Adventures in SGT RJ land:

This will meander somewhat as I try to explain some of my thoughts relevant to food and decisions I make. Not because I think I've made particularly bad decisions recently, but because I could have and need feedback on how screwed up those thoughts may be.

Sunday was a long day for me. I packed my lunch in advance but didn't tally everything up until I was eating on my second break at work (don't think this specifically was a really big deal, I am rarely under that big a time crunch so it's not going to happen often). Once I did the tally I knew I had very little room to work with if I was going to stay under 1600 calories, or at least not going over by much.

This was on my mind for the rest of my shift and my commute home (roughly 45-50 minutes). The complication, at least from my perspective, was that my boyfriend would expect me to make something when I got home (I do all the cooking/cleaning/shopping, which made sense when I was home all the time but should probably be renegotiated somewhat). I was completely wiped out; the though of cooking anything more complicated than boiling water or microwaving something made me cringe (although I concede this was more mental on my part than pure exhaustion; I was quite tired, but didn't collapse the instant I got home. I COULD have cooked something simple but didn't want to). So my thoughts automatically turned to fast food.

I spent the entire ride home debating. If I went to a burger place I'd want fries, which is the vast majority of the stuff right near my house. I toyed with driving a bit further out to a sandwich place like Panera or Firehouse but knew from previous trips to their websites that those options aren't particularly low calories (especially one of my favorites from Panera, the Smokehouse Turkey panini), plus we both eat a lot of sandwiches (ones I make, not from places like Subway or w/e). This option was pretty tempting for me, though - I like those places. The thought of having to admit in here that I knowingly got a 600 - 800 calorie sandwich when I was already at 1400 on the day helped.

Ultimately I decided to go home and, if necessary, make something pretty much just for Ian. Except that Ian had forgotten I was due home early on Sunday (my shift was two hours earlier again) and had already gone out to get fast food for himself (Burger King, which doesn't tempt me in the slightest, I consider BK to be the nut low of fast food). So I ate an apple.

Yesterday I intended to make chicken/veggies for dinner. However, in an event that happens roughly once every two years, Ian had actually started dinner when I got home. Granted, in this particular case "starting dinner" consisted of taking out a package of pasta and setting an overfull pot of water on to boil. Still though.

I made the entire packet without pre-measuring my serving in advance, so I'm ball parking last night but if I'm off, I'm over (intentionally; I'd rather over estimate. Pasta w/ cheese and tomato and basil sauce at around 700 calories plus a frozen fruit bar at 70. About 20g of protein. 1555 calories on the day, 77g of protein.

And now today. My normal two day weekend (Monday/Tuesday) was cut down to one (although i have Friday off now this week), so I have a ton of stuff to do today, mostly around the apartment and at a few stores (I'll be going to the gym Fri/Sat along with at least one more walk this week). I didn't eat anything before going to the store, so out the door I again revisited the idea of maybe dropping by Panera or Firehouse for a sandwich. I had, in fact, made the decision to go the Panera, but as I was near the turn off for Costco, I basically said you know what? I'm not really that hungry right now. I can eat when I get home.

So I went to Costco and the grocery store without having eaten anything. This isn't the sort of problem you'd think. I didn't load up with all sorts of impulse purchases or anything like that. I did pull a ytf and ate something in the car, but that something was a nectarine. I've been rereading the ytf thread, and did spend a minute or so contemplating Magnum minis. I LOVE ice cream, especially this time of year. But I had gotten some at Costco (Drumsticks, on sale), and while the Magnum's would be better calorically, there would be zero chance "my" ice cream wouldn't be swiped by Ian while he was going for the Drumsticks.

So while I didn't get any impulse purchases (and did load up on fruit, string cheese, greek yogurt, and beef jerky), I was getting pretty damn hungry. I had a ton of stuff I needed to unload from the car, some of which was melting, so I wanted something quick that I didn't need to scrounge through all my purchases to put together.

End result: Two turkey hot dogs with cheese (no bread) dipped in mustard, for 390 calories and 20g of protein. 70 for the nectarine earlier. Then I had a massive brain fart and grabbed a half melted Drumstick (I had brought those in and put them in the freezer first thing; most of the rest of the groceries waited until after I had eaten). Another 290/4. I don't really regret this meal, except that I regret I didn't wait until the ice cream had refrozen. I like turkey franks and life without the occasional ice cream is not worth living. But I should have eaten before I left and planned it better - it increased the odds I ate whatever random thing was at hand, and with the crap in the house I keep for Ian's lunches that can be much much worse.

Total for the day so far is 750/24. Plan for dinner is the chicken/veggies I meant to make last night. Also didn't officially work out walked almost two miles shopping/unloading, and some of that was lugging around the 4 36 packs of Diet Pepsi and 4 30 bottle cases of Gatorade. All for Ian. I got flavors that don't tempt me (the only Gatorade I know that I really like is Riptide Rush).

Dinner:

6.5 oz of chicken, cooking with a bit of olive oil and salt/pepper. 260/36. Holy **** chicken is awesome from a calorie/macro standpoint. I mean I knew that but damn, I'm full with room to spare.

Also half of a ginger and garlic stir fry veggie mix I picked up, 180/14. Interesting, not sure I'd get again, the little chunks of ginger were a bit too much. I mean I like ginger but not that much ginger.

Throw in a hard cider, 210.

So dinner was 650/50, 1400/74. For the curious yes I do tend to round for ease of adding. I'll round up or down, usually to increments of 5 or 10, but always consistently (meaning I don't fudge it down if it's closer to the up #).

IDK if that gives the precision nits fits or whatever but I'm measuring and detailing everything, I can't imagine a few calories one way or the other would make a difference at this stage of the game. I'm aware this may be a bigger issue at a later point - this isn't about making excuses, it's just easier when I'm adding stuff up at work.

Oh I also picked up beef jerky for snacks. I've already partitioned the first bag out into 3 oz portions to throw into my lunches. It's Kirkland brand, took a nibble while I was bagging it, pretty tasty. Wish it wasn't so expensive (I mean relative to other snacks).

Also picked up 5 lbs of cubed beef to make quick stir fry type dinners with leftovers for lunch. Made extra chicken breasts tonight with dinner and will pick up another pack next week. Gotta keep that brotein up.

Finally, restocked on the greek yogurt and have enough awesome summer fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth. I really, really love the fruits that become cheaper/more plentiful in summer. Strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and especially nectarines.

Fruit will always be a part of my diet. Despite the fact that the Atkins type thing I did one time in the Army worked well, I struggled more with staying away from the fruit than I did from forgoing breads or potatoes. Life without fruit is just not a life worth living. I constantly shake my head at ytf's thread when he claims he doesn't like any fruit (except bananas, and now he'll eat apples).

Finally, my shopping did not include any cereal (other than Grape Nuts, which I mix sparingly into my greek yogurt; it's a texture thing, I need the crunch and measure them out exactly), and I bought Gatorade that wouldn't tempt me.

Packed lunch/snack for tomorrow, includes sandwich, carrots, mixed fruit, nectarine, beef jerky and string cheese. Total for everything is 855 calories and 57g of protein.

Will probably have a milk/fruit/protein powder smoothie for breakfast and some greek yogurt when I come home from work.

Try hitting him.

@ post # 127

Rounding calories like you're doing is fine -- for now and later on down the road.

Seriously.

Some good modifications to your routine so far RJ, digging it

Hour long walk this morning.

**** smoothie, food before work is pizza buns. I go through these spates where I really want them for a time, then don't make them again for months. I think it's partially a nostalgia thing, my mom made them a lot as a kid.

540/20, not as brotein high as Greek yogurt but so damn tasty (to me) and fills me up. Easily fits into calorie goals for the day (1395/77 with packed food) and room for a cup of yogurt when I get home if I'm hungry.

Didn't eat anything when I came home last night. Riled up from dealing with obnoxious coworker.

I finished reading all of YTF's log, in his honor I had a couple of bagels with PB and banana. No, I kid, but I did have a PB and banana sandwich on whole wheat. Measuring PB a giant PITA, was aiming for two TBLS but logging three because lol people suck at guesstimating. 600/20.

Lunch/dinner packed and ready, brotein extravaganza. Includes leftover chicken breast, beef jerky, Greek yogurt, string cheese and fruit (nectarine + cut strawberries for the yogurt, also grape nuts for texture). 955/109. 1555/129 on the day with nothing else added.

Was a bit surprised at how full just a snack of beef jerky, string cheese, and a nectarine made me yesterday.

So I got off of work very early yesterday. So early I was home in time to make dinner. Since "making" something like reheated chicken breast and yogurt with fruit wouldn't really fly for Ian, I switched to (you guessed it) pizza buns.

I swear once this package is done (3 left, so two 3 half lunches) I'll leave the other pack in the freezer for at least a month.

So yesterday was 600/20 for the sandwich, 320/34 for my work snack (jerky, string cheese, nectarine), and 540/20 for dinner. 1460/74, then threw in an ice cream treat (290/4) for 1750/78 for the day. Yeah I know, shouldn't have had the ice cream.

Went for an hour long walk this morning + Bodypump class at the gym. Ate the yogurt/fruit I had packed yesterday for breakfast, 400/42.

445/44 for a lunch of chicken breast and colby jack cheese. 845/86 on the day so far, pot roast for dinner.

Looking good so far!

Show this diet who's boss!




Don't make a mess of things, please.

Dinner was pot roast and some veggies. Looked it up last night but forgot to post, can't recall the exact protein but calories were 650. Add that plus 70 for a nectarine I had as a snack and I was just under 1600 for the day.

Checked gym website this morning, turns out they are doing some sort of employee thing this morning so no classes. Figures. Had Greek yogurt/grape nuts/fruit for breakfast, 270/21. Have sandwich (260/24), carrots (70/2), banana (120), nectarine (70), beef jerky (180/27) and string cheese (70/7) in my bag. 1040/81 already eaten or planned.

Had a hard cider when I got home last night, so 210 calories added to the total.

Everything packed for today, will post later.

Breakfast was yogurt/fruit/crunch for 330/30.

Lunch will be banana and a can of Chef Boyardee. Wasn't in the mood to make a salad or anything last night, calorically it'll fit but **** macros. 620/18.

Snack/dinner the standard jerky/cheese/nectarine 320/34.

1270/82 if I eat nothing other than what I've packed.

Had a frozen fruit bar (70) after work, so 1340 for the day.

I'd like some input on goal weight.

I'm 5'2.5" (yes I want the half inch dammit, not so much for weight goals, just because I've always been short and I like to claim 5'3"). I was always athletic from grade school through my mid to late 20s, but once I hit puberty I was never super skinny. I've always tended towards a stockier build, so even though I wasn't overweight, I'd weigh more than most girls my height. Broader shoulders/hips rather than being a twig build is what I mean, not that I violate the laws of thermodynamics.

At my fittest as an adult, I got down to the low 140s/high 130s, both times in the Army (can't recall my exact weight when I got out of basic; a few years later I tried to get under my weight on the chart so I wouldn't have to tape, though I always passed tape, and got down to 141 before stalling and giving up on that goal).

I'm a decade plus older and considerably less athletic; do I take that into consideration, or is 140 what I should be aiming for? Or lower, as most height/weight/BMI charts would suggest? I'm not sure how much age is a factor. I'm honestly not trying to make excuses for anything, I'm overweight because I'm lazy, not because I'm older and have a back problem, but I guess I'm worried about aiming too low and getting discouraged and/or having my maintenance be absurdly low at a really low weight.

I know adding muscle will help, and exercise will help to burn more calories, but for the purposes of this exercise lets assume that any high impact cardio will remain out (it's out now and has been for several years - it triggers back spasms).

Before anyone mentions it I've already PMed cha and he gave me some resources for ART. I'll be researching a lot of that stuff as well, seeing if I can improve my back problems beyond not being a fatass.

grunching

Is this a butt sex thread?

I mean not yet....

imo, you're the only one who can set your goals.

you should just realize that if you set an ambitious goal that it is indeed ambitious.

have a look at the several 20XX goal threads, i think the general tendency is to set optimistic goals.

My phone ate my other post. I'll try again in a bit.

how much do you weigh now? everyone always says don't use the scale, but i don't care - the number is important to me.

post a body picture.

Not a body picture where you can see everything. My pic makes the rounds on this site often enough without giving everyone that. I did take pics, will post a clothed one.

I weigh in tomorrow, I'll decide if I want to post starting/current weight. I'm clearly embarrassed by it, not sure what the gain in posting the number is, other than it staring me in the face on a computer screen instead of in my memory.

Setting a goal of losing or reaching a target weight is a bad strategy. To make optimal progress toward that goal, you'll starve yourself and lose fat and muscle. Losing fat is good. Losing muscle isn't. You want to maintain or preferably increase your lean body mass. So if you're improving your fitness and body composition in a healthy way, you might not see much progress on the scale even if your pants and dress sizes are changing. I've seen pictures of women who went from ~115 to 140 and looked much better (and still slim) at the higher weight which would be "overweight" according to BMI.

I think you're better off formulating your goals in other terms. you don't necessarily need to throw out your scale or never weigh yourself, but I do think you should probably only weigh yourself weekly at the most and focus more on other criteria.

I'm coming from the other end (trying to gain weight) and weight is a useful metric for me (I wouldn't mind gaining fat if I could) but I still think I'm a lot better off since I stopped weighing myself all the time.

Telling an overweight person to "recomp" and not set weight goals is silly. No, the target weight isn't the only goal, but all that extra fat is the low hanging fruit and chasing it will give them way faster gains and help with compliance as they can see their plan is working, week by week. A person with 40 excess pounds of fat can lose 2 pounds a week of fat at first, and probably lose all 40 pounds in around 40 weeks on a deficit. On the other hand, if they choose to eat at maintenance and "recomp" they might gain 1-2 pounds of muscle the first five months, and then .5-1 pounds the next five months, and then where are they?

e.g. 5'2" 170 lb 36% bf 62 lbs fat woman

40 weeks later with deficit: 130 lbs 23% bf 30 lbs fat (assuming 20% lbm loss)
40 weeks later at maintenance: 170 lbs 30% bf 50.75 lbs fat

In the case of SGT RJ she might already have significant muscle mass in which case my already optimistic projection of how much muscle can be added could be way over.

The biggest problem with eating at maintenance is it never gets you where you need to be if you're sufficiently overweight. This is because even if you max out muscle to genetic potential, you're still feeding all the fat layered on top.

why not target 10lbs in 8-10 weeks and take it from there?