What a great job you're doing. You're inspiring me to try harder too. I have been working on increasing protein and water too. I still refuse to go on a diet, but that is not the same thing as eating whatever, whenever I want. Are you still being Gazelle Girl? I am convinced that exercise is key to this process.
I went to the doctor yesterday for another fill and was pleased to be told that I'm a model patient. Who knew - it may be the only time in my life I can be a model! I said something about my slow loss and was told that it is exactly where they want me at this point.
So, in the spirit of your post, here's my Memorial Day challenge - and this may sound really strange to some. My challenge is to continue to work on being comfortable eating in front of people. I think it's a by-product of being obese for so long, but I'm always uncomfortable eating in front of people. I used to be (and sometimes still am) a secret eater. I am working on admitting my hunger and not caring if someone thinks I'd be thin if I just pushed away from the table. Sounds kind of goofy, but this is a big hurdle for me. No more secret eating for this chick!
Keep up the good work, my not-so-fluffy little friend!
Later, Chickadee (who should never be allowed to learn new computer tricks and make such obnoxiously colored posts!)
Pookie! Good for you for making a challenge for yourself. If anybody can do this, YOU can! You are such a vibrant and dedicated person, and if you focus this on your weight loss, you WILL succeed! You know what is good for you and what isn't, so keep your pretty head square on your shoulders and let's burn some calories! Yeahhhhhhh!!
Can we join you in your Memorial Day challenge? I've found over time that I need to re-commit to better habits on a somewhat routine basis. I do very well for awhile then tend to get a bit sloppy around the edges. Time to tighten up ship a bit around here.
My goals are quite similar to yours: Increase lean protein, increase water, increase veggies, increase exercise. Decrease sweets and "extras".
I am finding with the stress of adding school to my schedule, I will sit down with my books (after a tremendous amount of procrastination) and want to bring a snack. If I have to do this, I need a food treat as a reward. Isn't that stinkin thinkin if you ever heard it? I was startled to realize I had fallen into such dangerous territory. Won't be having any of that! So I think, for me, spending the next few months learning to juggle stress and schedule overload without turning to food is going to be key.
I really appreciate all the support and help you give to me and to everyone who posts here on 3FC. I know you are VERY busy and I appreciate you taking the time to help me and others!
I can so relate to the head hunger thing. It isn't a huge problem for me, but it certainly does exist and is an issue at times. Yesterday, along with timing my meals and snacks, I made sure to drink a ton of non-caloric liquids between each meal and snack. I still have trouble getting in enough liquids unless I consciously push them. Having that glass of tea or whatever can really push back that hungry feeling and allow me to go a bit longer before the next fuel infusion.
The thing that is helping me the most is taking meals and snacks with me to work. It seems like an awful lot of work at the time, but the benefits are huge for me.
oh my, you two. there is no easy answer to that question!!! i can't eat yogurt in the morning, but i can in the afternoon. many factors affect dumping, i think, and one of them is basically how long it's been since you last ate. eating somethiing sweet after a meal makes it easier to tolerate.
but i gotta tell BOTH of you that I KNOW when you had your surgery - and neither of you is far enough out to be experimenting this way
as for the WATER - pookarella - we all know that plain water is best, but decaf coffee counts towards your liquid intake. really!!! i wouldn't lie to you!!!
and the salad dressing thing... i think that pre-made lite ones are gross. here's what i do: i get an oil and vinegar based one, something like caesar, and pour off most of the oil. much less fat. much more flavor.
and sometimes i chop up some cucumber, tomato, and maybe some red peppers, and mix in a tablespoon or two of hummus. yummy!!!!! i just go through these phases where ALL salad dressings taste disgusting, and i think i'm in one now.
so i'm eating more roasted veggies than salads these days, or some plain raw veggies...
but this is just me.
now, what got me off on this tangent???? i don't remember any more!!!!!
Am I weird? I've never had issues eating in front of anyone. I've also had such high levels of testosterone from PCOS that no one dared mess with me, hehehe. Thank you, my 11 years in the US Navy! lol I'm really glad to hear you're moving forward Pookie. There are few things more discouraging than a long-term plateau. You are in my prayers.
Pookie, you made a good point about making small changes, one at a time. Whenever I have gone back to visit the nutritionist at my postop appointments, she reminds me of this. I tend to have this all-or-nothing thinking which doesn't work a bit! Even when things seem badly out of control (that's about me, by the way, not you or anyone else), it really IS do-able to make one change at a time. Even if I go through the same list of changes each time, I've done it enough times now as a postop to know that 1) I CAN do it and 2) making one change at a time really will work in the end. Success in one small area makes the next one easier.
Yesterday, I packed healthy stuff to take to work, ate at scheduled intervals, and went to the gym. Of course, I took my vitamins (always do that one). I spoke w/my trainer about my huge weight gain, and he reminded me that the weather here has been going from cold to hot, and some of it could be water, and sure enough I am already down several pounds. That's a good thing. However, I have gained some pounds, and am over my "line in the sand" weight, and it was a seriously needed wake up call. When I got home last night, I grabbed a little spiral 3x5 notebook and wrote down what I had eaten during the day. Not something I had even thought of doing, but one good change (taking healthy foods to work) sort of lead to another. Easily, without thought or effort or pain. I like that.
About the water, I get very little of my liquids from plain water. I am just, in the last six months, to the point that I can drink it at all. It's not ideal, but it is what it is. I don't do caffeine, and try simply to get in enough fluids. It is a challenge for me, to this day, although not nearly as hard as it once was. Give me a busy weekend, however, and it's tough. My boyfriend knows to leave me alone in the morning, that I "have to drink". That's why I am on the computer before work. I drink my sugar free cafe mocha then. I don't do anything else until two huge mugs of it are down.
I swear, one change at a time, one small change, really can give huge results.
darlin - it's not that we have so many more rules than everyone else - it's more like the stakes are so much higher for us if we don't follow them.
no one - surgery or not - should take calcium and iron together. but if we skip them altogether, we get into serious trouble. fast.
everyone - surgery or not - should be drinking at least 64 oz of non-caffeine fluids a day. i don't know of too many people who drink sugary drinks. the difference is that THEY can drink with their meals and we can't. but we all need to drink up.
EVERYONE needs to exercise and build up some muscle. look at the divine Meg for inspiration!!!!
soooo - WE'RE NOW NORMAL!!! does that help at all?? sometimes thinking this has helped me get through some uncomfortable times. it's important for me to realize that i'm now just like everyone else. and it's no picnic. [ouch - what an awful pun that was!!! a thousand apologies!!!]
Okay all, just wanted to check in. It is hard for me to even check in. I am still struggling to get things back on track. Between reading here, in the LWL and maintainers forums, I know I am not the only one struggling, but somehow my head is telling me that mine is "worse". Crazy stuff.
Yesterday, I packed my daily supplies, ate well, went straight from work to school (no exercise), but did well all day. On my way to school, where we had a potluck for the last night of class, I gave myself the potlock-pep-talk. Then I proceeded to make not-so-great choices. Grrrrrrrrrrr!
Fast forward to today. I was thinking about it, and realized that I did great all day. I got in dairy and protein and veggies. Eating a few junky items didn't take away the good choices I had made earlier. IT WAS AN ABBERATION, NOT A CONTINUATION. That was a lightbulb thought for me. If I had eaten badly all day, it would have been more of the same, but it wasn't.
I'm still working to get back on track. I am not giving up. I'm just realizing it is more of an issue right now than it has been before. It is harder this time than it ever has been since I had surgery. That's okay though. I'm in this for the long haul.
Good luck!!
