It's you and me kicking off tomorrow, girl!!! Let's commit to posting each day, no matter what, good news or bad. We're all together on this, but you and I are on the same day! Let's do it right!
I'm only saying this 'cause I think I'm gonna need you...
Yo! I'm high in calories already but still in ballpark ... reason is that I went to a romance writing seminar that turned out to be a writer's forum for effecting social change ... NOT what I drove an hour and a half on the freeway to go do on Saturday morning! So on the way home I had a hamburger, peanut butter cups (giant) and sugary slimfast.
Which leadeth to my reply to Cerise, no way could you ever hurt anyone's feelings, especially by setting a challenge for yourself that you believe in. That's what's important, that it is meaningful to your weight loss journey. We've had this discussion many times on the other thread and everyone knows, I think, that I'm a diehard calorie counter and that I lost 100 pounds by dint of countin' every last one of those little guys ... but that doesn't mean it's for everyone. See, for me, as illustrated by my morning, listening to my body doesn't work ... my body wants peanut butter cups and Krispy Kreme and LOTS of 'em. And I do believe that intellectually deciding what I should eat by keeping track of calories, portions, etc., is a valid WOE that I can sustain for the rest of my life. It's called CRE (Chronic Restrained Eating) and it has its good side and bad side, but for me it's the only way to get real and get this weight off. I have all respect for those who can listen to their body ... I'm just not one of them ... my body is a sad, lonely little child calling out in the wilderness: "I'M HUNGRY, FEEEED ME!" It's listening to that kid that got me to 247 pounds in the first place! But definetely, I mean no offense to anyone who does it differently and I love discussing this stuff, so could not possibly feel offended by your holding an opposing viewpoint, Cerise!
Hmmm. Not sure what "The Thing" is ... I used to call this the transformation ... but whatever, I'm gonna drag this inner child kicking and screaming to 135 pounds by the end of the year ... or sometime, anyhow!!!
Angel: Looking forward to seeing your new challenge tomorrow as well ... I think that's what's fun about the 21-day challenge ... so many different approaches and twists and turns along the journey!!!
A long work day is over and .......I'm okay! I thought that I would sabotage all my efforts today, but I got to work and made my lovely cookie trays, cheese and fruit platters, put a nice concealng sheet of aluminum foil over it all and thought of it no more. [I took the foil off before serving, of course! ] Ate nothing but healthy food and read inspiring things during my breaks. It was a good day. Thanks to all of you for sending strengthening thoughts my way!
Part of my "new improved" program is reminding myself to grow up and snap out of it! How to explain....? In the past, it'd be so easy for me to go into 'it's not fair, why bother?' mode and get into a really bad cycle where I'd binge and it'd take me days or weeks to normalize again. So yes, it's not fair that I can't have all the chocolate that I crave, it's not fair that my sister subsists on m & m's and frappicinos, never exercises and is thin and stylish, it's not fair that I have to put out tons of effort for a small payoff but that's life. [My life, anyway!]
Yep, this was a good day for me. It's good to know that I have it in me to pull myself together and soldier on. I mean, what else are we going to do?
Eydie! Your efforts are going to pay off ... and I loved what your insights into the "it's not fair" syndrome.
It's not, but that's life!
We'll see how chirpy I am tomorrow when I do my official weigh-in, which I already know is going to be up, not that I wouldn't take down if it comes my way!!!
I'm ending my eating day at 1700 calories, hoping to go to bed early and might not get back to post. SO, that means ...
You did it!!! You have "it" in you! I knew you did and thanks to you, we can remind ourselves that we CAN be in control. Good on ya!
Amarantha, thanks for your understanding. You see, I'm afraid I can't lose my 90 lbs. without counting the little monsters, too. The problem with Elisabeth and I is that she's never, ever been even a pound overweight. In fact, she has successfully beaten off a very, very nasty bout of anorexia nervosa. So, we're the same in some ways and just way, way, WAY different in others. Wish I could find a personal trainer who's been fat...
Cerise, you will find your path and it will be the right one for YOU, because when all's said, what works for you is what's gonna work for you! Sometimes we have to try a lot of little trails that end in the desert before we find our way up the mountain. So to you for starting a new challenge!!!
Ok, NOW I'm going to have my final carb sense shake and go read! Night, all!
I'm at the begin of Day 5 and I ventured an official scale reading this morning. I have broken in to the 67 kg realm (67.8). Wow! I haven't seen this number in years. OK, I've lost muscle because I haven't been lifting heavy at the gym but still, there's fat gone too for sure. Especially around my waist (or where my waist should be) and I think that's mainly due to the having cut out sugar for my challenge. I'm psyched!!
And Eydie (who took a bad blow by the scale earlier), remember, I'd been waiting to take this reading because I knew the numbers weren't going down. So, what I'd do is get on the scale clothed or partially clothed and check out the reading. That way I could say, hmm, "if I stripped where might those numbers be? Well, maybe down there but maybe not." If they seemed high I could just say it was all the clothes. It's kind of like peeking out from behind your fingers at the movie theater while watching a scary movie. And boy, are those numbers on the scale scary at times! The fingers, the clothes give you a psychological buffer zone. Today I knew it'd be OK and so I went for it.
Eydie, love that aluminum foil shield. Good for you! And oh yes, I remember the "woe is me!" lament well. One of the great things about getting older (I just turned 44) is if you get to know yourself better along the way, testing all sorts of waters to see if you're a swan or a wood duck, you come to learn that the flip side of all the "woes" is that there are a lot of "wows." The body and mind work together naturally and I believe the strengths and weaknesses of the one are reflected in the other. Your body's desire to hold on to fat, to utilize every little calorie is no doubt reflected in your own tenacity, or your innovativeness and efficiency in your life and work. So, change the words to your song and change the "Woe is Me Blues" to the "Ode to Me Serenade!!"
*****
zadie k, good riddance to that faulty scale. Better to have a reliable friend in your battle. OK, so you have further to go THAN YOU THOUGHT but remember you DON'T have further to go. Big difference.
Angel26, sorry to hear you slipped and fell there but good going on getting right back up. And really, the slips are part of the journey. You've always been moving.
Cerise, I've been reading with interest your to-count-or-not-to-count dilemma.
The initial mention of your sister-in-law and her "forbidding" you to count calories set off warning alarms in my head! I thought, uh-oh, here is one of those people who means the best but, heh, she's not YOU, she probably hasn't been there. If we knew HOW to do it right, we'd be doing it. Knowing what to do is not the problem. We each have to find what works for us. Sure, it's very likely not going to be the book way, the most logical way, the perfect way, but it's OUR way. If your gut is telling you to count calories then COUNT them! The eating when you're hungry thing could work but if you're feeling doubts about it it's probably because you know yourself better than anyone else. I would hope so! I hate to count calories but I know I'm going to have to. There's eating when I'm hungry and there's STOPPING when I'm not and if we all stopped we'd probably only eat a couple mouthfuls and have to eat every quarter hour. There are emotional needs to and your body may not be happy after some chocolate. It'll keep asking for food. But maybe eating that chocolate and figuring it in to the calorie count is what YOU (the whole you, body and soul) wants and needs now. So why punish yourself for having those calories counted as excess (i.e. nonexistent) by your body and then failing to lose weight because of them. OK, if you "eat clean" you're likely not to have unnecessary hunger but IF you could do all that at this point in your journey you wouldn't be on it in the first place. Well, don't mean to put down any method you try out but just wanted to say, if you're feeling doubts, do it YOUR way!
Amarantha, very sorry to hear the seminar was not what you were looking for. I'm laughing at those giant peant butter cups but good for you for sticking to your calorie count. That's what it's all about. Staying in control while toeing the line. Now, that makes for some exciting driving!
Day 2 went really well! Got my walk/jog in and 50 sit ups so far. (I have 40 minutes left of today to finish....) I could have passed on the second burrito but they were really good...
As for calorie counting, on my last 10 day mini-challenge I lost 4 pounds by counting calories. After 10 days, I feel like I have a good idea about how much I can eat to stay under 1500 cals or what ever the goal is. By using fit day I was also able to see a nutritinal break down, which told me I need to up the protien a bit, and I'm right at 30 percent fat, which I'd like to reduce. This 16 day mini challenge I'm NOT counting calories, I find it difficult when my husband is home. (he travels alot) Anyway, I'm thinking a good idea is to alternate challenges like I am, count one, don't count one and see how it goes. I'll let you know how it works for me. I'm thinking this might help anyone on a plateau too since it's good to change your plan when that happens.
Hmm, smilies don't seem to be working....
Happy Sunday to all of you!!! that one worked.....
Hate to let down the karmic 21-day team but I crashed at exactly 11:05 p.m. and had an extra carb sense (it's a protein drink) and a Myoplex bar, so I'm starting over tomorrow ... or today, since it's 2 a.m. That's ok because I'm determined to do another block no matter how many times I start over. I'm going to add a new twist to the next try!
One more thing about the general topic of calorie counting (since I'm not one to ever leave any topic untouched until everyone else wants me to shut up) ... it does occur to me that plans such as WW (and also BFL and the SBD come to mind) are a way of establishing healthy eating habits with some built-in controls, so they might provide an answer for those who want limits but don't want to count every calorie.
Does anyone think it's time for a new thread? This seems kind of long to me.
I survived the Black out!! YAY ME...no power for 25 hours...fell off diet and ate a box of donuts and a bag of chips! But am back on track! Only one bad day! Yes we need a new thread! LOTSA postie people here! That's good to see...Congrats to everyone on their Challenges!
Ok, Eydie, sigh, if I MUST make them whole grain, high fiber and lowfat, when I'd rather leave cinnamon crumpet onces with butter ...
Ok, I am going to start a new thread because this looks like a good jumping off place with several people restarting ... BTW, anytime anyone thinks were getting too long, please just hop in and feel free to start a new one, it doesn't need to be the same person each time!!! Yowza!
SO, CHALLENGERS, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, DON'T POST HERE ANYMORE BUT HURRY ON OVER TO THE 21-DAY CHALLENGE #3 THREAD!!! OK? OK!!! BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!!!
As if the last post wasn't long enough...
But definetely, I mean no offense to anyone who does it differently and I love discussing this stuff, so could not possibly feel offended by your holding an opposing viewpoint, 
Cerise!
I thought that I would sabotage all my efforts today, but I got to work and made my lovely cookie trays, cheese and fruit platters, put a nice concealng sheet of aluminum foil over it all and thought of it no more. [I took the foil off before serving, of course!
Eydie! Your efforts are going to pay off ... and I loved what your insights into the "it's not fair" syndrome.
Eydie, Eydie, Eydie!!!!
day two
