When you are recording every meal and what you are doing every day, you are paying a lot of attention to yourself and your life (and your body). Things slow down and you live more intensely than you have before. This last 9 months has been amazing. I’ve lost 75 pounds, for one thing. And I have records of it happening, and pictures of the scale, and every day I have recorded what I ate and how many calories I ate. I have all those records too, plus pictures of a lot of foods!
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – Jimmy Dean sausage egg and cheese croissantwich (400) with extra egg (80)
- 480 calories
Lunch – 2x bratwurst wraps (300);
- 600 calories
Dinner – 6oz cooked spaghetti (300); 5 Costco meatballs (235 for 5)
- 535 calories
Snacking – tea with half and half (80); Goldfish crackers and cheddar cheese (125); chips (50)
- 255 calories
Total for the day: 1865 calories (limit 1800 + 500 bonus from swimming, total 2300)
Re-establishing the routine
I have had a few weeks away from home, traveling, not eating according to my routine, where I can carefully monitor and restrain and reward myself, as needed. So this week is about getting back my weight control lifestyle. I’ve tried to do that by planning ahead and revisiting some of my favorite foods. Thinking about it, I should also go over all my notes from the first part of the year and see what I was eating and what I was doing. That could keep me on the successful path, because you will stray without thinking about it. Anyway, my favorite foods are used as a reward for eating less. They keep my body happy, so far.
I am also using exercise to reset my weight control clock. Today I went swimming, and I went swimming Friday last week too. Before that, I hadn’t been able to go for at least a week. I paid for that today! My routine was harder to do. On top of that I have never gone out to get a new swimsuit, and my old one is getting pretty hard to cinch up successfully – it’s from nine months ago, you see. I used to weigh more then. Anyway, I am planning to do some walking, more than usual.
Last, I need to figure out sleep. The last couple of months I have really gone out of control. I am finding it impossible to get to bed before midnight and impossible to try sleeping before 1AM. That makes it harder to do anything. I am feeling like I am losing control over everything as a consequence.
Good night! It’s 11.30.
-The Doctor
For me, sleep deprivation means I eat to stay awake…and eat…and eat…and…
It’s all bad.
It’s certainly a factor. The Doctor didn’t go to bed until 12.30 last night and was awake for another 45 minutes. He doesn’t eat during the time he stays awake, but it is harder to stay focused and to pay attention and do well the next day.