My Plan

I thought I'd give an overview of how I've been losing the weight thus far. Back in January, I had my metabolism tested at Target Metabolism. As I've mentioned before, my metabolism is high. This is partially due to my weight, but it is also higher than others who weigh the same as me. This is why I'd gotten stuck so many times in the past. I simply wasn't eating enough. This is a difficult concept to understand for many people who have tried to lose weight. Sometimes, your body isn't getting enough fuel, and it will hold onto every calorie it gets.

Anyway, when I started, my resting metabolic rate (RMR) was close to 3000 calories a day. This is what my body burns if I were to do nothing except sleep for 24 hours. Imagine that? That's almost a pound a day! Add in normal activity and exercise on top of that, and you're above a pound a day (before you eat, of course). They told me to start at 2500 calories a day. Target Metabolism weighs you in using the Bod Pod every two weeks. They are very focused on your fat:lean ratio and not as focused on the numbers. This is great, but I'll admit I still get hung up on those numbers. How can I not? Now, I kind of expected the weight to fly off the first two weeks, but it really didn't. I think I lost maybe 3 pounds in the first couple of weeks. I was admittedly not pleased with the results, but I felt I hadn't given it a fair chance yet. I think my body was just adjusting to everything, because it started to come off at a pretty steady pace after that. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

My metabolism was retested at the beginning of April, and I was told to take my daily intake down to 2400 calories a day. They give me a "danger zone" of 2200 calories (now-it will change later) that I am not to go below. So far, this is going well. I'm glad it wasn't a huge drop in calories yet. However, ask me again when in 75 pounds. I forgot to mention initially that I keep track of all of my calories and fitness minutes on Spark People. It's an amazing (FREE) site. Check it out!

So, what do I eat? During the week, I eat a balanced diet. I usually have 3 reasonable meals and 3 good snacks a day. I try my best to get in my fruits and veggies. Though I will admit I'm not always perfect at that. Some of my favorite snacks are strawberries, Fage 2% Greek yogurt with honey, almonds, and Clif Mojo Peanut Butter Pretzel bars (lots of protein!).

As for the weekends, I am usually busy, and I don't have enough time to get in my 3 meals and 3 snacks. I do, however, still track everything, and make sure I hit my calorie target. I also try to work out both days on the weekend. This is where I get to splurge once in awhile. It helps quite a bit! I'll have a reasonable breakfast (usually later in the morning), a bigger late lunch/early dinner, and maybe a snack later if I have the calories left.

All in all, I don't feel deprived at all. I think this will help me stick to it for the long haul. A lifestyle change, perhaps?

Trader Joe's Chicken Stir Fry

Yikes, I have been a bad little blogger this week. It's been fairly hectic at home and at work. I'll try to make it up to you by sharing a quick recipe. As you'll soon figure out, I LOVE Trader Joe's! There are so many easy things that you can make quickly and not blow your calorie budget. This recipe is super easy, and I make it nearly every week.

Trader Joe's Chicken Stir Fry

*I think I took this picture before I added in the sauce. It's like a thicker soy sauce, and very yummy!

Makes two VERY hefty servings

1 bag Trader Joe's Asian Vegetables with Beijing Style Soy Sauce (frozen)
10 ounces of Trader Joe's Grilled Chicken Strips (frozen)
1 bag Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice (frozen)
I usually add in at least part of a bag of additional stir fry vegetables (but I don't add in more sauce than what comes in the first bag). This is all depends on what you prefer.

1. Spray pan/wok with nonstick cooking spray and heat on medium. Add veggies.
2. While veggies are cooking, thaw chicken in the microwave (these are already cooked, and take about 8 minutes to thaw)
3. By the time the chicken is done, the veggies are close to finished. Add chicken to mixture.
4. Cut the corner of the rice bag, and microwave for 3 minutes
5. Add sauce to stir fry, and heat through.

Half of this recipe adds up to roughly 474 calories. When I have more calories left, I will add a Trader Joe's Chicken Egg Roll (140 calories). Yum, yum!