MONTH END WEIGHT CHARTS

Since this is the last day of the month, I'm going to post all my charts.

Below is a chart that shows my daily scale weight, my 7-day average weight and my total weight loss from February 25, 2009 to July 31, 2010:

 Below is a chart that shows my 28-day moving average from February 25, 2009 to July 31, 2010:

One of the things I track is the average weight for each calendar month.  It is not a moving average - I just take my scale weight each day of the month, add them together and divide by the number of days in the month.  It gives me an idea of the overall trend.  Here are my monthly average weights since I started tracking in February 2009:

155.0 - February 2009
150.9 - March 2009 - lost 4.1 pounds
148.3 - April 2009 - lost 2.6 pounds
145.8 - May 2009 - lost 2.5 pounds
142.6 - June 2009 - lost 3.2 pounds
141.5 - July 2009 - lost 1.1 pounds
141.6 - August 2009 - gained 0.1 pound (the start of my plateau)
141.9 - September 2009 - gained 0.3 pounds
141.7 - October 2009 - lost 0.2 pounds
140.5 - November 2009 - lost 1.2 pounds
141.2 - December 2009 - gained 0.7 pounds
141.4 - January 2010 - gained 0.2 pounds
143.9 - February 2010 - gained 2.5 pounds (I was on vacation for 2.5 weeks)
143.8 - March 2010 - lost 0.1 pound
143.6 - April 2010 - lost 0.2 pounds (my illness and surgery month)
140.1 - May 2010 - lost 3.5 pounds (started Primal Blueprint)
140.8 - June 2010 - gained 0.7 pounds (4 separate weekends of family events where I overate)
139.5 - lost 1.3 pounds (the first time my average has been below 140 pounds)

Here is a chart showing these numbers:

JULY 25 - WEEK 71 RESULTS

This week I gained 1.2 pounds.

Beginning weight – 136.8 pounds

Ending weight – 138.0 pounds

I tracked my food 7 days this week.  Here is the average for those days, from Fitday:

1803 Calories
139g Fat

96g Protein (LBM 89.2 pounds x 1.1)

44g Carbs
19g Dietary Fiber
25g Net Carbs
12g Veggie Net Carbs

2394mg Sodium

Today is my weekly measuring day. Even though I gained scale weight, I lost a total of 1" this past week.

In the past 7 days:

I lost 1/4" from each thigh
I lost 1/2" from each calf

To get back to my smallest size on June 13, 2010, I need to lose:

1/4" from my bust

1/4" from my waist

1" from my navel

Here are my measurements today:

12.5" - neck

11" - bicep

9" - forearm

35.75" - bust

29.5" - midriff

29" - waist

33" - navel

38.25" - hips

22" - thighs

13.5" - calves

Here is what I have lost so far, since starting to lose weight in February 2009:

Neck - 13.75" to 12.5" - down 1.25"

Bicep - 11.75" to 11" - down 0.75"

Forearm - 9" - no change

Bust - 38.25" to 35.75" - down 2.5"

Midriff - 32.25" to 29.5" - down 2.75"

Waist - 31.5" to 29" - down 2.5"

Navel - 38.25" to 33" - down 5.25"

Hips - 42" to 38.25" - down 3.75"

Thigh - 24.5" to 22" - down 2.5"

Calf - 14.5" to 13.5" - down 1"

My goal is to weigh 130 pounds with 25% body fat.  In order to meet that goal, I need to lose around 19 pounds of fat and gain around 10 pounds of muscle.

JULY 18 - WEEK 70 RESULTS

This week I lost 3.2 pounds.

Beginning weight – 140.0 pounds

Ending weight – 136.8 pounds

I tracked my food 5 days this week.  Here is the average for those days, from Fitday:

1569 Calories
119g Fat

80g Protein (LBM 89.2 pounds x 0.9)

44g Carbs

1916mg sodium

Today is my weekly measuring day. I lost a total of 1/4" this past week.

In the past 7 days:

I lost 1/4" from my bust
I lost 1/2" from my midriff
I gained 1/4" around my navel
I lost 1/4" from my hips
I gained 1/4" around my calf

To get back to my smallest size on June 13, 2010, I need to lose:

1/4" from my bust

1/4" from my waist

1" from my navel

1/4" from my thigh
1/4" from my calf

Here are my measurements today:

12.5" - neck

11" - bicep

9" - forearm

35.75" - bust

29.5" - midriff

29" - waist

33" - navel

38.25" - hips

22.25" - thighs

13.75" - calves

Here is what I have lost so far, since starting to lose weight in February 2009:

Neck - 13.75" to 12.5" - down 1.25"

Bicep - 11.75" to 11" - down 0.75"

Forearm - 9" - no change

Bust - 38.25" to 35.75" - down 2.5"

Midriff - 32.25" to 29.5" - down 2.75"

Waist - 31.5" to 29" - down 2.5"

Navel - 38.25" to 33" - down 5.25"

Hips - 42" to 38.25" - down 3.75"

Thigh - 24.5" to 22.25" - down 2.25"

Calf - 14.5" to 13.75" - down 0.75"

My goal is to weigh 130 pounds with 25% body fat.  In order to meet that goal, I need to lose around 19 pounds of fat and gain around 10 pounds of muscle.

July 11 - WEEK 69 RESULTS

This week I lost 2.6 pounds.

Beginning weight – 142.6 pounds

Ending weight – 140.0 pounds

I tracked my food 4 days this week.  Here is the average for those days, from Fitday:

117g Fat

75g Protein (LBM 89.2 pounds x 0.84)

46g Carbs

2026mg sodium

Today is my weekly measuring day. I lost a total of 4" this past week.

In the past 7 days:

I lost 1/4" from my bicep
I lost 1/2" from my midriff
I lost 3/4" from my waist
I lost 1" from my navel
I lost 1/4" from my hips
I lost 1/4" from my thigh
I lost 1/4" from my calf

To get back to my smallest size on June 13, 2010, I need to lose:

1/2" from my bust

1/2" from my midriff

1/4" from my waist

3/4" from my navel

1/4" from my hips

1/4" from my thigh

Here are my measurements today:

12.5" - neck

11" - bicep

9" - forearm

36" - bust

30" - midriff

29" - waist

32.75" - navel

38.5" - hips

22.25" - thighs

13.5" - calves

Here is what I have lost so far, since starting to lose weight in February 2009:

Neck - 13.75" to 12.5" - down 1.25"

Bicep - 11.75" to 11" - down 0.75"

Forearm - 9" - no change

Bust - 38.25" to 36" - down 2.25"

Midriff - 32.25" to 30" - down 2.25"

Waist - 31.5" to 29" - down 2.5"

Navel - 38.25" to 32.75" - down 5.5"

Hips - 42" to 38.5" - down 3.5"

Thigh - 24.5" to 22.25" - down 2.25"

Calf - 14.5" to 13.5" - down 1"

My goal is to weigh 130 pounds with 25% body fat.  In order to meet that goal, I need to lose around 19 pounds of fat and gain around 10 pounds of muscle.

ROASTED KALE CHIPS

This is a great recipe that satisfies my yearning for potato chips!

Roasted Kale "Chips"

Serves 2

Ingredients:

6 oz. raw kale, torn into bite size pieces and stems removed
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Wash kale pieces and dry well - a salad spinner works well for this.

3. In a very large bowl, combine olive oil, spices and salt, and mix well.  I use my hands.

4. Add the kale to the oil mixture and mix well until the kale is evenly coated.

5. Spread the kale in a single layer on a baking sheet.

6. Place the kale in the oven, and roast for 6 minutes.

7. Using your bare fingers, press down lightly on the kale, and if it feels limp, roast for another minute or so, until the kale feels slightly crispy and paper-like.  Be very careful not to roast too long, because once it's done, it will start to turn brown and burn very quickly!

Nutritional Information per Serving:

175 calories
14.2 grams fat
2.9 grams protein
8.9 grams carbs
1.9 grams dietary fiber
7g net carbs

BRINGING BACK THE LOST ART OF PLAY - THE IF LIFE

This from "The IF Life":

Growing up all the kids in the neighborhood all like to just go outside and “play”. Usually nothing very structured. Found out whoever was around and then decided what we all felt like playing.

Some days it was whiffle ball, others kickball, maybe a little street hockey, just riding the bikes around the neighborhood or going to the neighbor’s pool to swim.

I was out playing some Frisbee golf the other day (which was actually my 2nd time), and this thought came to me:

“You know what…I have no desire to ever step foot into a gym again in my life…but I love to be outside and do things every day…so maybe I just need more ‘play’ time“.

That is my advice for most everyone out there, make more time to just go “play”.

Why are we spending so much effort running on a machine with a moving belt or pedaling away on a stationary object…when we could do all the same things outside and enjoy it more?

There is a funny saying by David Walters that goes:

An hour of basketball feels like 15 minutes.  An hour on a treadmill feels like a weekend in traffic school.

How true is that? Running on a treadmill for 10-15 minutes is torture for me…but I can go play an hour of something outside that involves running around and time just flies (or skate around playing ice hockey for 90 minutes and love every minute of it). But 5 minutes on a machine and I am already starting to think time is slowing down on purpose.

Look at the simple benefits of just going to “play”:

• Use your muscles (duh, I know), increase circulation and all the health benefits from it
• Burn some additional calories that can come from fat stores
• Relaxes and takes your mind off modern day issues stressing you out
• Social interaction with other people (and the good feeling that comes from it)
• Outside you get fresh air and Vit D from the sun (all free of charge!)
• You will enjoy doing it more often (unlike who really wants to keep going to the gym all the time?)

Don’t make being active harder than it needs to be with complicated planned exercise formats. Go improvise, relax, grab a couple friends, have some fun, break a sweat and see all the benefits it can bring.

Life can be really simple sometimes, if we just allow it to be.

So make more time to go “play”, and leave all the other stress-inducing exercise obsessions/compulsions at home.

(Right click here to read the full article.)

SOY ALERT - WESTON A. PRICE FOUNDATION

Confused About Soy?--Soy Dangers Summarized

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children. 
•  Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Vitamin B₁₂ analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B₁₂.
• Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
• Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
• Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

The above soy dangers and our Myths & Truths About Soy are available in our Soy Alert! trifold brochure for mass distribution.

(Right click here to read the full article with more links.)

LIBERATION DIET - YOUTUBE PRESENTATIONS

How about eating REAL FOOD?

IF LIFE RULE #1: KEEP THE "INTERMITTENT" IN "IF"

This from a newsletter from The IF Life:

“IF” does stand for “Intermittent Fasting”, but some may forget to keep the “I” in with their lifestyle. This could be a mistake.

There are many ways in which IF can work for a person, and each person may vary in approaches (believe it or not…shocking I know). I like to say that IF is a great “tool” to use in your lifestyle, and it is not some set “diet” plan that has to have a strict set of rules for everyone.

The IF lifestyle is also about being a “freeing” one.

Free from the nutritional dogma and strict diet rules of today that keep so many OCD with eating (without ever really enjoying it in the first place).

Your weight loss (or really fat loss) will be a result of using IF the right way as it fits into your life.

An athlete training hard each day with high calorie demands may not have the same path to success as a busy stay at home parent who may only exercise a couple times a week. Finding what works for you is key.

But one thing that should be constant, is keeping it intermittent at heart when you first start off (aka the IF Life Rule #1).

Overloading one’s lifestyle right out of the gate with too much IF, without realizing how your body and recovery will react from it, may be a quick way to burnout fatigue, muscle loss, and/or stubborn/rebound fat gain.

Along with eating, all the stress in one’s lifestyle must be accounted for whether it is from daily exercise, mental workload, or lack of sleep. IF can be another stress as well, especially if it keeps you from eating enough calories in the first place.

crash diet + excessive exercise + stressful lifestyle = crash and burn

 

So enjoy your IF lifestyle and just remember that these simple rules can work:

• The word “Intermittent” should still be a part of your “IF” lifestyle
• Eat when you are hungry, fast when it makes sense to you
• Become aware of other lifestyle stress factors, and how to keep them under control
• Anything can be changed (including how often you use IF). So don’t give up….just fine tune to make it work for you

No need to make this super complicated, or think there is only one way for everyone…just find what works and when in doubt keep it “intermittent” (like it implies in the name).

(Right click here to read the full article and sign up for the newsletter.)

MAKE A FIST - A VISUAL TOOL FROM RACHEL COSGROVE

This is an excerpt from The Female Body Breakthrough by Rachel Cosgrove:

FIT FEMALE VISUAL TOOL

Once you have a clear picture of what you'll feel like, what you'll look like, what you'll wear, and how empowered and confident you'll be, make a fist with your dominant hand while you have the picture in your head.  Start to connect that vision with your fist.  This is a very powerful tool for when you may be tempted to make an excuse.  Any time you need to refocus, simply close your eyes and make a fist, and the vision will pop into your head, reminding you of the feeling you'll have when you reach your goal.  

One of my clients told me that she was at a buffet party and everyone was eating and drinking.  She'd been so focused on her goal and feeling so good, but she started to think about taking one night off and enjoying the food and drinks.  However, she stopped herself, closed her eyes for a second, made a fist, and her vision popped into her head.  She had a great time at the party without eating or drinking anything she knew would sabotage her progress, and she came home feeling even more empowered because she had not given in.  She came in the gym the next day exclaiming, "It worked!  The fist worked!"

From Rebecca:

I actually tried this today for the first time.  We were at a store and I felt like I wanted to eat something, and there was a snack bar there.  All they had there was junk, and I knew I should not eat any of it.  So I made a fist and felt empowered to walk past without getting anything.  It felt pretty good!  We left that store and went to Jimmy John's Sub Shop and I had an Unwich, which is a sandwich made as a lettuce wrap instead of bread.

By the way, I am reading Rachel's book to learn about weight lifting for women.  Her diet advice is low fat and high carb, so I will not be following her eating plan.

GRILLED STUFFED PORK CHOPS - UNDERGROUND WELLNESS

2 – 8 oz. butterfly pork chops
Garlic and chives goat cheese
3-4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Garlic powder and pepper, to taste

Preheat grill to medium. For two 8 oz. chops: Cut pockets in each pork chop where they are butterflied; for four 4 oz. chops: cut each pork chop in half and then cut a pocket in each. Stuff each pocket with bacon and cheese. Secure with toothpicks, if needed. Sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper. Grill for about 20 minutes on the top rack, turning once.

( Right click here to see a video demonstration of this recipe.  Right click here to visit U.S. Wellness Meats.)