Hi Everyone
After much consideration, I have decided to start a thread for a unique group of losers.
Consider the following scenarios. If more than one apply to you, this just might be the thread you've been searching for:
This diet/lifestyle change is such a slow process for me, even losing 0.5 lbs or 1kg is a struggle. I am frequently changing up different foods in my plan because what I ate worked last week, but it's not working this week. One week, I ate everything on plan and gained weight, but another week I pigged out and LOST! WTH?? I've been at a plateau for so long, it's my new middle name! I do ____ for exercise, but my body becomes used to the workout, and I am frequently having to switch up my routine to continue to see results. I have been On Plan for so many days/weeks/months without seeing a downward scale movement, I'm ready to QUIT!
Well, before you rush right off and toss your stilettos, platforms, pumps, or boots in the closet, come have a "Slow Dance" with me! I often feel like I am a stranger in my own body, because I am constantly having to change up food and exercise and my scale still doesn't budge. This is not a challenge, but more of a daily accountability, support group, & learning experience all rolled up in one!
I will start a new thread every 10 days to reflect progress, accomplishments, and/or set backs! Feel free to post food choices, exercise routines, motivational words of wisdom, or anything else you feel lead to share.
Disclaimer: If you lose weight quickly and easily and have it all figured out, this is NOT the thread for you!
So, without further adieu....
May I have this dance?
This week's challenge presented by "Taking Back Control of YOU!" presented by me
Let's make a pact together to ALL commit to our plans and exercise regimes this week--whatever personal goals you have for the week. Let's write them out on this new thread & dedicate ourselves to them this week! We can do it together!!
Gina: I also have a Dinner for 8 party on Thursday, but I am planning to do well right up til the very hour! I also have to work Fri & Sat night, but I intend to take my lunch & stay committed!
Last night, I spent a few hours cooking
I have enough food--veggies from this summer that were frozen, SBD Lazy Cabbage, and Chicken Cabbage Soup to last for a week!
My Commitments This Week! I am committing to do BodyRock Monday and Wednesday & running Tues & Thurs. I am committing to eating no more than 1400 cals/day this week. I will stay accountable on our thread every day.
Good Morning Everyone! K9O, I'm ready!
I did well at the weekend. Saturday was a maintenance day, but just a few cals over plan, about 250 cals.
Sunday, saved almost all cals for dinner out, and did well there too, except that I can feel all the extra salt from eating out through my body. I also had my final snack an hour later than I like ( I try not to eat after 8pm).
So this morning, back to true plan:
Breakfast: Dried mixed berries and almonds--- cannot handle egg in any form today!
Lunch: Will be light today, Perhaps a yoghurt and wheat crackers or slice of wheat bread and a few more almonds, a cup of vegetable soup.
Long afternoon walk!
Dinner: chicken breast, veggies,
Snack: yoghurt, almonds
Last edited by forloveofself; 12-12-2011 at 12:10 PM.
Reason: to add soup
Aren't Monday mornings great?! I love the opportunity to get back on track, refocused with renewed spirit. I had a very good night's sleep, so today I'm looking forward to my morning Pilates class and I am getting back to a tighter control of my foods after a very loose weekend where I let some things like cheese and bread creep back into my diet.
Started my day with a very clean kitchen and refrigerator, which usually means I don't go in all day to mess it up!
Coffee for breakfast, along with two big glasses of water and my vitamins.
I don't plan to eat until 2 pm (I do intermittent fasting with a four-hour window of eating). I've got roast chicken, dandelion greens and broccoli rabe waiting for my meal. And I'm leaving room for inspiration later on if I'm feeling hungry (apple and raw almonds, most likely).
Later today I'll be subjecting myself to a sappy girly movie while using my stationary rower.
My vision for the next 30 days is to keep protein to around 60 gm/day, carbs at 120 gm/day while getting around 35 gm of fiber, 12 glasses of water, at least an hour of cardio daily plus Pilates five days a week. I have my annual physical on Jan 12 and I want to either blow my doctor's socks off or, if all my effort doesn't buy me what I'm hoping for, talk to her about why I can't lose weight. I'm journaling everything I do for the next 30 days.
The other thing I'm working toward is a fitness challenge that starts next month. It's with a body building group of women I've been chatting with and they are so inspirational to me that I want to do the next challenge with them. 12 weeks of their routine (they pump weights, do lunges and squats, all for creating a curvy but well-muscled physique), 3 workouts a week. I have nearly everything I need. Santa is going to buy me a few more dumbbells. I'm so excited!
I know that my plan is big, but I really like that. It gets me motivated. I've never really stuck to a 30-day challenge for myself, but I so want this! I have big health ambitions.
I think tomorrow I will weigh in!
I made some homemade cranberry juice last night and had a glass of it today & it is really working its diuretic magic on my kidneys! (I am pretty sure I have a UTI--grand!)
I am OP today, so far.
However, I am going to do BodyRock on Tues/Thurs instead of Mon/Wed. I am changing it because I already took my K9s for a 1 hr walk outside
I don't watch the news, so I never know what the weather is going to be outside. I do look at it on my weather app, but it is usually never consistent with what is really going on outside.
Today, it is almost 60F! GORGEOUS!
I could not resist to take them to the park. River even swam in the lake. I'll have to post pics to let my new friends on this thread see them. They are really my life, since children are out of the picture at this point.
Hope you all are staying OP & having a great Monday!
[B]K9Owner:[B] Thanks so much for the website. I plan on checking it out after I finish here so I am ready for January 1.
geoblewis: I see that you have a rowing machine. I was wondering if you would mind letting me know what kind you have. I have been thinking about purchasing one, but have limited funds.
My goals for the week include 5 workouts (2 down, 3 to go) and creating an account on My Fitness Pal.
I went to my Zumba class this evening and my regular instructor was not there. The sub put this 54 year old body in shock! I was keeping up for about 45 minutes and then got a little light-headed so I modified for the last 15. I was pretty proud of myself for keeping up with a much younger instructor. My regular instructor is older than me so I have no excuses in her class!
I decided to make Monday my official weigh-in day. Lost 0.2 pound. Not much, but something.
Okay, so I got this Secret Santa gift today which included chocolate-covered cherries. I ate the entire package (8 oz.), but have still managed to come in just under 2000 calories (only 165 calories above my calorie limit). So, yay! Not exactly OP, but close enough. Now, if only I could actually follow my own advice regarding surviving a holiday party. Does anyone have difficulty with following their own advice at parties and how do you overcome this difficulty? I know not to overflow one's plate, never go back for seconds, eat only the things you love, etc., etc., etc. But, no one ever talks to me at these gatherings (and if they do, it's incredibly awkward), which causes me to stand by the food table and constantly stuff my face in order to look busy. Does/did anyone do this and how do/did you overcome it? HELP!
I have a Concept2, and it's a really good one too. Bought it while I was still married and had more money. I'm so happy I got it, but I don't think I could afford one now. I highly recommend looking for a used one on Craigslist or EBay. It's how I got mine. There's always someone with good intentions who buys one then promptly decides they can't use it any longer. Also consider finding a gym or Y that has one. It's usually one of the least-used machines in the place.
My party strategy is (and this will be unpopular) to either not go, or go but don't drink alcohol. If I avoid the situation, then I avoid the temptation. Because I am a SUCKER for sugar/fat/salt, no matter the occasion! If I must go, then I don't drink. I'm much more fun sober (I fall asleep after two drinks) and after just one drink, I am ready to have a torrid affair with the buffet table. If I stay sober, I will dance wildly all night and I won't eat anything! I'll just drink lots of water. If I do get hungry, I stick to protein and fats plus naked veggies. No sweets. No chips and dip. I may also drink a lot of water and try to eat a healthy meal before I go. If I'm not hungry when I arrive, I won't want to eat anything. At least that's what I tell myself!
Really, I'm getting to a place in my life where a lot of foods that used to hold a huge fascination for me just don't any longer. If I have a food sensitivity to it, the resulting reaction is enough to put me off of not eating it. And most fried or other super-rich foods give me the worst heartburn lately. Candy never tempts me any longer. My real issue is around overeating to manage stress. I am totally capable of overeating and gaining weight on vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. The more I stay out of stressful situations, or away from the toxic people of my past, the more success I find in losing weight. Right now, I'm trying to learn to not love being full. It's really difficult!
I also walked a great deal yesterday, because I went shopping.
I decided to weigh this morning b/c I seriously overworked my kidneys yesterday & the 1.4 lbs of water I regained last week has LEFT THE BUILDING--taking .2 extra with it. I will defo take it! I feel super light this morning, but only because I expelled so much water yesterday.
If any of you don't know, cranberry is a natural diuretic. I started making my own since HFCS is the main ingredient in most of the pre-made cocktails.I also drink the weight-less cranberry tea sometimes, but I have to drink it cold, as I don't like tea, much less hot tea.
As for parties, I opt not to go to the parties at the hospital. I know I will eat badly & our department is terrible when it comes to eating healthy. Many of my colleagues are overweight or obese & it doesn't seem to bother them. The younger nurses in their 20s aren't really overweight, but their lifestyle just hasn't caught up with them yet--it will if they don't educate themselves in nutrition.
They are always having wedding showers, baby showers, unit parties, and the like, but I just don't go. Hopefully they schedule them when I am not working. If one is scheduled when I am actually working, I typically will not eat the main dishes, but go fork first toward any cake (non-chocolate) or other sweet thing that is there. I would love to say, "I just don't like sugar like I used to." But the fact is, the more I eat of it, the more I want it!
We obviously can't drink ETOH at the hospital, so that is never an issue. However, if we ever had an off-site party, I wouldn't have to worry so much about eating. You could find me nestled beside an entire bottle of white merlot & I'd be burning off all those cals either talking or dancing. Merlot has the opposite effect on me than it does on Georgia. I usually want to have a torrid affair with the dance floor
Today, my mom is coming for Christmas baking. Hopefully, I can stick to my guns and only eat about 300 cals or less worth of treats. Our big treats will be chocolate-based, so it's a WIN for me!
I am getting off this lappie right now to go do BodyRock before she gets here. I don't want to put it off until later. I will have lost ALL motivation to do it!!
Lost 0.1 kilos since last week. That's good for me. I'm just happy with a weight loss at all.
I sooooo feel you today Isabella! That's precisely why I weighed in today. Sometimes we have to take the loss on whatever day it happens to be here. We can celebrate today together!!
Hello Everyone,
Thank God today I don't feel as ravenous as yesterday. I had hoped to stay below 1500 cals, just to feel like I was back on track, but 1500 almost on the dot it was by the time I had extra wheat crackers, and more cottage cheese with dried mixed fruit (incl. cranberries) for my final snack. It was all good for me food, but too much of it!
As some of you have said, it must be a Monday thing. K9O I love cranberry juice and dried cranberries! I too get frequent UTIs so I know about the benefits. I wish my intestinals were as easy to deal with as my unrinary tract issues.
princess I'm super shy still, not to mention out of my element when other museum nerds aren't around, so parties are difficult for me because of that. But in recent years, I've decided to be brave and to look for someone who seems just as uncomfortable (there are more of us than we sometimes think) and I walk over and say "hello", sincerely tell them I like something they are wearing/hair. I even say I'm not going to have anything else on a cracker today, or something like that, we usually both laugh, and since it is out there, I can stop focusing on bad foods.
Think Congrats on doing such a great job in your Zumba class.
Isabella, every fraction of a kilo means progress. It is difficult, but I try to focus on what I have not regained even though I'm not seeing a loss.
So far so good with staying on plan,
Will bake chicken breast to have in my salad for dinner.
Today I walked a mile and did a few repetions with my hand weights as was yesterday. Firbo is a beast, but I'm good at ignoring pain until bedtime.
I hope you enjoy your afternoon
Dec 13, Tues
B= 2 c milk, vits
L= 3 c leftover roasted veggies
S= 2 clementines
D= Baked Stew {from Taste of Home Diet Comfort Food cookbook}, 1 bread
S= ice cream
E=36m UB
Right= I lost a lb! I'm sure I'll find it tomorrow but for today its gone! did an extra good job on cleaning house. Did my UB workout even though I was tired and I didn't want to
Regret= The ice cream; it was okay but nothing great, I could have spent those calories on something better
Cleaning house took me a lot longer than I thought it would because I kept taking breaks because of my back, but I'm happy to say that I got everything done! I did squeeze in KCM's 30MTF Split Sessions UB today. In the middle of the workout we were to lay on our backs for flies/bench press, so I rolled down and each vertebra cracked on the way down. Ekkk! Felt much better afterwards but yuck, although I do tend to pop and crack whenever I move. There were a few exercises at the end, mostly ab related, that I couldn't do because of the sore back.
I had an emotionally charged day most of the day but managed to keep a lid on content and calories all day. Really a surprising feat for me. And then I went to Pilate's and I feel fabulous! I mean really, life is feeling pretty great!
The challenge will be tomorrow morning. Often, I let that stupid scale tell me how to feel, no matter how great I was feeling. I stopped eat at 5. I only ate 1500 calories today. I exercised hard for an hour. If I don't see a loss on the scale tomorrow morning...there will be ranting!
Sleep well, my pretties, and dream beautiful dreams.
I had the BEST day with my mom! We did NOT argue even once the whole day we baked together. And, we were in a small area! This is saying VOLUMES
I did considerably well eating-wise for the food we made. I'll spare the details, but with all of the sugar around me, the thing I wanted and ate most of was a tuna ball she brought to my house for my sister! It was made with cream cheese, green onions, canned tuna, pecans, & IDK what else, but I could have easily devoured the entire snowman-shaped concoction!
Tuesday's Menu
Turkey/FF Cheese Omelet, Coffee: 170
SBD Lazy Cabbage Roll w/Parmesan, Green Beans, Tuna Ball, Kavi Crispbread (6), : 439
Chicken-Cabbage-Broccoli Soup, Side Slice of Buffalo Chicken , Tuna Ball, 1/2 Pecan Praline: ~558
Total: 1167
BodyRock: 160 (I did it before mom came over. Boy! was this the BEST decision I made!)
Water: 64 oz
I quick-added 350 cals on MFP, 50 over what I wanted to have in treats today. I would have made it if it weren't for that darn tuna ball!!!
It was weird, b/c the appeared to sweet to me & even thought the pralines were by far my fave, they were soooo incredibly sweet. I could only eat about 1 tsp.
Slow Dancing With A Stranger, Take 3 :)
This diet/lifestyle change is such a slow process for me, even losing 0.5 lbs or 1kg is a struggle.
I am committing to do BodyRock Monday and Wednesday & running Tues & Thurs.
I also had my final snack an hour later than I like ( I try not to eat after 8pm).
GORGEOUS!
We can celebrate today together!! 
: 
, Tuna Ball, 1/2 Pecan Praline: 
