These reports detail my daily attempt to live a new lifestyle: one that enables me to control my body’s weight. On the downside, it takes a lot of time and attention to be successful. On the good side, it’s hard to imagine going back to what I was doing before. This new life means I pay attention to myself and carefully make sure I am fulfilled while eating a controlled amount of food – it works on many levels.
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – 6x pizza slices (90)
- 540 calories
Lunch – pretzels (150) 4x pizza slices (90) cookie (40)
- 550 calories
Dinner – macaroni and cheese (440)
- 440 calories
Snacking – tea with half and half (80); Perdue chicken strips (200)
- 280 calories
Total for the day: 1820 calories (limit 1800)
Back home
It’s been quite a month. I’ve just gotten home from another weekend of travel, but I am due to be home for a few weeks now. Hopefully I can get my lifestyle and body back in shape and losing weight again soon. I have to really pay attention to make that work! As I said a few weeks ago, since I weigh less now, my body will need fewer calories and weight loss will come harder. I will have to be very strict and, in consequence, very careful to make sure my body doesn’t feel deprived. Or else, as one of my brothers says, you end up in front of the refrigerator in your underwear at 2AM, eating.
It’s the first day of fall. For the first time in many years, I am not planning to have any apple cider. It’s just too many calories for my diet of 1800 per day (120 calories per 8oz cup!). I used to drink several glasses a day in the fall, and I learned to associate that with the cooler weather and turning leaves. I saw the leaves starting to turn on the long drive through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. Oh well, there are compensations. Really, I am not allowed to have any calories unregulated these days, and apple cider is no exception. I knew going into this lifestyle that I would have to sacrifice some things, like drinking all the cider I felt like. I can, of course, have a measured amount. I will think about it. I was able to fit in 400 calories worth of cookies just a few days ago! I haven’t done that since.
Personal growth is difficult. Many of us would just rather not change anything and continue to live our lives. But then changes are forced on you and it’s a shock. I think I am learning to gently change over time. At least in some ways.
To bed! I have important living and paying attention to do tomorrow, and a lack of sleep will not help.
-The Doctor