Tis Tuesday...

So, I wrote yesterday letting you all know that I would be starting back on the diet plan and I can report today that it is going very well.  I did my weight in, went to the gym, and did some grocery shopping.  We got a ton of fresh fruits and veggies, it is good to see the house stocked with peppers, onions, peaches, bananas, grapes, asparagus, berries, spinach, and avocado.  On the protein front we purchased chicken, pork chops, fish, shrimp, and tofu.  And then there are eggs, organic milk, cheese, yogurt, a ton of Lean Cuisines, and various other snacks and such.  I looooooove food, so I had to be sure that the house is stocked with yummy, yet nutritious, items.

The gym is going well too, I just love how I feel after I work out.  So refreshed and good about myself.  It's great!

Well, today instead of just rambling about myself I figured I would share an interesting article that I found on Yahoo!  The article addresses childhood obesity and the amount of snacking that American kids do.  It says that "U.S. children eat an average three snacks a day on top of three regular meals, a finding that could explain why the childhood obesity rate has risen to more than 16 percent, researchers said on Tuesday."  Wow!  That's a lot of chips, cookies, juice boxes, and fruit.  I feel like snacking is good for me at times because it helps me not overeat when it does come meal time, but I guess it's important to keep them to a minimum  and not eat too much when snacking.

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

More About my Shopping List...

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So, I had a request from one of my lovely readers, Mrs. Sarajane Burroughs Case, to post my grocery list for those of you who may find it helpful when you're out shopping.  I want to make sure that everyone knows, I'm no expert on this topic, but I think these are some good things to keep in the pantry/fridge.  If you have some favorite healthy items, feel free to comment below and let me know what they are!


PRODUCE

• Celery
• Baby carrots
• Avocado
• Grapes
• Bananas
• Apples
• Organic Baby Lettuces
• Organic Baby Spinach
• Kiwi fruit
• Sweet tangerines
• Potatoes

PROTEIN

• Chicken breast
• Ground turkey (use this in place of ground beef in most any recipe)
• Roasted sliced turkey breast
• Firm tofu

GRAINS and PASTA

• Whole grain pasta -- spaghetti, rotini, penne, and alfredo
• Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Wild Rice (available in 90 second microwave package)
• Arnold's Multi-Grain Sandwich Thins
• Multi-grain bread (the sandwich thins don't make the best toast, haha)
• Quacker Instant Oatmeal WEIGHT CONTROL

CANNED GOODS

• Progresso Light Soups -- Chicken Noodle, Chicken and Dumplings, Fiesta Chicken, Beef Stew (these yummy soups have anywhere from 140 to 200 calories for a large can)
• Hormel Cooked Chicken in can (so, some people don't like ''canned chicken'' but once it's drained and rinsed, it makes a great quick-and-easy chicken salad)
• Tomatoes
• Pinto beans
• Black beans
• Chili beans
• Tomato paste
• Mixed vegetables

SNACKS (my favorite category)

• Dried fruit -- apricots, mango, pineapple, banana (dried fruit is very high in calories, so eat in moderation)
• 100 Calories packs -- Oreos, Yogurt-covered pretzels
• Dry roasted cashews
• Dry roasted sunflower seeds
• Fiber One bars
• Carmel Corn rice cakes

FROZEN ITEMS

• Berries -- strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries (buying these items fresh can get very pricey)
• Birdseye Steamables -- corn and green beans (pop in the microwave for 5 to 6 minutes and you have fresh crunchy corn or green beans)
• Del Monte Fruit Chillers
• Chicken tenderloins
• Cool whip Lite
• Slim-a-Bear Ice Cream Sandwiches

DAIRY

• Yogurt
• Skim Milk
• Cheddar Cheese
• Smart Balance Omega 3 butter

BEVERAGES

• Organic pure press apple juice
• Cranberry/grape lite juice
• V8 Fusion Juice
• Flavored sparkling water

OTHER ITEMS

• Smucker's Organic Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
• KRAFT Mayo with Olive Oil
• Light Salad Dressings -- Honey Mustard and House Italian

That's all for now!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Grocery Shopping Day...

I went grocery shopping today...do you guys know how freaking expensive groceries are?!?!  It is a little ridiculous.  I think I did a pretty good job.  It was tough though, I really love Moon Pies and did you know that they make MINT Moon Pies?  Those sound so good.  And what about ice cream?  Oh My God I love ice cream.  BUT, I didn't let my temptations get the best of me, and I got a lot of yummy and healthy groceries.  


So, I had said yesterday that I would post my grocery list, well I don't want to bore you with all of that, I mean, you probably don't want to know how many grapes or bags of spring mix I bought; but I'm going to try to highlight some of the cool items that I found and think you should have in your fridge/pantry:

KRAFT Mayo with Olive Oil
1 tablespoon has 45 calories and 4g of fat
compared to 90 calories and 10g of fat in Regular KRAFT Mayo


Now, I don't LOVE mayonnaise, but I do need it for making chicken salad and homemade honey mustard, so I'll keep this in the fridge for those items.

Quaker Instant Oatmeal WEIGHT CONTROL
1 packet has 160 calories and 3g of fat
compared to 200 calories and 2g of fat in Regular Instant Oatmeal


So, it appears that regular may only be a little bit worse for a person than the WEIGHT CONTROL product, BUT the weight control brand contains 7 grams of protein (compared to 4 grams in the regular) and 6 grams of fiber (compared to 3 grams in the regular).  It has one more gram of fat, but less calories and a lot more protein and fiber to help keep hunger at bay.  I love oatmeal and think this will be a healthier option for breakfast than cereal with milk, and it will help to keep me fuller, longer.

KLONDIKE Slim-a-Bear Ice Cream Sandwiches
1 sandwich has 100 calories and 1.5g of fat
compared to 260 calories and 11g of fat in one Klondike Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich


I really love sweets and ice cream is one of my favorite things.  These will be a good treat for myself, like, once a week.  I can't get in the habit of eating them every night before I go to bed.

Arnold's Sandwich Thins -- Multi-Grain
1 sandwich bun has 100 calories and 1g of fat
compared to 200 calories and 3g of fat in 2 slices of Arnold's Multi-Grain bread


I tried these last weekend at a family Christmas party that we had.  I REALLY liked them, they have 100 calories for a thin bun.  They taste great and you can actually have 2 pieces, to make a real sandwich, instead of just one slice of bread for the same amount of calories.


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So, these are just a few of the neat items I found as I begin my weight loss journey.  I hope they taste good, and I will let you know how they are as soon as I try them!


Tomorrow is my last day before the diet begins and I am getting really excited about getting to it!  I know that I can do this and cannot wait for feeling better and how great I will look (even though I think I look pretty fine now, haha).  


The plan is to do my first weigh in on Monday morning and post that for the whole world to see.  I'll probably post my ''Biggest Loser Weigh In Photo" (and believe me, I am NOT looking forward to that) at that time too.  I'll start working on Monday as well and start my new eating plan!  By the end of the month I am going to find a general practice doctor and set up an appointment.  I want to have someone to meet with about once a month to check in and keep my blood pressure/cholesterol/etc. monitored.  I also hope to find a nutritionist/dietician to meet with.  My friend Kevin Williams actually suggested I find a dietician and I did a search of nutritionists/dietitians that accept my insurance in the Shelby area and found on in Kings Mountain.  I'm going to call and check with them to see what my copay would be to set up an appointment there as well.


As I get going I will post weekly goals along with my weekly weigh in and weekly pictures.  I also plan to do a day-by-day journal of what food I have eaten and what exercise I have done.  It is really helpful for me to keep track of that information and it is just easy to do it here on the blog where I am already writing.  It may be a little annoying for you all to read that...but I will try to make if funny and enjoyable!  I'll insert sarcasm and snarky-ness whenever possible!


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Until Next Time...


-Tyler