THE UNIVERSE WANTS ME TO "IF"

Well, that might be a slight exaggeration.  Actually, I ran out of eggs yesterday and I forgot to go to the store, so there was nothing to have for breakfast.

I have been thinking about trying Intermittent Fasting (IF) again for couple of weeks, and with nothing in the house for breakfast, it seemed like a good time to jump in and start.

The last time I did this was back in the summer of 2010.  I had been on a long stall for about eight months, and when I started IFing, I immediately started losing weight. After a while, I guess I just got tired of doing it and I quit.

There are lots of ways to IF:

• Just skip a meal now and then, or every day
• Eat normally every day, then fast one day per week, or every other week
• Eat within a certain "window" now and then or every day
• Plus other ways that I have not heard of yet

I have tried eating breakfast, skipping lunch and eating dinner for a few weeks in a row.  I have also tried eating in a five-hour window every day for a few weeks in a row.  The latter is the one that I was the most comfortable with.

If you want to learn what IF is all about, look to the right and click on "Intermittent Fasting" in the sidebar under "Labels".  There are some articles written by others that explain what it is and how different people are using IF.

I was nervous to start again, just because I didn't want to be hungry.  Doing Atkins, I am never hungry, and I've gotten used to that.  Here was my experience today, my first day back on IF:

My breakfast this morning

I was truly not hungry after skipping breakfast this morning.  Bill skipped his, too, and did not seem to mind.  We planned on going shopping at Whole Foods Market around 10 am, and on the way there, I mentioned to him that I was not even hungry, and he said he was a little hungry.  I guess my brain must have been listening to our conversation, because, within about five minutes, I started feeling pretty hungry.  At least, I think I did - it's been so long that I sort of forgot what hunger feels like.  It's like a pain, right?

At the store, I passed by the samples of blood oranges and guacamole with corn chips.  I even passed by the sample of Seeduction Bread, which is a favorite of mine.  I never buy it - I just take a little taste now and then.  Bill, however, was eating all the samples in sight.  Even so, I found it easy to turn away from the foodlets.

On the way home, I suddenly started experiencing the worst bloating and gas pains in my stomach.  I'm not sure why that was happening, but it lasted around 30 minutes.  When I got out of the car at home, my stomach was actually distended.  I went to the bathroom and felt a little better.

I left the house to go to physical therapy for my torn shoulder tendon, and I realized while I was there that I was freezing cold.  I remember being that way all the time when I was eating low calorie and low fat.

I got back home at 2:15 and started cooking!  By 2:30, I was eating three scrambled eggs in ghee, three slices of thick sliced bacon, home cooked pumpkin with Stevia, cinnamon and ginger, and about 1/2 oz. each of macadamia nuts and pecans.  I also had 10 grams of dried, unsweetened coconut.

I then made hot cocoa made with non-sweetened almond milk, Hershey's cocoa and Stevia.  It was pretty good!

Around 5 pm, I pan sauteed some beautiful, fresh tilapia in ghee, and when we were done eating that, I made a salad with my homemade dressing, romaine, avocado, tomatoes and parmesan cheese.  I also had another ounce of nuts.

At 6:30 I made my Flax Seed Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, and ate two of them.  I finished them up right at 7:30.  So I finished my last bite right at five hours, which is what I planned.

After I put my food onto fitday, I found out that I had eaten this:

2224 calories
175.6g fat (71.1%)
101.9g protein
59g total carbs
29.8g fiber
29.2g net carbs, of which 12g came from veggies
2468g sodium

Whoa!  That is more than I usually eat by eating three meals a day!  I did not keep track of the numbers as I was eating.  I just wrote it all down as I ate it, and I just now put it on fitday.  I am surprised how much I ate.  I don't know if I have ever eaten this much in one day!

The fat is high.  And, I recently heard from Robb Wolf of The Paleo Solution that I should be eating around 1 gram of protein per each pound of total body weight.  Others, like Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple, have said to eat 1 gram of protein per lean pound of body mass.  So Robb says 145 grams of protein, and Mark says 97 grams of protein.  And Atkins says between 71 and 149 grams.  I only got 102, so according to Robb, I am short, according to Mark I am over, and according to Atkins, I am right in the center of recommendations.

The only thing I came in "good" on was carbs and fiber.  I even got my 12 veggie net carbs.

Well, I am done eating for the day.  I'm going to do it again tomorrow.  Maybe I won't eat so much!

THE HEALTHY HOME ECONOMIST GOES SHOPPING AT PUBLIX

JANUARY 12 - DAILY REPORT

MY WEIGHT

THIS PAST DAY

Today - 48.2 lbs. of body fat and 97.8 lbs. of lean mass - 33% body fat
Yesterday - 48.2 lbs. of body fat and 97.8 lbs. of lean mass - 33% body fat
Lost 0 lbs. of body fat, gained 0 lb. of lean mass and body fat decreased 0%

THIS PAST WEEK

Today - 48.2 lbs. of body fat and 97.8 lbs. of lean mass - 33% body fat
One week ago - 48.5 lbs. of body fat and 95.9 lbs. of lean mass - 33.6% body fat

Lost 0.3 lbs. of body fat, gained 1.9 lbs. of lean mass and body fat decreased 0.6%

THIS PAST MONTH

Today - 48.2 lbs. of body fat and 97.8 lbs. of lean mass - 33% body fat
One month ago - 47.1 lbs. of body fat and 96.5 lbs. of lean mass - 32.8% body fat

Gained 1.1 lbs. of body fat, gained 1.3 lbs. of lean mass and body fat increased 0.2% 

MY BODY COMPOSITION

146 lbs.
30-7/8" waist
12-1/2" neck
39-1/4" hips
25.9 BMI
0.490 waist-to-height ratio
0.787 waist-to-hip ratio
33% body fat

MY NEXT GOAL

143 lbs.
30-3/8" waist
12-1/2" neck
39-1/8" hips
25.4 BMI
0.482 waist-to-height ratio
0.776 waist-to-hip ratio
32.2% fat

Theoretically, to hit this goal, I need to lose 1/2" from my waist. 

MY FOOD

Yesterday, I did not track my food on Fitday.  I ate normally and on plan.

59% OF THE FAT LOST - 102.9% OF THE MUSCLE GAINED

Right before I started Atkins, this was me:

158 pounds

70.8 pounds of body fat - 44.8%

87.2 pounds of lean mass - 55.2%

This is me now:

146 pounds

48.2 pounds of body fat - 33%

97.8 pounds of lean mass - 67%

This is my dream goal (we'll see!)

130 pounds

32.5 pounds of body fat - 25%

97.5 pounds of lean mass - 75%

So that means that, so far, since February 2009:

I have lost 59% of the body fat I set out to lose.

I have gained 102.9% of the muscle I set out to gain.

Last time I posted about this was January 1, 2011, and the numbers were 64% and 96.1%. Progress!

Also, my actual pounds of lean body mass are at the highest they have been since starting Atkins.

JANUARY 9 - WEEK 95 RESULTS

Today - 47.6 lbs. of body fat and 96.6 lbs. of lean mass - 33% body fat
One week ago - 48.4 lbs. of body fat and 95.6 lbs. of lean mass - 33.6% body fat

Lost 0.8 lbs. of body fat, gained 1 lb. of lean mass and body fat decreased 0.6% 

I tracked my food on fitday four days this past week, but I did not look at the totals until the end of each night.  I ate on-plan on the days that I did not track.

Here is a chart that shows my week of food and the average for the four days that I tracked:

Today is my weekly measuring day. In the past 7 days:

I lost 3/8" around my navel
I gained 1/8" around my calf

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

Neck - 13.75" to 12.5" - down 1-1/4"

Bicep - 11.75" to 11.875" - up 1/8"

Forearm - 9" - no change

Bust - 38.25" to 35.75" - down 2-1/2"

Midriff - 32.25" to 30.25" - down 2"

Waist - 31.5" to 29.75" - down 1.75"

Navel - 38.25" to 32.125" - down 6-1/8"

Hips - 42" to 38.75" - down 3-1/4""

Thigh - 24.5" to 22.25" - down 2-1/4"

Calf - 14.5" to 13.75" - down 3/4"

BODY COMPOSITION

AT THE BEGINNING OF WEIGHT LOSS 2/22/09

158 lbs.
35" waist
13-3/4" neck
45-1/2" hips
28.0 BMI
0.556 waist-to-height ratio
0.769 waist-to-hip ratio
44.8% body fat

ONE MONTH AGO

143.4 lbs.
30-3/4" waist
12-1/2" neck
39-3/4" hips
25.5 BMI
0.488 waist-to-height ratio
0.774 waist-to-hip ratio
33.4% body fat

ONE WEEK AGO

144 lbs.
31" waist
12-1/2" neck
39-5/8" hips
25.6 BMI
0.492 waist-to-height ratio
0.782 waist-to-hip ratio
33.6% body fat

TODAY

144.2 lbs.
31" waist
12-1/2" neck
39-1/8" hips
25.6 BMI
0.492 waist-to-height ratio
0.792 waist-to-hip ratio
33% body fat

Since my heaviest weight in February 2009, I have lost 13.8 lbs. on the scale, 4" around my waist, 1-1/4" around my neck and 3-3/8" around my hips.  I have lost 23.2 lbs. of fat and I have gained 9.4 lbs. of lean mass.

In the past month, I have gained 0.8 lbs. on the scale and I have gained 1/4" around my waist and I have lost 5/8" around my hips.  I have lost 0.3 lbs. of fat and I have gained 1.1 lbs. of lean mass.

In the past week, I have gained 0.2 lbs.on the scale.  I  have lost 1/2" around my hips.  I have lost 0.8 lbs. of fat and I have gained 1 lb. of lean mass.

MY NEXT GOAL

143 lbs.
30-3/8" waist
12-1/2" neck
39-1/8" hips
25.4 BMI
0.482 waist-to-height ratio
0.776 waist-to-hip ratio
32.2% body fat

To achieve this, I need to lose 1.6 lbs. of fat and gain 0.4 lbs. of lean mass.  I need to lose 5/8" around my waist.

MY ULTIMATE DREAM GOAL

130 lbs.
26-1/2" waist
12-1/4" neck
37-1/4" hips
23.1 BMI
0.421 waist-to-height ratio
0.711 waist-to-hip ratio
25% body fat

To achieve this, I need to lose 15.1 more lbs. of fat and gain 0.9 more lbs. of lean mass.  I need to lose another 4-1/2" around my waist, another 1/4" around my neck and another 1-7/8" around my hips.

If I reach this goal, I will have lost a total of 38.3 lbs. of fat and gained a total of 10.3 lbs. of lean mass since my highest weight on February 22, 2009.  I will have also lost 8.5" around my waist, 1.5" around my neck and 8.25" around my hips.

FLAX SEED SPICE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Click photo to enlarge

I finally have my spice cake recipe perfected.  I wanted something that would take the place of carrot cake, and this fills the bill for me.  The inspiration was the Muffin in a Minute (MIM) that is posted on the Atkins Community Forum.

This recipe makes 6 individual cakes.





Ingredients for the cake:

84g (3 oz. or 3/4 cup) finely ground flax seed
3/4 tsp. double acting baking powder
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. sea salt
3 eggs
1 Tbs. olive oil
27 drops Stevia sweetener
3 Tbs. water

Directions for the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

2. Spray a muffin top pan (6 muffin size) with cooking spray.

3. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. 

4. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, oil, Stevia and water.

5. Add dry ingredients to eggs, and mix well.

6. Equally fill the muffin pan, and let rest for 2 minutes before baking.

7. Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool in the pan.

Ingredients for the frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
18 drops Stevia sweetener
3 Tbs. IsoPure Zero Carb Protein Powder, Creamy Vanilla Flavor

Directions for the frosting:

1. In a shallow bowl or plate, use a fork to cream together the cream cheese, vanilla extract and Stevia.

2. Add protein powder and mix well.

Putting it all together:

When the cakes have cooled to room temperature, spread the frosting over the tops.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutritional information per individual cake:

205.4 calories
15.8 g fat
9.4g protein
6.5g total carbs
4.6g dietary fiber
1.9g net carbs

I eat two of these cakes along with a salad for lunch.  They could also be used as a dessert.

TOM NAUGHTON - "CALORIES DO COUNT"

Calories do count. Your body can raise or lower your metabolism in response to a change in the total calories or type of calories consumed, but calories don’t magically disappear. Some people who either didn’t read Good Calories, Bad Calories or didn’t grasp the section titled “Energy Balance” have accused Gary Taubes of proposing a hypothesis that would violate the laws of thermodynamics, but that isn’t the case. He proposed that if hormones are telling your body to store fat, your body will listen and obey as much as possible … slow your metabolism, make you feel lazy so you don’t move as much, ramp up hunger so you eat more. All of those factors work to increase the calories in and decrease the calories out.

When insulin is high, you store a higher proportion of calories as fat, which prompts you to eat more because you run out of fuel at the cellular level. Ignore the hunger, and your body may slow your metabolism in response. If you lower your insulin level, you’ll have an easier time burning body fat for fuel. In the complete absence of insulin, you’ll barely be able to store fat at all, but other than type 1 diabetics, we always produce some insulin in response to food — and good thing, too; we need insulin to make use of nutrients. The point of going low-carb is to avoid producing too much insulin.

Some people are very resistant to becoming fat, so their bodies find a way to burn off or waste the extra calories if they over-eat. Most of us aren’t that lucky, so if we overwhelm our bodies with excess calories, we’re going to gain weight. The reason a low-carb diet works for me is that I no longer want to overeat … since I’m not storing as many calories as fat as when I ate a high-carb diet, my appetite is controlled naturally, without counting calories.

Click here to see his other comments.

JANUARY 2 - WEEK 94 RESULTS

Today - 48.4 lbs. of body fat and 95.6 lbs. of lean mass - 33.6% body fat
One week ago - 48.6 lbs. of body fat and 96.8 lbs. of lean mass - 33.4% body fat

Lost 0.2 lbs. of body fat, lost 1.2 lbs. of lean mass and body fat increased 0.2% 

I tracked my food on fitday five days this past week, but I did not look at the totals until the end of each night.  I ate on-plan on the days that I did not track.

Here is a chart that shows my week of food and the average for the five days that I tracked:

Today is my weekly measuring day. In the past 7 days:

I lost 1/4" around my bust
I gained 1/4" around my midriff
I gained 1/2" around my waist
I gained 1/4" around my navel
I lost 1/4" around my hips
I gained 1/8" around my calf

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

Neck - 13.75" to 12.5" - down 1-1/4"

Bicep - 11.75" to 11.875" - up 1/8"

Forearm - 9" - no change

Bust - 38.25" to 35.75" - down 2-1/2"

Midriff - 32.25" to 30.25" - down 2"

Waist - 31.5" to 29.75" - down 1.75"

Navel - 38.25" to 32.5" - down 5-3/4"

Hips - 42" to 38.75" - down 3-1/4""

Thigh - 24.5" to 22.25" - down 2-1/4"

Calf - 14.5" to 13.625" - down 7/8"

BODY COMPOSITION

AT THE BEGINNING OF WEIGHT LOSS 2/22/09

158 pounds
35" waist
13-3/4" neck
45-1/2" hips
28.0 BMI
0.556 waist-to-height ratio
0.769 waist-to-hip ratio
44.8% body fat

ONE MONTH AGO

144 pounds
30-3/4" waist
12-1/2" neck
39-1/2" hips
25.6 BMI
0.488 waist-to-height ratio
0.778 waist-to-hip ratio
33.1% body fat

ONE WEEK AGO

145.4 pounds
31" waist
12-1/2" neck
39-1/2" hips
25.8 BMI
0.492 waist-to-height ratio
0.785 waist-to-hip ratio
33.4% body fat

TODAY

144 pounds
31" waist
12-1/2" neck
39-5/8" hips
25.6 BMI
0.492 waist-to-height ratio
0.782 waist-to-hip ratio
33.6% body fat

Since my heaviest weight in February 2009, I have lost 14 pounds on the scale, 4" around my waist, 1-1/4" around my neck and 5-7/8" around my hips.  I have lost 22.4 pounds of fat and I have gained 8.4 pounds of lean mass.

In the past month, I have lost 0 pounds on the scale and I have gained 1/4" around my waist and 1/8" around my hips.  I have gained 0.7 pounds of fat and I have lost 0.7 pounds of lean mass.

In the past week, I have lost 1.4 pounds on the scale.  I  have gained 1/8" around my hips.  I have lost 0.2 pounds of fat and I have lost 1.2 pounds of lean mass.

MY NEXT GOAL

143 pounds
30-3/8" waist
12-1/2" neck
39-1/8" hips
25.4 BMI
0.482 waist-to-height ratio
0.776 waist-to-hip ratio
32.2% body fat

To achieve this, I need to lose 2.4 pounds of fat and gain 1.4 pounds of lean mass.  I need to lose 5/8" around my waist and 1/2" around my hips.

MY ULTIMATE DREAM GOAL

130 pounds
26-1/2" waist
12-1/4" neck
37-1/4" hips
23.1 BMI
0.421 waist-to-height ratio
0.711 waist-to-hip ratio
25% body fat

To achieve this, I need to lose 15.9 more pounds of fat and gain 1.9 more pounds of lean mass.  I need to lose another 4-1/2" around my waist, another 1/4" around my neck and another 2-3/8" around my hips.

If I reach this goal, I will have lost a total of 38.3 pounds of fat and gained a total of 10.3 pounds of lean mass since my highest weight on February 22, 2009.  I will have also lost 8.5" around my waist, 1.5" around my neck and 8.25" around my hips.

RECORD BREAKERS IN 2010

In 2010, I broke a few of my records since starting Atkins in March 2009:

5/31/10 - lowest BMI - 24.1

11/21/10 - smallest neck - 12.25"

12/16/10 - smallest hips - 39.25"

12/29/10 - most pounds of lean body mass - 97.5

12/31/10 - smallest waist - 30.375"

12/31/10 - lowest waist-to-height ratio - 0.482

12/31/10 - lowest body fat - 32.3%

12/31/10 - highest lean body mass - 67.7%

12/31/10 - least pounds of body fat - 46.1

MY 2010 RESULTS

Here are my results for the past year of Atkins:

January 1, 2010
142.6 lbs. on the scale
51.2 lbs. body fat - 35.9%
91.4 lbs. lean body mass - 64.1%
31.75" waist
13" neck
41.25" hips
25.3 BMI
0.50 waist-to-height ratio
0.77 waist-to-hip ratio

January 1, 2011
143.4 lbs. on the scale
46.3 lbs. body fat - 32.3%
97.1 lbs. lean body mass - 67.7%
30.375" waist
12.5" neck
39.25" hips
25.5 BMI
0.48 waist-to-height ratio
0.77 waist-to-hip ratio

So, in the past 365 days, I have:

Gained 0.8 lbs. on the scale
Lost 4.9 lbs. of body fat - 35.9% down to 32.3%
Gained 5.7 lbs. of lean body mass - 64.1% up to 67.7%
Lost 1-3/8" around my waist
Lost 1/2" around my neck
Lost 2" around my hips

BMI went up 0.2 points, just going to show you that it is a meaningless number in many cases and does not take into account your body fat percentage or how much muscle you have.

All in all, it has been a very frustrating year, with all of my good results coming in these past several weeks. But I am on a roll now and have high hopes for 2011.

I have decided to go ahead and be a Phase 4, due to the fact that some major hormone issues have kept me from losing weight for the most part, and I may never lose any more than I have so far. Of course, in my dreams, I see myself here:

130 lbs. on the scale
32.5 lbs. body fat - 25%
97.5 lbs. lean body mass - 75%
26.5" waist
12.25" neck
37.25" hips
23.1 BMI
0.42 waist-to-height ratio
0.71 waist-to-hip ratio

Who knows what this next year will bring?

Here are my charts for this past year:

64% OF THE FAT LOST - 96.1% OF THE MUSCLE GAINED

Right before I started Atkins, this was me:

158 pounds

70.8 pounds of body fat - 44.8%

87.2 pounds of lean mass - 55.2%

This is me now:

143.4 pounds

46.3 pounds of body fat - 32.3%

97.1 pounds of lean mass - 67.7%

This is my dream goal (we'll see!)

130 pounds

32.5 pounds of body fat - 25%

97.5 pounds of lean mass - 75%

So that means that, so far, since February 2009:

I have lost 64% of the body fat I set out to lose.

I have gained 96.1% of the muscle I set out to gain.

Last time I posted about this was yesterday, and the numbers were 64.5% and 92.2%. Progress!

Also, my actual pounds of lean body mass are at the highest they have been since starting Atkins.

64.5% OF THE FAT LOST - 92.2% OF THE MUSCLE GAINED

Right before I started Atkins, this was me:

158 pounds
70.8 pounds of body fat - 44.8%
87.2 pounds of lean mass - 55.2%

This is me now:
142.8 pounds
46.1 pounds of body fat - 32.3%
96.7 pounds of lean mass - 67.7%

This is my dream goal (we'll see!)
130 pounds
32.5 pounds of body fat - 25%
97.5 pounds of lean mass - 75%

So that means that, so far, since February 2009:

I have lost 64.5% of the body fat I set out to lose.

I have gained 92.2% of the muscle I set out to gain.

Last time I posted about this was yesterday, and the numbers were 63% and 93%. Progress!

Also, my actual pounds of body fat are at the lowest they have been since starting Atkins.

MONTH END CHARTS

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

The chart below shows my daily scale weight, my 7-day average weight and my total weight loss:

The chart below shows my actual daily scale weight and my 28-day moving average:

 The chart below shows my 28-day moving average:

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 - Starting Weight

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

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

143.8 - March 2010 - lost 0.1 pound

143.6 - April 2010 - lost 0.2 pounds

140.1 - May 2010 - lost 3.5 pounds

140.8 - June 2010 - gained 0.7 pounds

139.5 - July 2010 - lost 1.3 pounds

141.6 - August 2010 - gained 2.1 pound

 142.3 - September 2010 - gained 0.7 pounds
143.2 - October 2010 - gained 0.9 pounds
143.3 - November 2010 - gained 0.1 pounds
144.2 - December 2010 - gained 0.9 pounds

The chart below shows these numbers:

The chart below shows my BMI.  The number is going up, but that's okay, because I am putting on muscle and losing fat.

The chart below shows my body fat percentage:

The chart below show my pounds of body fat and lean body mass:

63% OF THE FAT LOST - 93% OF THE MUSCLE GAINED

Right before I started Atkins, this was me:

158 pounds

70.8 pounds of body fat - 44.8%

87.2 pounds of lean mass - 55.2%

This is me now:

143.4 pounds

46.6 pounds of body fat - 32.5%

96.8 pounds of lean mass - 67.5%

This is my dream goal (we'll see!)

130 pounds

32.5 pounds of body fat - 25%

97.5 pounds of lean mass - 75%

So that means that, so far, since February 2009:

I have lost 63% of the body fat I set out to lose.

I have gained 93% of the muscle I set out to gain.

MY HUSBAND IS TOO THIN!

Bill in October 2010
Taken in our backyard

At least that's what my step-sister told my father the other day.

She told my dad that she is worried that Bill is getting too thin and should stop losing weight.

Of course, it is not true - he still has around 15 pounds of fat to get rid of - but he used to be 40+ pounds overweight, so it is fun to hear that someone notices the difference.

Lately, every time I see Bill from across the room, I am struck by how slim he looks. He's lookin' pretty good!

Bill in September 1995

Just for comparison, this photo shows Bill in 1995, when he was at his heaviest.  When I look at his face in this photo, it's hard to believe he was that round - it doesn't even look like him to me.

NO SHOULDER SURGERY NEEDED - PT AND DRUGS ONLY

I just saw the orthopedic surgeon and he said that if they can get me 50% better in four weeks, I will get all better in time.

YAY!

He also said that, even though there is a small tendon tear on the top of my shoulder, he thinks the main source of the pain is the pinched nerve in my neck.

I am going back there for my PT evaluation in about an hour.

I asked the doc if I could start lifting again, and he said to ask the PT person. He said they love people who lift weights, and they will be able to tell me exactly what I can and cannot do.

The doctor said that I could go ahead and do cardio, and I told him I don't do traditional cardio - that I only lift weights. He looked at me like my head had just spun around. A woman that does not use the elliptical machine??? Unheard of!

Anyway, I am very relieved and hoping they will let me do some (all?) of my PT at home.

I also was put on an anti-inflammatory for three weeks. He said if it makes me swell up, to stop taking it and do without. I do have a history of swelling up with those drugs. He said this one is better for that. We'll see.

FITDAY VS. FATSECRET

 On the Atkins Community Forum, there are two popular free food tracking websites that people use.  There is always a friendly "disagreement" on which one is better - Fitday or Fatsecret.

I have tried them both, and I prefer Fitday, and there are only four things I can see that make Fatsecret superior to the free, online version of Fitday:

1.  Fatsecret tracks net carbs and the free, online version of Fitday does not.  It gives you the carbs and fiber, and you have to do the math yourself to get net carbs.  The downloadable PC version of Fitday will track net carbs, but the program costs $30.

2.  Fatsecret lets you track your foods according to breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, and the free, online version of Fitday keeps all your food in one list.  The PC version of Fitday lets you separate food into meals and snacks.

3.  Fatsecret has lots of brand name foods in their database and Fitday does not.  Personally, I eat mostly real, whole, fresh foods, and I don't use brand name foods, so for me, this is not an issue.  For someone that uses a lot of processed foods or name brand foods, this might be an issue.

4.  Fatsecret has a smart phone ap.  Fitday does not.

Even considering these four differences, I still think Fitday is the program that is easiest to use and has the most tracking options.  Here are the reasons that I think Fitday is better, at least for me:

1.  Fitday lets you track an unlimited number of options, such as calories, carbs, protein, fat, sodium, cholesterol, sugars, fiber,  sodium, nutrients and RDI.  Fatsecret will only let you choose six of these then things to track.  If you want to track net carbs, you have to give up tracking sodium, for example.

2.  Fitday allows you to show your food journal, in its entirety, to anyone by making your journal public and supplying a link.  Fatsecret will let you do that to, but the person you are showing it to needs to have their own account with Fatsecret, and be logged in, and even then, at times you cannot see their full journal.

3.  Fitday allows you to put your food items into your journal in the order you wantto appear.  Fatsecret will put the food items into your journal in the order it wants then to be in, and you have no control over the order.

4.  Fatsecret allows users to input their own information, which then becomes part of the database of foods.  I don't like that a person can put inaccurate information into Fatsecret, and then make it part of the database.  With Fitday, you can make changes to anything you want, but it will not be shared with other Fitday users.

5.  Fitday allows you to customize foods.  If you want to create a custom food, you can choose a similar food and then change the numbers and save it as your custom food.  Fatsecret makes you start from scratch to create a custom food.  And if you decide that one serving is a slice, and enter it that way, when you look at your menu for the day, it will not show you that one serving is one slice, it will only say "one serving".  You have to go to another page to remind yourself of what a "serving" is.  For example, you may decide that "one serving" is one ounce or one gram, and if you forget which it is, you have to go to another page to see that.  When you look at your menu for Fitday, everything is on one page.  You can print that page and hang it on the fridge and know that everything you need to know is on that page.

THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVER - GETTING BACK ON TRACK

I am so glad that the holidays are over, and I can just eat on plan without always being tempted with candy and cookies and cake and pie!  I was at the mall today, and actually turned around and walked quickly away from the Cinnabon store before I could really start to be tempted.  I said to myself, "Christmas is over.  Today is the day that I get back on track and stop eating holiday foods!"

Since the Sunday morning before Thanksgiving until this morning, the day after Christmas:

I gained 2.1 pounds of fat.  (boo!)
I gained 2.7 pounds of lean mass.  (yay!)
I went from 33.1% body fat to 33.4%.  (not too bad!)
I gained 1/4" around my neck.
I gained 1/8" around my bicep.
I gained 1/4" around my bust.
I gained 1/2" around my midriff.
I gained 1/4" around my waist.
I lost 1/4" around my navel.
I lost 1/4" around my hips.

All in all, not too bad.  I'm not that upset.  I now have around 5 or 6 weeks to be serious before I take off for the vacation that I always gain weight on!

The thing that is bothering me is the fact that my shoulder tendon is torn, and I cannot exercise.  I keep being tempted to do a little, but I remind myself that my doctor appointment is tomorrow, and I can chill out until then, and see if he releases me to start doing a little lifting again.

DECEMBER 26 - WEEK 93 RESULTS

One week ago, my actual scale weight was 143.4.

Today, my actual scale weight is 145.4.

I gained 2 pounds this past week.

 One week ago, my average weight for the week was 143.8.

Today, my average weight for the week is 144.2.

I gained 0.4 pounds this past week.

I tracked my food on fitday two days this past week, but I did not look at the totals until Saturday night.  I did a lot of off-plan eating on the days that I did not track.

Here is a chart that shows my week of food and the average for the two days that I tracked.

Today is my weekly measuring day. In the past 7 days:

I lost 1/8" around my bicep
I gained 1/2" around my midriff
I gained 1/4" around my waist
I gained 1/4" around my navel
I lost 1/4" around my calf

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

Neck - 13.75" to 12.5" - down 1-1/4"

Bicep - 11.75" to 11.875" - up 1/8"

Forearm - 9" - no change

Bust - 38.25" to 36" - down 2-1/4"

Midriff - 32.25" to 30" - down 2-1/4"

Waist - 31.5" to 29.5" - down 2"

Navel - 38.25" to 32.25" - down 6"

Hips - 42" to 39" - down 3"

Thigh - 24.5" to 22.25" - down 2-1/4"

Calf - 14.5" to 13.5" - down 1"

BODY COMPOSITION

AT THE BEGINNING OF WEIGHT LOSS 2/22/09

158 pounds
35" waist
13.75" neck
45.5" hips
28.0 BMI
0.56 waist-to-height ratio
0.77 waist-to-hip ratio
44.8% body fat

ONE MONTH AGO

149.6 pounds
32" waist
12.5" neck
40.5" hips
26.6 BMI
0.51 waist-to-height ratio
0.79 waist-to-hip ratio
35.9% body fat

ONE WEEK AGO

143.4 pounds
30.5" waist
12.5" neck
39.5" hips
25.5 BMI
0.48 waist-to-height ratio
0.77 waist-to-hip ratio
32.8% body fat

TODAY

145.4 pounds
31" waist
12.5" neck
39.5" hips
25.8 BMI
0.49 waist-to-height ratio
0.78 waist-to-hip ratio
33.4% body fat

Since my heaviest weight in February 2009, I have lost 12.6 pounds on the scale, 4" around my waist, 1.25" around my neck and 6" around my hips.  I have lost 22.2 pounds of fat and I have gained 9.6 pounds of lean mass.

In the past month, I have lost 4.2 pounds on the scale and I have lost 1" around my waist and 1" around my hips.  I have lost 5.1 pounds of fat and I have gained 0.9 pounds of lean mass.

In the past week, I have gained 2 pounds on the scale.  I  have gained 1/2" around my waist.  I have gained 1.6 pounds of fat and I have gained 0.4 pounds of lean mass.

MY NEXT GOAL

142 pounds
29.92" waist
12.25" neck
39.25" hips
25.2 BMI
0.47 waist-to-height ratio
0.76 waist-to-hip ratio
32.1% body fat

To achieve this, I need to lose 3 pounds of fat and lose 0.4 pounds of lean mass.  I need to lose 1" around my waist, 1/4" around my neck and 1/4" around my hips.

MY ULTIMATE DREAM GOAL

130 pounds
26.5" waist
12.25" neck
37.25" hips
23.1 BMI
0.42 waist-to-height ratio
0.71 waist-to-hip ratio
25% body fat

To achieve this, I need to lose 16.1 more pounds of fat and gain 0.7 more pounds of lean mass.  I need to lose another 4.5" around my waist, another 0.25" around my neck and another 2.25" around my hips.

If I reach this goal, I will have lost a total of 38.3 pounds of fat and gained a total of 10.3 pounds of lean mass since my highest weight on February 22, 2009.  I will have also lost 8.5" around my waist, 1.5" around my neck and 8.25" around my hips.

CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE

After looking around on the internet for a crustless pumpkin pie recipe, and finding several, I settled on this one, which is simply the recipe off the Libby's 100% Pumpkin label, with a couple of minor changes to make it lower in carbs and free of grains. 

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Makes a 9" deep dish pie


Ingredients:
2 eggs
15 oz. pumpkin, canned, no salt added
30 drops Stevia sweetener
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1.5 cups (12 fluid oz.) heavy cream (whipping cream)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit.

2.  Beat eggs slightly in a medium bowl.

3.  Add remaining ingredients one at a time, blending well after each one.

4.  Pour mixture into a 9" deep dish pie plate that has been buttered or sprayed with cooking spray.

5.  Bake at 425 degrees fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

6.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees fahrenheit and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes.

7.  Pie is done when a toothpick or knife inserted near center of pie comes out clean.

8.  Cool on a rack, then refrigerate until cold.

9.  Top with whipped cream, if desired.

This is the nutritional information for the whole pie, not including optional whipped topping:

1590 Calories
143.7g Fat
24.8g Protein
49.4g Carbohydrate
13.9g Dietary Fiber
35.5g Net Carbohydrate, of which 22.1g come from the pumpkin

This is the nutritional information for 1/8 of the whole pie, not including optional whipped topping:

198.8 Calories
18g Fat
3.1g Protein
6.2g Carbohydrate
1.7g Dietary Fiber
4.5g Net Carbohydrate, of which 2.8g come from the pumpkin