Saturday, July 15, 2006

I’ve definitely been slacking in the exercise department this week. Although I managed a run and a swim workout earlier in the week, homework and the heat took over mid week. Usually if I’m not running or walking I’m at my Jitsu class. I find it hard going for a jog and then going to Jitsu later in the day. But I haven’t gone to Jitsu all week! Oops! Yesterday I went for a huge walk instead of a jog. Over the weekend in Ottawa the temperature is forecasted to be approx. 30C + humidex. So yeah - I’m not that hardcore. I was sweating a lot just walking! So it will be walking for me until the heat wave subsides. Or I’ll switch the jogging for swimming laps for now.

Although I’ve been slacking in the exercise department, my diet has been going really well. About six weeks ago I wrote about my search for a good diet program and my disappointment in the Curves and LA Weight Loss programs. For the last 5 weeks I have been following a modified Weight Watchers Points Program. In these 5 weeks I have lost 12lbs! Yay! WW is basically a reduced calorie diet with approximately 50calories = 1 Point with modifications for fiber and fat intake. Although I’ve been following the program I haven’t attended any meetings. The cost of WW is the meetings, as a student $12/week even if you don’t attend! I went to one meeting run by an extremely perky lady and it was basically consisted of a group of chubby people complaining, some skinny people showing off and an exchange of recipes, that day hamburger soup. As a vegetarian, the exchange of recipes is a waste of time, take away meat in hamburger soup you get vegetable soup, hah I can make that! As well I can do all the complaining and showing off myself. Obviously I wasn’t impressed; I am happy with the WW points program however. The points are a lot easier to remember throughout the day versus adding up all the calories (to make 1200-1500 per day). It has taught me to be calorie conscious. If I didn’t get anything out of this process then knowing the calorie contents in food in worth it. For example, before my typical on-the-go breakfast was a Tim Horton’s bagel and cream cheese and a bottle of Ice Tea. How bad could that be? Bagel and cream cheese = 12 points (~600cal) and bottle of ice tea = 4 points (~200cal). In perspective a Big Mac without cheese is 576 calories. Oh dear!

3 comments:

DerekTheRunner said...

So I should have a Big Mac as my new breakfast. Great! OK maybe not as I don't like Big Mac sauce! Just kidding!

I would love to give you my completely worked out WW math that I figured out about 5 years ago but those silly folkds keep sueing everyone who publishes it and I woudl hate to see them go after your blog if I put it here. It sure is easier to know though when walking through a grocery store than carrying a points slider everywere. Ok, I guess I admit that I have followed WW before and think they are pretty good. I have never been to a meeting. That I have left for Julie (my wife).

Great job on the loss though. I wish I would kick my but to lose some weight again though. I have made great progress on distance and overall fitness, but I suppose it would be nice to lose a bit of weight too.

Taylor said...

I try not to bring that slider to the grocery store, since I kind of feel like a dork using it in public. hah. I'm happy with rough estimation.

I actually found the equation while surfing the net one day. I didn't know they were randomly suing people for publishing. Weird because the eq'n isn't all that complicated.

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