Well, things are rocky here waiting for some news on some elderly folk who are facing challenges and for whom I care and wish well.
Naetheless, the streakity goes on and I've updated. It is hot here again (big news lol) and I've started a healthy cooking challenge elsewhere online and have already eaten my delicious favorite lean and green meal of roasted salmon and Brussels sprouts. Not eating sugar except for a few coconut fruit bars that do contain added sugar. Scanning the skies for scale angels but they probably aren't coming in to Phoenix this week due to the heat so I'm on my own, ending the eating day quite low, just to be sure. REALLY want a loss or a maintain, feeling verra blah and a loss or a maintain would be cheery lol.
FRIDAY: August 10, 2012, Day 320 of streakity streak of no day missed of daily exercise, 120 min walking, 15 min pilates, total streakity streak minutes so far 23,185 (Previous: 288 consecutive days of exercise, 18000 exercise minutes!)
THURSDAY: August 9, 2012, Day 319 of streakity streak of no day missed of daily exercise, 90 min run/walk, total streakity streak minutes so far 24,050 (Previous: 288 consecutive days of exercise, 18000 exercise minutes!)
Wishin' a good morrow to all Royals wherever they may wander this mornin'! Woot!
Well, as to Am2, it is about counting today! In addition to the backward countdown to December 30 at which time Am2 will weigh 125 pounds, AND the count of the streakity streak, which is open-ended and probably boring to everyone but Am2, there is a NEW count and this is Day 1 of being sugar free.
To explain:
Sugar free means to ME consuming no to minimal sugar of any kind except that incidental in food. It does NOT mean swearing off foods useful in a low glycemic diet, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. This is NOT a low carb "diet" or really a diet at all. My diet is still a low calorie, low glycemic rational way of eating to lose and/or maintain the correct weight for my purposes in life.
In the past I lost a whole lotta weight over a long period of time. During that time I ate sugar of all kinds but eventually hit upon a little old-fashioned and somewhat controversial "diet" called Sugar Busters. I have to say I modified the heck outta that diet as, well, I do things my way and always will do things my way so t'is no use discussin' THAT lol.
BUT the funny thing is after I stopped doing Sugar Busters, I did fine losing more weight, felt fine, etc., lost briefly down to 117 pounds after an accident two years ago, but I don't want to be 117 pounds. Well, I do but it is too hard to maintain. So I was eating sugar and donuts and cake and controlling blood sugar, doing fine, having occasional treats, BUT the kicker is that SUGAR hates me.
Yes, people, it does. Sugar messes with my mind, ages my skin (okay no spring chicken here and I love to be out in the Arizona sun so that is what ages the skin but sugar helps). BUT the main thing is that lately I have not been able to control sugar at all. It WANTS ME BACK!!!!
When I don't control sugar, I can't control calories. Now, as we all know, the concept of calories being the main factor in weight control is a matter of opinion. My opinion is that it IS the main factor. BUT as I have said, there are factors that impact that calories in/out equation and a low glycemic diet, for me, is one of those factors, AND I can't eat a low glycemic diet if I am eating sugar (as I define it).
That about covers it. I am going back on modified Sugar Busters forever in conjunction with counting calories as I always have. Sugar Busters does not count calories, but I disagree. Actually I don't know anybody who does Sugar Busters anymore, there are a lot of rules and things you can't eat besides sugar, and IN FACT, you CAN eat sugar on Sugar Busters. It is impossible not to eat sugar if you eat food. Again, I am now SUGAR FREE AS I DEFINE IT! I do know that there is a Sugar Busters forum on 3FC, have not been there for a long time because really I follow only a modified version of that way of eating.
So in addition to it being Day 141 of my backward count to December 30 by which date I will have reached 125 pounds, this is Day 1 of my forward count of being SUGAR FREE AS I DEFINE IT!
Had a glorious morning of exercise with some friends who brought this clarity to me about the sugar waffling I've been doing. Lol, have been wanting my cake and my 125 pounds too. It doesn't work for me. Works for some people but sugar kills my diet mojo and my health mojo and a whole lotta mojo that I've got going for moi and it makes me a little crazy.
It. Is. Manifest.
SATURDAY: August 11, 2012, Day 321 of streakity streak of no day missed of daily exercise, 60 min weights, 60 min jog, total streakity streak minutes so far 23,305 (Previous: 288 consecutive days of exercise, 18000 exercise minutes!)
No time fer a lotta blather as have places to go and people to see! Whee! THE FACTS: After a 7-week streak of scale losses, ME (just me) gained .2 but kind of happy because waist measurement is DOWN an amazing inch this week from last. Also happy with measurement GAINS in upper and lower arm as really need those muscles to grow and have been lifting heavier to make that happen and yes we know there's no spot "toning" but the biceps and forearm muscles are stronger and larger by a teeny amount and we need that.
Happy also with the proof (not for the first time of my calories in/out theory. Proves calories count also as the average daily calorie count (the only one that is meaningful to me) was higher than in the eight previous ones by approximately 90. That is theoretically an approximate .25 pound (700 calories), which proves my plan and calorie tracker are both giving me the right numbers to aim for.
DID run/walk another virtual 5k today and took 4 minutes off the still lol SLOW time. Running stronger, though.
Clothes fitting better, although really that proves nothing because my clothes are always a little stretchy and comfy.
I am strong, I will get below 138 NEXT week.
This is Day 2 of sugar free. I am just your average little old lady bodybuilder. I am QUEEN OF MY UNIVERSE!
So sing me no sad songs for .2! I love to lose on the scale but the weigh-in was a good one and my motivation is very high. I will get to below 138 next week.
Diet Wise Woman has reminded ME that we do have a lunch planned with someone in the town where I used to work and that it does need to be planned out in our wee little head what we will eat that is low calorie in that restaurant (okay, nothing is low calorie in that restaurant lol, so we'll settle for no sugar and putting the calories in the context of our overall calorie budget).
The special scale angel that was going to help me out with the weigh-in was late because she was playing golf. These scale angels love to come to Phoenix as there is a lotta golf here and scale angels like golf a lot. She said no worries, she'll be back in seven days and bring friends!
WE NEED FRIENDS but if no friends are around, WE NEED US!
ME, I really need just me to stay on course and feel happy with my success.
Hmmm, started getting the streak all messed up in my personal log of it, here it is since Saturday:
Hmmm, lied when I said I would not be back until Sunday. Noticed when I did my streak log (I've been up exercising WAYYYYY before dawn due to the heat) that it was all messed up as I hadn't logged one of the days in my records. Saw I hadn't posted it, though so here it is from Saturday on. Will only be updating this once a week on the journal to preclude confusion:
TUESDAY: August 14, 2012, Day 324 of streakity streak of no day missed of daily exercise, 15 min walk, 60 min weights, total streakity streak minutes so far 23,515 (Previous: 288 consecutive days of exercise, 18000 exercise minutes!)
MONDAY: August 13, 2012, Day 323 of streakity streak of no day missed of daily exercise, 45 min walk, 15 min pilates, 15 min jog, total streakity streak minutes so far 23,440 (Previous: 288 consecutive days of exercise, 18000 exercise minutes!)
SUNDAY: August 12, 2012, Day 322 of streakity streak of no day missed of daily exercise, 60 min run/walk, total streakity streak minutes so far 23,365 (Previous: 288 consecutive days of exercise, 18000 exercise minutes!)
I am on Day 138 of my backward count and day 4 of sugar busters
Last edited by Amarantha2; 08-14-2012 at 08:34 AM.
Woot! I call this DAY 137/5 ... that is Day 137 of the backward count to my goal day (December 30) AND Day 5 of Sugar Busters (my modifications of it, actually, but the point is I am SUGAR FREE ... or as close as an eating person can be ... whee).
Was verra troubled yesterday and confused by life (and HOT, it was 111 degrees out and my house only has half of the rooms with A/C lol). WAS thinkin' on SUGAR and how nice A LOTTA SUGAR would be (whee), encased in a donut from Wally World, with icing and creme and all that jazz!
Am eating some artificial sweeteners at the moment. Sugar Busters does not forbid them and though I don't want to add a lot of that into my life, it is helping me over the SUGAR FREE MOUNTAIN right now. An interesting thing today is that I put half of a packet of sucrolose (a popular no cal sweetener, they like to call it "natural" but t'is NOT natural) in my steel cut oats and realizing that sucralose in packets has carbs and thus is NOT zero calorie, I used my phone diet tracker's barcode and scanned for calories. It had 3 calories, so I added that to my tracker.
I AM TRYING TO LOSE A LITTLE WEIGHT, FOOD MANUFACTURERS lol!!! Do not LIE to me and say something has no calories when it has 3. It might make no difference to me because I use so little of that product, but if an Innocent Diet Lass should happen by who uses that product even a few times a day, those calories would add up and over time detract from the weight loss effort and the poor Innocent Diet Lass would not even know what the problem was and would assume she was to blame somehow.
Anyway, re SUGAR, only craved it last night and held tight! Kept calories at 1560 (the old Sugar Busters plan that I am loosely following yet again and I LOVE that plan, btw, I just like to modify it a little, says not to count calories but I am a calorie counter at heart and am counting every single one).
This morning, I find a big drop in inflammation and thus water weight (I think, I don't weigh daily), plus felt really GOOD!
Here be the streakity:
WEDNESDAY: August 15, 2012, Day 325 of streakity streak of no day missed of daily exercise, 15 min walk w/weighted vest, 90 min walk, 15 min pilates, total streakity streak minutes so far 23,527 (Previous: 288 consecutive days of exercise, 18000 exercise minutes!)
AM THINKIN' T'IS ALMOST AUTUMN AND THAT MEANS I WILL MORPH INTO DIET WITCHIEPOO OR THE DIET HALLOWEEN HAG SOON! Can't wait!
Feeling so happy today and finding clarity and good omens everywhere. Wishing all who inhabeth this palace or lurk outside the doors and windows or are on palace vacation or who have EVER been a royal denizen of this place (woot) a good day! Yay!
Last edited by Amarantha2; 08-15-2012 at 11:50 AM.
Wootness, Royals, so hopin' ye are doin' fine in your royal wandering about the world this beautiful day.
Have an update on the status o' Am2, aka Just Me. This mornin' early, ye see, ME was putterin' around the Spiffy & Fabulous Fitness Spa and Diet Sanctuary as t'was raining outside. ME lifted weights and walked in the rain a little.
So we were putterin' and as always sleep deprived from royal insomnia. Thereupon a whooosh and a "cackle" was heard in the environs o' the kitchen window, which happened to be open to catch the cool rainy mornin'!!
The next second, WHO should fly through said window but ME's old friend, Hago the Halloween Hut, a diet wise witchiepoo, that ME had known for years.
YES, it being only August, ME was surprised as well. Witchiepoo began mutterin' that IT WAS ALMOST AUTUMN and as usual, SHE, HAGO was organizing a Weight Loss Challenge and ME was invited to participate.
ME said she would participate. Hago asked ME to name a goal for the Sunday weigh-in on October 28, the week of Halloween. ME said she would set a goal to lose down to 132 by or on that date. Hago said fine. She then whoosed back out the window.
ME checked her calendar for the current day. She found it to be Day 135 of the backward count to IDEAL WEIGHT GOAL DAY, Day 7 of the forward count from the day ME became SUGAR FREE, and now Day 72 of the backward count to the October 28 Hago Halloween Weight Loss Challenge.
ME said, "Woot," and took a nana nap! End of story.
News Flash: Am2 hath been crowned QUEEN O' THE EARLY, EARLY ON (English folk song, "Oh, the big ship sails in the early, early on--the early, early on; oh, the big ship sails in the early, early on, on the last day o' Sep-TEM-ber!).
Am is feelin' like the Queen o' Early today as she DID already get up, do an EARLY weigh-in (scheduled for 9 a.m. but she'll be ON THE MARCH by then) and DID lose .2 pound, sorta yayish about this as had a VERY VERY VERY BAD DAY yesterday and ate 2250 calories, so getting on scale in the wee hours and having a little loss, EVEN IF it was only a loss o' the .2 gained last week and thus a MAINTAIN, was awesome.
Waiting for a neighbor to walk and run with and hoping also some other neighbors will also walk today. Have to do it early in the mornin' in the heat, although actually t'is coolish here (for here) but awfully humid humid humid (for here)! Enough weather talk.
Best wishes to all royal folk who are on or ever have been on this thread. Woot!
Am2 hath spent the insomniac night rearranging her magickal goal numbers, the formula for today being:
11/48/68/96/131
Lol, that is the 11th day of Sugar Freedom, the 48th day in the backward count to a new goal of weighing in at 135 on September 30, the 68th day in the backward count to the Halloween Challenge at which time Am2 will weigh 132 pounds and Hago the Halloween Hut will come to the weigh in and cackle: "I knew ye could do it!" ... and the 96th day in the backward count to a new November 25 goal of weighing in at 129 pounds AND THE EXTANT BACKWARD COUNT TO AM2'S DECEMBER WEIGH-IN ON THE FIRST SUNDAY FOLLOWING THE WINTER SOLSTICE/MAYAN PROPHECY (Am2 doesn't think time or the world will end at that time so she'll still be hre) AND THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS AND THE LAST SUNDAY OF 2012, at which time AM2 WILL WEIGH 125, HER IDEAL WEIGHT!
Huzzah and hello, dear royal ones!!! Hope all are as well as Am2 am this mornin' ... been up since before dawn but did take a wee nap earlier. Did weights and DO have a teeny morning temp job. It was my intention to take most of August and September off from work entirely but the occasional job contract can be an enjoyable break and I happen to know this office where I will be doing a project for a few hours and they are all so nice, so I'm happy.
Dealing with many negative things lately that I am busy busy busy turning into positives, 'cause folkettes (think the royals on this team are all "ettes" but the same goes for royal gents as well) methinks negativity gets us nowhere in the journey of life and positivity more and more washes over me as I age and cancels out anger, depression, alienation and WEIGHT GAIN.
Lol, I do better on the weight journey when I quash negative interactions and thoughts as they occasionally arise.
Been thinking durin' the long night watch about how awhile ago I came to a conclusion that while friends and supporters are great to have, and I know who my friends and supporters are and are not, the best support is to be a friend to myself.
Wootness!
My streakity goes on and I may post it here now in digest form, will probably just be back on weigh-day lol!
Grateful for waking up early yet again so as to have time for peaceful reflection. Life is good and there is a need to focus on only the positive side of things because peace and positivity live longer than anger and negativity.
hi am2! congrats on royal march on down the scale!! you have been doing great, empress! woot! what you have been saying regarding positivity
being important definitely rings true with me, and it is always such a good reminder for me.
--and salutations to all our royals, both near and far!
trying to not drive myself nuts over being on long plateau, and hang in there with food plan. so far, so good, anyway. well, just realized had not been in palace for far too long, and wanted to say hello, and have been thinking of you. (i have rotator cuff issues with both shoulders, and one has been very troublesome of late,so even typing has been kind of painful.) well, speaking of which, will need to away for now. will be back much sooner, rather than later, though. take care, one and all, dear queenlies!
Warning: Long and Silly, Enter at Own Risk
This mornin' early, ye see, ME was putterin' around the Spiffy & Fabulous Fitness Spa and Diet Sanctuary as t'was raining outside. ME lifted weights and walked in the rain a little.
