Hi! :-)

Hi all! My name is Rebecca. I’ve started this blog to track my eating and exercise habits while I try to lose weight. I am 22 years old and live in Albany, NY with my boyfriend, Jeff <3. I am a English/Journalism major at the University of Albany. Over the years my weight has fluctuated. I’ve gone from being very healthy, to being obsessed with junk food, and then back to being healthy again. Like most people, my diet habits vary according to my stress level. I am 5’2″ and my weight has ranged between 120-140lbs. About a week ago, I decided that I wanted to start being healthy again and stay that way for good. I’ve started to keep a food diary (which I’ve never done before) and reading fitness and health blogs. I’ve also started walking long distance and actually bought a bike  TODAY!

One thing you must know about me is that I have a ridiculous passion for food and eating out. I also just recently developed a passion for baking and cooking healthy meals/treats. I come from a family that has always been obsessed with good food. My family is made up of my parent and two older brothers, Adam and David. As far back as I can remember, my family has sought out the best foods. I’m originally from downstate New York and having the city 30 miles away always offered fantastic dining out opportunities. But my family is not like other families. My family plans vacations around food and dining. My parents will drive hours to go to a pizza place. My father used to be a chef and constantly reads restaurant reviews. You get the idea. Therefore, it has always been hard for me to resist good foods. I hope to discover new, healthy foods that I can enjoy just as much as fattening, high calorie ones.

I decided to start this blog because along with my passion for food, I also have a passion for writing. Though, as you can clearly see with this first post, I plan to keep the style casual. Nothing fancy. I have been inspired by other bloggers and hope that keeping up with this blog will motivate me to push towards my goal and maintain a healthy, happy lifestyle.

January 2010: Read my About Page for an updated about my weight loss and how I’ve been maintaining a healthy life-style.

Since I started my food diary last Friday, it would be crazy to recap everything I’ve eaten since then with descriptions. Therefore, I will only provide it in list format. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated since I’m just starting out again!

Friday  5/22/09

Breakfast

2 egg ham and cheese omelet

Whole grain English Muffin

Lunch

Half a 12” Chicken Sandwich in Lake George with havarti cheese, herb butter, vinaigrette, and lettuce on white bun

Dinner

Ruby Tuesday’s salad bar (1 trip with 2 ladles full of Italian dressing and a few pumpernickel croutons)

1 baked potato with butter on the side.

Snacks

1 Rice cake

3 Grape Tomatoes

Drinks

½ Arizona iced tea

2 Medium blueberry iced coffees from DD with milk and sugar

Iced tea.

Exercise

Walked around Lake George

Saturday 5/23/09

Breakfast

3 small Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes with not too much light maple syrup

Lunch

????? (oops)

Dinner

SONIC burger and fries (ahh this comes from not eating lunch!!- I won’t dwell on it)

Snacks

2-3 Lays Potato chips

7 chunks of watermelon

1 Pretzel stick (small)

1 hot dog (nothing on it)

Drinks

Venti sweetened black iced tea from Starbucks

1 lavender iced tea with 2 sugar packets (Muddy cup)

Iced tea

Treats

2 chocolate chip cookies

Exercise

Walked 1 mile to and from Saugerties Lighthouse and walked around Town of Saugerties

Sunday 5/24/09

Breakfast

2 egg ham and cheese omelet

Lunch

Roast beef on whole wheat with tbs of canola oil mayo and squirt of roasted garlic red pepper dressing, plus slices of tomato (YUM)

Dinner

Vegetable pasta with ½ cup Classico cabernet marinara with peas

Snacks

1 Hard boiled egg

4-5 grape tomatoes

1 berry-lemon muffin (plus a little of the batter from the bowl)

Drinks

3-4 glasses of water

Half cup iced coffee with international delight French vanilla creamer plus 2 spoons sugar

Treats

2 small blocks of dark chocolate.

Exercise

Walked to Price Chopper and back (.5 miles)

Monday 5/25/09

Breakfast

1 egg

1 Whole grain English muffin with tbsp of peanut butter and jelly combined

Mix of blueberries and raspberries

Lunch

1 6” Subway turkey sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green peppers with red wine vinegar. About 290 calories (AMAZING)

Dinner

1 Hebrew National 97% reduced fat hot dog on martins potato roll with small amount of ketchup

½ Cup Annie’s Organic whole wheat shells and white cheddar mixed with peas

Snacks

1 Berry-lemon muffin

Bowl of Orville Redenbacher 94% reduced fat popcorn

Drinks

Glass of iced tea

1 Dunkin donuts medium unsweetened iced tea with 2 sugar packets/lemon 5 calories

1 Seattle’s Best medium iced tea with 2 sugar packets/tiny bit of honey

Bottle of water

Treats

1 block of dark chocolate

Exercise

Walked 6 miles to Crossgates Mall and back

Tuesday 5/26/09

Breakfast

1 Thomas’s Hearty Grains Harvest Fruit Bagel topped with peanut butter and grape jelly (about 400 calories)

Mixed Blueberries and raspberries

Lunch

Roast beef on wheat with roasted red pepper dressing and tomatoes

8 Cap Cod Sea Salt and Vinegar potato chips

Dinner

½ portion of Pizza Uno’s Tuscan Roasted Vegetable Pasta (490 calories)

Snacks

1 Lemon-berry muffin

About 4 cups of Orville Redenbacher 94% reduced fat popcorn (60 calories)

Drinks

1 Glass of iced tea

1 Dunkin Donuts medium unsweetened iced tea with lemon and 2 sugar packets 5 calories

1 Glass of Iced tea with 2 sugar packets and 1 splenda

Treats

1/2 Kiddy Cone chocolate/vanilla twist frozen yogurt with rainbow sprinkles from Mr. Smoothie

Exercise

Walked with Jeff (3/4 mile)

Wednesday 5/27/09

Breakfast

1 Bowl of Simple Harvest Maple Brown Sugar w. Pecans oatmeal (160 calories)

1 Rice Cake with peanut butter on top (about 100 calories)

Mixed blueberries and raspberries

Lunch

½ of leftovers from last night’s dinner (Tuscan Roasted Vegetable Pasta about 300 calories)

Dinner

3 slices of Primo Thin Margherita Pizza (390 calories)

Snacks

1 Berry-lemon muffin (150 calories)

8 grape tomatoes (35 calories)

Drinks

8+ glasses of water

½ cup of hot tea with one sugar packet (11 calories)

Treats

2 squares of dark chocolate