Jena's Journal.

[Nokie173]

If your tight on money… don’t buy those diet pills… if you really look at the ingredients it’s all coffee!! And you’re already drinking tons of it.

And… if you don’t have time to plan your meals… try your very best to pick the best meals… A lot of fast food have salad and grilled chicken (don’t add dressing) or simple student stores or liquor stores have wheat turkey sandwich instead of eating pizza or burrito. I’m just saying… if you cannot pack your meals, have better choices when you do eat.

Good Luck and try your best for your health.

[MissJenaKay]

I do pack lunches when I have class days. But the other days of the week, it's a crazy mess of running from work to my other job, to a student organization meeting, to home to do homework and I often don't eat until later in the evening and then I eat something terrible because I'm too tired to cook or really care.

As a short update on the weightloss itself, I gained a few pounds, I'm up to 243 now. Also, I oversleopt again today, I woke up 5 minutes before my shift started at work. :/ I ended up being about 10 minutes late... On my first REAL shift. :/

[MissJenaKay]

So I've only eaten a banana, a venti frapp, and a little pasta today... :/ I need to eat tonight affter I'm done tutoring, but I'm going to the gym tonight too. The scary thing, I don't feel hungry, I feel nauseous and sleepy and the sleepy is because I've been up since 6. Also, I think I may be becoming addicted to coffee. Which I don't like. Days that I don't have coffee, I donmt feel as good as days I do, I get grumpy and I snap at people and I get stressed and anxious and depressed.

[Boss Man]

Forget the Coffee then, becasue if you're off it, it will make your moods potentially level out. The Coffee is doing you no davours and it's purely the Caffeine, so things like Red Bull and other Guarana based drinks won't help, as Guarana is a Caffeine carrier.

If you need the added energy, try things like Powerade perhaps and see how that kind of things works out.

The Caffeine in your Coffee will just block some of your Iron intake, potentially reducing the levels of Erythrocytes, (Red Blood Cells) and also constrict bloodvessels, so you'll potentially get less Oxygen content and flow in the bloodstream, which is no good for the brain and muscles, in the context of studying and training and less Erythrocytes will increase Anemia risk.

I'm sincerely not lecturing you about Coffee, just making you aware of things it might do to you. If you can overcome the Coffee, before it gets a real grip on you all the better, because you'll regulate your moods better without it.

You might experience heartburn and stomach ulcers too, as Caffeine does that sometimes.

[MissJenaKay]

I just feel like coffee makes me feel good. I don't want to get rid of it all together, when I'm at home and I don't have coffee (because we don't have any Starbuck's back home) I get along kinda okay, only I get stressed out and I don't have anything to make me feel a little more relaxed and focused. I don't want to nix the coffee because I really enjoy the taste and the atmosphere and everything about having a coffee, it's just not so good for my wallet and my waistline since I like my coffee in some sort of sweet iced coffee-beverage.

As an update. I've evidently gained weight since the last time that I weighed my self. I didn't even look at the number, I knew I had pushed it all the way to 250 and it barely moved, I got pissed off slammed the weights back to zero and got off the scale. I don't think I could be much more upset if I needed to. It's been three days and I've gained at LEAST 7 pounds. What. The. FUCK. I am and was so mad but since I have roommate there is NOTHING I can do to make myself feel better. I'm about ready to give up because this is never going to work if I fucking gain 7 pounds or more in 3 days. It's not like I can blame my diet, because I've been eating pretty good for a while.

[musculArgirl2]

gain 7 pounds or more in 3 days

I doubt you gained 7 pounds in 3 days. Maybe just sodium?? or it could depend on clothing and if you weighed yourself on an empty stomach too?? Just some other possibilities.

[MissJenaKay]

Becky: I wear the exact same clothes to the gym every time I go, so it could have been water or full stomach or so,ehing, it was just verry distressing when I saw that. I panicked and got mad.

Yesterday went okay, I ate well, only I drank TWO venti frappuccinos yesterday. :/ I'm giving up coffee for the rest of this month though I think. It's so expensive and one drink (unless I get a tall, which is never enough for me) is over 350 calories even though I have I made with nonfat milk. I need to find some other form of caffiene or something. I also need to think of ways to save money more easily since groceries end up being around 80 dollars a week which is outrageous, so I need o find cheaper foods without sacrificing nutrition. I've worke out for two days in a row now and I'm. definitrly feeling it, my neck and between my shoulderblades is very sore, my legs are a little fatigued feeling too.

Today I hope to get a lot of homework done today and maybe get a workout in after I get home from tutoring tonight if I can handle it. I also, want to make sure I eat decently today if I can. I think maybe I'll start making little daily goals like Becky did. However, I feel like I'll probably end up forgetting about them like I always do.

[musculArgirl2]

The daily goals help. I was just coming to post mine for the day.

[musculArgirl2]

I'm trying to spend a small amount a week in groceries too. I've been couponing and reading for deals. I eat some of my mom's food too though. I don't know if i can keep stick to it but i'm going to try.

[MissJenaKay]

The daily goals help. I was just coming to post mine for the day.

My only problem, is that I'm not sure what to make goals for. I drink TONS of water (I'm too cheap to drink anything but water since I drink coffee too) so I don't need to goal that. I guess fruits and veggies could be a goal, but they are SO expensive and I can't eat them fast enough, though I usually do eat 4 servings of veggies on class days because I take 2 servings of carrots and two servings of sugar snap peas. I also eat salads for dinner a lot. I think my only real goals could be to drink smaller coffees (or none at all), to get in a workout and to eat enough since I keep under eating all the time.

So, I'm thinking this is what my goals will look like:

Coffee :: Goal 0 cups :: 0 cups so far
Fruits :: Goal 2 cups :: 1.5 cup so far
Veggies :: Goal 2.5 cups :: 2.5 cups so far
Exercise :: Goal 30 minutes :: 60 minutes so far
Calories :: Goal 1400 :: 1349 Calories so far

I was looking up how many servings of vegetables a person should have a day, and it looks like they got rid of the food pyramid altogether. The oldest food pyramid is the one everyone is most familiar with, they revised that one a few years ago and now they;ve revised it to this:



So essentially 1 "cup" of fruit is one serving, but one cup of fruit can be a half a cup of fruit in certain fruits, it's odd...

[Boss Man]

I think possibly you kneejerked on your weight too. Could be water weight, if maybe your Sodium intake rose a bit lately, or a different weighing time, when you've got some food water and waste in your system as well.

That diagram is misleading, as you've got quarters that aren't proper quarters, because they are disproportionate and the circle with he word Dairy in, is not the same shape as the quarters and it's difficult to ascertain it's purpose, within the context of an eating plan, because that could infer a little Dairy once a day, or a little Dairy now and then.

Ways to save money on food.

Baked Beans

Eggs

Big Biscuit cereal, not little biscuits, flake, puffed or bran. The largest box size too, as it then is more cost effective, because you buy more product but don't pay for a tonne of extra packaging and you can easily monitor what you consume and workout when exactly you'll need more.

2 for 1 deals, sometimes called B.O.G.O.F, (Buy One Get One Free).

3 for 2 deals.

Fixed or "upto" Percentage deals.

Bargain bin

Managers special

Blue cross or red sticker

Sell by date stuff. Sometimes things on the sell or use by date get priced down.

Reduced to clear items.

Plain old haggling.

Damaged goods at a reduced price, I.E. a carboard container with a tear in it, or a dented can, but be very careful to not make it look like you tampered with the goods.

Downshifting. Essentially buying own brand product not branded. A cheaper option, but on edible goods it could be hit and miss taste wise. However on some basics like Pepper, Sea Salt, Milk, Eggs, expect little to no taste difference in an ownbrand, versus branded product.

Comparison items. Use websites to compare prices. You might find two stores within easy reach of each other, so walk to one for most of what you need, then go somewhere local for a few lower priced bargains and get some added exercise.

You might only save $20 or less a year, but maybe quite a bit more, depending on the local stores nearby and how many lower price items they have, compared to the main one you use.

Maybe a bargain could be had at local markets, if there's any near you sometimes. People setting up stalls selling produce and flesh, at prices that don't come with middleman profits added on. I don't know your local area so I can't comment on such things.

Sometimes shops endorse a "give back what you don't use scheme", so someone gives back an uneaten tin of peaches, or an uneaten packet of Ham as examples, that are still within use by date and other people can have them for nothing or next to nothing, via I think some kind of tombola or lucky dip type selection method, or just a first come fist serve haggling basis.

Also shops with reward cards are good, for totting up points to redeem in the future, to claim 1 or 2 free items.

Other ideas that might be useful to you.

1. Increasing Dairy a little. Danish scientists some years ago, tested peoples stools. One wek on a low Calcium diet, one week on a high Calcium diet, and the additional Dairy Calcium allowed more fat to bind and be excreted, potentially doubling what levels of fat could have been excreted before.

I don't think this study evaluated Calcium from other sources, like Rice, Nuts, Peanuts, Soy, Grapefruit etc, just Dairy.

2. Soups are good. they expand the stomach, are filling and don't breakdown as easily, so they are more slower digesting. Many are good for Protein and Carbs, but take heed of Sodium levels and potentially avoid ones called "Cream Of". Some of these soups can be made in a microwave or by pouring hot kettle water on granulated contents, os no need necessarily for a stove and a pan to cook the soup.

Hopefully some or all of these things prove useful to you .

GOOD LUCK and try not to get too hung up on what you think happened. I'm in agreement with Becky, as I think you kneejerked .

[MissJenaKay]

That diagram is misleading, as you've got quarters that aren't proper quarters, because they are disproportionate and the circle with he word Dairy in, is not the same shape as the quarters and it's difficult to ascertain it's purpose, within the context of an eating plan, because that could infer a little Dairy once a day, or a little Dairy now and then.

Ways to save money on food.

Baked Beans (I hate baked beans... :/)

Eggs (Got those)

Big Biscuit cereal, not little biscuits, flake, puffed or bran. The largest box size too, as it then is more cost effective, because you buy more product but don't pay for a tonne of extra packaging and you can easily monitor what you consume and workout when exactly you'll need more. (It's still expensive here, unless I go to Aldi, but that's an obnoxious trip into the Ghetto just for cereal)

2 for 1 deals, sometimes called B.O.G.O.F, (Buy One Get One Free). (I jump on those every chance I get.)

3 for 2 deals. (I jump on those whenever possible as well)

Fixed or "upto" Percentage deals. (I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about)

Bargain bin (For food?????)

Managers special (Never seen one)

Blue cross or red sticker (These either)

Sell by date stuff. Sometimes things on the sell or use by date get priced down. (I have a weird thing about "sell by" I use the sellby date as the expiration date)

Reduced to clear items. (I've never seen that on food)

Plain old haggling. (No such thing in Chicago)

Damaged goods at a reduced price, I.E. a carboard container with a tear in it, or a dented can, but be very careful to not make it look like you tampered with the goods. I've never seen any damaged packages on things I actually buy)

Downshifting. Essentially buying own brand product not branded. A cheaper option, but on edible goods it could be hit and miss taste wise. However on some basics like Pepper, Sea Salt, Milk, Eggs, expect little to no taste difference in an ownbrand, versus branded product. (I do this on everything that I can without sacrificing how it tastes.)

Comparison items. Use websites to compare prices. You might find two stores within easy reach of each other, so walk to one for most of what you need, then go somewhere local for a few lower priced bargains and get some added exercise. When I grocery shop, I can't actually afford to be walking too far since I have to carry EVERYTHING I buy. And groceries are so freaking heavy.)

You might only save $20 or less a year, but maybe quite a bit more, depending on the local stores nearby and how many lower price items they have, compared to the main one you use.

Maybe a bargain could be had at local markets, if there's any near you sometimes. People setting up stalls selling produce and flesh, at prices that don't come with middleman profits added on. I don't know your local area so I can't comment on such things.

Sometimes shops endorse a "give back what you don't use scheme", so someone gives back an uneaten tin of peaches, or an uneaten packet of Ham as examples, that are still within use by date and other people can have them for nothing or next to nothing, via I think some kind of tombola or lucky dip type selection method, or just a first come fist serve haggling basis.

Also shops with reward cards are good, for totting up points to redeem in the future, to claim 1 or 2 free items. I've got one of those cards for the store downstairs and there are a lot of deals you get just for having one.

Other ideas that might be useful to you.

1. Increasing Dairy a little. Danish scientists some years ago, tested peoples stools. One wek on a low Calcium diet, one week on a high Calcium diet, and the additional Dairy Calcium allowed more fat to bind and be excreted, potentially doubling what levels of fat could have been excreted before. (When milk is about $1.50 for a half gallon when it's on a SUPER sale, and when yogurt is over a dollar a piece for little 6oz cups, I'm not sure that I can afford to take in more dairy.)

I don't think this study evaluated Calcium from other sources, like Rice, Nuts, Peanuts, Soy, Grapefruit etc, just Dairy.

2. Soups are good. they expand the stomach, are filling and don't breakdown as easily, so they are more slower digesting. Many are good for Protein and Carbs, but take heed of Sodium levels and potentially avoid ones called "Cream Of". Some of these soups can be made in a microwave or by pouring hot kettle water on granulated contents, os no need necessarily for a stove and a pan to cook the soup. (I get burned out on soup REEEAL fast.)

Hopefully some or all of these things prove useful to you .

GOOD LUCK and try not to get too hung up on what you think happened. I'm in agreement with Becky, as I think you kneejerked .

I agree that I probably kneejerked on the weight gain. But it freaked me out and pissed me off. As for food, I'm going to try to do what I can with being as tight in terms of money as I can.

[musculArgirl2]

Jena have you ever considered donating plasma? They can pay pretty well. I did it while i was in college for a little while. They do have restrictions though like certain meds, tatoos or piercings recently and certain restrictions regarding if you have had sex recently. probably unprotected sex or something along that line. You would have to go online or call but just a thought for you. You can earn a decent amount doing that though if you don't mind being poked with a needle.

[MissJenaKay]

I wouldn't mind donating plasma, I donate blood and it's no problem at all. I just don't know what to. Look into for contacts and then depending on how difficult it would be for me to get there.

[musculArgirl2]

I looked locally just out of curosity. It's too far for me to drive but i was just curious and they pay 60 dollars a week if you do it twice a week. first visit is 20 and the second visit is 40. I never did it on a consistent basis i just tried it 3 or 4 times. just google plasma donation in chicago and see what comes up for close to you. if your interested.