I knew we were going out to lunch yesterday but had no idea where. I wrote "veggie-centric" on my plan. Credit for following that with both what I ordered and what I ate of what I was served. Credit for bringing half of my entrιe home -- that's now on today's plan for my lunch.
WI: -0.35 kg, Exercise: +40 365/1200 minutes for November, Food: 90% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
curlyjax: karenrn reminded me that stretching helped my hip problems, too. I do what yoga people call hip openers and it seems to have made a difference. I had a painful arthritis flare-up at age 39 that made me fear for my future, but I'm 53 now and still rarely have problems. I also have Iliotibial Band Syndrome that sometimes feels like a hip problem and sometimes like a knee problem. Stretches help with that, too, although I still can't run without causing a flare-up. Fortunately, walking seems to be an effective exercise for me so I don't need to run to get in shape.
Karen I forgot about stretching exercises that help the hip. Back to them for sure.
Making new friends or stronger friendships. Some of my friends are so active with volunteer work now that we are retired. Difficult to get our schedules together. Then add the issue that if I have our car, DH is stuck without one.
Day 11 - Not a superb effort but I'm going to think 10 days on track and one day higher calorie, and 10 back on would be okay ... The day wasn't a total dud and spent hours at our food bank working in the cooler at a volunteer project. Feet are throbbing. Decided I wanted a bagel (using the word freely since Panera's asiago cheese bagel is mainly a roll - not doughy, chewy, boiled bagel) ... added a bit of cheddar and thoroughly savored it at home. Added a serving of chips and that's it for the day. Lunch was pizza served at the pantry. Carb day.
Weight at ticker (for today). Lunch plans for tomorrow have been changed, so that's good news. I'll start with eggs in the morning and then run home or pack a healthy salad for lunch.
DH's last night of work for this week, and I've been going to bed early and reading instead of undertaking any major project. It's been very relaxing. Hot bath and warm pjs is the hot time in the old town tonight
Onward and forward. I can't think I'm a failure now and just toss in the towel like I've done that before. One day with an add'l 500 calories won't kill my goal.
Wednesday - The Great War ends (1918) - Vetrans' Day
Diet Coaches/Buddies Dinner was wild caught Coho Salmon with its specific heartier flavor than our Atlantic salmon. I feel that we are doing our part to eliminate salmon from the oceans despite the word 'sustainable' (per Whole Foods) attached to the label. I'm sensitive that Cod has not returned to the waters off New England despite a period of banned fishing. I'm also aware that the local fishermen insist that the Cod are out there and the government just can't see them. If only they'd be allowed to fish for them they could demonstrate that. Glad that that's not my job.
Not much exercise. We went to an evening presentation on the birds of Mongolia. Now that's a fascinating place. Just added it to my Bucket List. I didn't know much more about the place except Chinggis Khaan (Genghis Khan) and that it's a rich source for Dinosaur fossils. It's a long way away from here.
Joy (gardenerjoy) Now that's a usefully terse plan, "veggie-centric." [I finished Our Man in Havana - loved it! Laughed out loud when the drawings were observed to resemble a vacuum cleaner connection.]
nationalparker Kudos for a realistic acceptance of a day mildly over calories.
Karen (karenrn) - Love that you continue to pursue the Camino de Santiago; I'd add that to my Bucket List except my list is getting a bit long. Always Kudos for food within calories.
curlyjax - That great rite of passage - the trip to Washington, D.C. Hope they get to the Smithsonian. Yay for the passage of the sheet cake - a right step.
Sandy (love2garden) - Busy in retirement is a good thing. Yay for remembering that stretching exercises are a good thing.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 2 Foundation Strategies to Escape Your Traps
Foundation Strategy #7: Manage hunger and cravings.
We ask our dieters (except those who can't fast for several hours for a medical reason) to do the hunger and cravings experiment. Afterward, they often tell us that this experiment has turned out to be one of the most liberating experiences of their lives because it has helped them finally believe, both at an intellectual and an emotional level, that they never again have to worry about hunger or cravings. . . .
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., Deborah Beck Busis, The Diet Trap Solution, Train Your Brain to Lose Weight and Keep It Off for Good (Blue book), pg. 35
morning coaches!
thanks for the stretching ideas gardenerjoy and karenrn! Glad to hear GJ your arthritis isn't an issue for exercise.
I did some stretching initially which seemed to make it worse briefly, but i will look into some of the other yoga ones. The pain seems to be in other leg parts too which is puzzling, and I certainly haven't been overdoing it with exercise
Quiet rainy day here which is nice, although the rest of the family is home so its not as restful as it could be! Karenrn- I definitely know what you mean about friends. That is more of a challenge, with some folks not being around part of the year. Finding people at church can definitely be a good strategy. I've heard volunteering can be another way to meet folks, although you would want it to be something you really enjoyed doing anyhow. Have you ever looked into Meetup? there seem to be all sorts of groups on that- dinner, movies etc. I haven't tried it yet. Nationalparker-a quiet evening of reading is the best in November!
I attempted to eat my way out of fatigue and frustration yesterday. Sigh.
I want to be more aware when I'm trying to solve unsolvable problems, like "I should have done this yesterday." Either, I want to rephrase the problem so it's solvable. Or, maybe better, I want to step back and work with my mood, because it's disordered thinking that would lead me to attempt to act on such a statement. And, that's an obvious symptom that can help me realize that it's time for some self-care.
WI: +0.45 kg, Exercise: +40 405/1200 minutes for November, Food: 60% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
nationalparker: good for you for putting a carb day in perspective and getting right back into the stream of things. How fast I get back on track is the single best measure of how well I'm doing.
BillBlueEyes: yay! You laughed out loud at the same place! I'm glad you liked the book, too.
curlyjax: a quiet rainy day sounds like a good breather after your big weekend.
love2garden: hope the doctor's appointment went well!
The big goal today is to design another eating program. i gave "Alternate Fasting" a two month trial and have not lost a pound. It seems I can comply with many variations of a maintenance program. But my goal remains under 160 by my bday in December. That needs intentional planning and consistent effort. The Happiness Project talks about my Life Commandments. Here are a few that resonate with me:
No Sweets at work. (I am 100% On Plan with this in November.)
Eat sitting down. (0% compliant with this )
Eat dinner with the family whenever possible. (No snacking before and then skipping.)
Eat a salad everyday.
Work out most days a week.
I need to work on these AND eat much less overall. My metabolism is a challenge. Thinking about Beck, I look at the thin people around me and watch what they do. Ironically both of the gals my age that have lost weight are women I secretly believe to be incredibly neurotic about food. HMMM . . . interesting. I need to open my mind up and be willing, I guess, to be neurotic a little. ( I draw the line at posting what I eat on Facebook )
I am driving an hour to a counseling session (her "other" office) and will spend the afternoon with a little recreational consignment shopping. DH and I are really working somethings out and I feel very grateful to have him as a partner.
KarenRn: The friend thing is really a lot like the food thing to me. Both need continual effort and maintenance. Attrition happens in every life at the same time that age makes me hate change. I literally "acted my way into friendship" about three years ago. I was invited to a once a month dinner with three other ladies who had long term sobriety. The three were already close friends. I was a satellite friend to one. For a year we would meet and I would come home saying "Why am I going to this?" I had little in common apart from the program and one of the gals drove me crazy. Well, after three years, we are still meeting. The crazy gal left and now I can see I have gained a lot of support from the three of us meeting.
P.S. If you Easterners ( and that's all of you to me) want a great laugh, come watch Californians in the rain. We are scurry around like chickens, drive poorly and dress ridiculously. Two storms giving us a total of two inches of water made hubby smile.
I've had a great day today. Went over to the west side of Phoenix and hiked with my friend Carrie for 7 miles. Amazing how a good hike with a friend in the sunshine was just what I needed. She is also a retired nurse, although about 5 years younger than I am. I also very much enjoyed the meeting about the Camino last night and the many helpful people available to help with planning.
Credit for calories and exercise on plan.
Maryann Yes friends and food do both require continual effort and maintenance. At sometimes more than others.
Curlyjax Thank you for the suggestions. I do volunteer for the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy (where I hike and do greeter duty at the trailhead). I belong to a meet-up group for backpacking, but am thinking more connection to the church and perhaps a book club would be good.
Bill I'll be doing the Camino in September/October with one of my friends from Seattle. Dh and I will probably get a puppy after I return because 6 weeks would be too much for my husband and a young puppy.
Nationalparker Don't let that all or nothing thinking get in your way. Getting right back on plan is the best thing for the long term. It isn't those little indiscretions that do us in. Warm jammies and a good book sounds wonderful. All I would have to do then is to stay awake to read the book.
Book club would be very interesting to me. Wish our Church were closer. Living rural has more advantages than living in town, but now that we are down to 1 shared car, scheduling it is a real procedure. DH would NOT like a book club an more than I want to play golf.
MaryAnn Your visual of Californians in the rain brings a smile. We have over 1/2 our days with little to no sunshine, so rain is often here or coming soon.
Bill Are you watching The Making of North America on PBS? It was interesting last week with tonight's showing Part 2, and Part 3 coming next Wednesday.
GardnerJoy Glad to hear the stretching helped your hips. I agree that the combination has made with exercise and Massage has me with very, very little pain from arthritis in several areas.
Really good day at the Gym. Only a bit sore in the shoulders, but some of that is from good deep tissue massage. Back to enjoying the exercise finally.
Last edited by love2garden; 11-11-2015 at 06:45 PM.
Thank you to all who have served or have family members who have served our country!
Right back on track today! I prepped healthy breakfast and lunch and made a chicken/onions dinner and boy, was that good. Day 12 down.
A theatre near us is showing Home Alone for the 25th Anniversary showing. 25 years! What the heck? I must've watched it as a 10-year old! hahaha if only... I think we'll put on the dvd of it to semi-kick off the holidays a bit early. I planned to pop popcorn for it. I started popping the kernels on the stove a few years ago and haven't gone back to microwave. It's not as big pieces, but I know that it's ONLY popcorn and olive oil and salt, none of the stuff that's in the micro bag, no matter how good it might smell ha!
Personals tomorrow - going to shut down ahead of this storm. Hope you fared okay Lexxiss!!
Maryann - you DO have me cracking up at your life about Californians driving in the rain!
Scale still at ticker -174.2 ... I think it'll be up a bit tomorrow but have to accept and make good choices tomorrow.
Dinner was vegetarian, CREDIT moi, - a healthy contribution to the day except that brownies appeared at our pot luck book club dinner. Ouch!
Joy (gardenerjoy) Love the notion that we first have to convert a problem into a solvable one.
maryann - LOL at "Californians in the rain" - must be a sight. Liking "Eat dinner with the family whenever possible."
nationalparker Hard to believe that Home Alone is 25 years old. I am, however, tired of reading that Macaulay Culkin is no longer cute, LOL.
Karen (karenrn) - Yay for a hike in the sunshine.
curlyjax - Ouch that stretching made it worse - hope that reverses.
Sandy (love2garden) - Kudos for "Really good day at the Gym." [Haven't seen the PBS special.]
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 2 Foundation Strategies to Escape Your Traps
Foundation Strategy #7: Manage hunger and cravings.
The Hunger and Cravings Experiment
This experiment has three steps:
Create a "discomfort scale" in your notebook. Write down at least one experience for each level of discomfort, such as in the following example: Severe Physical Discomfort After Surgery Moderate Physical Discomfort Migraine headache Mild Physical Discomfort Rune-of-the-mill headache
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., Deborah Beck Busis, The Diet Trap Solution, Train Your Brain to Lose Weight and Keep It Off for Good (Blue book), pg. 36
I still struggled yesterday to eat anything close to my plan. I'm getting hungry at odd times for me. I think this response is the one I want to work with today:
Quote:
Hunger is not an emergency.
I don't usually struggle with that so much, but the unexpected timing threw me off and made it feel more like an emergency. But, it's still not. No matter what time of day I get hungry, I have plenty of food planned and I'm in no danger of any kind when I feel hungry.
WI: +0.05 kg, Exercise: +40 445/1200 minutes for November, Food: 60% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
maryann: I laughed at your judgment of friends who seem neurotic about food. I used to call people like me "food prudes" and, now, I am one. And I need to get even more so if I want to meet my goals.
karenrn: your hike and future plans sound lovely!
love2garden: DH records the Making of North America and has been watching it at breakfast and lunch. I hear bits and pieces and it sounds fascinating.
nationalparker: yay for getting back on track! Your streak of OP days is inspiring me.
BillBlueEyes: cool to read a Boston-area book for your book club. We get the biggest crowds at our book club when we choose titles with a local connection.
I read my cards two days in a row. I put them on my nightstand and read them first thing in the morning, credit. Food was within calories and today's exercise was an hour walk with a friend and then to the Y for the class, credit. I am not doing well with the no alcohol. I guess the good news is that I am getting enough exercise to allow for the calories.
Personals most likely again tomorrow. Dh soon to be home for lunch.
Hello! Apparently I just hit the back key by accident because I lost a long post. So will be brief now and say I'm on Day 13 and doing great so far - proud that I stopped despite being late to work to rummage through the cupboard for lunch and nixing Subway as an option - don't need to spend the $ and get asked, "want chips and drink?" Believe there are 49 days until 2016. Seven weeks. How will we spend that time? What are our expectations come 1/1/16? I know I'll still have the weight loss resolution but hopefully it'll be a continuation of action now. Weight still at ticker. Was hoping for 173.x and then could foresee the below 173 by the weekend but it's not showing its face yet.
Last edited by nationalparker; 11-12-2015 at 03:08 PM.
As a sequel to Californians in the rain, I would like to offer Californians without internet. The whole school was blacked out all day. There were stunned looks lingering in front of the computers, hands perched above keyboards waiting, waiting. How will i take attendance? How will I write my letter? How will I tell so and so . . . ? The sun didn't fall out of the sky. The children remained children and everyone got a few more steps in walking down the hall to talk to each other. I thought about when I started in this school 25 years ago - no phone, no air conditioning and certainly no computer. I didn't even have enough desks in my room for the kids. And when I looked at the desks there was a big hole in the center of each. What for you say? Well, inkwells of course. Credit for getting a ton of filing done today.
A credit for Day Two of my new (or should I say old) plan. As always, when I follow this program I am not hungry at ALL. But I grieve the little sugar jags I forgo by never eating carbs without protein and a fat. Oh Well. Let me grieve now and rejoice later. Nationalparker asked about goals for 49 days. Mine is definitely to be under 160.
gardenerjoy: Good luck on resetting. love2garden: I bet it is a challenge to have just one car in the country. Think of all the money you save though by not taking frivolous little trips into town. I have dreamed of the opposite in retirement. I would ilke to live smack dab in the middle of a thriving town and not having any car, just walk everywhere. KarenRn: Followed through with the hike idea and let my sister know I am ready. BBE: I believe that at any potluck, brownies spontaneously generate.
Wednesday - The Great War ends (1918) - Vetrans' Day
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