The Peekabu Challenge, Part 2: Giving Nutrish Zero Grain A Shot!

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Peekabu's new, healthy food: I picked up a few samples of Rachael Ray's Nutrish at FitBloggin. Peekie loves it. We start moving her off her current kibble to Nutrish Zero Grain this week.

Peekabu’s new, healthy food: I picked up a few samples of Rachael Ray’s Nutrish at FitBloggin. Peekie loves it. We start moving her off her current kibble to Nutrish Zero Grain tomorrow.

I’ve picked the new kibble for my diet buddy, Peekabu. Over the next week, I’m moving Peekie from her current kibble to Rachael Ray’s Nutrish Zero Grain.

Dog Food Advisor gave it 4 stars and I’ve read good reviews online. Plus I love that it has zero grains! Grains equals carbs, and that packs on the pounds.

Lucky for me Rachael Ray’s Nutrish line was a sponsor at FitBloggin. I stopped by the booth and picked up a few sample bags. The perfect size to see if Peekabu would eat it without the cost of buying a big bag first. She maybe a chow hound, but is picky about her kibble.

Turns out, she loves it. She tried to grab the bag out of my hand before I pulled out a few pieces as a treat.

My Dog Is Going Low-Carb
Like me, Peekabu is going low-carb in her quest to lose 15 pounds.

Granted the veggies used in Nutrish are high in carbs, but they are healthy veggies like sweet potatoes and peas.  We’d have to move her to a raw diet to get a true low-carb diet like the dogs of yore. But that’s a little too expensive for us.

She’s a dry kibble girl and I just need her to eat healthy. So Nutrish it is!

I’m picking up a bag today. Tomorrow I’ll start mixing her current kibble with the Nutrish for the next 7-10 days. After that she’ll be switched over. The good news with the switch is that she’ll actually eat less food than she is now.

Using Dog Food Advisor’s dog food calculator (FYI: takes time to load), she just needs 3.5 cups/day of Nutrish to maintain a healthy weight of 85 pounds. With her current food, she eats about 4.5 cups/day. So not only will she eat less, stay full longer and slim down, but I’ll save on buying dog food. Sweet!

Healthy and economical…mama likes!

Weekly Weigh In: I Lost A Stick Of Butter This Week!

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I dropped 0.25 pounds this week. Sure it's not as huge as last week's loss, but I'm down and that's what counts!

I dropped 0.25 pounds this week. Sure it’s not as huge as last week’s loss, but I’m down and that’s what counts!

After last week’s big loss of nearly 6 pounds, my weight loss slowed considerably this time around. I’m down 0.25 pounds. That’s one stick of butter, and I’ll gladly take it.

My grueling workouts this week killed my quads, glutes, triceps, adductors and shoulder muscles. That tells me my muscles are retaining water. Maybe my 0.25 pound loss is the tip of the iceberg. If I keep eating right, I’m expecting a nice weight loss next Saturday when I weigh in.

On The Road Again
The big eating challenge this week is my road trip to FitBloggin’14. I’m driving to Savannah — about a 9 hour drive (not including stops). So I’m planning out my strategy for avoiding fast food traps. While I’m hopeful FitBloggin’ will include healthy foods, I’m not going in wishing for the best. I’m putting together a food plan for the two-day conference.  More on that tomorrow. Read More

If You Can’t Stand The Heat (& Humidity), Shed Some Pounds

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After losing 100+ pounds, today's scorcher doesn't bother me. In fact I'm looking forward to my 1.5 mile run!

After losing 100+ pounds, today’s scorcher doesn’t bother me. In fact I’m looking forward to my 1.5 mile run!

I have to admit, I worried that once Virginia’s heat and humidity kicked into full swing, my walking and running would come to a complete stop. Sure I love summer, but I hate the oppressive humidity. What a difference dropping 100+ pounds makes.

The heat and humidity arrived two weeks ago, yet I’m spending the bulk of my time outside. For some reason the hot, sticky weather isn’t that big of a deal when I go for runs or walks. I’m also finding myself sitting on our back deck mid day reading a book and just enjoying the day. Sure I get sweaty, but I’m not fidgeting or dying to get back into our air-conditioned house.

What gives?

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Woohoo! Down 5.6 Pounds This Week

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I'm officially back on track with this week's 5.6 lbs. weight loss!

I’m officially back on track with this week’s 5.6 lbs. weight loss!

Hot dog! My diet is firing on all cylinders this week. I’ve recovered from that disastrous last two weeks in May. I’m down 5.6 pounds, putting my total weight loss at 112 pounds. That means I’m 13.2 pounds away from weighing 200 pounds, a number I haven’t seen since the end of my freshman year of college.

So the plan is to keep doing what I’ve done. Also I’ve noticed I’m drinking way more water than I was during the 7 pound gain. Clearly jazzing up my tap water is working. I just can’t get enough of that cucumber-mint flavor!

I set a goal of weighing 200 pounds by the end of May, but pushed it back to the end of June. Clearly I’m not going to lose 13 pounds in two weeks…not without starving myself (something I will not do). So rather than a specific date, I’m shooting for mid summer to weigh below 200 pounds.

 

 

Weekly Weigh-In: Down 1.2 Lbs

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After getting my eating back on track, I lost 1.2 pounds this week. Only 18.8 more pounds to go to finally hit the 200 mark!

After getting my eating back on track, I lost 1.2 pounds this week. Only 18.8 more pounds to go to finally hit the 200 mark!

Finally the scale is going in the right direction. I dropped 1.2 pounds. For some that may not seem like a lot, but that equals 4 sticks of butter. I’ll take that!

I know it’s only been a week, but I feel like I’m finally back on track. I closely followed my 5-step plan of attack. No wine or cheat meals this week. I stayed true to my weekly menu plan and made sure to go to my Weight Watchers meeting this morning.

As a result, my  diet and sleep were in sync this week. I stuck to 20-25g of carbs per day and I got in roughly 8 hours of sleep each night. My clothes felt looser, I had more energy and didn’t feel bloated after meals.

I just need to keep up this momentum and the 1.2 pound loss certainly gives me the boost to do just that. Read More

Which Weight Loss Road Are You On?

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The image on the left is how I use to think about weight loss. It was always an all or nothing proposition. And I failed every time. Over the last two years, I’m now focused on changing my lifestyle and not a number on the scale. The result? That number on the scale is getting smaller. Sure there are bumps in the road, but I know the journey is long and I’ve had enough success to know I’ll reach my final destination. The image on the right is way more accurate depiction of my weight loss journey.

success failureWhich road are you on?

Weekly Weigh-In: Up 7 Pounds; Back To Weight Loss Basics

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I gained 7 pounds over 2 weeks. Ugh! I'm getting back to basics with my weight loss program.

I gained 7 pounds over 2 weeks. Ugh! I’m getting back to basics with my weight loss program.

Holy crap! Well my cheat days caught up to me with abandon. Over the last couple of weeks I gained 7 pounds. Yes, 7 freakin’ pounds. Ugh! So that puts me at 220…again.

Frustration doesn’t even come close to describe how I feel. But I’m not going to dwell on it. I’m going to do something about it.

Getting Back To Basics
No matter how much I think I have this weight loss thing down I do something boneheaded that proves me wrong.

I’m getting back to basics and using my tried and true formula that helped me drop 100+ pounds. So what am I doing? Read More

Weekly Weigh-In: Down 1 Pound

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Even though I ate out too much this week, I still dropped a pound. I can feel the momentum building. Time to start cooking my own low-carb meals.

Even though I ate out too much this week, I still dropped a pound. I can feel the momentum building. Time to start cooking my low-carb meals.

Despite lots of eating out, I lost 1 pound this week. Yes, I dodged a bullet. I thought for sure I gained. Just goes to show you that predicting scale readings isn’t my bailiwick.

That puts my total weight loss at 112 pounds. But I need to do better if I want to reach my goal weight (140 lbs) by year’s end.

Lesson learned. This week nothing but homemade meals.

It’s a perfect day today (sunny and no frickin’ rain!) so that means it’s grilling time at our humble, little Love Shack. On the grilling menu today – hamburgers, pork tenderloin, chicken breasts and thighs, and steak. That gives us a nice selection of meats for the week.

I’m working on some simple rubs, sauces and marinades while the meat thaws. All low carb, naturally!

I plan to take a short run before the meat hits the grill. Yes, it is a perfect day.

May 3 Weigh-In: Down 3 Pounds

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Awesome! For the first time in weeks I feel back on track. This is what happens when you track your food!

Awesome! For the first time in weeks I feel back on track. This is what happens when you track your food!

After a week of successfully tracking my meals, my weight started moving in the right direction once again. I dropped 3 pounds this week. I do plan to celebrate…by going on a run.

I now weigh 214 pounds, for a total weight loss of 111 pounds. I did set a short-term goal to weigh 200 pounds by the end of May. I hoped to reach the 200-pound mark by the end of April, but thanks to a plateau, that didn’t happen.

So I pushed that short-term goal back to the end of May. It’s a tall order after the 5 pound gain over the last couple of weeks. I’ll need to lose an average of 3.5 pounds a week for that to happen. I’ll do my best, but I’m not going to starve myself.

Overall I have 74 more pounds to lose to reach my goal weight of 140 pounds. I think it’s realistic for me to reach goal by year’s end. Keeping my focus and not cutting corners with my good eating habits are key.

Weekly Weigh-In: Ugh! Up 2.5 Pounds

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I gained 2.5 pounds this week - the 2nd week of weight gain. My packing on the pounds coincides with my lack of tracking.

I gained 2.5 pounds this week – the 2nd week of weight gain. My packing on the pounds coincides with my lack of tracking.

The scale’s been cruel to me the last couple of weeks. I’ve put on 5 pounds since April 12. I’ve gone from 212 to 217. It isn’t all water weight as I previously thought. The big common denominator for the last 2 weeks is the lack of tracking.

For some reason I’m not consistently using My Fitness Pal’s food tracker. Looking back over the last 2 weeks, some days are partly tracked – a breakfast here, a lunch there. But most days are blank. Grrrrr!

It’s amazing how quickly a good habit can fall by the wayside. When I track, I lose weight. Period. If I don’t track, I can gain 5 pounds in two weeks. Like exercise, tracking keeps me focused on making better food choices.

OK, I pinpointed the problem and it’s time to fix it. I logged my breakfast, morning snack and lunch today. And I didn’t wait an hour after I ate. I recorded it immediately after. That’s more like it.

My mini goal is to track for a full day, so only two more meals (afternoon snack, dinner) to go today. It’s all about baby steps. I know if I focus on trying to track a full week, I’ll rebel and fail.

Nope…it’s meal-by-meal and day-by-day for me. That’s the best way for me to relearn this good food habit.