It actually helped me to think of healthy eating as a lifestyle change and not a diet. In the past, I would usually meet a goal (often for an event) and then go back to my usual food choices and gain the weight back. Making healthy food choices was truly a lifestyle change. However, I am always trying to fit in my favorite unhealthy stuff and it is plainly difficult. It is so easy to put on weight, waah. So anyway, I have an event to attend in three weeks and I would love to take off the extra weight I have put on since August. It is going to require a real effort. Today was a good start-total cals: 1585, ex-60 minutes step class.

Marie-A constant diet is a good idea too. You are great at keeping the calories totals in line. BTW-Last FAC was excellent since we were at the beach. We sat on the deck with wine and cheese and watched the ocean waves. Nice. We took our elderly dog with us. She had very little interest in the beach but loved not having to stay home.

maryea-good job posting. Keep on keepin on.

Am2-Another good day-I am going to have to follow in your steps!

Not a great eating day but not my worst either. It was my evening snacking that messed me up as usual.

1658 calories and 13 carb serv.

My doctor ordered enough testing strips for 3/day. The way they did it is not free but very inexpensive much cheaper than getting them from Walgreens. I'm hoping I can remember to check it 3x/day and maybe get better control. But I know my evening eating is my biggest problem. When I am watching TV it's like my brain shuts off and I think I can eat anything. I was doing so well there for a little while but I have let myself get off track.

Thanks, Marie. I was worried I seemed to be pushing it. :hug:

I am on a constant diet, too, and also feel that my lifestyle changes, such as they are, or at least my size and fitness level, are a result of the constant diet. "Constant vigilance." (Mad Eye Moody said that in Harry Potter)

Your lifestyle numbers look great.

Maryea, you are looking good there on a lunch out day! Woot!

Tera, you really are off to a good start on your initiative to lose for your event. Nice calorie level.

I did lose 1.2 last week, which was .8 short of the 135 goal for September 30. However, I am happy with that and am viewing it that I did make that goal. I am moving on to my October 28 goal of 132. The date is the Sunday before Halloween so it is my Halloween challenge.

Ending the eating day at 1980. Walked 45 minutes, jogged 30 minutes.

Sunday's calories were in the 1500s and I did exercise, but am too sleepy to look at my records right now.

Happy October, all!

Woot!

Todays cals-1595, Ex-60 min strength training class at the Y. I am back to enjoying my Y classes instead of dreading them, which is very nice.

AM2-135 is incredible. Congrats.

maryea-I hope the extra testing is a help. Good for you for trying new solutions.

Todays cals-1530 Ex-60 min step class at the Y. I am fighting a lot of cravings, especially something sweet or alcoholic or just more food. However, I really need to take off some pounds before going home in three weeks and it is keeping me motivated, so far anyway. I drink alot of hot tea.

Maryea, sorry didn't see your postie last night right before mine. Glad you could get those extra strips and hope the extra testing is helping. Good for you for putting in that extra effort. You are doing great.

Tera, I am really happy with 135, just want to get a bit lower to take pressure off my joints. Your cals and exercise are excellent. Woot!

My cals yesterday were 2085 (UPDATED FROM LAST POSTIE). After I posted here, I fell prey to some peanut butter pretzels. :lol:

Today's cals: 1500.

Exercised both days but at moment can't even remember exactly what I did and too sleepy to check my streakity log.

Woot!

Marie-Nice to see you here again. Too bad about the procedure putting a damper on your exercise routine but at least you are okay for some light movement. You can shake things up a bit with some different stuff.

Am2-i love those pnut butter pretzel things. Well worth the calories every now and then.

Today was another good day. My hubbie is out of town which makes it easy to be good. No partner in crime. I still have the cravings though. I wonder if I could stay on plan if they would actually go away. I have never gone more than a few days without giving in to my cravings-I m a big baby. I went to my Killer Strength class (not the real name) tonight. It is always my last to add back in when i have not been for awhile. It is so demanding. In a few weeks it will be better but in the meanwhile, the muscle pain for the few days following can be a bit excrutiating. (keep in mind I already admitted to being a big baby.) Todays cals-1465 Exer-60 min strength training at the Y.

Marie, glad your procedure went well and you are back! Congrats on the 8 pounds down. Great idea to do the exercise when you couldn't sleep so that you got some in beforehand. :wave:

I sometimes exercise when I can't sleep because it makes me feel better.

Tera, congrats on another good day, with the Killer Strength class and excellent cals. Woot! :wave:

For me, not terrific on cals with 1905. Exercise was 60 min weights. Also was very active all day with various things and moving things around in the living room.

Todays cals -1765 No exercise. I would have liked to have done better. I need to keep that in mind for tomorrow.

Am2-Kudos for posting.

Tera, sometimes it is good (IMO) to go a little higher than you wanted. The body knows best! Woot!

Thanks for kudos. :carrot:

Marie, your count looks good, in my unsolicited opinion lol, esp. when recovering from surgery. The bod burns extra calories in healing, I think. Probably we have to give the bod what it says it needs. :carrot:

Wootness! My week has been a series of unfortunate events, including but not limited to being stung by a centipede (no damage done lol) and having car trouble wherein I had to leave the car for the weekend, which is actually okay with me as everything I want is within walking distance. :lol:

So happy with cals today as have had a very damped down reaction to stress lately. I am not overeating (other than the pb pretzels and a little high yesterday), but really okay. Cals 1410, exercise: 75 minute walk.

Would be REALLY nice if the scale would cooperate again this week, would make me feel quite perky. :carrot:

I would love me some perky scale reaction as well. Not happenin' today though. I must use this disappointment to strengthen my resolve. :)

Marie-Sorry you are not feeling well. Be good to yourself while you are healing. On the subject of husbands and calories-my husband is a problem for two reasons-he loves meat and starch, preferably cooked by a chef in a restaurant and I love to sit and drink wine and chat with him. I have been through this before-I just need to steer clear of the high calorie behavior for the time being. Easier said then done. Perhaps the two of us could find some better use of our time-hmmmm.

Am2-thank you for demonstrating proper dieting under duress. I agree you are due for an awesome scale reward.

Tera, here's to some perky & awesome scale rewards for both of us! Woot!

Lol, maybe there IS a better use of time than sitting with meat and starch in a restaurant. :lol:

Restaurants really a problem, though. One of the reasons I gained some weight in 2010 when I went back to work after being off with an injury for three months, was I started doing restaurant reviews, and I ate all the food instead of just tasting it. :lol:

With restaurants, as with processed food in packages, you just can't tell what is in it, even if they give you all the nutritional info. The cooks don't always use the recipes they are supposed to or adhere to amounts of ingredients, etc., etc.

Packaged food is the same. The law says they have to put the serving size on the package but it is legal (I think, caveat, no lawyer here) to exceed the listed serving size by under a certain percent. So if one eats a lot of that product, one could conceivably eat a lot more calories over time than they knew. I weigh the items I consume frequently, like RTD protein shakes and other things. I weigh each item with its package and then take it out of the package and weigh it and then adjust the calories for the true weight. I only have to do this once for each new item and then enter the real calorie count in My Net Diary.

I had a much harder time losing weight before I did this.

My weigh-in is tomorrow and it could go either way. I leave it up to fate lol.

Ending eating day at 1450. Exercise was a 165 minute walk and 15 min jog, plus a lot of housecleaning.

Well, the extra testing is helping me find out how bad things are! ;) I know they weren't this bad before though so think my diabetes has progressed just recently just as the doc said it would. Darn! I SO didn't want him to be right! ;)

It's strange....at home I have been eating 2 carb serv a meal and my bs has been very high. Today we ate lunch out ..and I had 3 1/2 carb serv (and one was a junky carb which I almost never have at home) and my bs was high but just a little. :?: So I'm bewildered..

If this keeps up the he will want me on another med which I was hoping to avoid. My plan right now is to increase my fiber like I did when on MF and if that doesn't do it, the only other thing I know to do is to go to only 1 or maybe 1 1/2 carb serv a meal but I'm concerned about getting good enough nutrition that way. I am also going to try to up my protein...again, this is hard for me as I don't like to eat a lot of meat or eggs. I prefer to get my protein from milk but milk is a carb..:dizzy:

I've already cut out all but one (eve) snack a day. Sometimes my evening snack is only 1/2 carb. This is very hard for me as I'm a natural snacker...I don't eat big meals, I get full fast but like to eat often...so quite a step for me to take, but I've done it. If I'm busy enough it doesn't bother me too much but other times I get so hungry! At least everything tastes good when you're starving...;)

If the above steps don't do it or I don't feel I'm eating healthy enough I guess I'll have to give in and take another med.

Marie, sorry you had bad news today. :hug: Glad you didn't jump into a chocolate vat, but sorry the allergic reaction came up with the antibiotic. It is so nice that increased communication with your sister provided a bright spot.

The scale DID do a happy dance with me, down 1.6 and that is the third consecutive week I've lost! :carrot: So I am EXTREMELY happy and am going to ATTACK diet & exercise this week as I DO NOT want a rebound next Sunday.

ITA with everything you say about it being too bad people blame weight problems solely on the individual. I take responsibility for my weight, as I do other areas of my life, but YES it is a LITTLE hard on us when they mislabel the contents of the food.

Which, again, is why I weigh every processed food product I use. I get incensed when I find the product is almost invariably off (some are spot on but that is the minority). One national brand of "fresh" cake products I have loved since my 20s seems somewhat benign for cake and is sold in limited quantities and actually does taste fresh. The company freezes it and it is thawed in the refrigerated section of convenience stores and some drugstores, etc. ... it has no nutritional label because it sold in a single serving. Once, long, long ago I called the company for the info and they gave it to me and tracking it for years that way and finding that online sources used the same info, I thought I was counting it correctly. When I started using My Net Diary's barcode scanner, I found that it was coming up as a cake sold in a restaurant chain that was different from the one I believed it to be. So I weighed two varieties of the cake and found it to be 60 calories over what the scanner said, what the online world said and what the lady on the phone had told me long ago.

I had been eating that cake for 30 years! I hate to think what 60 calories now and then over 30 years adds up.

Sorry, rant over.

Good night, all! :wave:

This weekend was nice and relaxing. I planned to go shopping both days but ended up just sticking around the house cleaning on Saturday and a bit of yard work on Sunday. I also made a large batch of homemade chili for supper and enough left over for a few suppers this week when my hubby is travelling. Total cals-1500 Ex-a leisurely walk around the neighborhood with my friend.

Marie-I hear you on the sad conversation with your child today. My dear son let me know about some problems in his life today and it threw both me and my husband for a loop although it shouldn't. My son always, always has to learn things the hard way and it is so frustrating. However, he is still young and hopefully can weather the storm and learn from his experiences.Glad to hear you got out for a walk with the "family" today.

Am2-thanks for the great information about restaurant and packaged food calories. That must of been a fun job why it lasted. I do my best to keep both restaurant outings and packaged food indulgences to a minimum.

Marie-Good luck figuring out how to eat to keep the diabetes in check. I understand it is a huge challenge. Have you considered reading Dr Mark Hymans books about "diabesity"? I find them very helpful for information about eating well even though I do not have diabetes.

Total cals-1920 Ex-60 min step class, 60 min yoga class. Calories were higher than I would have liked but it didn't feel that way when I ate them:) I have not been to a yoga class in a very long time. It felt good but it was difficult. I am sure it was good for me despite the pain.

Good morning, Marie and Tera! :wave: Just have time for a postie as the car dealership's shuttle is delayed in picking me up AGAIN! They have had my car since Friday & I am going nuts :lol: !

Yesterday ordered groceries online because I had no car and I DID order a piece of cake. Despite that calories for the day were okay at 1690. Exercise was a long walk!

Gotta go wait some more lol. Bye for now!

AM2-Way to go working the cake in successfully.

Marie-It is great you are feeling well enough to exercise. Be sure and take it easy though. Congrats on the ticker tick.

Todays cals-1625, Ex-60 min strength training at the Y. It certainly helps to have a family event to attend to in one week! I am trying to get in the right place to go dress shopping this weekend.

Today: 1295 calories and 7 carb serv. I only took my bs once today (as I've almost used up the first 25 strips of the increased order I received a few days ago...have to cut back for a while!) , and before dinner it was 153 which is high (should be no more than 140). So not really terrible but still high on only 2 carb serv a meal.

My hunger is easing a bit though...I think because I am upped my protein, fiber and fat. I think the fat esp helps. Of course, too much would be bad for diabetes too but I don't think I'm over the limits my dietician set and mostly it is healthy fat.

We are at Newport OR coast for a few days of crabbing. We got very few crabs and found out tonight it is because they dredged the river and apparently it affects where we are too. The weather is great though and we enjoy sitting out on the dock. We went into town for lunch ...a challenge for me but don't think I did too badly. And I walked quite a bit today.

Marie & Ama, i have been wondering about some of those nutrition labels too.

Marie, sorry about the bad news and your not feeling so well. You are still doing well on weight though. And yes, if necessary (and I think it is) I wlll accept another medication...I'm reluctant but not stupid. :?:

BTW, while I'm here I an measuring my waist each day instead of weighing.

maryea-Your diet changes sound like they will be helpful. how nice you were able to enjoy some time on the lovely Oregon coast. Too bad about the crabs though.

Todays cals-1605 Exer-60 min step class at the Y. The scale is moving down ever so slowly but I am not changing the ticker until after the weekend-assuming I still have pounds lost to report of course.

1214 calories and 6 carb serv. Even ate out. bs was good the one time I took it.
Lots of walking with incline and stairs.

Hope you get some good rest on the long drive, Marie.

My car did finally get fixed. Thanks.

Re maintenance being hard, I think so, too. It is harder than losing the initial weight. Only constant research and tracking make it possible for me. I can't get into a mindset where I think it is okay to let the data slide because that is the slippery slope back up the scale.

Maryea, I do measurements each week on Saturday or Sunday and for me, the waist is the most important one re health. Good idea you have of doing that measurement instead of weighing for a while.

Tera, congrats on the loss! Woot!

I also think a loss is a loss no matter how small and a maintain is a maintain and both are motivating.

Hmmm, I guess I think a gain can be motivating also in a sense. I like having the data as when I have data I know it for what it is ... er, data ... it does not define me, just gives me the facts.

That said, so hoping for ONE MORE WEE POUND DOWN on Sunday. We'll see.

Calories today 1540, exercise was a 30 min light jog, 90 min walk.

I am not working now (hopefully will be someday, somewhere, somehow lol) so have lots of time to exercise. Woot!

Yesterdays cals-1785 (oh-alchohol), Ex-60 min strength training class at the Y

AM2-This is a good time to get in shape while you look for your next job. Congrats on retreiving your fixed car. I agree maintenance is hard, getting harder everyday. :)

maryea-Woohoo-Awesome day!

Tera, that is how I am viewing it as far as the non employment, plus I am lucky that I AM thought of in some circles as semi retired so when I finally find a job I will be "coming out of retirement" instead of "wow, she didn't have a job for the longest time." :lol:

Good job on your day yesterday.

I ended at 1540, kind of where I wanted to be, exercise was a long walk (couple of hours).

Did strength training already this morning, wanted an hour but only did 30 minutes.

Been feeling very blah lately.

More job packets going out today, so off to do groceries as soon as is light so I'll be productive later.

Yesterdays cals-1730, no exercise

AM2-Hope you are feeling more chipper today. I hear you about the job situation. My kids asked me if I was looking forward to retirement the other day and I was like-yeah, in eleven years! I don't want to retire however that does not mean I will be able to keep working. The job I have now is not expected to last beyond December and then it is back to looking for another-the third time in ten years.

I do feel perked up today, Tera!

One thing I think about "retirement" ... which is a word I try never to use but it is better than unemployed lol, is that it is a time to re-evaluate things, get some rest and then find a new and exciting way of working and contributing in the world. I do not intend never to go back to the work force again, I WILL be back. For a year, I was self-employed as a "consultant" ... another buzz word for retirement ... and did great, just ran out of clients actually, no fault of my own, just economic societal pressures. So, being my own boss, I have now hired self to take time off to finally hit my ideal weight again (maybe that is shallow or obsessive, but that is a big goal and it is way easier when I am not working ... that is a fact, guys, it is SO much easier to "diet" when not working at all except on my own job hunting thingie and my own interests).

Anyhow, ended eating day at 1390, not 1540 as is posted above, that was for the day previous, kind of messed up in my thinking right now, hope t'is not permanent lol.

Huh, my post from last night is not here. Not sure how that happened. Anyway I lost 2# this week and my waist was down a tiny bit. Since it looks like I have to keep eating this way for my bs it's good to know it's helping with weight loss...probably all that exercise at the coast too. Won't get that as much here since we suspended our gym membership due to two trips this month, but I'll do what I can.

Huzzah, congrats on 2 down this week, with waist down! That is a great result!

Marie, yea on the using non employment as a time to focus on fitness, kind of helps to know I am able to turn what seems negative to me into a positive! :wave:

You are doing very well on cals considering trips and socializing, plus you had surgery! Woot!

Have run out of creative, interesting things to say or colorful symbolic ways to describe the weight loss journey, but woot, have lost another .8 this week and huzzah am I HAPPY about it?

YES!

Right on schedule to reach 132 by October 28, which is the goal for the months.

Measurements are exactly the same as last week.

This is all kind of exciting as my exercise was fairly gentle AND I ate more carbs and more natural sugar this week AND slept a lot due to depression and sinus problems.

The only thing I focused on was calorie control and as most know about me, I do calorie cycle, so was up and down some on that but stayed within a good range.

Was hoping for a WHOLE POUND lol but happy as a clam with the result!

Huzzah!

ran/walked 11 miles in the morning.
went down 2 lbs. probably dehydrated...
still feels good.

1304 calories and almost 9 carb serv. I'm still struggling with having too many carbs in evening. Tonight we were at church and there were snacks after the meeting. I did really well...eating only raw veggies and a some nuts but when I got home I ate more and all carbs. So still have to work on that but otherwise doing much better.

Thank you Marie

I love running and walking outdoors.
I ran 8 miles and walked 3.5 miles today
:)
weather was nice but now, it ia HOT 90 some degrees :(

Have a good day!

Thanks, Marie! :wave: You are right, weight loss IS an upper, as is the Atkins Cafe Caramel shake I just had, so delicious, made with real coffee. I have lately been addicted to those. I do not know if they are healthy but they are a great treat.

Glad you are started back to the land of the living and were able to exercise some.

I totally resonate with the need to exercise. It is not only a sleeping pill for me when needed, but an antidepressant and a lot of other things. It keeps me going, even gentle exercise sometimes.

Angela, welcome! I love exercising outdoors also. We're in the 90s daytime now (central AZ), cooler at night. Kudos on your long run and walk. :wave:

Maryea, congrats on the good calorie count and sticking to the veggies and some snacks after your meeting.

I am just the opposite with carbs. I crave BAD carbs in the morning and just protein at night.

This is heresy but I have been having some treats with real sugar now and then. When I lost the majority of my weight (years ago) I did that and did quite well and did not really have blood sugar issues. During that time I sort of was influenced by various ideas and people about weight control when in reality I was doing very well losing weight WITHOUT the advice of others lol. Weight control began to get more complex for me and difficult.

Nowadays my mojo is back and I make my own decisions and am feeling quite relaxed about weight management and quite assured that I will reach my goal easily.

So I have decided to have more treats with actual sugar, while still enjoying things like the Atkins shakes with sugar alcohols, coffee, etc.

Anyhow, ended eating day at 1485, exercise was a 90 minute walk.

Did less lying around in a funk today and got some career stuff done, think I'm perking up ... or drinking the Atkins coffee shakes.

10/16/12

nice morning but it is getting hot again... :(
outdoors 7.5 miles
indoors 5.5 miles on elliptical w/arms.

scale is moving and happy week for me.

hope you all have a great day!