: 165.1 lbs (ARGH), ketosis moderate (40 mg/dl).
I GAINED weight from yesterday. I GAINED WEIGHT. No more Atkins Advantage products. We hates them, precious. Total carb intake was over 100 for the day. Bad!! And even though total calories were pretty low for a normal life (951), somehow the day was a total disaster for a diet. Guess I should be happy I'm still in ketosis, but am not happy to have GAINED WEIGHT on fourth day of rather severe diet. I've even been exercising; yesterday was a mild day (walked about 4 miles), but still better than sitting around.
But, clearly, not enough.
What were poor choices? (1) eating entire Atkins bar (hissssssss) for afternoon snack; way too many carbs, and didn't follow LB's suggestion to eat only half. Was somehow obsessed and couldn't stop myself. (2) drinking shake at end of evening: didn't need it (pretty full after late dinner and was tired and falling asleep in front of a movie), didn't enjoy it (pretty crappy, esp. for 160 calories and 9g fat), shouldn't have had it, will try to remember this next time.
Am not that happy with self.
P.S. scale is fickle. I stepped on it three times in a row this morning and got three different readings: 165.6, 164.9, 165.1. Where is the truth?
P.P.S. Somehow non-fat cottage cheese has twice the carbs, 1.5x the calories, and roughly the same amount of fat as the 1% fat version. WTF? Also ingredients list of non-fat includes lots of crud, whereas 1% has mostly milk and cultures. Further confirmation that it's best just to eat foods that are as real as possible. Michael Pollan is right.
I GAINED weight from yesterday. I GAINED WEIGHT. No more Atkins Advantage products. We hates them, precious. Total carb intake was over 100 for the day. Bad!! And even though total calories were pretty low for a normal life (951), somehow the day was a total disaster for a diet. Guess I should be happy I'm still in ketosis, but am not happy to have GAINED WEIGHT on fourth day of rather severe diet. I've even been exercising; yesterday was a mild day (walked about 4 miles), but still better than sitting around.
But, clearly, not enough.
What were poor choices? (1) eating entire Atkins bar (hissssssss) for afternoon snack; way too many carbs, and didn't follow LB's suggestion to eat only half. Was somehow obsessed and couldn't stop myself. (2) drinking shake at end of evening: didn't need it (pretty full after late dinner and was tired and falling asleep in front of a movie), didn't enjoy it (pretty crappy, esp. for 160 calories and 9g fat), shouldn't have had it, will try to remember this next time.
Am not that happy with self.
P.S. scale is fickle. I stepped on it three times in a row this morning and got three different readings: 165.6, 164.9, 165.1. Where is the truth?
P.P.S. Somehow non-fat cottage cheese has twice the carbs, 1.5x the calories, and roughly the same amount of fat as the 1% fat version. WTF? Also ingredients list of non-fat includes lots of crud, whereas 1% has mostly milk and cultures. Further confirmation that it's best just to eat foods that are as real as possible. Michael Pollan is right.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Day Four: bingeing on carbs
Wt: 163.6, Ketosis somewhere between moderate and large.
Today was first day of regular weight loss diet, or adding fruits and vegetables to protein. And ACK - have already eaten 77g of carbs today, and have not had dinner yet. Total for yesterday was only 12! Wonder if body is screaming and dragging under weight of all the extra sugars; feeling really sleepy now. The killers were breakfast cereal (25g carbs) and the entire Atkins Caramel Double Chocolate Crunch bar I had for afternoon snack (22g). A lot of the carb in the Atkins bar is supposedly fiber, but the daily carb total still goes up to an alarming number.
But, the watermelon was delicious (1/2 cup diced, 8g carbs). As was, strangely, the unpleasantly dry little Atkins bar that is the main culprit. Funny because an hour before lunch I was thinking I would come here and write that the diet really isn't that hard, and then I came home and realized I was ravenous from missing morning snack (interview for volunteer job on Cambridge Climate Change planning committee). Promptly pigged out on snack and first full lunch (fruit, veg, protein, lettuce), then couldn't stop myself and had to eat entire nasty Atkins bar (officially afternoon snack).
Today was first day of regular weight loss diet, or adding fruits and vegetables to protein. And ACK - have already eaten 77g of carbs today, and have not had dinner yet. Total for yesterday was only 12! Wonder if body is screaming and dragging under weight of all the extra sugars; feeling really sleepy now. The killers were breakfast cereal (25g carbs) and the entire Atkins Caramel Double Chocolate Crunch bar I had for afternoon snack (22g). A lot of the carb in the Atkins bar is supposedly fiber, but the daily carb total still goes up to an alarming number.
But, the watermelon was delicious (1/2 cup diced, 8g carbs). As was, strangely, the unpleasantly dry little Atkins bar that is the main culprit. Funny because an hour before lunch I was thinking I would come here and write that the diet really isn't that hard, and then I came home and realized I was ravenous from missing morning snack (interview for volunteer job on Cambridge Climate Change planning committee). Promptly pigged out on snack and first full lunch (fruit, veg, protein, lettuce), then couldn't stop myself and had to eat entire nasty Atkins bar (officially afternoon snack).
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Day Three: Ketosis, check!
Weight: 164.9 lbs!! BMI back down to 25! Ketosis: moderate (~40 mg/dl)
48 hours, 3.1 pounds; great.
Still feeling okay, no hideous cravings. Yesterday was a bit grouchy in the evening, and pretty tired during the day - not so much physically, just really sleepy. KCA came over for work and I could barely keep my eyes open sitting at the kitchen table, trying to read about fish imports. In the afternoon we went cross country skiing at the Weston Ski Track in Waltham, which was great - lots of outdoors, hard physical work, and a new skill to learn to distract from the physical work. And, the pleasure of climbing up the steep learning curve. But cold, esp. after falling down a couple of times and getting covered with snow trying to get up (not a graceful process, at least not at my skill level).
At LB's suggestion, got some faux chocolatey protein bars at Trader Joe's, and we split one last night for the late night snack. Not really delicious - reminded me of a Tiger Milk bar, which I'm not sure they make any more - but all right in a sort of limited way for an off night, so will probably get more. Love Trader Joe's.
Disturbing aspect of looking at pictures: very upsetting to see myself from the back. I had no idea I looked like that. Look fat. Not only back fat, but also tubby giant hips and butt, and clothes don't hide it at all. Just a big fat chick. If I saw myself from the back in public I would immediately judge me as a fat, lazy person who eats lots of Wonder Bread and drives everywhere. I guess it must have been accumulating for a while in my back before I noticed it in front.
In happy news, yesterday M.A. finally took his new Ikea sheepskin for a test run. Apparently successful, as that's where he's been ever since with a few bathroom and tv breaks.
2pm: Headache. Mild nausea. Definite disgruntlement. Big thermos of green tea NOT delicious.
2:10pm: Just realized that JRS and my combined weight came down below 400 lbs today. Yatta!
48 hours, 3.1 pounds; great.
Still feeling okay, no hideous cravings. Yesterday was a bit grouchy in the evening, and pretty tired during the day - not so much physically, just really sleepy. KCA came over for work and I could barely keep my eyes open sitting at the kitchen table, trying to read about fish imports. In the afternoon we went cross country skiing at the Weston Ski Track in Waltham, which was great - lots of outdoors, hard physical work, and a new skill to learn to distract from the physical work. And, the pleasure of climbing up the steep learning curve. But cold, esp. after falling down a couple of times and getting covered with snow trying to get up (not a graceful process, at least not at my skill level).
At LB's suggestion, got some faux chocolatey protein bars at Trader Joe's, and we split one last night for the late night snack. Not really delicious - reminded me of a Tiger Milk bar, which I'm not sure they make any more - but all right in a sort of limited way for an off night, so will probably get more. Love Trader Joe's.
Disturbing aspect of looking at pictures: very upsetting to see myself from the back. I had no idea I looked like that. Look fat. Not only back fat, but also tubby giant hips and butt, and clothes don't hide it at all. Just a big fat chick. If I saw myself from the back in public I would immediately judge me as a fat, lazy person who eats lots of Wonder Bread and drives everywhere. I guess it must have been accumulating for a while in my back before I noticed it in front.
In happy news, yesterday M.A. finally took his new Ikea sheepskin for a test run. Apparently successful, as that's where he's been ever since with a few bathroom and tv breaks.
2pm: Headache. Mild nausea. Definite disgruntlement. Big thermos of green tea NOT delicious.
2:10pm: Just realized that JRS and my combined weight came down below 400 lbs today. Yatta!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Day Two: day 1 wasn't so bad
Weight: 167.1 lbs. Ketostick: Small, or 15 (on a scale of zero to 165)
9am: getting ready for breakfast (veggie faux burger). First protein day is over, and it was fine. Wasn't particularly hungry at any point, didn't really crave anything beyond the mild longing for ramen noodles at ramen noodle time. We watched a couple episodes of Dexter and noticed that they do a lot of eating scenes on that show, but it wasn't actually hard. Hmm.
A little bit disappointing to have not lost more weight.
Had Morningstar veggie burgers for breakfast. Taste like textured soy protein, and have too many carbs for the taste. The carb/cardboard ratio is too high. Will look for other brands next time I'm out.
(Ed. note: later this day had 3 hrs of cross country skiing, exercise quotient v. good)
9am: getting ready for breakfast (veggie faux burger). First protein day is over, and it was fine. Wasn't particularly hungry at any point, didn't really crave anything beyond the mild longing for ramen noodles at ramen noodle time. We watched a couple episodes of Dexter and noticed that they do a lot of eating scenes on that show, but it wasn't actually hard. Hmm.
A little bit disappointing to have not lost more weight.
Had Morningstar veggie burgers for breakfast. Taste like textured soy protein, and have too many carbs for the taste. The carb/cardboard ratio is too high. Will look for other brands next time I'm out.
(Ed. note: later this day had 3 hrs of cross country skiing, exercise quotient v. good)
Monday, January 11, 2010
Day one: it begins.
One stone = 14 pounds.
I want to lose weight. I want to feel healthy and light on my feet, I want my clothes to be comfortable. I want to stop looking at other chunky women and wondering who's fatter, them or me. And even if they're fatter, are they carrying it better than I do? Every now and then I remember that my shirt might be clinging to my back and showing off the rolls of back fat to the world, and I start doing weird things with my shoulders in a superstitious attempt to smooth out the rolls. I don't even know if they're really showing, or if the back contortions minimize them, or if I'm missing something important in the conversation while I obsess about the situation. I don't want to have to worry about that any more.
I weigh 168 pounds, exactly 12 stone. I'm going to cast off a couple of stones, and it's going to be great.
The diet started this morning; one egg. If only this were Helen Gurley Brown's diet from Sex and the Single Girl, where after the egg you get to eat grapefruit and a glass of white wine (I would have a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough). Instead it's a high protein, low fat low carb diet that jump starts with three days of protein only - and paltry amounts of that. Six tiny servings that you eat throughout the day: one egg, two and a half slices of low-fat turkey breast, four ounces of low-fat cottage cheese. Water.
Sigh.
Addendum, 2pm: peed on first ketostick. Results: "trace".
Had coffee this morning with LB, who is also on the diet and is a veteran, having successfully completed it three times in the last six years or so. We walked through CVS looking at sweet-flavored protein bars and metamucil, the first to answer cravings for chocolate-y flavors, the second to deal with the stoppage that is apparently widely experienced by people on these types of diets. Nice. One theraputic serving of metamucil: 4g of carbs. Seems kind of unfair.
2:45pm: Not even at the point of hunger yet, and already I'm looking longingly at bananas. I started thinking happily, as I often do around this time of day, about eating a bowl of ramen noodles and watching Colbert for lunch. Brain smarted indignantly like a puppy getting its nose smacked when I reminded it that ramen noodles wouldn't be happening today.
Will definitely be needing some kind of organized distraction to make it through this.
I want to lose weight. I want to feel healthy and light on my feet, I want my clothes to be comfortable. I want to stop looking at other chunky women and wondering who's fatter, them or me. And even if they're fatter, are they carrying it better than I do? Every now and then I remember that my shirt might be clinging to my back and showing off the rolls of back fat to the world, and I start doing weird things with my shoulders in a superstitious attempt to smooth out the rolls. I don't even know if they're really showing, or if the back contortions minimize them, or if I'm missing something important in the conversation while I obsess about the situation. I don't want to have to worry about that any more.
I weigh 168 pounds, exactly 12 stone. I'm going to cast off a couple of stones, and it's going to be great.
The diet started this morning; one egg. If only this were Helen Gurley Brown's diet from Sex and the Single Girl, where after the egg you get to eat grapefruit and a glass of white wine (I would have a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough). Instead it's a high protein, low fat low carb diet that jump starts with three days of protein only - and paltry amounts of that. Six tiny servings that you eat throughout the day: one egg, two and a half slices of low-fat turkey breast, four ounces of low-fat cottage cheese. Water.
Sigh.
Addendum, 2pm: peed on first ketostick. Results: "trace".
Had coffee this morning with LB, who is also on the diet and is a veteran, having successfully completed it three times in the last six years or so. We walked through CVS looking at sweet-flavored protein bars and metamucil, the first to answer cravings for chocolate-y flavors, the second to deal with the stoppage that is apparently widely experienced by people on these types of diets. Nice. One theraputic serving of metamucil: 4g of carbs. Seems kind of unfair.
2:45pm: Not even at the point of hunger yet, and already I'm looking longingly at bananas. I started thinking happily, as I often do around this time of day, about eating a bowl of ramen noodles and watching Colbert for lunch. Brain smarted indignantly like a puppy getting its nose smacked when I reminded it that ramen noodles wouldn't be happening today.
Will definitely be needing some kind of organized distraction to make it through this.
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