Not a surprise - weight up since the holidays....but I'm still here...

Weight up since the holidays and vacation. Even though my husband and I are not social butterflies we did attend several parties. Add to that the stresses of the holidays and my own post-election mood.

Even Christmas shopping, although I managed to almost reach my 10,000 stops-a-day goal on several shopping expeditions, was full of unexpected hazards. Did you know that what Panera has in the bagel display marked Pumpkin Bagel* is not a bagel at all, but a sweet pastry? I didn't...

I was gifted with a small amount of very good chocolate. I split it 50/50 and ate my half last night - gave the rest to my husband, who has better willpower and is not a chocoholic. Life is too short to eat bad chocolate.

Life is also too short to pretend that diet versions of things are 'just as good'...After making a mock eggnog with non-fat milk, two tablespoons of rum, and flavoring, I decided that I might as well just have the rum straight.

But now I'm back on the wagon, so to speak.  But I've decided I'm not getting back on the Nutrisystem Wagon or the Weightwatcher's Wagon or even the The Doctor's Simple Weight-Loss Plan Wagon.  I read about all the options and I'm back with planning ahead and using My Fitness Pal to calculate my calories, and I'm going to exercise more.

Yesterday I cooked a ham and I was surprised to see that three ounces of ham is only around 100 calories. I will probably end up freezing a lot of leftover ham. Fortunately one of the cats likes the fatty bits I cut off.

I still have some Nutrisystem left, mostly lunches, but I'm not reordering.

Today's totals, already planned, with fruit and vegetables, is around 1400 calories.

*Panera's website calls this a "Pumpkin Pie Bagel" and says is it 380 calories.

Unexpected one pound loss

"Down" to 195, or a total of eight pounds lost in about 70 days, or one pound lost about every nine days.

It would be nice if I could hurry things up, but the rest of the month is a hazard course of parties and gift goodies.

"Down" to 196, or Seven Pounds Lost

I'm not weighing myself every day now, so it was a few days ago that I found out I had lost another pound in spite of four days off the official diet. I think part of the weight loss may have been because on my own I choose low-salt options if I can. I believe Nutrisystem has too much sodium and other preservatives.

My back is getting better. I dug out the back exercise pamphlet my doctor gave me, and I went online and reviewed my HMO's treatment guidelines. I've also been doing a little cooking and I'm trying to find recipes that my husband will like and that fit into a healthy weight-loss diet. I really hate having to weigh and measure things, and having to use math to figure out calorie composition/protein/carb ratio, etc....

I've been reading the nutrition information on Nutrisystem products and it had seemed to me as if Nutrisystem products have more protein than similar packaged foods, but I see I am at least partly wrong:

Here's one example:

Nutrisystem Nutriflakes Cereal:  110 calories, 1 gram fat, 5 gram fiber, 3 grams protein, 210 grams sodium in 1 oz (28g) container

Kellogg's All-Bran Cereal Wheat Flakes: 90 calories, .5gram fat,  5 gram fiber, 3 grams protein, 210 grams sodium in 29g container

Although the Kellogg's serving is almost the same size as the Nutriflake's serving, the Kellogg's has fewer calories and fat. The fiber, sodium,  and protein are the same.

This means though, that I can substitute Kellogg's bran flakes for some breakfasts without getting out of the Nutrisystem pattern; however, since my husband likes Bob's Red Mill Thick rolled oats I think I would prefer that.

One serving of Bob's Red Mill Thick Rolled Oats (1/2 cup dry) would be 210 calories, 3.5 grams fat, zero sodium, and six grams of protein. This would work if I put breakfast carb and the "smart carb snack" together. I would also have to figure out how much 1/2 cup dry measures out if I make it for both of us.

This is getting complicated.