Day 7 of Week 9 Let The Cutting Commence

Weight today: lost 1 pound

Total lost: 17 pounds in about 9 weeks

1/2 cup of oatmeal: 150

5oz banana:125
vanilla protein powder:110
total:235
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running total:385

1 large egg:70
1 large egg white:10
1 lefse:30
1/2 cup of fat free cottage cheese:80
1/4 cup of crushed pineapple:35
total:225
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running total: 610

vanilla protein powder:110
1.5 oz banana:37
1 tbl of powder creamer with coffee:30
with sweet-n-low:0
1/4 piece of graham cracker:15
1 Laughing Cow cheese bite:5
total:197
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running total: 807

1/2 cup of corn on the cob-de-cobbed:50
1 tsp of Smart Balance light butter:15
4 1/2 oz of grilled chicken breast:157
light coating of covering on chicken:25 (est)
chicken bites of son's chicken:40
total:287
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running total: 1094

1 Blue Bunny Bomb pop:40

Total: 1134

Today's challenge: not drinking any coffee and sticking to a lower calorie count

Planned fitness: My abdominal routine twice

Note on picture: This is what I resisted last night. The family ordered pizza, our favorite kind, and I took nary a bite. I even resisted the cheese bread. This photo is actually of the pizza re-heated. Think how much better it looked fresh. I would estimate one of these slices to be over 200 calories. But, my potato and chicken probably equaled that amount, and I was satisfied.

Let The Cutting Commence

The final weight cutting that is.

It's occurred to me that I have exactly eight days before I will have been on this diet for ten weeks. In my estimations, I'm almost on track to drop that 20th pound by Monday morning, September 14, 2009. If I proceed at the rate I am at, without any changes, I will lose 19 pounds by next Monday, and perhaps lose the 20th pound sometime in the 11th week.

The only problem with almost...is that almost is not good enough. This blog is not titled "Lose 20 pounds in ten and a half weeks" nor is it titled, "lose 19 pounds in 10 weeks", but it is titled "lose 20 pounds in 10 weeks."

I consider it a matter of pride to do what I set out to do. I said 20 pounds; I intend to lose 20 pounds.

Here's another analogy for you...It's kind of like training for a marathon. You've worked hard to put in the time energy and practice to go the distance. But when you get to mile 23, you begin to feel fatigued, tired of the fight. You want to give up, you want to slow down even...

so...do you?

You're husband would understand if you didn't finish. Your mother and father will still love you. People will tell you that you still accomplished a lot.

But for you...for yourself, you want to prove to yourself that you can do it. Even though you know you don't have to do it.

So, of course you don't give up. You've worked towards this goal for so long. It is attainable... it's within reach if only you can get through the pain of those last 3 miles. So, you do it. You push yourself even though it hurts, you ignore you aching knees when they tell you to stop, you keep your eyes fastened to the finish line and you don't stop running until you hear them announcing your name on the loudspeaker ... saying that you're done.

Then when it's over, you will be able to say, "I ran a marathon."

I want to be able to say, "I lost 20 pounds in 10 weeks."

Will you help me push through to the finish line in this last week? In order for me to drop that 20th pound by Monday, September 14, 2009, I need to cut my calories.

But I need to do it in a way that doesn't rob my body of the energy it needs to get through my work-outs. I need to eliminate from my diet all the empty and unnecessary calories that do not contribute to the functioning of my body.

One pound equals 3,500 calories. I figure if I cut down to 1,100 calories a day, I'll cut at least 2,400 of that 3,500 calories. I'm thinking that will be the edge I need.

To succeed.

So where will I cut the calories from?

No more coffees equals:90
No more milk and sugar on my oatmeal: 60
No more butter on my potatoes, or Bacon Ranch Dressing on my chicken breast: 53
No more sugar on my strawberries:15
No more snacking: 100
Total: 318

Wish me luck.