Day 18

Breakfast
5 pts - Bowl of Trader Joe's Organic Golden Flax Cereal with 1/2 cup of fat free milk and serving of Trader Joe's Dried Apricots
2 pts - Serving of Orange Juice

Lunch
2 pts - 1 boiled egg
0 pts - 1 coffee with sweetener
3 pts - 1 Smart Ones Double Fudge Cake

Dinner
5 pts - Michellina's Lean Gourmet Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
4 pts - 2 servings of Quacker Oats
2 pts - serving of various cut fruit
3 pts - 3 home-made wraps, each with 1/2 serving of 97% fat free ham, with traces of sauerkraut, and fat free, point free lavash bread
0 pts - 1 coffee with sweetener, to help me finish my Eng 610 Multicultural Literature paper tonight
Total Daily Points: 26 :)
Total Weekly Points Ballance: 35+2 pts exercise (100x push ups and pull ups)= 37 pts:)
I will return on Sunday, as I'll be away for a business/job-search trip - hopefully the food I'll eat will be healthy and within point limits - I'm starting to feel good again. :)

Day 17

3/29/2006
I've been enjoying the Spring Break today, mostly working on faxing resumes to various schools, checking out jobs and applying online through www.edjoin.org, playing with my son, watching movies, and being lazy.
This stress free day didn't push me to eat in a frenzy, but I think my focus on breakfast helped.

Breakfast/Lunch
1 pt - 1 coffee with sweetener and 1/3 cup of fat-free milk
4 pts - 1 Trader Joes Oatmeal Complete Maple & Brown Sugarwith 1/3 cup of fat free milk
2 pts - 1 Kashi Go Lean Hearty All Natural Instant Hot Cereal with Clusters and 1/3 cup water :)
2 pts - 1 serving various fruit pieces

Dinner
1 pt - 1/2 Kashi Go Lean Hearty All Natural Instant Hot Cereal with Clusters and 1/3 cup water
3 pts - 1 serving baked onion tater tots
3 pts - 1 vegetarian "Armenian pizza" Avo's Bakery Mediterranean Veggy Pizza (150 calories, 0g fat, 1g dietary fat)
2 pts - 1 home-made wrap with salad, mustard, and 1, 2 pts-97% fat free ham serving, 0 pts- Shushan Bakery No Fat-Lavash
2 pts - 1 demi tas du vin rouge
2 pts - 2 servings of Trader Joe's Dried Apricots (serving of 5 pieces, 90 calories, 0g fat, 3g dietary fiber)
2 pts - 1 serving/1/2 bag Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop 94% Fat Free Butter Pop Corn (120 calories/4g dietary fiber/2g fat)
2 pts - 1 serving oranges
Total Daily Points: 26
Total Weekly Points 35 - haven't used any yet, but haven't added to them with exercise either - if I do 10 minutes per day of heavy, sweat causing work out, I can gain 2 pts daily towards my weekly points. I feel full, but not nauseous like after the numerous buffalo wings I ate on Sunday and Monday.... :) Note: I must start exercising at least 10 minutes a day, full steam.

Day 16 - The Return

Today I started the diet again.
Here's what I ate:

Breakfast/Lunch
2 pts: 1 packet of Go Lean Hearty Honey and Cinnamon w/water in the microwave
0 pts: 1 coffee with sweetener
3 pts: English muffin with a little cream cheese
2 pts: Orange Juice
1 pt: 1 serving of VitaVigor Grissini Breadsticks www.vitavigor.com

Dinner
4 pts: Michelina's Shrimp Scampi
3 pts: 1 1/2 servings of Gewurztraminer, Vintage 2003 Fetzer
0 pts: various vegetables/no dressing

Oh my, I've eaten less than my regular diet days. It must be that rotten flesh of spicy buffalo 50+ wings still in my stomack that kept my hunger at bay.....
Today's Total: 15 pts
I should stay as close to my daily max as possible, and save the weekly points for dire emergencies... Tomorrow I start exercising....

I FELL OFF THE WEIGHTWATCHERS WAGON - My First and Last Time?

I lost it and fell off the diet on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The stress involved with working on my final discussion topics on my 1st class in the online English MA program I'm doing, coupled with my b-day party are some of my excuses..... I ate like a piglet - probably hundreds and hundreds of points each day....
Interestingly, I started off counting the points, and then just lost it. Also, after stuffing myself with maybe 60 buffalo wings (3 buffalo wings = 9 points), I reached a non-satisfying "full" status complete with nausea.... Today, 3/28 I weighed myself and noticed a 2-3 lb increase from the last time I was weighed, when I lost 8.6 lbs in 2 weeks of the diet.... I must continue dieting. I felt lighter and less bogged down by food then.....

Day 15

Stressful day - got through with CAHSEE testing of over 110 EL students, and started work on my final assignments due this week for my Multicultural Literature class, my 1st class of my 2nd MA voyage.... I was a bit hungry today, but used that nervous energy to get things done instead. Tomorrow will be more stressful, unless I get the class online discussion entries completed.....
Today's Diet:

Breakfast
3 pts: Trail Mix Fruit Mix Bar
0 pts: Coffee with sweetener
2 pts: Glass of OJ

Lunch
10 pts: 2 hotdogs w mustard and several carrot sticks

Dinner
1 pt: Instant Miso Soup - SeaWeed/Wakame
0 pts: Salad w carots/cauliflower/broccoli with lemon juice
4 pts: Michelina's Lean Gourmet: Salisbury Steak (got 10 for $10 from Albertson's)
3 pts - Chocolate Exlair

Total: 24 Pts -2pts from daily 26 pts :)
Weekly Points: 35 Pts -- I will need these points for Saturday - both my and Michael's B-Day party where we'll indulge in high point-value foods....

Day 14

SUCCESS - WeightWatchers Works - SUCCESS

I didn't think it would be possible, but believe it or not, I've lost 8.6 lbs in my first two weeks of WeighWatchers, and I didn't even start an exercise regime yet. The points-counting and the diet-watching made me more conscious of what I'm eating. The fact I created this blog made me a bit more accountable for my actions, as the blog is a mirror that I can always be able to look back at and reflect what I've done. My colleagues who have visited this blog and have cheered me on have also been an important part of my success. Last, but not least, I want to thank Vali, my wife, for sticking with me even when the going got tough. I hope to reap more success in the weeks to come.

Today's Food Intake

Breakfast
0 pts - Coffee with sweetener
3 pts - Quaker Oats with 1/2 cup of fat-free milk

Lunch
6 pts - Smart Ones Three Cheese & Italian Style Meatball Smartwich
2 pts - Jello Fat Free Tapioca Pudding Snack
1 pts - Rice Cakes

Dinner
5 pts - 1 serving of fish sticks
5 pts - Smart Ones Tuna Noodle Gratin
1 pt - Instant Miso Soup - Spinach
1 pt - Rice Cakes
2 pts - Serving of fresh Strawberies

Total: 26 pts :)
Total Weekly Points Left: 35 pts
Tomorrow I start fresh, with 35 weekly points and 26 daily points, but I'll start exercising, which, depending on type, time, and difficulty of exercise, will add extra points to my weekly total.

Day 13

Ahh, the day after my b-day. I'm now "63" and a day old.... argh....
My students actually surprised me with a birthday party today. I couldn't believe it and I didn't think my students cared enough to go through the trouble. They brought Central American dishes, fruit, chips, soda, ice cream, flan, and a delicious tres-leches cake. Funny, but I was actually counting points in my head as I was looking at the many delicious delights they brought. So, I fell pray and ate a slice of cake, some ice cream, and a cup of coca cola.... :) Can you blame me? The problem wasn't the cake, but the appetite that came at dinner.....

Morning
3 pts: Quaker Oats InstaMeal with 1/2 cup fat-free milk
4 pts: 2, 8oz bottles of Orange Juice
(yes, no coffee today - ran out of coffee pods for the Mr.Coffee)

Afternoon:
12 points: 1 medium slice of cake
4 points: 1 small serving of orange juice
3 pts pts: 8 oz of soda

Early Dinner
1 pts - 1 serving of rice thins
4 pts - 1 serving of tilapia baked fish
4 pts - 1 serving of brown rice
Mid Dinner
4 pts - Smart Ones Spicy Szechuan Style Vegetables & Chicken
"Last Supper"
8 pts - 2 servings of tilapia baked fish
4 pts - 1 serving of brown rice

Unfreakin' believable - a very bad first 48 points today.... never sunk so low - maybe it's the curse of the 13th day...
26 daily allowance - way past that by 22 pts
26 weekly bonus points left over -22 points= 4 pts left.... well, what do you know :)
Tomorrow is my first weigh in, since I missed last week's ..... Wish me luck but I don't think it'll be good - I need to begin daily exercise soon...

Day 12

It's my B-Day and I'm feelin' old. Beatrice tells me not to think about a convertible, a roadster, or a coupe sports car, but a minivan or station wagon which is more for my age and family standing..... I guess my food intake reflects my mood today, though I'm still countin' and watchin' (after the fact, but still watchin' :) them points) Leftover pepperoni pizza from yesterday is still readily available in the fridge, but I haven't fallen prey yet. It's good to see it, especially as I remember the 5 slices I had on Tuesday. :)

Late Breakfast
0 pts - coffee w sweetener
2 pts - Quaker Instant Oatmeal
16 pts - 10 pts --2 plain bagels with 6 pts -- 1 1/2 servings of Appa Salmon Roulade (as an alternative to the regular lox bagels and cream cheese that usually are 12 pts per bagel)
check out www.appafinefoods.com

Lunch
2 pts 1 fresh cut fruit bowl (small)
1 pt - 1 serving of rice cake thins

Dinner
1 pt - 1 serving of Wakame Seaweed Instant Miso Soup
3 pts - Smart Ones Sirloin Beef & Asian Style Vegetables
3 pts - Smart Ones Chocolate Eclair
3 pts - Quaker Instant Oatmeal with 1/2 cup fat free milk

Total Pts Today: 30 4 pts overlimit
Weekly Points 30-4= 26 points left....
Hey, considering today was my birthday and I had completed a bunch of assignments for my online MA in English class, I think I did fairly well. Especially, as I have not touched any of the leftover pizza.... :)

Day 11

Today (Saturday 3/18) was the teacher job fair day in Long Beach - a bit of stress involved, coupled together with waking up in a hotelroom and returning home at 9PM, it can explain why the diet wasn't as usual. Still, I've worked on self restraint in the dietary arena. :) Imagine that we revisited the same Pizza Hut restaurant of last Tuesday, where we purchased 2 medium pizzas, and I ate only 1 slice, while focussing on the salads....

Breakfast
0 pts - coffee, no creamer, sweetener
2 pts - Quaker Oatmeal

Lunch
8 pts - Wasabi Rice Crackers (4 servings in the car)

Dinner
14 pts - 6 pts. 1 slice pizza at Pizza Hut and 8 pts. 2 mixed green salad bar visits with regular italian dressing
2 pts - 1 serving fresh strawberries
Total Points - 26 pts -- :)

Day 10

Today was another day on the road, but attempted more self-control in my dietary intake.

Breakfast
2 pts - Quaker Oatmeal
0 pts - Coffee w. sweetener

Lunch
6 pts - Smart Ones Lasagna Florentine
http://www.smartones.com/products/product_results.aspx?Prod_ID=48
Late Lunch
4 pts - Slow Roasted Turkey Breast
http://www.smartones.com/products/product_results.aspx?Prod_ID=7
3 pts - Smart Ones Chocolate Eclair
http://www.smartones.com/products/product_results.aspx?Prod_ID=68
1 pt: 1 Fuji Apple
4 pts: 2 servings of Trader Joe's Wasabi Rice Crackers

Dinner @ Chilli's in Irvine, CA
I looked for the healthy food menu and found the "guiltless" section which lists calories/fat/fiber/etc...
11 pts: Guiltless Chicken Platter
http://www.chilis.com/menu/default.asp?catID=7&tierID=10&Unit_ID=001%2E005%2E0440&menuType=Dine+In


Total Points: 31
Daily Allowance 26 --- went 5 pts overboard which I'll take out of the weekly allowance
Weekly Allowance 35-5= 30 pts left

Day 9

Breakfast
2 pts- Quaker Oatmeal
0 pts – Coffee w. sweetener

Lunch
6 pts – Smart Ones Smartwich (yes, haha, it is Pizza flavor – call me a masochist)

Dinner
4 pts – Smart Ones Bistro Style Roast Beef
3 pts – 1 serving of OreIda Tatertots (9 pieces)
3 pts – Smart Ones Éclair
1 pt - serving of thin rice cakes
1 pt - Fuji Apple
3 pts - Low Fat Plain Yogurt
2 pts - Rice Crackers
1 pt - Instant Miso Soup

Total : 26 pts :) Haven't yet used my weekly points, but we'll see - tomorrow we'll be away again, so hopefully points won't add up too much - I'll write about it on Saturday. One thing for sure, no burgers NOR pizza :)

Day 8

This is my 2nd week, so I start fresh.....

I still seem to have a problem balancing out the meals, with more in the morning, and less in the evening as well as getting the 5-a-day fruits and veggies.

Breakfast
2 pts - Quaker Oatmeal
0 pts - Coffee with sweetener
3 pts - Trail Mix Fruit and Nut Bar


Lunch
6 pts - Peperoni Pizza Smartwich --- haha, pizza.... day 7, get it?
3 pts - Trail Mix Fruit and Nut bar

Dinner
3 pts - Smart Ones Shrimp Marinara
1 pt - Miko Brand Instant Miso soup with wakame seaweed
1 pt - Blooms No Salt Thins Rice Cakes
3 pts - Smart Ones Double Fudge Cake
1 pt - 1 fuji apple
2 pts - herring snacks

Total Points: 25
Points per day 26
How I'm doing point wise: -1... my first minus - wow

Day 7

My diet today was affected by my trip to a job interview about 130 miles away. I failed to eat a healthy breakfast in the morning, but made it up at lunch. Thus, my lunch and dinner became dinner, but it sure wasn't a healthy one....
I missed the weigh in today due to my interview, but next Tuesday I should find out --- to be on track, I should have lost 5 lbs by next Tuesday.... I'm not sure I'll get there by then....

My Diet Today

Morning (actually 12 pm)
0 pts: 1 coffee with Sweet'n Low
2 pts: 1 serving of Quaker Instant Oatmeal with Raisin, Date and Walnut and Boiling Water :)
6 pts: 2 Trail Mix Fruit and Nut Bars
6 pts: Weight Watchers Smartwich
Dinner
30 pts --- 5 slices Pizza Hut Pizza oh my - WHAAAAAAAAT? 30 pts? (pulling hair)
2 pts: 1 serving orange juice
Today's Total: 46 pts.... This is bad.... this is very bad........

Day 6

Morning:
0 pts: 1 coffee, no milk, with no sugar, just Equal sweetener
5 pts: 1 Sara Lee Plain Bagel1 pt: 1 single serving Philadelphia Fat Free, Plain Cream Cheese
5 pts: 1 cup fat free milk, 1 single serving Honey Nut Cheerios
Afternoon:
5 pts: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Sweedish Meatballs
http://www.eatyourbest.com/products/product_results.aspx?Prod_ID=60
1 pt: 1 Fuji Apple

Evening:
3 pts: Herring pickled
2 pts: Quaker Oatmeal with boiling water - Raisin, Date, Walnut
3 pts: Costco Rice Crackers

24 pts total :)

Day 5

Maybe it's the return from a somewhat stressful, 600 mile trip, but today I ate like there's no tomorrow. I don't know, but my appetite was huge and I had little or no self control.
I'll return to this post within a couple of days to tally up the points and try to estimate point values.... I need to start exercising...

Sunday
Breakfast
2 pts --- Quaker Instant Oatmeal with Real, Raisin, Date & Walnut w/ hot boiling water (pretty delicious actually - MY FIRST EVER TASTING OF OATMEAL)
2 pts: 1, 8oz single serving bottle of Minute Maid Premium Orange Juice
0 pts: 1 coffee, no milk, with no sugar, just Equal sweetener
Lunch
5 pts: WeightWatchers’ Smart Ones: Lasagna Bolognese
http://www.eatyourbest.com/products/product_results.aspx?Prod_ID=47
5 pts: 4 servings of Wasabi Peas
2 pts: 1/2 apple, 1/2 orange, 1/2 peach
6 pts: 4 non-dairy chocolate swirl cookies
Dinner
8 pts: 1 serving of tilapia fish and steamed white rice

Total: 30 pts

Day 4

With my participation at two different job fairs in two different cities, today was again not a great day to be watchful of counting Weight Watchers points. I should have purchased the Eating Out book they're selling at the meetings - next time.
Again, there are still some foods I wasn't able to get point values for, so I'll be back to this post as soon as I get some estimates of the point values. You'd be proud of me though - at dinner, I did forego the hamburger, steak, or ribs, and got instead a delicious salad. :) I took a picture of it with my cell phone and will post it soon. :)

Saturday
Morning:
0 pts: 3 coffees with Equal sweeteners
16 pts: Denny’s Grand Slam breakfast (2 scrambled eggs -- 5pts, 2 bacon -- 3pts, 2 sausages-- 6pts, 1 english muffin--2)

Afternoon
1 point: 1 regular size fuji apple
1 point - 1 dairy-free, chocolate swirl mini-cookie

Evening
9 pts -- Marie Calenders “Kickin’ Buffalo Chicken” Salad
4 pts -- 3 oz chicken bbq roast (left over from wife’s dinner)

Total Points: 37

Day 3

Today was the first day I didn't have control over what I eat, as I spend most of it driving, and arrived to a hotel room without a microwave or refrigerator later at night. As you can imagine, the carefully organized regimen that I envisioned to take earlier this week went to heck. I'm listing here what I ate, but as I do more research and find point values, I'll return to this post and add more information.
One thing I wanted to say though. We stopped over for lunch at a Jack in The Box. I stopped short of ordering my own burger after I obtained a nutrition information sheet. I was amazed to see that one hamburger they were currently advertising was almost 1000 calories, and had 78 grams of fat....
Friday
Morning:
0 pts: 1 coffee, no milk, with no sugar, just Equal sweetener
5 pts: 1 cup fat free milk, 1 single serving Honey Nut Cheerios
2 pts: 1, 8 oz single serving bottle of Minute maid Premium Orange Juice

Afternoon:
4 pts: Weight Watchers Chicken Oriental
http://www.eatyourbest.com/products/product_results.aspx?Prod_ID=41
2 pts: 1, 8oz single serving bottle of Minute Maid Premium Orange Juice
1 pt: 1 regular size Fuji apple
6 pts: 1 serving French Fries from Jack in the Box
3 pts: ¼ Chicken Burger from Jack in the Box (left over from wife’s lunch)
3 pts: 1 serving of Costco’s Rice Crackers with Nuts

Evening
4 pts: 1, 16 oz Orange Juice
1 pt pts: Denny’s Chicken Noodle Soup (yuk – too fat and tasteless – had 5 sips)
3 pts: 2 oz of Denny’s beef steak (left over from wife’s dinner)

Total Points: 34

Day 2

I RESIZE ME 30 LBS IN 3 MONTHS OR BUST – DAY 2
Thursday, March 9th, 2006
Today’s Diet:

Notes: It definitely helped to have a bigger breakfast. I was less antsy and irritable during the day, but, if you ask my wife, I got a bit obnoxious at around 7pm.
Tomorrow I will be unable to write on the log - I'm taking my family to San Diego, as I'm going to a teacher job fair there first thing in the morning on Saturday, as well as to another job fair in Lake Elsinore in the afternoon. It will be interesting to see how many points rack up tomorrow and the next day, knowing I'll be on the road so long.
Some wisdom I've gained today -- when they say to slow down when you eat, they're not kidding - much easier to savor food and truly enjoy the taste. Smart Ones food is pretty delicious actually. Also, it's important to have a hearty breakfast - I am beginning to understand that now. Besides the vegetables in the entrees, I need to eat more salads/fresh vegetables/fresh fruit....

Morning:
0 pts: 1 coffee, no milk, with no sugar, just Equal sweetener
5 pts: 1 Sara Lee Plain Bagel
1 pt: 1 single serving Philadelphia Fat Free, Plain Cream Cheese
5 pts: 1 cup fat free milk, 1 single serving Honey Nut Cheerios

Afternoon:
5 pts: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Roast Beef with Gravy
(http://www.eatyourbest.com/products/product_results.aspx?Prod_ID=4 )
2 pts: 1, 8oz single serving bottle of Minute Maid Premium Calcium + D
2 pts: 1 large Fuji Apple
2 pts: 1 toasted slice of Sara Lee Heart Healthy Multi Grain Bakery Bread


Evening:
4 pts: 3 servings of Trader Joe's Wasabi Peas
3 pts: Weight Watchers Smart Ones, Truth about Carbs- Beeft Pot Roast (with mushrooms, cauliflower, green beans, carrots & gravy) not found on www.eatyourbest.com
3 pts: 1 serving of Weight Watchers Smart Ones, Double Fudge Cake with milk chocolate fudge sauce and chocolate curls
http://www.eatyourbest.com/products/product_results.aspx?Prod_ID=70


Daily Points Target: 26
I consumed: 32
I went over by 6 points, which I’ll take out of the 34 points credit for the week (28 pts left from credit)

Day 1

I RESIZE ME 30 LBS IN 3 MONTHS OR BUST – DAY 1
Wednesday, March 8th, 2006 Today’s Diet:

Hmm, it's been an interesting day, but pulled through fairly decently.
Either the non sugar contents of my coffee and yogurt made me crave more food, or the fact I realized I was finally getting started on a diet got me antsy, irritable, and hungry today. When I got home from school, I craved, like a pregnant woman, for certain specific things. I didn't have the Pointsfinder with me, left it at work, and after eating, I rushed to work, picked it up, only to find out it was quite a costly 2 slices of bread with spread points wise.... I'm noticing that I eat a lot more at night - tomorrow, I'll try to spread out the eating more in the morning and afternoon and add more fresh fruits and vegetables in my diet.

Oh, before I forget. My weigh in on 3/7/06 was 207.8.
Here's the complete diet for today:

Morning:
0 pts: 1 coffee, no milk, with no sugar, just Equal sweetener
5 pts: 1 cup fat free milk, 1 single serving Honey Nut Cheerios

Afternoon:
4 pts: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Southwestern Style Chicken Bowl
( http://www.eatyourbest.com/products/product_results.aspx?Prod_ID=29 )
2 pts: 1, 8oz single serving bottle of Minute Maid Premium Calcium + D
1 pt: 1, 4oz single serving of Dannon Light ‘n Fit with Fiber Nonfat Yogurt

Evening:
2 pts: 1 serving of herring in wine sauce
3 pts: 1 serving of caviar spread on one slice of bread
1 pt: 1 serving of fat-free Philadelphia cheese spread (on one slice of bread)
4 pts: 2 slices of Sara Lee Heart Healthy Multi Grain Bakery Bread
2 pts: 1 large Fuji apple
3 pts: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Sirloin Beef & Asian Style Vegetables
http://www.eatyourbest.com/products/product_results.aspx?Prod_ID=78#

As for liquid intake, I drank 3, 16 oz bottles of Sparklets.

Daily Points Target: 26
I consumed: 27
I went over by 1 point, which I’ll take out of the 35 points credit for the week (34 pts left from credit)

A 3 Month Journey To Weight Loss: From "Super Size Me" to "I Resize Me"

Hi, I'm Elvis,
My goal is to lose 30 pounds in 3 months. This is roughly about 15% of my weight. It's my first attempt at weight loss, but I feel I need to do this for my health. I'm almost 36, and my high blood pressure, cholesterol level, and trigliceride blood levels are a constant nagging reminder that I'm following in the footsteps of both my parents, who have passed away in their early 50s due to bad health. Now that I have my own family I increasingly yearn to spend more time with, I feel I need to better my health both by starting to exercise regularly, and by losing weight. I've shelled out almost $150 to join a 3-month "Weight Watchers" group and today was the first official meeting. Tonight I purchased over $80 in diet or health conscious food - another absolute first. Each day from now on I'll list the food and amounts I eat as well as my identified point values. On this blog and nowhere else, I'll keep regular updates on my exercise routine as well as my weekly weigh-in results. Wish me luck and please don't hesitate to add your comments. Who knows, maybe we can help eachother succeed....
More details tomorrow, Day 1....