Dinner last night at friends' house was not their usual. Starter was garlic bread, main was casserole with potatotes/ham/onions in a white sauce with skimmed milk (they didn't do a cheese sauce knowing I was dieting), homemade banana bread for dessert. I did not drink any wine.
Alternating calories: planning as close to 1200 calories as I can get on Mon and Tues, 1400 on Weds, 1200 on Thurs and Fri, 1700 on Sat, 1300 on Sunday. Of course if we eat out or go to friends I'll recalculate.
Happy with my workouts. Feel like I'm doing the max.
Progress as of today: 15.4 lbs lost so far, only 16.6 lbs to go!
puddles on 09/26/2016:
You did well Annie keep it up.
grannyannie on 09/26/2016:
Was pleased with what they served. They asked when I arrived if I'd like just one glass of wine and I replied that 1 would turn into 6! So no thanks.
Horn_Of_Plenty on 09/26/2016:
please update us on how the alternating goes with the up and down days!!!!!! i am interested!
grannyannie on 09/26/2016:
I'll see how Saturday's weigh in goes. When I get extra calories I'm going to try to make it healthy additions, not junk.
This week I'm going to try varying calories from day to day and see if that helps me lose a bit faster. 9 weeks and 2 days before we leave for Thailand. My clothes MUST fit comfortably!
Menu:
B: porridge/dried fruit/cinnamon/almond milk
L: hummus wrap, apple, banana, yogurt
D: friends' house for dinner. Not BBQ weather so guessing it will be a roast dinner. They always serve a starter, meat/potatoes/veg, and a sugarless dessert. I will NOT have any wine.
Progress as of today: 15.4 lbs lost so far, only 16.6 lbs to go!
Horn_of_plenty on 09/25/2016:
I have found that as long as my calories are very low 1800's or definite 1700's for the average for 7 days, i lose weight (but slowly). I can even have several days in the 2000's...but as long as the avg remains around 1800, i'm good.
grannyannie on 09/25/2016:
It would take me forever to lose at 1700 or 1800. 1200-1300 is best for me. Normally I lose 1 1/2 to 2 lbs a week that way. 1800 is actually my maintenance calories when I'm about 132.
hollybelle on 09/25/2016:
Have to rest a day a week, at least! I have been aiming for 5 days of exercise and try not to worry about which day - so far so good.
Progress as of today: 15.4 lbs lost so far, only 16.6 lbs to go!
puddles on 09/24/2016:
It will come Annie you are doing so good with your exercise routine. Have a great day.
grannyannie on 09/24/2016:
Thanks. Wish it would come off faster though.
Donkey on 09/24/2016:
I hear you on the "faster" part. You're doing great with your weights and your diet. Maybe try eating a little more for a week and then go back to less? Ack, who knows why our bodies do what they do...
grannyannie on 09/25/2016:
I found before that alternating high and low days is best. Might just do it by just 200 calories or so and maybe an 1800 every couple of weeks.
hollybelle on 09/24/2016:
Great day! I am trying to exercise patience myself! We can do it!
grannyannie on 09/25/2016:
Hard to be patient - bikinins and shorts Dec 1st!
Progress as of today: 15.2 lbs lost so far, only 16.8 lbs to go!
puddles on 09/23/2016:
good exercise plan you are doing good without the gym. Have a great day Annie.
grannyannie on 09/23/2016:
Yea, I'm doing well! Thanks.
Horn_Of_Plenty on 09/23/2016:
are you going to use workout DVD's?
grannyannie on 09/23/2016:
No DVD's. The Tae Bo/rope routine is one I 'choreographed' before I rejoined the gym years ago. I picked out the routines I liked from the videos I used to have and made a playlist with the right beat for each routine. I had saved the playlist on my ipod. Alternating with the exercise bike is good too.
Pizza was too good last night and I ate too much of it. I've been on low calories for 8 days so a higher calorie day is okay. Too low for too long has the wrong effect.
Invited to friends' house for dinner Sunday. I will NOT drink any wine.
Workout:
Exercise bike - 45 mins
jump rope - 25 x 8
squats w/dumbbells using step - 4 x 10
lunges w/dumbbells - 4 x 10
side lunges w/dumbbells using step - 4 x 10
thighs/glutes with ankle weights - 4 x 10 - 5 routines
planks - 4
abs-4 routines x 4
bridge (for glutes, core, thighs) - 12 x 10 seconds
calf lifts w/dumbbell - 4 x 10
Menu:
B: porridge/dried fruit/cinnamon/almond milk
L: cheese in a wrap, cup of carrot soup, banana, clementine, yogurt
Progress as of today: 14.8 lbs lost so far, only 17.2 lbs to go!
hollybelle on 09/23/2016:
Well said - too low for too long has the wrong effect. I have been trying to make every other day lower calorie. It's going pretty well. I am only minding calorie for now - not paying a lot of attention to content, but mostly healthy. Oh, and walking - walking most every day!
grannyannie on 09/24/2016:
True. Happened to be me before. I think once a week higher cal is probably good.
Sorry I didn't regularly include the treadmill in my gym workouts. The fronts of my calves and my hip flexors (upper front thigh) are a bit sore from 4 miles of very fast walking yesterday. Guess those muscles don't get used much on bike, rower and elliptical or normal walking. I'll be sure to do a power walk any time we have dry weather that isn't windy.
Workout:
12 routines usings dumbbells - 4 x 12
45 mins Tae Bo (aerobic) & jump rope (did 25 x 8 this time) - going to cut this to 40 mins
Menu: husband wants to make me a homemade veggie pizza - he won't use a lot of cheese but is using mozzarella and cheddar
Progress as of today: 14.8 lbs lost so far, only 17.2 lbs to go!
Horn_Of_Plenty on 09/21/2016:
Take it easy and stretch maybe take an anti-inflammatory if the pain doesn't go away or you have any swelling??
Excellent exercise & calories good too :)
grannyannie on 09/21/2016:
No swelling, just normal soreness. Not bad.
Ate more pizza than I should have but I was due for a higher calorie day.
Horn_Of_Plenty on 09/21/2016:
lol to "i was due for a higher calorie day!"
grannyannie on 09/24/2016:
LOL. True! If you eat low calories every day for too long your body says 'hey, that's all you need' and when you go higher you gain weight.
hollybelle on 09/22/2016:
I feel better knowing as much as you work out you got a little sore from the 4 mile fast walk. I have been walking 2 or 3-5 miles fast and getting a sore, although it's MUCH better this week! Different muscles are used - you are right. It should be interesting when I ride my bike what that does for my pain issues! Keep on going! You are really sticking with that Tae Bo!
grannyannie on 09/24/2016:
Yea, the fronts of my calves were very sore!
Did the entire Tae Bo 45 min workout yesterday and it's tough. It's fun but hard work. I doubt I could do this workout 6 times a week as well as 4 sets of each of my muscle routines every day but Sunday. I think I'll do Tae Bo 3 times a week and do something else the other 3 days. I'll still do 4 sets each of muscle work every day but Sunday - lower body one day, upper body the next.
Hubby comes home tonight. He's not a fan of pasta but that's what he's getting for dinner because I can't make a curry.
Workout:
Power walked for 4 miles (stopped to take a few photos - below)
30 mins on exercise bike
jump rope - 4 x 25
squats w/dumbbells using step - 4 x 10
lunges w/dumbbells - 4 x 10
side lunges w/dumbbells using step - 4 x 10
thighs/glutes with ankle weights - 4 x 10 - 5 routines
planks - 4
abs-4 routines x 4
bridge (for glutes, core, thighs) - 12 x 10 seconds
It was nice not having to set the alarm to get up and go to the gym. So it's home workouts from now on. Husband comes back from a short trip tomorrow night.
Partly sunny but cool right now. Might go for a short power walk later.
Workout:
12 routines usings dumbbells (added in a pecs routine like the one I did on the chest press at gym) - 4 x 12
Horn_of_plenty on 09/19/2016:
So i was tempted to buy the diet tonic water, but didn't do it yet. always think of you with it...
when you mention walking, you remind me how i'm getting stronger & stronger and soon i will have more of a continuous walking routine :) then running later! yay.
you really have the low calories down pat. I should take tips from you!....i see it's the teas with probably sugar free almond milk, teas, etc., which are helping you. same here, i used diet products to keep my calories low...like diet jello but now i'm getting sick of it - may have a few weeks of sugar free pudding now made with milk for a change :)
grannyannie on 09/19/2016:
In my black tea first thing in the morning I have unsweetened soy milk, in my coffees I like the sweetened almond milk (articifical sweetener).
Didn't walk today - too tired after workout!
puddles on 09/19/2016:
So this is where the discipline comes into play with doing your own schedule for your exercises. Definitely you will be on top of it all because you are good that way. Enjoy your last day as a single person Annie. Tomorrow back to married life... lol
grannyannie on 09/19/2016:
Gotta do it in the mornings, just like the gym.
Haha, back to married life tomorrow. I enjoy reading in bed before sleep, but can't do that if hubby is here.
hollybelle on 09/19/2016:
Good deal on home workouts! I usually do well with food when husband is out of town. Think vacation!
grannyannie on 09/19/2016:
Thanks! I think it's 10 weeks before we go. I'll start trying the clothes on in a few weeks to see how they fit, including the bikinis. Yikes.
Progress as of today: 14.8 lbs lost so far, only 17.2 lbs to go!
hollybelle on 09/18/2016:
Good calories and plan, Annie. I need to begin work on master bath and closets. Ugh! I will feel very accomplished when I get it done, though. I need to have some good cal and exercise days if I am going to appear in anything similar to a bathing suit in October. Ha!
grannyannie on 09/18/2016:
Yea, bikinis for me first of Dec! I just don't want my clothes to hurt!
puddles on 09/18/2016:
Funny how things get messed up over time even with all the good intentions after cleaning it up we still end up messing it up... lol Have a great day Annie good food plan.
grannyannie on 09/18/2016:
I know. I try to keep things organised but it just doesn't last.
On the scale this morning. Exactly the same weight as I was before we went on our trip last Friday and I overindulged. So being the same is okay. I need to lose 2 lbs a week and the only way to do that is to behave when we have guests or are visiting or eating out.
Edit: changed my muscle workouts to 4 sets each instead of 3.
45 mins Tae Bo (aerobic) & jump rope workout (did 32 mins of it - hard! And 4 x 25 jump rope mixed in
squats w/dumbbells using step - 4 x 10
lunges w/dumbbells - 4 x 10
side lunges w/dumbbells using step - 4 x 10
thighs/glutes with ankle weights - 4 x 10 - 5 routines
planks - 4
abs-4 routines x 4
bridge (for glutes, core, thighs) - 12 x 10 seconds
calf lifts w/dumbbell - 4 x 10
Nice day today so I might also go for a power walk or bike ride. Making a huge batch of pasta sauce and freezing some of it.
Menu:
B: porridge/dried fruit/cinnamon/almond milk
L: grilled cheese sandwich, 2 clementines, yogurt
D: Quorn bolognese sauce on pasta, small glass of red wine (leftover from the small bottle I used to make the sauce), salad
Cals: too difficult to calculate pasta calories, estimating about 1400 calories for the day
Progress as of today: 14.8 lbs lost so far, only 20.2 lbs to go!
Horn_of_plenty on 09/17/2016:
It's so hard for me also to keep calories down when going out!
Last night, i made healthy options...but had a couple drinks made with diet coke and ate healthy food choices, but calories are still higher. At least it was healthy choices :)
grannyannie on 09/17/2016:
Healthy calories are good, even if too many sometimes.
Horn_of_plenty on 09/17/2016:
i wonder if the sauce would also taste good with some veggies? like with roasted eggplant or other squash!
grannyannie on 09/17/2016:
The sauce has onions, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, celery, mushrooms. We eat lots of eggplant/aubergines with curries, so wanted a change.
puddles on 09/17/2016:
Very good on the weigh-in congrats. Yes keeping the control when visitor are around is a challenge but I am sure you can do it. I love making my pasta sauce I do it all with vegetable and when I use it I then select the protein I want with it and cook it at that time to add to the sauce I will be using. This is my way of controlling the amount of protein I use. Enjoy your weekend Annie.
grannyannie on 09/17/2016:
Thanks. I'd forgotten how much work it was making homemade sauce! My husband is the cook, but I do this one. I used Quorn mince which is ground beef substitute.
Horn_of_plenty on 09/17/2016:
good idea to include an extra set. In the past, not recently, i was doing as much as 6 sets sometimes. HELPFUL.
grannyannie on 09/17/2016:
I used to always do 4 sets but haven't for a while. But I'm on bikini deadline now! LOL.
hollybelle on 09/17/2016:
I am gradually cutting down my indulgences it's not easy but when I am rewarded with a slightly less tight pair or pants or a fitted blouse I haven't been able to button that fits it is worth it! I used to do Tae Bo. A video with Billy Banks. It was lots of fun, actually. It was a forerunner of kick-boxing, sort of.
grannyannie on 09/17/2016:
It's a huge reward and keeps me motivated when something that was tight now fits.
I did the Tae Bo before rejoining the gym on my 60th birthday (4 1/2 years ago). I picked the moves I liked he best and choreographed it to a playlist. Still have the list so I remembered all the moves. Fun but hard work.
You did well Annie keep it up.
Was pleased with what they served. They asked when I arrived if I'd like just one glass of wine and I replied that 1 would turn into 6! So no thanks.
Horn_Of_Plenty on 09/26/2016:
please update us on how the alternating goes with the up and down days!!!!!! i am interested!
I'll see how Saturday's weigh in goes. When I get extra calories I'm going to try to make it healthy additions, not junk.