Tag Archives: Goals

Hunger? #WLS #VSG

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This was supposed to publish yesterday, but I got my dates mixed up, opps!

99 Days to Go!

A lot of post ops have either no hunger at all, or their hunger is dramatically reduced post op.  I’m not talking about head hunger here, I’m talking about true, stomach growling, feed me before I pass out hunger.  The past 3-4 weeks, I’ve been feeling more and more hunger.  Yesterday I found myself doing a lot of reading on what is causing the hunger (mainly because I was ready to eat the arm off of the next person to pop their head in my cube.)  Is it acid?  It seems like a lot of post VSG’ers find that the real cause of their increased hunger is acid related, so they either add a PPI (like Prilosec) or they increase their dosage.

If I’m 100% honest with both you and myself, my tracking has also been a bit of a joke the past 3-4 weeks.  I track 85-90% of what I eat, but that other 10-15% has been things like jelly beans, cookies, extra crackers, extra hummus, etc.  Bad for me foods, typically, but sometimes just larger quantities of the good for you foods than what I am actually tracking.  In the shift to focus on getting through the last 100 days of my first year post op in a very healthy way, I am being 100% honest in my tracking.  I think that what I will find is that my hunger isn’t actually coming back, and that perhaps its not acid, but its been the random grazing that I’ve been allowing myself to do.  I’ve slowly let some unhealthy carbs, primarily sugar, back into my diet.

The good news is that I’m not gaining weight, but the weight loss is at a serious halt.  That isn’t what I went through all of this for.   I am using this 100 days to refocus, to go back to basics if you will.  Tracking, exercising, doing the good work to get the scale moving again.  I’m going to give it a week or two to see if the hunger pangs that I’ve started to feel start going away with a refocus on perfect tracking (weighing/measuring/logging.)  If that doesn’t help, I’m going to talk to my surgeons office about upping my dose of my PPI.  Of course I’ll keep you updated!

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

I’m BACK

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At least I think I am.  I’ve been going through a horrible bout of the crazies at work paired up with a case of writers block.  I haven’t been able to think of anything to write and with work being so busy, the blog is the first thing to slip.  As much as I am back, I can’t guarantee tons of posting.  My project at work is insanely busy the closer we get to completion, so that really is my focus.

Usually when bloggers disappear, particularly weight loss bloggers, we gain 25 pounds and quit working out.  Not this lady.  I hit the 100 pound lost mark.  Granted I’m up a few from that thanks to all of the work stress and not always making the right choices, but I’m back on track.

I also haven’t given up on working out.  I’m on the last couple of days of Couch 2 5k, and have already down loaded the app for Bridge to 10K which works you to running for 60 consecutive minutes.  Running is a crazy thing to me.  Somedays its an absolute joy and the time just flies by.  The past couple have been more torture than joyous.  I’m sticking with it though.  I don’t see myself being a marathoner or even a half marathoner, I just want to get through the 5k so I can knock that off my list.

I’ve knocked two more items off of my 40 by 40 list in March.  Reached 100 pounds lost and take a Body Pump class.  I took the Body Pump class today, and can I say?  I’m in LOVE.  The hubs and I are testing out a new local gym and I’m taking full advantage of the free 7 day pass.  Tomorrow I will be knocking another item off the list, #27-Take a Yoga Class.  This weekend I will be knocking off #32-Take a spin class.  The yoga class I’m not super nervous for, its a level 1 class, so I think I can work through whatever I am capable of.  The spin class, SO nervous.  A friend recommended a gel seat cover so I have one coming from Amazon.  I’m scared my lady bits are going to be in pain for days!

Eating has been on point this week, I’m really focusing on getting back to basics.  Protein first, two shakes a day if needed to hit my 80 grams of protein required, taking all of my vitamins (2 weeks straight without missing one!) and I’ve been testing out new recipes from a few Paleo cookbooks I’ve picked up.  All very simple foods, but packed with flavor.

On top of all of this, I’ve made my first appointment with a counselor.  While most things in my life are going great, I’ve changed a LOT over the last 6-7 months and its sometimes changing the dynamics of relationships in my life.  It will be nice to work with a third party that is impartial to work through some of those issues.  I’m also looking to work on some body image issues that I am running into.  While I can now show in “normal” stores, and am just pounds (literally) away from Onederland, I still see the 300+ pound person in the mirror.  I know that it takes a while for someones head to catch up to where their body is, but I am looking forward to having someone help me work through those issues.

The appointment tomorrow is really just an interview of sorts.  One of the pre-op requirements that I had was a physiological analysis, which consisted of 2-3 visits with a therapist.  I knew immediately that I didn’t connect with the person who was doing the analysis, but I didn’t want to start the process over again.  I’m will now to meet with multiple people until I find the person that I “click” with.  Yes Mom, I’m finally ready to listen to a brain doctors :)

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

December 1st #WEverb11 #WLS

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I am playing a little bit of catch up here.  Bella inspired me to participate in this year’s #WEverb11.  Each day you are prompted with a word, and you are to comment or discuss how that word pertains to 2011.  I love this idea, and the thought of looking back over the year to see how this year has gone.  It also helps to focus me on thinking about how I want 2012 to play out.

The December 1st Prompt:

#1: Choose one word

Choose one word. Encapsulate the year 2011 in one word. Explain why. Imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2012 for you? In the spirit of where this all started… this is the same first prompt from 2010.

I didn’t start the year off with an action word, but I can certainly recap 2011 with a word

Fortuitous (lucky, accidental)

At the beginning of 2011, I had no idea where this year would lead.  I had put the thought of Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) out of my mind.  We had no plans of buying a house in 2011, our plan was to buy in Fall 2012.  There was no thought in January that this is where this year would lead.

2011 has been an amazing year, full of the happily unexpected.  I feel so lucky and am so appreciative of how this year has gone.  My husband unexpectedly switched jobs after 12 years with his previous company.  The new position included insurance coverage that is very supportive of WLS.  While his previous jobs insurance covered WLS, the requirements were beyond difficult.   I jumped through all of the hoops to be approved for Weight Loss Surgery, and was lucky to start my new life on August 22nd, of this year.  The initial recovery was in no way easy, but I couldn’t be happier about the decision that I made.

On our birthday weekend this year, the husband and I decided to go out and look at new neighborhoods in the area that we were interested in buying in Fall 2012.  It was mainly an investigational trip to find out the whens and whats of starting a new construction home in 2012.  As it turns out, there were some amazing deals available, exactly where we wanted to be.  We also wound up with an epically low interest rate.  We are so happy in our new home.  Sometimes those random investigational trips change your lives.

One word for 2012:

Transformation

I’ve lost about 65 pounds in 2011 thanks to a lot of dedication paired with Sleevie McGavin.  I only have one pair of jeans left in my arsenal, a pair that only sort of fits, but it starting to get dumpy in the butt, I’ve started working out regularly, I’ve spent a lot of time  putting thought into my food and where it comes from.  2012 will be full of more transformations in all areas of my life.  my physical transformation with regards to weight loss, my own self-image, wardrobe changes, my athletic ability, etc. I can’t wait to revisit this post next December and see what transformations occurred in 2012.

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

40 by 40

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Today is my 32nd Birthday.  Can you believe it?  Neither can I!!!

I have a close group of girlfriends who happen to all be born a couple of years after me, they are all 29 this year and have talked about doing a 30 by 30 list.  Since I am past 30 (seriously?  HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??), I started to put together a 40 by 40 list in January, and figure my birthday is as good of a time as any to post the list!

The thought of being at a healthy weight has always been something that I’ve not been able to envision for myself, until very, very recently.  I think part of what has allowed me to believe that I too can one day be healthy was accepting that I needed some help, I need more than just a diet plan.  I am more and more confident in my decision to pursue weight loss surgery everyday.  If things go as planned, I am only 44 days away from making a dramatic change in my life!

Scale Warfare’s 40 by 40 List…In no particular order.

  1. Buy a house
  2. Go to Vegas
  3. Have a baby
  4. Debt Free (w/ exception to mortgage)
  5. Go to Europe (Ireland, France, Belgium in particular)
  6. Shop in the “Normal Size” section
  7. Renew vows somewhere tropical
  8. Reach a healthy weight
  9. Vacation to Alaska to visit family
  10. Run a 5k
  11. Go to Italy
  12. Go to a VA Tech Bowl Game
  13. Get the hubs to Blacksburg (he STILL hasn’t been to visit my Alma Mater!)
  14. Own a bike
  15. Go camping for a week
  16. Go to Napa
  17. Wear a swimsuit and feel proud
  18. Wear a skirt and feel proud
  19. Buy a pair of shorts…and wear them in public
  20. Walk a half marathon
  21. Buy an outfit from Ann Taylor Loft or maybe Anthropology
  22. Go to a black tie event
  23. Have weight loss surgery
  24. Become scuba certified
  25. Complete a Boot Camp Class
  26. Take a Zumba class
  27. Take a yoga class
  28. Learn to Kayak
  29. Join an adult rec soccer league
  30. Put together wedding scrap book
  31. Comfortably sit in an airplane seat
  32. Take a spin class
  33. Go Jet Skiing
  34. Play 9 holes of golf
  35. Buy a pretty bra from VS
  36. Go snowboarding
  37. Make a t-shirt quilt
  38. See a Broadway Show
  39. Have a vegetable garden (that produces)
  40. Take a photography class

I’m going to add a tab up top to house this list, so that I can check things off as I accomplish them.

Healthy You Challenge Update Week #8

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Healthy You Challenge Update-I’ve been doing so incredibly well with both working out and with tracking my food that I was starting to feel like I had it.  We all know that feel, we’ve all had it.  You feel like you can do know wrong.  Out of the blue BAM you lose it.  Sometimes it’s an hour, sometimes it’s a week, a month, a year.  Lucky for me this time it was only a day.  I mentioned this some in yesterday’s post.  Saturday was a day off from working out and I turned it into a day of not tracking after lunch.  I didn’t go out of control, I just didn’t track.  Sunday I got back on it though and immediately started my day with 60 minutes on the treadmill.  I got 3.77 miles in during those 60 minutes and it felt great!

Some updates:

28,000 Calories in 28 Days:  I decided to count Saturday as having earned 0 calories towards my goal of a 28,000 calorie deficit for February.  With that taken into account, I am at a deficit of 22,645 with 7 days left in the month.  I’m still ahead of schedule thanks to all of the working out I’ve been doing!

3,000,000 Steps in 2011: 2/15-2/21/2011 I got in 74,621 steps.  Still way ahead of my goal of 8,000 steps per day.  This week was just sort of blah with steps.  Someday’s were super high, and then there were a couple of low ones.  Next week should be better though! 

  • Steps this week: 74,621
  • Average per day: 10,660
  • Highest Day this week: 14,261 (Friday 2/18)
  • Lowest Day this week: 6,930 (Saturday 2/19-Off Day from working out and was completely lazy)
  • Steps so far this year: 505,394
  • Steps to goal: 2,494,606
  • Days left in 2011: 312

#7daychip : I restarted my quest for my second #7daychip on Sunday.  I’m now on the third day and things are going well!  I’m eating within my calorie range everyday and I am making sure to reach my calorie deficit goals each day.

The challenge this week is my four-day business trip that I am currently on.  I’ve packed a workout DVD and am going to keep up with tracking my food and emailing Bella my food journal each day.  How healthy was your week?

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

Weekend & Workout Recap

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I worked from home on Friday, it was 70+ degrees and a complete February treat!  I got a ton of work done, 13 loads of laundry, worked out and enjoyed the weather.  Windows were open all day long.  It was wonderful!  Of course we are supposed to get snow again tonight/tomorrow, but the warmer weather was nice while it lasted!

Saturday & Sunday were both pretty lazy relaxing days.  Saturday was a day off from working out, but I took off from more than working out.  I also didnt track my food.  Looking back at it, I wasnt “bad” per se, but I was snacky.  I grabbed a handful of pretzels here, a handful of dark chocolate M & Ms there.  We went out to dinner at a burger joint.  I only ate a handful of my fries, but in the end I didnt track.  I’m going to count no calorie deficit for the day towards m 28,000 calories in 28 days goal for Saturday. 

I decided to restart my next #7daychip yesterday and get back to tracking and working out after a day off.  I started yesterday with an hour on the treadmill and an extra long walk for my dog.  I tracked all day long, so day 1 was a success! 

Today is a Federal Holiday, so I get the day off.  I’ve already worked out, had a healthy (and tracked) breakfast.  The rest of the day will be spent picking up the house and packing for my work trip this week.  What was originally supposed to be a 3 day trip has become a 4 day trip.  Good for the hotel points at least.

Workout Recap 2/13-2/19/2011

  • 2/13: 1 Hour Walk outdoors 459 Calories
  • 2/14: Off
  • 2/15: 15 Minutes Golds Gym Wii Workout 128 Calories 30 Minutes Walk/Jog Intervals 223 Calories
  • 2/16: 37 Minutes Biggest Loser Workout Challenge 275 Calories 18 Minutes Golds Gym Wii Workout 145 Calories
  • 2/17: Off
  • 2/18: 60 Minutes Walk Away The Pounds Punch Up DVD 411 Calories
  • 2/19: Off

I’m still doing great keeping up with working out 4-5 days a week on top of dog walks!  I’ve been using my Polar FT4 Heart Rate monitor to capture my calories for each workout.  I’ve packed a Walk Away The Pounds DVD as well as my HRM for my business trip so that I have no excuse not to work out.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

Countdown to Christmas Challenge

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We are now one week into the Countdown to Christmas Challenge, which means only 9 more Wednesdays until Christmas! It’s never too late to join. If you are interested, please let me know, there is more about the challenge below:

  1. Choose a specific, realistic goal that you can achieve by December 25th.
  2. Post weekly updates (you choose the day) about your progress.
  3. Decide on a gift (reward) that you’ll give yourself when you meet your goal.
  4. Post the Countdown Badge above on your blog when you post your weekly update and link back to either Bella or me if possible!

My personal Countdown to Christmas Challenge:

  1. My goal for the Countdown to Christmas Challenge is to track my food at least 6 out of 7 days each week. I think this is realistic because it’s giving me one day that isnt as structured, but the goal requires that I track 2 more days than I’ve been tracking lately.
  2. I’m going to start posting on Wednesdays with my results of how each week has gone.
  3. My gift to myself is going to be an 80 Minute Hot Stone Massage at Red Door Spa. Half of that gift will be paid for by myself, the other half will be paid for by a pre-existing gift certificate.

My goal was to track my food 6 out of 7 days last week, and I’ve exceeded that goal. Even I am a bit shocked! I tracked both Saturday and Sunday, including all of the blasted Halloween candy (which I am SO glad is now gone!) As I mentioned yesterday I’ve started tracking my food in the Bodymedia Fit software. I had stopped using their software when I got my armband almost two years ago because it was incredibly frustrating. Times have changed, that’s for sure! The program has been dramatically updated. The existing foods database is now huge, and entering new foods is so much easier. Right now the program has me at 1,950 calories per day for food and 2,950 days for a burn for a net of a 1,000 calorie deficit per day (or 2.0 lbs per week.)

It’ll be interesting to see how the scale moves over the next month, as I really give my armband another chance. I am not going to post about my weight for a while. I’m sure that is controversial in the Weight Loss Blogosphere, but it is what is right for me at this moment in time. I am still weighing in once a week, and tracking daily, so now worries there!

How are you doing on your challenge?

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

Healthy You Challenge Update

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Can you believe only 9 more Tuesdays in 2010? I feel like I’ve really let this year slip away in regards to weight loss. They say the slower you lose the weight the more likely you’ll keep it off. Well the 30 lbs or so I lost in 2009 are still gone, but 2010 has really been a wash so far. I’ve been going up and down the same 5 lbs (+/-2) over and over again. I cannot let 2010 be a complete loss in my mission to reach a healthy weight. I need to work on my focus (which I currently am full of!) and keep up with doing the right things.

Good Things for the Week:

  • Was pretty active over the weekend. Did lots and lots of walking!
  • Ate out and didn’t go overboard (yay sushi!)
  • Tracked every single day…even Saturday and Sunday
  • Started wearing my Bodymedia Fit Armband daily.
  • Prepared for this week on Sunday by doing some roasting and baking so lunches this week will be easy.
  • NO Fastfood!!!
  • Have started packing my lunch/breakfast/snacks before bed again.
  • Tracked every bite of Halloween candy that I ate.

Room for Improvement for the Week:

  • Wasn’t as active as I could have been (why must it get dark so early now?)
  • Bought my lunch twice last week mainly because I was lazy (but I’ve reversed that now!)
  • Didn’t get in nearly enough fruits/veggies.
  • Ate entirely too much Halloween candy.

Next week’s goals:

  • Pack my lunch everyday for work…breakfast and snacks too (I’ve been spending entirely too much money on buying breakfast and lunch.
  • Get 3 days of exercise in, even if it’s 20 minutes on the treadmill.
  • Average at least a 1,000 calorie per day deficit between what the Bodymedia Fit Armband says I burned and the food I consume.

Happy Tuesday ya’ll.

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

10 in 2010 Update

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I missed this update last week since I was so blasted busy!  So here is my 10 in 2010 Update!!

  1. Complete 1 full cycle of EA Sports Active 6 week challenge by the end of 2010-Starts tomorrow, 10/1!  So excited to finally not have to say “umm havent started  yet!”
  2. Lose 20 pounds between now, August 23, 2010, and December 31, 2010 (aka 5 lbs per month):  Goal start weight: 278.8 Current Weight: 272.6 for a total loss of 6.2 of 20. So 13.8 to go.  With 13 weigh-in’s left in 2010 I think this is very obtainable!
  3. No binge eating. -Doing A-OK on this one.  I figure even though last weekend was indulgent, I tracked it all.  I consider a binge being out of control and ignoring the situation.
  4. Try one new recipe each week and do my best to post photo’s of it on the blog.  At a minimum I will share the receip with you. -100% on this one.  I owe you all a couple of new recipe posts!  They’ve been photographed, I just have been lazy and havent uploaded my pictures!
  5. Give myself 7 goals for each week and recap how I did on them the following week. – Missed this last week, I’ll have new ones on Monday :)
  6. Pack my lunch BEFORE bed at least 4 out of 5 days, every day that I am working. -Doing really well on this one!  Last week was a bit out of sorts because I needed to grocery shop, so I didnt pack at all some days, but over all, doing really well on this one.  Got right back on track on Monday!
  7. Journal my food EVERYDAY, regardless of how good or bad the day was (and email the food journal to Bella) – I’ve been journaling everyday regardless of whether it was good or bad, BUT I need to get back to emailing Bella on the weekends!
  8. 100 minutes of activity per week, outside of walking the dog. – This one has been lacking for sure, especially this last week.  Cheers to a new week, right?
  9. Minimum of 5 Fruits/Veggies per day. – Doing well ALMOST everyday on this one.  There have been a couple of bumps, but over all, I’m hitting at least 5.
  10. Update myself (and you) on this list every Thursday for the rest of 2010. -Done for this week, last week was missed, but hey, sometimes life happens!

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

POINTS® Tracker entries

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Morning
1  item(s) Select 100% whole wheat sandwich thins 1
1  slice(s) Fat Free Singles American Cheese 1
1  item(s) egg 2
Subtotal 4
Midday
2  Tbsp Lite Ranch Salad Dressing with MSG 2
1/4 cup(s) canned black beans 0.5
2  cup(s) Tossed Salad, Without Dressing 0
3  oz uncooked ground chicken breast 2
Onion & Red Pepper (1/2 Cup) – Quick-added food 0
Subtotal 4.5
Evening
1  Tbsp Soft Spread Margarine 1
3  Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 2
1  cup(s) onion(s) 0
1/4 cup(s) sherry cooking wine 1
1  cup(s) Organic chicken broth 0
1  tsp olive oil 1
1  tray(s) Just for One Cauliflower and Cheese Sauce 0
1 1/2 serving(s) Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta (2 oz=1 Serving) 4.5
6  oz mushroom(s) 0.5
Subtotal 10
Anytime
1  large apple(s) 2
1  item(s) Kit Kat Bar 5
2  Tbsp Crab rangoon, sweet chili sauce only 1
3  Croque Monsieur Egg Rolls 6
Subtotal 14
Food POINTS values total used 32.5
Food POINTS values remaining 0.5
Activity
30 min cleaning 2
30 min Walking the dog 2
Activity POINTS values earned 4

Weigh In Wednesday & Thintervention

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First I’ll get to the scale:

  • Start: 305
  • Last Week: 277.0
  • This Week: 272.6
  • Lost: 4.4
  • Total Lost: 32.4

This means I’m only 2.6 lbs away from my first mini goal of my “Fresh Start” of hitting 270!  I’m trying to keep no longer term goals on my mind, so I wont get into the mindset of playing countdown with my weight.  I do that a lot, start thinking, well if I lose 2 lbs a week, I’ll be at goal in “X” number of weeks.  Heck I’ve even filled out calendars before and marked down (in pen of course) where I would be on such and such a date.  Sort of sucks doing that because when you get to 6 months from the starting point and see some magical number you (me) realize youre no where near it.  Not this time folks, this time I’m trucking along through each 10 pounds and they will take as long as they take me.

Yesterdays WW Food Journal is below the signature line.  I did better yesterday about getting in more of the “Healthy Guidelines” but I’m not at 100%.  Actually I need to grocery shop to get to 100% on those, but since I’m going out of town this weekend I’m going to wait until I get back to grocery shop.

Have any of you watched the new Jackie Warner show “Thintervention” on Bravo?  Yes there is some catty drama on it, and yes they do some insane workouts.  I think it’s a bit more real life than “The Biggest Loser” though.  No one is losing 15 lbs in a week, they arent sequestered to a campus somewhere, they still work and live their day to day lives.  I find the therapy sessions the most interesting though.  In this weeks episode their homework assignment was to bring in a picture of them as children, a picture where they were really happy.  I couldnt figure out where this was going, but where it went I thought was really important.

The therapist had each person look at the child in the picture and asked if the person that they are today would talk to the child in that picture the way that they talk to themselves?  What would they tell that child today?  Would they be so negative towards that child as they are to themselves?  Would they say “hey fattie, look at those thighs” or anything of the sort.  Of course the crazy drunk woman did, but she’s got issues that wont be able to be solved in group therapy.  We are so mean to ourselves with all of the negative self talk.  I went through a bunch of childhood pictures last night that my Mom had scanned for the wedding.  I had such a healthy naturally thin body, and in most of the pictures I was having fun.  If I could talk to the child version of myself, I’d say “Dont EVER forget how to play, don’t EVER forget that loving yourself and finding the joy in the simplest things (friends/family/taking a walk) are what make life so wonderful.”

Nags Head, NC Circa 1985ish

What would you tell the child version of yourself?

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

POINTS® Tracker entries

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Morning
1  oz Philadelphia Neufchatel Cream Cheese 2
1  item(s) Sesame bagels 5
Subtotal 7
Midday
1/8 cup(s) Craisins Dried Cranberries 1
2  Tbsp Ranch Dressing 3
2 1/2 oz cooked chicken fillet 2.5
1/2 cup(s) green pepper(s) 0
2  cup(s) Tossed Salad, Without Dressing 0
1/4 cup(s) Dark kidney beans 0
1/4 cup(s) mushroom(s) 0
2  Tbsp Bacon Bits 1.5
Subtotal 8
Evening
6  oz uncooked cod 3
1 1/2 cup(s) cooked zucchini 0
1/4 cup(s) onion(s) 0
1  tsp olive oil 1
2  Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 1.5
1  serving(s) Israeli Cous Cous (1/3 C Dry) 3
1/2 Tbsp Soft Spread Margarine 0.5
Subtotal 9
Anytime
1  serving(s) Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (Grande Skim-No Whip) 5
1  serving(s) Trader Joe’s Strawberry Fruit Flo 2
1  Tbsp creamy peanut butter 2.5
Subtotal 9.5
Food POINTS values total used 33.5
Food POINTS values remaining 0
Activity
25 min Walking (>3.0 mph [20 min mile] and <5.0 mph [12 min mile] on level surface) 2
30 min Walking the dog 2
Activity POINTS values earned 4