Diet Coaches
First day back at work today after Christmas break - by next week it will be like I have always been there but the transition period is a struggle. Can't seem to get organised for meals and lunches etc even though I have thought about it. I planned breakfast and lunch and now need to think about what to have for dinner. Which of course is impossible when you get home hungry and tired. So I need to work out food for tonight and get lunch sorted for tomorrow.
These fermented foods seem to keep me busy - always needing to check them and decant them and redo them. But so far I am enjoying the milk kefir for breakfast and am enjoying the challenge of making a water kefir I enjoy. Waiting the 12 (yes 12!) weeks to enjoy the sauerkraut, and am keen to try the Beet Kvass which should be ready tomorrow or the day after. I need to find ways to incorporate them into my diet and manage the time to look after them. I am waiting for new jars to try to make kimchi next which I am really looking forward to.
Credits:
Walked this morning and made my steps plus a few (could have walked more at work)
Planning food for work today
Planning food for work tomorrow
Prepping kefir for breakfast tomorrow
Doing the essentials to keep on top of chores at home
BillBE - it wouldn't have been so annoying to not submit my post if I had not turned the computer off. Not sure what I was thinking. Thanks for the link to snow throwers - very alien here! Great planning for an evening out
BethFromDayton - Congrats on your numbers - you must be really pleased
BIG non-scale victory today. I discovered that the navy blue linen dress that I have been carrying around since I last fitted into it in my early 20's fits! There are only 2 pieces of clothing left from that long ago because I had given up hope of getting to this size again, but couldn't quite bear to part with this dress (and the long (also blue) velvet one). Such a lovely day in my precious frock. When the weather is cooler I shall have to try the velvet one on - and then come up with an excuse to wear it because it is far from casual attire :-)
Beth - congratulations on those great numbers!
Nationalparker - love your idea of your finding joy email exchange with your sister
Credits:
- noticed I was full before eating all my dinner so I stopped
- chose a cup of tea after lunch with a friend rather than the habitual latte
Food 100% OP? yes ; Health activities 100% OP? yes (noting that I still have to do my resistance band exercises but I am committing to doing them as soon as I hit 'submit' ; Drank 2L water? yes ; Went to bed on time? yes ; Streak count: 2
Diet Coaches/Buddies Stayed the path for meals and snacks, CREDIT moi, so streak is 62. Evening snack was mango - mediocre mango. As I type this my immediate thought is that I could have followed it with one of the mediocre oranges in the fridge that won't evaporate. As dumb as that thought is, it does remind me that mediocre calls for more and superb satisfies. The food challenge was a memorial service for an active, healthy 56 year old man whose sudden death totally shocked everyone. I planned to make lunch from the reception that followed by having one plate and skipping any desserts. Good thing that I planned; massive volumes of good food were offered. I filled my plate with green salad and diced fruit along with half a turkey-on-ciabatta-bread sandwich.
Not enough exercise, Ouch. By the time we got home from the service our spirits were worn out.
Cheryl (seadwaters) Good to be reminded that planning "is impossible when you get home hungry and tired." Kudos for keeping up with your fermenting, including "Prepping kefir for breakfast tomorrow."
maryann - It's so encouraging to read, "how I eat now has become a subconscious choice."
nationalparker Didn't know that your 150 daffodil bulbs might be toxic to dogs and cats. I'm jealous of the thought of all of them growing in your sunny room. Neat to find a book that is a "good reminder to be mindful and present."
Beth (bethFromDayton) Congrats on that stellar blood work. Thanks for the Cognitive Behavior Therapy demo by focusing on satisfaction - with Kudos for thinking to apply it.
ForMyGirls - LOL at "rootin' and tootin'" - Yep, not even the Super Bowl yet. Kudos for planning that hot chocolate "BEFORE I made it." Congrats on fitting your "navy blue linen dress."
AZtricia - Double Kudos for avoiding digging into the meat when you're deboning - that's a hard time for me since my fingers can pop pieces into my mouth faster than my brain can respond.
Readers -
Quote:
day 10Set a Realistic Goal
Once I accept the fact that I should
focus on losing 5 pounds at a time, . . . . .dieting will be easier.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 115.
The Maryann Plan is in effect, and I'm down a pound. I say for 10 total, but it's been forever ago that I started on this, so it seems to have less meaning.
Late evening brief trail walk last night - much colder/wetter than I anticipated. Snowy morning here with the apparently unavoidable jack-knifed semi trucks on the interstates, closed interstates, and trucks and cars sliding off the entrance ramps. It's an interesting winter so far, in the city's approach to snow handling.
Two weeks until our cruise. I'm excited and at the same time, worried that the "free" food fest will derail me. I know, though, that the opportunity to be very active exists and I do need to monitor what I eat. But dang, I would HATE to get back and have to work to lose several pounds again. I love my trips to Italy, eating what I love and walking it all off.
Bill - I like your phrasing of the superb satisfies. I need to get there. When I have something superb that is a favorite (such as my homemade pasta au gratin), I have trouble savoring every bite and being satisfied. I make it rarely; it's been months now. And now you have me wanting to test myself.
Beth - Yay on the great bloodwork! Revel in what your dr. says about that improvement!
ForMyGirls - Wonderful news about your NSV with the dress. I love it! And I'd start planning NOW to find a place velvet-dress-worthy when you get there
Seadwaters - I feel for you back at the job after a nice holiday. I hope the transition goes well. Get extra sleep if you can. I always find it difficult to get back into the swing of work after time off.
Today was a very stressful day. After seeing patients all day I felt drained, and for the first time since I've been on my diet and avoiding sugar I actually started to crave something sweet...a iced blended drink at Coffee Bean, or a Chai flavored cake pop. It was interesting because I haven't had any sugar cravings at all since getting off refined sugar, and I'm beginning to see now that my sugar cravings are (and probably always have been) stress related. Once I realized this, I realized that I needed to do something to address the stress, and I didn't give in. Anyway, this was a big realization for me.
Credits:
Sticking to my food plan
Writing a food plan for tomorrow
Sitting down to eat.
Consciously making an effort to eat slowly.
Looking at my ARCs.
Not giving into momentary temptation.
Last edited by MermaidAtSea; 01-21-2014 at 07:58 PM.
Today was an OP day for me, although it started out with my weight up. Just information, I tell myself. Since I've been OP, it's probably just salt or some such.
I had to make some adjustments to my written plan because the weather affected both my lunch and dinner plans. For lunch, I stayed with my back-up plan and for dinner had leftovers. My dinner out with DS has been rescheduled for Thursday, when hopefully the roads will be better.
For daytime exercise, I started using a bathroom on a different floor--it gets me moving a bit more during the day--but I am going to really have to pick that up! Tomorrow is Pilates.
My streak of recording everything in MFP is at 42!
OP eating, yes. Exercise- walked dog twice, Credit for restarting my info in the Diet Power program as I think it was trying to offer too many calories. I'm a bit disappointed with the new 1555, but have hopes that my exercise will help my metabolism and the weight will still come off with a slightly higher number. I will see as it adjusts to my metabolic rate over the next few days.
Hopefully only a little while longer till I earn my own signature/ ticker with my good behavior
seadwaters Hope you are able to tackle planning and get back into your schedule smoothly. I ordered some fermented dill pickles from our coop to try before diving into our own fermenting. Delivery is in a couple weeks. Credit for getting your steps in.
ForMyGirls Hurray for the dress fitting! Congrats for noticing full, and for the lower calorie tea vs latte. Hope your band exercises went well. Doubled your streak!
BillBlueEyes Bummer about the mango, I almost bought some this weekend, now I am glad I resisted. Love the "superb satisfies". Credit for your great plan and sticking with it! Sorry for your loss
nationalparker Congrats on the pound gone and walking. Hope you are feeling more prepared to deal with the cruise.
MermaidAtSea Wow, huge credit for diagnosing the sugar craving as stress! Great job in exercising your resistance muscle.
bethFromDayton Credit for your flexibility and great choice to add steps during the day. Congrats on 42
I decided to change my goals and write out the 5 pound stages I need to get to - I am trying to keep myself motivated, and read the excerpt in BillBE's post. So I thought I would make it real and put it out there. I so hope that tomorrow I am under the 197.4 I was this morning but who knows. So my current STG is 197 pounds.
Credits:
Walked this morning and made my steps today
Planned lunch and dinner - breakfast needed to be rethought because the temperature was too high in the house and my overnight kefir ferment turned to cheese - the dogs like it. Have made a new successful batch
Continuing to try while showing no results (bobbing up and down like a cork) - frustrating
Doing the faux vending machine run at work to get some steps and stairs in
Realising I am not hungry in the evening and having a small meal
Thanks coaches - I have to get moving if I am going to plan for tomorrow
Diet Coaches/Buddies The only exercise was preparing the new snow thrower. Even that was limited because it has an electric starter. Good thing because the first starting was difficult - but holding the button that allowed my house current to turn the engine wasn't so hard, LOL.
Eating was on plan including snacks so I've streaked to 63, CREDIT moi. Bad news is that a friend sent over four chocolate laced brownies as thanks for a favor I'd done. Ouch. I've made a plan where I have a portion of one as part of dinner every few days for the next several weeks until gone. I'll have the same portion as DW, which makes them fit into my dinner plan. DW finished the last of the trail mix from Christmas that I'd been using in my peanut butter sandwich for lunch while I was out of pecans. Glad that's gone. I've got pecans from Trader Joe's now, so all is back on track.
Cheryl (seadwaters) Love reading that you continue with " the faux vending machine run at work."
nationalparker Congrats on those 10 pounds gone forever - there's no points off for taking a while. Kudos for already thinking about your plan for your cruise in two weeks.
Beth (bethFromDayton) "Just information ... Just information ... Just information ... Just information ... Just information ... Just information ... "
AZtricia - Yep, you're eligible for a tracker in your signature in two days and one more post as Mae West said, Goodness had nothing to do with it. Kudos for continuing to seek the right diet and exercise combination.
MermaidAtSea - Super Kudos for recognizing that the craving was stress related then planning to address the stress - what a textbook demonstration of using Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
Readers -
Quote:
day 11Differentiate Between Hunger, Desire, and Cravings
Almost every dieter I've worked with has had difficulty distinguishing between true hunger (when you've fasted for several hours and your stomach is empty), a desire to eat (not being particularly hungry but eating because there is food around), and a craving (a physiological and emotionally intense urge to eat).
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 118.
Diet Coaches/Buddies – The only exercise was preparing the new snow thrower. Even that was limited because it has an electric starter. Good thing because the first starting was difficult - but holding the button that allowed my house current to turn the engine wasn't so hard, LOL.
Eating was on plan including snacks so I've streaked to 63, CREDIT moi. Bad news is that a friend sent over four chocolate laced brownies as thanks for a favor I'd done. Ouch. I've made a plan where I have a portion of one as part of dinner every few days for the next several weeks until gone. I'll have the same portion as DW, which makes them fit into my dinner plan. DW finished the last of the trail mix from Christmas that I'd been using in my peanut butter sandwich for lunch while I was out of pecans. Glad that's gone. I've got pecans from Trader Joe's now, so all is back on track.
Cheryl (seadwaters) – Love reading that you continue with " the faux vending machine run at work."
nationalparker – Congrats on those 10 pounds gone forever - there's no points off for taking a while. Kudos for already thinking about your plan for your cruise in two weeks.
Beth (bethFromDayton) – "Just information ... Just information ... Just information ... Just information ... Just information ... Just information ... "
AZtricia - Yep, you're eligible for a tracker in your signature in two days and one more post as Mae West said, “Goodness had nothing to do with it.” Kudos for continuing to seek the right diet and exercise combination.
MermaidAtSea - Super Kudos for recognizing that the craving was stress related then planning to address the stress - what a textbook demonstration of using Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
Readers -
Quote:
day 11Differentiate Between Hunger, Desire, and Cravings
Almost every dieter I've worked with has had difficulty distinguishing between true hunger (when you've fasted for several hours and your stomach is empty), a desire to eat (not being particularly hungry but eating because there is food around), and a craving (a physiological and emotionally intense urge to eat). Interestingly, many of them initially thought they could tell the difference. What about you?
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 118.
Last edited by BillBlueEyes; 01-23-2014 at 05:52 AM.
Credits:
- when I did my "have I got the calories left for a hot chocolate?" calculation this evening I worked out that a) I did b) I hadn't had any fruit yet today and c) my body would be happier if I used the calories for fruit. And it was so yummy - even yummier than I had imagined the hot chocolate to be;
- I had to make a late change to the dinner plan because the meat I bought today was off (grrrr) - it got a bit chaotic in the kitchen and it was ready before I had prepped veggies - momentarily tempted to say "not my fault I can have a night off" but then remembered that the only person I would be cheating is myself and quickly cut up some capsicum and tomato
- I have been planning my meals the day before for 3 days now. As someone who has been very resistant to the planning part of the program this is a big achievement.
Report card:
Food 100% OP? yes ; Health activities 100% OP? yes ; Drank 2L water? yes ; Went to bed on time? yes ; Streak count: 3
Nationalparker - I have one possibility for the velvet dress which is an evening wedding but it might still be too warm, plus it is a none too subtle number so I would feel like I was trying to upstage the bride if I wore it. Hmmm - will have to keep thinking. Perhaps I can find a fundraising ball to crash in mid winter ... or perhaps I will just curl up in it on the couch and delight in it's velvety softness.
MermaidAtSea - what a great insight. Power to you for noticing it rather than caving to it.
Beth - a streak of 42. Wow. Bill must be feeling you nipping at his heels right about now.
Why, yes, I did reach Day 6 of Beck's change-your-eating-behavior book. I've never posted to a forum before but could not figure out a real-life solution to the Diet Coach command (I asked my husband but he was not amused), so here I am. I love seeing the maintaining numbers around here.
The two diets I've chosen are No S (dead simple behavior modification plan - no sweets, no seconds, no snacks except on weekends) and Flexitarian. I really hope I don't have to revert to the second plan but if I must, I must. I did lose weight once before with the No S plan so I am hopeful.
Of the challenges so far, I already (almost always) eat sitting down so that was easy. Eating slowly and focusing on what I eat is harder because I find it boring. (Helpful Response - retyped for my own benefit: Eating quickly has probably contributed to my weight gain. I can't have it both ways. I can't eat quickly and also lose weight and maintain the loss. Even though eating more slowly will take effort in the beginning, I'll get used to it and then I won't think much about it.)
Credits: Huge credit for going to the super special buffet at the super fancy hotel and eating one reasonable plate of food. (My diet proscribes one plate of food of whatever you like that isn't dessert at each of three meals as long as youre not an idiot about the whatever you like part.) Credit for making myself look until I found the dinner plates instead of the keep-on-eating-salad plates. Credit for getting everything together at once that I was going to eat before I started eating. Actually, this was really helpful; as I was walking back to the table with a plate full of delicious-looking food, that was kind of heavy even, thinking to myself: Really? Are you really going to feel resentful that you only get one plate of food? Look at that thing--you know you won't be hungry after you eat all that. And I was right. (When I first walked in I was mentally groaning about all the things I wouldn't get to eat--ooh, cheese flight!--so this thought was a great improvement.)
Other credits include a 10 day on-plan eating streak and a 10 day exercise streak. Something to fix is that I fell off the sleep wagon again last night. I really don't like going to bed and very often stay up much too late, and then I have little kids that wake me up early (and I'm always "o why did I stay up"), and I feel like getting good sleep is my lynchpin to being able to stick to the book and exercise (not to mention start being more productive at work and a more patient mom). I had a 7 day streak of going to bed by 11pm but stayed up last night reading a book. My not-working-yet fix-it plan includes: setting alarms on my ipad to go to bed, buying an oil warmer and supposedly sleep-inducing essential oils (the thing is pretty if nothing else and it gives me a little night-time ritual), sleep meditation cd, and dark-as-possible bedroom. Hey, now I am giving myself credit for taking these actions even if I am not yet reaping the benefits. Today I wrote a response card for "I don't want to go to bed" and after I log off of here I will go read it.
(I am having the sabotaging thought that I may be posting too much but I am telling myself that I will learn the etiquette around here eventually and people will probably be really nice in the meantime. Also, please know I havent finished the book yet so I may not be implementing everything.)
AZtricia - Yep, you're eligible for a tracker in your signature in two days and one more post as Mae West said, “Goodness had nothing to do with it.” Kudos for continuing to seek the right diet and exercise combination.
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post 20
Lost another pound today, but will check-in more later. Wishing all my coaches great days!
Welcome, flnu!! I hadn't heard of the S Diet and like the common-sense-ness of it! I find myself staying up too late when DH isn't home (and ForMyGirls is working on her challenge to get to sleep earlier as well), and finally have to tell myself that during sleep is the time when my body can heal. Not while I'm awake. Not that I'm healing from anything major, but for general renewal
My evening was decent. Dinner was turkey meatloaf, loaded with green peppers and onions and homemade mashed potatoes with the light whipped butter that's real butter. Credits - used a minimal amount of the whipped butter and more 1% milk, limited myself to a third of a cup of them, after all green beans were eaten. By then, I was satisfied and while my mind wanted more, my stomach was all set. We watched, Blue Jasmine - my pick and I didn't know it was a Woody Allen movie - I don't care for him/his flicks (with exception of Midnight in Paris) ... and we watched it through, but neither of us really cared for it. Performers did well, though.
Cold again - sub-zero temps and our snow has moved over to you, Bill. I'm a bit envious of the snow thrower. I enjoy shoveling to a point, but it sure would be nice to be able to walk the length of our block, clearing the sidewalk snow leading to the trail.
ForMyGirls - Also - what a change of thinking to go from hot choc to fruit because it better serves your body! Way to go!! Credits!
AZTricia - Are you frustrated that the new number seems high or low? I might have missed a note. I know I am far from starving/emaciated, but I wonder if a high-calorie day now and then doesn't do me well to kick things in gear. But then I worry about it setting me back. Too many mind games going on in mine!
My scale (as of yet unnamed) liked my choice to have fish for dinner last night. Already walked the dog twice today, and still planning to exercise while the boys are at swim team. Tonight is pizza night, so going with my plan of only one slice and having some fresh fruit or veggies beside. Crazy here today as I have two extra boys from a friend. Her family is military and they are packing to move to their next assignment. My guys will miss their friends. Eating OP, Exercise OP, Need to read my ARC's still.
Encouraging thought, I plotted out weight loss and at 1.5 lb/week I could reach a healthy BMI by Christmas. What a healthy gift to give myself.
seadwaters Great idea, I like the idea of focusing on the 5 lb stages. Sorry about your kefir, can you do like yogurt cheese and drain it to use for other things (or is it just not tasty?) Love that you are coming to know your body and realizing that dinner is not when you are hungriest. I found the same is true for me. Hunger is pretty much past by 4:00.
BillBlueEyes Oh my for the brownie thanks. Sounds like you have a great plan though! Yum for the TJ pecans. Looking forward to my tracker
ForMyGirls Yeah for fruit and for listening to your body! And huge credit for your flexibility and healthy choices over dinner.
flnu Welcome I'm new here too. It is good to read about your success at the buffet, a huge encouragement to me.
nationalparker Brrr, so glad we are not in the Midwest anymore. I don't miss the cold at all. The program was frustrating me with high numbers, like 3000 calorie daily goal. I know I won't loose if I eat that much, so I was ignoring it but my daily intake was creeping up. So I gave in and re-set everything. Right now it is 1500, I think that 1700 is about where I really need to be, but a few lower days (or lower NQ scores if I go over 1500) will not matter long term. I had initially started the program in October when a local friend was going to join me. Then I had surgery in November and pretty much quit entering data till this month. The program goes wacky if you don't enter data as it is trying to calculate your metabolic rate and if you are eating zero calories...no compute! I know it will be better now.
Back at work
Tuesday
Congrats for noticing full, and for the lower calorie tea vs latte. Hope your band exercises went well. Doubled your streak! 
Great job in exercising your resistance muscle.
Sounds like you have a great plan though! Yum for the TJ pecans. Looking forward to my tracker 
I'm new here too. It is good to read about your success at the buffet, a huge encouragement to me. 
