Days 294 - 313

Forgive me, but I've again been AWOL for 20 days! This is what happens when you are far, far away from where you should be; doing things you shouldn't be doing. What has Nancy been doing for the last 20 days? Short answer:  Working and not caring much about what she eats. Clearly, I've tested every, single one of my crazy weight loss theories and only ONE of them has EVER worked. After a year of trying, like the devil, to make something else work, I give up! I'm finally going back to the root of what works: Counting Calories - Logging What I Eat - Exercise.

Yes, that's what I know works for weight loss and I'm convinced it is also what will work for weight maintenance, too. So, this is a lifestyle change this time around. This is just how it's going to work from now on. It's focused and completely doable no matter where I am or what I'm doing. However, I'm a person who doesn't function well without order. I need a plan. So here it is:

The Plan

• Limit my daily caloric intake to 1,500 calories per day
• Consume the calories in this approximate way:
• 520 calorie breakfast
• 100 calorie snack
• 430 calorie lunch
• 75 calorie snack
• 325 calorie supper
• 50 calorie snack
• Total = 1,500 calories
• Log every thing I eat in my blog, daily!!!!!
• Exercise on the treadmill (for starters) for at least 20 minutes per day
• Rest at least 7 hours per day and drink as much water as I can

It's really a simple plan. The idea is to keep to 1,500 calories and move the larger portion of food to the earlier part of the day. By spreading the calories out over the day, I shouldn't feel overly hungry at any one time, but it will take time for me to be comfortable with the amount. I've been eating indiscriminately again and that means I'll have to shrink my stomach down and endure a couple of weeks of hungry feelings until that process is complete. I'm not afraid of it, but when I feel hungry that's when I tend to forget (how convenient!) that I'm a fat person who HAS to watch what she's doing! I'll bump the exercise up as I build my stamina. The logging of what I eat will keep me honest and the weigh in each week coupled with posting the progress will keep me honest. Although there aren't a tremendous number of people reading my blog, there is someone out there who is watching and they will keep me on the straight and narrow path.

What's the goal, I hear you asking? Firstly, to be healthy feeling and then to have the healthy blood work results to prove it. Next, I have set a goal of losing an average of 2 lbs. per week. (This is a guide, but it helps me to work toward the number.)

So, it starts over today! I weighed on Sunday and here is what I weighed, sadly:  300 lbs.

Food for today:

Breakfast: Breakfast Sandwich and Tea = 488 calories

Snack:  Slice of Havarti Cheese and 1 small dill pickle = 85 calories

Lunch:  Night Hawk Salisbury Steak and Starbucks Moca Latte = 430 calories

Snack:  1/2 oz. Almonds = 95 calories

Supper:  Cucumber, Tomato and Onion salad topped with Tuna Fish = 218 calories

Snack:  Buttermilk = 100 calories

Total = 1,416 calories

I think I did pretty well. It will take me a few days to get back on track, but I know I'll be fine. I know this works. The only thing keeping me from reaching my goals is me. It may be a bit harder this time due to the fact that I'm older, but I don't care. This is who I am and if this is what I have to do to enjoy my life, then so be it!

Now it's time for me to end the day. I hope you've had a great time today. Until tomorrow when I will share what I ate and what I did to stay on track, Godspeed, Voyagers!!