[toastedsmoke]

Hi all,

I haven't been on for a month with moving continents, settling into the new job et al., and everything is going great, except that I have majorly fallen of the wagon and I'm finding it a little difficult motivating myself to actually do what I need to in order to get back on. I was doing calorie counting and had settled into that (I was quite a calorie ****) but now I don't have control over preparation of any of my meals except breakfast and African food is kind of dense and calorie-intense and oh-so-good in that way that everything that's bad for you is... Anyway I've kind of been a mess diet wise.

As for exercise, I'm on and off. I joined a gym and have had a couple of weeks when I'm really dedicated and then a couple when I've been awful. And even though the diet is not 100% within my control, the exercise is and I know I should be better.

When I left New Orleans a month ago, I was 234 lb and over the past 3 weeks I've stayed around 236 lbs which I suppose considering how badly I've backslidden isn't irreparably horrible. What it means though is that I'm totally off-plan to be 207 lbs by Christmas (maybe I'll make that my valentine goal)... quite honestly at this point if I can be 225 lb by the end of the year (Dec. 31), I'll consider it a huge huge success because that would mean I lost 50 lbs in 2009. Anyway so that's what I'm working towards,now. So to that end, I'm stating here (in the hopes it will keep me accountable), I need to do the following:
1.) get back in control of what I eat, at least quantity-wise,
2.) make the best food choices for my plan as opposed to my favourite
3.) stop snacking on crap just because the people around me are
4.) exercise at least 30 minutes in some form everyday
5.) weigh in 2ce a week and stop avoiding the scale so that I can ignore the damage I'm doing
6.) remind myself why this is important and visit 3fc at least 3ce a week for accountability and support.

Ok so it's about 2a.m. and I'm about to go to bed. When I wake up, no more fooling around... I need to get back on plan. It's good to be back and hopefully being back here will inspire me as it did before.... My month of putzing is over. Back to work!

[bargoo]

Good luck on your decision to get back on plan !

[toastedsmoke]

Thank you!

[Late to the game]

That's the idea! No looking back, you have come so far! Good luck!

[LitChick]

It sounds like you are in the right mindset, you've got a plan and are refocused. You can do it!

[Judy Lynn]

You can do it TS! I know you can.

[TJFitnessDiva]

You can do it girlie!!!

[Kae]

It sounds like you have some ideas as to how you can take the control back... now it's just time to put them into action. Welcome back!

[cathydoe]

Welcome back!

Cathy

[ubergirl]

First, just how cool is that to have your sign in location as Africa! I think you're doing well just to have more or less maintained.

Sticking on plan during big upheavals must be double hard.

You have done so well so far! I'm sure you'll be right on the losing track soon.

[dragonwoman64]

that thread title was just too funny! thanks for the laugh.

congrats on the weight you've lost! and you have a great plan. it's not easy when your foods are turned upside down like that, going to a new country.

[HeaterAS]

You can do it! Weight loss is about ups and downs and lessons learned.

[Lori Bell]

I don't understand...if there is so much calorie dense delicious food in Africa, why do we keep getting the mail/TV/telephone solicitations about all the starving children in Africa? (I realize Africa is a huge continent) and I'm not trying to be a smart alec, I truly don't understand how a person could gain weight in an area where we are told that millions are going hungry.

[heidiruth]

Good luck and you can do it!! Just have to stay motivated!!

[LitChick]

Originally Posted by Lori Bell

I don't understand...if there is so much calorie dense delicious food in Africa, why do we keep getting the mail/TV/telephone solicitations about all the starving children in Africa? (I realize Africa is a huge continent) and I'm not trying to be a smart alec, I truly don't understand how a person could gain weight in an area where we are told that millions are going hungry.

Probably for the same reason we have overweight people here and an abundance of food, yet people go hungry every day. It's just on a larger scale over there, and like you said, Africa is huge. Perhaps the OP is living in one of the areas not afflicted by wide-scale poverty.