Good Lord! I'm ALWAYS dieting!

Last year I made a resolution to stop eating meat.  I was a vegetarian before (years ago, and several pounds ago) and thought this would help me get back into a reasonably sized body.  *one can dream*

From January 1, 2013 until January 1, 2014 I did not eat any meat (actually, I still haven't).  I didn't really workout too much either.  A short stint with aquacize that didn't last nearly long enough and a few miles on the treadmill (ok, maybe not some much miles as kilometres).  And here I am, a year later and 13 lbs lighter.  Woohoo???  Maybe not so much.

I can always say, "at least I didn't gain any weight", but that's a cop-out.  Pathetic.  The one thing that worked for me was dropping the corn and by-products.  Not only was I losing weight, but I was feeling great.  It takes a lot of time to prepare the right foods to eat.  And I will always complain that I don't have enough time.  Truth be told, if I turned off my computer for a few hours a day and stopped surfing Pinterest and Facebook, I would have PLENTY of time.

So, what to do now.  I think I shall jump over to Pinterest and start a new board, "Vegetarian Corn-Free".  And then to spend a few hours filling it with my previously posted recipes.  Nope, no time to cook.

WTH is wrong with me?

Current Weight 254lbs.
Goal Weight 165lbs.

Not yet...

Curent Weight 244.6

I have to admit that is not too shabby.  I didn't do anything over Christmas break.  I am slightly worried that  I may have lost muscle.  I have lost stamina for sure!  After 2 consecutive surgeries I have been unable to work out.  And after a year of working out 45 minutes per day, 5 times a week, I feel rather sluggish.  It's been 3 months since I last hit the gym.  Looking forward to beginning my workouts again soon.

Breakfast: 3 homemade banana oatmeal muffins (sugar free! made with applesauce)
Lunch: 1L bottle of Coke Zero, 2c. assorted greens, 2tbs Newman's own garlic dressing, 2 slices rosemary onion bread (homemade by Lisa - thx hun!), banana oat muffin
Supper: 3c. romaine lettuce, 2 small tomatoes, 3tbs. raspberry vinaigrette, 1/2c. roasted soy nuts
Snack: 2 macaroons, 30 green grapes, 1/2c. yogourt

Sunday January 8th...

We got a super cool popcorn popper for Christmas.  The Waring professional.  I've been enjoying lots of popcorn the last couple of weeks.  I must admit that although it is very yummy, I'm finding myself craving junk food far more than I was when eating corn-free.  It may be all in my head, but I doubt it.

Most of the Christmas goodies are now gone.  Sadly into (or more specifically ONTO) my belly.  However I know I can get back on track.  The Corn Effect was really working for me.  And I want to start fresh.  I still have to prepare.  I need to shop.

In case you forgot; here is a list of things to look for on grocery store labels:
-Dextrose
-Glucose
-Dextrin
-Maltodextrin
-Lecithin (unless it states Soy specifically)
-Fructose
-High Fructose Corn Syrup (or HFCS)
-Vegetable Starch
-"thickeners"
-"sweeteners"
-Corn Syrup
-Vegetable Oil
-Vegetable Oil Shortening
-Maize
-Sorbitol

I'll post my meals and any cool recipes I find.  And my weight tomorrow.  Cheers!

Day 13/14 - I think we'll have to put the experiment on hold.

I have been so ill that the food I could eat has mostly ended up in the toilet anyway, so the experiment has to be put on hold.  There is no way that these numbers are accurate.  My weight is currently 244.6lbs.  That's down 8lbs. in one week!  Losing too quickly to be very healthy.  And I want the experiment to be untainted by illness.  No one could, or should, survive on the very few calories I have managed to keep down in the last 2 days.

The Corn Effect will have to start back up in the New Year.  Don't want to read labels over Christmas.  :o)  I'll do my best to continue to post here.  I still have to keep a food journal for my Doctor.

November 14, 2011
11am) 1 pkg. cream of wheat cereal, juice from 2 oranges, water
2pm) 2 macaroons, water
430pm) diet gingerale
730pm) 1c. prepared oatmeal, 1tbs. brown sugar
830pm) 1/2c. mashed potatoes, 1/4c. stuffing, 3tbs. turkey gravy, 4oz. turkey dark meat, 2tbs. cranberry sauce (manage to keep down about half of the amounts listed)
10pm) 1c. chocolate milk
11pm) 1/2c. hot chocolate
1am) 1/2tsp. baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in 1/2c. water (to ease tummy upset)

November 15, 2011
145pm) 6 mini Cheemo perogies, 2tbs. plain greek yoghurt, water
615pm) 2oz. roast beef, 1 1/2c. broccoli/cauliflower mix cooked, tea
(mostly tea and water all day - I simply can't keep anything down)

Day 11 and 12 - I am sooooooo sick!

Friday night my throat started to hurt.  Not bad, but it was burning.  By Saturday morning I was aching all over and  it hurt every time I swallowed.  I barely ate, and I slept most of the day away, which was really good because I didn't sleep a wink last night.  I would fall asleep for a few minutes and then would swallow and wake myself up.  I did this all night.  Finally at 7am I decided to go to the hospital.  I spent the next 3 hours there.  Strep throat was the diagnosis.  I have had Strep before, but this was worse than ever.  I have to take 8 antibiotics a day for the first 2 day and then 4 per day after that.  It's starting to feel a bit better already and I managed a little nap this afternoon.  And I'm eating now too.  Though still not a lot.

November 12, 2011
10am) 1 orange, 1c. sunny boy, 1c. fat free vanilla yoghurt, 1tsp. flax
4pm) diet gingerale
530pm) 1c. broccoli/cauliflower mix cooked, 2 small buns, 4oz. white chicken, mandarine orange, water
(that's all I had - and it was tough to get that swallowed down)

November 13, 2011
8am) tea, mandarine orange
1030am) 1/2c. orange juice
330pm) 1/2c. orange juice
430pm) 1/3c. pasta, 1/2c. cooked tomatoes, 2oz. chicken breast, 1/2c. fresh pineapple, water
7pm) 1c. fat free vanilla yoghurt, 1c. fresh raspberries, tea, stevia
930pm) 1/2c. pasta, 3/4c. cooked tomatoes, water

Day 9 and 10 - Sorry I'm late...

Went out with the girls last night and didn't get home until 130am.  Had a full day today, so this will be 2 days in one blog.  :o)

I thought it would be harder.  I thought I would be hungrier.  Don't get me wrong - watching my husband chow down on pasta with a cream sauce was making me salivate, but I kept to my plan and had an amazing Apricot Chicken that I would have never tried otherwise.  No pasta in the dish, but because of that I was able to have 2 breadsticks.  If anyone has ever had the Olive Garden "fresh out of the oven" breadsticks, you'd be willing to give up pasta for sure!

Watching my friends order Strawberry Waffles and Empanadas was REALLY hard.  I ate a poached egg and fruit cup.  But it was filling and I didn't feel the least bit guilty when we left the coffee shop.  Plus I put on a pair of pants that I haven't worn since last winter and they were too big for me.  My jeans are feeling loose too.  *grin*

November 10, 2011
1045am) macaroon (slept in and grabbed the first thing I saw)
1115am) 1c. Sunny boy, 1 orange, 1c. skim milk, 1pkt stevia (note to self - stevia and sunny boy DON'T mix!), water
2pm) 1c. carrots, 1c. celery, water
4pm) (pear cobbler) 1 pear, 1/2c. cooked oats, cinnamon & cloves, 2tbs. brown sugar, 1c. fat free vanilla yoghurt
6pm) 2c. lettuce, 1 red pepper, 4 stalks celery, 5oz. roast beef, 1 small roll, water
1230am) *Humpty's*1 poached egg, 1 assorted fruit cup, coffee

November 11, 2011
930am) 1 slice harvest grain bread toasted, 1 poached egg, ketchup, banana, water
2pm) diet Pepsi lime
330pm) *Olive Garden* Apricot Citrus Chicken; 5oz. grilled chicken, apricot compote, 4 stems broccoli, 6 stems asparagus, 1/2 tomato, 2 breadsticks, 2c. salad w/dressing, water
8pm) pear cobbler with yoghurt
1145pm) 6 stalks celery, 1/2c. raspberries, water

Doctor's Orders...

Thought I would post separately what the doctor wants me to do in order to lose weight.  A lifestyle change... duh!  But I suppose when you've tried everything, doesn't hurt to try again.  My only concern is that I won't have enough energy to get off the couch if I follow her approximately 1400 calorie per day "lifestyle change".  It's based on the Canada Food Guide and has sound reasoning; doesn't every diet?  And I have attempted to follow the Food Guide before with no results.  One good tip was that whenever you eat a grain, you should also have a dairy or protein with it to keep your insulin levels low.  I'll have to research that, but it's what she told me.

Daily Total Food Intake;
3-4 fruits
4-6 vegetables
4-5 breads
3 fats
7 protein
2 milk

Fruit serving - 60 calories 
small apple
1/2c. apple sauce
1/2 banana
1/4 cantaloupe
1c. berries
17 small grapes
1 orange
1/2c. chopped pineapple
2 plums
2tbs. raisins
(just to give you an idea)

Vegetable serving - 40 calories (1c. raw or 1/2c. cooked)
This includes most vegetables unless they are high in starch (potatoes, peas, corn)

Free Vegetables (eat as much as you want to)
Celery
Cucumber
Greens (chard, beet, endive, turnip etc.)
Lettuce (all)
Radishes
Sprouts

Other Free Foods
Seasonings, spices, artificial sweeteners, unsweetened jello (jello light).

Bread servings - 80 calories
Bread (white, wheat, rye, pumpernickel, french) 1 slice
Bagel 1/3
Biscuit or roll 1 small
Buns (hamberger/hotdog) 1/2 bun
Cereal cooked 1/2c.
Cereal flakes 1/2c.
Cereal puffed 1c.
Corn 1/3c. or small cob
Crackers;
-graham 3 squares
-saltines 5
-soda 3
Muffin (fat free) 1 small
Muffin English 1/2 plain
Pasta 1/2c.
Peas 1/2c. (yup, these are considered a bread)
Pita bread 1 small
Popcorn 3c. air popped
Potato white 1 small
-sweet potato 1/2c.
Pretzels 3/4oz. (need a kitchen scale for this one)
Rice 1/3c.
Rice cakes 2 plain
Tortilla (low fat) 1 small

Milk serving - 90 calories
Skim or 1% milk 1c.
Yoghurt
-plain no/low fat 1c.
-greek no/low fat 1/2c.
Pudding light sweetened with Splenda or Aspartame 1/2c.
Light hot chocolate 1c.

Protein serving - 45 calories
Pork lean 1oz.
Beef lean 1oz.
Poultry (white meat, no skin) 1oz.
Fish 1oz.
Shellfish 1oz.
Cheese 1oz.
Cottage Cheese 1/2c. (yup, it's in the right spot)
Egg with yolk (count as 1 fat and 1 protein)
Egg whites 2
Egg substitute 1/4c.
Hot dog (fat free) 1
Lunch meat 1oz.
Tofu 3oz.
Cooked beans, peas or lentils 1/2c. (count as 1 protein, 1 bread)

Fat servings - 45 calories
Avocado 1/8
Butter or margarine 1tsp.
Bacon 1 slice
Cream 1tbs.
Cream cheese 1tbs.
Salad dressing 1tbs. (low fat 2tbs.)
Mayonnaise (low fat) 1tbs.
Nuts 6
Olives 5
Peanut butter 2tsp.
Sour cream (reduced fat) 3tbs.
Vegetable/olive oil 1tsp.
Egg yolk 1

Any questions?  :o)