Congrats on the weight loss! Yes, I definitely think you got enough exercise in to account for the extra calories.

And, you do NOT look horrible in that picture... Silly! Thanks for sharing. It sounds like a blast!!!

Actually . . . that's a really cool story on how you can get through some major events with some wicked food and still be okay. It lends a lot of credence to the idea of working hard so that when special events do come around, it's not diet-killing, world-ending, or zombie-producing.

And YEAH! You have tattoos too! That's so cool. I was concerned I'd be the only illustrated one here.

Wow, your doing great, keep it up.

Zombies !! "nom-nom-nom.....*brains."



and yes, "me-be-inked-too"


go crazy girl !!

Im havin a ball reading your diary. Keep it up !

....".....nom-nom-nom-nom........"

Thanks everyone for such awesome support and feedback! You rock!

Speaking of zombies... wow... I was such a zombie today. Not on the level of eating brains, but just that I was really sluggish all day and sore from the weekend. I guess it doesn't help that I got one of THE worst sunburns of my life! It hurts to raise my arms over my head since the skin on my shoulders are so tight from the burn. I'm hoping that tomorrow evening I'll be feeling more up to going to the gym. It's weird feeling withdrawals from not going for a few days...

Back recording my intake...

August 19th, Tuesday
Breakfast: Meal replacement shake (230 cal)
Lunch: The other 1/2 of my burrito (yeah... I caved in and ate it) - (about 400 cal)
Snack: Bowl of corn flakes (250 cal)
Dinner: Hearty helping of "Garden Vegetable Soup" (150 cal)
Dessert: 1/2 cup Fat-Free Instant vanilla pudding (90 cal)

Total Calories: 1120

I think I perfected the recipe for Garden Vegetable Soup. It's a weight watcher's recipe, so I'll make my changes in red.

Garden Vegetable Soup
2/3 cup sliced carrot - About 5 or 6 baby carrots
1/2 cup diced onion - About 1/2 an onion
2 garlic cloves minced
3 cups fat free broth (vegetable, beef, or chicken)- I used 1 can of veggie and 1 chicken. For those that like more broth, add an extra can of your preference.
1 1/2 cups diced cabbage
1/2 cup green beans
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil - I used about 5-8 fresh leaves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup diced zucchini - 1 zucchini diced
1 celery stalk diced
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1 can of stewed italian tomatoes

In large saucepan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, saute the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic over low heat until softened. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil and oregano and salt; bring to a boil. Lower heat and summer covered until beans are tender, about 8-10 minutes.

Drain tomatoes, reserving 1/2 the liquid. Cut the tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Stir in tomatoes and their liquid along with the zucchini. Heat only 3-4 minutes (or zucchini will be mushy). Serve hot. Makes four 1 cup servings. Per serving 42 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber.

*I think with my alterations, the calories may be between 50-60 per cup which is still great. By adding the can of stewed tomatoes, it made the soup have more of a minestrone type appeal. It was pretty darn good.

I hate sunburns, I hope you have aloe. I once had a sunburn that was so bad I could not walk for 3 days. It was on my knees and I couldnt bend them.

Enjoy your day and I hope yoiu heal fast.

Thanks for the post for the soup. I have a couple of different Weight Watchers cookbooks, but it is always great to see what people actually make, and if they enjoy it. I love recipes and I'm trying to make one new recipe every week.

I love to cook, but it is really amazing that we had gotten into such a bad habit of eating out ALL THE TIME. It's not even necessarily easier (cuz Monday I just threw a roast w/some veggies in the crockpot and then yesterday I made green chile stew out of the leftovers... way easier than driving to the restaraunt, deciding what fat induced food to order, and then eating it.)

Have a great day today. Put some more aloe on that sunburn & you'll be back to normal soon. Maybe at the gym you can just walk the treadmill or ride the bike, something that doesn't require a lot of arm swinging...

Today has been a bit of a roller coaster...

I woke up with a really bloated feeling and pain/cramping in my abdomen. Spent quite a bit of time in the restroom before I could even get in the shower. (TMI, I know, but that's the theme of this post today.)

Then I started out the day dealing with some car trouble, ran errands with my mom while I was waiting for it, ended up taking the car to a different mechanic for a 2nd opinion and magically, the problem disappeared and everyone has a different theory as to what's wrong with it. UGH!! As much as I am a car person, I hate dealing with car problems that involve random noises as part of the diagnostics. And of course, when you take it somewhere, you can't recreate the sound that you heard at home.

After quite a crazy day of running errands, feeling bloated, and having to run to the restroom on several occasions...I'm surprised that I managed to wash my car. I did try to take it easy for the rest of the night since Project Runway & Shear Genius were on. Dinner was simple and tasty but then the intestinal pain came back and man...I feel drained (no pun intended!).

So I'm left with debating on whether or not I should ride my motorcycle to work tomorrow or take the car. If I do take the bike, then I have to deal with being hot and having helmet hair. Or... I can chance take the car and hope no mysterious "bad mattress spring" noises come back.

I'm just glad to finally be in bed and hope that I'll be asleep soon and more recovered from the sun burn and the "issues" I had today.


August 20th, Wednesday
Breakfast: Meal replacement shake (230 cal)
Lunch: Free samples @ Costco (200 cal?)
Snack: 2 pieces of sourdough toast with "I can't believe it's not butter" (220 cal)
Dinner: Small bowl of Garden Veggie Soup, 4oz piece of Top Sirloin, and red potatoes (450 cal)
Dessert: 1/2 cup instant vanilla pudding (90 cal)

Total Calories: 1190

Blame the burrito! It's always prudent to blame the burrito!

Have you slathered your sunburn with aloe vera gel yet? Not only is cooling, but it's supposed to heal sunburns like crazy.

The soup recipe looks really good too, so thank you for that. I hope your tum feels better soon!

You look great in that picture, keep up the good work. Good luck!

Little bit of a rocky start this morning, but at least my sun burn isn't hurting anymore. It's now in that blistering/pre-peeling/oozey stage. Thankfully my bf sent me home with his aloe vera gel he got in Hawaii. I think that saved my life over the past 2 days. lol

I'm now stuck with a horrendous head ache that originated during work. Not sure what it was that caused it. I think I'll just blame the heat...

On a positive note, watched the movie "Lucky number Slevin". Awesome movie, but not for the faint at heart. Lots of violence but has such a great twist!


August 21st, Thursday
Breakfast: Meal replacement shake (230 cal)
Snack #1: Salad with tomato, mushrooms, carrots, and a few croutons with basil vinaigrette (about 120 cal)
Snack #2: Low Fat Yogurt (100 cal)
Lunch: Meal replacement shake (230 cal)
Dinner: Curry chicken and broccoli over rice (about 650 cal?)

Total calories: 1330

Chicken curry, one of my favorites. I love that movie too, such a cool twist, you don't see it comming either haha.

Dear crazygirl,

Based on your age, height, weight and activity level, your daily calorie need is about 2,300kcal. You are 1,400-1,700kcal/day, so your weight loss per week from this diet alone is about 1.3-2.0 pounds.

Here's are more tips to help you lose weight:

Tip #1 – Do not engage in moderate exercise. Your appetite will increase immediately after your exercise. You are not burning much fat, but burning your carbohydrates mostly. You are also building up muscles and muscles are 22% heavier.

TIp #2 – Do not engage in vigorous exercise. Your appetite will decrease immediately after, but will increase the next 3-5 days. You are burning 0% fat, and burning 100% carbohydrates!

Tip #3 – To burn those fats quickly, you should do light activity like walking, household chores, grocery shopping, carrying an infant, or even walking up stairs. Though light activity, you will lose 30-60% fat. Not bad!

Tip #4 – Drink sufficient water for your weight to reduce water retention and remove toxic waste. How much to drink? Drink half of your body weight (measured in pounds) in ounces. 1 glass is about 8 ounces. For you, you need about 12.5 glasses of water a day.

Tip #5 – Reduce your daily calorie intake. Every 500kcal you reduce a day will help you to lose 1.1 pounds or 0.5 kg a week. So have a diet plan that focus on food nutrition and regular meals. Cut down on fast food and snacks too. Fast food often contains de-natured meat, and the body treats them as plastic! Yucks!

Follow these 5 simple tips and you will be on your way to burn that fat and lose weight permanently, without any drugs or supplements! I am sure you will fit that dream bridesmaid dress of yours!

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Anson Teo believes in good health and seeks ever to find ways to improve his health and wellness. He has certificates in weight management as well as enzyme therapy, and regularly shares his knowledge on related health issues with family and friends. For more information about weight loss, visit his website (check his profile!)

Thanks so much ansonteo!

I've been trying to figure out what exercise routine I like and that I can stick with. I do want to build a little muscle but tone up for the most part and be fit. After starting this new lifestyle I've noticed that I eat a lot less, don't snack when bored, and drink a TON of water. I just keep refilling water bottles and have a few ready to go in my fridge. They don't leave my side.. lol Also, looking back in this diary, I've been eating about 1000-1300 cal on average. I'm pretty surprised as to how little calories can really fill you up. I just want to make sure I'm getting enough nutrients on daily basis. I would love to hear future comments from ya!