PhoenixRaisa

I’ve been updating on three different sites with my entries/notes/blogs. 43Things, Sparkpeople, and Facebook. So inevitably one of them gets updated late. But I WILL write every day.

Birthdays mess up the eating habits really badly. I blame my mother and her birthday for it. I had a piece of lemon… something… pie. It’s the only lemon kind I like, but I actually only like it for the cream cheese/sugar/whatever layer. I don’t like the lemon layer itself. Heh.

So anyway, I had that. And then a strawberry milk. And then two of my grandma’s really good rollls… made with white flour… of course.

But other than that, I’ve been good. I’ve been drinking SO MUCH WATER!!!! It’s actually a habit now, when I’m sitting at the computer or watching a movie, to swig from my water bottle. When I talk about water, I take a drink. When I pause to think, I take a drink. When I want a snack, I take a drink. I don’t even think about it anymore. I just drink it. Like right then I finished the sentence and then reached for my trusty water bottle. Heh. I figured I have to drink around 3-1/2 water bottles a day to get the reccomended 64oz a day dose. I make it sound like medicine… but I like water…

I love food. OH!! So, my menu for the upcoming week will be posted… probably tomorrow morning. I don’t feel like finding it right now. I’m looking forward to eating dinner… Breakfast will be mostly Quaker Oats Weight Control Instan Oatmeal (that’s a long title)... flavors of Banana Bread, Cinnamon, or Maple &(substitute)Sugar. I might make myself a smoothie. We have frozen fruit now. But that’s my snack when I can’t find anything else.

Triscits. Olive Oil and Rosemary Triscuts are yummy. As are the Fire Roasted Tomato and Olive Oil. No sugar. Whole Wheat (I just spelled that “whoal.” I must be tired). Good snack when I have the craving for something crunchy. And the spices… mmmm… anyway…

I’m going to go to bed now. Tootles.

My eating times:
Breakfast, 8am
Snack, 10am
Lunch, 12am
Snack, 2/3pm (depending on when I’m hungry)
Dinner, 5pm
Dessert/Snack, 7/8pm

I have this bad habit of eating in bed right before I sleep… usually while watching a movie… so I have to set 8pm as the cutoff time to eat. I carry my water bottle with me everywhere (I’m drinking it as I write) and it helps to distract me from the sugar cravings or the urge to occupy my hands and mouth while watching a movie. It’s an immediate instinct, to go for chips or something crunchy while I’m watching TV or even using the computer. I could cut off my TV time until I’ve gotten over the sugar cravings, but being a writer, I can’t resist the computer.

I never realized how little I peed until I started drinking 64oz of water a day. I think I feel better already, and it’s only the second day of drinking 3-4 water bottles a day… the only thing I hate is getting up in the middle of the night because I drank so much water that evening.

I’m pretty sure I’m having mild sugar withdrawals… I’ve had a slight headache since I cut sugar from my diet. But I’ve done this before so I know my body will adjust soon. I can’t wait to go food shopping so I can quit scrounging around for healthy food. Bare kitchen…

I’m sort of skeptical of whether I can lose the four inches by my birthday… I doubt it. It’s only two months away, and last time it took me four months to lose twenty pounds and three inches, but then again, last time I wasn’t exercising. This time I am. I hope I can stick with the exercise. I had fun the one time I tried the salsa dancing exercise video, and usually I stick with stuff that is fun.

Anyway. I feel like I should be ok with my weight, since I am lighter now than I was when I was 13. But I am not happy with my body. I never have been, actually. I’ve always hated my hips. I like myself from the hipbone up (aside from the stretch marks due to weight loss) but I’ve got these hips that insist on keeping their flab. I think it’s my fault for not exercising. And the ratio from waist to hip just makes it seem worse than it probably is. I blame my grandma for my body structure. Hah.

I just have to remember… persistence… and healthy choices. And lots of water.

Bathroom break…

I have a weird sense of dejavu. Because I have done this before.

Breakfast: Maple&Sugar Weight Control Oatmeal. And 1 cup of coffee.

The oatmeal smells like pancake syrup.

I’ve limited myself to one cup of coffee a day, otherwise I get the jitters. Too much caffine. Sadly, we’re out of half’n’half, so I have to drink it black. Not that I mind too much, but I do like it just a tad bit better with a drop of half’n’half.

So I’m not cutting the richer dairy out of my diet, like butter or whole/2% milk, or half’n’half. I don’t see the point. Since I rarely drink milk anymore, I don’t eat toast so I usually only use butter on potatoes, which I won’t be eating as much, and I only ever have half’n’half in my coffee.

And anyway, if it’s gross, I’ll never stick to eating right. And fat-free milk is gross. It’s like a gallon of water with a tablespoon of milk for flavor. Ick. And margarine (the stuff we get, anyway) has eggs in it, and I am pretty sure I am intolerant to eggs. Because they do give me a stomach ache.

I don’t know what I’m going to do for lunch. Until we go shopping, I have not the slightest clue what to eat. I’ll probably cook something… chicken… or fish if we have it. Although I was hoping to have the fish for dinner.

Some reminders to keep me on my diet. No wait, it’s not a diet. It’s a change in my eating habits from unhealthy to healthy. Anyway. These are my… rules? Guidelines… whatever.

1. If you hate it, why eat it? Even if it is healthy. Find something you like.

2. “healthy” does not have to be “salad with every meal”

3. Portion everything

4. Don’t eat while watching movies

5. Take a break and eat chocolate from time to time

6. Find fun exercise

7. Even sugar-free snacks can be bad for you. (Cheetos…)

8. But you should eat them once in a while

9. Only drink flavored/sugared coffee when at Starbucks with friends

10. Sleep helps control cravings

11. Eat snacks

12. Variety is key

13. Planning meals weekly cuts down temptations

14. Stick to the grocery list

15. Eat every two hours or so

16. If you give in once, you haven’t messed up the day

17. Have a goal, and a prize when you get there

18. Tell everyone what you’re doing. You’ll be less likely to give up if you have the pressure of knowing peers are watching, and they’ll know not to offer you unhealthy food.

19. Find a buddy. If you have a buddy, you won’t want to let them down.

20. You CAN do it.