Breakfast #1

Banana Half & Peanut Butter

My standard way to start the day – 2 big glasses of water and half a banana spread with 2 teaspoons peanut butter (2 PPV).

Activity

Then it was out for my morning walks, first with Francie and then with Brenda for a total of about 1 hour out on the trail. This was the first day experimenting with my new pedometer, which was fun. (I ended up logging 10,582 steps, which was a nice surprise.)

Breakfast #2

After our walk, I enjoyed the same exact breakfast as yesterday, a cup of decaf and bowl of plain Greek yogurt with fresh raspberries and a sprinkling of Grape Nuts. The only difference was today I drizzled the yogurt with maple syrup instead of honey. (5 PPV)…

Yogurt with Raspberries & Grapenuts

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Breakfast #1

My favorite way to begin the day, right after 2 large glasses of water I enjoy half a banana spread with 2 teaspoons Justin’s almond butter (2 PPV).

Banana Half with Justin’s Almond Butter

Activity

I’m back in the habit of exercising first thing in the morning so I’m sure it happens. I took Francie on a 15 minute walk keeping it short because it was so hot, brought her home, had a drink of water, and then headed out for another 30 minute walk with Brenda that included a stop in the park for some stretching and sun salutes.

I ordered this Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer that arrived in the mail from Amazon this afternoon, so now I can begin keeping track of the number of steps I’m taking each day.

Breakfast #2

After our walk, we enjoyed a cup of decaf and bowl of plain Greek yogurt topped with a drizzle of honey, fresh raspberries, and a sprinkling of Grape Nuts (4 PPV)…

Plain Greek Yogurt with Honey, Raspberries & Grape Nuts

Breakfast #1

Today, I started the day the way I typically do, with 2 big glasses of water because I wake up so thirsty living here in the desert. This was quickly followed by  a half a banana with a little almond butter (2 PPV) I forgot to snap the picture, so here’s the one from yesterday…

Half Banana & Almond Butter (2 PPV)

Activity

I then got in my morning exercise, a 20-minute walk with Francie, followed by a 30-minute walk on my own. I also added 10 minutes of yoga stretches and a few minutes of deep breathing and contemplation. By the time I got home I was ready for some breakfast.

Ready to Walk

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I’m a creature of habit, which turns out to be a good thing where weight loss and weight maintenance are concerned. Studies have shown that eating the same foods for some of your meals is a good weight loss strategy. It’s one of the suggestions Dr. Oz Makes in his book, YOU: On A Diet Revised Edition: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management.

My Daily Food Diary Day #2

I started the day, the way I usually do, with 2 big glasses of water and half a banana with a little almond butter (2 PPV)…

Half Banana & Almond Butter (2 PPV)

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My Daily Food Diary

I’m trying something new this week, taking photos of everything I eat (when I remember) and recording it here for me and everyone to see. It’s going to take a while for this to become a habit. At lunchtime both yesterday and today, I was cleaning up my plates before realizing I had failed to snap a photo first.

I’m curious about whether this activity changes my behavior and how it effects my weekly weigh-ins. Time will tell.

We all know that keeping a food diary is a very powerful weight loss tool when you do it. Here’s a recent article from USA Today confirming that women who keep a food diary are more likely to lose weight than those who don’t. It’s what Carrie Underwood does to stay slim. That’s why tracking your food and activity is one of the key components of the Weight Watchers Program.

The plain truth is that without some way of keeping track, most of us have serious “food amnesia” are terrible at estimating how many calories we’ve eaten. According the the incredibly informative and life changing book, Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, “On average, normal weight people think they’ve eaten 20 percent less than they actually did and obese people typically underestimate how much they eat by 30 to 40 percent.”

It’s not that we are intentionally trying to kid ourselves. The researchers in the book explain that it’s how our brains work. “When estimating almost anything – such as weight, height, brightness, loudness, sweetness, and son on – we consistently underestimate things as they get larger. For instance, we’ll be fairly accurate at estimating the weight of a 2-pound rock but will grossly underestimate the weight of an 80-pound truck.”

And it’s the same with food. The smaller the meal, the more accurate people are at estimating the calorie level. The larger the meal, the less accurate.

So one of the keys is to really “see” what you are eating, all of it. That’s where keeping a food diary with photos come in. Pictures speak so much louder than words!

So, here’s my attempt at My Food Diary Day 1: 7/18/12

I always wake up thirsty (this is Phoenix) and begin the day with 1 to 2 big glasses of water. Within 15 minutes I feel myself perk up, like a plant in the rain after a drought.

Before I walk, I usually have half a banana (0PPV) with 1 – 2 teaspoons almond butter or peanut butter (2 PPV). Today it was almond butter. Have you tried Justin’s Maple Almond Butter? It’s delicious!

1/2 Banana & Almond Butter (2PPV)

 
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