Curvy: Your soup sounds amazing. I think I may have to make some, I’ve been trying to think of what I can make with odds and ends too.. Soup sounds like the perfect idea!
Traveller: I think I’m getting there. I’ve had a couple slip ups, but not all-out binges like last week. Way to go on your drop and being that much closer to your goals. I agree, it is tough to keep perspective sometimes when the scale jumps 2-3 lbs and to remember it’s just water.
Laura: It’s great that you were able to find the perfect cart, I checked out your Insta and it looks amazing! I just followed you (@kaylalamarie91) Your policy of “if it comes into the house, something has to leave” is a great idea, I am trying to work toward that, but so far no dice. Glad to hear you had a nice weekend.
Martine: I always try to get something I can’t make well at home too, for me it’s usually an omelet, because no matter how hard I try I always end up messing it up and it doesn’t come out nearly as great as if someone else makes it
opheliaphoenix: Glad to hear you guys enjoyed The Greatest Showman, I’ve been thinking about checking it out. Way to go hitting the hour mark with the elliptical, that’s fantastic!
Breakfast out was good, I got a Mediterranean egg white omelet that had tomatoes, feta, spinach, mushrooms and onions. I slept longer yesterday than I planned to, normally on my first day off I try to nap until 1 or 2 pm and then wake up so I can get back onto a “normal” schedule. I didn’t wake up until almost 5pm and was worried I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but I think my body needed the rest. I did 40 minutes on the stationary bike yesterday, followed by lots of stretching and some body-weight strength exercises. I think it tired me out just enough that I was able to fall asleep last night.
RunningRedHead I saw that someone other than Casey followed me (before I saw your post), and as soon as I saw Loki, I knew it was you!! As an aside, for Christmas my husband gave me a shirt that read "Run All The Miles, Pet All The Dogs". Look forward to enjoying your #PupOfInstagram!!
Martine: Even if January is a wash you still got in some workouts AND you're paying attention to your health. This was a wise course of action. I think lots of folks get ill and never really give themselves the time to recover so they're always in a state of fighting some bug, cough or lethargy. Don't be so hard on yourself.
RunningRedHead: Your omelet sounds delicious! Full of lots of healthy things. Glad that you had such a good sleep. While I'm not the best at following my advice about sleep, I find myself constantly encouraging my staff and friends to stop skimping on it. With flu and illness hitting pretty hard is that much more important.
opheliaphoenix: Great job on getting in an hour on the elliptical! Your stamina is indeed increasing.
Laura: How are you feeling after your bout with cramps? What a symptom at an awkward time. Do you think you overdid it or maybe it was something you ate? I think you're going to crush your Diet Bet goal!
********************************
My morning started with a bowl of McCann's plain instant steel cut oatmeal with fresh blueberries. Very filling! I can't remember the last time I had oatmeal so it tasted yummy. Today my calendar is filled with back-to-back afternoon meetings so I won't be nearly as productive as I'd like to be.
Laura: How are you feeling after your bout with cramps? What a symptom at an awkward time. Do you think you overdid it or maybe it was something you ate? I think you're going to crush your Diet Bet goal!
Curvy, it was almost like an IBS flare up and quite unexpected. I know that running can bring that on, but I was going really easy. It was 5am and I hadn't eaten yet so it wasn't food related. Very mysterious.
I had another cramp session later but so far the rest of the day has been fine, thanks for asking!
I do hope I crush this goal, but it still seems like a lot of weight in a short period of time....
Cheers,
Laura
Last edited by LauraRVA42011; 01-23-2018 at 02:36 PM.
Laura: Of course. She's great...I'm glad that she is inspiring you, too! And, hooray for better sleep, as well!
RunningRedHead: Thank you! And, yum...that Mediterranean omelette sounds so good!
Curvy: Thanks! And, your oatmeal sounds good, too...I don't have any blueberries, but I have some raspberries I need to use up, so I think I might do some oats with those tomorrow morning for breakfast!
Weigh-in was 203.0 today, which means - now that TOM is gone - I am finally back down below where I was 10 DAYS ago! Happy to be back in the green again after so long, lol. Just like yesterday, I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that this means I'm really moving down again. Either way, this definitely put a spring in my step today!
Week Four
22: 203.8 - TOM.
23: 203.0
24:
25:
26:
27:
28:
---------------------------- End of Week Three: 204.4 Total Loss for Week Four:
Last edited by opheliaphoenix; 01-23-2018 at 03:30 PM.
I can hardly keep up with you guys! If you'll forgive me, I'll work backwards today so I'm not commenting on posts that are already completely passé.
OpheliaPhoenix- Good riddance to TOM! I know what you mean by a spring in your step; it's crazy how a little loss (or gain!) can really color your outlook for the day.
Laura- I love your drinks trolly from the Ikea. Almost everything we own is from the ikea! I don't trust myself around alcohol at the moment because I love a good gin Martini, but the calories add up!
Curvynotlumpy- I love oats. I wish you could get instant ones over here, but they aren't really common, and cooking up oats in the conventional way for just one person just seems to be more trouble than it's worth. I cook them in the microwave from time to time, but can never get the temp/timing right and wind up with oatmeal all over the microwave every time!
Hello, Runningredhead. The mediterranean omlette does sound really good. I used to work nights, a looooong time ago. I used to go for a walk for about an hour when I got home to wind down and try to relax.
Wow, Traveller! That's amazing- you've lost way over 100 pounds! Just out of curiosity, how tall are you? 1000 calories does seem rather low- and the theories on these things change so often. At one point 'experts' were saying that having a too low calorie input could actually be counter-productive as it makes your body believe you're starving and then it tries extra hard to hold on to its resources. No idea if that's still a trendy theory or not. it's hard to keep track.
FutureVagabond. That's a shame about your friends. I guess you can try to steer them toward more active pasttimes for your next meetup, but sometimes if they won't come, they won't, and you just have to move on. As Ophelia says, good that you recognized the problem and it sounds like your attitude is good!
Sorry if I've left anyone out- I really will try to post more than once a week.
Anyway, this week has been okay for me. Got in several good walks and lost a kilo. It's amazing how quickly you can get spoiled- I was thinking this hadn't been a good week because the scale had dipped to 115.8 and then gone up again and I was sad. Then I realized I had lost a kilo (over two pounds) this week and that's actually quite respectable! I'm trying to move forward and *not* focus on the regret of re-gain ("Oh, woe is me! I was down to 225 in 2014, how could I let this happen," yada yada yada) but once in a while, it gets the better of me.
Made humus this week, some low-sugar, reasonably healthy blueberry muffins, and am trying to find some better recipes for Quinoa- it has so much potential, but it's incredibly bland all by its lonesome!
Have a good day, everyone- the weather forcast today is fab- lots of sun and 10 degrees (50f?) so I am planning a megawalk, at least 10,000 steps- I'll report back!
MagicSusan thanks! I too love a good G&T myself and admiring my bar cart is torture because I have given up alcohol during the Diet Bet. Some thoughts about your oatmeal issue, look into "overnight oats". There are great recipes online where you can take a serving oats and soak them overnight. Worth a look.
Speaking of the Diet Bet, I'm feeling more confident now. I've been very, very strict in sticking to my calorie limit, not eating any sugar or chocolate etc. It seems to be paying off. Today I have passed the halfway point to my goal!! For me this game has been the missing piece to kick start my losing trend. I may sign up for the next one...
Happy Hump to all!!
Last edited by LauraRVA42011; 01-24-2018 at 08:55 PM.
Curvy: It was nice to “catch up” on sleep, I always feel like I don’t get enough (rarely more than 6.5-7 hours), so it was a nice change. Your oatmeal sounds so good right now, it’s about 14 degrees right now with the wind chill here, I may eat oatmeal for dinner
Magicsusan: I usually take the time to go for a long walk at work on my break around 3 or 4 AM to help myself wake up because I know I’ll be too tired to do it when I get home. Your hummus and muffins sound wonderful. I am not a big fan of quinoa because of the blandness, so if I do make it, I usually cook it with a low-sodium veggie broth and herbs instead of water to help give it a little boost.
Laura: That shirt is awesome! Glad to hear the Diet Bet is boosting your confidence. Congratulations on passing your halfway point, that’s incredible!
opheliaphoenix: Way to get back in the green
I’m up 1.5 lb so far this week, Im not sure if it’s because I’m eating too many calories or if its retaining water from finally starting to work out consistently (every other day), or should I be working out every day? Trying to figure some things out this week. Also playing around with eating less meat and dairy… Not sure what I’m doing exactly, I think I’m just trying to figure out what will work best for my body. I’ve had success with low carb in the past, but it’s not sustainable for me- I’ll do well for about two weeks and then end up bingeing on all the foods I “can’t” eat. Lots of soul searching this week. Sorry for the mildly incoherent babbling, I got distracted checking out some of the Instagram pages and Diet Bets Laura & Casey have mentioned this month, which lead to checking out some YouTube videos and the next thing I knew it was 2AM and I only slept about four hours.
Time to get ready to head to work for a meeting. Heading in for an hour isn't so bad, it's the 30 minutes to get there and 45 minutes of rush hour getting back that will be fun. Here's to good music and heated seats for the car ride
Magicsusan: It really can change your whole outlook! I wish I could say it didn't have that sway on me, especially on the gain days, but it still does. Great loss for the week, by the way!
Laura: I am glad that the DietBet is going well for you! I'll definitely be joining another one, as well.
RunningRedHead: Thank you! And, that's the issue with meal plans that are really restrictive for me, as well...I will focus more on what I can't have rather than everything I can and become obsessed with the cravings until I end up deciding to "give in a little" and then binge out. I have to include the foods I love, albeit usually healthier versions, pretty regularly or I wouldn't be able to keep this all up as a lifestyle change instead of a diet. I hope you find that balance of finding something that works well for you and isn't so restrictive that it puts you in binge-mode.
Weigh-in was down to 201.6 today, so finally losing some of that bloat! Which also means I hit my goal for my first DietBet I joined this month, so I hope I get to keep this little mini whoosh tomorrow -- and maybe even hit the goal for my second DietBet sometime in the next few days. I have about 1.2 lbs left for that one, so we will see! Just happy to be moving down again.
Week Four
22: 203.8 - TOM.
23: 203.0
24: 201.6
25:
26:
27:
28:
---------------------------- End of Week Three: 204.4 Total Loss for Week Four:
opheliaphoenix:! You are almost to Onderland! You must feel great!
RunningRedHead: I'm a regular reader of the blog http://www.runsforcookies.com and one of the keys to success for the author is don't do something that you aren't willing to do for the rest of your life (long term). For her this meant eating a fairly high carb diet and leaving enough calories each day to eat dessert every night. Clearly I'm no expert, but I think you're doing right by yourself in experimenting to see what does work if low-carb doesn't any more.
Magicsusan: I hummus but have never made it before even though it's really simple. You make me want to try, though. Glad you were able to get in some good walks this week.
Laura: Great job with being on target with your Diet Bet goals!
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It's been a long full day of meetings since 8:30 this morning. I am . While I was expected and needed in all the spaces I was in today, it sure felt like I got nothing accomplished. In other news, I've been waiting on a package from Amazon finally arrived today after missing the Sunday delivery date. While there is nothing important in the package I received daily updates that showed my package out for delivery...for three days! I was about to call and figure out my options when I got an email late morning saying it arrived.
What's adding to my tiredness is that TOM is on the way. I'm bloated and my lower back aches so I'm looking forward to going home and taking a hot shower or bath.
MagicSusan: Nice walks! I walk 10,000 steps almost every day too. I am 5'7". 1000 calories does feel too low for me but its still recommended if you don't lose if sedentary and under 165 pounds I think. I'm not quit that though on either score yet.
Good evening everyone It is late and I'm tired after a weird day at work, where I spent part of the afternoon filling out paperwork for an employee who says she injured herself at work (we are contesting her story) and then trying to sort out a mess regarding two competing companies who sent repairmen for our main doors. I will do personnals another day.
Also I have decided to go see a doctor because on day 12 of my cold, there is no improvement. When I was de-icing my car after work yesterday (we got freezing rain) I was coughing every single second I was out there. And rhis morning again another coughing fit. An employee of mine has the sane issue. Her doctor finally prescribed her inhalers after she insisted she didn't want another round of antibiotics. I'll go on my day off on Friday.
Martine! So sorry you're still sick! Hope you don't have bronchitis or walking pneumonia! I had severe bronchitis a few years back and it took 3 weeks of various antibiotics to knock it out. On the bright side, the second I felt well, I went out for a 2 hour walk to celebrate feeling alive. I truly hope you find relief soon!
Not much new from me, slight bump in the scale, but we did have Panera for dinner last night and that food, while healthier than your average fast food, is a sodium bomb, so I'm not panicking. I had my follow up to my year end review this week and got a surprised bonus (didn't know I qualified for one) and a decent raise, so things are proceeding much better in 2018 than last year. I think it was around this time last year my late brother got his cancer diagnosis. I am grateful for the blessings that 2018 has provided.
I've thought about signing up for February Diet Bet, but there are too many things happening in February that I don't want to be so strict about: we're going away to a hotel for a night the weekend after Valentines, plus the special dining out on Valentines. I'm going to a Super Bowl party the day the current Diet Bet ends, and while I don't plan on going crazy, I don't think I want the spectre of the the next bet looming over my choices. I think I'll play it by ear depending on how I do in the current bet and the days after the party; may be a good thing to join February and have that keep me on the straight and narrow.
Hope everyone is doing well and have a great day!!
I've been away too long. I went to the doctor last Monday, and they said bronchitis. I was prescribed a zpac and an inhaler. The office called last Thursday or Friday and a rather animated nurse said you have to come in to see Dr. She needs to discuss your diet and exercise. your triglycerides went from 180 to 400+. I said will she take blood again. Nurse, I don't know. Me, well I wasn't fasting when they drew my blood. Nurse, you weren't fasting? Me, no I came in at 4PM and they took my blood. I told them I had just had lunch a couple hours before. Nurse, Oh, you might want to mention that to the Dr. She may want to draw new blood work. Me, unsaid, gee you think?
I took the 5 days of the Zpac, and even though I had some improvement, I didn't feel like I should after a round of antibiotics. Since I was going in today, I figure I would address it further with her. Now, I'm getting worse again. I think I have a cold on top of bronchitis. HUsband's been home for a week, which never happens, and he is the bringer of the cold. Luckily, he is taking our grown children and himself to Utah for the weekend and I'll be able to hopefully rest a lot and focus on eating healthy and on plan.
I haven't had a chance to read through everyone's individual post, but I assume everyone is doing well. Martine, I'm glad you are seeing the doctor. I hope you find some relief.
Curvy: That’s a great point.. whenever I get back on the low-carb wagon, it seems sustainable at the time, and like a great idea… until I binge a few days/weeks later and gain more than I’ve lost. Thanks for the link to Katie’s page! I think I’ve seen it before in one of my previous “research” binges, but I totally forgot about it. I really like that dessert idea Wow! That is a long day Glad to hear your package finally arrived and you didn’t have to call amazon. Hope your back ache and bloating feels better
Martine: I’m sorry you’re still not feeling well. Good luck to you at your doctors appointment.
Laura: It sounds like you’re going to have a lovely (and romantic) February Congratulations on your bonus and raise, that’s awesome!
Imthegoddess: I’m sorry the antibiotics didn’t help much. I hope you are able to get some decent rest and get well soon.
opheliaphoenix: You’re so right… I’m starting to wonder if a relatively “high carb” (but from whole foods, not refined stuff)/“low fat” diet is the way to go.. Lots to research, a lot to learn. Nice woosh!
Another bump today, but this one I was expecting after indulging in general tso’s tofu last night. Hopefully that will turn back around tomorrow… If not I may be heading into a place where I need to weigh in weekly for mental reasons On a positive note, I drank 3.6L yesterday. I’m considering increasing my goal to 4L.
(@kaylalamarie91) Your policy of “if it comes into the house, something has to leave” is a great idea, I am trying to work toward that, but so far no dice. Glad to hear you had a nice weekend. 
Full of lots of healthy things. Glad that you had such a good sleep. While I'm not the best at following my advice about sleep, I find myself constantly encouraging my staff and friends to stop skimping on it. With flu and illness hitting pretty hard 
is that much more important.
is indeed increasing. 
symptom at an awkward time. Do you think you overdid it or maybe it was something you ate? I think you're going to crush your Diet Bet goal! 
I don't trust myself around alcohol at the moment because I love a good gin Martini, but the calories add up!
it's hard to keep track.
and good evening.
! You are almost to Onderland! You must feel great! 
hummus but have never made it before even though it's really simple. You make me want to try, though. 
. While I was expected and needed in all the spaces I was in today, it sure felt like I got nothing accomplished. In other news, I've been waiting on a package from Amazon finally arrived today after missing the Sunday delivery date. While there is nothing important in the package I received daily updates that showed my package out for delivery...for three days! 
Wow! That is a long day 
Glad to hear your package finally arrived and you didn’t have to call amazon. Hope your back ache and bloating feels better 
On a positive note, I drank 3.6L yesterday. I’m considering increasing my goal to 4L. 