Food Experiment 2011 -- Day 5

Breakfast: (8 Momentum pts, 8 PointsPlus pts)

Oatcake (180 cals, 25g carbs, 8g fat, 3g protein, 2g fibre)
175 grams Liberte Plain Greek Yogurt (110 cals, 6g carbs, 1g fat, 20g protein, 0g fibre)
50 grams Liberte Lemon Yogurt (71 cals, 7g carbs, 4g fat, 2g protein, 0g fibre)
1/2 Tbsp Flax Meal (15 cals, 1g carbs, 1g fat, 1g protein, 1g fibre)


Lunch: (7 Momentum pts, 7 PointsPlus pts)

2 C Lettuce (16 cals, 3g carbs, 0g fat, 2g protein, 1.9g fibre)

1/4 C Tomatoes (8 cals, 2g carbs, 0g fat, 0g protein, 0.4g fibre)
1/4 C Cucumber (3 cals, 1g carbs, 0g fat, 0g protein, 0.2g fibre)
1 oz Light Feta (60 cals, 0g carbs, 4g fat, 6g protein, 0g fibre)
1 Tbsp Renee's Greek Feta Light Dressing (50 cals, 1g carbs, 5g fat, 0g protein, 0g fibre)
1 C Carrots (52 cals, 12g carbs, 0g fat, 1g protein, 3.6g fibre)
Cheese & Crackers (190 cals, 24g carbs, 9g fat, 3g protein, 0g fibre)


Dinner: (6 Momentum pts, 6 PointsPlus pts)

5 oz Mahi Mahi
3 C Frozen Mixed Vegetables
1/2 Can Low-Fat Condensed Soup
1 tsp Olive Oil

Snack: (5 Momentum pts, 7 PointsPlus pts)

Slice of Sweet Home Alabanana
2 Tbsp Chocolate Chips

Daily Totals:

1380 calories (my range is 1200-1550 per day)
155 g carbohydrates (my range is 163-236 per day)
53 g fat (my range is 32-56 per day)
85 g protein (my range is 60-127 per day)
23 g fibre (my range is 25-35 per day)

26 Momentum pts Used, 28 PointsPlus pts Used




Weekly Totals:
Momentum Weekly Points: -5/35 Remaining, 7/7 APs earned
PointsPlus Weekly Points: 29/49 Remaining, 11 APs earned
Sparkpeople Calorie Differential: -1604 Calories

Food Experiment 2011 -- Day 4

Breakfast: (5 Momentum pts, 5 PointsPlus pts)

Thomas' Cinnamon Raisin Bagel Thin (110 cals, 25g carbs, 1g fat, 4g protein, 4g fibre)
1 Tbsp Light Peanut Butter (90 cals, 6g carbs, 6g fat, 2g protein, 1g fibre)
1 Banana (125 cals, 32g carbs, 0g fat, 1g protein, 3.2g fibre)


Lunch: (3 Momentum pts, 4 PointsPlus pts)

Multigrain Sandwich Thin (100 cals, 22g carbs, 1g fat, 5g protein, 5g fibre)

2 oz Smoked Turkey (35 cals, 0g carbs, 1g fat, 9g protein, 0g fibre)
1 Tbsp Light Mayonnaise (50 cals, 1g carbs, 5g fat, 0g protein, 0g fibre)


Dinner: (17 Momentum pts, 19 PointsPlus pts)

1.5 oz Whole Wheat Fettuccine (143 cals, 26g carbs, 1g fat, 7g protein, 4.5g fibre)
1/2 C Light Alfredo Sauce (100 cals, 6g carbs, 6g fat, 2g protein, 0g fibre)
2.5 oz Chicken Breast (78 cals, 0g carbs, 1g fat, 16g protein, 0g fibre)
2 Tbsp Light Cream Cheese (60 cals, 2g carbs, 5g fat, 3g protein, 0g fibre)

3/4 C Broccoli (41 cals, 8g carbs, 0g fat, 3g protein, 3.9g fibre)
1/4 C Onion (15 cals, 3g carbs, 0g fat, 0g protein, 0.7g fibre)
2 oz Breadstick (151 cals, 29g carbs, 2g fat, 4g protein, 0g fibre)
2 C Lettuce (16 cals, 3g carbs, 0g fat, 2g protein, 1.9g fibre)
1/4 C Tomatoes (8 cals, 2g carbs, 0g fat, 0g protein, 0.4g fibre)
1/4 C Cucumber (3 cals, 1g carbs, 0g fat, 0g protein, 0.2g fibre)
6 Lg Olives (40 cals, 3g carbs, 3g fat, 0g protein, 1.2g fibre)
1 oz Light Feta (60 cals, 0g carbs, 4g fat, 6g protein, 0g fibre)
2 Tbsp Renee's Greek Feta Light (100 cals, 2g carbs, 10g fat, 1g protein, 0.7g fibre)

Snack: (4 Momentum pts, 4 PointsPlus pts)

1 oz Potato Chips (152 cals, 15g carbs, 10g fat, 2g protein, 0g fibre)

Light Jello (10 cals, 0g carbs, 0g fat, 1g protein, 0g fibre)




Daily Totals:

1487 calories (my range is 1200-1550 per day)
185 g carbohydrates (my range is 163-236 per day)
57 g fat (my range is 32-56 per day)
70 g protein (my range is 60-127 per day)
29 g fibre (my range is 25-35 per day)

29 Momentum pts Used, 32 PointsPlus pts Used




Weekly Totals:
Momentum Weekly Points: -1/35 Remaining, 6/7 APs earned
PointsPlus Weekly Points: 29/49 Remaining, 11 APs earned
Sparkpeople Calorie Differential: -1604 Calories

Food Experiment 2001 -- Day 3

Day 3... No good choices made after breakfast. It was a traveling day, so my meals were all eaten out (after breakfast).


Breakfast: (4 Momentum pts, 4 PointsPlus pts)

1/2 C Liberte FF Plain Greek Yogurt (79 cals, 4g carbs, 1g fat, 14g protein, 0g fibre)
1/2 C Liberte Mediterranee Lemon Yogurt (107 cals, 11g carbs, 6g fat, 3g protein, 0g fibre)
3/4 C Blueberries (61 cals, 15g carbs, 0g fat, 1g protein, 2.9g fibre)
1/2 Tbsp Flax Meal (15 cals, 1g carbs, 1g fat, 1g protein, 1g fibre)


Lunch: (9 Momentum pts, 10 PointsPlus pts)

3/4 TH Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich (233 cals, 24g carbs, 10g fat, 12g protein, 0.8g fibre)

1.5 oz Jerky (120 cals, 6g carbs, 1g fat, 23g protein, 0g fibre)


Dinner: (20 Momentum pts, 23 PointsPlus pts)

Deep Fried Pickles (113 cals, 11g carbs, 8g fat, 0g protein, 0.8g fibre)
Fish Sandwich with Cheese (523 cals, 48g carbs, 29g fat, 21g protein, 3g fibre)

Sweet Potato Fries (206 cals, 29g carbs, 9g fat, 3g protein, 2.9g fibre)

French Fry Dip (130 cals, 3g carbs, 13g fat, 0g protein, 0g fibre)

Snack: (20 Momentum pts, 23 PointsPlus pts)

6 Potato Chips (yes, 6) (70 cals, 7g carbs, 5g fat, 1g protein, 0g fibre)

Hostess Strawberry Cupcakes (100 cals, 22g carbs, 3g fat, 2g protein, 4g fibre)




Daily Totals:

1755 calories (my range is 1200-1550 per day)
183 g carbohydrates (my range is 163-236 per day)
83 g fat (my range is 32-56 per day)
79 g protein (my range is 60-127 per day)
13 g fibre (my range is 25-35 per day)

35 Momentum pts Used, 42 PointsPlus pts Used




Weekly Totals:
Momentum Weekly Points: 4/35 Remaining, 7 APs earned
PointsPlus Weekly Points: 32/49 Remaining, 11 APs earned
Sparkpeople Calorie Differential: -683 Calories, -581 Calories, -36 Calories

Food Experiment 2011 -- Day 2

I'd just like to put it out there that y'all had better not be judging my food consumption. Yes, I can put back a foot long sub. I can put back a lot of things. I didn't get fat without eating a lot of food.

On to day 2...


Breakfast: (4 Momentum pts, 4 PointsPlus pts)

2/3 C Liberte FF Plain Greek Yogurt (110 cals, 6g carbs, 1g fat, 20g protein, 0g fibre)
1/8 C Liberte Mediterranee Lemon Yogurt (36 cals, 4g carbs, 2g fat, 1g protein, 0g fibre)
3/4 C Blueberries (61 cals, 15g carbs, 0g fat, 1g protein, 2.9g fibre)
1/2 Tbsp Flax Meal (15 cals, 1g carbs, 1g fat, 1g protein, 1g fibre)


Lunch: (9 Momentum pts, 9 PointsPlus pts)

1 oz Roast Beef (57 cals, 0g carbs, 2g fat, 9g protein, 0g fibre)
2 oz White Bread (151 cals, 29g carbs, 2g fat, 4g protein, 1.4g fibre)
1/2 Tbsp Mayonnaise (45 cals, 0g carbs, 5g fat, 0g protein, 0g fibre)
1 oz Swiss Cheese (107 cals, 1g carbs, 8g fat, 8g protein, 0g fibre)
1 C Baby Carrots (52 cals, 12g carbs, 0g fat, 1g protein, 3.6g fibre)


Dinner: (12 Momentum pts, 14 PointsPlus pts)

14 Tostitos Multigrain Chips (260 cals, 32g carbs, 12g fat, 3g protein, 3g fibre)
3 oz Chicken Breast (94 cals, 0g carbs, 1g fat, 20g protein, 0g fibre)
1/4 C Barbecue Sauce (47 cals, 8g carbs, 1g fat, 1g protein, 0g fibre)
1/4 C Yellow Corn (33 cals, 8g carbs, 0g fat, 1g protein, 0.8g fibre)
1/4 C Light Sour Cream (70 cals, 6g carbs, 3g fat, 2g protein, 0g fibre)
1/2 C Chopped Green Peppers (19 cals, 5g carbs, 0g fat, 1g protein, 0.8g fibre)
1/2 C Salsa (36 cals, 8g carbs, 0g fat, 2g protein, 2.1g fibre)
1/4 C Chopped Onions (15 cals, 3g carbs, 0g fat, 0g protein, 0.7g fibre)


Snack:


Activity:




Daily Totals:

1208 calories (my range is 1200-1550 per day)
138 g carbohydrates (my range is 163-236 per day)
39 g fat (my range is 32-56 per day)
74 g protein (my range is 60-127 per day)
17 g fibre (my range is 25-35 per day)

25 Momentum pts Used, 27 PointsPlus pts Used




Weekly Totals:
Momentum Weekly Points: 23/35 Remaining, 3 APs earned
PointsPlus Weekly Points: 45/49 Remaining, 4 APs earned
Sparkpeople Calorie Differential: -683 Calories, -581 Calories

This has gone on long enough

I am tired of the struggle, and making excuses. I'm tired of not wanting to put on my clothes in the morning, or adjusting them so they're comfortable all day. I'm tired of wavering between weight loss programs, so that I'm never sticking with one the way I should, so that none of them are working.

I'm dedicating myself right now to doing the following for at least the next 7 days:
- I'm going to post a daily menu for all to read.
- I'm going to re-live my food experiment of a couple of years ago, comparing WW PointsPlus point values to Sparkpeople nutritional values, to WW Momentum points values.

I'm going to see what's not working and why.

I need to get rid of my newest 20-pound monkey.

Food Experiment 2011 -- Day 1

Breakfast: (5 Momentum pts, 5 PointsPlus pts)

2/3 C Liberte FF Plain Greek Yogurt (110 cals, 6g carbs, 1g fat, 20g protein, 0g fibre)
1/3 C Liberte Mediterranee Lemon Yogurt (71 cals, 7g carbs, 4g fat, 2g protein, 0g fibre)
3/4 C Blueberries (61 cals, 15g carbs, 0g fat, 1g protein, 2.9g fibre)
1 Tbsp Flax Meal (30 cals, 2g carbs, 2g fat, 2g protein, 2g fibre)


Lunch: (8 Momentum pts, 8 PointsPlus pts)

1 Personal Size Veggie Pizza (315 cals, 39g carbs, 12g fat, 13g protein, 2.4g fibre)
1 Cup Raw Carrots (52 cals, 12g carbs, 0g fat, 1g protein, 3.6g fibre)


Dinner: (16 Momentum pts, 17 PointsPlus pts)

12" Subway Ham Sub with all veggies, mayo (685 cals, 99g carbs, 18g fat, 36g protein, 8g fibre)


Snack: (4 Momentum pts, 4 PointsPlus pts)

3C Orville Redenblahblah's Nacho Popcorn (180 cals, 15g carbs, 13g fat, 2g protein, 3g fibre)
1 Light Cheese String (60 cals, 0g carbs, 3g fat, 6g protein, 0g fibre)


Activity: (-3 Momentum pts, -4 PointsPlus pts)

Downhill skiing for 2+ hours (I'm estimating 1 hour): 360 calories burned



Daily Totals:

1533 calories (my range is 1200-1550 per day)
195 g carbohydrates (my range is 163-236 per day)
51 g fat (my range is 32-56 per day)
81 g protein (my range is 60-127 per day)
20 g fibre (my range is 25-35 per day)

33 Momentum pts Used, 34 PointsPlus pts Used




Weekly Totals:
Momentum Weekly Points: 31/35 Remaining
PointsPlus Weekly Points: 45/49 Remaining
Sparkpeople Calorie Differential: -683 Calories

Meal Plan: Day 6, Monday February 4th

Breakfast: (5 pts)

1/2 C SF FF Yogurt (50 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1/4 C 1% Cottage Cheese (50 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1/2 Medium Apple (40 cals, 0.3g fat, 1.4g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
1 Medium Kiwi (46 cals, 0.3g fat, 2.6g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
1/2 Small Orange (31 cals, 0.1g fat, 1.6g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
1/4 tsp Cinnamon (2 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 0 pts)
1 Fibre One Bar (140 cals, 4g fat, 9g fibre --> 2 pts)


Lunch: (5 pts)

1 Whole Wheat WW Bagel (150 cals, 0.5g fat, 9g fibre --> 2 pts)
1 Tbsp LF Peanut Butter (80 cals, 5g fat, 1g fibre --> 2 pts)
1 Medium Grapefruit (74 cals, 0.2g fat, 2.7g fibre --> 1 pt)


Dinner: (11.5 pts)

1 Lean Burger (170 cals, 9g fat, 0g fibre --> 4 pts)
1 Whole Wheat Hamburger Bun (140 cals, 2g fat, 3g fibre --> 2 pts)
1/2 Lg Sweet Potato (68 cals, 0.2g fat, 2g fibre --> 2.5 pts)
115 grams Potato (107 cals, 0g fat, 1.7g fibre --> 1.5 pts)
1/8 C Ketchup (40 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
1 T LF Mayonnaise (50 cals, 5g fat, 0g fibre --> 1pt)


Snack: (3.5 pts)

1/2 C LF Frozen Yogurt (100 cals, 2g fat, 0g fibre --> 2 pts)
1/2 C Cheecha Snacks (0.5 pts)
1 Tbsp Homemade Chip Dip (1 pt)

Daily Totals:

1428 calories
36g fat
220g carbohydrates
61g protein
31g fibre
3 litres water

25 points

Meal Plan: Day 5, February 3rd

Breakfast: (8 pts)

1 PC Blue Menu Chipotle & Red Pepper Tortilla (190 cals, 4g fat, 4g fibre --> 3 pts)
3 egg whites (51 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
3/8 C Egg Beaters (80 cals, 3g fat, 0g fibre --> 1.5 pts)
Mushrooms, Peppers, Onions --> 0 pts
100 grams Virginia Ham (90 cals, 2g fat, 0g fibre --> 2 pts)
1 Tbsp Tostitos Southwest Ranch Dip (30 cals, 3g fat, 0.5g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
4 Tbsp Salsa (25 cals, 0g fat, 1g fibre --> 0 pts)


Lunch: (0 pts)


Dinner: (6 pts)

1 PC Blue Menu Mushroom & Provolone Chicken (150 cals, 3.5g fat, 0g fibre --> 3 pts)
1/2 Lg Sweet Potato (103 cals, 0g fat, 3.8g fibre --> 2 pts)
1.5 C Mixed Veggies (75 cals, 0g fat, 6g fibre --> 0 pts)
1 Tbsp Light Cheez Whiz (30 cals, 2g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)


Snack: (19 pts)

4 Bottles Light Beer (411 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 8 pts)
2 Hot Wings (264 cals, 12g fat, 0g fibre --> 6 pts)
3 Tbsp LF Sour Cream (53 cals, 2.3g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
15 Baked Tostitos Scoops (100 cals, 0.8g fat, 1.5g fibre --> 2 pts)
1/8 C BBQ Sauce (60 cals, 0g fat, 1g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
3/4 oz Light Cheddar (68 cals, 5g fat, 0g fibre --> 1.5 pts)


Daily Totals:

1778 calories
35g fat
147g carbohydrates
135g protein
19g fibre
2 litres water

33 points

Meal Plan: Day 4, February 2

Breakfast: (0 pts)


Lunch: (8 pts)

1 Chicken McGrill Sandwich (300 cals, 6g fat, 2g fibre --> 6 pts)
1 Tbsp McChicken Sauce (100 cals, 10g fat, 0g fibre --> 2 pts)
1 Side Salad (20 cals, 0g fat, 1g fibre --> 0 pts)
1 Tbsp LF Thai Dressing (18 cals, 0.8g fat, 0g fibre --> 0 pts)
1/4 Pkg McDonald's Buffalo Sauce (18 cals, 0.8g fat, 0.5g fibre --> 0 pts
1 Medium Diet Coke (0 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 0 pts)


Dinner: (13 pts)

1.5 Slices PC Deep Dish Pizza (555 cals, 27g fat, 3g fibre --> 13 pts)
2 C Tossed Salad (44 cals, 0g fat, 4g fibre --> 0 pts)


Snack: (2 pts)

2 C Spinach (14 cals, 0.2g fat, 1.3g fibre --> 0 pts)
1/4 C Salsa (25 cals, 0.1g fat, 1g fibre --> 0 pts)
3 Tbsp LF Sour Cream (53 cals, 2.3g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
10 Baked Tostitos Scoops (60 cals, 0.5g fat, 0.9g fibre --> 1 pt)


Daily Totals:

1231 calories
49g fat
137g carbohydrates
61g protein
14g fibre
2.5 litres water

23 points

Meal Plan: Day 3, Friday February 1

Breakfast: (5 pts)

1/2 C SF FF Yogurt (50 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1/4 C 1% Cottage Cheese (50 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1/2 Medium Apple (40 cals, 0.3g fat, 1.4g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
1 Medium Kiwi (46 cals, 0.3g fat, 2.6g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
1/2 Small Orange (31 cals, 0.1g fat, 1.6g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
1/4 tsp Cinnamon (2 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 0 pts)
1 Hop & Go Plus Bar, Banana Nut (140 cals, 5g fat, 4g fibre --> 2 pts)
1/8 C 2% Milk, Coffee (15 cals, 0.6g fat, 0g fibre --> 0pts)


Lunch: (5 pts)

1 Whole Wheat WW Bagel (150 cals, 0.5g fat, 9g fibre --> 2 pts)
1/4 C Tuna (60 cals, 0.5g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1 Tbsp Light Whipped Dressing (30 cals, 2g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1/2 Tbsp Dill Pickle Relish (5 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 0 pts)
1 Medium Grapefruit (74 cals, 0.2g fat, 2.7g fibre --> 1 pt)


Dinner: (10.5 pts)

1 Lean Chicken Burger (130 cals, 7g fat, 0g fibre --> 3pts)
1 Whole Wheat Hamburger Bun (140 cals, 2g fat, 3g fibre --> 2pts)
1.5 Tbsp Tostitos Southwest Dip (45 cals, 3.8g fat, 0.8g fibre --> 1pt)
1/2 Lg Sweet Potato (81 cals, 0g fat, 3g fibre --> 1.5pts)
1/2 Lg Potato (87 cals, 0.1g fat, 1.4g fibre --> 1.5pts)
1/8 C Ketchup (40 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 0.5pts)
1 T LF Mayonnaise (50 cals, 5g fat, 0g fibre --> 1pt)



Snack: (4 pts)

2 Slices Bodywise Bread (90 cals, 1g fat, 4g fibre --> 1 pts)
1 Tbsp LF Peanut Butter (80 cals, 5g fat, 1g fibre --> 2 pts)
1/2 C Skim Milk (43 cals, 0.2g fat, 0g fibre --> 1pt)


Daily Totals:

1498 calories
34g fat
192g carbohydrates
78g protein
32g fibre
2.5 litres water

24.5 points

Meal Plan: Day 2, Thursday Jan 31

Breakfast: (3 pts)

1/2 C SF FF Yogurt (50 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1/4 C 1% Cottage Cheese (50 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1/2 Medium Apple (40 cals, 0.3g fat, 1.4g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
1 Medium Kiwi (46 cals, 0.3g fat, 2.6g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
1/2 Small Orange (31 cals, 0.1g fat, 1.6g fibre --> 0.5 pts)
1/4 tsp Cinnamon (2 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 0 pts)


Lunch: (4 pts)

1 Whole Wheat WW Bagel (150 cals, 0.5g fat, 9g fibre --> 2 pts)
1/4 C Tuna (60 cals, 0.5g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1 Tbsp Light Whipped Dressing (30 cals, 2g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1/2 Tbsp Dill Pickle Relish (5 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 0 pts)


Dinner: (7 pts)

1 Serving Shepard's Pie (357 cals, 2g fat, 5 g fibre --> 7 pts)
3 tsp Hot Sauce --> 0pts


Snack: (3 pts)

2 Cups Cheecha Snacks (90 cals, 2.6g fat, 1g fibre --> 2 pts)
2 Tbsp Tostitos Southwestern Ranch Dip (60 cals, 5g fat, 1g fibre --> 1 pt)


Daily Totals:

1156 calories
19g fat
145g carbohydrates
89g protein
26g fibre
2.5 litres water

20.5 points

Meal Plan: Day 1, Wednesday Jan 30

Breakfast: (11 pts)

1/2 C SF FF Yogurt (50 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1/4 C 1% Cottage Cheese (50 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1 Medium Apple (81 cals, 0.5g fat, 2.7g fibre --> 1 pt)
1/4 tsp Cinnamon (2 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 0 pts)
Birthday Cake (358 cals, 16.5g fat, 0.9g fibre --> 8 pts)


Lunch: (4 pts)

1 Whole Wheat WW Bagel (150 cals, 0.5g fat, 9g fibre --> 2 pts)
1/4 C Tuna (60 cals, 0.5g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1 Tbsp Light Whipped Dressing (30 cals, 2g fat, 0g fibre --> 1 pt)
1/2 Tbsp Dill Pickle Relish (5 cals, 0g fat, 0g fibre --> 0 pts)


Dinner: (7 pts)

3oz Lean Pork (169 cals, 8g fat, 0g fibre --> 3.5 pts)
1.5 C Mixed Veggies (75 cals, 0g fat, 6g fibre --> 0 pts)
1/2 C Four-Cheese Risotto (165 cals, 3.5g fat, 0.5g fibre --> 3.5 pts)
1/4 C Frozen Peas (28 cals, 0.1g fat, 1.5g fibre --> 0 pts)


Snack: (3 pts)

2 Slices Bodywise Bread (90 cals, 0.5g fat, 4g fibre --> 1 pt)
1 Tbsp Light Peanut Butter (80 cals, 5g fat, 1g fibre --> 2 pts)


Daily Totals:

1426 calories
38g fat
189g carbohydrates
88g protein
27g fibre
2.5 litres water

25 points

My Little Eating Experiment

I went for my regular WW monthly lifetime weigh in yesterday and I'm up a couple of pounds - no biggie.

While I was there, I picked up one of the two-week trial coupons to use WW Online. I used to be a paying member online once I didn't have to pay for meetings anymore, but have since decided that it's an expense I no longer wanted.

Anyway, this leads me to my experiment. I'm going to track my points online for two weeks. I'm also going to simultaneously track my eating in SparkPeople to see the differences. I've often wondered if my points allowance was giving me a fair amount of daily caloric intake. We'll see... I'm going to post my daily meals, and the associated information.

It's Been Almost a Month Since My Last Post - Inexcusable! Tsk, tsk Teed...

Wow, that's a long time not to post! My apologies to anyone who may still be checking to see if I've posted... :-S

This new pup and work have pretty much taken over any spare time I thought I had! I can't believe how much work Samson has proven to be, but he is starting to shape up to be a good little guy. I just wish he was through the biting stage - my hands have little cuts and nicks all over them!

Tomorrow night is week 4 of 6 of our puppy manners class. Samson's catching on quite well - he now knows the "sit", "stay", and "down" commands pretty well. We're still working on "leave it" and walking well on the leash, although he's definitely getting better. We're going to try to arrive at class pretty early tomorrow night, because if we get there just a few minutes before class starts he nearly chokes himself trying to get to all the other puppies in the room. I'm hoping we'll have time to get lots of puppy introductions done before the start of class tomorrow night.

On the weight loss front, I have cancelled my WW online account and don't miss it at all. I hadn't been using it to it's full potential anyway, since I went back to Sparkpeople. I'm actually much happier using their system. I'm still accountable for what I eat, and it's free to use. And I find it much more forgiving than the WW program. Not that I'm saying WW doesn't work, because I'm living proof that it does! I'm just saying that for now I'm happier tracking my progress with Sparkpeople instead. And Sparkpeople really caters to the geek in me, since it tracks every little element of my diet and helps me analyze it. I love that stuff!

We also bought a treadmill on the weekend, although I have yet to try it out. That's this evening's goal, although I'm not sure if I'll find the time since Steve's working late tonight and I think I have to come back into the office too. I'll bring the pup with me and we'll try to fit in a walk so he's not so high strung while I'm working.

Tonight's supper (although late) is one of my favourites - a burger and LF fries! I love those nights!

Wow, I can't believe it...

I forgot to weigh in this morning! I can't freakin' believe it! Me, the girl obsessed with the numbers (now formerly-obsessed) forgot to weigh myself this morning! Yay for me! That's a huge deal!

Sparkpeople and I are getting along fabulously. It's so much more forgiving than the Weight Watchers program, but it still works. And I pay attention to a lot more things than just calories when I use it. I track all of my nutrients and vitamins, so I can tell when I've had too much sodium, not enough fibre, B-vitamins, or whatever. It's great. Yay Sparkpeople!

So Far, the Same

Well things have gone well since I decided I'd stop counting points. I didn't exactly quit cold turkey though, and I've gotten back on the Sparkpeople train. I love that program too, and it also works. I also find that it is much more forgiving than Weight Watchers, or so it leads you to believe. I think by the end of the week though, both programs work out to be about the same.

I think I've stayed the same this week, although I'll confirm that tomorrow morning. I know my weight was a little less on the weekend, but I'm usually lowest on the weekend and back up a bit by my weigh in day. So I expect this week to be no different.

I've been enjoying lots of foods (in moderation) that I had chosen to seriously limit during my WW journey, which has been nice. I actually made myself a homemade breakfast sandwich on Saturday morning - I thought it was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted!

Stephen and I also indulged in a habit we had managed to stay away from for the summer - cheese at the Farmer's Market. We picked up some shropshire (a blue/cheddar mix), some dutch butter cheese (which was delicious on my egg sandwich), some good crumbly white cheddar flavoured with sour cream and chives, a brie called Rustique (with a good sharp taste, surprising for a brie), and some derby cheddar (old white cheddar made with sage, so it looks green - so good with chicken). They are all so delicious. We also picked up some smoked bacon, some cheddar smokies, fresh corn, brown eggs, and some spoon bread. Needless to say, we'll probably go back to the market again next Saturday.

After the trip to the market we went home and made a fabulous breakfast, then it was off to enjoy the day at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival - a huge weekend here in Fredericton. I was lucky enough on Thursday to win an ultimate pass for Saturday's shows. With the pass we managed to catch Matt Mays & El Torpedo on Friday night, and enjoyed shows by the Homemade Jamz', Lil' Brian and the Zydeco Travelers, Dr. John, and David Myles. What a fabulous time! We're already excited about going again next year.

Weight Watchers vs. SparkPeople

For the past couple of months I've been using Sparkpeople (www.sparkpeople.com) to track my food, etc. and I have let counting points go during this time. I just wanted to compare the two plans for a while to see which I liked the best.

For those of you who don't know what Sparkpeople is, I'll give you the general overview:

• When you start sparkpeople, you set up a personal profile with basic personal information (weight, height, age, gender, etc) along with a goal weight and a desired timeframe in which you would like to reach your goal weight (within reason). Based on what you enter, sparkpeople calculates your daily calorie allowance and a weekly amount of calories you must burn. If you follow the guidelines the site sets for you, you will achieve your desired goal.
• You track every calorie you eat and all of the exercise you online through the sparkpeople site.
• Sparkpeople also has message boards, articles, recipes, calculators, etc. posted online for you to use, much like the weightwatchers website.
• Sparkpeople is a completely free program to use online.

I had quite a bit of success using sparkpeople and I did like it quite a bit, although I found I didn't use many of the extras on the site like the message boards, etc. I basically ate the food I was used to eating while following the WW plan. I found out that you end up eating about the same amount of food you would eat per week using sparkpeople as you would counting points.

The big difference for me was this: sparkpeople limited your caloric intake to the same amount every single day, with no room for flexibility by banking calories I earned doing exercise or eating extra calories on a given day. Generally I have to say that I like WW much more for this reason, as well as many other reasons.

One more thing I'd like to mention is that it sure is nice to be able to eat as many vegetables as I'd like without having to worry about using some of my daily calories to eat them!

Just wanted to let anyone who was interested know what sparkpeople was all about. I have rededicated myself to using the WW program as of this morning, happy to be counting points again and not worrying about counting calories. So much easier!