Do You Really Know How Many Calories You "Drink"?

I don't know about you but I am not a wasteful person. I am not saying that I  don't waste some things but when it comes to counting my 1400 calories on My Journey To A Mew Me I am very careful not to "waste" a single calorie.


If  I am eating a baked potato I don't always use sour cream or butter,  but I do what I stated in an earlier blog post, I go topless! It is funny how you don't really know what something taste like until you try this.  I find that after eating about half of the potato I am satisfied and I just leave the rest on my plate or  sometimes take it in a to go box.  Which means it stays in my refrigerator until it is so old that I have to throw it away!


Well as I look around at work, restaurants, and other places I see many people "drinking" their calories. I have not had a glass of Sweet Iced Tea since I began on My Journey To A New Me, and for those of you who "know" me,  you know this is a challenge in itself!  My old philosophy was, "If it ain't sweet, it ain't iced tea". But those days are long gone. I still enjoy iced tea, but I use Splenda or Stevia to sweeten it now. (I tried aspartame "Equal" but it gave me a fierce headache!)


So just how many calories are in some of your favorite drinks? I thought you would never ask.
I am going to give a run down of drinks and if there  is a sugar free alternative I will also list that as well. A small disclaimer before I begin, I do not drink any alcoholic beverages, beer wine, or any other type of liquor, so you will not find any of these calorie counts included in this post, but the information is available online.

Coca Cola "Classic". 140 calories per 12 oz. Can

 






Diet Coke. 1 calorie per 12 oz. Can









Coke Zero 0 Calories per 12 oz. can






  

Sprite 150 calories per 12 oz. can



Mountain Dew 170 calories per 12 oz. can



G2 Gatorade 45 calories per 20 oz. bottle

 Any way back to my thoughts on "Drinking Your Calories". Did you know that a McDonalds large Sweet Iced Tea that only cost $1.00 has approximately 280 Calories! Yes! 280 calories! So, if I was indulging in this special treat every day, I would only have 1120 calories for real food! 


Pepsi 150 calories per 12 oz. can



Gatorade Orange 130 calories per 20 oz. bottle




POWERADE GRAPE
200 calories per 32 oz bottle

Wow!  Just looking up all of the calorie counts for these beverages made me think, "No wonder the American public is so overweight and out of shape!"   The average person probably consumes at least three of these beverages per day, if they are only having one drink with their meals which is very low.  (I know people who drink a 2-liter bottle of Coca Cola classic every day all by themselves!)

I don't know about you, but I believe that drinking my calories is not the "wisest" choice when I am deciding how I will spend my 1400 calories per day on My Journey To A New Me.  How many calories are you drinking on a daily basis?  Have you ever thought about it?

Gardening: A Workout That Is Worth It On My Journey To A New Me!

Every spring I anxiously look forward to all of the beautiful azalea bushes, bradford pear trees, cherry blossom trees, dogwood trees, red bud trees, hydrangea bushes, knock-out roses and other shrubs, but my real enjoyment comes from watching the plants that I hand selected and planted come back year after year.


We moved into our home over four years ago, and like most new homes the landscaping left a little to be desired. Which is to say the builder of the house spent all of the budget on the house and the inside decor and little or nothing for the outside lawn and landscaping.


We had a few traditional holly bushes some variegated yellow and green leaf bush, one crape Myrtle and a lot of pine straw. We moved into the house the second weekend of December so the outdoor beautification project would not begin until spring.


The first week of April I can remember planning out what I would do with this sparse landscape. I began by having someone dig up all of the shrubs and relocating them to other areas and to the side of my house. We purchased knock-out roses and we planted them on the front of our house in two different areas. Next we planted three azalea bushes that are considered "encore" azaleas because they bloom in the spring and fall. We planted three sky pencil shrubs but today only one has survived. The last bush we planted was a Nikko Blue Hydrangea, my absolute favorite. This flowering shrub will provide large blue flower "balls" of flowers all spring and summer. With the existing crape myrtle tree that the builder had planted before me moved in, the "big" stuff was done. Now on to the fun part.

I love almost all flowers but I believe the most "bang for your buck" comes from the perennial plant selection. These flowers, once planted come back year after year, and they usually increase in number, spread or multiple. We took a trip to Growers Outlet in Loganville to see what beautiful plants that they had to choose from. (This nursery is truly a "wholesale" nursery and it is open to the public. You will find no lower prices anywhere and you will never want to over-spend at Home Depot or Lowes again!)


We purchased, Calla Lilly, Yarrow, O'Stella Day Lily, Purple Salvia, White Salvia, Black-eyed Susan, Pink Cone Flower, Purple Cone Flower, six different Clematis Vines with different colors of flowers that bloom all summer. My son had recently purchased a house and did not want to take care of all the flowers ( Hostas in three different varieties, canna lilies, spider wort, and a few others). So I told him if he would dig them up from his back yard I would gladly give them a new home.


Every year I do a little bit more with my garden. This year I planted the following flowers; Indian Blanket, Shasta Daisy, Coreopsis, Pink Begonias, and I transplanted some of my large Elephant Ear plants and the "forever spreading" Lambs Ear. This is one of the most interesting flowers in my garden. It is silver in color and it is fuzzy and soft. small children especially like this plant because you can "pet" it.

Gardening, both of the flower variety and the vegetable gardening type is very hard work and could be considered a "work-out" with all the bending, stooping, digging, pulling (weeds) and planting. But there is no work-out more rewarding than to see the "fruit" of your labor. Here are just a few pictures of my work-out thus far this year. I dont know about you, but this is one work-out that I will gladly continue if it can bring me these types of results!

The "Color Analysis" Of My Journey To A New Me

Most of you will probably not remember a "fad" that I am going to speak about in my blog today but it was something that caught my attention in 1981 and something that I still think about today. I think you will find it very interesting as it applies to my journey to a new me!


Remember the days of Tupperware Parties and candle parties? Before you had Pampered Chef parties, and jewelry parties. During the early 1980's a new type of party was formed and it was lead by a "Color Analysis" Consultant. Someone who had no formal education about color or analysis, but a trained eye when it came to determining the best "colors" that a person should wear to bring out the best look in both appearance, complexion and style.  Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

  "Color analysis, also called skin tone color matching or color seasons, is the process of finding colors of clothing and makeup to match a person's complexion, eye color, and hair color. It is often used as an aid to wardrobe planning and style consulting."

  "Color analysis is the process of determining the colors that best suit an individual's natural coloring. There are several means of analysing personal coloring. The most well-known is "seasonal" color analysis, which places individual coloring into four general categories: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. "Winters" and "Summers" have cool coloring. Some clues that a person has cool coloring might include ash tones in the hair, grey-blue eyes and pinkish undertones to the skin. "Springs" and "Autumns" have warm coloring. Some signs of warm coloring are red or golden hair, golden brown eyes and golden undertones to the skin."

During the party our Color Analysis Consultant began by explaining that all the colors of the rainbow could be broken down Iinto four distinct seasons; Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. She instructed everyone to remove all of their jewelry and make-up. This in itself was a challenge for some who did not want to be without their face painted on.


She then called us up one at a time to sit in her "Color Analysis" chair to perform  our personal consultation. ( The chair was just an ordinary chair taken from my mom's kitchen table, but for this evening it had a place of special importance!)


When it was your turn to sit in the chair she would begin to talk to you about the "colors" that you currently like to wear and how you feel when you are wearing those colors. All the while she is draping solid color fabric across you chest in an attempt to cover up the clothing that you had worn to the party.


I remember very clearly this experience because the first color she placed on me was bright royal blue. I don't have blue eyes, but if I did it would have made them sparkle even "bluer".  This was a great color for me and when she asked me if I liked what I saw in the mirror I quickly responded "Yes"! She then pulled the pretty blue fabric from around me and flung the next color in her bag of tricks onto my chest like a Matador's cape. The new fabric was bright red. Not an orangey-red or a burgundy red but a cherry red or candied apple red. Wow! This was amazing! I felt great in this color too! How would I pick which one to wear?  But wait, there's more!!!  She announces that she wants to "confirm" her findings, and she proceeds to begin draping light pastels, muted colors, and other colors that I would never wear.  After this process she explains that I am a "strong Winter" and that this is the coloring that most women die for.  Mainly because the colors Black and White are part of the color palette.

So what does all this talk of color analysis have to do with My Journey To A New Me? Everything and nothing. Everything because when I began to reflect back over my last 30 years of my "adulthood" I realized that I had been unhappy about my outer appearance for a very long time and neglected to take a closer look to see what the real issues were. Does wearing certain color help me to become happy? Not necessarily but I do find that I feel better "about" myself when I wear particular colors. This color analysis deal has been going on for about thirty years and if you did a google search today you would find many websites dedicating to giving you just enough information to get you "hooked". But the catch is they want you to pay for the color swatch test. Well let me save you all a lot of time and money.

Well I say, "Wear what you like, wear the colors thar make you feel the best, and be the best you that you can be!". There is only one you and whether you know what color to wear or not does not make any difference in the long run. If you want to wear black and you arent a true "winter" I say go for it! Black makes Everyone feel thinner!

"Jumping" That 60 Pound Hurdle! Landing On 61.2 !!!

I have been anxiously looking around the bend for my next "mark" and Saturday morning Mr.Scale greeted me with a Hug and a Kiss.   In the form of not just 60 pounds lost but a little "extra".   I smiled as I looked down and saw 61.2 pounds lost. This brings me to within 13.8 pounds from my July 4th goal of 75 pounds. This got me to thinking about my weight loss goals. To try and lose 100 pounds in only One Year really was a tremendous goal to set for someone who never was successful at losing twenty pounds and keeping it off for any length of time.  

I believe there are 5 D's that are helping me to succeed on this Journey to a New Me!
They are Dream, Desire, Decide, Determine, and Do It! ( Ok, I know the last one is two words but I am writing this blog and I like it!).


Before setting out to do anything "Big" you must first have a dream!  Those words were made famous over forty year ago by a very special man, Martin Luther King Jr.  His speech titled: " I have a dream" is still remembered and quoted today.   Wikipedia has this to say about it.

I Have a Dream" is a 17 minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination. The speech, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. Delivered to over 200,000 civil rights supporters,^[1] the speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century by a 1999 poll of scholars of public address.

Another famous "Dream" statement came from the movie, Field of Dreams, staring Kevin  Costner.  He dreamed of building a baseball field out in the middle of a corn field!


Both of the examples are great reminders of great things that started with Dreams. I have often dreamed of being healthy and at my goal weight. During my forty seven years of living I can remember dreams of how I would look and feel and the things that I was able to do and accomplish, but the dreams never happened. Because "Dreaming" is not enough.


Next comes Desire. This is a word with so many meanings but when I think about Desire I think two different types of Desire.  First I think of romance. I think about the beautiful young lady and the hot leading man tormented by their desire for one another.  Their desire to be together is so strong that no matter the cost they would give their lives for the desire that they feel for one another.  The other Desire is the  desire 
that a married couple has to start a family.  They try so hard to get pregnant with their  first child.  I know about this type of desire first hand, because my husband and I were this couple.  We tried to conceive a child for eleven years before finally adopting our two older children. 

The third "D" is Decide.  Only you can Decide that you are going to do something.  No one can decide for you.  Nothing can happen for you until you decide.  Life will not get any better until you decide.  To Decide is an "Action Word", it means to act, or to do something.  This was my third step on my journey to a new me.

The fourth step is Determine.  This word is different than the others because it is the word that has more than one meaning and both are applicable to my journey.  Wikipedia defines determine as:

1. To set the limits of.
2. To ascertain definitely; to figure out.

Once I had determined to start this journey it was up to me to set the limits.  With my doctor's help I determined to eat 1400 calories per day.  But the rest was up to me to figure it out, and I am determined to see this through


The final "D" is Do It !  It is time to do what Nike made famous, Just Do It !!!  No one can do it for me, only I have the power to make a difference in my life.  Every decision that I make from this point forward is an action in the right direction.  I chose to Do It!!!  I am worth it.


On the beginning of my journey to a new me  it was only a Dream that blossomed into Desire that caused me to Decide that I wanted to be transformed by my Determination and later I wanted to Do It!  So I guess the question is "What are you waiting on?"  Do you ever Dream of the day when you will be at your goal weight?  Do you lack the desire and passion to attempt to change?  Don't you want to make the Decision to make the right choice?  It is time to get determined and fix your mind around the truth that You  too can Do It too!


In closing please remember these words from God's Word, " I can do all this through him who gives me strength. "  Phillipians 4:13  NIV


My next hurdle is the 75 pound mark, and with only 13.8 pounds to lose between now and July 4th I can see it on the track before me.  Don't get left in the dust, Do It for yourself today!

I Don't Have To Take A Vacation From My Journey

I will be honest, losing weight is not the easiest thing that I have ever done, nor is it the fastest.  But what I can say is that it is a wonderful journey to a new me.  When my husband and I had been married for 20 years I announced to him that one day we would go to Hawaii.  He said he did not want to go to Hawaii but I told him that I really wanted to.  And during the next couple of years we discussed it some and decided that we would go for our 25 year wedding anniversary. 

We had already discussed and decided that we did not want to have a traditional renewing of our wedding vows complete with ceremony and the reception but that we would take our trip to Hawaii.  Well we have now been married 27 years and we still have not made the trip to Hawaii.  Why?  Well the answer is a little complicated.

You see my husband does not like to take vacations! I know that sounds weird but it is true! I remember the very first vacation that we ever took was a week at the beach at Jekyll Island, GA. We had only been married about six months at the time and the second day there he was ready to go home! He made lots of promises to do fun and exciting things once we got home and we did. Six Flags Over Georgia, Stone Mountain Park, and Lake Lanier Islands Beach ( they did not have a water park way back then!)

So I learned early on how it was going to be and I decided to set a trap! Yes, I said a trap! Our next vacation would be one that he could not make an early escape from. I announced that we were going on a cruise! For five glorious days we vacationed to Cancun, Cozumel, Mexico. I loved it and decided if this was the only way that I could get him to go on vacation and relax then I would start now planning our next trip.

Over the next twenty years we took 11 more cruises. We sailed the Eastern Carribesn, the western Carribesn, the southern Carribesn including Aruba, Grenada, St Lucia and Barbdos, and we did two Mexican Pennisula cruises. And in all the trips regardless of where we went it was the food and the Presention of the food that won our approval! When you are escorted to your table you are given an extensive menu with No Prices!,, when your waiter greets you he insists that he is there to serve you and you can order as much and as many food items from every category listed. By the time you have completed a minimum of a seven course meal they bring out coffee and dessert! Now that is a sight to behold!

Why  am I telling you about the previous vacations and cruise experiences that we have enjoyed over the years? Am I trying to advertise for the next cruise ship out of the port of Miami? No, I am just trying to paint a picture of how my first twenty years of vacationing looked like. I was going on that boat regardless of the ports of call to do one thing, Eat, Eat, and Eat some more. There is  food available on a cruise ship twenty four hours a day.  It is a lot like Waffle House in that regard.  When you are hungry there is Always something to eat!

Well this summer we have a totally different vacation experience planned. My husband and I are traveling to Colorado Springs, Colorado to start a Ten Day Adventure. We are renting a 4-Wheel drive SUV and we are going to drive and see and experience everything that we can in those ten days. We will spend time in central and western Colorado, Northern New Mexico (Santa Fe) and drive to the Four Corners National Monument, and then drive back up into Colorado.

We will see lots of sights and I will be sure to take hundreds of photos but one thing that I won't be taking a vacation "from" is My Journey To A New Me! I made a commitment to myself today that I will not forget to eat only 1400 calories per day.  Who knows,  maybe by the time  that I get back I will have lost even more weight!  Vacations don't have to be a "Detour" on my journey. I can enjoy myself, relax and have loads of fun without getting off the road on my journey.   If you are planning your vacation think about what you will see and do first, and put less emphasis on the "Whats for supper?"  Just remember, "You don't want to have to start all the way over on your journey, do you?"

Even My Chiropractor Did Not Recognize Me!!!

My husband told me tonight that on his visit to the Chiropractor's office today he had an interesting conversation with the chiropractor about me.  During a recent dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant we ran into our chiropractor having dinner with one of his friends.   Well, it did not happen exactly like that.  Let me start from the beginning. 

Kevin and I had decided to meet for dinner and as usual he beat me to the restaurant.  After I sat down and ordered my unsweet tea he told me that he had seen several people we know at the restaurant.  He mentioned that I should go over and say hello to our chirorpractor and he pointed to where he was sitting in a booth across the restaurant from our booth.

As I approached his table he looked up at me with a "What do you want?" sort of stare.  I greeted him and he gave me another look, :"Why are you talking to me like you know me?"  He was thinking, "Am I suppose to know who you are?"  I then told him that my husband Kevin had told me to come over and speak to him.  He then smiled and said "Yes, I saw him sitting over there earlier."  He was trying to recover but you could tell he was still trying to figure out who I was exactly.

Tonight Kevin told me he had gone into the doctor's office and they were talking and the subject came up about me and my success on my journey to a new me and the doctor said, "Kevin, I have a confession to make.  When Kathy came over to my table and started talking to me,  I did not recogize her at all.   She looked so different.  She has really lost a ton of weight!"  And Kevin said yes, my wife is working real hard to lose 100 pounds in one year!

Wow!  This was so neat!  Someone that I only go to see 2 maybe 3 times per year did not know who I was because of my weight loss.  Just think how much more fun it will be when I hit my 100 pound goal and he sees me at a restaurant somewhere, that will be very interesting!

Why did I share this little story today?  Some times it is hard to see what others are seeing.  I said way back in the very beginning of this journey that the bigger you are the longer it will take for people to notice the weight loss. As an obese person it would take more than 5 or 10 pounds for someone to say "Hey you are looking good, like maybe you have lost some weight". 

When people notice it is nice, but when they notice and "Say" something it is even better.  Those words of encouragement are music to the hears of people who are trying to gain control of their eating and become healthier.  I am in this journey for the long haul.  There is a new adventure around every corner.  Who knows you may see me next and you too will look at me with a blank stare and wonder, "Do I know you?" 

Healthy Food Choices Don't Have To Be Boring!

During my journey to a new me I have been asked all sorts of questions about how I am doing this?   Many people have asked me what have I been eating over the past five months to lose 59 pounds?  What foods can taste good and still be within my 1400 calorie per day limit?  As I mentioned in one my earlier blog post, every morning, Monday through Friday, I start my day with "a bagel on a diet" (formerly known as: a Thomas Bagel Thin) with a 1/3 less fat Philadelphia Strawberry Cream Cheese.  Recently I have added a 1/2 - 1 cup of sliced strawberries (minus the added sugar!) 

Doesn't my 220 calorie breakfast look Yummy?

By using my favorite tool, http://www.myfitnesspal.com/  I am able to keep up with all of my calories and  everything that I put into my mouth. The Thomas Bagel Thin - Wholewheat is 110 calories, the 1/3 fat Philadelphia Strawberry cream cheese is 61 calories, and the sliced raw strawberries are 49 calories for 1 cup.  Doesn't this look better than a Chick-fil-a chicken biscuit or McDonald's Egg McMuffin?  And it is better for me too!!!

Now don't get me wrong,  I do enjoy my breakfast on Saturday mornings at C.G.'s Restaurant in my hometown.  Two eggs (hold one of the yolks please!) and a little melted cheese mixed in.  I ask them to cook the scrambled eggs with Cooking Spray (Pam) instead of using oil.  I order one biscuit with a side of the white gravy.  Instead of eating that biscuit and gravy "sloppy" like I used to,  I have them bring the gravy in a bowl on the side so that I can barely "dip" a small piece of the biscuit at a time into that white heavenly delight.   I have to say this simple breakfast is one of the highlights of my week.  Looking forward to it all week long keeps my car from veering into the fast food drive-thru lines for a quick biscuit in the mornings!

Today I decided to take my lunch to work which is both healthy and good for my pocketbook.
But deciding what to take was another challenge, so I chose to bring the Produce Market  from my refrigerator with me.

Cantaloupe, Spring Salad Mix, Two bags of cut up seedless watermelon, ,
a small tomato, 6 slices of cucumbers, and a cup of strawberries
rounded out my lunch time selection.

Not knowing what I wanted to eat, or how hungry I would be was only half  of the problem.  Deciding what to do with all of this food was another issue.  I had also brought along a couple of slices of home baked ham that my sweet husband had baked earlier in the week and it looked like the beginnings of a great Chef's Salad (minus the hardboiled eggs and cheese)



My version of a Chef's Salad
and one cup of watermelon & cantaloupe
Only 258 calories which included
 2 Tbsp of Fat Free Thousand Island
Dressing for my salad!



As you can see eating healthy does not have to be boring.  I believe that when I present the food with a nice presentation if helps me to enjoy it more.  I felt extremely full when I finished my lunch today and I could not believe how appetizing everything was., 

I love summer and all the fresh fruit that is available.  I  can't wait until the peaches come into season.  There is nothing better than sinking your teeth into a big and juicy sweet summer  Georgia peach. 

I am really enjoying myself on this journey and I am making good choices for me!  The results are showing the farther I travel down this road.  So what are you waiting for?  It's time you turn the corner.  Do something for yourself.  And ask yourself, "What choices I am making on my own journey?"  Whether you decide to do something about it or not,
you have made your choice.