Zi’s weight loss
Diet without dieting
Yes You Can!!! I am doing it. I’m a picky eater and still eat my favorite foods including the bad.
A few Julys ago My Cholesterol & Sugar were a bit high; but when my doctor told me my weight and it was more than 10 pounds over what I thought it was, I kicked my butt and started to keep a journal. She wanted to see me again 6 weeks later. My sugar as well as my cholesterol are better than they were last time, they went down again but not where we want them, but I am trying.
I have an assortment of things here to help not only myself, but if you are trying to lose weight then you as well! (maybe we can support each other!)
*I’ve included how to figure out your BMR,
*substitutes for snaking,
*How I’ve been doing this
* printable Diet Journals
(You can also find fitness and other printables I use and have come across on the pages in the menu)
*items I use to exercise as well as a few videos
When why How?
When I had gone to my new Doctor the beginning of July (2013) when my blood work got 
back,my cholesterol was a bit high as well as my sugar but I don’t have diabetes. That plus when she weighed me I was 10-15 pounds more than I thought I was; so I guess that’s what did it. Hopefully I can keep it up during the fall & winter when most of us start to veg out!
As for How.. well I had heard those who write down what they eat tend to eat less and lose weight. I already always have some form of notebook or journal on me,but I got one sort of just for this. I don’t just write what I eat in it but you will see in the section with the pocket journals what I include.
I drink about 3-4 cups of water a day now that the metal cup I have is the only cup I use which litterally has my name on it (well Initials) anyway I think it’s 16 oz which equals 2 cups here in the states, so I’m getting the 8 cups we are told to drink.
I also try to keep the amount of food I eat in the day down to 10 items (or less). for instance between noon and 7:29 pm one day I only ate a package of Raman Noodles with some sliced garlic, Hot Dog (my fave brand is ball Park) with a Bun (which fell apart so maybe half of it) and a little ketchup, 20 oz Grape soda (which lasted me a few hours & still at half the bottle (usually it takes me the afternoon & night to finish.. I take a sip here & there) a few slices of Ham w/ a ring of Pineapple, & 1/4 -1/2 cup of corn. I DO count the water (fluids) as one item. I do notice there’s 1 definite snack time of the day I usually get a craving, between 2:30 & 3:30 (depending on when I get going in the day) Also sometimes at night I may not be hungry before I go to bed but there are times I do get hungry while waiting to fall asleep. If this happens, and you have fruit, or nuts in the house, a 100 calorie snack pack, even peanut butter (or substitute if you are allergic) on any bread you want have it. It means your body’s metabolism is working and you are doing a good job. (also remember the more water you drink, and the more you go to the bathroom you will know you are starting to lose. Sick of plain water, have flavored hot tea or one of those single serving flavor packs for your bottled water or even squirt some Mio into your water.
Normally when I eat dinner I eat at my desk while I work on a page like this; (or something else,) so I end up eating slow, & getting satisfied before I’m full. This keeps you (well at least me) satisfied longer. I do somewhat try to portion my food, sometimes I weigh it for how many ounces it is, but it’s a pain when you get into all of that. Basically to make it’s easier to go by this… 1 serving = the size of YOUR fist . I prefer to have small little meals or ‘snacks’ to big meals. If we have hamburgers or a steak, that’s all I will eat at that time, and eat my portion of the side serving a little later. (if not then I’ll have it for lunch next day.
YES! You can eat chocolate, & sweets! A great sweet treat is Twizzlers.. NO FAT! Heck I even eat McDonald’s or whatever fast food place if out (I don’t eat their hamburgers or any other fast food franchises’) I usually have one of the 4 pc chicken nuggets & a small (dollar menu) Fries The sweet tea & occassionally I’ll get the apple pies. Sometimes if I have the extra money I get a fruit smoothie instead or along with (the Fries & nuggets depends on mood, and how hungry I am)
The one Rule on SODA… ONLY ONCE a week! Maybe 2x tops! IF at all! (as I usually like to have a rum or Jack Daniel’s & Coke when I want a drink, or I just like it with certain foods. I also do this if there are no sweet mix drinks like a pina Colada around)
I also (try at lest) to do some form of exercise during commercials. (You will see the videos below) Just try to do as many (of your pref. exercise here) as you can in 20-30 seconds (try setting a count down timer) take a few seconds break, then do something different. Don’t have an actual routine when it comes to exercise, because at some point your body will no longer respond and you will not lose pounds because that’s when you get stuck at a certain weight.
For what I do for exercises see the video section I have other notes there.
Eat stuff you enjoy, because that’s when you become a grump and like the snickers commercial goes “we don’t like you when you’re grumpy” . You can ‘diet’ and enjoy what you like & NOT have to be on a brand name one like A
tkins. I do have Weight watchers below for references as to how their program works & I was trying to find out about their points thing and see if I could work that in or make my own type.
Oh & I Don’t weigh myself! Wait for when you go to the doctor’s to be weighed. Home scales usually are not right. (esp. with people playing with them to the weight they THINK they are) Once you have gotten your weight from the doctor’s then while standing on the scale, have someone adjust it to that weight. This way You have something to go by to see if you are losing… Only weigh yourself once a week (say Fridays) & take a break on the weekends
Keys to losing weight
1. What you eat
2. how much you eat (have small portions or mini meals)
3. How long it takes to eat it
4. How often you do
5. try some form of exercise (even just cleaning)
6. Smart snacking
7. Do not eat 2-3 hours before bed….unless your stomach is rumbling
It is now 2016 and what weight came off, I put back on and some extra so I want to try watching what I eat as well as only eat a few times a day. Good thing I usually don’t get hungry while writing! So far I have only started recording what I eat and how much (like a cup or Package Ounces etc) of what I eat. Plus any activity I do, like shopping, and cleaning (including what I cleaned/how) also if we are shopping, instead of going to the next store (in same plaza) by car, I usually walk to it especially if it’s on the opposite side.
11 habits that will boost your metabolism
Pocket Journals – This is what I Personally use
(Links will lead to Amazon for your convenience)
I write a few different things but as a side bar, I include everything I ate that day & usually with the amount, be it ounces, a fist size portion, Water & I just write slashes next to it to show how many cups I’ve had. (which may actually be double that as the ‘cup’ I drink from I think is 16 oz.) So be sure to drink LOTS of water & it doesn’t have to be all plain. You can use those Crystal Light packs, Mio etc flavorings, I do & still count it as a cup of water why becasue it IS water and
2. after a certain amount plain.. I can’t drink any more as if I were full or drowning. I don’t need to go into details here as to WHAT my body or is it tongue makes my body do but I don’t want to become a fountain!
As I mentioned in the When, Why & How… I have a journal specific for this..
some other stuff besides what I eat during the day I note is.
*How I’m feeling that day (as I have back problems and hip) by a pain scale,
* weather & temperature
*What I’ve read or how many pages in my book I have read (I have a little mission going with getting rid of my shelf full of to read books)
* If I watch a movie, then I write my notes or review draft in it
*Ideas for stories, poems etc,
*a summary of a dream I had
*my Luminosity BPI & once a week (usually Sundays) the full stats.
*anything else that comes to mind, sometimes even a drawing.
*BMI (Body mass index)/ information from the Calculator (from link in intro)
Other ideas to include (espcially to start)
*Write the amount you weight
*Measurements of= Chest/bust, waist, hips, Thighs, & if you want Butt
*your weight goal (try to start ‘light’ like 5 pounds.. & go from there!)
*Calories (if known)
*Time you ate
*were you hungry or not
*Emotions before eating & After
*How long it took you to eat (any left over?)
*Room you ate in & Position while eating
*Specific Cravings
*note whether you lost or gained (maybe draw up a monthly calendar so you can track it.
*if you exercise, Include a list of the exercises you did, the # reps & # sets you did. (maybe how long it took you as well) Change them up the next day to something else & the next time you do those first exercises Do 1-5 extra. Do a few different variants of them as well. Maybe 1 cardio, 1 upper body, 1 lower & 1 midsection so 4-5 in a workout.
Remember one thing though the cardio goes first for at least 20 minutes to half hour (to get you going then everything after is what beats up the fat!)
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Pocket page Diary – & Daily Tracking
23 tipsfor drinking more water each day
Milk o o o
Veggies o o o o o
oil o o
Vitamins o o o
Activity(ies)
Points
balance
Healthy & Happy List
o Exercise
o Eat Healthy
o Clean Something
o Work
o Play
o Social
o Create Something
o Read
o Journal
o Slept _____ hrs. (8 hopefully)
What to Eat -substitutes
GREEK YOGURT
I wondered about this to the regular kind. I’m not one who likes plain yogurt even if I add my own ‘flavor’ But I tried (I forget what brand) but a Pineapple one that came with some nuts in a square packaging. NOT crazy about it but the good thing… It made me feel satisfied after eating it (though not liking the flavor I forced myself to finish it) so worth the extra $
see more about this in the ‘Some other help’ section at the end
Goals – I’m a bit overweight For my height So I need to lose 5-10 pounds
I do need to look up again what I was when I started doing this so I can keep track as I have lost track.
- Sept. 19 2013 I’m at the point I don’t eat as much as I did. I don’t really get hungry like I did. I do pick & snack but from what I check in my log book, it’s not as much as it once was. I just have to drink more water. As the weather cooled off, my water (fluids) intake has taken a nose dive.
- Fri Sept 27 went to an appointment and asked if they could just weigh me before I left, I may have lost another pound.Sat 28th I was at my aunt Pam’s who tries to take care of herself and weighed myself on her scale and her’s said I was at 265 as well so WHOO I lost another pound!
- August 27 / 28 I had an appointment and they had one of the doctor’s office scales so I asked if they could weigh me so I could see if I lost another pound. I still had my clothes on but it said I was about the same as I was. I went to my aunts the next day as we had a tag sale to get rid of a few things, and she has a scale (I usually ONLY trust the doctor’s office ones but I know my aunt watches herself so I will go along with hers as the 2nd opinion) well I HAD lost another pound (so that’s 1 pound per month! Wooo hoo!)
- November (forget date) but weighed in & seemed stuck at (I think it was) 165 but it may have been water weight so I’m either 165 or 164.
- Dec 25 All I got for the holiday was JUNK FOOD (well minus the Godiva that’s the ONLY acceptable junkfood)a sliver of Vegan cheesecake, tried a thin slice as well regular rasberry & chocolate one!! Had a brownie & some ‘cookie’ that looks like a scoop of Chocolate icecream & it had a bit of peanutbutter in it. 2-3 Sea breezes and a cup of cocoa (oh yeah and a heap of potatoes mashed & a slice of pork roast
- December 26 well between yesterday and today I may have gained a pound so will have to try to drink alot more water I’m not going to even bother trying to note what I munched on today… too much
- January 18 2014 So a couple days ago I went to the doctor & we checked the weight & I gained 2 pounds over the holidays.(It could have been worse) I was even watching what I was eating with the Exception of my family’s & their xmas holidays dinner/dessert. Cheesecake 3 different kinds and had a small piece of each (no wider than an inch, but pretty sure not more than half inch) one of which was vegan. I’ve been drinking a crazy amount of Water too.
- May 30 2014- well the doc I had been going to left the practice, and being as I don’t like at home scales I will have to wait for my up coming doctor’s appt. to see if I’ve lost or gained anything. Honestly I haven’t been trying, buyt being as I have been stressed (at least feeling so) I’m guessing I have gained some weight
- June 10- WHooo!!! I lost weight again! I’m back to 164 (I think it was) I’m not even keeping note to what I ate (I just eat what I like but try not to eat too much) I usually never have seconds so if I really enjoy somthing & want seconds of something I have no problem & never feel guilty about it.So summer is here so likely the water in take will be more, and not everyday.. but sporatically I have been doing what I can to exercise (even if I can only take it for a few minutes. My back has issues so it doesn’t co-operate with trying that part of losing weight. I not only want to lose the weight ,but I want to lose inches/ dress sizes as well!
- July 9 2014- So it’s full into summer and drinking more and prob. eating less no idea what it is as I don’t officially diet but do try to watch what I eat and I lost a few more pounds!!!I’m currently at 161 !!!!! I do hope I lose another 10 lbs. by the end of the summer (the least)
- April 29 2015 sadly I have gained weight back adding 4 lbs for 165 (grrr)
- November 2016 eeek! 170 lbs. (well I have been in a bit of a cheese bagel phase lately..Ok I admit it.. I was reincarnated from a mouse!) So starts trying to watch (recording) what I eat…
NEW age, new Goal, with the coming new year
December 7, 2016 Went to one of my Doctor’s and lost a pound!!!
Weight Loss tracker – as if it’s fundraising! (in this case fun-d LOSING!)
Depending on # pounds to lose, 1-5 lines = 1 pound
Another idea would be to laminate it & Color in the whole thing & then erase as you lose each pound (or whatever way you want)
What to Eat Substitutes ~ NUTS
Basically a hand full or 2 of any will do, Peanuts, Walnuts, whatever your favorite. They are good for a tide me over between meals & pick me up for added energy! Need a late night snack? Make this your go to!
(again Links are likely To Amazon)
The Calorie King Food & Exercise Journal
A ‘How to use’ section, and sample of how to do a journal page Calorie Fat & Carb counter,
Food & Fitness Journal – MINI Kraft Hard Cover NEW TITLE!
Doesn’t give you a bigger picture to look through the book but you can see a sample of what the inside looks like.
The Ultimate Pocket Diet Journal
How to use sections plus how to assess your weight/health status. Develop a diet program for yourself, and Reading the Nutrition label. A list of How many calories you burn with each physical activity, & building your personal profile. THis would MOST DEFINATLEY be the one I’d get for myself.
Some exercise Ideas – Honestly…the exercises I do
They don’t help me with losing weight, they’re just my Physical therapy ones, but I do try to do some everyday even if I’m in pain. I just do 1/4 of the amount of reps. If it hurts too much I don’t do that exercise at all. If I’m feeling good, I try to do them faster so that it ends up being a cardio session.
If you are not comfortable with using videos online to do your workouts (it’s best to change things up this way your body doesn’t get used to the same exercises over and over) It’s a good Idea to change things up maybe each week to each month. If you have cable (not sure about satellite) but there are on demand stations, check the main on demand station and see if there’s a “Free on demand’ option (we have one here on Optimum cablevision) and there’s a section for fitness.
(Ours is under Home & Leisure > Mag rack > Fitness & Yoga ) there’s cardio, forms of dance, Yoga, I think muscle toning etc
I have tried when I’m not in pain to do this method of exercise
10-Minute-HIIT-Workout & 20-Minute-HIIT-Workout
Exercise Chart
(how much will you lose. – 1 Kg = 2 pounds 1 stone = 6 kg 1 stone = 14 pounds
My Home Gym – remember these are my Physical Thereapy exercises
but i’m sure you can bust a move with certain ones to make them more ‘real’ exercise otherwise check out the next section, but be sure to remember to strech before any exercise.
There’s a few streches I have to do like toe raises, standing balance holding on to the back of a chair and lifting leg out to side Pelvic Tilt, Bridge
I don’t walk.. its sort of hard for me to exlain) I stand during commercials & leave my feet together (well really walking distance apart) & just (as if walking but standing in same spot) move one foot so its as if you are stepping but do not lift it up (your heel, up to where your toes bend should be the only thing that leaves floor. I also use some 2 pound weights, and some reps with an 8 lb weight, resistance bands do some stuff that way for my arms and legs.
Oh as for other things you may need, a scale to measure your food. I don’t do it all the time only when I’m not sure what it is.
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1 Bally Total Fitness 65cm Anti-Burst Fitness Ball with DVD and Pump
I Do Leg arcs, knee squeeze, & rolling (think reverse st up)
2 Bally Twist Board Honestly when I’m able to do something like this I use my hoolahoop!
BMR – Basic Metabolic weight
Women:
655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) +
(4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)
Men:
66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years)
My menu – Good for you & the Greasey too
- Hot Dog (I like Ball park brand)with one of those Tortilla wraps(which I cook a bit in the frying pan with a little bit of Smart Balance, (enough to cover pan) . When I take it out I pat it off put the hot dog in & to me it’s so much better than using a bun (esp. if you’ve already had something with bread or will have something like pasta later)
- Fresh garlic (lots like 3-5 cloves) Pasta but you can’t eat the whole pound! Think maybe 1-2 cups
- Hamburger (no larger than the size of your fist or well a bit bigger than before it’s cooked) you can then put a bit of cheddar cheese & 1 piece of bacon cut in half.
- Kashi Berry blossom Cereal
- 1 slice of (whatever kind of bread you like) with Peanut Butter (or a PB substitute) and well I’ve been using Lingonberry jam.
- Potato chips.. NO MORE THAN a handful and that’s no more than once a week (or less)
- 2 WHOLE eggs scrambled (YES I keep the yolks! I don’t see WHY people get rid of what gives it the flavor, other wise WHY BOTHER?!)
- McDonald’s Dollar Menus 1 small fry, 1- 4 pc nugget & sometimes I get a sweet tea or the smoothie. (sometimes I ONLY get a smoothie)usually when I’m out running errands I end up getting hungry & not enough money for a resturant & Mc D’s is the cheapest thing! This is usually once a week (or every other) & after I’ve been running round so my metabolism is burning it as I eat it.
- Water & Fluids I drink at least 3 cups a day of water maybe 1 of milk & have a cup and a cup or 2 of water with some Crystal light (or whatever of those 2 qt. instant juice packs we have) which I count as a water (If it’s too sweet just put extra water but taste along the way.I do try to drink at least 3-5 cups of water a day. (But my normal cup maybe 2 as I think the cup I use is 16 oz. so that’s probably how I’ve been losing the weight
- I JUST tried Greek yogurt for the first time. I don’t remember the first brand I tried It was a Chobani package like Muller (the square shape with the corner) Pineapple, wasn’t crazy about that but I have 2 more flavors make that I think 4 more flavors (as I just got a couple more) here to try.*Dannon Light & Fit Blended Orange cream ~ good*Oikos PLAIN to sum it up is GROSS* Chobani Passionfruit.. YUM now that was a nice desert snack. Somewhat Icecream like.. & let’s not forget the Blood Orange too!The Greek yogurt will fill you up, just be sure to check out the pages in the more help section as there is one that taste tests them & will tell you the ones with most protein, those are the ones you want! Chobani being one of them! It keeps you full longer, so it’s great to keep for a snack later at night and so on.
- Fruit esp. good for a late night snack! Try to get at least 3 a week if not a couple a day
- Want to eat a candy bar? One of my Favorites is the one called a ‘Whatchamacallit’ or have a Kit Kat otherwise, a candy bar with nuts in it.
- Fruit Newtons You know those Biscut like cookies? OMG There’s a new one Banana bread w/ some drizzling of Dark Chocolate… GREAT for a dessert instead of the real thing!They also have a blueberry one That I’ve tried.. can’t remember the other flavor tho’
- soda ? Usually I just have (if at all) 1 a week. Sometimes plain sometimes (for those OVER 21) i put some rum or Jack Daniels in it. On occasion I may end up having 2 if I eat out somewhere one day & get in the mood later in the week for one of those drinks.Oh Yeah & I’m a Diet Coke person which ever you like doesn’t matter but I usually have Lemon in mine when I’m out (esp. if its Pepsi blah) . But when it comes to my Mountain Dew I will grab the regular over diet!It’s the OVER consumption of soda (Like anything else) that makes you fat No 2 liter bottle (or more) a day. 2 in the week is fine, it whets your sweet-tooth and the ‘Forbidding’ diet snafus
- Ice Cream or Popsicle? are fine… (even Sorbet) want the icy stuff it’s fine for each night. Ice cream there’s a company that makes mini cones (I think it’s the Blue Bunny brand) those or no more than a cup every other to few nights.
- Uber fruit & Nut bars
The ‘Menu’ – ConDemtations
I am a picky eater so I can forget about doing any ‘real’ diets. I do remember when my mother, friends or other family have been on them & well they get too cranky with restrictions etc. The ‘ZIet’ has NO RESTRICTIONS.
You can still eat meat as red as you want it, Hot dogs, BACON (the duct tape of food) chocolate all the naughty stuff BUT within reason! For instance some of the items I’ll include for now have been….
Another thing I do is EAT SLOWER especially dinner. Chew more times than you usually do or just wait 30 seconds to a minute between each bite of food. I usually play games on the computer, write or read my book or watch a movie in between bites.
Keep track of what you eat each day this way you will see how much you’ve ate and I try not to eat more than 10 items a day (water includes 1, no matter how many you have) Milk includes another.. & every soda or other kind of drink after that.
I NEVER HAVE nor will I ever (as far as I can control it) eat Mayonnaise if I can control it
Condements
Ketchup (just one line across the Hot Dog)
A*1 steaksauce a Table spoon
Soy Sauce – table spoon
Garlic …POUR IT ON
sea Salt (only) just a Dash or 2 to bring out flavor (think 1/4 of a teaspoon)
Cinnamon I know it’s not exactly but I do know it is supposed to help with weight loss! I just forget if it’s a metabolism booster or appetite suppressant
Weekly Diet Diary
Here’s Your Motivation – cut them out & paste them into journal every 5-10 pages.
or make a ‘magnetic poetry’ type kit out of it & put them on your fridge.
Cut them out & tape them to the HEALTHIER foods in your cuboard & fridge etc.
the Google ‘diet’
What to Eat Substitutes — Popcorn
ditch the chips & go for popcorn! esp. the airpop kind
Like butter on your popcorn? Use some SMARTBALANCE 1- tsp
don’t use salt.. try using other spices and herbs!
if you DO go the way of the potato chip… use a slicer (to get them thin) and BAKE your own!
Healthy-Popcorn-Recipes
Me Through the Years – I hate being in pictures, and well lost alot of my more recent ones
Click thumbnail to view full-size
n Albany New York I think It was 2009Cape May 
Cape may 2007 I saw these Giant hibiscus and HAD to get a pic.
YES! I have this cheesy shirt still, & not even sure if I ever wore it to a concert (for a laugh)
our kitchen
2011 I don’t think i have one for 2012 but will have to try and get a current picture for this year & start posting after few months
2011 I don’t think i have one for 2012 but will have to try and get a current picture for this year & start posting after few months
Oh I DO have a 2012 pic. This is in my Aunt & Uncle’s back yard
The TECHNICAL diet journal – keep track of calories and more
This is the kind I will stay away from as when you start counting all this and such it creates stress and that is the reason I am a bit over weight. (Thanks to a job I had for 11 years plus the last job I had was really stressfull and Opressive so It started sitting right in my gut.)
I’d rather be more casual in doing things like this That’s the reason I use an actual pocket diary & I can just note in what I want when & How. Plus there’s just only so much room.
Zi's Beauty Balm 