Welcome back cheese + jam!!!
I replenished my Organic Valley Extra Sharp Cheddar at EarthFare yesterday. I gave a bite to Matt while making my lunch and he exclaimed: "MMMM!" It’s a really good cheese! Expensive, but worth it. It’s on a big slab of Dakota bread from Great Harvest with a schmear of homemade Apple butter I have that someone gave me a while ago.
A furball
And dessert. My chocolate chest is FINALLY nearing empty in like…2 years!!
Anticipated snack:
Thought you guys would enjoy hearing a food diary I found while cleaning out my filing cabinet yesterday. I went to see an R.D. mid-way through my weight loss at age 23.5 (I know so from the form 🙂 ) – which would have been spring 2006. I was just curious to know how I was doing losing weight and we had an R.D. at the YMCA who I could see for a pretty good price. I prepared some background info and a food diary at her request and here’s some of what was on the form. I feel like my life is so much more….wholesome? now. See what you think:
Stats:
Height: 5’2”
Age: 23.5
Weight history:
- January 2005 (all-time high after 7-day cruise): 151
- March 2005: Foot surgery – off feet for 2 months
- May 2005 (day of college graduation): 146
- September 2005: 136
- February 2006: 134
- March 6, 2006: 131
- Goal weight: 126 (my lucky number)
Health Habits:
- Based on some food journaling, I eat about 1700-1800 calories per day.
- I always drink at least 70oz. of water a day, and most days it’s usually closer to 80-90oz.
- I take a Centrum multivitamin every morning and calcium chews when I remember.
- I get 7.5-8 hours of sleep each night.
- I have a Dove dark chocolate promise every day (for sanity’s sake!)
- I drink all-natural 1% milk and buy organic chicken, bacon, and eggs.
- I eat 3 meals (at 6:30am, noon, and 8pm) and 2 snacks (one at 10am and one at 4:30pm) a day. Breakfasts are usually 300 calories, snack 100, lunch 400-500, snack #2 200-300, and dinner around 400. I try to have protein, fat, and grains at every meal, but this doesn’t always happen.
- I’m usually hungriest at 4:30pm when I get home from work and I am least hungry (surprisingly) for dinner after working out. Because I live with my boyfriend, I don’t know how flexible moving around dinner would be (if you were to suggest that I have a bigger meal at another point during the day and have just a light snack after working out).
- I logged my exercise and meals using the SELF Magazine Challenge daily logs (you’ll see these posted below).
Last Week’s Meal Plan (from SELF Challenge log):
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6:30 AM 1 egg, 1 slice natural bacon, 5 strawberries, 1 homemade yogurt bran muffin (150 calories each), A little hungry, (300)
9:00 AM Hot tea, A little hungry, (25)
11:00 AM 1/2 cup sugar free cheesecake pudding, 2 strawberries, A little hungry, (100)
12:30 PM 1 slice of spelt bread topped with 1 slice of Munster cheese and 1 piece turkey, mustard, and spinach. Apple with 1 tbsp peanut butter, 4 strawberries, Dove dark chocolate promise, A little hungry, (400)
4:30 PM Stoneyfield farms yogurt, whole wheat tortilla, Medium hungry, (250)
5:30 PM 1/2 cup Fiber One with small amount of milk. Hot tea, Medium hungry, (125)
7:30 PM While cooking: Bite of cottage cheese. 2 nuts. 5 oat bran pretzels, Medium hungry, (75)
8:00 PM 1.5 cups curried tomato and pepper soup (150). Spinach salad topped with 50 cals of lemon tahini dressing and some dried fruit and walnuts (50 cals), Not at all hungry, (250)
8:00 PM Homemade yogurt bran muffin with a dallop of whipped cream., Not at all hungry, (200)
Total calories: 1725
From what I remember of that consultation, she told me I was doing great and could probably eat a few MORE calories to jump-start weight loss. I’m not sure what I ended up doing, but here I am years later and you know me! While I don’t count calories anymore, I’ll always stand by counting as a good way to lose weight. It sure worked well for me.
Since putting on a few pounds last year, I’m happy to say that I’ve lost most of that without counting or weighing or really anything but intuitive, mindful eating. So it works both ways!
Have a great Monday guys!
Heather (Heather's Dish) says
mmmmmmm cheese and jam is SO GOOD! it’s worth the price, too, since you don’t have to use as much to have fabulous flavor! i loved reading your stats on here too…so inspirational!
Freya @ Brit Chick Runs says
How fascinating to read what you used to eat! I love love love finding my old food diaries and seeing what I ate – I eat SO much better now, it’s unbelievable! You should keep posting what you used to eat, it’s fun to read 😛
How do you make apple butter btw? (I know the apple butter was a gift, but I wondered if you knew anyway)
Have a great day 🙂
Hilary says
I’ve made apple butter in a crock pot by jut putting a bunch of apples chopped up and a bunch of cinnamon. I would watch it and stir it every hour or so and add liquid if needed. It turned out SO good. I didn’t find out that adding any sugar was necessary. I’m sure this could also be done in a pot on a stove and blended after cooking to make it super creamy.
Hilary says
Edit: I didn’t find that adding sugar was necessary. Apples are sweet enough as is 🙂
Bethany @ More Fruit Please says
Ok, that’s it. I’m looking up where the closest Great Harvest is. I NEED that Dakota bread!
Clearly Composed says
You have convinced me…I will be trying a cheese and jam sandwich asap! 🙂
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
So funny to see how your eating has changed– I can’t imagine seeing sugar-free pudding on this blog now!!! You focus so much more on whole foods now…so you’ve definitely changed for the better! (and inspired others to do so too!)
That Organic Valley sharp cheddar is my absolute favorite…love it.
Jessica @ How Sweet says
I love that you included this diary. It’s amazing how many times you mentioned that you weren’t hungry at all! You do seem to eat more wholesome, different, ‘fun’ meals now!
Mara @ What's for Dinner? says
Interesting! What I find interesting in my own weight loss struggle/journey, i do best when i eat LESS interesting stuff…
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday says
I love coming across old diaries and stuff like this.
Robyn @ Frugal 'n' Fit! says
It’s so interesting to see how food habits (and knowledge) change. I am with you on needing a little bit of chocolate each day for sanity’s sake!
Wei-Wei says
Wow, food journals from long ago are really interesting to read! Glad to see you ate well even back then 🙂 I love finding tidbits from the past like this.
Your sandwich sounds great! Cheddar = <3 😀
Wei-Wei
Michelle @ Give Me the Almond Butter says
I just found my food journal! It actually drove me completely nuts trying to record all of my food and calories!
AllieNic @ Frisky Lemon says
I actually just stopped counting calories after recording them in an online program (DailyBurn) for about 9 months. I was in the process of reintroducing meat into my diet and wanted to keep tabs on my macros for a while.
Now that I’m not counting calories, I find that I’m even more mindful of what I’m eating (maybe because I’m not writing everything down and I want to remember?), and it feels great to be aware of what I’m putting into my body (nutritional value-wise) and not be super meticulous about it. This awareness is something I never would have gotten if I hadn’t counted calories slash kept a journal…
Katherine says
nice post; have a great monday to you too!
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
I kept a FitDay account for two years, and this made me open it and see what I ate three years ago. Wow…big change!! I still stuggle with how much I “should” eat versus how much I WANT to eat, but I much prefer intuitive eating!!
Hope you’re having a wonderful Monday so far!
Stacy (StacyGrowsHealthy) says
That was really interesting, thanks for sharing!
mary ann says
You know the part in the sound of music where they do that round from “doe a deer” with the tea with jam and bread? Ive been singing that non stop since reading this post except replacing “tea” with “cheese hehe.
MA
Sarah @ Daily Nibbles says
Great post Kath! I wish I could come see you for a consultation:) Your eating habits are really wonderful. I love to workout, but my eating habits could use some work (not getting enough veggies, eating too little at lunch, etc.). Oh, and I have the biggest sweet tooth known to mankind, combined with a deep rooted desire to bake most nights. My place is dangerous. I would go nuts trying to count calories, so I’m going to try just having some dark chocolate after dinner for a while to see if that helps!
Kath says
I might start up online consults again when I’m an R.D.!
Sarah@Daily Nibbles says
Ooohh! I would LOVE that. Seriously. I need it. I just finished my marathon training and wish I would have seen an R.D. during it. I was SO hungry, but not sure what foods were best to fill up on. Now, I’m adjusting to not exercising as much and trying to eat a little less.
Cheryl says
Kath, sorry to be off topic, but what type of camera do u use? Do u find it user friendly as in just point and shoot.. your pictures are always so clear on those up close shots.
Kath says
Canon Digital Rebel with 50 mm lens. Worth the moolah!
Rebecca @ How the Cookies Crumble says
I love tracking what I eat too! It’s the only way to know for sure if there are extra calories sneaking in your diet. For those trying to lose weight, they forget that the little things add up!
JENNA says
this was so interesting! thank you for sharing it! looking back on how i ate 2-4 years ago is astonishing to me! Isn’t it crazy how much things change.
growing up did your family eat healthy? Did your parents encourage you to eat balanced foods?
Kath says
Yes, they eat pretty healthy. But not quite as real food/veggie focused as I do now. And with lots of good treats packed in!
Monique@That's What She Said says
That’s so awesome for you 🙂 your meal looked yummy as always 🙂
Marisa (Loser for Life) says
I enjoyed reading that, Kath!
I look over my old WW journals sometimes and find it interesting how my food choice have changed – for the better!
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
thanks for that look back in the day…very interesting!
Camille says
How fun!
Not to mention that cheese and Jam is always a winning combo 🙂
Veggielady4life says
Great post! I also used to count calories meticulously, and I agree it is a wonderful way to lose weight. Although, I do think it’s just as important once you’ve reached goal to learn to eat by hunger/fullness cues. It can be challenging at first, but you are really an inspiration! You’ve successfully navigated that transition phase, and you’ve done it so well! You should be proud!
the husband says
I DO remember that consultation and she DID tell you to eat 100-200 more calories. And you did. And it worked (sexy worked, that is!)
RhodeyGirl says
gah I love when you comment!
Also, good memory !!!!
Michelle says
I LOVE apple butter! I’ve got a few aging apples left, so I should really put those to good use! I’ve been making pumpkin butter recently, but I think a change is in order.
I’ve been building up a chocolate stash. The other day I came home with a bag of Ghirardelli 60% dark squares (60 cal each–perfect for packed lunch!), a bar of Hint of Salt dark chocolate, a small bar of dark chocolate with ginger (wasn’t that good. It was on clearance and definitely tasted old), and a bar of dark chocolate with espresso. All this to add to what’s left of my Scharffen-Berger dark!
It’s so interesting to see your food journal from WAY back in the day! I enjoy reading my food journals from back when I was first starting Weight Watchers (only about 8 months ago). I love seeing how I’ve definitely shifted more toward “real food.” 🙂
Caroline says
Thanks for sharing….it was really interesting! 🙂
Fueling for Fitness says
All these pictures of delicious bread is making me really wish that I could buy it in Canada!
-Alison
Kristin (Salty Tooth) says
Thanks for sharing. I’m currently in the process of starting my weight loss and I’m finding that a food log has been very helpful for me. Hopefully I have the same kind of success!
Stacy says
i’ve been struggling with calorie counting. Maybe some of your readers have some tips, but I find myself “trying” things here and there and not really knowing how to account for it, like a bite of cottage cheese, do you estimate the calories? I also make a lot of my dinners from scratch which is really hard to determine the nutritional information. Maybe I just need to break down and buy a scale, but I just don’t see it being cost effective if I measure things.
How do you keep track of calories when you go out to dinner? A lot of places still don’t provide nutritional information so that is where I struggle a lot as well.
Brittany @ A Healthy Slice of Life says
Hi Stacy… you might want to check out 411fit. I blog on the website and a lot of people have found success using it.
As for things you make from scratch, you can enter all the ingredients, then just note what size portion you had (half, 1/4 of it, etc).
If you check it out, let me know what you think! I like to provide the creator with feedback 🙂
Stacy says
Thanks Brittany! I signed up, I’ll check it out for a week and let you know if I have any feedback, it already seems a little easier to use than others I’ve tried.
Kath says
I used to count tastes only if I had more than 1 – like 5 bites of something would add up!
I also would estimate dinners in calorie king and divide by my portion like she said below.
And restaurants are HARD because of oil and butter, but just do your best. It’s all an estimate anyways.
Ashley@thehungryscholar says
Food diary/logs are a great idea. Thanks for sharing yours!
Amy says
Hi Kath,
VERY interesting post! I went to an RD a couple of years ago who also advised me to up my caloric intake in order to ‘jumpstart’ my weightloss (I was and am at a healthy weight but the ‘higher-end’ of the range for my height and I don’t like or feel comfortable here!). I tried that, and I just continued gaining weight. What’s the rationale in upping the calories to lose the weight/how is this impacted by a slow metabolism (which I seem to have)?
Brittany @ A Healthy Slice of Life says
Hey Amy, I read your comment and think you sound like a perfect candidate for a metabolic test. They’re quick and easy (about 15-20 minutes), and usually cost between $50-$75 bucks. Some gyms have them (like the YMCA). You fast, and spend about 12 minutes breathing into a tube. It calculates your RMR (resting metabolic rate) which tells you exactly how many calories you burn at rest. From there, the test administrator should be able to help you figure in your exercise schedule and determine how many calories you need to eat to maintain or lose weight. It’s a great way to take the guess work out of weight loss 🙂
Hope this helps!
Kath says
Well the rationale is that your metabolism is getting sluggish, but I’m not sure I really believe in all that. Because most people underestimate their calories anyways. I think a lot of people would also see a gain if they just increased (i’m pretty sure I did, but I can’t really remember..)
Amy says
Thank you both!
RhodeyGirl says
I LOVED reading that little diary portion. I am going to go back to the classics I think! Just for fun for a few weeks.
I am always surprised when i go back and read old food diaries to see some of the foods I used to eat… pudding cups, lots of deli turkey at lunches, many mini snacks before dinner while waiting for dinner, etc.. I still lost weight, but it was so different and definitely not as wholesome.
Sarah (OC2Seattle) says
Totally agree re calorie counting, it’s not fun but it works! BTW, I totally covet your jam and cheese sandwich 😉
Jenny says
Looks like another well-balanced lunch- I like the idea of the food diary!
Sarah says
I love looking at my old food diaries! How freeing to know you can take care good care of your body without counting. I know it works, but it drives me CRAZY when I try to do it. I’ll take intuitive eating any day!
Annie @ stronghealthyfit says
Interesting to read! It’s so great for women to be sharing nutrition and health info with one another 🙂
Belinda says
Thank you for posting your old food diary. Do you make a menu of what you are going to eat now? I cannot remember if you have mentioned this before so sorry if this is a repeat for you. I plan dinner for my family but that is it. I cannot decide if planning every single meal would help me or make me crazy. What do you do? Thanks!
Kath says
I plan meals for ingredients for the week – but sometimes (like this week) I don’t!
Sarah says
Cheese with jam or honey also makes a great dessert! What a great idea for a sandwich tho!
Claire says
The dakota bread…yum!
How interesting to read the old food diary…I hate counting calories but think that it works for many people to lose weight if they don’t obsess.
Helen says
It’s fascinating seeing what you used to eat. I used to write a food diary when I was in my disordered eating phase and I have thrown them away as they used to make me feel so stupid for restricting my food intake. Your diary seems much more comprehensive and as it is an aid to lose weight it is great to look back on them and see how differently you eat now.
Lindsay @ Summit Sandwiches says
Your cheese + jam sandwich looks great! I started making that sandwich combo because of you, and I love it. Who knew? Then again, I eat a lot of things now that I wouldn’t have before I discovered your blog. Hello sardines, furry kiwis (I used to peel, but it’s so much more convenient not to!) and tempeh + pumpkin butter sandwiches! Thanks for the foodie inspiration, Kath!
Kath says
🙂
Sam says
Hey Kath, I tried that cheese per your recommendation (just restocked today, actually) and I don’t know if I’ll be able to go back to the cheaper stuff. The flavor is really, really good. Nice and rich and “pure”-tasting. Thank you!
Kath says
Oh good!
jen says
Slightly off topic (though your lunch looks amazing!) but to your point this morning about the beauty of being organized… I’m trying to figure out the best website to manage tasks. I know you’ve mentioned Remember the Milk before, and I saw they have an iPhone app and can merge with gmail, or do you just use gmail tasks? I’m looking for something I can access from my phone and not have to visit a separate site for, ideally. I’d love suggestions from you or others, really admire how organized you are! Thanks!
Kath says
I use Google Tasks 100% now. I like it’s simplicity.
Jess - The Domestic Vegan says
I love finding stuff like this! So interesting to see how we evolve over the years.
Emilyeatsclean says
Cheese + applebutter…..what a delish sounding combination! I must try soon!
Rose-Anne says
I know the old food diary is just two days’ worth of eating, but it seems like you eat so much more produce now! Which is awesome 🙂 I think my eating habits have taken a similar turn. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more dedicated to eating leafy greens, especially as big main-course salads. They just taste so fresh and healthy.
Kath says
I do eat more produce now!
Kelly says
My chocolate stash is always almost empty or completely empty. Can’t help myself !!:)
Maren says
I find it really interesting and cool to see how you count your calories. I’m trying to be better and more consistent at it and seeing how you successfully did it makes me feel a little more confident. Great Post! I love your blog!
Paige (Running Around Normal) says
Haha I bet that was a trip down memory lane! You ate well then too:) Counting calories is definitely a great way to lose weight, but some need to be cautious, because it can lead to obsessive behavior, as it did with me.
Heather says
I love finding out journal type things while cleaning! too funny!
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
It’s interesting going back and looking at old eating habits. Mine seem to change every few months or so but when I get into something I like it’s the.exact.same until it’s mixed up in some way. and it’s funny how eating more actually causes weight loss sometimes- but it’s true! I noticed the “1/2 Fiber One + milk” combo in your diary..I use to eat that everyday after dinner no matter what lol!
Have a great rest of the Monday!
Rachel says
A furball. Haha!
Lisa @bakebikeblog says
I seriously need to try this cheese + jam combo – I am intrigued!!!!!
lauri Watson says
I had a VERY similar lunch!! Funny! I’m usually hungriest around 4:30 and least hungry for dinner!! Thanks for sharing your ‘past’ with us!
Kellie says
I count calories and WW points. It works for me. I used to just do pts, but one thing I don’t like about ww is it doesn’t stress whole foods enough. I eat whole foods and count calories. It also helps me to make sure I am eating enough.
Stacey@http://stacey-healthylife.blogspot.com/ says
I feel like I’m better at what I eat now more then I used to be. Knowledge is such a powerful thing and learning about whole natural foods is the best way to live and so much easier then all the diets and nonsense.
I love the sugar free cheesecake pudding. 🙂
Jil @ Peace, Love & Munchies says
Ahh – the cheese and jam! So good!!
Krystina says
I stopped calorie counting and weighing myself and I know that I’ve maintained my weigh based on intuitive eating, how my clothes fit and how I feel. 🙂
Marissa says
That’s so weird; I can’t imagine you eating sugar-free pudding now! And your current lunch looks much healthier and tastier than the ones you documented in the food log. :]
Katharina says
Oh my gosh I LOVE that cheese–it is sooo good. Luckily, there’s a discount healthfood store down here and it’s usually on sale on top of that. Enjoy the rest of your week!
p.s. where did you get that adorable spoon that’s in your post with the strawberry ice cream??
Kath says
It came with the bowl that I linked to in that post
Cynthia (It All Changes) says
I loved seeing your old school lists. And good to know that you went to an RD. I did the same when my weight loss stalled and she gave me some great ideas.
Lana says
Cool! I love facts and figures, being a numbers girl.
However, I don’t count calories. Drives me too crazy/obsessive.
I do wonder, though; have you found your body to hit a “set weight” and try to defend that weight when you eat healthy / exercise regularly. Or, do you feel like you are always working to maintain where you are (still 126 lbs or around there?!) weight-wise.
In short, do you believe in the set-point theory? 🙂
Kath says
I haven’t hit a set weight – I’ve gone up and down 5-7 pounds since hitting my goal of 120 lbs. I think flux is natural. We eat a little more some months and less other months. So I don’t really believe in set point. I think it’s something people made up to explain eating a few too many calories.
rebecca says
but isn’t that kind of a set point after all? for years you’ve stayed within those 5-7 lbs… seems pretty stable to me… though i totally agree that set points can actually be high weights… if someone continues to overeat/maintain an above-normal wt, i’m not convinced that’s where the body wants to be even if it’s stable?
Kath says
Yeah, maybe. I don’t think anyone can prove either way.
But you could argue that I’m maintaining around here because I’m used to eating the same amount of calories to maintain within 5 pounds of this weight for my body.
rebecca says
yeah totally agree with you – i think most people generally eat roughly the same amount every day and that’s what keeps them stable, at whatever weight. thanks!
Courtney @ Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life says
How interesting to have that to look back on!!
Diana says
I think it’s great that you have history like that! I hope one day I can master intuitive eating. For now, I’ll be counting my calories to get to goal. 🙂
Jon says
Kath,
I have been reading your blog for about a year now and love it. I would love to be able to eat more like you and Matt. I do not comment very often but wanted to take a moment to thank you for your “back in the day” post today. After reading your food journals and how you have evolved in the last few years it has given me hope that I will be able to forge on and eat cleaner and more “real food” diet.
Thanks Again
JON
Kath says
Thanks Jon!
Hannah says
I love the way it looks a little like your bread roll is eating the cheese itself 😀 😀
The diary is interesting too… I think you eat a lot more fun food these days, as well as more natural!
maxinthegym says
Oh boy cheese and jam! After peanut butter and everything, that’s my fave combination!
I really love your blog, Kath 🙂 I hit refresh constantly to see if there’s anything new! Haha! So thank you for sharing 🙂
lucianna says
kath-would you guess you were eating around that amount (1700-1800 calories) throughout your weight loss? i’m trying to lose weight but i’m never sure how many calories i burn every day. i’ve tried many of those online calculators that are supposed to estimate how many calories you burn, but i’ve heard as little as 2000 per day to as much as 2500 per day! i want to try 1600 per day, but i usually am most satisfied at around 1700-1800….
Kath says
Yes, I would eat between 1700-1900 depending on exercise. Check out my info on NET calories on the Q+A page.
Amber K says
That bread looks amazing!
Anne @ Food Loving Polar Bear says
How can you make chocolate last for so long?! 😀
Alexandra says
I’ve always felt that weighing and calorie counting have been hurtful to balance in my life. For me when I first tried to reach my weight loss goal, I felt that I became obsessed with the number and not so much my actual health, after I reached my goal weight. I don’t count calories or weigh myself anymore, but it took me a while to let go and enjoy food again not worrying about so many numbers. For someone trying to reach a goal I think counting is a good place to start..just make sure you know when to stop!
Amelia says
Could you explain why you’d eat more to “jump start weight loss”? Just wondering because I have been trying to lose about 5 lbs for a while and even with very healthy eating & lots of exercise (training for a half) the scale won’t budge. According to online calculators I should eat about 1400 cals/day to lose weight. I assumed that by eating more, I wouldn’t lose weight so I’m interested in the “eat more to lose” approach. Thanks!