Weight Loss Goal - The Plan

Starting Weight 206 pounds.

First Goal Weight 175 pounds. 31 pounds to lose. Goal date Oct 6, 2012

Second Goal Weight 160 pounds. 15 pounds to lose. Goal date Dec 11, 2012

Third Goal Weight 145 pounds. 15 pounds to lose. Goal date Feb 21, 2013

61 pounds total to lose in 8 and a half months.

To determine the target dates I used this Weight Loss Target Date Calculator.

The Plan to Reach My Goal

Food & Nutrition: Zig Zag Weight Loss Plan


 Zig Zagging your calorie intake is to fool your metabolism into not knowing it's dieting.  If you eat the same number of calories each day, your metabolism adjusts for it and will slow down.

To determine the healthy amount of calories I need to consume and not to go over I used this Calorie Calculator.

you need 2546 Calories/day to maintain your weight
you need 2046 Calories/day to lose 1 lb per week
you need 1546 Calories/day to lose 2 lb per week




Zig Zag Calorie Intake Schedule

	Maintenance	Fat Loss	Extreme Fat Loss
Sunday	2301	1841	1381
Monday	1841	1473	1105
Tuesday	2761	2209	1657
Wednesday	2301	1841	1381
Thursday	2071	1657	1243
Friday	2531	2025	1519
Saturday	2301	1841	1381
*Calorie cycling provides same amount of calories per week, but 'tricks' your body by constantly changing daily calories. This helps to prevent or break plateaus. Guideline only.

To determine my zig zag calories I used this Calorie Intake Calculator.

Water

Your body needs 1 oz. of water per body weight. Plus 1 1/2 additional oz. of water for every beverage consumed containg caffeine, carbonation or alcohol.

I need to drink 108 oz of water a day. I have broken this down to 4 - 27oz cups through out the day. I've learned to try to get most of the water in earlier in the day. If I don't I tend to get up several times during my sleep to use the rest room. Sleep is important, especially while trying to lose weight. So the less I wake up the better.

As I lose the weight these numbers and calculations will change.

Fitness/Exercise

To Start
Walk Daily - 2.5 to 5 miles.
30 Day Shred (or like)- 3x a week

Sleep

7 to 9 hours

Walking for Weight Loss

Walking is a wonderful way to burn calories. Burning 300 to 400 calories a day is a good goal for the exercise portion of any weight loss plan. Depending on your weight, 10,000 steps burn between 250 and 600 calories. 

Working Up To A 5 Mile (10000 Step) Walk

Walk for 10 minutes, then walk back. Do this every day for a week. Each week add 5 minutes until you reach 5 miles (10,000 steps). 

For more information on how to walk properly, posture, warm-ups, etc... visit the walkingsite.com.

Use this Walking Calories Calculator to help determine how many steps/miles you need to walk to burn the calories you need to lose weight.

Your weight and the distance you walk determine the energy calories burned while walking. Walking speed matters less than distance and weight. A rule of thumb is 100 calories per mile for a 180-pound person and 65 for a 120-pound person. Use this calculator.

To help me keep track of my steps/miles I use the Fitbit Ultra. The Fitbit Ultra has probably been the best motivating tool I've ever used. Fitbit.com

The Fitbit Ultra Features:

Activity Tracker - Steps taken, calories burned, floors climbed, and distance traveled.

Sleeping Monitoring - Tracks how long and how well you've slept.

Wireless Uploads - When you are 15 ft away from the plugged in base station.

Online Tools - FREE online tools. All the other trackers charge a fee.

Tiny and Discreet - It is the smallest fitness tracker on the market.

Log Food & Activity - Log your food and activity. 

Snyc with Apps - Fitbit syncs your stats with other popular nutrition and fitness programs. 

Share with Friends - Fitbit has its own social network.

How many Weight Watchers Points Am I Allowed

How many Weight Watchers Points Am I Allowed

The Truth About Red Wine

The Truth About Red Wine And Your Health

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/19/red-wine-health_n_1018934.html

By Angelica Catalano for YouBeauty Recent headlines have caused some confusion by calling red wine an overhyped super drink, calling into question whether the red stuff is actually better for you than your run-of-the-mill alcoholic bevy.

Did you know...

that not getting enough sleep is linked with:

• Increase in body mass index – a greater likelihood of obesity due to an increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation?
• Increased risk of diabetes and heart problems?

I've always thought I needed to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. I've been struggling to get those 8 hours of sleep for some time now. I try but I seem to always fall short an hour. So I decided to do some research and I found out it's 7 to 9 hours of sleep that is best for an adult to get each night. What a relief one less thing to stress about. I'm A.O.K. on the sleeping.

Source:
www.sleepfoundation.org

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/how-many-hours-of-sleep-are-enough/AN01487

My Top Three Reasons Why Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute...

Should Be Added to Your Spice Rack.

1. Ingredients: Onion, Black Pepper, Celery Seed, Cayenne Pepper, Parsley, Basil, Marjoram, Bay Leaf, Oregano, Thyme, Savory, Rosemary, Cumin, Mustard, Coriander, Garlic, Carrot, Orange Peel, Tomato Granules, Lemon Juice Powder, Oil of  Lemon, and Citric Acid. - All natural

2. Salt-free - You won't even need to use salt. Just look at the ingredients.

3. Flavorful - Adds flavor to any dish.

Just a few recipes I've used this super seasoning in.

No Noodle Eggplant Lasagna

Marinated Chicken Breasts

Skinny Omelette with an Avocado Tomato Topping

Skinny Stuffed Peppers

Tools to Lose

My favorite online tools that are helping me with my weight loss and healthy living.

SparkPeople - Check out my post to see why this is one of my favorite tools.

Healthy Body Calculator - Ever wonder how many calories or grams of fat you should be eating to lose weight? This calculator figures it all out for you.

Ask the Dietitian - Lots of wonderful information. As well as the Healthy Body Calculator.

Live Strong - More knowledge and knowledge is power.

Skinny Stove - Delicious recipes. 

What are some of your favorite healthy living sites?

The True Definition of Calories