I've missed you all! I've been solidly maintaining since I was here last, which has been good, since I haven't been workin at any plan, but a bit discouraging too. So, I have changed my food plan to Ideal Protein using alternatives. This plan uses lots meal replacement products in addition to a high protein, low carb, low fat eating plan. I'm struggling with how to have a sit down meal when I'm using the meal replacement products, as they are new to me. But, I've just started, so I am still working on it. I've also dusted off my ARCs and Advantage cards and will be putting together food plans the night before as well.
I just had to laugh at myself, yet again! We've been feeding our last and very old and sick cat braunschweiger, amongst other things, to try to keep her eating. My St. Bernard has been so anxious every time I get it out for the cat, running around, whining, laying next to the trash bin when I throw out the cat's uneaten food or rinds. I thought she was being ridiculous. Then I realized that is probaly how I must look to normal eaters right now! Ha ha!!
A few personals:
Gardener Joy: Good for you the other day avoiding Ted Drew's. I miss that place, especially all of the people you would inevitably run in to when going!
BBE: Glad to see you are still doing great, Fearless Leader. How did the kitchen renovation come out? Your comments about PDR for food reminded me of a book my friends have that would be great for you. Next time I'm at their place I will get the name.
Maryann: Sounds like you are nearing the end of your MFA. That is really exciting!
Hi, to everyone else and to those I haven't met yet!
Last edited by FutureFitChick; 09-09-2012 at 12:40 PM.
Did I mention that I am now two pounds from Onederland? Big credit to me! I have been here before, but couldn't cope with the success of 194, so headed backup the scale. Not this time.
Maryann--I totally get the punctuation worries! As an American teaching English in the UK, it certainly messed me up to begin with! And I have to confess to doing a couple of days' research about spelling rules when a schools' inspector criticised my spelling of 'organize'. Even my computer doesn't know which way to go! In the end I found evidence that even Oxford prefers the 'z' spellings! Not that my students, all of whom have been excluded from mainstream schools, are particularly worried.
BBE--the baklava is for my dear friend's daughter's wedding, which I am helping to cater. Feeling strong enough to manage this through good planning.
I need to regroup. I have been caught up in the deadlines and the busy-ness of my life this week and I have a calm-ish week ahead and then chaos rules the following week when I am away from home for 6 nights and 7 days.
After this week's opening I vowed I would start winding down my obligations to the guild and instead, when talking things out with a few, select, members, I found myself volunteering to do more!
I am a nut.
Sure, the more I volunteered for is "easy", and it kind of is, but easy still means it's time spent doing that and not this as in not my own artwork. That I have neglected some of my own projects was brought home to me today when my florida sister asked for a print or two for a show she is having in Key West at the studios where I was in February, and since I have not even looked at what I mailed home to myself from there, like all my prints, I found myself outside doing test prints with a homemade press my brother made me a few years ago now, trying to figure out how best to make it work in an afternoon. The experimentation to figure it out is about a two day, maybe a three day thing, not 2-3 hours, but I was hoping to get lucky. I am often very lucky like this, but not today. All this took time away from my scheduled painting time, but this is a worthy cause and it points to the future I would like to have, so I am making the time to make something for my sister in Key West.
What immediately suffers is my food environment. My kitchen is a disaster again. Of course. No counterspace clean. Dishes dirty. And since I am stressed, I can't think of what to make so I reach for ready-made food. Thankfully, I had frozen leftovers that DH brought home this week so it wasn't all bad, but the thoughts of sweet things and fried things haunted me all day today. *credit for resisting it all.
I just wanted to escape and if I had to stay here then I wanted a treat, and I wanted to feel some relief.
I did ok, stayed on-plan *credit* but I'm not focused on my weightloss which is too bad for me. It doesn't happen if it isn't priority #1.
I have not learned how to manage these busy times: prioritizing weightloss and staying on a foodplan that I plan out.
I now have the opportunity to practice that, and so I'll keep trying to figure it out, to balance it all, one day at a time.
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Food was only OK, CREDIT moi, because I had indulged in some homemade cookies earlier in the day - as if I'd never see such again. My big success was planned for a big Caribbean street fair where we'd be tempted with vendors of jerked beef along with the usual fried dough and fresh kettle corn. We'd planned one treat to be split; DW was lobbying for fried dough and I for soft ice cream. Then a booth handed out FREE miniature granola bars and the decision was made as if granola bars were healthy. The large percentage of kids carrying weight becomes more obvious when they're dancing down the street in skimpy costumes designed for the svelte.
Exercise was walking (CREDIT moi) about the street fair as well as the traveling to and from. It's easy to walk for a couple of hours if the concentration is getting to the other end of a parade and gawking at booths of brightly colored clothes.
onebyone – Ouch for all the feelings cascading over your head when you're trying to catch up. Kudos for recognizing that you need to remain focused on your eating and exercise plans.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Love the strategy of losing a whole bakery. I'd have to shop with a clothespin over my nose.
Debbie (Lexxiss) – Yay for "my habit is to choose wisely these days."
FutureFitChick – Kudos for choosing a new Eating Plan when that's what you needed as well as for dusting off your Advantage Card to get the mind back in the game. Hope your thesis work continues well - assuming you're still in that challenge. [Kitchen is done and in use. DW is happy every single day with it - she's a visual person and the 'tired' of the old one bugged her a lot more than it did me.]
maryann - Yep, "It is just a comma", deliberately misplaced so they'll have to come get me, too. Kudos for setting yourself up with all that yummy frozen pear for smoothies.
TeachMe - Kudos for "Not this time" - attitude matters. Yay for handling the stress of British English punctuation. I wish U.S. English would drop the inside comma since I find it so painful to write and read.
Readers -
Quote:
chapter 7Stage 4The Think Thin Lifetime Eating Plan
Develop a General Plan
You have decided whether to stick with three meals and three snacks a day, add snack food to other meals, or make snacks optional. You have figured out which menu choices work best for you and created customized meals based on the Think Thin Formula. Now, it's time to write a general plan in your Diet Notebook. You will follow this plan most of the time, only occasionally making permitted exceptions, as described earlier in this chapter.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 179.
I feel like I still have sea-legs getting back to posting regularly. I had stopped months ago because of my schedule, but had gotten pretty dissatisfied with my weight, so felt it was time to come back.
Yesterday I had a lot of cravings. I will remember next time that "Hunger is not an emergency" to help me cope. I was also dealing with some unusual and unexpected joint pain most of the day. That seems to have resolved now, so I hope it stays that way. Eating yesterday was within plan. I had an extra snack last night, which is permissible in the early stages of the plan. But, I think that contributed to no change on the scale this morning -- important information in learning how to do this!
Have a great start to your week!
BillBlueEyes, I thought about you and granola last week. I was cleaning the pantry to separate my allowed foods from my husbands. I had a ton of dried fruit and oats left, so I made your granola recipe. I didn't take a single bite, but it looked good. My husband said he liked it because it was so sweet. (He loves his carbs!) I was hoping to finish my PhD last month, but it will probably be in May now. Now that classes are back in session, every day I get to the point where I am tired and worn out from all of my teaching work. I'm out of energy by the time I have the free time to work on my thesis. I need to fix that!!!
OneByOne, you are too kind to do more, when those around did not support you sufficiently at your show. Don't let them walk on you, woman!!! You are strong and can get your planning done this week and execute it!!!
TeachMe, That is fantastic news! I miss Onederland. It was too easy to take it for granted when I was there!!!
I've been overwhelmed and under-motivated for several days. A frustrating combination, but (CREDIT) I haven't overeaten over it, even though there have been moments when I really wanted to. I hoped the weekend would fix it. And maybe it did. I start my Monday hopeful.
WI: NA kgs, Exercise: +120 565/1400 minutes for September, Food: 100%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
onebyone: right there with you. I can't believe that it isn't possible to be both healthful and creative, but it sure is a challenge that I haven't figured out yet! I think you're on the right track with a commitment to keep working at it. One thing I keep reminding myself is that it takes time to overeat, too, I just somehow never counted that.
A key part of my understanding is this:
I just wanted to escape and if I had to stay here then I wanted a treat, and I wanted to feel some relief.
I'm not sure what to do with that, but it's definitely the desire. I want a vacation from my life. A week at a cabin in the woods would do it, but when that's not possible, junk food in my car seems like a reasonable substitute. When I don't get either, it becomes more apparent what I'm trying to get away from and it's resistance and overwhelm and fear. And, then, I spend an hour or two on Facebook. 'Cuz that will help. At least, it's not overeating. Today. I'm going to make progress on my project because that's what I want, fear or no.
Today is nice and cool here, I went for a brisk walk, had my op breakfast, that seems like it is too much, I have faith in my meal plan and completed my first week.
I need to develop my core strength but can't seem to get motivated to do that so I decided that I would start by doing planks in my living room. I can't do them very well. It is a start I guess.
I am feeling positive about my lifestyle and the choices I am making. I am not sure if I am starting to lose that all or nothing mentality. I need to thank all of you for that. You have taught me it is okay to accept myself how I am.
I also realize that there are trigger foods for me, such as trail mix and it was on my plan. I decided since I can't have trail mix in my house, I would swap it for a trail mix bar.
Bill- Congratulations on your successes. You have so many adventures and you conquer each one. I think I may be living vicariously through you still..lol
Future chick - welcome back.
Teach me, congratulations, Onederland is so wonderful. Kudos to you.
Onebyone- Credit for all you do in your busy life. You always pull it all together. It seems like you don't make time for yourself. Remember to take care of you.
Debbie - has your job ended for the summer? I am not sure I could work at a restaurant/food place, I am afraid it would be difficult.
Joy - what a great idea to pretend the bakery didn't move with the store. How creative.
Maryann - Pear smoothies sound delicious. I am not sure why I never thought to use pears for many things. Thanks for helping me to step outside the box.
Hello to everyone else and I enjoy your day.
Take Care
Ann
Good Morning fellow Becksters,
Sorry for my absence I got into a woe is me phase and was staying away from here as well as the workbook obviously my inner critics were winning out. However this is the start of a new week!
I weighed myself this morning and I am back down a few pounds from what I had gained. I am staying OP today, I did manage to mostly stay OP over the weekend, I found this delicious Parmesan Crusted Tilapia at the store that is only 20 minutes in the oven and it is done so I was really enjoying that.
The weather is turning cooler up here and the hills outside of town are turning yellow, they have already seen snow down in Denali National Park which is only a 3 hour drive from where I live so it won't be long before we see the white stuff here in Fairbanks. Not unusual for here, it doesn't usually stick around until sometime in October but we usually at least get a dusting in September.
Jaye
I feel I have been a hermit these past four days. I have ventured out twice to exercise and once to food shop but other than that I am wriggling around at home writing my MFA stuff. I love to the opportunity to be at home but I miss my boys. Tonight we will all be together again. My plan is to print out the last twenty pages, proof all 40 pages Thursday and mail on Friday. It seems to me a lot of time is going into this and I wonder if it is all worthwhile? My husband won't hear of me quitting but it has crossed my mind.
I tell myself the decision has already been made and I am more than half way though. I just need to do first things first and not worry about anything else. First of all I need to eat THREE regular SITDOWN meals today. My food was good but it was all nibbles and standing. Like gardener joy, not having a plan is not working. Secondly, I will go to yoga at 4:30. Finally, I will meditate a little this morning, watching the anxiety float by me with me unscathed.
BBE: It is shocking to see the weight kids have put on. I have seen a huge change in the last two years. Last year's class had at least 6 out of 90 over two hundred pounds and %50 of the rest (especially the girls) overweight. We are talking 8th graders.
Welcome back FutureFitChick. It takes a while to get back into the swing of things. TeachMe: Oh my goodness. I can't imagine having to straddle two sets of punctuation rules. OnebyeOne and Jaye: The good thing about being OP is you immediately start to feel better even if you have had a terrible weekend. The past is past. On with the new.
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Food was good, CREDIT moi, until I spent two hours at a meeting over a table of snacks. I overate the snacks, slightly better that I ate more healthy stuff like strawberries than the sharp cheese which was also available. But Ouch just the same. Lunch is back to peanut butter, pecan, and banana sandwich since our tomatoes are done.
Gym, CREDIT moi, felt good since I did what I planned after a two day rest. I am always slightly concerned that two days will allow my body to forget what the muscles could do before. Walked to the library to pick up a book from hold.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Super Kudos for standing down "overwhelmed and under-motivated" instead of eating over it. Good luck at making progress on your project.
FutureFitChick – Ouch for unexpected joint pain - glad it's resolved. [Yay for homemade granola with Kudos for not eating a single bite. Hope you find a way to get energy in addition to your teaching.]
maryann - Yay for having a DH who cheers you on. Good luck proceeding with your plan to mail it all by Friday.
Ann (Newlifestyle) - Planks are such an un-obviously hard work out - Kudos for choosing to do them. Reminds me that it would help me to get back to them, despite being boring.
Jaye (Midnightsun68) - Shuddering at the thought of snow already. Kudos for recognizing that it's just the "inner critics" calling and they can be countered.
Readers -
Quote:
chapter 7Stage 4The Think Thin Lifetime Eating Plan
Develop a General Plan
tip: It's okay to occasionally eat on the run or standing up when you have a legitimate reason to do so. If you are at a party and there is no place to sit down, it's now okay to eat while standing, if you make a strong effort to enjoy every bite. If you are unusually rushed, it's okay to grab a meal on the go. Make sure these variations remain exceptions and not the norm.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 179.
It's been a tough few days for me here. DH is leaving this morning and I need to regroup. I did weigh this morning....up but ok, within my 5 pound zone. Plan plan plan is on my mind.
Yesterday was on plan. I ate what I was supposed to eat. After eating all of my vegetables and chicken for dinner, I was stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey. I am going to have to spread my food out a little more during the day, which is not how the program was originally published. But, an upset tummy is not a desirable result.
I read my cards this morning and said NO CHOICE to a delectable desert that I had made for my husband before I had started in order to clean out the pantry temptations before I started my diet last week. I wanted it so bad, but I didn't do it. I ate breakfast at the table this morning too. Yippee!
BillBlueEyes, great job getting in the gym. Too bad about the meeting snacks. That must be one advantage of being self-conscious about being overweight and eating in front of others - I often don't want to eat at those types of events.
GardenerJoy, great job keeping focus on what you need for health rather than giving in! I loved your comment about overeating taking time too. That is a brilliant gem of a thought!
Two days in a row at 100% and, look, my weight went down. Funny how that works.
I like that I didn't strive to make those two days 100%. They just happened because I had a plan and following my plan was easier than figuring out something else to do.
WI: -0.2 kgs, Exercise: +30 595/1400 minutes for September, Food: 100%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
After school meeting today and pizza left over from catering classes was on the table in front of me. I was a bit hungry and knew I had my 'planned' apple in my bag to have afterward. Several times I nearly gave in, telling myself I could have a small bit and forego the apple. Huge credit-- not only for staying on plan but for realising that the apple could fix my hunger just as effectively as the pizza! It also really helped knowing dinner was planned and I had everything I needed at home to make it.
My day until 1pm was perfect. Breakfast, vitamins, water, coffee. Got my work to send to Florida completed. Touched base with my Florida sister. Pondered my 48"sq canvas that I took out of the mailing tube I mailed to myself from florida at the end of February while searching for prints to send my sister. Now I *really* want to finish painting it-stretch it onto a frame and get at it. It's made me sad I don't have the time to do that right now.
I got some prints from my portfolio out that are approprite for my sister's needs and put them into the newly-emptied tube and then I walked with them over to the post office. *credit for the walk* credit for meeting this impossible deadline*
I bought catfood while out, and walked back home and made soup which I ate all day long. 8 servings worth the packet said. I ate all of them: 8 cups worth.
Ate veggies.
Ate fruit.
Ate popsicles-but only 2 of those.
Ate two amazing toasted tomato sandwiches with Cosmonaut Volkov tomatoes from my garden! My HUGE garden success: direct seeded tomatoes in that poor earth in my garden at the end of June to ripe on the vine fruit today.
So. I DID NOT persist in victory today.
I gave in.
I ate all day long.
Reasons: no written plan today
and I wanted to take a break fro my work but felt I couldn't as I have too much work, but my reality is I met that one big deadline which causes me to need a full stop before I dive in again and I didn't honour those feelings so I ate through them to make me feel overfull, which makes me feel tired and slow and icky, and then I can't focus on working, cause my body feels over full, and so in this way I create the situation in my body physically that forces me to slow down.
Really old, self-destructive strategy.
Now, I am fretting the scale and, of course, I added the pressure of "I am going to Ottawa next week and I SHOULD BE 245 or under that". This kind of thinking always makes me go up the same # of pounds I want to go down.
Solutions: write a food plan and plan for some exercse for tomorrow
offcially be in maintenance--give up the hunt for pounds off right now--cannot hold the stress of that with the stress of meeting these deadlines
*credit* I did fight off the fast food and the fried food and the sweet bites of ____ which were very strong right after I dropped my package off at the postoffice. *credit* I did cook from scratch later. DH brought hoem food for tomorrow and I have leftovers from tonight now too. *credit* for posting.
And that's how it is with me tonight.
The kitchen is now closed.
unfocused
thoughts of sweet things and 
escape and if I had to stay here then I wanted a treat, and I wanted to feel some relief. 
Monday
