Staurday Weigh-In = down another pound. Another butter box on the counter.
The plan is working, albeit slowly. For 8 pounds down, I thought I'd notice some change by now in appearance. But then I imagine that pound of butter melted and poured over me and see how thinly the pounds must be spread. The muffin-top [really repulsive term] is alive and well!
Day 8 of The Diet Fix is eating out. I liked his philosophy of doing it rarely (maybe once or twice a week), but enjoying it. He advocates researching meals ahead of time (but adding 20% to 40% to posted calories to account for larger servings), eating normally rather than under-eating during the rest of the day so that we're in a good emotional and hunger space for making decisions (it makes no sense to fast during the day and eat 4000 calories at supper when normal eating would have made you willing to eat 1000 calories or less at supper), and refusing the pre-dinner drink (since alcohol effects decision-making, order a drink after all the decisions have been made and drink it with supper instead of before).
This was a tip I may ignore, "Skip the Doggy Bag." Since restaurant meals tend to have more calories than home-cooked ones, he says don't take it home and eat all those calories a second time for lunch -- unless the food is really great. No reason to take that calorie hit twice for mediocre food. Which is a good point. But the doggy bag option is the one that keeps me from eating the whole thing (mediocre or not) at the restaurant, so I tend to think that over the years, doggy bags have served me well. Although, I have used doggy bags less and less as I got better at ordering smaller portions, splitting things with DH, and picking out the vegetables and meat while leaving behind most of the carbs in pasta dishes and stir-fries.
WI: -0.1kg, Exercise: +50 485/1500 minutes for April, Food: 80%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
maryann: I love your hair-do. It's so springy and it makes you look energetic and purposeful -- it manages to be both professional and pretty.
It was a big break-through for me a few years ago when I decided that I could go to a curly-hair specialist and pay to get a really great cut that worked with my hair instead of against it. I was surprised how much confidence that inspired in me (and told the inner critic who judged that as shallow to go jump in a lake).
BillBlueEyes: My brother (Libertarian) and me (bleeding-heart liberal) have had some terrific discussions in recent years. We get the biggest kick out of reaching a small place of agreement in a conversation where we started very far apart.
Walked around today's airshow at the base. My feet are sore and nose stuffy from all the junk the high wind picked up. We did not see anything flying because the wind stayed too high once we'd arrived. Otherwise a fine day: groceries collected and OP.
Had an absolutely terrible day with food yesterday. Thursday was fine. I ate all my planned food and stayed on track. I did not have a plan for Friday except to start the day with breakfast in a restaurant, which is one of the steps in the Diet Fix. Shouda had a plan. I ordered 2 poached eggs and 2 pancakes. I thought that was manageable- not the lowest calorie but not out of control either. Next thing you know I was going out to lunch (chicken fingers, fries and gravy- groan). Which led to chocolate at work in the afternoon and lots of chips on the ride home and pizza for dinner. I felt bloated and ill all night. What was that??? I just totally lost focus and went into a bunch of sabotaging thoughts like- "today I don't care", "I will stop tomorrow", "I don't care" and "I deserve this". Ya right!!!
Today happy to say I am eating 100% on plan so far and am moving on.
Long day - but actually, despite the stress, notched a few credits. I ordered thai dinner to get something different in, and will get three meals from the one dinner. Typically the takeout meal is able to be split in two solid meals, so credit for reducing portions a bit more. Didn't snack - despite desire to, so taking a credit there.
My dad is struggling today - and I'm finding it hard to walk the line between not angering him with checking if he took pain meds, etc., and urging him to do so. I don't want to rock the boat when I still have nearly two weeks here. This will be the longest I've ever been back at their home Got all my office work done a few minutes ago for tonight, so that's good. Will have the same tomorrow afternoon and night, so I'll be in good shape on Monday.
Maryann - Love the new 'do! I like your way of thinking - these are the things you deserve!
6CrowsGold - Congrats on the loss - you're chugging right along. Pass me the key to your success
CeeJay - Great job moving on - that's in the past and glad to hear today went well.
GardenerJoy - I'm right there with you on the doggy bags - I think sometimes taking the best parts of different ways of approaching successful eating plans is what will work for us. I am one who doesn't want to throw out food I've paid for, especially meat, ethically I think that's wrong. But sometimes we completely stretch out the leftovers, adding vegetables, etc., and it's worked out well.
AZTricia - Oh, I envy you the airshow. I LOVE airshows and the static displays. While growing up my dad would have me look up in the sky to ID planes Oh, a C-141 ... F-16 ... that's a C-5, etc. But more importantly, I'm so excited for you as you're hitting that midway mark here soon close to 50 pounds down- look at you and the progress you've made - phenomenol!
Bill - Your interests run such a gamut - impressive. Wondered if you'd ever read, "Galileo's Daughter" by Dava Sobel ... I enjoyed her book, "Longitude" - quick read on a topic that I never really thought about, prior to selecting it. Now I keep encouraging DH to read it, he let it sleep on his nightstand, untouched, for too long for me to admit to, before I finally reshelved it.
Last edited by nationalparker; 04-12-2014 at 11:23 PM.
Tonight I have a glorious facial sunburn and forearm burn (both minor but I am red and can feel it). We actually had enough sun that I got that today as I sat outside on a town-owned picnic table beside the guild sign I made with the members last summer, which survived all the mess of the trees cracking and breaking and landing on stuff, but missing the sign (thank goodness). I marveled that the sign survived the freeze, thaw, ice, wind and snow we had. I felt sure we did do a great job! And so I thought on all these things as I soaked up the rays while I coloured my pots with underglaze to finish them off in the kiln later this week. I still need to coat them in clear glaze to give them, some of them, a shiny surface. I'll be back there early tomorrow before anyone else shows up to do that.
2 interesting things came up though while I sat outside baking in the sun. 1) my guild friend who always stops by to pick me up and who has indeed become a good friend who I can easily laugh with (so rare and so very important to me) listened as I read her the description of the mentorship opportunity and she, without hestitation, offered to be what in other circles would be termed "an assistant". She said she'd help me fire my work, and help me solve problems with the construction, just basically be along for the ride. Such an offer of total support. I was very grateful.
And then 2) another guild member who had taken up my challenge of making something out of 1lb of clay during one of our community demos (he throws clay on the wheel. I don't and don't really care too--except in the idea that I *should* be able to do everything/have a minimal amt of competence in everything related to the fields I work in) saw that I was working on the surface of the small vase I asked him to make. He also made a tall cup and a pasta bowl, all from 1lb of white clay all within 10 minutes for each object, all while I dictated the form and he sought to make it. I was amazed that he would even listen to me let alone try it! So I ended up with all three things that he made at my direction and today he suggested that we truly collaborate. He is happy to make the forms if I want to finish them/work their surfaces. I was stunned as he is someone who is kind of a loner and kind of a hard a*s sort of, well not really that but he has a reputation as being sort of fussy, but he sees us as having very different skill sets so we bring different things to the table. He likes my loose approach and my willingness to be experimental and to "just try it". While I admire his throwing and appreciate it, I truly don't desire to work that way. I like rough edges, stuff that might cut you, I want to see the material I am working with. I just like that. So working on his stuff which is very fine, very smooth, very even, very clean and neat, is interesting and a real blank canvas for anything. Anyway, that was today as I sat in the sun on the picnic table getting a sunburn. Very interesting what can come up sometimes.
So foodwise I didn't make a plan for today. I did eat breakfast, but completely missed lunch, working through it and not even thinking about food until I had to drive afterwards. It was DH who when I called to say I was coming home asked for me to bring some lunch as he was starving. Oh, me too I guess. So then I chose poorly (fast food) over ate, but skipped dinner. Truly not hungry. Tomorrow I must do better.
Yesterday I bought a skipping rope though. I had an urge to just try it out back during the day when no one is home. I tried it once about 10 years ago and it was shocking how few jumps I could do. Wow. I just think it would be fun and would feel a little silly and make me feel "young" or adventurous or something. Anyway I'm going to try it. I got a lime green rope with sparkles. 7feet in length. $1.25 so I can't go wrong really.
That's it. My coughing has amped up again. It comes and goes but when it shows up it won't stop so I need to go rest. I am 80% back to normal, though people are telling me the cough lasts and lasts and lasts.... we'll see.
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Encountered a legitimate rare and unusual food opportunity at Whole Foods. Ana Sortum, herself, was serving samples of her Bulgur Pilaf with Turkish Spices & Pistachio Chef Set. Ana owns and chefs at Oleana - one of the best restaurants around. Just blown away. Naturally, I bought three each of two different ones for the Easter Baskets for my two kids and us. She so liked my description of making Easter Baskets with fruits and veggies instead of candy that she autographed the packages with "Happy Easter! Ana." So much fun for only the food intake of my allocated afternoon snack. I completed my shopping at Whole Foods without touching any other FREE sample. CREDIT moi for enjoying food and enjoying life while staying my path.
Sky was clear and weather warm enough for a delightful bird walk with 30 species including our first warbles of the season - some three Palm Warblers, always the first to arrive. My exercise walk, CREDIT moi, included the expected brief stop at Whole Foods where I encountered Ana and her Chef Sets.
onebyone – Just terrific that the sun has found Canada sufficiently for you to feel some burn. Love the range of your interests in creating art. Your $1.25 skipping rope is just the best investment in home gym. LMAO at "lime green with sparkles" - the visual always matters.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – I'm with you on using the Doggie Bag as a strategy to bound eating at a restaurant. My take on the distinction is that a Philosophical Libertarian would refuse the Doggie Bag because all high caloric meals are bad while a Consequential Libertarian would be willing to compromise because the good of bounded eating at the restaurant outweighs the bad of high calorie food. [Monster Kudos to you and your brother, both, for being able to have political discussions with a family member.]
CeeJay - Ouch for the raft of Sabotaging Thoughts hitting you at once with Kudos for recognizing them for what they were. Double Ouch for fries and gravy (poutine?) setting you off. Kudos for the recovery, "on plan so far and am moving on."
Debbie (Lexxiss) and maryann – There's a Vitamix 3FC Thread in the "Does it Work" area - wondering if it's worth 400 Quid.
nationalparker – Three meals from one Thai order is super use of takeout. Kudos for staying focused on your eating even while you're working hard to help your father. [Loved Dava Sobel's Longitude, so Galileo's Daughter goes on the list.]
Tricia (AZtricia) - Yay for the exercise of stomping around an air base. It's on my Bucket List to see the boneyard of planes you guys keep out there in your dry air.
6crowsgold - Congrats on another butter box gone forever. Thanks for the reminder that a pound of butter, however large, when melted spreads thinly over the entire body. I'm so ready for my muffin-top to disappear.
Readers -
Quote:
day 14Plan for Tomorrow
what are you thinking?
Let's say you give it a try for a day, a week, or many months. How do you know when you can stop? When you find that you're using the tools in this book consistently - and consistently losing weight - stop planning and see what happens. If you can follow your diet conscientiously, that's great. If not, go back to writing and monitoring for a while.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 138.
Day 9 of The Diet Fix is setting goals. I like his visualization exercise which is a bit more stream-lined and efficient than anything else I've seen. And, I've always loved SMART goals but have rarely applied them to my healthy lifestyle so that was good motivation! I'm setting up both SMART goals and visualization to continue tracking calories for the rest of April because I can already feel my energy lagging and I don't think that I've yet got the full benefit from the process.
WI: -0.15kg, Exercise: +90 635/1500 minutes for April, Food: 100%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Sending supportive thoughts to nationalparker -- sounds like you are being thoughtful and careful with relationships and food. Good for you!
My DH read Longitude and it's currently on my stack. That book is largely why we're planning a trip to England this fall. We're lucky to have it correspond with a new exhibit on longitude at the Greenwich Observatory. DH just bought Galileo's Daughter -- that will be next after he finishes devouring Michael Lewis' new book.
onebyone: love reading about your artistic adventures and collaborations. Contemplating that maybe if I actually work on my stuff that there might be similar help that would show up for me.
BillBlueEyes: what a great story to go along with your Easter Basket surprises!
I'm feeling toasted as dh and I went to remove the last few weeds (all giants hidden inside spiky landscape) and it is in the upper 80s with bright sunshine. Probably should have waited for evening! Rotisserie-ing two chickens. It is quiet because the boys went to play at the park.
OP
gardenerjoy Kudos for getting your goals done and working toward receiving the full benefit from your program.
BillBlueEyes Thanks for posting about tracking. I'm hoping eventually I won't have to track every day, but that is a ways off. Awesome food opportunity. Your Easter Baskets sound amazing. My favorite birds here right now are the hummingbirds, they are hilarious in their chasing and yelling at each other and such a variety of beautiful colors. BTW, marjoram fries sound delicious (and dangerous!) hope you enjoyed!
onebyone Awesome sounding Saturday. Hope your burn heals quickly and you enjoy your new partners and mentoring program.
nationalparker Thanks for the encouragement. I hope you are able to find a good balance with your dad. It is so hard for everyone when parents need extra care. My family is still not letting grandma stay alone after her fall and they found part of the cause was she was not taking one of her medications right...but she doesn't want anyone taking care and asking either.
CeeJay Kudos for back on plan and moving on.
6crowsgold Hurray for one more pound gone!
GosfordGirl Cool is wonderful, but standing so long in the rain - ouch! Hope you are feeling better today.
maryann Love the new haircut, fun and flattering.
I wrote and deleted a note that was just griping about my sister butting into how I am doing things here (even to the point of her arguing with my mom about WHERE I PARKED WHEN I TOOK MOM TO CHURCH - Why I parked where I did and she's complaining from the other side of the country now). I cannot handle that and am extremely aggravated. But I know if I say something now to my sister, I will regret it at some point.
Light meals so far this trip. Did meal #2 from the thai order and have tomorrow's lunch left. I could eat more but this was sufficient. What a realization.
Last edited by nationalparker; 04-13-2014 at 10:42 PM.
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Indulged in a morning snack which I'd have normally skipped. A platter of HUGE fresh strawberries dipped in dark chocolate appeared. They just looked more luscious than my desire to skip my snack so I had one. Thank goodness that I do portion control on my snacks since I don't want to even guess how many calories. It was good enough to be worth it - and I still stay on plan for the day, CREDIT moi.
The rain stopped so I got to walk, CREDIT moi. Went past a Goodwill that had 50% off all 'yellow tag' items. Apparently, the masses beat me to it because I saw only red, orange, and blue tags left. Fortunate, because I didn't really need anything. I did pass a fast food place that sells falafel sandwiches with a bar of a zillion topping by the pound; gotta get back there.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Kudos for responding to "energy lagging" with a plan rather than resignation.
nationalparker – Smart move to complain here about your sister to keep the stress level low as possible around your parents. There's no doubt that they already understand her role. And no doubt in my mind that they appreciate that you're not falling for the bait. It might help to pretend that it's a stranger talking to you so that you can just let it pass over - like you'd do if a stranger insisted that the sun went around the earth. Continue to send supportive thoughts. And Continued Kudos for getting three meals from that one Thai Restaurant order.
Tricia (AZtricia) - LOL at the interpretation that arises from reading your (condensed) post: "I'm feeling toasted ... dh and I ... in the upper 80s with bright sunshine ... Rotisserie-ing two chickens." Kudos for on-plan. [I'm so jealous of your hummingbirds. We have exactly one, the Ruby Throated Hummingbird.]
Readers -
Quote:
day 14Plan for Tomorrow
what are you thinking?
If you're having sabotaging thoughts, get ready to write your Response Cards.
Sabotaging Thought: I don't want to write anything down. Helpful Response: Which is stronger: wanting to lose weight or not wanting to be inconvenienced? Since I do want to lose weight, I'm going to start writing. It'll probably take only five minutes. I have a choice. I can listen to the resistant part of my mind, or I can firmly and decisively decide to do the writing, even though I feel resistant. It's great practice to ignore my resistant feeling because they'll come up again and again when I don't feel like following my eating plan.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 138.
I am checking in before it gets late and I don't do it! So it is a fly-by. It took a while to recover from Saturday in the rain etc - I was really uncomfortable and couldn't do gym Saturday nor did I have time on Sunday. The body is feeling a bit better today. AND I have completed my last lecture/tutorial preparation for 5 weeks so I get to catch up on work and keep my weekends for myself! And I get to read Diet Fix over Easter . Plus the garden needs some serious attention.
This list below shows a bit of a theme - not a lot of credits happening today or yesterday
Credits:
Ate on plan today - Yes - had a plan for lunch and breakfast and dinner seems in order
Planned food for tomorrow - not yet
I logged food as I ate it - no
Weighed myself and logged it - no - need to do that
Did planned exercises - 9800 (should run up the street) and 23 active minutes - highest number so far. Didn't get to gym as planned
I didn't eat standing up - who knows - - oblivious today
I checked in with my diet coaches - Yes
Listened to motivation recording - not yet
Made time for diet and exercise - missed gym - scheduled for tomorrow along with acupuncture
Just a quick check in to say, YEAH one more pound gone! I'm only 3 pounds from 1/2 way done, so I'm going to see if I can do it by the end of the month.
GosfordGirl Hurray for caught up and prepared. Hope you enjoy your book.
nationalparker So sorry you have to deal with sis drama. Kudos for light meals.
BillBlueEyes LOL at your response. If I'd been out any longer, grilled pink would be a reality. The sun is intense enough here to fry eggs on the sidewalk in the summer and at least two friends have solar power ovens (that work well!) using the sun's heat not solar panels.
OP entirely on Sunday despite some real drama and difficulties over something concerning my son. Held on tightly through the evening.
Today received good news regarding DS's school, but still no resolution to Sunday's problem.
Having to sternly say to myself that "I wouldn't paste a strip of bacon on my hand if I cut it, so food won't fix this problem either!" Silly, but thinking food will solve this dilemma--just as unrealistic.
CeeJay : Kudos for picking yourself up and dusting yourself off!
BBE: Yes! on Easter baskets of fruit!
gardenerjoy : My son gets the doggy bags for lunch--no sweat as he is underweight and we're always pressed for quick meals for him.
nationalparker: When I was 25, I was my Dad's sole caregiver the year he died. Hands down it was the hardest time of my life. Kudos to you for even getting through the day!
onebyone: Kudos for knowing you need the plan!
GosfordGirl: Hooray for "Catching Up!"
AZtricia: I'm right there with you. Two pounds from being halfway and hoping to even make that point by the end of April!
Best to all!
Last edited by 6crowsgold; 04-14-2014 at 01:42 PM.
I ordered 2 poached eggs and 2 pancakes. I thought that was manageable- not the lowest calorie but not out of control either. Next thing you know I was going out to lunch (chicken fingers, fries and gravy- groan). Which led to chocolate at work in the afternoon and lots of chips on the ride home and pizza for dinner. I felt bloated and ill all night. What was that??? I just totally lost focus and went into a bunch of sabotaging thoughts like- "today I don't care", "I will stop tomorrow", "I don't care" and "I deserve this". Ya right!!!
Got all my office work done a few minutes ago for tonight, so that's good. Will have the same tomorrow afternoon and night, so I'll be in good shape on Monday. 
Saturday
Sunday - Scrabble Day
. Plus the garden needs some serious attention. 
- oblivious today