I really didn't want to title this "struggling"...but on the main April Avengers thread a few of us have found we have something in common. We are in a rut. Things we used to do habitually: Journaling, remembering and following the bandster rules, exercising, Water intake, etc.; are slowly being dropped. Six months has passed and we are satisfied with our progress so far, but something is missing. Is it the drive? The newness is gone? Why have we stopped doing things that five months ago were priority?...

So we decided to start a journal of sorts:

Date:

What Did You Eat Today?:

Protein:

Water Intake:

Exercise:

Anything to add:

Backtracking for yesterday

Date: 10/1/08

What Did You Eat Today?

Breakfast: Two cups of coffee, cream & splenda, 1/2 bacon bk wrapper - no hashbrowns

Lunch: 1/2 Cup chicken Gumbo, 4 Chicken Nuggets (Chick-Fil-A), 1/2 Chick-Fil-A Sauce, 1 chocolate chip cookie

Dinner: 1/2 breast grilled chicken breast, 1/2 cup rice pilaf, 2 tb parmesan dressing, 1/4 yeast roll, 2 tbs butter, (snack later - 1 cup 2% milk)

Protein: 57 g (Calories 1150)

Water Intake: Not enough (5 8oz cups)

Exercise: Nothing

Anything to add:

Edited October 2, 200817 yr by Leslie2Lose

Here's mine for yesterday:

10/01/2008

B: Slimfast (can)

S: 1 oz Peanut Butter

L: 1 cup ham and bean Soup

S: large cinnamon latte at Seattle's Best (this was a treat!)

D: campbell's chicken tortilla soup

Lot's of coffee all day (black)

Protein: have no idea (this is the part about journaling I HATE!)

Water: 6 (8 oz)

Exercise: 35 minutes on the Treadmill-interval program

Anything to add: Felt tired today. Haven't caught up on sleep from being on call over the weekend. Workout could have been better, but glad I made it at all.

Carol - okay according to thedailyplate (guessing your brands) you ate 795 calories - 45g of protein. I noticed neither of us had any fruits or veggies (other than in soup). Bad us.

OK Good for you guys filling in. I will do it but it is BAD....

Date: Yesterday 10/1/08

What Did You Eat Today?: B-bottle caribou iced coffee, Bottle of G2 while working out, L-2 chicken fingers, 1/2 cup fries, 2 onion rings, 4 mini chocolate chip Cookies, AS-1/2 cup cashews & 2 mini bags chips, D-1 baked chicken breast and 1/2 cup pea/asparagus casserole, NS-1/4 cup cashews

Protein: Got plenty of Protein but not in a good way:(

Water Intake: 10 glasses

Exercise: 1 hr high cardio & 15mins yoga

Anything to add: I look at yesterday, and today so far, and know I can do better. I am just so hungry without restriction that I am trying to fill up with protein any way I can. Veggies and Fruits do not satisfy me at all.

Thanks Leslie!

Yeah, you're right. We need fruits and veggies for sure.

So where do I stand on the Protein? Not enough or is that okay? Does that explain why I'm still losing my hair? LOL

~C

You probably need to up your protein some. Add some low-fat dairy. Make you a protein shake (I have a good recipe that tastes wonderful). I'm told I should get in at least 60 grams of protein a day. Calories 1000-1200 - because I am exercising. You need more than just liquids (soups) a day too. Get some solid protein in too. I need to work on mine as well :-)

Okay you lured me in... I am gonna jump in. I have been bad about journaling lately though :w00t:

Date:10/01

What Did You Eat Today?:

B- 1 slice of turkey, tsp avacado, tsp spinach dip, a few sprinkles of mozz cheese, rolled up in a lettuce leaf.

L- 2 oz of chicken parmesan I made the night before 3 snow peas

S- 1/2 a sugar free Jello cup

D- Another lettuce wrap like Breakfast (They were good

S- Handfull of trail mix

Protein: Not sure

Water Intake: 84 ounces

Exercise:1 hour jog/walk alternating

Anything to add: Breakfast is my hardest meal to get down. It might sound like alot but it was very small and even that I couldn't finish it all. I also have 1-2 about 5 oz glasses of chardonnay a few times a week so that could be adding to my slow loss... But hey I chose to make a lifestyle change not go on a perma diet :redface: I gave up everything else but my wine and reality shows hahah.

Edited October 2, 200817 yr by Brandy~

Okay, I'll do it for now. I'm very diligent on mydailyplate so I probably will get tired of doing it in two places. We had church last night and this was the dinner served. It was soooo good!! I think considering I did pretty well. 5 months ago, I'd have eaten tons more! Yah for progress!!

Date: Oct 1st

What Did You Eat Today?:

B - coffee w/ f/f creamer and splenda, black bean garden burger w/ salad, lite dressing and veggies (weird, I know);

L - Soy Protein shake with blueberries;

S - 1/2 c plain f/f yogurt, 1/2 c blueberries, 1/2 nature valley bar (crushed), 1 T almonds.

D - 1/2 chicken fried steak, 1/4 c mashed taters, 1/4 c gravy, 1/2 c corn, bite of salad (wanted the bad stuff more), and bite of a biscuit, 1 small slice chocolate bundt cake. Late snack - cup of sugar free hot chocolate.

Protein: 62g (1317 cal)

Water Intake: 2.5 liters

Exercise: 3.91 miles walked; 1.3 mile (15 min) run treadmill

(cal burned: 539)

Anything to add:

Edited October 2, 200817 yr by Bea1128

Hi Bea - I use dailyplate too...I'm hit and miss though. I'll do good for a couple of days, then fall off...hopefully this will help with my accountability...also - we can get food ideas from one another! :-)

I'm going to go ahead and add what I have for today and then I'll edit for dinner, etc.

Date: Oct 2

What Did You Eat Today?:

B - f/f yogurt, 1/2 c blueberries, nature valley bar crushed, 1 T almonds, coffee w/ f/f creamer

S - 1/2 PB clif Protein bar

L - 1 slice sesame Ezekiel bread, 1 oz ham, 1 oz provalone

S - 1 oz roasted, salted soy nuts

D - 1/2 homemade lean hamburger, salad w/ lite dressing, 1/4 c mac-n-cheese

Protein: 76 g (1181 cals)

Water Intake: 1.5 liters

Exercise: 10 min elliptikill; 30 min interval hill treadmill (max incline 5%, max speed 5 mph); 40 min weight lifting - (cal burned 574)

Anything to add: I'm hungry tonight! Gotta eat something else, but don't know what yet.

Edited October 3, 200817 yr by Bea1128

Hey Leslie! I think it's a great idea. I had asked mom for a list of the things she was eating, so this is perfect. Now we can all see and get ideas and point out issues. Excellent!

Oops! After re-reading your instructions, I think I may have done this wrong. Sorry. :w00t:

I just want to thank you guys for doing this. If you already journal, then this could be a big pain in the butt for you. But this gives me a good idea of whether I'm doing this right or not.

We are still new to banding. How much is enough...really? I like the ideas that others have for good, healthy choices. I get bored and take the easy way out. This will help me on my next grocery shopping trip!

By the way...yes I eat a LOT of Soups. Mostly chili and ham/bean. My work has the grossest hospital food I've ever had in my life...not to mention unhealthy!!!!! Sometimes they have chicken but it's really dry and it doesn't go down for me, so I get Soup. Sometimes they have breaded fish, but it gets stuck, so I get the soup. See a pattern here? Before all these problems started, I was eating salad and that was going fine, but I slipped back into the soup role because I was hungry.

~C

I just want to thank you guys for doing this. If you already journal, then this could be a big pain in the butt for you. But this gives me a good idea of whether I'm doing this right or not.

We are still new to banding. How much is enough...really? I like the ideas that others have for good, healthy choices. I get bored and take the easy way out. This will help me on my next grocery shopping trip!

By the way...yes I eat a LOT of soups. Mostly chili and ham/bean. My work has the grossest hospital food I've ever had in my life...not to mention unhealthy!!!!! Sometimes they have chicken but it's really dry and it doesn't go down for me, so I get soup. Sometimes they have breaded fish, but it gets stuck, so I get the soup. See a pattern here? Before all these problems started, I was eating salad and that was going fine, but I slipped back into the soup role because I was hungry.

~C

Yeah that used to be a pattern for me too. The big thing you have to watch is the sodium in soups. They are normally so high in sodium that its not worth eating it.

Do you cook at home? I have learned to keep TONS of those ziploc mini containers around. I cook dinner and if theres left overs I divide it into the right serving sizes for me and freeze them. That keeps me from running out of foods I like.

Turler - Why don't you bring your lunch? Is there somewhere you can put it until lunch? I also like to get apples (already sliced) and Jiff Peanut Butter (individual size), I can stick those in my purse and they are a great stack. Something else I've found that are really good are the South Beach Wraps. They are low carb, high Protein - and taste wonderful. You don't have to microwave them either - the do need to stay cool. The sodium content is higher, but on occasion it beats soup. Maybe take them in a lunch bag (one that stands cold - with a freezer insert). I'm apt to grab a soup at work too, but I started buying the wraps and I love them!

Bea - you've done nothing wrong...all looks good to me! :-)

Brandy - that's a great idea. I have to sneak my frozen cooked home meals - DH likes leftovers - LOL