Weight Loss Journey - Week #1 (Jan. 25-31, 2015)

Well here is the end of week one and I must say that I have never been more surprised and shocked at what I've learned about my eating habits this week than I have been at any other time.

I decided on Sunday morning, when I started this that I wasn't going to change anything what I did day to day in order for me to fully get an idea of what I really did from day to day before I changed it. Needless to say that shock and surprise became common emotions for me during this week. Not once did I go out of my way to exercise, not once! I mean I thought I exercised a couple times of week but apparently I was only fooling myself.

As for my food journal, well I'm flat out embarrassed at what I've eaten during the week; well not really what I've eaten but the amount that I have eaten. And I have no one to blame but myself is the ugly truth. No one held a gun to my head and forced me to eat any of this; it was all my own doing.

I also noticed a sad fact that I don't drink that much water during the day; I would mainly average anywhere from 20 to 60 ounces of water daily and that would be it. But hopefully I have solved this problem as I was able to get an app for my phone that alerts me to when I need to drink water. I didn't know that one is suppose to drink half of their body weight in ounces of water daily. That came as a shock as I'm not anywhere near that level. But hopefully this app will help, for anyone interested the App is called Water Your Body and I downloaded it free from the Google Play store. Its a great little app from what I can tell so I do highly suggest that others try it. Another trick that I learned about increasing my water intake was to put some lemon juice in my water. I'm gonna try this trick starting tomorrow (beginning of Week #2).

Now before I post my meals for the week, I'm in need of advice. I find myself eating when I'm not hungry at all and/or late at night. Since I have insomnia, I stay awake well into the early morning and I find myself snacking all during the night. Does anyone have any suggestions to how I can kill that habit? Any help would be appreciated. And now for my meals for the week, please keep in mind that I am not proud of the amount that I ate during this week and I plan to rectify that in the coming weeks.

Sunday - January 25
Breakfast:
- 2 scrambled eggs w/out salt and pepper
- 2 pieces of honey wheat toast w/ apricot jelly
- 2 patty sausages

Lunch:
- 2 chicken patties (baked)
- 1 pack of Maruchan Ramen Noodles (beef)
- 1 Tsp of Kikkoman Soy Sauce
- 8 fl oz of Lipton Citrus Green Tea

Afternoon Snack:
- EAS Protein Shake (8 oz)
- 3 Corn bread muffins

Dinner:
- 3 chicken patties (baked)
- 1 pack of Maruchan Ramen Noodles (beef)
- 1 Tsp of Kikkoman Soy Sauce
- 8 fl oz of Lipton Citrus Green Tea
- 1 corn bread muffin

Late Night Snack:
- 1/2 bag of Act II popcorn

Monday - January 26
Breakfast:
-nothing

Lunch:
-1 chicken patty (baked)
-1 pack of Maruchan ramen noodles (beef)
-1 Tsp of Soy Sauce (Louisiana Supreme brand)
- 1/2 cup of Sprite

Afternoon Snack:
- Peanut Butter and Apricot jelly sandwich (1)
- 1 cup of 2% milk

Dinner: 
- 1 Cup of Cola
- 1 baked pork chop with a light coding of Shake N' Bake
- 2 scrambled eggs with ketchup

Late Night Snack:
- 1/4 cup of popcorn
- 1 hot dog w/ mustard and ketchup
- 2 pieces of toast w/ apricot jelly

After Midnight:
- 2 cheese sandwiches
- 1/2 pack of ritz crackers
- 2 cornbread muffins
- 1 cup of 2% milk

Tuesday - January 27
Breakfast:
- Nothing

Lunch:
- 2 slices of Red Baron Thin Crust Pizza (Sausage & Pepperoni)
- 20 oz of Vitamin Water XXX Flavor

Afternoon Snack: 
- Personal Bunny Tracks Ice Cream

Dinner:
- 1 pack of Maruchan Beef Ramen
- 12 pieces of popcorn chicken
- 16.9 fl oz of Lipton Citrus Green Tea

Late Night Snack:
- 2 1/2 tbsp of Yoplait Vanilla Yogurt
- 3 tsp of Special K Granola w/ a Touch of Honey
- 1 soft peppermint candy
- 1 Ham and Cheese Sandwich w/ mayo
- 1 slice of pound cake

Wednesday - Jan. 28
Breakfast:
- 1 cup of Frosted Flakes w/ 1/2 cup of milk
- 1 cup of Barq's Root Beer
- 2 pieces of Honey Wheat Toast w/ Apricot Jelly

Lunch:
- 2 scrambled eggs w/out salt and pepper
- 1 cup of steamed rice w/out salt
- 1 tbsp of soy sauce (Louisiana Supreme brand)
- 1/2 tbsp of Furikaki (Japanese Rice Seasoning)
- 8 fl oz of Lipton Citrus Green Tea
- 1 patty sausage

Afternoon Snack:
- 1 Ritz cracker

Dinner:
- 8 fl oz of Lipton Citrus Green Tea
- 1 cup of steamed rice w/out salt
- 1/2 tbsp of Furikaki (Japanese Rice Seasoning)
- 1 tbsp of soy sauce (Louisiana Supreme brand)
- 12 pieces of popcorn chicken
- 2 cornbread muffins

Dinner Snack:
- 3 cornbread muffins w/ 1/2 cup of 2% milk

Last Night Snack:
- 1 Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- 1 piece of pound cake
- 1 cup of milk

Thursday - January. 29
Breakfast:
- Nothing

Lunch:
- Stir Fry (1 cup of steamed rice w/out salt, 2 scrambled eggs, 1 tbsp soy sauce)
- 1/2 tbsp of Furikaki (Japanese Rice Seasoning)
- 1 patty sausage
- 1 cup of milk

Afternoon Snack: 
- 1 hot dog w/ ketchup and mustard

Dinner: 
- 1 pack of Maruchan Ramen Noodles (Beef)
- 1 scrambled egg
- 8 pieces of popcorn chicken
- 16.9 fl oz of Lipton Citrus Green Tea
- 1 tbsp of soy sauce (Louisiana Supreme)

Night Snack: 
- 1 cup of Act II popcorn
- 1/2 Peanut butter sandwich

Friday -  January 30
Breakfast: 
- 2 scrambled eggs w/out salt and pepper; w/ a small amount of ketchup
- 2 pieces of Honey Wheat toast w/ a slight amount of raw honey
- 1 pack of Instant Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
- 2 patty sausages
- 1 glass of water

Lunch:
- 2 McDoubles from McDonalds. (NEVER AGAIN)
- 1 small water

Dinner:
- 1 cup of steamed rice w/out salt and pepper
- 10 pieces of popcorn chicken
- 1 tbsp of Furikaki (Japanese Rice Seasoning)
- 1/2 tbsp of Soy sauce (Louisiana Supreme)

Late Night Snack: 
- 1 hamburger

Saturday - January 31
Breakfast:
- 1 pack of Instant Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
- 2 pieces of honey wheat toast (plain)
- 1 cup of milk

Lunch:
- 1 cup of steamed rice w/out salt
- 1 tbsp of Furikaki (Japanese Rice Seasoning)
- 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce (Louisiana Supreme brand)
- 2 slices of lunch meat ham, lightly seared in a non-greased pan that was sprayed with PAM

Afternoon Snack:
- Personal size of Bunny Tracks Ice Cream

Late Afternoon:
- 1 Ham sandwich on white bread w/ mayo
- 1 Oatmeal Cookie

Dinner:
- 1 cup of steamed rice w/out salt
- 1 tbsp of Furikaki (Japanese Rice Seasoning)
- 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce (Louisiana Supreme brand)
- 2 slices of lunch meat ham, lightly seared in a non-greased pan that was sprayed with PAM
- 1/2 cup of Sprite

Snack:
- 2 cups of Act II popcorn

Late Night Snack:
- 1 cheese sandwich w/ two pieces of cheese and mayo
- 2 oatmeal cookies
- 1 cup of milk

As you can see I am not happy with my eating habits this week, in fact it would be safe to assume that I am down-right disappointed in myself. I mean do I really not eat any vegetables? Granted the only vegetable that I really will eat is corn but I mean still. Something has got to give and its got to give soon. I'm not living like this anymore. I am so over this poor diet that I have and while I want to change, there is an obstacle in my way.
Since I don't live on my own and I basically take care of my grandfather and uncle, who has down-syndrome, I'm pretty much stuck at home all day. And well when I'm home, I get bored and when I get bored I eat. So I have to get it into my head that food is not to be used to cure boredom or anything else that I want food to help with.
There is also yet another obstacle in my way is that my grandfather and uncle are pretty much set in their eating habits. I mean really set in their ways. It took me almost 4 years to get my grandfather to start eating fruit instead of Little Debbie cakes. I'm just glad now that I'm not having to buy them every week and only once every few months if that.
Now keep in mind that I said these were obstacles but the majority of the blame about my eating and exercise habits rest solely on my shoulders. No one should have to look over me and force me to stop eating, especially when I'm not even hungry. I mean seriously, enough is enough of this.
As with the exercise, I always seem to be putting it off until the next day. I use excuses like, well its too cold to walk, or I need music to listen to so I don't get bored with walking. Since I don't live close to any gym and sometimes my means of transportation are not the best and most reliable, walking is my go-to exercise. But I'm always finding excuses for why I didn't walk that day and I'm sick of it. I'm done with making excuses for myself when the only one its hurting is...well me.

Starting tomorrow no more excuses and no more putting things off. I'm going to start losing weight before this weight literally kills me. I also suggest that if you are trying to lose weight that you start keeping a food journal, you might be surprised with how much you eat daily.  It was surprisingly easy to do and keep up with. I kept my food journal well within reach and made sure to write down what I was going to eat, when I was eating it and how much I was eating it either before I ate it, while it was cooking or when I finished eating it.

Well that completes Week #1, I know that Week #2 will be better!
Until Next Week!