http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/Marilyns%20Minutia/007-1.jpg
I'm buying one-pound bags of beans, rice and grains for each pound I lose. I kickstarted the plan with a $100 donation to Second Harvest. According to my contact, they can buy $6 worth of food for every dollar donated. Works for me.
Bags will go to a local food bank when I'm done.
Looking at the big picture (oh, I just made a pun because I'm rather big) I still have a minimum of 30 more pounds before reaching "normal for my height" range. I really thought it would help to have a visual of what I was losing. Lifting that basket is darn heavy, so I can't imagine lifting one that's 50 pounds.
Methodology:
I had a free metabolism test done at work. Based on "sitting still and breathing" range, if I limit my calories to 1030-1310 calories I should lose, while my maintenance range is 1320 to 1500 calories.
I'm typically staying in the 1100-1300 range and write down everything. I'm eating mostly low-carb, which lets me eat a lot more food and I haven't been hungry yet. I also track in 21-day cycles; that way, I'm only looking at this one day at a time. I'm in Cycle 4, which puts me at ~2 pounds a week (very standard).
I try to exercise at least 30 minutes every other day and have to break a sweat.
I'm never without Weight Watchers Yogurt Smoothie bars, which are 60 calories and surprisingly good. Since I used to eat a pint of Haagen Dazs Strawberry (= 16 smoothie bars) or a pint Haazen Dazs Peanut Butter Chocolate ( = 24 smoothie bars) this is working out well.
Also, I switched from 4 daily cups of coffee with 1/2 and 1/2 & sugar to black coffee with Splenda. That single change alone lets me add an entire meal.
Oh, and I'm off my cholesterol meds, one of the key reasons I did this. Go Team Me!
I'm buying one-pound bags of beans, rice and grains for each pound I lose. I kickstarted the plan with a $100 donation to Second Harvest. According to my contact, they can buy $6 worth of food for every dollar donated. Works for me.
Bags will go to a local food bank when I'm done.
Looking at the big picture (oh, I just made a pun because I'm rather big) I still have a minimum of 30 more pounds before reaching "normal for my height" range. I really thought it would help to have a visual of what I was losing. Lifting that basket is darn heavy, so I can't imagine lifting one that's 50 pounds.
Methodology:
I had a free metabolism test done at work. Based on "sitting still and breathing" range, if I limit my calories to 1030-1310 calories I should lose, while my maintenance range is 1320 to 1500 calories.
I'm typically staying in the 1100-1300 range and write down everything. I'm eating mostly low-carb, which lets me eat a lot more food and I haven't been hungry yet. I also track in 21-day cycles; that way, I'm only looking at this one day at a time. I'm in Cycle 4, which puts me at ~2 pounds a week (very standard).
I try to exercise at least 30 minutes every other day and have to break a sweat.
I'm never without Weight Watchers Yogurt Smoothie bars, which are 60 calories and surprisingly good. Since I used to eat a pint of Haagen Dazs Strawberry (= 16 smoothie bars) or a pint Haazen Dazs Peanut Butter Chocolate ( = 24 smoothie bars) this is working out well.
Also, I switched from 4 daily cups of coffee with 1/2 and 1/2 & sugar to black coffee with Splenda. That single change alone lets me add an entire meal.
Oh, and I'm off my cholesterol meds, one of the key reasons I did this. Go Team Me!