I seem to be running behind these last couple of days. By the time the evening comes I just want to lay down, and haven’t bothered to post my food for the day. Yesterday I did some school work, a little baking (fruit & nut bars) and tried a nap in the afternoon. I think after playing with the fruit and nut bars that I don’t think I’m going to try another attempt. I’m not quite sure what I don’t find tasty about them, but between the blueberry bran snack cake and the zucchini spice cake, and the chocolate zucchini cake… it loses every time. So today, to use up the yogurt, I’ll make some of the blueberry bran cake and probably Wed I’ll make some (or both) of the zucchini cakes.

Now, it’s laundry, more studying, some notes summary, and maybe a practice at my CAD drawings for Monday. That wouldn’t be so bad if it were 9am, but it’s noon.

Food for today:

Total: 2000 (25% fat, 38% carbs, 33% protein)

Breakfast: two fried eggs, cracked wheat oatmeal bread, clementines (427)
AM Snack: fruit & nut bar (98)
Lunch: turkey spaetzle soup, cracked wheat oatmeal bread, apple (505)
PM Snack: zucchini snack cake, ruffles chips (176)
Dinner: chicken with tomato/wine sauce, cheese blend, bean/carrot blend, butter, salad w/dressing (503)
Late Snack: protein shake, fruit salad (291)

I’m still not sure how to answer the ‘how do I feel’ question.  Last night I got into my Communications project and worked way too late on it.  Lay down, couldn’t sleep, so got up and continued working on it.  I have a bad tendency to throw off my sleep patterns this way.  So, still awake at 4am and then up about 9:30 this morning… not too bad, but not great.

I would have said that the congestion was better, except I just had lunch and the hot soup loosened it and I’ve been coughing now.  I decided to go back to my deficit calories though and see how I feel on Monday.  I don’t want to use the excuse that I’m not feeling 100% as one to simply eat more.  I’m going to see how the next week starts and go from there.

I didn’t post my food for yesterday, so…

Food for Friday:

Total: 2495 (17% fat, 41% carbs, 32% protein, 8% alcohol)

Breakfast: protein shake with oatmeal and sour cherries (400)
AM Snack: none (0)
Lunch: whole wheat tortillas, mustard, eye of round, apple (429)
PM Snack: zucchini snack cake, beer (471)
Dinner: meat sauce, whole wheat pasta, cheese blend, salad w/dressing (768)
Late Snack: protein shake, fruit salad, ruffles chips (427)

So, I’m feeling better, just not well.  The congestion is somewhat broken up, but still present.  The same with the cough.  I’m getting really annoyed with the whole process.  It’s like I’m almost there, just not quite.  This weekend will be filling with studying and hopefully working on my Communications project.  So, maybe getting more rest will help.  My plan is to go back to the regular deficit calories on Saturday.

Can you tell I don’t make a good sick person?  I’m one of those whiny patients, who bitches about small stuff, but then ignores the big stuff.  So, I’m just going to add my food for the day, grab my evening snack, and off to bed I go.

Food for the day:

Total: 2507 (26% fat, 36% carbs, 32% protein)

Breakfast: egg/egg white omelet with cheese, zucchini bread, jam, clementines (592)
AM Snack: chocolate zucchini cake, soy nuts (290)
Lunch: whole wheat tortillas, smoked turkey, mustard, apple, ruffles chips (518)
PM Snack: hummus, carrots, jack daniels & lemonade (287)
Dinner: balsamic pork tenderloin, bean/carrot blend, butter, salad w/dressing (514)
Late Snack: protein shake, fruit salad (306)

So, I had just about the perfect day off. I probably should have done a little more work on school stuff but I blew it off. I even tried a nap in the afternoon, although I never got quite off to sleep. Breakfast was delayed this morning as we were out of eggs, egg whites, etc. The only good thing is that I didn’t have to make the Costco run. 

I notice that I’ve been a little heavy on the carbs the last couple of days. I wasn’t specifically aiming for any macro level. In the end I’m getting the same level of protein, just filling the extra calories with carbs.

Food for the day:

Total: 2505 (26% fat, 47% carbs, 26% protein)

AM Snack: chocolate zucchini cake, fruit salad (206)
Breakfast: egg/egg white omelet with cheese, clementines (329)
Lunch: meat sauce, whole wheat pasta, cheese, apple (698)
PM Snack: hummus, carrots, flatbread, ruffles chips (178)
Dinner: spicy meatloaf with roasted potatoes and onions, bean/carrot blend, butter, salad w/dressing (633)
Late Snack: protein shake, fruit salad (306)

I think I’m actually feeling better tonight. My sinuses are clear and I’m only coughing occasionally. We’ll see how it goes when I try to sleep. I think that’s the worst part, the interrupted sleep. Of course, I’m taking advantage of not having classes tomorrow by staying up later when I probably should have gone to sleep earlier.

The math test today was reasonably easy today, except I know I made an error on the last question. It was a 3-part question (worth 10%) and I couldn’t get part 1 to work out. I knew it was something simple (it was, should have used cos instead of sin) but I couldn’t clear my head enough to pick up on it. That’s the problem with antihistamines, they zone me out a little. I basically wrote a short note and did the next two steps as I would have done them (but with the wrong number), hoping she takes pity on me. She’s been pretty reasonable with people in the past so we’ll see what happens.

Tomorrow will be a light day. Some research on the Communications project, and probably a start to studying for next week’s third test in Mfg Processes. I will review test #2 on Thursday with the teacher and see if I can figure out a strategy for the next test.

Food for the day:

Total: 2498 (27% fat, 41% carbs, 29% protein)

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, zucchini bread, jam, clementines (537)
AM Snack: chocolate zucchini cake (156)
Lunch: beefy mushroom soup, cracked wheat oatmeal bread, apple, ruffles chips (667)
PM Snack: hummus, carrots, flatbread (244)
Dinner: stewed beef, potatoes, bean/carrot blend, butter, salad w/dressing (572)
Late Snack: protein shake, fruit salad (321)

I think I feel marginally better today.  The funny thing is that I set my alarm for the wrong time, and got an extra hour’s sleep.  I was finishing up my breakfast when I realized it, and made it there 10 mins into the class.  Normally I wouldn’t have bothered, but this was the AutoCAD class that we have to produce and hand in the drawings during the class.  I still finished well within the time, and just checked the marks.  Again, all three at 100%.  I’m also feeling better about the upcoming theory exam as he’s started to talk about things that will be on it, and yes, it will be theory.  I was concerned that it might be primarily manual drawings which is my weak area.

I have the second math test tomorrow, and I think I’m okay with that.  However, lots of sleep will be my best preparation, so it’s off to bed I go fairly soon.

Food for the day:

Total: 2513 (25% fat, 40% carbs, 32% protein, 3% alcohol)

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, zucchini bread, jam, clementines (589)
AM Snack: none (0)
Lunch: whole wheat tortillas, mustard, eye of round, apple, ruffles chips (519)
PM Snack: chocolate zucchini bread, soy nuts, almonds (454)
Dinner: pork souvlaki, bean/carrot blend, butter, salad w/dressing (503)
Late Snack: protein shake, fruit salad, hot toddy (449)

Other than some school work and some laundry today I did pretty much nothing today.  My mother says that I sound much better when coughing.  :)  I do feel slightly better, but I admit I could do with another day off.  Oh well, no rest for the wicked I suppose.  So I’m headed to bed soon.

Food for the day:

Total: 2513 (25% fat, 40% carbs, 32% protein, 3% alcohol)

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, salsa, zucchini bread, jam, clementines (557)
AM Snack: chocolate zucchini bread (156)
Lunch: meat sauce, whole wheat pasta, parmesan cheese, apple (644)
PM Snack: hummus, carrots (178)
Dinner: sirloin steak, corn, butter, salad w/dressing (578)
Late Snack: protein shake, fruit salad, hot toddy (400)

The Sunday to Sunday loss this week is 1.2lbs. I’m very surprised at that since I increased my calories slightly yesterday to try and fight off the cold I have. It could be that I’m a little dehydrated though. The 9-week loss is 17.6lbs (1.96/week) which is usually the ‘number’ I look at to see how things are going overall. The other little compulsive number I look at is how many days I’ve been ‘on plan’ primarily with food. I still consider the maintenance week ‘on plan’ since I accomplished what I wanted to. So, since I started keeping track this is day 310 on plan with food. And yes, I consider even with yesterday’s raise in calories that I’m on plan. Primarily because I made a decision based on how I feel physically. It wasn’t an ‘I’m hungry, I’m going to eat more’ situation, but one made that will hopefully get me feeling better faster.

So, yesterday I actually felt worse, so I decided to split the difference and put my calories at 2500 for a couple of days.  Maintenance, in theory, is still around 3000 calories, so I decided it was a decent compromise between the 2000 I had planned.  It was really pretty hard to do as I was slightly sick to my stomach.  I feel marginally better this morning, but we’ll see how the day progresses.  I spent the day yesterday playing with AutoCad and vegging on the couch.  Today I need to work on Math (test Tuesday) and do some research for my Communications project.

So I’m off to weigh myself and then have breakfast.  I will pop back on later with my update for the week.

Food for Saturday:

Total: 2506 (25% fat, 42% carbs, 26% protein, 3% alcohol)

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, zucchini bread, jam, clementines (470)
AM Snack: chocolate zucchini bread (156)
Lunch: turkey spaetzle soup, cracked wheat oatmeal bread, apple, ruffles chips (605)
PM Snack: fruit salad, hummus, flatbread (241)
Dinner: chili with cheese, multigrain tostidos, salad w/dressing (681)
Late Snack: protein shake, hot toddy (353)

I would have said I was feeling better, but I see now that it was just the alcohol, soda water, and such that was likely just coating my throat. Anyway, I managed to make a decent choice for dinner (a chicken wrap with the ranch dressing swapped out for salsa, and dressing on the side for the salad… instead of the fries). Possibly a little less alcohol might have been a better choice, but what the hell. With not drinking at the college I could stick to Jack Daniels on the rocks. A far better caloric choice than beer.

We were all a little pissed off with our test marks from Wednesday’s test. I dropped from 80% (on the first) to 76%, and I really did feel, as others did, that I had a better handle on the content for this test. I’m not sure from a preparation standpoint what I could have done better. There were a few people sitting mid-70s that didn’t pass (60% is a pass). Although, having said that my overall standing is lower, so not everyone did poorly. I’d probably be a little less disappointed if it was lower for everyone.

The positive news is that I’m sitting 58/60 with a better mark on the Tuesday test. And the teacher (who with his wife) joined us tonight let it slip (after seeing who was there) that he would give us the option to skip the final and take the mark we currently have. He said he would discuss it closer to the time, and I have to confirm that this will include the attendance bonus (which I’ve factored in there). ie. at 53/60 I might write the exam and take my chances (since that would automatically add whatever I get out of 40 + 5).

I think I’m going to call it a night, so I’ll just add my food now (although I should go get my snack.

Food for the day:

Total: 2014 (18% fat, 30% carbs, 31% protein, 19% alcohol)

Breakfast: protein shake with oatmeal and frozen cherries (343)
AM Snack: none (0)
Lunch: whole wheat tortillas, mustard, smoked turkey (336)
PM Snack: chocolate zucchini cake, apple (183)
Dinner: jack daniels(lots), chicken wrap, salad w/dressing (904)
Late Snack: protein shake, fruit salad (231)