Week 8 report

The momentum was on hold temporarily while we had our winter doldrum vacation (ate too much) and the aftermath (didn't get to the gym enough). Paul has a virus at the moment and has felt too ill to exert himself. Quinn has a swollen tendon in her shoulder and the doctor has told her to lay off weight training for a month. She will be focusing on cardio. They both have run out of training packages, so they will be doing their own thing at the gym for a while. I have had a change myself. I quit my job last week, so will be slowing down my personal training sessions for a while, but hope to be back to Phoenix soon. My personal trainer, Debbie, has done some amazing work with me so far. I am feeling much stronger, my balance has improved and I look trimmer. My facial skin is starting to sag without the fat to swell the wrinkled out, I will have to do something to tone it up.

I saw my internist a few days ago and he agreed to try getting me to the low end of the TSH range. He cautioned me not to go past the range though, as it would cause damage. He also agreed to let me try natural meds, instead of Synthroid. It's called dessicated thyroid, derived from pigs' thyroid glands. He will monitor my blood results and dosages for the time being. I am relieved that he was open minded about this, even though he first suggested my symptoms indicated depression. I have suffered from depression in the past and I believe I can tell the difference (feeling pessimistic, hopeless and disagreeable) between clinical depression and hormonal imbalance (cold, tired, frustated, hopeful). He weighed me and between tuesday and thursday I dropped 7 pounds! My trainer says it looks like my body has finally realized that I was not going through a famine, so it shed some of the fat it was hoarding. My metabolic set point (like a thermostat) is lowering finally!

Now for the numbers:

Janet 284 (down 1 pound), Paul 255 (down 15 pounds), Quinn 215 (down 15 pounds)

Our plan for next week is to get back on track with our meals and portion control.

Somewhere between Lake Louise and Jasper
We saw some pretty dramatic vistas on our Family Day Weekend trip. We spent 3 nights at the Whistler's Inn, across from the historic Jasper train station. We completely went off our diets and enjoyed some local delicasies, like Banana Bread French Toast. I'll remember that taste for a while! Not to worry, though. I must have burned it off plus some the next day cross-country skiing. I am very proud of how I did my first time ever. I only fell once and no broken bones! 

2000 Calorie Plan for Paul

Breakfast, 500 calories

Whole Wheat Toast, 2 slices
Egg Whites, ¾ cup
Fruit Juice, ½ cup

OR

Oatmeal, 1 cup cooked
Hardboiled egg, 2
Fruit salad, ¾ cup

Snack, 200 calories

Yogurt, ¾ cup (175 g)
Granola, 2 Tbsp

Lunch, 450

Vegetables (cooked or raw), 3/4 cup
Meat (lean, no visible fat),3 oz (deck of cards)
Grain (cooked, rice or noodle OR tortilla wrap), ¾ cup

Snack, 200 calories

Fruit, ½ cup
Cheese strings, 2

Dinner, 450 calories

Grain (rice or noodle), 1 cup
Vegetables (cooked or raw), 1 cup
Meat (lean, cooked), 3-4 oz

Snack, 200 calories

Crackers (Simple Pleasures), 4
Milk (skim), ¾ cup

1800 Calories for Janet & Quinn

Breakfast, 400 calories

Whole Wheat Toast, 2 slices
Peanut Butter, 30mL (2 Tbsp)
Fruit,1 piece (1 cup)

OR

Oatmeal, 1 cup cooked
Hardboiled egg, 1
Fruit juice, ½ cup

Snack, 200 calories

Yogurt , ¾ cup (175 g)
Granola , 2 Tbsp

Lunch, 400 calories

Vegetables (cooked or raw), 125 mL (1/2 cup)
Meat (lean, no visible fat), 3 oz (deck of cards)
Grain (cooked, rice or noodle), ¾ cup

Snack, 200 calories

Fruit,½ cup
Cheese strings, 2

Dinner, 450 calories

Grain (rice or noodle), 1 cup
Vegetables (cooked or raw), 1 cup
Meat (lean, cooked),3-4 oz

Snack, 200 calories

Crackers (Simple Pleasures), 4
Milk (skim), ¾ cup