D10-C1 MY 17-DAY DIET JOURNAL

Tuesday, Aug 20th (first day back to school for our area kids!)

Breakfast: The steel-cut oatmeal and mixed fruit cup from Chick-fil-A... my son Zach had a spicy chicken biscuit for his protein breakfast :)

Lunch: Greek yogurt, mixed fruit (left-over from wknd gathering), 2 boiled eggs

D9-C1 MY 17-DAY DIET JOURNAL

Monday Aug 19th

I am having coffee and a banana for my breakfast, and will make a protein smoothie shortly. 

I went shopping last night  during the storm, and was able to pick up a few forgotten things from last week. I want to make the protein bars and muffins and such today. My son starts school tomorrow and all of that will come in handy for him as well.

Lunch was 'breakfast': a scrambled egg 'burrito' with salsa and bacon. VERY tasty!

Snacks were leftover mixed fruit I'd bought for a gathering over the weekend.

Supper: 'another' Taco Salad, we all went out when Mikey came over to visit with Zach. Again, no shell eating!

D8-C1 MY 17-DAY DIET JOURNAL

Sunday, Aug 18th...

I woke up and had my usual yogurt and water.

Lunch was a Taco Salad with chicken, and I did not eat the shell. I did eat about 10 chips and cheese dip, it is the weekend afterall LOL ;)

Supper was a Taco Salad with chicken at San Jose's. I didn't eat the 'shell'.

Loose Skin After Weight-Loss..? (borrowed)

Loose Skin After Weight-Loss..?

For many people, the joy of watching the number on the scale and the size of their clothing go down gets overshadowed by the presence of loose skin. Not only can your skin get loose and saggy after extreme weight loss, your body can maintain the same shape it had before your weight loss efforts. The image in the mirror, while smaller, appears to change little all the while your skin loses shape and elasticity. Fortunately there are ways you can combat loose skin while dieting.

Why Do People Have Loose Skin after Weight Loss?

Your skin is an amazing organ with the ability to expand and contract along with your growth spurts and changing body. This ability is called elasticity and it is at the heart of the factors that contribute to loose skin. You see, once elasticity is gone, your skin loses its ability to shrink back – much like a worn out rubber band that refuses to recoil. Following are just a few things that can affect your skin’s elasticity:

• Obesity – If you are considered obese, your skin has stretched considerably. Those who need to lose 100 lbs. or more in order to reach their goal weight can expect some lose skin.
• Time – the amount of time you have been overweight also has some bearing on how loose your skin will be once you lose the weight. The longer your skin remains in a stretched-out position, the harder it will be for it to snap back.
• Age – As we age, we lose elasticity – it’s what causes wrinkles. Younger skin has more ability to shrink back after weight loss than older skin.

So, some of these factors can not be affected that much.  This is why many people have to have surgery after losing large amounts of weight.  It’s just a fact.  However, you should never let loose skin stop you from losing weight.  Being obese or overweight and dealing with weight related health issues is not worth the vanity.  Your health is more important than some loose skin.

How to Minimize Loose Skin during Weight Loss

As mentioned before, there are several things you can do to minimize loose skin during weight loss. While you may not be able to avoid loose skin altogether, you can surely improve your skin’s ability to retract.

1. Lose weight slowly – Sustaining a gradual weight loss of approximately 1-2 pounds per week will go a long way in preventing loose skin. You see, it takes time for your skin to contract. When you lose weight quickly, your skin has no time to catch up.
2. Consume plenty of protein and good fats – Your skin, hair, and nails are made up of protein. Eat plenty of it to alleviate loose skin.  Collagen is a protein that is related to this in the body.  The issue is that if you aren’t eating right and your body starts to cannibalize the protein in your body…it could eat up or hinder the production of collagen that you need for skin elasticity.  It’s also important to include healthy oils in your diet to keep the skin flexible and as healthy as possible.
3. Get a weekly or monthly massage -  Massages improve circulation to the skin and helps skin retract. Getting a massage also helps alleviate cellulite – another unsightly issue that occurs during weight loss.
4. Take a multivitamin or monitor the vitamins you are eating – For good skin health, you need vitamin C, E, A, B-complex and K.  Iron, selenium and zinc are also minerals you’d want to get the recommended amount of.
5. Don’t be afraid of weights – Weight training will help to reshape and redefine the body.  Muscle also burns fat at rest.  Adding some muscle definition and muscle tone will help to redefine your body so that it doesn’t appear that you have just deflated.

In addition to these tips, it’s vital to remain hydrated. All of your body’s organs, including your skin, need water in order to function properly. If you stay hydrated, lose weight slowly, follow a balance diet, and make efforts to increase your skin circulation, you can greatly diminish the amount of loose skin you will have after you lose all the weight. In cases of extreme weight loss, however, it often becomes necessary to surgically remove excess skin when it becomes apparent that it isn’t going to bounce back into shape.

D7-C1 MY 17-DAY DIET JOURNAL

This morning started out with yogurt, and my snack/lunch was fruit and boiled eggs.

Tonight, we eat out at a gathering of many friends. Hard choices will be there, but I'll do my best :)

It was a fish fry, and I ate one chicken tender, 1 piece of tilapia, two bites of coleslaw, lots of fruit (I brought a platter of fruits), and unsweet tea. I did well :)

I've lost 2 lbs this week.

D6-C1 MY 17-DAY DIET JOURNAL

Breakfast was 1 Greek yogurt and water.

Snack is 1 golden delicious apple and a spoon of p-nut butter:

Had different snacks for lunch, yogurt, fruit, etc

Supper:

Chicken cut up, cooked in oil, garlic. Boiled beans for 15 minutes, added broccoli for 10, chopped a green onion, and added all to heat together with the chicken mixture with lite soy, sesame seeds. It was awesome and very filling.

D5-C1 MY 17-DAY DIET JOURNAL

Starting off the day right this time ;)
2 eggs with salsa, S&P, and a naval orange.

For snack in a couple of hours, I'll have a Golden Apple.

For lunch I am going to a friend's home for a gathering, and will be careful with what I eat... they eat lunch and exchange plant/flower bulbs :)

I am planning a chicken dinner, but not sure which recipe yet. I'll post later tonight or catch-up tomorrow. 

(updated below photo)

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LUNCH was amazing! I was scared that I wouldn't be able to eat anything but when I got there, the ladies had brought Caprese (tomatoes, buffalo mozzerella cheese, basil leaves, drizzle of a greek dressing), chicken salad with grapes in it (very little lite mayo), lettuce pieces, huge bowl of cut of fruit (strawberries, cantaloupe  grapes), and a dip to go with it (greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice, parsley). Honestly, I got so full and was sooo happy LOL Even though one or two of those items may be C2, eating it *once* is not going to screw me up. I now wish I had taken my camera! These ladies did such a wonderful job and it's the best day I had all week!

Now onto supper which I still haven't made yet. That chicken may wait yet even *another* day! The kid ate a quick bite before color guard practice and I go pick him up in 20 minutes. I dunno, I'm at a loss, it's so late in the eve...
Goodnight.

OK, omelet it is, special request from the kid LOL 
4 eggs in olive oil, a little cheese for me, lots for him, green onion, S&P.
Simple, delish, filling.