Wednesday, December 31, 2008

2008

Steps walked: 3,748,400 (over 1560 miles)
Pounds lost: neglible (within a pound of where I was a year ago)

This has been a very difficult year, but hopefully 2009 will see me finally hitting my weight loss goals.

Monday, December 22, 2008

10,000 steps a day - 2008 goal met, now what?

At the start of the year, I set a goal of walking 10,000 steps a day - 3.66 million steps for the year. I hit that goal last week (yay for ahead of schedule!)... but despite walking over 1500 miles this year, my weight is the same. I have had the plateau from hell, but I liked having the big goal to shoot for throughout the year.

Any suggestions for a 2009 goal that I can work towards? I liked the 10,000 steps but feel like I should do something different (since I'm not losing weight). I thought about maybe aiming for an hour of exercise a day (or 365 hours total for the year), but not sure how I would best measure this - a two or three hour walk (which I usually do on the weekends) doesn't seem fair compared to an hour kickin' butt on an elliptical.

Suggestions welcomed! Thank you :)

Monday, December 1, 2008

Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

I *love* gumbo. Progresso makes two different gumbo soups that are pretty good (and I'll review them next time I eat them). Of course, none of these canned soups are anything compared to real homemade gumbo, but I don't have that kind of patience. This is the type of soup I turn to when I'm cold.

This soup from Campbell's was pretty good. I think I prefer the sausage in the Progresso soup more, but their soup has more than double the sodium and considerably less fiber and protein. Hrm. I will definitely pick up a few more cans of the Campbell's variety next time I'm in the store.

Nutrition Facts (per cup, about two cups per can)
Calories 140
Fat 2.5g
Saturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 15mg
Sodium 480mg
Potassium 600mg
Carbohydrate 21g
Fiber 3g
Sugars 4g
Protein 8g

Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request New England Clam Chowder

I really enjoy clam chowder, but it's not exactly the most diet-friendly item. I've had some of these "light" chowders before and they've been terribly disappointing. This one, however, was good. I got a little bit of a gritty texture once, but that's not surprising for a clam soup. The soup was somewhat creamy - not luxuriously so but it's also not 800 calories! ;) I would (and indeed already have) buy this again. It definitely hit the spot when a craving for something warm and creamy hits.


Nutrition Facts (per cup, about two cups per can)
Calories 120
Fat 2g
Saturated Fat 0.5g
Cholesterol 10mg
Sodium 480mg
Carbohydrate 20g
Fiber 2g
Sugars 2g
Protein 6g

Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request Sirloin Burger soup

It's cold out here, so that means soup time to me. I've got a ton of cans that I'll be trying and I'll post reviews (always helps me remember which varieties to not buy again in the future!) :)

First up, Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request Sirloin Burger soup. The nutrition facts on it aren't too bad - especially the sodium, considering it's a canned soup. All these "Healthy Request" soups are 98% fat free and 40% less sodium than their regular product. However, this one just plain did not taste good. The little sirloin patties were kinda nasty - tasted burnt to me. The texture to them was not right as well. I wouldn't buy this soup again.

Nutrition Facts (per cup, about two cups per can)
Calories 130
Fat 2g
Saturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 20mg
Sodium 480mg
Potassium 990mg
Carbohydrate 18g
Fiber 3g
Sugars 3g
Protein 10g

The latest news

Got laid off, and my weight is within three pounds of where it was a year ago. If now ain't the time to get the weight off, I don't know when is. (Oooh, love that grammar!) :)

On the good side, I am less than 200,000 steps until I hit my goal for the year. Woo!