[dieting]

This is basically my run down for my diet.

I went to http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-metabolism-calculator to calculate my average metabolism. To say alive and healthy I need to ingest 2200 calories per day. That will keep me at my current weight.

It takes the burning of 3500 calories to lose 1 pound. So, from reading a few websites, if I cut back 500 calories per day, that averages out about 1 pound lost a week. I didn't want to dive into this crazily so I just cut out 500 calories exactly. I didn't want to go any lower because my body would go into starvation mode.

I use the Flavor Wave for just about any dinner. It basically allows all of the fat and grease to drip off into the pan below, giving me a nice and healthy piece of chicken, beef or pork (or whatever else you want to put into there)

I have to be careful about what I decide to eat, so making a meal plan was.. step one in my dieting routine. I at least plan out every dinner I will eat on Sunday's. Usually the dinners I make for example will include 3oz of chicken breast (100 calories), 1 cup of green beans (35 calories), and a small starch such as 3/4 cup of pasta with 1 tbsp of fat free italian dressing (220 calories). I try to keep my dinners nice a light because that is a main problem that most people have. We all love to eat late. By eating late means you are ingesting large quantities of calories and then doing nothing. If you eat a big breakfast and lunch, you are more likely to burn off those calories just from your every day exercises.

Step Two in my diet is I save breads and other grains for special occasions only. 1 slice of bread usually has 70-150 calories PER SLICE! Imagine eating 2 pieces of toast and a grapefruit. You feel like its not that bad but the bread just ate up 200 calories. Yes mother, this means I have eliminated rice to "special occasion" only. *about once per week I will eat rice* This reminds me of the adkins diet but just not so crazy.

Step Three -- I give myself 1 day per week to eat 1 meal however I choose without counting the calories. Without this day I don't think most people would be able to make it. I look forward to Saturdays. Saturdays are my Neng Myun days. <-- I LOVE noodles!

Some Tips

• A lot of fruits and vegetables are what I like to call "negative" calorie foods. These foods are very special to me because it takes your body more calories to digest the food than the food has in it's caloric content. Take apples for example. 1 medium apple may have 80 calories but it takes your body 85 calories to digest it. Thus, making a net loss of 5 calories. Most of your fruits and veggies are this way, so take time to look on the internet and find foods that you can enjoy.

• Popcorn is a giant life saver in my life. A whole cup of popcorn is only 15 calories if you air pop it. If you buy corn in the bulk bag seeds you can put the corn kernels in a brown lunch sack, roll the top and air pop the popcorn just like you do with pre-bought popcorn. It is healthy and still tastes delicious as long as you don't burn the popcorn!!! I also bought the ranch cheese powder for my popcorn because a whole tsp only has 2 calories in it! What a way to save calories instead of using butter!!!

• SUGAR FREE FRUIT POPSICLES! 15 Calories PER Popsicle. It doesn't get any better than that!! Instead of icecream just grab one of these for a low calorie dessert! YUM!!

• Stay away from any drink that is not diet. A diet sprite has 0 calories and tastes the same as a 220 calorie regular sprite!

• At least try to get in SOME sort of exercise. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park your car farther away from the store. Walk to school. Vaccuum the house!! <-- Household chores burn up SO many calories like you wouldn't believe!!

• DRINK TONS OF WATER and do NOT eat past 7 or 8. Really you shouldn't eat dinner past 5 or 6.....but hey, we are all human and we are all busy!!
  

And my final words on this crazy diet of mine.... Just don't starve yourself. If you think you deserve a snickers then GET one!! Sometimes you just have to indulge or you won't be successful at all.. you will just get miserable and forget it all together.

OH! I also use a program on microsoft works that has a calorie counter. It helps me because I just record what I ate and how many calories were in it and it adds it all up for me. It's awesome. After about a week of this recording, you will feel EXTREMELY strange NOT recording what you are eating. You will find yourself WATCHING what you eat before no time!!

THANKS FOR LISTENING! Hopefully this helps someone out there in cyberspace...

If you just stay motivated... then trust me, you can do this!!!!

[freedom]

David and I have been doing great on our diet. He is a little disappointed because he feels like he's not making progress....but it's only been 1 week. I can see his frustration though, because I am feeling the same way. It will take a lot of time, hard work and patience... but what in this life doesn't require all three?

Last Thursday was Travis' 21st birthday. He wanted to go out to the bars and so David and I went out around 11pm. The bars were disgusting. It was just about what we thought it would be. A bunch of desperate girls drunk singing karaoke and a bunch of dudes trying to take advantage of the girls who were completely inebriated. It made me a little sad to see how people act when trying to find dates. No offense, but the person you bring home from the bar probably isn't the person you even WANT to spend your life with.... but that's just me.

This is a picture of David and I at Travis'
This is a picture of David and the birthday boy (Travis!) Finally a picture of both of them!

School has been ruling my life but I have still found ample time to waste while hanging out with David. He and I have been playing a video game called Left 4 Dead (a zombie game)... We are addicted! We have gotten on to play with his friends online.

David and I also decided to try netflix. WE LOVE IT! It is amazing because we can find a movie on the computer and it streams instantly to the XBOX so we can watch it on TV. It's $8.99 a month for 1 dvd sent to your house at a time with unlimited exchanging, and unlimited online instant movies. Last night we watched 4 movies. If you think about it, those movies we watched on netflix would have cost us 20 dollars at blockbuster. It also does tv shows... David and I might end up canceling cable because we don't watch it anyway. It would be 50 dollars saved every month.. I feel like it's a pretty good deal.

Well, that's all I have. I'm off to make a 500 calorie dinner.

Much Love,
Rach.

[jobin]

David and I went and saw I Love You, Man in theaters today. It was so funny. At one point, instead of saying "bro" he calls him Jobin and Street Slickaaaa! I guess you would have had to see the movie to think that was remotely funny.

I bought the Twilight DVD today at Wal-Mart. I already watched it and all of the deleted scenes :) It was well worth it!

Monday is the end of Spring Break but the beginning of the second half of the semester. That means, only 8 more weeks to go and I still have a ton of work left to do. UGH!

Well, the post is short today.. Sorry. :)

xo,
Rachael

[camping!]

These are pictures from camping :) It pretty much just sums up the whole weekend haha

Me passed out in a hammock while the boys made a big bon fire lol

Me cooking biscuits and gravy for everyone :)

All of the ladies :) The ones that mattered anyway :) Teresa Katherine and Myself

The boys bonfire. Left to Right. Chris, David, Gamber under David, Matt and Nate

I decided to try and fly a kite!

And..the ridiculous fire the boys had made.. plus some "extras."

[aftermath]

My 21st birthday was fun! I have some pictures!! Not many, but it's still something hehehe

This is me, at about 9AM! Excited for my BIRTHDAY!!

I made myself a rainbow birthday cake!! It looks like a Seuss cake!Tasty Amaretto Sour! MY FIRST SIP! hehehe
Free Birthday Shot! Lemon Drop! That wasn't a shot anyway -- it was half a glass!! Everyone in the restaurant was watching!! heheheAn extremely ugly picture of me right after the shot (note the lemon) It was Citron Vodka, sugar and a lemon YUK! hahaha I was all puckered!Mia did this picture for me :)

So, all in all, my birthday was VERY fun!! :)

[21st birthday]

I am officially 21!

Thank you Grandma Dotty, Grandma Sandi and Grandpa Stan for sending me the wonderful cards and my presents! You all are amazing!

Thank you, my WONDERFUL parents for taking David and I out to eat crab legs, for the amazing card and the present! It was GREAT! :)

Thank you Aunt Annette and Uncle Lew for the present that I haven't seen yet! I go home next week, so THANK YOU!!!

Thank you Ashley, for sending me a message on FB wishing me Happy Birthday :o) It made me happy to see you left me a comment!!!!

Thank you Debbie for my birthday present!!!!!! :-D

Thank you to ALL of my friends who wished me Happy Birthday so far, I really appreciate it.

Applebee's TONIGHT! :)

And... thank you to my darling boyfriend, who is always there for me when I need a smile :o) I love you!!

[diet]

David and I have decided to go on a diet. I am actually extremely fired up about this. It is time that I watch what I eat, now that I make my own food and make all of my own decisions as far as what I buy and cook.

I have been counting my calories today and it is a lot easier than I thought it would be to make smart choices. David and I have even been eating portion sizes. It is a bit easier for me to stick to a lower calorie diet because David gets really bad headaches if he doesn't eat. Hopefully, he will get over his headaches soon :). Also, we are not eating any major food items (such as dinner) past 7 pm. Dinner, hopefully will be done by 4:30 or 5pm. I think eating late has contributed to our current lifestyles.

Along with calorie counting, we are going to start walking on a regular basis when the weather gets nice. Unfortunately, it's been raining the past few days. :(

Here is a picture of my chart that I am using to track my calories :). This is what I've eaten today!!!

Day 1 was SO much easier than I could have ever imagined dieting could be. :o)

[poop]

David is going home for the weekend. I hate when he doesn't kiss me goodbye.

It's probably better this way. Being alone is just probably better right now.

[pretzels]

I just made homemade pretzels! I will update with a picture soon! SOOO GOOD!!!

I am beginning to LOVE cooking. It really calms me.. I love food! :-D