Day 12 Update! And, down to the wire!

12 more days to the photo shoot!

Exercise:
Just Lift (50 minutes)

Eating:
8:00am Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie
12:00pm 4oz chunk lite tuna in water, spinach, ½ tbsp balsamic vinaigrette, ½ banana
3:30pm Shrimp and Veggies Stir Fry (shrimp sautéed in ½ tbsp of EVOO with minced garlic, onions, red peppers, green peppers, broccoli crowns) and ½ banana
5:00pm Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie
7:15pm Shrimp and Veggies Stir Fry w/ ½ cup cooked spinach

Drinking
128oz h2o
¾ cup almond milk

Ok, its down to the wire! What I have learned most throughout this process is that 1) you have to DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. The sad, but true fact is that nutritional information is so misleading these days. You can't trust manufacturers to tell you the truth, so you have to FIND THE TRUTH through research. 2) As you do your own research, you have to CHANGE to incorporate the new knowledge you have gained. So, in evaluating what I have been doing over the past 18 or so days, I realize I need to change some things. So, for the next 11 days, here is what I am going to do differently:

ONE MORE MEAL On average, I’ve only been getting five meals in a day (for around 1200 calories—way too low for my weight) but I really want to get six meals in a day and get closer to 1400-1500 calories. Interestingly, I am not adding an additional meal because I feel hungry. Recently I started seriously tracking my food in an online journal as part of a nutrition program at my gym. Because, as I mentioned in my post on eating, I normally don't count calories, I would have thought I was ok (if going by hunger). What I realized is that I am eating lots of veggies, but their caloric load is very low. Additionally, the amount of h2o I drink keeps me from feeling hungry. However, because I know my body needs the fuel, I am going to try to get within the 1400-1500 range. In order to do this, I can not eat every 3-4 hours as I currently do. Eating every 3-4 hours puts my last meal after 8pm, and I really don’t want to be eating after 6-7pm if I can help it. Therefore, I am going eat consistently every 2.5 hours and add a meal. Hopefully, this will bring my calorie count up!

ADD DAIRY In increasing to six meals a day, I need more options. I will add one serving of nonfat greek yogurt and consume it midday. Although I have a slight lactose intolerance, I hope my stomach doesn’t hate me for this. Also, I know dairy sometimes make you bloated, we'll see. If I start seeing adverse effects, back to no dairy.

NO BARS I am quitting with the bars. I was using them as an “easy way out.” I found out that though “Think Thin” bars have no sugar, they are sweetened with SUGAR ALCOHOLS—up to 10-15 grams per bar. Sugar alcohols cause diarrhea and bloating, if eaten excessively. Up to two bars a day is a bit excessive to me, so, I am giving up the bars. It’s too much of a headache. Besides, the Think Thin bars were not favorite tasting thing anyway. Information from the Yale-New Haven Hospital.

BASIC FOOD SCHEDULE So this is going to be my basic food schedule:

• 5:30am Protein smoothie
  
• 8:00am Egg white omelet with veggies
• 10:30am Greek yogurt and berries
  
• 1:00pm Lean meat and veggies
  
• 3:30pm Lean meat and veggies
  
• 6:00pm Protein smoothie
• The 10:30am, 1:00pm, and 3:30pm meals are interchangeable.

So, yes, this month has been a month of experimentation. Though I have lost a significant amount of weight, I am still trying to find the best nutritional choices for the body I currently have. What worked when I was near 300lbs trying to lose weight still works, but as I get closer to my goal weight, I have to tweak some things! I'm going to get it close to right, soon! :)