I hereby commit myself to daily postings here at No. Calories Needed.  For as long as the site has existed, I’ve never really given it - or my weight loss - proper respect.  But, now that school is almost back in session and our family will return to its normal schedule, I can devote more time to getting in shape - and more time to blogging about getting in shape.

I’ve also decided to use my nightly posts to plan my eating / exercise for the next day.  If I write things down, and put them on the blog, then they become ‘more real’.

Here’s my food plan for tomorrow, July 30th -

Breakfast - oatmeal and some strawberries

Snack - a few peanuts and some grapes

Lunch - grilled chicken, small potato, and some strawberries

Snack - peanut butter and an apple

Supper - grilled chicken, green beans, corn, and some grapes

There, that’s my list.  Now, all I have to do is follow my list and I’ll be fine.

Here’s my exercise plan for tomorrow, July 30 -

Morning - I’ll walk for 30 to 45 minutes

Evening - I’ll do crunches and push ups

Man, why didn’t I think about this before!  I’ve been fooling around with this site for a year and a half - and it just now dawned on me to do this.

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There are basically two kinds of thoughts - those that disect the past and those that imagine the future.  I struggle to forget.  So, when I eat the wrong thing or fail to exercise, I get depressed, and when I get depressed, I simply eat more and excercise (even less)!  I’m trying to LEARN how to forget.  Does that make any sense?

Take yesterday, for example.  I ate like I a madman.  Why?  Well, if I were a psychologist - and I’m not - I’d make the obvious connection between my high level of stress (due to the fact that my daughter is in the hospital and I’m trying to care for my other kids) and my lack of time (to prepare proper meals and to exercise).  I’ve been on the road for the better part of three days, back-and-forth to the babysitter’s, doctors’ appointments, and the hospital.  So, I’ve been eating junk.

Well, today I woke up, and instead of thinking - Hey, NCN, here’s your chance to start over, with a clean slate and an empty stomach - I thought - Hey, NCN, you are an idiot, you always overeat, so why not start the day with a big bowl of ice cream?!?

Yes, that’s how my mind works.

But, I resisted the urge to eat everything in the house, and I had a sensible breakfast.  I then spent some time in prayer and I really focused on MY FUTURE.  I need (want!!!) to be healthy - and if I’m ever going to move forward, I have to stop looking in the rear-view mirror!  Sure, I want to learn life’s lessons and I want to remember ‘where I’ve come from’, but I don’t want to get stuck in the past.

So, even though it’s been a week since I hit the treadmill and my emotions tell me that all my hard-work will be for naught, I’m shutting out the negative stuff, and I’m going to go for a nice, brisk walk.  And, I’m going to drink my water.  And, I’m going to have fruit and vegetables and chicken for supper.  And, I’m not going to think about the bag of chips (okay, two bags of chips) that I ate yesterday.

I’m going to become a positive, forward thinking dude…

In fact, I’m not even going to reread this post.  If there are errors, so be it. 

To the treadmill… and beyond!!!

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As I mentioned before, I’m creating a food budget.  As part of my plan to lose a pound a week, I need to establish my daily caloric intake.  (My goal is to find out just how many calories my body needs to maintain its current weight, and then eat 500 calories less than that, everyday, for an average deficit of 3500 calories a week, or one pound of weight loss.)

According to the -

FreeDieting Calculator - I need 2467 calories to maintain and 2000 to lose weight…

Cancer.Org Calculator - I need 3500 calories to maintain and 3000 to lose weight…

NutritionData Calculator - I need 3005 calories to maintain and 2505 to lose weight…

MayoClinic Calculator - I need 2500 calories to maintain and 2000 to lose weight…

FitWatch Calculator - I need 2750 calories to maintain and 2250 to lose weight…

As you can see, the numbers fluctuate according to which calculator you use.  I’m going to aim for 1800 - 2200 calories a day, but I’ll increase that a bit on days in which I engage in vigorous exercise.  I’m not going to starve myself - and I’m actually okay if I never lose another pound.  (Did I just write that?  Yes, the truth is, I’ve moderated my eating, I’m no longer gaining weight, I have lots of great friends, and I’m a pretty happy dude.  So, as the weight comes off, I’ll be thankful, but I’m no longer desperate.  Strangely enough, it was in making this connection between happiness and acceptance that I began to lose a few pounds and I stopped eating so much.  Fancy that!)

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