<p>Raw denim now is made so that it does not shrink, and will (supposedly) stretch just a tiny bit but will mold to fit you. In the meantime, you can’t breathe and the top button digs into your belly fat! They are great quality and look good, though!</p>
<p>kmc- I saw that down hoodie on Zappos and almost got it, but I’m pretty stocked up. I wear my purple Marmot down jacket everywhere. </p>
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<p>I predict that it will be the jacket you wear all the time. Perfect weight for hopping in the car to the grocery store, etc. when temps are anywhere from 25 to 40 degrees. Warm enough for the car heater to kick in, not so warm that you can’t stand it when the car is warm or when you are in a store. Heck, it’s so comfortable, I even put mine on when I’m sitting on the couch watching TV sometimes. I’m wearing the vest version right now! 67 degrees at the computer, but you know how chilly it feels in the winter.</p>
<p>Gotta love losing water weight after a very low-carb day. It’s party time!</p>
<p>I’m down 8 pounds since my high water mark on New Years Eve morning. And, my seven day average is down 5 pounds from that week. The last time I was at this weight for a sustained period was when I was moving a couple years ago and doing hard physical labor (clearing out the basement, loading a dumpster, carrying boxes, etc) for day after day after day. I’ve gotten more muscular since then. </p>
<p>I’ve not only managed to get back in my five pound “window”, I’m at the very bottom of it. I have only weighed less than this on one day all last year – the morning after three days of camping/hiking when I’m dehydrated and tapped out nutritionally.</p>
<p>It’s good to know that my body still responds to food tracking the way it should – although it requires some faith. At this weight, it’s not quick and it’s not steady like clockwork. For example, I “gained” over two pounds early last week, so it’s definitely ups and downs, unlike when I had 90 pounds to lose and it was pretty much all down.</p>
<p>More importantly, I’ve been able to reprogram my snacking a bit. It was the extra handfuls of nuts, the second apple in an evening, etc that were doing me in. I’m going to keep tracking for a while longer. I want to really lock in being at the bottom of my range this time of year. It will be interesting to see if the scale goes down any further.</p>
<p>Way to go Idad!</p>
<p>Trainer and spin for me. I am much less crooked now. </p>
<p>As IDad suggests, tracking your food is so very important to enable you to stay on top of your food consumption. The trick is to find a method that works for your lifestyle. </p>
<p>As I’ve indicated in several posts, I have used weight watchers points plus system very successfully for several years. It’s convenient, the mobile application is always with me, and when I work out, it’s very easy to translate the time spent exercising into additional food I can eat and keep my total food intake on track to maintain my weight where I want it. I had to laugh, however, when I went back and re-read my posts from yesterday about my macronutrient ratios. In using the ww points, the only things I “count” are the points themselves and grams of protein. And then on top of that, I try subjectively to eat “low fat”. When I subjectively guesstimated the macronutrient ratios, I was significantly off as compared to going through the food log and calculating it. Then when IDad made the comment that what I had listed as the actual grams of macronutrients for the day seemed very light in caloric intake (and he was right, I had forgotten I still had 5 points worth of food I could eat), I started thinking about how weight watchers plus points equate to more traditional calorie counting.</p>
<p>After doing some research, I don’t know that it translates very well. Depending on the source, internet pundits state that each point is worth 40-50 calories. But that’s not the complete story. The older ww points system assigned points to food based on caloric value, gms of fat and gms of fiber. The newer points plus system is based on gms of fat, carbs, fiber and protein and assigns point values based on those numbers. There are many foods that have higher point values than under the old system but for those trying to lose weight, more daily points are permitted. It gets real murky about how ww credits you with more expendable points based on exercise. The points are based on duration and broad categories of intensity. I rode 33 miles today at an average pace of 19 mph. I earned 21 activity points. If I had ridden the same distance at 12 mph avg, I would have earned more points (30) because my riding time would have been longer and ww’s intensity levels differentiate broadly between under 12 mph and over 12 mph. Makes no sense. And if I take my daily allotment of 34 points and add 7 points pro rats from my weekly altimeter of 49, that gives me 41 points before exercise for someone who has a desk job. Using the above noted calories per point, that gives me a daily food allotment of 1640- 2050. If I accept 50 calories per point as legit, that sounds about right for a 60 year old 5’8" male with a desk job. But if it’s closer to 40 calories per point, that sounds light.</p>
<p>Interesting ruminations and ww has worked for me but the exact science of it is not transparent! But I guess for proprietary reasons, that’s the way they want it.</p>
<p>IDad- that’s terrific! Good job!</p>
<p>MKat:</p>
<p>I don’t think that it really matters what you count: calories, points, sugar, carbs, whatever. In fact, I don’t think it’s the actual numbers that matter. Rather, I think it’s the process of counting something that makes you focus on what you are eating and, presumably, provides the recognition and motivation to eat a little less of it. It’s really a learning tool, especially if you use a kitchen scale. When I’m tracking, I can’t pretend or deny the little snacks here and there. If I quit tracking tomorrow, the reinforcement/learning from a couple months of tracking would continue for quite a while, although surely subject to creeping slippage/erosion. That’s where an annual “refresher” is probably something I’ll have to do on a permanent basis.</p>
<p>Personally, I think it’s big weight loss mistake to count the calories from exercise as an extra food allotment. The commonly available estimates are so inaccurate and extremely misleading if you forget to only look at the “net” expenditure of exercise over and above what you’d already be burning sitting on the couch. I don’t think that a system of giving yourself “permission to eat more” furthers the cause of fat loss. When I do burn a significant chunk of calories (climbing a mountain or dragging snowshoes along a trail), I can’t help but eat more. I’m ravished. Any container of salted nuts within grasp is in dire trouble…</p>
<p>When I’m tracking, those just go in the log as big food days. I’m not really aiming for a particular number in my tracking. The goal is, on average, to eat a little less than I had been eating when I gained a couple of pounds. I think that’s a good strategy for fat loss. If you want to lose weight, start by tallying what you are eating and then look for things you can cut out of that so that you end up eating less. Personally, I try to focus my cuts on things that are most fattening and least nutritionally beneficial. So Pepsi and Doritos and Red Twizzlers were an obvious place for me to start… 
It could be as simple as just cutting one more thing each week until weight loss is going at an acceptable (or appropriate) rate.</p>
<p>ID–I can resist Pepsi, Doritos, and Red Twizzlers, but last night at a party I discovered Graeter’s Dark Chocolate Truffle ice cream. Man oh man. :x Edit: (Fortunately there were also pistachios which WE brought!)</p>
<p>Sunny day–going to get a nice long walk in. </p>
<p>IIRC, WeightWatchers (under the old point system anyway) follows a low-fat philosophy - low fat foods are less points than calorically-equivalent high fat foods. So if you are trying to do a low-carb diet, you can wind up short on calories.</p>
<p>The newer PointsPlus system made a huge mistake IMO by adding zero-point foods, but I never tried using that system.</p>
<p>
You are an outlier in terms of the amount of exercise intensity you are capable of. Very few people, let alone overweight people using WW to try to lose weight, are capable of riding at 19mph for any length of time. The calculators are not geared for athletes, they are targeted at average people. You could probably calculate how many calories one exercise point is worth, and adjust from there.</p>
<p>Skipped Saturday’s workout at the gym; worked with trainer yesterday for an hour. Showed up for water aerobics this morning only to find that, they ‘forgot to call us’ and tell us that the instructor was sick so class was cancelled. I’m getting so incredibly fed up with this gym, but it’s the closest to my house. Anyway, I did do my PT water exercises, and then spent about 40 minutes trying to creatively come up with ways to move my body from one end of the pool to the other that would get my heart rate up (hint, creativity is not my forte). The only thing good that might come of it is that we’ll see how sore I am tomorrow, and it might give me a clue as to how my body might respond when I try to snorkel in three weeks!</p>
<p>Thats annoying Teri to not get a call.</p>
<p>Momannoyed, Grater’s is GOOD!! Has to resist some myself this weekend - only thing on my side was that the time was awkward. I’m from the camp that if there is something I REALLY want, I don’t tend to deny myself - but I DO really watch the portion size. Good ice cream is PERFECT to this. One small scoop can be savored and eaten slowly! </p>
<p>Had to cut my gym time short today to pick up D2 - just under 30 mins combo track/running ellipitical. </p>
<p>IDad, you are spot on when pointing out that those trying to lose weight should not view exercise as a license to eat more. Exercise alone for an hour 5 days a week will not achieve weight loss; it’s the regulation of food intake that counts and you are right that most estimates of “calories burned” found on commercial cardio equipment are so off as to be ridiculous. When I weighed 36 pounds more than I do now, my activity levels were the same as now. What changed was food monitoring, cutting out stuff like 2 chocolate Martina’s every Saturday night, desert at dinners out, eating the full "super sized " portion of carbs that came on the restaurant plate, in general eating in more moderation. The exercise provided a way to maintain muscle mass as I lost weight, kept me fit and sane, and accelerated my weight loss. That being said, activity levels are important to take into account when figuring out what your food intake should be on a weight loss plan. Otherwise, you could end up losing too much too fast instead of losing at a sensible rate. Once you hit your desired weight, activity levels are also important to figure out maintenance.</p>
<p>Notrichenough, all my weight loss was on the new point plus system. It is a bit goofy that there are zero point foods, such as fruit, that in reality have calories. I think ww did that to promote eating fruits and veggies but if I ate 10 bananas or apples a day, I don’t care that the points would be zero; the realty would be that I ate about 1000 additional calories which would no doubt impact adversely on my food management plan. All in all though, the ww system has worked well for me because of its ease and convenience. It is something that I use and have adhered to because of that and the adherence is more important than the shortcomings. At this point, I use it as a reference guide and I make my own adjustments based on my daily activity levels and then monitor the results on the scale and occasionally using body fat % testing.</p>
<p>Ice cream? Ice cream? I have some vague recollection of that. I know I haven’t eaten any since Feb 11, 2010 when I started this fat loss/fitness kick. In fact, an opportunity to eat ice cream played a role in bolstering my resolve. </p>
<p>A few months after I started exercising and losing weight (remember, at 250 pounds with 44 inch jeans, I needed to lose a lot of weight), my dear wife brought home two half gallons of my absolute favorite ice cream (Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip). I asked her why in the world she would do that. I mean, she had seen me in my WalMart fat guy exercise shorts doing intervals on the exercise bike. She had seen me lifting weights. She had seen me going for walks and coming back drenched in sweat. She knew I was making a concerted effort to lose weight and get in shape. She said that she had to buy two half-gallons of my favorite ice cream because it was on “buy one, get one free sale”. It cheesed me off so bad that she would undermine my efforts that I was determined to not eat one bite of that damn ice cream. And, I didn’t. When it was all gone, I at least had the satisfaction of knowing that I hadn’t eaten so much as a single bite… She did say that it wasn’t fair that it was so easy for me to lose weight… :)</p>
<p>I did keep eating a 6 ounce cup of italian ice for my sweet tooth for the first year. Under 100 calories. Then, I read Robert Lustig’s book and decided that there were better things to eat than frozen sugar. I think that’s when I switched to apples for dessert.</p>
<p>Graeters…mmmm…</p>
<p>As you all predicted, writing down my food today was interesting. The day isn’t over, but I take an art class on Monday evenings, it will be late when I get home and I know I will stick to what I plan to eat because I don’t want to have to figure out any additional gms of food so I will post now. </p>
<p>I spent time yesterday making a four egg with feta, broccoli, spinach and skim milk casserole and took one fourth to work for breakfast and will do that for the next three days. I also made my usual oatmeal with nuts. In addition I will eat a plain choboni yogurt, canned pumpkin, apple and tuna today. This morning I walked into the break room and someone had brought a bowl full of small bags of different chips which is my favorite junk food but it was easy to resist because it wasn’t on the plan for today.</p>
<p>I haven’t logged this into myfitnesspal yet but my calculation based on the container labels is:</p>
<p>Calories 1174 (fitness pal said to eat 1200)
% fat 45 (59)
% carb 30 (88)
% protein 25 (73)
Fiber 20.5
Sugar 35</p>
<p>I have been hungry since 3 pm even after eating the yogurt at 5 but the planned tuna and pumpkin for dinner should help. I was surprised how high the calorie and fat content of my usual oatmeal with nuts is. Typically I add dried fruit to that but skipped today. I took two short walks around the building just to get away from the computer but can’t do more due to Monday evening activity.</p>
<p>Regarding ice cream: I take spoonfuls and eat right out of the container…no calories if not put into a bowl…right!!! Lol. Guess that practice is over.</p>
<p>Oops. Just realized I counted the gms of fat a little too high. Oh well, close enough for today.</p>
<p>So what do you do with the pumpkin and tuna? Combine them? </p>
<p>busyparent:</p>
<p>Fantastic job on day one of tracking your food. 1200 calories is very low. That’s lower than the calories that a normal woman would be burning even lying in bed all day and not moving. If you have to go a bit higher than that and lose a little slower, that’s not only fine, but maybe even preferable.</p>
<p>Eating bites out of the container is the lethally dangerous to a fat loss effort. All food has to go in a bowl. Otherwise, it’s just spoonful by spoonful until the container is gone. Trust me. Been there, done that, got the XL t-shirt.</p>
<p>Dreaded Airdyne intervals. Mile intervals. About 3 minutes a piece. They suck. Saw a heart rate of 93% of my max, so left a little something on the table. Not bad for a Monday, though…</p>
<p>Did get a terrific song to power me through the third interval:</p>
<p>[Hell</a> on Heels](<a href=“Pistol Annies - Hell On Heels (Official Video) - YouTube”>Pistol Annies - Hell On Heels (Official Video) - YouTube)</p>