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Old 03-21-2005, 05:53 AM   #1  
Meg
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Default Maintainers - March 21 - 27

Good morning! It's officially spring and time for all of us to shake off the winter doldrums! I'm cautiously optimistic that there will be sunshine and flowers and something besides gray in my world over the next twelve weeks.

After having the hubris to write about losing weight without trying last week, I turned around and had a terrible food week and gained five pounds. (hopefully some of it is water ) When I'm good, I'm very, very good but when I'm bad ... I'm definitely horrid. Once again I have to re-learn the lesson NOT TO TAKE THE FIRST BITE! Because once I slip a little, my tendency is to keep right on going.

So, in the true spirit of a Maintainer , I sat down and tried to figure out what on earth went so wrong after weeks and weeks of smooth sailing? First, a major time crunch - working, DD home on break and me wanting to spend time with her, trying to finish our income taxes, panicking about no time to study for my PT test ... Second, not planning and not having food made ahead of time. Eating on the run kills me every time. Third, getting complacent about my weight being down, which is all a head game. Fourth, too many restaurant meals. I need to stick to my basics.

The coup d' grace to the bad week was the fancy-smancy dinner that DH and I went to on Saturday night. DH (the rebel) wore his Rockport walking shoes with his tux - I had on little black sandals with four inch heels (men may be smarter than women after all). First up was the private reception, followed by the public reception, both on my feet for hours. I was wishing for my gym shoes after 30 minutes!!! I was good, though, and drank sparkling water and passed on all the hor d'oerves. But when I finally got to sit down, my feet hurt, I was STARVING, there was chocolate on the tables , and the speeches were only beginning. So I had a few glasses of wine and ... it was downhill from there.

OK, so here's the plan - I'm making a commitment to all of YOU! It's back to basics week - Weight Loss 101. All the things that I know work so well. I'm going to try to stay off the scale; plan, plan, plan; write everything down; and carry food with me. I'm thinking of starting a thread for anyone who wants to join me for a little accountability ... hmmm.

How's everyone doing? Kids on break this week? Plans for Easter weekend? Are you going to have to deal with chocolate bunnies and marshmallow Peeps? Stop in and say hi and tell us how you're doing!
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Old 03-21-2005, 09:34 AM   #2  
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Hi Meg!

Good for you for getting back to basics. I already joined you on the "accountability" thread. There have been so many times when after my weight is down 4 or 5 lbs, I just let loose and figure "oh, this meal won't hurt." Next thing I know, I'm over my comfort range! So I can understand how you are feeling. You'll get back on track in a few days and feel wonderful again. Most of your weight gain is probably water.

Today I'm volunteering at my son's school (as I do every Monday and Wednesday). I'm almost done with my painting projects, I've repainted almost every room in our house. Keeping busy is so helpful and I'm really enjoying the results of my hard work! I had a great weekend eating/exercise-wise, and I'm feeling wonderful. Light on my feet. I love it and want to keep it going. I lifted with DH this weekend, he always shows me moves that awaken muscles I never knew existed. My shoulders were on fire this morning, so sore. I did back & bi's today so tomorrow will be a day off, except for cardio. Some of you know I have an artificial hip, so I really have to focus on upper body and hope for the best with my lower half. Cardio helps, but no legs for this girl. It's frustrating because I know I'd love the results. I've been doing what I call "butt squeezes" lately, and they are really helping to tone my buns. Who knew?

Hope everyone is off to a great week.

Last edited by lessismore; 03-21-2005 at 09:37 AM.
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Old 03-21-2005, 10:26 AM   #3  
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Hi Maintainers!

Meg,I'm with you on the side of the road looking at the wagon. AGAIN went wrong with the food this weekend and last week, and today. In the morning I am full of good resolutions but the melt away at 12 o clock noon when I get tired, and think that a snack will pick me up . NOT.

Fortunaltely excercise is still going OK. Did UBW today, 10 mins walk/jog OUTSIDE !!! and 20 mins jog , 15 mins bike inside. The jog outside almost finished me off, running on pavement, but the sun shone and the crocusses were in bloom...

I seem to live in a new universe if I read last weeks thread correctly: Apart from the worlds that HAVE crocusses and people who loose too much, and worlds which don't have either, the universe here contains both crocusses, in bloom, in my garden, and myself, who never lost too much.

I'll try to do better foodwise next week, but I am not optimistic about the succes rate: I have my birthday next wednesday. I'll be 46 (YIKES!!), then easter, then my sons 13th birthday, and it is spring. So celebrations all around here, which I'll try to enjoy without gaining.

Anne, just keep hanging in there. I hope you'll morning sickness will soon be over. Glad to hear the kiddo is swimming around happily.

Have a great day all,
rabbit
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Old 03-21-2005, 11:04 AM   #4  
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Hi everyone! Hope you don't mind if I join you on here... I posted on the intro thread and started another one here if you want to read exactly what I've been dealing with.

That being said, our spring break was last week! I have a 2nd grader and a kindergardener who goes half days from 8am-10:30am. DD7 was sick the 2nd half of spring break and just today was well enough to go back to school. When I workout it's usually first thing in the morning. I did my treadmill and actually lifted my weights this morning!! Tomorrow I'm having breakfast with friends and Wed is my bible study so I won't have a chance to workout in the morning again until Thur.

Meg, I'm with you on not taking the first bite. I have come to the realization that right now I can't let myself have a free meal at all. If I do, it never ends. I've just got to remember that I won't feel good after I'm through eating whatever it was that I wanted and that it's no fun feeling guilty!

As far as dealing with Easter baskets go, I am going to really limit the amount of candy I buy this year. I'm not buying the huge 1 lb solid chocolate bunny like I usually do either... I'm going to save some points to let myself have a treat while doing the baskets. I seem to enjoy it so much more when I know it's been planned!

I am so glad to have found this board! It seems I have finally found people who know what I'm going through...

Have a good day!!
Cory
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Old 03-21-2005, 11:24 AM   #5  
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At last today I think I can say “I am back from the land of the near-dead.” I’ve spent the last week and a half with some kind of sinus/bronchial bug, nasty, nasty stuff. As someone else in this forum once said, I never thought I’d be saying this but I was too sick to eat. I’m never too sick to eat. Eating just happens, doesn’t it? Yup, too sick to eat – food tasted terrible (this morning was my first cup of coffee in a week, for instance – for the past week, coffee has tasted like dirt, if that makes any sense) and I wasn’t hungry. Since I also wasn’t up to the usual amount and intensity of exercise, the scale was not particularly kind this week, though. Appetite is still a bit off but at least my face (and, for the love of pete, my hair! and calves for some strange reason) doesn’t hurt this morning.

I’ve been way off on water and vegetables lately and of course, exercise. But I am hopping right back in the saddle today. I’m headed off to yoga class in about half an hour.

Spring is springing around here. I still haven’t heard any of our returning summer birds yet but the frog chorus grows louder and more varied by the week lately. I even heard a toad or two this past week. Tulips are blooming; daffodils are still blooming but are just about done. Now if only the dog and the ducks can contain themselves from stepping on anymore of the flowers, maybe I’ll get a chance to see exactly what color some of those mystery bulbs we bought from Wal-Mart really are.

I did manage to do one worthwhile thing while sick – I filled out my National Weight Control Registry paperwork.

That’s it from here – I’m 95% back and hoping to find the other 5% very shortly.

Hope everyone else does okay this week.
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Old 03-21-2005, 11:52 AM   #6  
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Good morning Maintainers. It's been beautiful weather here in Sunny California. They keep talking about rain, but I haven't seen any yet. This morning the sky is a brilliant blue and it's about 60 degrees at 8:00 a.m. Just gorgeous.

Meg - you KNOW that it's mostly water weight. To have gained 5 lbs of fat, you would have had to have consumed an extra 15,000+ calories in one week. Now that you're right back on the wagon, that water weight should disappear quickly. Perhaps you should rethink your strategy for next time. If you had had one or two of the hors deourves, you wouldn't have been starving by the time dinner started. When I have to attend these type of functions, I usually load up on free foods before going (some carrots or steamed veggies) to keep the starvation factor down. Of course, that's hard to do when your eating on the run anyway because of your busy schedule. These things happen.

Well, gotta get back to work now. I have things that I have to actually accomplish this week.

Last edited by lawshark; 03-22-2005 at 01:03 PM.
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Old 03-21-2005, 03:45 PM   #7  
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Meg, I'm sorry for your struggles, but it sounds like it may end up being the motivation you need to really kick things into gear again. That's what maintenance seems to be all about. We skate along feeling invincible and then fall HARD off the wagon unexpectedly. We realize we're still vulnerable to all the mistakes we made BEFORE we lost the weight and then we re-dedicate ourselves to THE PLAN. It's such a cycle, isn't it? Before losing the weight, I always viewed maintenance as flat and boring. But, it's just as much of a roller coaster (if not more) than losing the weight in the first place!! Good luck getting back to basics. I have all the confidence in the world that you will soon be on top of your game again. I MUST say, though, I can't believe you wore 4-inch heels! I knew you were a brave woman, but that's pure craziness!!

Hi Cory and welcome! Congrats on your workout this morning!

Donna, so glad you're feeling better! Good luck with that 5%!

Rabbit, you can do it! You always seem to be so great with your exercise - I get tired just reading about all your cardio. Good luck with your eating - do you have a strategy to fight against your snacking urges?

Our weekend away was fun. I was exceptionally on track Saturday and had a few too many treats on Sunday. It all started with a churro and went from there. No bingeing (thank goodness!), just poor choices. I'm like many of you...I take one bite of that kind of stuff and I just can't stop. All logic and reason goes right out the window. So! One out of two days...a 50% victory, I suppose. I'm back into it today and hope that the couple of pounds I picked up won't stick around very long.

Hope you're all having a good start to your week!!
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Old 03-21-2005, 06:02 PM   #8  
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Hail and hello. Well met my pretties. Another Monday. Another week. And, if you can believe it, another silly set of minutes to edit.

I've been swamped, so I've not been posting. I have, however, been reading and reflecting. What a journey we're on. While I completely agree with Karen that it gets easier over time, I must also say that I continue to learn with every passing day.

Right now, I'm learning how to deal with stress. You'd think I'd be pretty good at it, wouldn't you. I've played in the workplace sandbox for nearly 37 years; been married for 18 years; come through divorce, destruction and death; and weathered my fair share of ups and downs.

But ain't life just like maintenance? When you think you've got 'er nailed, you encounter a new surprise.

My current stressors arise from circumstances at work. These circumstances are not going to change for the next two or three years. If anything, they could get worse. I'm not in a position to change jobs, and I'm not sure I really want to. I enjoy much of what I do; it's some of the people I do it with that pose the problem.

I thought I was coping reasonably well. But the physical therapist who works on my neck and shoulders thinks otherwise. Says I'm tighter than a tick and tenser than a board. Some days -- actually, many days -- I feel like I'm going to explode. Or implode. My weight is up about 4 pounds. My exercise is off; my yoga intermittment; even my breathing suffers. And I took a long look at myself the other day and noticed that my pot belly is even pottier. Ah ha, says I -- evidence of (in Dr. Peeke's words) "toxic weight from chronic stress."

Fortunately, the current issues of Prevention Magazine and Yoga Journal were extremely helpful. In any number of ways, the message of both is, "You have the power to change within you."

And so that's what I'm focusing on these days. Changing me.

I need good food. I ate reasonably well today, but not well enough. What I need in times like these is nourishing, whole foods, repleat with proteins and carbs, eaten in small amounts over the day. Foods that nourish and strengthen my physical self, which brings great comfort to my mental self.

I need exercise. Today, I took a walk at lunchtime. Tomorrow I will do something else. I have not done any yoga yet; I may do so tonight. And I will get out my resistance bands.

I need quiet time to reflect on the wonder of my life and the joys that are mine. They are many and I am blessed.

This is maintenance. But this is not just weight maintenance. This is life maintenance.

So, that's where I've been and what I've been doing. If I stumble across any remarkable revelations, I'll be sure to let you know.

Hugs and love,
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Old 03-21-2005, 07:57 PM   #9  
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"This is maintenance. But this is not just weight maintenance. This is life maintenance." by Airegrrrl

Thanks for that Airegrrl. Glad to see you. Sorry to see so many of us struggling at this point. Grateful we have each other for support.

Take care all
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Old 03-22-2005, 05:18 AM   #10  
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hi maintainers,

Donna, glad to see you back and i hope you will find the missing 5% soon! It is really awfull if your nose is blocked that much that you cant smell a thing and everything tasts like dirt. Also, you are gasping for air!

Karynlee, lawshark, good to hear that you are doing well.

Robin Airregrrl.. PLEASE PLEASE take good care of yourself here! I was in a situation like that last year, problems with some people, and a new boss. And it got worse all the time. I thought I was coping but it became harder and harder... and now I am on sick leave, have been for the past 10 months, with a burnout and my nerves are to pieces. So PLEASE take the time for the mental workouts, meditate, and keep breathing. I also read the book by dr Peeke (after I was home on sick leave, and only THEN did I fand out that the stress was almost killing me !!!) You yourself are much more important than any job, even though it seems downright unfair.

Did 1 hr cardio today and feel like I am dragging myself along.
have a great day all,
rabbit
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Old 03-22-2005, 07:55 AM   #11  
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Hi everybody & welcome Cory,

DH is on a business trip this week, and that's really hard for me. I've been feeling so crappy lately! I had to do my own grocery shopping, and the smells in the store have been making me sick, so I got in and out as quickly as possible. At least I made it without making a mess. Then I had a moment of absolute frustration at the helplessness that I'd been reduced to the point of not being able to walk into a store and pick up a simple bag of groceries.

I am having some good days and bad days, morning sickness-wise. Today feels pretty good so far but the last two days were just awful. I have been reduced to tears over it--so tired of feeling this way. My eating has been terrible. The worse I feel, the less I can tolerate anything healthy, so I tend to eat junk, and to be honest, I'm eating more of it than I need to comfort myself. One small blessing: I've developed an aversion to chocolate of all things so at least I'm not diving into the reese's pb cups. I'm going to try to do better today. Maybe at least go for a better class of junk, picking white bread over cheetos. Hard candy over a big slice of cake. Small steps. Maybe I'll feel well enough to eat a vegetable!

I'm still grounded from any exercise, and that isn't helping. Hoping I'll get the go ahead from the doctor again next week.

I cannot believe I've been reduced to this! I used to feel something like a strong, capable woman, making mistakes and bad choices at times to be sure, but now I just feel like a helpless bag of hormones, distracted, clumsy, bloated, exhausted and sick. Where is that 2nd trimester fairy to make me into a real woman again?? She should be here by now!

Sorry 'bout the whining. It's just so overwhelming.

Stepping away from self-absorption for a minute: Donna, glad to hear you are feeling better. Robin, hang in--good to see you back. I miss your posts when you are away. Karynlee, congrats on your weekend. One out of two days sounds like a success to me--most people will blow the whole weekend and then some. Rabbit, thanks for the good wishes and keep up the exercise. Anne, I envy your shoulder work! And Meg, proud of you for getting back on the wagon. Wish I could 'diet' and join you on the accoutability thread--later in the year. Good morning Elaine & Gina, and welcome again Cory. This is such a great board.

Anne
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Old 03-22-2005, 08:03 AM   #12  
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Afternoon, all. I'm going to try to post more but I only get to the computer every few days.

I can report that spring is here in Wales. The weekend was almost summery. Where in Europe are you, rabbit?

Nice to see you, Robin. Quiet time is so important, I do agree. If I don't get it, I feel like exploding too. Sometimes I do! Sorry to hear that these others are causing a nuisance. Why won't people behave themselves?? They can be so unreasonable! Rant, rant and I could rant on (but I shan't).

Back to work now. This afternoon I have to insert reason into emotion, and write a policy. Frankly, I'd rather be at the swimming pool!

Love, Silverbirch
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Old 03-22-2005, 08:08 AM   #13  
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Anne - you sneaked in whilst I was posting! It will pass, it will, it will. One step at a time. You're dealing with a lot at the moment. And you're still a strong, capable woman. Just do the best you can at any one moment, and you'll be doing the right thing.

Love, Silverbirch.
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Old 03-22-2005, 08:39 AM   #14  
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Thanks Silverbirch. It's been a tough couple days, and I appreciate the support. I'd rather be at the swimming pool too! Trying hard to hang in. I packed a mostly healthy lunch for today, complete with a vegetable--baby carrots, and some fruit and soup, and I think I'll be able to eat it!

wunderAnne
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Old 03-22-2005, 12:54 PM   #15  
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Robin: very insightful post. Sounds like you are taking good steps to deal with the stress. You say you are not in a position to change jobs right now and don't really want to. That's fine. But remember, YOU are more important than the job. If it gets to be to much, take steps to rectify it.

WndrAnne - hang in there hon. It really will get better. Take it a day at a time. Try focusing on the positive things - if you look hard enough you'll find them.

I feel guilty having a great week here when so many of you seem to be struggling. Wish I could help lighten your loads.

Cory - welcome. Glad to have you. Good plan for those Easter baskets. My daughers are 20 and 24 now so I'm thinking of not doing the Easter baskets this year (for the first time). They'll both protest, but I think it's time. We plan on having the family to our house for Easter dinner - ham, mashed potatoes w/gravy, homemade Mac & Cheese, grilled green beans and a salad. I was thinking of doing an angelfood cake with fresh strawberries and Cool Whip frosting for dessert. A "spring" dessert which is not too bad on calories and fat. As long as I keep the portions small, I should be okay.

Hello Karynlee, Gina, Rabbit and Silverbirch.

Last edited by lawshark; 03-22-2005 at 03:38 PM.
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