Laurie: Wow! A morning run! That's a great way to start the day. I'm sure there is a little more energy available in the morning for you. I do like working out in the morning. The only class that is somewhat harder in the morning is the body flow class with the yoga. Hard to get those old joints to be flexible that early! Anyway, I like your time and that you didn't have to stop. Stay strong with the cookie dough rule!
For me, I plan to go running after work. I will be stopping though! I am sure there will be a lot of stopping and starting for me since I'm not in good shape for it... yet! I did go to body pump this morning, so that was good. I got up late, but decided I could still go and be just a little late to class. I missed most of the warm up, but I think that's ok. Tomorrow is spin class.
I've been doing well with food - for the one day and so far today. We don't typically eat dinner very early at my house, more like 7:30 ish. I was struggling after work to not have a little snack to make it through to dinner. But, I didn't cave. Little victory.
Not sure how well my "regroup" went. Went to a family get-together for hubby's family Saturday and that was a fairly fattening day. Then we went on to Bass Pro and of course ate out. All things considered, at the end I didn't even try to count calories, I just added 3,000 to MFP and called it a day. On the up side, I got a lot of exercise.
Sunday we had all that work to do around the house, laundry and cleaning and yard work. I planned to shop and food-prep.
We went fishing.
So...yeah. LOL No work done at all. We didn't even go shopping and we suddenly realized that it had been 9 hours since breakfast and we were STARVED. So we ate out. You'd think I'd stay under calories that day, with the not eating all day, but no...over by almost 900. And I still got a lot of exercise.
Monday then...Was okay and stayed under my calories and managed to get the shopping done, but still no food prep. Hubby wasn't feeling well and stayed home from work that day - but didn't do a thing - so tonight I'll be doing laundry...or food prep...or something.
It's a process.
At least I did actually walk today at lunch. I've still not managed to get up and get on the elliptical in the morning but that's because I'm still going to bed at like midnight and oversleeping. I HAVE to start getting to bed sooner and get up earlier.
So that's me. Sorry I don't have time to reply to anyone. Got to get back to work!
Lilion - The food is the most important part, so it sounds like Monday was a good day for you! And the lunchtime walk is a great habit to have. I know what you mean about getting to bed on time and getting up early, though. It's just not something I am typically capable of doing, so I totally admire those of you who do it regularly. I am really glad that you got some relaxation in, though. It's just good for our souls.
Diane - I love that you did not let getting up late throw you off course, and that you killed it in body pump. So happy for you that your regroup has inspired you to have a good first couple of days with food. It's the first couple of days that are often the hardest. Hope your run went fantastically well.
I had thoughts of getting up early and hitting the gym before work this morning, and did get to bed early, but my husband is sort of a night owl, and often chooses this time to talk or otherwise interact ;-), so I didn't get to sleep until after midnight, and was unwilling to give up that hour of sleep. So, gonna have to try to find a time this afternoon to sneak out to lift weights.
Yesterday was bad -- real bad -- on food. Ate pizza and cookies and candy, oh my. Weighed 149 this morning. Back on track today.
Goals -
1 - 20K steps
2 - Lift weights, and do it for real, not this go and "warm up" for 20 minutes and then just do a few weight lifting exercises.
3 - Back to making smart eating choices. For today, this means no sugar. Again. *sigh*
Lilion: Sounds like you did pretty well, all things considered. Makes me laugh that you went fishing instead of doing all the work. We do that all the time, so that's why my house is rarely completely clean and yard work completely done. There's always tomorrow!! Ha!
Laurie: Well, hope the "bad" food tasted great anyway! It probably caused you to gain from salt intake. Typically, I'm good at getting up early and I just can't make it too long at night. My family are all night owls, so they tease me about my schedule.
For me, I'm having a pretty good week. I did go running last night and it was a little better than I thought it would be. Still hard, but I did pretty good. Little by little, I'll get that back, and my lungs won't feel like they are going to explode. I also went to Spin this morning. Not going to lie, it was tough. I was not great, but I think it is just that my legs were still tired. Made it through, so that was good. Body Pump tomorrow, and hopefully running after work. I want this to be a good week at getting back to my routine!
Food has been on track, so happy about that. I've actually lost just under 3 pounds this week since Monday. I really want to get below 260 again, so I've been updating my ticker. I'll probably go back to updating just once a week once I get there. I almost made a mistake and looked back to my weight last year at this time. Made me want to kick myself, but then I just moved on. Whatever. I let the weight come back on and now I have to work to get it back off. Next year, I need to be able to look back and be proud of my efforts. Staying disciplined will work again!
I hate bananas so I sub in raw pumpkin puree. I use raw honey. You could use carob chips instead of chocolate. Seriously, this tastes like real chocolate cake!
I used coconut oil instead of grapeseed oil and left the butter out of the frosting. Cream cheese + raw honey = !!
Let me know if you try them! Quick update here. I bit the bullet and hired a personal trainer through my gym...just 4 half hour sessions to get me going. He measured me and took my body fat % with some machine...OUCH. 43%. Okay, it's a starting point. He totally rearranged my nutrition. He wants me to eat 1800 cal per day (I struggle to get 1600!), MORE carbs (up to 160 g!), MORE protein (125 g), moderate fat (70 g), much less sugar (around 40 g). I ordered my first tub of protein powder...fingers crossed that changing up my "macros" will help! He said that putting the #s higher now will give us more wiggle room as I lose...we'll see!
Slashnl and Lauriedawn, running! Wow! I've heard that's so good for you. I stumbled my way through Couch25K and never went back. Keep up the good work!
Lillion, sounds like you probably needed a fishing day. Haven't you been totally swamped lately? No pun intended. Fishing--->swamp...ahem. Anyway, I truly think it's miraculous that you just wrote in your 3000 calories and moved on. It's so easy to get derailed there - "I've totally blown it..." I think it's great that you just took the calories and were basically back on track.
Okay, running late. Hope everyone is doing well!
Last edited by Frances123; 08-03-2017 at 07:19 AM.
Frances: Good for you, hiring a trainer. I think that it is great to get some guidance, to see if doing something else helps out. You'll have to let us know how it goes and how the new diet plan works out. Sounds like you can actually eat more calories, but just structuring everything differently. Cool!
For me, I went to Body Pump this morning. Another tough class, and I think I'm a little worn out, so it made it a little tougher. But, we also had someone cater breakfast burritos this morning at work. I knew it was coming, so I've planned accordingly, but still. It will fit in with my calories, but I do plan on going running to make sure I'm not messing up my progress. I do think I need to try to work out some of the stiffness/soreness.
Tomorrow is Body Flow. I'm going to try to make myself go. I have been feeling so stiff, I just need to go do it. It will be so hard to start, but I need to go. Definitely, need to go. Ugh........ Can you tell I don't really want to? I'll keep talking to myself about it.
Lillion, sounds like you probably needed a fishing day. Haven't you been totally swamped lately? No pun intended. Fishing--->swamp...ahem. Anyway, I truly think it's miraculous that you just wrote in your 3000 calories and moved on. It's so easy to get derailed there - "I've totally blown it..." I think it's great that you just took the calories and were basically back on track.
Thanks. Being able to just say, "Eh...today was a fat day, tomorrow I'll start again." has never been a problem. Let me repeat: Being able to SAY that isn't a problem. Actually starting again hasn't always been that successful. But usually I'm okay though. In this case the next day I was over again, albeit by much less.
I'm good today. Yesterday I went home early and just vegged out in front of the TV and ate fried chicken. I did go over ... by less than the weekend though ... but I'm still okay. Today I'm back on track once again.
So...the week has been hit and miss.
I really am having problems getting back in the exercise groove again though. I've managed only two walks this week and no elliptical. I want to...that's a lie. I don't want to. I need to. I've just been so tired lately. Not sleeping well and not getting up. More exercise would likely help that. So would a vacation.
I really think that's what I need and, as luck would have it, I have a LOT to burn. We're only allowed to bank a limited amount of vacation time and I am over by more than two weeks that I have to use by October 31st. So I have to schedule some vacation time. Now if I only had enough money to actually GO somewhere.
Lilion: Being so exhausted makes it difficult to keep up with exercise. Hopefully, you can schedule some time to just be away from work. Day by day!
For me, this has been a pretty good week. I did not make it to Body Flow this morning, but I'm ok with that. I went running last night and my legs are feeling it. I am pretty sure I would have been awfully stiff in the class. I will keep trying to get there. Someday it will happen!
Food has been good this week, too. I have trouble on weekends, so I'm a little worried about it. I just need to be mindful!! I'd like to go on a hike, too. We'll see how it all goes. Finding time and energy is hard!!
Well...I was somewhat shocked to discover I'd lost 2 lbs this week. I've been popping on the scale every day and seeing it drop from the high this past weekend...but I really didn't expect it would go down below 279. So...surprised. And pleased.
Still going to get my exercise stuff together, but apparently my lazy week was not a bad thing after all!
Hi Everyone! I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Or wandered from the healthy eating path, either. Life just gets busy and getting logged on doesn't happen as often as I'd like. But I am thrilled to report that I've been tracking on MFP for over 200 days and I'm still eating well and losing weight. Historically when life gets busy and especially when i stop checking in here regularly I usually have gone wandering in the Land of Bad Food Choices. But this time I'm doing good. Don't want to jynx it but I really feel like I may have actually learned new skills or broke bad old habits. This time it just feels different.
I'm still fighting wanting to eat all the sugar all the time. And I'm not sugar free like i probably should be. But i'm finding the "sweet spot" when I get to have some chocolate but not jurt living on junk food like the old days.
I still need to get up and move more. I'm not a runner like Laurie but I'm still having trouble just getting up and going for long walks. Which i used to d much more often. Its some psychological thing I'm sure and I'm working on that.
But I'm eating well and still slowly losing weight so all is good.
I'm glad to see most of the regular crew is still here. I hope folks who haven't checked in for a while are still doing well!
Vladadog - So glad to see your check-in! So happy you are finding a way to win, even though the journey isn't 100% smooth. It's amazing to me that you have a 200+ tracking streak for logging your food. That's commitment, and the commitment is showing in your continued success. Hope you find your walking mojo. Honestly, I don't love running, but I do love walking. If I could walk for four or five hours a day without feeling guilty because of the tug of other responsibilities, I would. I can get lost in my own world while listening to a book or listening to music, and I don't have to feel the constant demands of my paralegals or my spouse or my children. (Yes, I'm whining about the people who make my life better, even though I'm eternally grateful for them.) And I love just being outside. I hope you find some joy in it soon. Or find some other activity which brings you joy.
Lilion - So happy that the scale is continuing to reward you for being vigilant about total calories (for the most part), even if your macros are not exactly where you want them to be, and even if the elliptical continues to elude. You're proving that perfection is not required for progress. Having a lot of vacation time is not the biggest problem in the world. =) I have this "ideal staycation" in my mind that involves a lot of reading, a lot of long walks, some recreational gym time (read - stretching and low-key yoga instead of running and trying to lift more than the last time), and maybe some movies that have been on my "should watch when I have time" list for decades. Maybe you have a version of this that solves the "I need to take vacation, but don't have the funds to travel" issue?
Diane - So glad that your reboot has taken hold, and hope that the weekend went well. I am a little jealous of your hiking habit. Colorado is so beautiful! I have dropped off with the running the last week or so, so I am glad that one of us has been doing it! I hope to join you soon.
I have had some really terrible food days, and I am not recovering from them. I designated yesterday as a "get it back" day. My husband's family invited us to see a movie with them at 10:30, and I decided to take a short walk before that, then go to the movie, then try to run eight miles. After the movie, though, they invited us to go back to their place and play Pokeno. It's like Bingo, only played with playing cards instead of the balls to tell you which space on your card to cover. We played for FOUR hours, y'all. A game that's exclusively luck-based. For FOUR hours. Followed by dinner and a leave time of about 10:00 p.m. Bottom line is that I didn't get to run, and reacted badly to it by eating everything I could, to the point where I felt like my stomach was stretched to the breaking point.
This morning, though, I got up, still almost puking full from last night's binge, and left the house without eating anything. I am avoiding candy at work and planning on running this afternoon. I am still way too resentful that my entire day was stolen from me yesterday, and my husband was pissed that I took an hour away to get in a walk. But I can't fix yesterday. I need to just take today one decision at a time. I can totally do this.
Goals -
1 - Run five miles. No excuses. No whining.
2 - Be careful about food today.
3 - No candy, cookies, etc. None. Cuz I can't be playing with my self-discipline today.
4 - Get a total of 20K steps at least.
Lilion: Good news! Glad to hear about your surprise weight loss!
Vladadog: Sounds like you are winning for the most part! Glad for you! Like Laurie said, it doesn't have to be 100% smooth, as long as you're sticking with it most of the time.
Laurie: Ugh! That was a tough day! But, you're back at it today and can undo some of the lost time over the weekend. Looks to me like you have a good plan for the day, so I have confidence in you!!
For me, well.... it was a weekend. I didn't do as well as I would have liked and ended up with only a 1 pound loss for the week. I know that 1 pound is good and for the most part, I'm happy with that. But, I also know that I was down much more than that by Friday. I still struggle with food choices and drinking enough water on the weekends. So, that's what I need to work on now.
For today, I went to spin class, and I am on track with food. Body Pump tomorrow and hopefully some running!
Not much to add. Had a decent day of food yesterday, so that was good. I ended up with some pain in my legs and some general aches that made me miss body pump today. I just knew it would be so tough to do it. So, maybe running later, depending on how I feel.
Diane - Glad you had a good Monday. Looks like you have figured out the formula for the weekdays. The weekends shouldn't be far behind, right? Hope your leg pain is gone and that you were able to get in a good run.
I skipped work yesterday for the first time ever to have a "mental health day." It felt like a good idea, but today, I'm feeling unexpectedly nauseated. I am hoping it's temporary and I'll feel better soon. Lots of work to do, and I really want to get in a run today. I have not been meeting the goals that I set, though I did weigh in yesterday morning, and discovered I was 155.4 pounds. I am going the wrong way still! Need to get back my mojo. So, goals that I NEED to meet today.
1 - Get my run in. I will leave the office at 1:15 and run five miles outside.
2 - Eat no candy today.
3 - Weigh myself tomorrow morning.
4 - Continue to wear form-fitting clothing. (The minute I start wearing baggy stuff, I mentally give in to gaining weight. I can't let that happen.)
Hope everyone has had a good start to their week and that Hump Day is awesome!
Laurie: Sometimes it is good to just take a day off, but other times, it just doesn't do what it is supposed to do. I feel like sometimes it makes me feel lazy and uninspired, which is such a waste!! Hopefully things will go better today and you'll meet those goals.
For me, I didn't go to spin class today. We needed to take my daughter's car in to the shop. I decided that there is a spin class after work that I want to go to. I don't need to skip days right now.
!!
But usually I'm okay though. In this case the next day I was over again, albeit by much less. 
