Half Assed Fitness

Did you know that raw spinach and cooked spinach have very different nutritional profiles?

According to Vegetarian Times:

Raw Spinach Benefits: [Raw spinach] is rich in many essential nutrients, some of which are more available to our bodies when we consume them raw. These nutrients include folate, vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin, and potassium.
Cooked Spinach Benefits: When you eat spinach that has been heated, you will absorb higher levels of vitamins A and E, protein, fiber, zinc, thiamin, calcium, and iron. Important carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, also become more absorbable.

Getting a mix of both in your diet is a great way to keep variety in your life and increase your overall nutrition levels.

As an added #lchf bonus, you will get the extra benefit of a higher fat content (and deliciousness!) when cooking your spinach in butter.

I've taken to cooking most of my greens fried in butter with garlic and onions. So yummy!

Exercise: 30 minute hike with the dogs -150 calories

Breakfast:
1 lg. banana 110 calories
16 whole wheat Wheat Thins 150

Snack:
1 slice garlic cheese bread 380 calories

Lunch:
1/2 pita sandwich w/ tempeh, tomato, sprouts, celery, nayonaise 257 calories

Snack:
8oz. virgin mary 48 calories

Dinner:
25 whole wheat Wheat Thins 234 calories
2oz colby jack cheese 220

Dessert:
4 sheets graham cracker 240 calories
3 tbsp. whipped cream cheese frosting 165

Water:
20oz

Net calories for the day: 1654 (181 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
I totally forgot to drink water today. Bad, bad, bad.

Exercise: not today

Breakfast:
1 slice pumpkin bread 180 calories

Snack:
1 slice pumpkin bread 180 calories

Lunch:
1 slice pumpkin bread 180 calories
1 large banana 110

Dinner:
1 slice garlic cheese bread 380 calories

Snack:
1 Twix bar 289 calories
16 Whole wheat Wheat Thins 150 calories
2 oz colby jack cheese 240

Water:
24oz

Net calories for the day: 1799 (36 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
Wow, this was pretty much a health disaster day. I stayed under calorie which means I won't gain any weight but pretty much all I ate all day was bread. Fortunately pumpkin bread has quite a few vitamins but still. I need to quit this. My weekends are a little too unstructured it seems.

Exercise: 30 minute walk -120 calories

Breakfast:
1 slice garlic cheese bread 570 calories

Snack:
1 slice pumpkin bread 180 calories

Lunch:
16 kettle corn rice snacks 120 calories
1 grande cafe' latte 160

Snack:
16 kettle corn rice snacks 120 calories

Dinner:
3 vegetarian tacos 510 calories

Snack:
16 kettle corn rice snacks 120

Water:
32oz

Net calories for the day: 1660 (175 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
I spent some time working in the yard today and cleaning out the shed. This could count towards my exercise goals but as I've mentioned before, I only count actual exercise. Underestimate exercise calories, over estimate food calories. It's kind of like rounding dollar amounts in your checkbook.

I have to admit, I'm looking forward to end of this 30 day trial. I'm not seeing any major improvements or benefits. I think I just wasn't eating enough meat to begin with to make it a huge deal. The reason I'll be glad it's over is just so I don't have to put in the extra effort to find of make something vegetarian.

I am brewing up my next 30 day challenge though.....

Exercise: not today

Breakfast:
1 pkt. instant oatmeal triple berry organic 160 calories
1 lg. banana 120

Lunch:
grilled cheese sandwich 480 calories
pumpkin cake 645

Dinner:
12 spinach raviolis 686 calories
french fries (snacked off the boyfriends plate) 115

Water:
48oz

Net calories for the day: 2206 (371 over goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
Uneventful day. I made it through the week at work though....I wanted to skip 4 out of 5 days this week. I maintained my weight this week, no gain, no loss; just what I was going for.

Exercise: not today (now I'm just being a slacker)

Breakfast:
1 lg. banana 110
1 peach Yoplait yogurt light 100

Snack:
1 pkt. apples and cinnamon instant oatmeal 190

Lunch:
15.2 oz Odwalla Soymilk Drink Super Protein Chocolate 323

Snack:
16 kettle corn rice snacks 120

Dinner:
1.2 c. macaroni and cheese w/ Yves good ground 636
1 Hansen's diet soda tangerine lime 0

Snack:
16 kettle corn rice snacks 120

Water:
48oz

Net calories for the day: 1609 ( 226 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
I have been dragging butt lately. My energy level is sooo low.

Exercise: not today (I wasn't feeling well this morning)

Breakfast:
1 large banana 110
Egg and cheese bagel 480

Lunch:
1 c. basamati rice 241
1. c stir fried veggies 278

Dinner:
3 bread sticks 369
2 slices veggie pizza 680

Dessert:
Chocolate lava cake 295

Water:
48oz

Net calories for the day: 2453 (Wowee wow wow!)
I usually try to avoid pizza because it's so full of calories. I probably underestimated too.

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
Oddly enough I had a craving today. This surprises me for two reasons....one is because it's been over two weeks and this is the first craving I've had and two, it was for sushi. I love sushi but I wouldn't have expected it to be my craving during this vegetarian trial, especially since I rarely eat it.

I'm not really seeing any big reason to keep up the vegetarian thing after the 30 days. In fact, I've been less healthy during this last 17 days than I was before. I don't think it's just that I'm paying more attention.

Exercise: not today (see notes below)

Breakfast:
Banana soy smoothie 440 calories

Snack:
1 Gala apple 80 calories

Lunch:
6" Subway veggie sandwich on wheat w/ cheddar cheese and honey mustard sauce 320 calories

Snack:
16oz nonfat mocha 220 calories

Dinner:
1 c. basamati rice 241 calories
1 c. stir fried vegetables 278
1 Hansen's diet soda tangerine lime 0

Dessert:
1 spice cake cupcake w/ whipped cream cheese frosting 250 calories

Water:
48oz

Net calories for the day: 1829 (6 calories under)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
I decided it would be best if I didn't go to the gym today because my knee hurt so bad. It was apparently a good decision as it is no longer throbbing or hurting like it was so I will go tomorrow and see how it goes. No running though. That's the only thing I've been doing differently since it started hurting so I'm not going to run and we'll see what happens.

This was my most nutritious, healthy day so far.....now if I could just eat like this every day.

Exercise: not today

Breakfast:
1 packet oats and flax organic oatmeal 200

Snack:
1 lg banana 110
1 Yoplait yogurt light 100

Lunch:
Pita sandwich w/ sprouts, tomato, black olives, hummus and avocado 312 calories
1 Hansen's diet soda black cherry 0

Dinner:
3 Avocado tacos 453 calories
1 Hansen's diet soda tangerine lime 0

Dessert:
2 spice cake cupcakes w/ whipped cream cheese frosting 449

Water:
32oz

Net calories for the day: 1624 (211 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
Not enough water today. I voted today!

I have no idea what I did to my knee but it hurts! All the time now. Before I went on vacation in September, I had it checked out. It never hurt before, it just made this crunching noise. I was going on a two week hiking, biking, sea-kayaking trip in Peru and didn't want anything bad to happen, so I had it looked at. No big deal, slight cartilage wear he said. Take some glucosamine and don't worry about it.

Well now as of the last few weeks, it friggen hurts almost all the time and sometimes to the point of tears! The only thing I've done differently is run a couple of times. Only two or three times and only 10 minutes max and the last time was two weeks ago. It didn't hurt when I ran, I can't imagine my form is THAT bad.

I've made an appointment with my orthopedic doctor but I can't get in until December 12th! I may have to try and see someone else. I have never experienced pain like this.

Exercise: not today

Breakfast:
1 pc toast 80 calories
1 tbsp. peanut butter 95
1/2 tbsp raspberry jam 20

Snack:
2 spice cupcakes w/ whipped cream cheese frosting 449 calories
1 Hansen's Diet Soda Black Cherry 0

Dinner:
Pita sandwich with tomatoes, sprouts, black olives, hummus and avocado 264 calories

Snack:
18 Ruffles Potato Chips 240 calories
2 1/2 tbsp french onion dip 62
3 cubes brie cheese 171
1 Hansen's Diet Soda Black Cherry 0

Dessert:
1 Haagen Dazs Raspberry Sorbet & Vanilla Yogurt bar 90 calories

Water:
48oz

Net calories for the day: 1471 (364 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
The weekends are for snacking. This is a pretty unhealthy looking day. I'm under calorie but there's not a lot of nutrition here.

Exercise: 60 minute hike with the dogs -300

Breakfast:
Pita sandwich with tomatoes, sprouts, black olives, hummus and avacado 323 calories

Snack:
1.5 Twix candy bar 434 calories

Lunch:
1/2 c. red beans and rice 90 calories
1 Hansen's Diet Black Cherry soda 0

Snack:
1 cupcake 180 calories

Dinner:
1 container Micheal Angelo's Vegetable lasagna 345

Dessert:
1 Haagen Dazs Raspberry Sorbet & Vanilla Yogurt bar 90 calories

Water:
48oz **updated**

Net calories for the day: 1162 (673 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
I'm not quite as tired today but it's the weekend and I slept in so...
I'm still not sure I'm getting anything overly exceptional out of this vegetarian trial. I think the small amount of meat I was eating previously was keeping me from having anemia. So far I would say there are probably other changes I could focus on that would be better for me and offer more benefits than the vegetarian diet is.
I will stick it out for the 30 days...you never know, maybe something exciting or profound will happen before then.

Exercise: 30 minutes of Yoga -120

Breakfast:
1 pc. Pumpkin pie 310 calories

Snack:
1 Gala apple 80 calories
4 okra pods 20

Lunch:
Seeds of Change Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles 350
1 Haagen Dazs Raspberry Sorbet & Vanilla Yogurt bar 90
1 Hansen's Diet Black Cherry Soda 0

Snack:
16oz Tazo Chai Tea Latte w/ Nonfat Milk 230

Dinner:
1c. Red Beans & Rice 180 calories
1 Hansen's Diet Soda ~ Tangerine Lime 0

Water:
64oz

Net calories for the day: 1429 (406 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
I'm thinking I may be anemic. I'm super tired, having light headaches, I've been really cold lately, I can't warm up for nothing; these are signs of anemia. I've looked back through the last weeks Food Diary reports and my iron consumption is well below the recommended levels. I'm going to try to focus on iron rich foods. A supplement may help too.
I must fix it, it's interfering with my blogging! I'm too tired to stay up and post!

Exercise: Not today

Breakfast:
1 pc. Pumpkin pie 310 calories

Snack:
1 Yoplait Yogurt Light Strawberry 100 calories

Lunch:
16oz Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino Light 180 calories
6" Veggie sandwich with extra cheese 560

Snack:
1 Haagen Dazs raspberry Sorbet & Vanilla Yogurt Bar 90 calories

Dinner:
15.2oz Odwalla Super Protein Chocolate Soymilk 323 calories

Water:
48oz

Net calories for the day: 1563 (273 under)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
I ate lunch kind of late today so I wasn't very hungry at dinner. Now I'm exhausted; I'm going to bed early.

Exercise:
20 minutes stationary bike moderate exertion -131 calories
20 minutes weight training -65
Total calories burned: -196

Breakfast:
1 pc. Pumpkin pie 310 calories

Snack:
1.5 c. cherry tomatoes 60
1 snack size Hershey's chocolate bar 76

Lunch:
2 slices Eating Right multi grain bread 160 calories
1/3 pkg. Yves meatless ground 119
1/4 c. Hunts Tomato Sauce ~ Basil, Garlic & Oregano 15

Snack:
16oz Caffè Mocha ~ w/ Nonfat Milk 220 calories

Dinner:
1/3 order Brie en Croute (cheese in puff pastry) 482 calories
small Caesar salad 400
dinner roll 110

Water:
48oz

Net calories for the day: 1756 (80 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
My weight did not change this week.

Not getting enough fruits and vegetables; I will be going shopping tomorrow to get some healthy food in the house so I'll quit eating out. There is a lot of sodium in restaurant food!
I'm going to start taking a Calcium supplement, I'm obviously not getting anywhere near enough.

Exercise: not today

Breakfast:
1 pc. Pumpkin pie 310 calories

Lunch:
1 Taco Johns bean burrito 380 calories
1 Taco Johns cheese quesadilla 480

Dinner:
1/2 box Kraft Mac & Cheese (made with 2 tbsp light sour cream instead of butter and milk) 456 calories
1/2 package Yves meatless ground 180
1/2 c. of Hunts tomato sauce 30

Water:
32oz

Net calories for the day: 1836 (1 calorie over goal!!!)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:


Notes/observations for the day:
Wow! Look at that sodium! Yikes. Not my best day nutritionally, but still made my calorie goal. (I'm pretty sure I burned that one calorie by blogging!)

I have had a couple of "why bother moments" when searching for something to eat, trying to find something quick AND vegetarian (hence the high calorie lunch)......the problem is I need to go shopping and get some stuff in the house. It's pretty empty.

I hate shopping (*kicking and screaming*)

Exercise:
10 minutes walking 3.5mph 4% incline -45 calories
10 minutes running 5.5mph 0% incine -92
25 minutes weight lifting -83
Total calorie burned: -220

Breakfast:
1 pc. Pumpkin pie 310 calories
16oz Caffè Mocha w/ Nonfat Milk 220

Snack:
8 kettle corn rice crisps 60

Lunch:
2 c. Eating Right vegetable soup 220
1 large Gala apple 100

Snack:
16 organic baby carrots 48
2 chocolate chip cookies 173

Dinner:
3 slices Papa Murphey's Veggie DeLite pizza 456

Water:
32oz

Net calories for the day: 1367 (468 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
I've never been a runner, only once in my life did I ever run a full mile in school and I think it took me 15 minutes or more and I thought I was going to DIE!
I've been giving it a try again and I kind of like it. 10 minutes is my max so far.
I find it to be surprisingly grounding.

Exercise:
I did work around the house today but I typically don't count this. Only activities I wasn't going to do anyway.

**updated**
Breakfast:
1 Yoplait yogurt light blueberry 100 calories
1 c. Horizon organic fat-free milk 90

Snack (over the course of the day):
5 chocolate chip cookies 433 calories

Lunch:
1 Egg salad sandwich made with Nayonaise and Eating Right bread 339 calories
24 Kettle Korn rice crisps 180
1 can Hansen's Diet Tangerine Lime 0

Dinner:
1 c. Peanuts in the shell 340 calories
1 pc. Pumpkin pie (I'm an addict) 310 calories

Water:
64oz **updated**

Net calories for the day: 1792 (43 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/observations for the day:
You will notice that I kind of ate a lot of junk today. 4 cookies and a piece of pie. You might be thinking "OMG, this isn't dieting, you can't eat that!". Well, yes I can and I've lost over 50 pounds doing it this way.

The only thing that matters is the calories, the numbers, not the source.

I will agree that that's a lot of sugar and you can see from my nutritional graph my fats were a little high. Never in the past have I even paid attention to these numbers, just the calories. I'm only watching the rest of the numbers now so I can see how the vegetarian aspect is affecting me. All of the cholesterol came from two measly eggs. On top of that I can see that I am not taking in enough calcium. I'll have to work at that, it should be closer to 1000.

The key is to keep paying attention and not make every day like this one.

Exercise: 30 minute hike with the dogs -199

Breakfast:
none (I know, I know, it doesn't always happen on the weekends)

Lunch:
Leftovers penne with vodka and spicy tomato cream 549

Dinner:
1.5 serving bowtie pasta 315
1/2 pkg Yves Meatless Ground (textured vegetable protein) 180
1/2 c. spaghetti sauce 60

Snack:
1 c. Horizon Organic fat-free milk 90 calories

Dessert:
3 home made chocolate chip cookies 260 **updated**

Water:
48 oz **updated**

Net calories for today: 1255 (580 under goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for today:

Notes/Observations for the day:
Kind of an uneventful day, it felt REALLY good to get out with the dogs though.

Exercise: none
Stayed home sick from work

Breakfast:
1 c. unsweetened organic applesauce 50 calories
16 Wheat Thins 150

Lunch:
Carrot-apple-cabbage juice 303 calories
16 Wheat Thins 150

Snack:
1 tbsp organic peanut butter 95 calories
1/2 bag microwave popcorn ~ Kettle Korn 273

Dinner:
Large baked potato 277
2 tbsp regular sour cream 60
Salad ~ Fall Mixed Greens w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette 91
1.5 tbsp. sunflower seeds (on salad) 82
1 slice mud pie 680

Water:
84 oz

Net calories for today: 2212 (377 over goal)

Here is my nutritional breakdown for the day:

Carbs were good, protein a little low and fat was kind of high. I was doing really well until I added the dessert! I know better than that too, I wasn't able to look it up first. I need to get another copy of the Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter. It's a pocket sized book to carry with you in just such situations. If I had looked that up and saw it would be 680 calories, I wouldn't have ordered it. Or, I would have only eaten half. Not knowing, I blissfully and ignorantly ate the whole thing and went over my daily allowance. The good thing is, with a food diary I will be able to keep an eye on myself and make sure I don't make it a habit.

Notes/Observations for the day:
I stayed home sick today. I didn't really feel that bad but I have over 600 hours of sick time racked up at work so I decided to take it. I have been feeling very run down and kind of sick to my stomach for a few days. This was a take it easy kind of day.

We went out to dinner with some friends or I wouldn't have had the super-calorific piece of mud pie. Overall, I only went over 377 for the day. (Makes me wish I had only eaten half of the pie) This tells me if it had been a normal day and I had made it to the gym, this wouldn't have been an overage at all.
Tomorrow, I'm getting some exercise! It's been days!

As far as the vegetarian thing goes, I'm not really feeling very challenged. I thought for some reason I would have a lot of cravings but I am not. I guess at this point I'm just waiting to see if my body feels any different as time goes on.

I think if I want a real challenge, I'm going to have to give up coffee and/or desserts! I'm not quite ready for that! I'll at least wait until after this trial is complete first.

Exercise: none
Very early to work today, no chance to get to the gym. Sick after work.

Breakfast:
1 pkt Quaker instant oatmeal 160 calories
8 kettle corn flavored rice crisps 60

Snack:
Asiago bagel 370 calories
Baby carrots 50

Lunch:
1 1/2 c. green vegetable salad w/ 1/2 c. cottage cheese as dressing 155 calories
1/2 c. white bean soup 100
Gluten free brownie* 200

Dinner:
Home made burrito with black beans, TVP, and sour cream 315 calories

Water:
46 oz(updated)

Net calories for today: 1410

Notes/Observations for the day:
I went in to work very early today. I was busy so I didn't get to sit and eat, just choke down what I could. I ended up not feeling very well again and went home early. I slept for 3 hours when I got home. I'm still feeling weak.
I find it hard to believe not eating meat would make me feel this way, like I said it's not like I was eating meat at every meal before this. Unless it's a detox thing. I have to admit, I'm going to use it to skip work tomorrow.

* Ever since I quit drinking alcohol I've had a sweet tooth that needs indulging at least once a day. Compared to the number of calories I was taking in in alcohol everyday, one or two sweet snacks is nothing. As long as I'm tracking it and making wise choices, it shouldn't be a problem.