Fantastic Dinner on a Monday Night, Chicken Sausage and Peppers!


So simple and no marinading needed. The Chicken sausage is made by Wegmans, and is called "Fire Roasted Chicken Sausage"
Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 2.5 oz, Cooked (70g)
Servings Per Container: varied
Calories 120
Total Fat 6 g (10%)
Protein 14 g

It is delicious ! In addition, a great pick for an on the way home kind of meal.

[-00.40] Day 8

I'll take it ! Just under a half a pound, clearly a victory !

Last Night, I was reintroduced to Spaghetti Squash. Maureen made us a STELLAR dinner, using Spaghetti Squash for pasta. Why do no Italian restaurants use this as a pasta alternative? I would clearly pay a few dollars extra, for a low calorie option, so I could have my favourite garlic bread.

Also, after the breakdown yesterday of all the nutritional labels, we came to the conclusion, we're on Atkins, but it's just called Medifast. If you've ever been on Atkins, (which of course I have) you remove all breads and sugars from your diet and focus on Proteins and Fats. The major difference is that in Medifast there is a lower fat consumption. You can tell if you're in Fat burning mode if you're in Ketosis, I bet if I did the stick pee, I know what I would find !

"The way in which the Atkins diet works is through changing the body's metabolism. The body burns fats and carbohydrates in order to provide the energy to function normally. Carbohydrates are turned into glucose and are used before fats in our bodies. According to Atkins, if we reduce the amount of carbohydrate intake, our body will burn our fat as fuel, cause weight loss. Through this burning of fat, we also affect our body's insulin production which, according to Atkins, will prevent more fat from being formed."
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-atkins-diet.htm

The Math

Most people who struggle with their weight talk about how they've gained and lossed hundreds if not thousands of lbs. I just did the math, I've lost 15lbs since my heaviest. Although this is over a really long time, still makes me feel good that it's a reduction, and not yet another RANT of how bad I feel about myself.
I'm ready for next week. Bring it !

[-00.40] Day 7

Morning weigh in, still steadily in "FAT BURN" mode, this morning I found empty boxes from the Medifast and cut out their nutritional information.
My summary, Low calorie / High protein = targeted weight loss focused on your FAT not your muscle.

Each of the 5 premade meals averages the same
100-110 calories
2 g. Fat
4 g. fiber
11 g. protein

so by the end of the day, in prepackaged food, you've consumed

550 calories
10 g. fat
20 g. fiber
55 g. protein

Your evening meal (Lean and Green)
250 calories
5 fat
0 fiber
41 g. protein

800 calories a day
15 g. fat
20 g. fiber
81 g. protein

Now, when you do the stats, this continues to NOT be rocket science, according to an online calorie calculator
I would need

2143.8 calories per day to maintain your current weight without exercise.
1918.3 calories per day to reach your goal weight slowly and maintain that weight without exercise.
1643.8 calories per day you will lose one pound per week without exercise.
2643.8 calories per day, you will gain one pound per week.

Exercise and Calorie Needs
exercise for 30 minutes each day, you may increase your caloric intake to 2390.1 calories per day and still maintain your current weight.
exercise for 60 minutes each day, you may increase your caloric intake to 2697.9 calories per day to maintain your current weight.
exercise for 30 minutes each day, you will be able to reach your goal weight with 2137.5 calories per day.
exercise for 60 minutes each day, you will be able to reach your goal weight with 2411.5 calories per day.

[-02.20] Day 6 Starting Medifast

So, about a week ago we entered into MEDIFAST ....Three women (the same and usual suspects) pulled ourselves together and signed onto a prepaid food solution. Beth had heard about it from a friend of hers at school and was bound and determined since Christmas to get on board. We finally had a reprieve in our schedule where we felt we could do it successfully. We ordered our food and were off.
The plan is a 2 week fat burning jump start. With the following rules:
1) We eat 6 times a day
2) 1 of these meals is what is called a "LEAN and GREEN" (Chicken/Vegetable)
3) 64 OZ of water
Sounds manageable. Now, there are definitely some fine print in this plan. However, so far, we've been able to work with the restrictions fairly successfully.

So I've been thinking, what are the strategies that I've used this week (notice I don't say learned, because lets face it, I know these rules) that I want to continue when I'm done. WHAT's THE DISCIPLINE?

1. 2.5 HR Increments
2. Eating 45 min after wake up
3. Using less sugar substitutes/salts
4. 16 oz water first thing in the AM, first thing after breakfast
5. I like black tea
6. JOURNALING my food keeps me accountable, BLOGGING my voice makes me reflective.
7. Distinguish the difference between HUNGER, UNCOMFORTABLE, SATISFIED, STUFFED

[-00.20] Day 5 Attending the 30th Birthday Party

Nope, it wasn't mine, but a friend from Rugby we haven't seen for ever, we went to her birthday party. It was really nice seeing some friends that I haven't seen forever. Problem was, the other friends that attended the party, the wings, Dolche cupcakes, pizza and the bar.

Talk about fucking temptation!

Since I'm on the Medifast, I seem to accept that I can't have these things when I see them, so I just socialized and and drank water. What did I want to do, take the fucking tray of Dolce cupcakes, hide in the broom closet and eat till I was sick. On the way home I reflected at the relief I felt that I was on Medifast.

I would of gained 4-5 on salt and sugar alone.

[-02.40] Day 4

Today when I woke up I actually felt pretty good. I keep talking about the state of hunger, what it feels like. Because while I've been slightly uncomfortable, I've really experienced HUNGER once.
Truth is on Medifast, I feel like I could eat at any time, just to eat. - HENCE, part of the problem. Distinguishing the feeling of feeling HUNGRY, to feeling UNCOMFORTABLE, to feeling SATISFIED, to feeling UNCOMFORTABLY FULL/STUFFED.
We went to Maureen's for dinner tonight she made Stellar mesquite shrimp with Zucchini, I could eat it everyday, delicious.

[+00.80] Day 3

I woke up this morning, no loss, but at peace with it, as I realized it was my favourite time of the month, this also explains the big pop up in my weight at the beginning of the week. On a day like today, I would of loved to run to Wegmans, and pick up a chocolate Sara Lee cake to last me through the week, I was thankful to be on Medifast and not have that option.

This mornings oatmeal has really stuck with me today, and with the additions it wasn't to bad to get down. HMMM..
I seemed to loose focus at around 12:21, hungry, not dying I took a break played with Ellie outside and had lunch.
Today I seem to feel comfortable with Medifast I've been daydreaming of staying on this, alas, it's only day 3, but you never know.

7:00 16oz water
7:45 Oatmeal (added vanilla, caramel sweetner, cinammon)
7:50 16oz water
10:00 Caramel Bar
11:00 16oz water
11:20 8oz vitamin water
1:30 Tomato soup
1:50 16oz water
3:00 Black tea with caramel / sweetener
4:00 Peanut butter bar
5:45 Taco salad dinner
6:00 8-12oz crystal light
8:30 shake

[-04.00] Day 2

Hilarious, lost 4 of my big water weight pounds in 24 hours.

I actually woke up a bit hungry, tough part, was I woke up at 3. The pancakes weren't so bad. I liked the chocolate chips anyway. At around 1 had the soup, I put of pinch of heat in in and found it tolerable. If I were do this diet after, I would order shakes, peanut butter bars, chicken and rice soup and pancakes.

I noticed today, everything is low salt, low calorie, and GLUTEN FREE.... hmmmm I tend to think I'm Gluten sensitive.

Overall I had a great day and although I'm hungry I'm not uncomfortable I can do this, and I deserve it.

7:00 16oz water
7:45 Pancakes
7:50 16oz water
10:00 Choc Peanut Butter Bar
11:00 16oz water
11:20 8oz vitamin water
1:30 Chicken and wild rice
1:50 16oz water
3:00 Black tea with caramel / sweetener
4:00 Mint bar
5:45 Talapia and spinach
6:00 8-12oz crystal light
8:30 shake

[+06.80] Day 1 Starting Medifast

I weighed myself this morning, crap I have gained ... today is my salvation, my hope anyway, today i being Medifast. I feel a little anxious about it. I will continue to edit this blog through the day.

5:00 16 oz water
5:00 4 oz water
7:00 Coffee with creamer (I am not giving it up)
10:00 Oatmeal
12:30 Peanut butter meal bar
12:00 16 oz water
3:00 Tea, pretzel snack, vitamin water
5:00 Cinnamon bar
6:11 Chicken and broccoli
16 oz water
8:30 Vanilla shake

I started this morning with oatmeal, which was the first intro into Medifast, basically it brought me back to my art classroom, I was eating paper mache. I certainly won't be craving this meal, but it did stick with me till about 12:15
This is going to be seriously mental.
This was followed later on in the day with the Peanut Butter Meal bar, delish. Only at 3 to be satisfied with the Chicken and Broccoli recipe we found, It was overall manageable.
Later on in the day we ate these cinnamon sticks, they were disgusting. Overall for the day, I survived, Beth is struggling, I think I have more resources to pull from then she does, and when I know the boundaries, I respect them.