I wrote and thought I posted yesterday, but apparently I never hit the Submit button.
Worked hard to stay on track yesterday, since the day before I ate more than I needed to. Felt I did a good job, though the scale today reads up a bit. I need to keep the reminder that it's not an immediate reflection ... after all these years, why does my mind fight that?
Today is an anniversary for DH and me ... we've changed plans to now cook the thawed turkey and make only 1-2 fresh sides. I have the red rice already cooked from a few nights ago and cooked up corn on the cob so it just needs to be reheated. (If anyone still struggles with shucking corn, put the full cob, husk and all, in the microwave for 3 minutes per cob, take out and let cool, and the husk/silk comes off so, so, easily. My mom taught me that years ago, but I used to love the time shucking corn with my Dad sitting at the end of the bed of his truck.) Anyway, I'll cook sweet potatoes as an homage to what "should" go with turkey.
We'll hit the movie tomorrow and then go out for our anniversary dinner on Friday night. Now I saw that Colin Firth is in a Woody Allen movie that looked interesting. I very much enjoy Colin Firth and very much do NOT admire Woody Allen, and will see how that plays out - which one 'wins' and do I spend money on it. We don't hit many movies out.
I finally fit into a skirt that I bought soon after meeting DH and within two months it didn't fit. Wearing it to work today, and I think I'm happier wearing it than it looks, honestly.
We're supposed to have a gals night out for an early happy hour, but many of us don't drink, so I told DH I'd hit it for a bit and then head home. Just for the camaraderie. We vowed back in October to do this once a month. This is the first time after October we've managed. Goal: Enjoy the company but not eat ... or if I'm iffy on that, just skip it and go home and arrange the next one.
Set the alarm for 3:30 this morning to see the meteor shower ... we got outside and waited about 20-30 minutes and saw nothing except a gorgeous moon, which lit my backyard and plenty of stars. I wish we'd have been camping with that moon. I used to always try to plan our camping trips to overlap with a full/new moon. LOL at your first thought of an inconsiderate camper with the Coleman, Bill!
Beth and Tricia - hope you're still stopping by! You're in our thoughts and we're waiting to see you pop in and get back in the posting routine with us!!
Last edited by nationalparker; 08-13-2014 at 09:29 AM.
The news in my city keeps getting worse and I'm not sure where the path is to healing or if any of us are brave enough to walk it. I'm still not going to eat over it because that won't help. If I have any role to play, it will grow out of my book group. Or, it will grow out of my interest and expertise in healthy food to address the problem of food deserts. For that second role, I need to keep my own house in order.
WI: -0.15 kg, Exercise: +50 475/1400 minutes for August, Food: 80% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
flnu: Resentment is a big issue for me. I've found two things, both from Beck, that helped. The first is giving credit. It doesn't seem like that directly addresses the problem but, somehow, if I'm busy giving myself credit, the path in my brain to resentment is short-circuited. The second is to compare myself to other successful dieters and maintainers. When I compare myself to "everyone" (as in, "everyone gets to eat lunch at Hardees but me"), I develop resentment, but if I compare myself to BillBlueEyes, Lexxiss, and maryann (none of whom I can imagine in Hardees), then I feel much better about the things I need to do to attain and maintain a healthy weight.
ForMyGirls: thanks for the "desire to eat" discussion. Totally forgot about that description but it's so helpful. My cravings diminished over time, but I still deal fairly frequently with that "desire to eat" -- no specific craving, just a desire to eat. If I indulge in that too much, the cravings come back.
karenrn: I found the Beck calculation of calories a bit high. I used that among a number of things for my starting plan and it worked for me. I gradually lowered the calories as needed. Worked for me!
Yesterday I had one of those aha moments when I stepped on the scale after work. 178.something, which is in my hovering range. My first thought was "wow! It's absolutely fantastic to be within 3 pounds of my lowest reading in March! It is so exciting to be continuing to maintain my loss!"
The old me always felt I should be doing better...be more perfect....should look better....
My Beck practice really does seem to be changing my thought patterns although I'm not always so keenly aware. Practice practice practice. Credit moi.
So got up with a plan this morning then phone call w/mom changed everything. My sis finally got her diagnosis which has been looming on the horizon for many months...reoccurrence of cancer. She will arrive here Monday and life will be very different.. Walking alongside nationalparker these past months I have truly been blessed to witness the inner strength which emerges to care for a loved one AND to also continue to care for oneself.
I'm grateful for the years I have had to get my own house together. I have a small list at home and can mostly focus on getting my moms house in better order which is where I spent my day....cleaning and hauling out cr*p.
Gardenerjoy, I don't get much news yet heard a little and I send healing energy. There are so many things in the world we cannot change so I try to make my small little circle better. It sounds like what you are doing and your words spoke very powerfully to me. Take care.
Sending kind thoughts to all and missing others, too.
A very quick check-in coaches or it won't happen. I hate rushing it.
Nice to see the weight go down but I don't take it too seriously - as long as over a week or so I see a difference. This was the reasoning in the book I am reading (in terms of how to measure fat loss - no reliable measure):
"So if a 70 kg adult typically contains an average of 42 liters of water, over the course of a day that persons body does not care if it contains 41 liters as opposed to 43 liters of water. Above 43 liters, the kidneys speed their function and clear the excess fluid, whereas below 41 liters, thirst prompts us to increase our water intake. The result is that most peoples weight varies randomly across a range equivalent to 2 liters of water about 4 pounds."
Makes sense that you can suddenly lose 5 pounds when your fluid balance gets sorted out
Will do better tomorrow.
Today:
- 195.6 pounds [down 1.2]
- Logged my food
- Under 50g CHO as desired
- Under 1500
- Did gym this morning and not so bad
Diet Coaches/Buddies Walked, CREDIT moi, to the hardware store where all three items on my list were found. Yay for good hardware stores. My real goal was to spend a $10 gift card that expires in two weeks. I was so excited to find all my obscure needs that I left with the gift card in my pocket. Oh Well. I'll just have to force myself to go back to a hardware store, LOL.
Adirondacks vignette 5: At Ausable Chasm, where the natural chasm was spectacular but had to be viewed from boardwalks behind fences, we discovered that "The Dry Chasm" was a jewel. It's only 'dry' by the meaning that there isn't a river running through it. The steep walls were wet - covered with mosses and ferns. The trail led up and down over boulders in total quiet. We saw no other hikers. The other zillion visitors that day kept to the boardwalks.
Joy (gardenerjoy) The news from your area is staggering. I'm moved by your thought, "not sure where the path is to healing or if any of us are brave enough to walk it." Kudos for recognizing that eating over it won't help.
Debbie (Lexxiss) Super Kudos for enjoying your success. Sending supportive thoughts as you and your sister face her new diagnosis.
Cheryl (GosfordGirl) Kudos for three days on plan. Thanks for the explanation about that two liter variation in our body weight.
nationalparker Happy Anniversary - may you have many, many more. Thanks for the corn-on-the-cob cooking tip. Like you, I have fond childhood memories of shucking corn so I don't find it a chore.
ForMyGirls - Neat that you're wrestling with the "desire to eat" - an issue for me, also.
Karen (karenrn) - Kudos for advancing with your weight training. [Haven't been backpacking in a few years. We may do one of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Huts where we only have to hike up with daypacks and know that a bed and meals are waiting for us. Your Tour du Mont Blanc looks breathtaking.]
Readers -
Quote:
day 21Get Ready to Weigh In
Tomorrow, you'll step on the scale and find out if you lost weight this week. Weighting yourself is essential. These weekly weigh-ins can help you in the following ways:
They allow you to celebrate and build up your confidence when you've lost weight. It's important for you to recognize how your had work has directly led to your weight loss (it didn't happen by magic!) and to feel good about these results. . . .
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 171.
It is nice to hear the positive thoughts going on the thread since I last read. Isn't it great when it feels like we are in control of things instead of our cravings?
GosfordGirl: I would agree with that water assessment. I had a large weight spike this week of about 4 pounds, but within 2 days my weight was back to what I expected. Watching my weight daily is good, but really, a week or month average reflects a more accurate weight.
For my mental health, I clearly need to stop getting news from Twitter. So, I will lay off social media today and do the things that need to be done, including a stop at the grocery store for healthy foods.
WI: -0.95 kg, Exercise: +35 510/1400 minutes for August, Food: 100% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Lexxiss: I love that your first thought on the scale is Yay! Maintenance! I want to work on getting that thought in my head. So sorry about your sister's diagnosis and prognosis.
GosfordGirl: That's helpful information about how much water weighs and how much it varies. Thanks!
BillBlueEyes: Really enjoying your Adirondack vignettes. Thanks for sharing these lovely images with us. We've also had some incredible and isolated experiences just by taking a hiking trail away from the main attraction.
Woodland: waving back!
Hugs to everyone who didn't get a post up in the last 24 hours, too!
Most likely a quick post here... plans adjusted at the last minute as DH didn't figure in cooking time for the turkey as long as it needed, so we swapped nights and went to see The Hundred-Foot Journey last night after dinner out (and did WELL!) and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. So now I'm going to save up for an old farmhouse in the French countryside. Vibrant movie. I love it when I splurge to go see a movie in theatre and I leave feeling wonderfully enriched.
Scale is up two pounds, and hope that's sodium, and will continue to be vigilant. Made reservations for tomorrow night's dinner downtown. Large convention is here, and credits for instead of avoiding the throngs, we'll just join in and have fun.
GardenerJoy - Just a quick note to say you and your community is in my thoughts and sending peace your way. It looks like it is continuing to escalate but I'm not monitoring it as closely as I should be.
Bill - LOVE your vignettes - thank you. Hint, hint, Joy - please share your trip with us when you return, too!
Lexxiss - I'm so sorry to hear of your sister's diagnosis. This will be a tough time for your whole family. Please focus some attention on your own needs and care for yourself as well. You put a considerable amount of time and effort into caring for those around you ... be sure to take some Debbie time.
Last edited by nationalparker; 08-14-2014 at 03:26 PM.
Delayed post for me today. I had one of those 'bust your brain apart' exciting, idea inspiring conversations just before leaving work last night so stayed up way too late last night scribbling frantically to capture it all before it fell out of my brain - which meant I didn't get to do my posting etc. BUT - one of the glorious things about my job is autonomy so I am reclaiming the time this morning to make sure life stays in balance. Credit to me for remembering that my health and well-being is a priority!
Yesterday was Day 12 - learning that hunger is not an emergency. Interesting to notice what went on. At the time that I would normally have lunch I was ravenous and got into something of a panic that I would never be able to last. And then the hunger disappeared until I got home and my partner was roasting vegies for part of dinner! Dinner was a couple of hours away still so the panic set in again but then when I was out with the kids the hunger subsided again. There was a hint of desperation in the way I ate dinner though so it is not something I would want to do on a regular basis - but it was very helpful to notice what hungry actually feels like.
I am really itching to be at the 'start dieting' point. Which is good. I think it means I really am focused and committed to being on this path again.
Karen - how fun to discover that you might not dislike the gym after all - inspirational! Re your question about calorie range - I am using the pink Beck book, which doesn't have a calorie recommendation so I am not sure what Beck says. I use the calculator on My Fitness Pal on the basis of aiming to lose 1/4 kg (approx 1/2 pound) per week. I have tried doing the calories for 1/2 kg per week but that feels too much like deprivation!
Nationalparker - yay to wearing a skirt that has been in the closet so long. Well done you!
Joy - and thanks back for the insight about giving into desire to eat brings back the cravings. I think you are so right. I had been thinking about the fact that during my months 'in the wilderness' I had gotten back into that headspace of feeling like I 'had to have' a treat if I was at the shops, or that I 'needed' a sweet thing at the end of the day. I had been wondering why that was back and I think that you might be right that it was too much giving into the desire that opened the door to the cravings.
Lexxiss - I loved your Aha moment. Thank you for sharing it. And I am so sorry to hear about your sister. You are right that Nationalparker has been an inspiration in showing that one can continue to care for oneself even when in the hard times.
GosfordGirl - thanks for that quote about fluid variation. I had never been sure whether it was true - or just something I used to reassure myself when the numbers weren't what I wanted. Perhaps now I will actually be reassured - rather than pretending to be :-)
What a bunch of inspirational posts there have been.
Like others - I miss you Beth and Tricia - hope all is OK in your worlds.
We leave in the morning for MN and don't return until Wednesday afternoon, so this may be my last post until then. I will take my computer, just don't know how my time will be.
Gardener Joy - I am so sorry to hear about what is happening in your city and also sending you peace.
Lexxiss - do take care of yourself as you journey with your sister. I hope she has some good treatment options. Cancer is so tough. The last ten years of my nursing career were hospice and palliative care nursing. I really loved it, but I do think it contributed to my retiring at 58. We never know how long we have or how good those days will be.
GosfordGirl - I too thought the info you provided on water was very helpful. I know I often blame my blips on water and you know what, I think it is often true.
Bill - Love hearing about your trip. The hike into the Appalachian Mountain Huts sounds great. I'm going to MN tomorrow and will see one of the gals I hiked with last summer . . . going to see if I can line up hiking into the chalets in Glacier, maybe for next year. This year my cousin just wouldn't have been up for it.
Nationalparker - I'm so glad you enjoyed The Hundred Foot Journey. I enjoyed it too, but I love so many movies. I love to escape and it's also a place where I don't eat . . . kind of one of those NO CHOICE situations for me.
I've had a couple of good days. Today I did not go to the gym, but I have more than 9,000 steps in from just errands etc. Had things to do to be ready for our short trip. I was hungry today because I didn't have any extra exercise calories to work with, but it wasn't an emergency. I still have a Healthy Choice Fudgesicle on the docket for this evening.
BillBE - it is good to see someone get so much pleasure out of a gift card and a hardware store. Good you went off the beaten track - looks amazing
Gardenerjoy - I am so sorry for the situation where you live - it would be difficult to deal with social media or not. And yet you are on plan and staying strong
Nationalparker - Glad you recommend the movie - makes it even more enticing.
ForMyGirls - thanks for the reminder about the hunger experiment - that hunger does pass and that distraction does work!
Lexxiss - sorry to read about your sister and the fact that you will be called on again by your family. Credit for taking it in your stride and moving forward carry on and help out.
KarenRN - Have a good journey
4 days on plan feels good. It is good to feel commitment while it lasts and I hope I can maintain that. It will take a few weeks before I adapt to the reduction if carbs - headachy and quite tired today but not inclined to go off plan
Today:
- 195.6 pounds [no change]
- Logged my food
- Under 30g CHO
- Under 1500
- Walking and little else
Diet Coaches/Buddies Stopped by the library on my walk, CREDIT moi, just to return a book. It's better for me to stop at the library or a hardware store than Whole Foods with its FREE samples. Discovered that the thermostat I'm about to install requires three connections; the wire in the wall only contains two. Good news: I get to pull a new wire through the wall. Better news: I had to go to Home Depot to buy 18 gauge thermostat wire. I love google. You just ask, "What gauge wire thermostat?" and you're led to the answer as well as a dozen reasons why using undersized wire can burn down your house.
Adirondacks vignette 6: When I asked the old guy fishing at the small lake how he came to live here, he said he'd "grown up on a dairy farm in Peru." Then went on to say he'd tried living in the big city of Plattsburgh [Plattsburgh, NY: population 19,989], but it was too crazy for him. He moved back to a place outside of Peru. We flatlanders need a moment to remember that Peru, NY is the nearby town.
Joy (gardenerjoy) Yay for a peaceful night; may you have many more. I, too, am leery about sources of news arriving from the Web. Seems that everyone wants to filter the news to fit my tastes. Not good. I want to be confronted by that which I don't already know.
Cheryl (GosfordGirl) Kudos for four days on your plan.
Woodland - Love the reminder, "we are in control of things instead of our cravings."
nationalparker Great - the next Beck Forum meet-up will be at your "old farmhouse in the French countryside." Will you bring your Julia Child's cookbook?
ForMyGirls - Yay for a job where conversations lead to new thoughts worth staying up all night to digest.
Karen (karenrn) - Happy journey to Minnesota. Had to go peek at a picture of Glacier National Park - stunning. Added to Bucket List.
Readers -
Quote:
day 21Get Ready to Weigh In
Tomorrow, you'll step on the scale and find out if you lost weight this week. Weighting yourself is essential. These weekly weigh-ins can help you in the following ways:
They keep you honest if you've gained weight. If you haven't been following all the steps in the program, regular weigh-ins make you face that you can't get away with doing only the parts of the program you feel like doing. . . .
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 171.
Popping in a bit earlier today since the afternoon/evening might be busier. We had a good evening. I was proud that I enjoyed the turkey, made only one side and large salads for each of us, and we were satisfied. Proved that homemade turkey dinner can, in fact, be eaten without pie for dessert. Amazing.
Have realized that the loss of my parents has left holes in other people's lives as well ... have heard from some of their friends who have asked me to write them, to email them, or to keep in touch via text. This surprised me at first, then I realized they were part of their lives for years, and of course we're not the only ones who are missing them. So, instead of writing my "snail mail" letters to my folks, I think I'll write to these folks now and then. That opened my mind, in a way.
Tonight's our "anniversary" dinner out. I swear, I can get more celebration out of a date than anyone I know! That is what life is about, though, right? Looking forward to dressing up in the white skirt that I've not fit into for years. At least it's not a trendy fashion, but more of a 40s style look. The Great White Hope for me has always been just wearing something white in the summer, white capris, white skirt, white dress, and not looking huge.
Bill - Glacier National Park is one of my favorite places in the world - if that will move it up your bucket list. I was so excited to share it with DH two summers ago. Good luck with your thermostat project. I need to get my project listing going and actually get going ON it! I'll extend the invite for a Beck meet-up in case I should somehow end up with an old villa in Italy, too. I'm not picky.
KarenRN - Have a wonderful trip to Minnesota - I've never visited there other than trips with athletic teams years ago. I don't count that since the inside of gyms and arenas isn't seeing the best a state offers.
ForMyGirls - Thank you for the reminder of "hunger is not an emergency" ... I forget that and had to deal with that yesterday and WAS a bit off as I searched for something/anything in my desk drawer that would suffice, other than soup. I'm bleh on soup from a can in the summer. So hunger<non-desire of soup from a can. Lesson #1.
DH goes back to work Saturday evening, and I'd like to suggest a nice hike on Saturday morning so he can come back and take a relaxing nap before work.
Like Jonah, this whale of a week swallowed me up whole. A family reunion and school leaves me exhausted on this coach this morning. Super credits for this Aesthetic August:
Tracked all my food in MFP. I don't get an angel this week but I am still weighing at ticker.
Brought my own food to the hotel and saved a bunch of money.
Took several long walks around the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf (totally free and totally On Plan)
and [big drum roll] I have still not set foot in a super market this month.
Woowho !!!! This has been a fascinating experience about accepting and enjoying what I have and not bemoaning what I don't. The milk, coffee and extra sharp hard cheese are all gone. But I am making beautiful spinach salads, still picking figs off the tree and enjoying frozen veggie rice bowls every night. It also forces me to be creative. The spinach I bought in a HUGE bag for just a couple bucks at a restaurant supply store the last day in July. I repacked it into several tupperware containers with a paper towel on top, in the middle, and at the bottom. It lasts forever and costs almost nothing. Little tricks like this have really been freeing for me. No excuse for not having fresh veggies around.
Great to be back. My hearts goes out to those of us in the middle of the storm of loss and fear.
Yesterday went all sideways. I ended up not eating any vegetables -- that's a remarkable day for me, these days. But I'm going to give myself extra credit for not overeating. In the past, I've been very susceptible to the sabotaging thought "If I can't eat good, I might as well eat bad." Turns out, that making the best choices I can in a day when they aren't very good, is still better than making the worst choices.
One of the last-minute changes in my day was a candle-light vigil last night. It was healing. And, I think, made a tiny contribution to the much larger effort that made things more peaceful last night. New tensions this morning, though. It helped that I made a pledge to stay off social media yesterday, so I need to do that again, now. I wasn't perfect at it (just like I'm not perfect at eating well), but any improvement helps.
WI: -0.15 kg, Exercise: +45 555/1400 minutes for August, Food: 70% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Goal: Enjoy the company but not eat ... or if I'm iffy on that, just skip it and go home and arrange the next one. 
Thursday - World War II Ends
