Courtney's Daily Journal

[courtneywagasky]

I'm starting this food journal to help me ease away from calorie counting. I think that is really hindering my progress, I plug things in as I go and am able to see how many calories I can "squeeze in" while still being in a deficit. I'm going to just keep a written food journal and listen to my body's hunger and full cues. That way I'm not looking forward to my "extra" calories and I can just focus on being satiated after eating!

I started today 04.19.2020 to test the waters and it worked! I wasn't searching for snacks to eat because I didn't know how many calories I had leftover.

MWL Checkpoints
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e. bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

Here's my food journal for today:

Breakfast
- Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake Mix (using up the rest so I can get it out of my house for good). Mixed with almond milk and a flax egg
- Banana
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- PB Fit (powdered peanut butter)
- Almond milk latte

Lunch
- Small salad
- Lasagna (FOK Recipe)
- Steamed broccoli cuts

Dinner
- Small salad
- 1/2 serving Lasagna
- Steamed broccoli cuts

Snacks
- Clementine
- Banana bread (eating to get out of the house)

Exercise
- 40 minute morning walk with my dog
- 3.25 mile run
- 40 minute evening walk with my dog

[courtneywagasky]

04.20.20—Monday

MWL Checkpoints
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e. bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

Here's my journal for 04.20.20:

Breakfast
- Coffee with Almond Milk
- Sweet Potato
- Bananas (1.5)
- Blueberries (.25 cup)
- Dessert Hummus

Lunch
- Small Salad
- Lasagna (FOK Recipe)
- California Medley

Dinner
- Whole Wheat Pita (1/2)
- Bulgar Wheat Sloppy Joes (FOK Recipe)
- California Medley
- French Fries

Snacks
- Clementine (2)
- Pineapple (1 cup)

Exercise
- 60 minute HIIT Session
- 17 minute Walk
- 25 minute Walk

[courtneywagasky]

04.21.20—Tuesday

MWL Checkpoints
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e. bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

Here's my journal for Tuesday 04.21.20:

Breakfast
- Coffee with Almond Milk
- Banana (1)
- Tofu Frittata
- Flatbread Wrap
- Pineapple chunks
- Blueberries

Lunch
- French Fries
- Ketchup + Mustard
- Lasagna (1/2) (FOK Recipe)
- Whole Bag of California Medley

Dinner
- Potato Gnocchi
- Broccoli
- Peas
- Trader Joe's Kale + Cashew Pesto
- Grape Tomatoes
- Small Salad

Snacks
- Mini Dark Chocolate Squares (2)

Exercise
- 30 minute Weights Session
- 20 minute Yoga
- 45 minute Walk with My Dog

I felt really good today! I can't believe I had a whole bag of California Medley, I was snacking on it like potato chips! I'll have to stock up on that next time I go to the store.

[courtneywagasky]

04.22.20—Wednesday

MWL Checkpoints
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories.
9. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.

Here's my journal for Wednesday 04.22.20:

Breakfast
- Coffee with Almond Milk
- Banana (1)
- Clementine (1)
- Tofu Frittata (1/2 serving)
- Tortilla (1.5)
- Salsa (1 tbsp)

Lunch
- Small Salad
- French Fries (1/2 serving)
- Ketchup + Mustard
- White Rice (3/4 cup)

Dinner
- Salad Mix
- White Rice (1/4 cup)
- Cauliflower Rice (1/4 cup)
- Black Beans (1/2 cup)
- Chopped Tomatoes (1/4 cup)
- Avocado (1/4)
- Corn (1 ear)
- Salsa (1 tbsp)
- Trader Joe's Organic Cashew Fiesta Dip (2 tbsp)

Snacks
- Banana and Berry Nice Cream
- Bananas (2)
- Cherry Berry Blend (3/4 cup)
- Almond Milk (1/4 cup)
- Vanilla Extract (1/2 tsp)
- Medjool Date (1/2)

Exercise
- 20 minute Yoga
- 20 minute Yoga
- 15 minute Walk with My Dog

Today was good! I was waiting for myself to get hungry but that didn't really happen, especially for lunch. I kind of just ate because I knew I had to get calories in. Maybe I should just not eat if I'm not hungry and see how that affects me. I made nice cream for me and my boyfriend in my new vitamix and it was so good! That'll be a nice treat instead of vegan processed ice cream from the store. I did finish off my tofu frittata finally and I had 1/4 of an avocado with my burrito bowl for dinner, could have been worse! The nice cream made me very full at night so I probably will have a very light breakfast tomorrow.

[courtneywagasky]

04.23.20—Thursday

MWL Checkpoints
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories.
9. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.

Here's my journal for Thursday 04.23.20:

Breakfast
- Coffee with Almond Milk
- Banana (1)
- Pineapple (1 cup)

Lunch
- Potato Gnocchi
- Broccoli
- Peas
- Trader Joe's Kale + Cashew Pesto
- Grape Tomatoes
- Small Salad
-Pineapple (1/2 cup)

Snack
- Whole Wheat Low Calorie Bread (1 slice)
- Bulgar BBQ Sloppy Joe (1/3 serving)
- Oil Free Hummus (1 tbsp)

Dinner
- Salad Mix
- White Rice (1/4 cup)
- Cauliflower Rice (1/2 cup)
- Black Beans (1/4 cup)
- Chopped Tomatoes (1/4 cup)
- Corn (1 ear)
- Trader Joe's Organic Cashew Fiesta Dip (2 tbsp)

Snack
- Homemade Reese's Egg (oat flour, date paste, chickpeas, dark chocolate)
- Cherry Berry Blend (3/4 cup)
- 85% Dark Chocolate (6 grams)

Exercise
- 40 minute HIIT Session
- 15 minute Walk
- 15 minute Walk with My Dog

Was super close to hitting all of my checkpoints today but I did have one piece of 45 calorie whole wheat bread. I don't see this as a bad thing, but I'm staying honest to my logs. Again, I was waiting to feel really hungry but it never really came to me. A little bit for lunch but I was able to go on a walk and eat a small salad before having my actual meal. I'm really proud of myself because the old me would have just ate more for breakfast because that's what I'm used too but I listened to my body and made sure I was well hydrated before figuring out what to eat. Hence why only a banana and some pineapple were all I needed to keep me satisfied until lunch!

Tomorrow is weigh-in day. I have been weighing myself everyday just out of habit (not a negative one) but I have seen some loss throughout the week. Hoping it reflects tomorrow morning for the MWL April Weigh-In.

[courtneywagasky]

04.24.20—Friday

MWL Checkpoints
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories.
9. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.

Here's my journal for Friday 04.24.20:

Breakfast
- Coffee with Almond Milk
- Banana
- Clementines
- Mom's Best Plain Toasty-O's
- Cane Sugar (1/2 tsp)
- Almond Milk

Lunch
- Salad Mix
- Cauliflower Rice
- Black Beans
- Tomato
- Corn
- TJ's Cashew Fiesta Dip
- Tortilla Chips

Dinner
- Broccoli
- White Rice
- Carrots
- Tofu w/ Mandarin Orange Sauce

Snack
- Homemade Reese's Egg (oat flour, date paste, chickpeas, dark chocolate)

Exercise
- 40 minute Lower Body
- 30 minute Walk with My Dog

Today was a TOTAL FAIL! Ugh how discouraging. I was in a bad headspace and really wanting to give up this way of eating. But I thought that was really silly and the next day I decided to press on. No one is perfect, and I think the fact that I can acknowledge my mistakes is pretty good.

[courtneywagasky]

04.25.20—Saturday

MWL Checkpoints
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories.
9. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.

Here's my journal for Saturday 04.25.20:

Breakfast
- Coffee w/ Almond Milk
- Apple
- Orange
- Berry Blend
- Japanese Sweet Potato

Lunch
- Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Rice
- Tofu w/ Mandarin Orange Sauce

Dinner
- Basmati Rice
- Aloo Gobi
- Bread

Exercise
- 20 minute Walk with My Dog
- 30 minute Hike with My Dog
- 30 minute Walk with My Dog

Today was a fail again, AH! Well it was hard to avoid because I had some friends buy dinner for me, and I felt really bad not eating it so I had small portions of what they offered and will give the rest to my partner. Lunch was the tofu leftovers.. Breakfast was better.. I'm going to either start drinking it black with a little stevia or not at all. Sunday is a new day I guess

[courtneywagasky]

04.26.20—Sunday

MWL Checkpoints

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories.
9. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.

Here's my journal for Sunday 04.26.20:

Breakfast
- Orange
- Japanese Sweet Potato
- Strawberries
- Blueberries

Lunch
- Salad
- Rice
- Broccoli
- Black Beans

Dinner
- Salad
- Rice
- Cucumber
- Carrot
- Sweet Potato
- Rice Vinegar

Snack
- Oat Cluster (Bananas + Old Fashioned Oats + Cinnamon)

Exercise
- 45 minute Walk with My Dog
- 30 minute Run (5K)
- 30 minute Walk with My Dog

Today was PERFECT, AH! I really tried today to make up for Friday and Saturday and wow was it easier than I thought. The oat clusters really saved me for a snack before bed but it was the perfect treat and not too sweet. No coffee for me today because I knew I'd have to put almond milk in it. Excited to see how this week pans out!

[courtneywagasky]

04.27.20—Monday

MWL Checkpoints

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories.
9. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.

Here's my journal for Monday 04.27.20:

Breakfast
- Black Coffee
- Mandarins
- Japanese Sweet Potato
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Cinnamon

Lunch
- Salad
- Rice
- Cucumber
- Sweet Potato
- Rice Vinegar

Dinner
- Spinach
- Rice
- Oil Free Dal
- Broccoli

Snack
- Oat Clusters (Bananas + Old Fashioned Oats + Cinnamon)

Exercise
- 35 minute Leg Circuit Workout
- 15 minute Walk with My Dog
- Yoga

Another really stellar day. I'm super proud of myself and want to keep this momentum up for the rest of the week! Couldn't do more exercise today because it was raining after work.

[courtneywagasky]

04.28.20—Tuesday

MWL Checkpoints

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories.
9. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.

Here's my journal for Tuesday 04.28.20:

Breakfast
- Black Coffee
- Mango
- Japanese Sweet Potato
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Cinnamon

Lunch
- Spinach
- Rice
- Oil Free Dal
- Salad

Dinner
- Spinach
- Rice
- Oil Free Dal
- Broccoli
- Salad

Snack
- Mandarins

Exercise
- 45 minute HIIT Workout
- Yoga

Another really stellar day. I'm super proud of myself and want to keep this momentum up for the rest of the week! Same as yesterday! Three really good days in a row. I can keep this up.

[courtneywagasky]

04.29.20—Wednesday

MWL Checkpoints

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories.
9. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.

Here's my journal for Wednesday 04.29.20:

Breakfast
- Coffee
- Oatmeal
- Banana
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Cinnamon

Lunch
- Green Beans
- Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Oil Free Dal
- Chickpea Salad

Dinner
- Green Beans
- Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Chickpea Salad
- Brown Rice

Snack
- Blueberries

Exercise
- 10 Minute Walk
- 35 Minute Walk
- Yoga x2

Holding strong! Didn’t feel like a salad before lunch or dinner because I truly wasn’t hungry. Next time I’ll incorporate them even if they’re smaller. My next goal is to listen to my body more about when it’s hungry. I’ll usually just eat because the clock has a designated meal time. Curious to see how much food I actually eat if I just listen intuitively.

[courtneywagasky]

04.30.20—Thursday

MWL Checkpoints

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories.
9. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.

Here's my journal for Thursday 04.30.20:

Breakfast
- Coffee
- Oatmeal
- Banana
- Strawberries
- Cinnamon

Lunch
- Salad
- Green Beans
- Red Potatoes
- Ketchup

Dinner
- Salad
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Lentil Bolognese
- Brown Rice

Snack
- Oat Cluster
- Strawberries

Exercise
- 50 Minute Weight Session
- 15 Minute Walk
- 40 Minute Walk
- Yoga

I weighed myself out of curiosity this morning and I’m 127.4. Last week I was 127. I’m hoping I can lose some water weight before Friday’s weigh in. It’s nice to see progress but I know it’s happening slowly.

[Mark Cooper]

Hi! I just wanted to make a quick note - if oat clusters are what I would imagine (dry rolled oats mixed with banana or applesauce or something similar, then baked in the oven), they would not be recommended for MWL, as dry rolled oats are calorie dense - more detail in the excerpt below from this thread. Apart from that, way to go with excellent adherence this week!

For MWL, oats should be cooked in water in a ratio of at least 2 parts water to 1 part oats (I prefer 3:1 myself). Dry rolled oats are ~1700 calories / lb, so consuming them without further cooking in water would not be recommended for MWL.

Just to provide some perspective - if those rolled oats are cooked in water (with a ratio of at least 2 parts water to 1 part oats), suddenly the calorie density changes from that scary ~1700 calories / lb, to a very nearly ideal ~300 calories / lb and an excellent rating in satiety as well! So oatmeal is a great choice for MWL, just not the dry oats (without further cooking).

[courtneywagasky]

Hi! I just wanted to make a quick note - if oat clusters are what I would imagine (dry rolled oats mixed with banana or applesauce or something similar, then baked in the oven), they would not be recommended for MWL, as dry rolled oats are calorie dense - more detail in the excerpt below from this thread. Apart from that, way to go with excellent adherence this week!

Thanks Mark! I was on the fence about these but now I know!

[courtneywagasky]

05.01.20—Friday

MWL Checkpoints

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don’t drink your calories.
9. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.

Here's my journal for Friday 05.01.20:

Breakfast
- Tea
- Apple
- Oatmeal
- Banana
- Cinnamon

Lunch
- Salad w/ Hummus Dressing (Oil free hummus, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, ground pepper, water)
- Chickpea Salad
- Broccoli
- Brown Rice

Dinner
- Salad w/ Hummus Dressing
- Spinach
- Lentil Bolognese
- Brown Rice

Exercise
- 45 Minute HIIT Session
- 20 Minute Walk
- 40 Minute Walk
- 30 Minute Walk
- Yoga

Fresh start with this new month! Feeling pretty good and loving listening to my body. I have read that flax seed helps with BMs and I've been struggling with those for regularity reasons. I cut it out for MWL but I'm wondering if it's the culprit. I will try this week to see if that's the reason and if so I will keep it in my diet because that's more important to me and I don't find it as a pleasure trap fat.

Anyway ready for another week!