Workout
Got up at 5:30 and hit the hotel gym. 2.6 miles running on treadmill and 20 minutes on the ET. Plus some pushups. Great way to start the day! 444 calories burned. (My heart rate was higher than normal today – probably dehydration from flying?)
Had 2 bites of banana before I left….
Breakfast
Hotel Oatmeal (you all want the recipe for this, right!?!?)
- 2 packets plain instant oatmeal
- 1 banana
- 10 grams walnuts
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions: Mix together. Eat.
That’s my beat up bowl from home!
375 calories.
Too bad the volume is so small on instant oatmeal. I decided to leave out the raisins and have them for a mid-morning snack.
Gotta run!
K
fitandhealthygirl says
Good morning, Kath! I just have a quick question. I know you said that now that you are maintaining your weight, you no longer weigh yourself. How often did you weigh yourself when you were losing weight and why? I'm trying to lose weight, and I just wanted someone's opinion on this. Thanks and have a great day!
Alex says
About the whole RD-commenting-on-your-intake thing:
First off, let me just say congratulations. You have received your first attack in the blog-o-sphere – the most sure sign that your blog is a success!
Second, I think that you handled it very well. You didn't get defensive and simply explained yourself (though you certainly didn't need to), and I think that is admirable because I would have had a hard time doing that.
Third, I have always thought that MyPyramid – or really any online calculator – tends to overestimate BMR as well as total calories needed. I am not sure why this is; perhaps it is different for people who have lost weight than for people who have always been at a certain weight naturally; perhaps it is because they are trying to aim more realistic goals to a society whose average weight is overweight. But I am like you in that, since I lost quite a bit of weight several years ago by eating healthy and exercising, I have found that to maintain my weight I certainly cannot eat the 2500+ that sites like MyPyramid recommend. I suppose it is possible that I messed up my metabolism somewhere in the process, but I tend to think that it is a combination of general overestimation and individual body needs.
This was a really long post, but I guess what I'm trying to say is, some people never really figure out how their body works, what will work for it, and (most importantly), how to put that into action. I think you definitely have a good grip on all of this, and the fact that one person thinks you are maybe eating 150 calories less/day than some random internet calculator recommends should not even give you pause.
On a different note, hope you're enjoying Syracuse! Savor the snow for me, I miss it!
Meg says
Hi Kath-great workout this morning! Have a fabulous day! I'm lovin' Fit From Within – well most of it anyways…some of her tips I def. don't agree with…but overall…it's a good read!
katheats says
FitandHealthy,
When I was losing, I weighed myself every morning, first thing, naked, after going to the bathroom. I, however, don't have very drastic body fluctuations, so I rarely saw an increase. My weight either stayed the same or went down. Many other women experience fluctuations of 3-5 pounds day to day, which can be troubling if you let the number on the scale ruin your day because you ate something a little too salty and retained some water.If you do fluxuate a lot, you have to understand the way water weight works and accept that you will see ups and downs but an overall downward trend.
When I was losing, my weight went down about a half a pound per 7 to 10 days (of good eating and exercise) and would plateau the last 2 weeks of my cycle, and then lose 2 pounds the week of my period. So my weight was/is fairly predictable.
I think weighing daily, weekly, your body measurements or just tracking how your clothes fit are all good ways to monitor progress. But I think the key is for weight loss, you should keep some kind of track on progress.
In maintenance, I find that the number is much more UN-predictable for me, so I stopped weighing because it would give me a bad vibe for the day. If I suspect I have gained though, I do hop on to keep myself in check. But on a normal basis, I go by how my clothes fit.
Hope that helps!
K
katheats says
Alex,
I LOVE your response. I think you hit the nail on the head about the calculators – they are online calculators and nothing more. Estimates. Only our bodies know the real number we're burning.
And I did read something in my Nutrition textbook about how those who have gained and then lost have different (lower) calorie requirements than those who have never gained. Hence the reason more exercise is recommended to maintain weight loss (90 minutes vs. 60 I think). I'll have to check on this and will hopefully post something this weekend. So you might be right about the calculators assuming that the person has never lost weight and therefore needs more calories.
K
katie says
Good morning! I'm a new reader to your blog, it looks awesome so far! You've accomplished a lot, the picture of you in the Davidson t-shirt is great!
Im' just wondering where you get your flavored coffees from? Blueberry cobbler sounds awesome!
Thanks!
Lily says
Hi Kath!
Love the blog–I'm in awe of how motivated and dedicated you are to a healthy lifestyle. I have an exercise question–when you say that you ran 2.6 miles, do you take breaks to walk, do intervals, or is it just straight running, and at what speed? Sorry if you've addressed this before; I'm 21 years old, in college and I exercise 6 days a week (cardio and strength) but I find on the treadmill that it's difficult to keep up a run for 2.6 miles–hopefully I'll get there! I'd love to know any tips you have 🙂
Amy says
I just had a question about oatmeal volume. You said instant doesnt have as much as regular oats. What do you mean by that? I have instant every morning and find that it makes a generous portion!
katheats says
Katie,
The Blueberry cobbler came from our local grocery store, Harris Teeter. If you just look around you'll probably find lots of options! Try your local coffee shop too.
Kath
katheats says
Lily,
I usually run outside, with no breaks. Today on the treadmill I ran at 6.6 mph on incline 1 and 2 alternating with 7.2 mph and 7.5 mph on incline 0. I try to switch it up from fast running to incline. I think I was on for about 20 minutes? I rarely stop to walk, but walking is great exercise, so stopping to walk isn't a bad thing. I just like to keep running to keep the pace going!
K
katheats says
Amy,
When I say instant I usually mean anything from a packet. The flavored kinds have to reduce the amount of oats you get to add in the flavors/sugar and keep the calories to 130-150, so you're usually only getting a half portion of oats. Today my packets were just plain oats, so I suppose they were the same as Quick oats, but I had to make them with hot water instead of in a microwave/stove top and since they don't absorb water well without being cooked slowly, they were much smaller and less volume than if I'd cooked a bowl.
Does that make sense?
Kath
mags says
kath,
wow! seems like you are a fairly good runner! have you ever thought about running in any races? i ran the chicago marathon this past summer and the whole experience was wonderful (despite the weather.)
also… totally random question, but do you count calories in sugar free gum? i think its awesome that you are so consistent and precise with your calorie counting but i noticed that each stick of gum has 5 calories. if your'e anything like me, you go through at least a few pieces a day. do you factor these in? thanks! love the blog.
Cathy says
Hi Kath! I am new to your blog and found it from another blog that I read all the time. I really like your blog and think you have done a wonderful job. It's funny how similar you and I are. I recently started going back to school for my RD and MS as well. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for allowing the public into your life. It's nice to see what other food struggles and enjoyment people have. Silly question for you…..I see that you eat kiwi a lot and it's always cut up with the skin on it. You don't eat the skin, do you? I know it's a silly question but I am curious b/c of the way you prep it. Thanks again and I look forward to coming back to your blog often. Sincerely, Cathy
Amy says
Thanks, Kath. That makes sense. I use plain Quaker Instant Oats which expand in the microwave so I think it's the same.
JT says
Hi Kath! I was just wondering if you would be able to post the recipe for the walnut-lentil burgers that you made awhile ago. They look so yummy!!
P.S. You and your husband are so CUTE!! I love his comments. 🙂
fitandhealthygirl says
Thanks for the reply about weighing yourself. I've noticed that I don't fluctuate much day-to-day either, so daily weigh-ins are probably right for me. I appreciate your help!
hk says
not to respond for her, but I would assume that kath is away from her computer flying back home. I remember her mentioning in a breakfast post that she does eat the kiwi with the skin on…just too much work to cut it all off, I think.
Annnd-I also remember another blogger asking for the lentil walnut burgers, and I checked out kath's response. She said that she found them on the recipebazaar site….i think that's what it's called…sorry, that's not too much help-but I thought I'd respond to what I remembered Kath commenting on a bit earlier. Happy tuesday!
Katy says
I remember a few days back someone posted that they couldn't find the slow churned egg nog ice cream that Kath ate one night. I happened to see it last night at Target (just a normal one, not a super Target). I'm not sure if all of them are carrying it, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look if you wanted to try it. Hope this helps!
Elle says
That was me Katy, and thanks! No Target around here…but maybe next time I'm at my parents' house…
Kath, I just read that you said you lost .5 lbs/7-10 days except that one week/month while losing?! Was this true even at your highest? That gives me a lot of motivation to be patient because I always thought that if you weren't losing quickly at your high weight you had no chance of continually losing until goal. Wow, so it must have taken you sooo long to drop those 30 lbs…I have newfound respect for you patience! I guess that's how to do it right…
katheats says
Mags,
I don't count sugar-free gum or other things that are <5 calories like mustard or tic tacs. However I would if I ate a LOT of that one thing. I usually have 2-3 pieces of sugar-free gum per day, and you're right, they do add up to 15 calories, but I'm not worried about a number that small because I don't even know if my calorie burn estimates are that accurate! But I do count things that are 10-25 calories, because they do add up – such as a tbsp ketchup or a piece of sugary hard candy (although I don't eat them often). Sometimes if I'm trying a few samples at the grocery store or something I will just put a number on all of them and say I had 50 calories' worth of sample bites.
So basically only if I feel it's actually going to make a dent in my day, but a piece or two of sugar-free gym is negligible in a daily intake of 1700-1800 calories – unless you chew the whole 25 piece pack!
K
katheats says
Cathy,
Like the husband said in the other post, I do eat the skin of a kiwi. I'm just waaaaaay too lazy to peel anything!! The only thing I do peel is butternut squash (which I hate to peel!) and I suppose I don't eat banana peel! The kiwi skin is great – it's just like eating peach or apple skin. It's kind of tart. Just rub off some of the fuzz with your hands to make it smoother. I used to eat it with a spoon, but that made too much of a mess!! I like to eat fruit with a fork, so diced kiwi it is – skin and all!
K
P.S. I love the husband's comparison of kiwi skin to squirrel fur! Hope it didn't gross anyone out.
katheats says
JT,
We based the lentil-walnut recipe on this one, but we altered it a lot and cut out some of the ingredients (onions, used less walnuts) but this should give you a start:
LENTIL-WALNUT BURGERS
Preparation time: 35 minutes to prepare, 1 hour to chill, 15 minutes to cook
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
3/4 cup dry lentils (any kind)
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for sautéing the patties
1 cup minced onion
4 large cloves garlic, minced
10 large mushrooms, minced
1/2 cup very finely minced walnuts
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound spinach, finely minced (optional)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs, wheat germ, or rolled oats
Place lentils and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and the liquid is gone. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, add vinegar, and mash well.
Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onion and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except the bread crumbs, wheat germ, or oats, and sauté 5 to 10 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the sautéed mixture and bread crumbs, wheat germ, or oats to the lentils and mix well. Chill for about 1 hour before forming patties.
Form 4-inch diameter patties. (It might be easiest to do this if you wet your hands.) Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet, and sauté the patties on both sides until heated through and crispy. You can also just broil them for about 5 to 8 minutes on each side.
katheats says
Elle,
My weight loss took me a looooong time because I enjoyed myself along the way!! I "got" exercise right away, but it took me over a year to "get" good nutrition. I had lots of special events that threw me off, but in general, the whole time the weight was coming off – just slower at times than others!!
K