Day 304 - Quiche

In an effort to break away from cooking/baking boredom, I made quiche on Saturday.  Sure, it's rich, but if I couple it with a salad, is it all that bad?  Well, apparantly it is all....that....bad. 

After eating a slice, I decided to calculate the calorie count of 1/4 of the quiche.  Now keep in mind that it's a 8.5 inch tart, not a pie, and there isn't a whole lot of filling, so 1/4 slice is a moderate size.  Certainly not large by any means. 

Unfortunately moderate in size doesn't mean moderate in calories.  I calculated that one slice of bacon arugula quiche has a whopping 750 calories.  Who knew?

What I don't understand is that I am hungry 3 or 4 hours after eating a slice.  I had a 1/6 slice for breakfast, which I calculate to be about 500 calories, as well as an orange, and I'm already hungry.  It's only been two hours!

What's up with that?  Is it possible that I overcalculated the calories?

Nevertheless, I will not be making quiche again.  I'll stick to milk-based crustless but still good fritatta. 

On a positive note, the only sugar I had yesterday was a couple of bites of chocolate.  I did well overall, taking in about 1800 calories.  Still need to drink more water. 

Day 303 - 9 Weeks Left

There are 9 weeks left in 2011.  With the exception of Thanksgiving Day and Christmas festivities, I plan to make the best out of the 9 weeks remaining.  I have been whining and complaining about my hip pain for 6 months now.  As a result of this whining, I have gained 10 pounds.  I should be ashamed. 

I AM ashamed. 

Bottom line is that I can still lose weight with an injury.  My exercise may be limited, but my dieting is not.  If I eat healthy, low carbohydrate meals, avoid sugar, and drink lots of water each and every day, I will lose weight.

I recorded my food intake yesterday.  Of course I had all the best intentions, but in the end, I gave in to temptation....again.   I'm estimating my total caloric intake was 1800-1900, but that included cheetos, mini chocolates, a few candy dots, and vanilla ice cream.  I took a 30 minute TRX class, walked for 20, and swam laps for 25 minutes, so I don't think I gained, but I certainly didn't lose. 

This morning I threw away the bag of cheetos.  Why was that so hard?  I like cheetos at first, like any other junk food.  They taste good.  But then, all I taste is salt.  Even as I am eating them, I am thinking about how they don't taste good anymore.  It's as if I keep eating them in an effort to get back that initial "yum."  But it never happens.  I finally stop, and then I feel guilty.  After that, the thirst kicks in from all that salt.  I don't want to even think about the fat.

If I lose 2 lbs a week for the next 9 weeks, minus 2 pounds for the holidays, then that's a total loss of 16 lbs by January 1, 2012.  Considering the 10 I've regained, that would put me at 46 lb lost for the year.

Not my best year ever, but 46, or even 36, is better than nothing.   

The Anti-Christ

Day 290 - Ugh

I have been avoiding my blog.  I did so well for the first 5 months of the year, but the last 3 or 4 have been bleak.  I've re-gained some of the 40 lbs I lost.  Not sure how many, but I'm guessing between 5-10.

That said, I want to be losing again.  I want to feel energetic and light.  I want to avoid simple, refined carbohydrates and all white foods.  I want to go to bed knowing I had a healthy day of eating and exercising and look forward to the same thing the next day.  But the reality is, I am in pain.  Not all the time.  Not when I'm sitting at my desk, but when I'm up and about, pain is constant.  Most of the time it's a general ache in my hip that reminds me to sit down every once in a while and recover.  But when I'm walking or exercising, the pain wears me out.  Reminds me that I have an injury that is holding me back. 

I am bored with  my exercise and the limitiations of my injury.  I feel  a little defeated.  I am disappointed in myself for falling of the wagon with my diet.  Just because I can't workout like I used to, doesn't mean I can't eat for weight loss. 

So here I am again on day 290.  I will not get fit this year, but I will be fitter at the start of 2012 than I was at the start of 2011.  And I will weigh less.  I guess that's what matters. 

I have approximately 10 weeks left in the year.  That's enough time to lose 10-20 lbs. 

I am tired already.

Day What?

I've lost count of the days.  The past two months have not been good, at least not on the fitness/weight loss front.  I have backed way off the exercise in a attempt to heal my sacroilliac dysfunction.  But I have now come to the conclusion that the dysfunction is really only made worse by bad form, wrong type of core work, boxing, and walking.  So I've started to ramp up the exercise again.  Still limited by what I can do, but there's enough of what I can do to keep it interesting....I hope. 

I haven't lost any weight since June.  That's okay.  It is what it is.  I may have gained a couple of pounds, but I don't think so.  Afterall, it's not like I stopped exercising altogether.  I would guess that on average I've been putting in 2-3 hours a week of exercise (swimming, strength training, short walks, physical therapy, biking). 

My sugar habit has been re-established, which is a drag.  Breaking the refined carb and sugar habit is not easy.  I have to do it again.  Not looking foward to the three days of withdrawals. 

Day 219 - Back on Track

My sacroilliac dysfunction is getting better, albeit very slowly.  I cleaned house for a couple of hours Friday morning, did my physical therapy exercises, went for a 30min swim, and felt fine all day.  Yesterday I worked out for over an hour, and I didn't hurt last night.  So things are looking up. 

It's been difficult not being able to exercise as much as I had been since the first of the year.  Consequently my diet suffered.  I have eaten sweets almost daily.  I'm hoping I've maintained my weight loss, but it's possible I've gained a couple of pounds back. 

I think I can increase my exercise up to 6 hours a week for this month.  I'm still limited by what I can do.

Going to Vegas in 4 weeks, and am hoping I'll be okay being on my feet and walking for a hour or two at a time.  If not, we'll be taking sit breaks....at the video poker machines. 

Day 203 - Physical Therapy

I have been ordered by my doctor/physical therapist to take a week off.  No biking.  No swimming.  No strength training.  He has given me a dozen or so exercises for isolating and stretching my sacroilliac joint and instructed me to do them at least once a day every day.  So far I'm on track for every other day. 

I am dying for a swim.  It has been hot hot hot, and I miss the cool respite of the pool.  I might break the rules tomorrow and do some laps. 

My hip hurts.  The pain has spread out, and now it hurts even while sitting.  I guess this is a good thing, but I'm not sure.  It hurts more after the physical therapy exercises, and the next day, the pain radiates out from the joint. 

I am concerned that I will never be pain free again.  That this hip pain will derail my weight loss and fitness efforts.  I am trying to stay positive, but it is difficult. 

Day 195 - Sacroilliac (Pain in the Butt)

After months of pain, 3 trips to the chiropractor, 4 massages, and lots of biking and swimming, I finally have a correct diagnosis.  I have sacroilliac joint pain caused, apparantly, from poor posture, quadricep dominance, and I don't really know what else.  Important thing is now I know what is going on and have a plan for fixing it. 

I met with a chiropractor at the swim and tennis club yesterday.  He spent well over an hour poking, prodding, stretching, and bending me until my sacroilliac had been moved in every direction possible.  Today I am sore.  But it's a good sore.  It's a pain before healing sort of sore.  I left with about half a dozen stretching exercises and an appointment for next Monday.  He wants me to limit myself to biking and swimming this week (as usual) and then next week we'll start working in some controlled strength training moves.  The stretches he gave me work both the sacroilliac and my core, particularly my lower abs. 

So I don't have sciatica after all.  Guess that's a good thing.