Hello all Hope your week is starting out well. I've continued to do what I am supposed to, food and scheduled eating-wise, but yesterday I exercised an option that is part of my program that I had not done before. It pretty much constituted overeating to some extent. Not in terms of calories but it was something I did not need to do, since I was not hungry.
I don't know, I had been eating way under my allotment and thought that if I keep that up, eventually it might affect my loss. Still, as I was eating w/o being hungry, it felt more like a justification. Since I don't weigh myself regularly, I really had no way of knowing if my assumption was correct. I think I will not do that anymore.
In the next couple of days my schedule will be a bit different, in that I actually have scheduled responsibilities. This does not occur in my life on a regular basis and it throws me a bit. Had I not started on my new regimen, this would have been a definite binge trigger and I probably would have binged for a full week.
Lisa, how's it going?
Hope you all have a great day

Hi there Boomerang!
Sorry I was MIA for a few days. I was up visiting my sister. It was quite an enjoyable visit! I also ate way over on calories, but I really think my mind and body needed a break from the normal. But, that is also why I think that I will always count even once I maintain. We'll see though.
Anyway, I got my new pedometer in, so I can't wait to get that set up! I will do some exercising today, but I think I'm a bit tired.

Boomerang, it is always difficult to know exactly how much to eat when you're not feeling hungry at the moment. I know there are a few people who fluctuate their calories each day and it mainly depends on how hungry they are on a given day. Even I'm trying to do that a little bit. If I'm not that hungry, then I'll eat around 1200ish calories. If I'm ravenous even after 1400 calories, then I'll eat a couple more hundred calories. It's all in figuring out your body and what it needs and wants. If you're not hungry, then maybe don't eat then. I'm not sure what program you're doing though. Just my .02!!
I'll see ya later!!

I've noticed lately I feel so much better. I think I overate a lot and I didn't realize it. Since I'm listening a little more to my hunger cues, it's really feeling much better. I intentionally pause before grabbing food to determine if I'm eating out of boredom or actual hunger.

My floors are so very close to being done and it's ready for me to start putting life back together. I'm so thankful for that. My exercise today will come from cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. So thankful I can and will be certain we WILL be eating at the dinner table tonight. After years of being a social worker, the "family table" is so important to me. I've missed it the last three weeks. I need to reconnect with my kiddos....hubby too.

Hope you all have a great day!

Lisa

OMG, I am having technical problems. I just wrote a 50 line response and when I clicked on Post Quick Reply it took me to the "you're not logged in " page, although I had just logged in and got the "welcome"pg. When I went back, my whole post was gone I will try to reconstruct but not with nearly as much detail (or enthusiasm....)
Princess, I missed you!but what a good reason to be away. Glad that you had a great time with your sister, as for overeating a bit, MY OWN $.02 (YOURS are always welcome and thank you!), for some of us who are "all or none" people, I believe it is important NOT to let a couple of hundred extra calories terrorize us into back sliding. If we're to live in the real world, we need to know that a few extra calories on special occasion are possible without causing the 'way back up". For that reason, I think your eating a bit more is ok. I plan to make it ok for me too, when I schedule off days (as I will do on friday). Happy to hear you also got your pedometer. Such a fun tool to motivate you, right?

I agree w/you completely about eating based on hunger. I've been doing that and have no problem with it, as long as it is due to hunger. Last night was just silly. Embarrassed to say that it was just because I had planned on popcorn for the Emmys . When 8:00 PM rolled around I ate, not eve popcorn, just because I had planned it. I was not hungry at that point, so although I was under my calorie limit, I should just have skipped it. Everyday a new lesson...

Lisa, have a great dinner with your family in your new dining room. I am sure it will be a festive occasion and the kids and hubby will enjoy it.

Lisa: I completely know what you mean! I used to have times when we'd go out to a friends house and I'd just eat as much as I wanted. But then I'd feel like junk!! Where as now, even when I do eat above my limits, I still don't eat as much.
Boomerang: popcorn is important for the Emmy's!! But, I can relate to that. You plan it all out and then end up not wanting what you picked, or just not being as hungry as you thought.
I do think I was a bit more than a couple hundred over this weekend. But I really only did that for 2.5 days. A nice quick break and then back to usual.

I haven't exercised yet. I have a class that starts in a couple minutes. Then I'm done for the night. I think I will do my strength and a little dancing for some cardio and then call it a night!
I'll check in later chickies!!

Hi all. I think sometimes, me personally, we just need to feel full to remember what its like to feel full. As long as I'm not doing that with, say, chocolates, I think no harm done. At worst, I'll get some belly discomfort eating, for instance, an extra bowl of veg soup till I'm "full." Having been on the WW boards recently but now dually counting calories, there is a lot of talk on eating to satisfaction. I don't mean just the forum here, but over at WW too. For me, most meals are pre-planned and when the carefully measured bowl of cereal, for instance, is gone...I'm done eating. I think its fine when you eat a bit more now and again, so long it isn't a "bad" food so to speak or like a free for all at a buffet.

So here is to a good week for us all. So far, so good.

Hugs to all, Donna

Hello Donna! You're quite right. I know what you mean with the satisfaction stuff with WW. My MIL is doing the points plus. She's done WW in the past and just joined back up after gaining some weight back the last few months. Anyway.. that is one thing I like about WW is the focus they put on being satisfied with what we eat!
by the way to the posse!!

Hi everybody I felt so lucky to beat the rain this morning. I did my usual walk and then started some fall cleaning in the front.
I'm quite anxious about my MD appt. tomorrow. I've been close to needing BP meds a couple of times and just knowing that, makes me nervous. I've lowered my salt intake and drank as much water as possible. I will eliminate all caffeine and do whatever necessary to get a full night's sleep tonight. This should leave only "white coat" increase in the REAL Nrs. After all, if in the next 3 months, when I will be on program, my BP stays the same or goes up, I'll have to admit that genetic make up kicked in and just take the medication already!
Princess, how did it work out yesterday? Did you get around to all those activities that exhausted me, just reading about them? Cool, that your MIL does WW. No "sneak attacks" of unwanted/problematic food around the house. 2.5 days of special occasion eating and then right back to program, I believe, is impressive!
Donna, you are right on the money! That is why, lately I do not worry too much about eating up to my limit, if I am hungry. It is SUCH a new thing for me to eat healthy food that I still feel a bit guilty if I eat "for entertainment", EVEN when I don't eat over my calories or unhealthy food.
Princess and Donna, re. eating until FULL, glad that you both have positive experience with the concept, because I know you understand. I NEED to feel full once a day (though as I said, I do it with healthy food), otherwise I end up binging day after day after...month. Doing this (getting full) in the evening works best for me. NOT endorsing this WOE AT ALL, just saying that it works for me, unlike anything else.
Hope you have a great day

Happy Tuesday! Back to work. So here's the question of the day...How do we teach new habits to others?!? I walk into my office this morning and my sweet assistant has left me some mini chocolate bars and the sushi menu for a new restaurant. I know it's so nice of her and three weeks ago, I would have been thrilled! Today, I tried to see her gentle and thoughtful motives, but instead I wanted to smack her. LOL Ok, not really.

I know it's my issue and not theirs. Sometimes, though, I just wish I had more control over the actions of others. I guess it took awhile for me to build up to her understanding my likes and dislikes. This new change will take a bit. For now, I'll be thankful for her kindness, put the bars away for a sweet afternoon treat every once in awhile.

Hope you all have a great day! Jazzercise planned for this afternoon.

Lisa

Hi all,

I am a 46 year old male trying to get back on track using Calorie counting, which is the only approach I have ever had any real success with. I am currently aiming for 1500-2000 (~100g protein) during the week, and going higher (3,600, my estimated maintenance at 242#) on Sat.-Sunday.

I am shooting for losing 5#/week initially.

In the gym I am lifting heavy 3xweek using free weights in a 5x5 scheme. I am using the eliptical trainer for Cardio.

Robert!! It sounds like you have a good plan! Keep on track and you'll do great! Also, try to join the Halloween challenge if you can. There is some great encouragement along with this thread!!

boomerang: I was able to get the strength done and I did some Zumba dancing for 25mins. Today I'm planning on some circuit training after dinner. I'd like to do some Zumba again after that. I really enjoy Zumba!!
It is nice to have family in the house who are trying to eat healthy! The only temptations in here though are wine!!! They drink a bunch of wine. I don't mind most nights though. Sometimes that ends up being my dessert
I hope everything works out with the MD!!! BP medicine is not fun, but it could save your life if you need to be on it! I do know from some success stories on here, though, that after losing weight and getting fitter their BP has dropped. So, maybe for the time being you have to go on meds...but it may give you some more motivation to keep going so that you can get off them..

Lisa: As for the secretary stuff and teaching people...just talking about your new habits helps I think. It sends the message that you're changing your habits. With gifts(well food) though, I'd display them on your desk and either offer them to people, or eat them slowly. A treat here or there won't hurt. For sushi menus, once in a while it's not so bad! You can grab something a little healthier, or plan for it.
Otherwise, with people, I just simply discuss my weightloss.. the journey.. the new healthy foods I've been eating, etc. That may send a message, and even motivate them to eat better. Who knows

I'm off to help fix dinner, then exercise, then bed! I'll check in later!!

Hi gang!
Today was my planned weighing day. Down 2#, which is good because I had hoped this new way of eating won't completely stall my wt. loss BUT that is not even what made this day AWESOME. It is that my BP was just fine and I've escaped having to take meds for 3 more months! I am hoping that next time it will not even be an issue, with the changes I am instituting.

Robert Sounds like you know what you're doing and succeeding. It is nice to have you join us.
Princess, thank you for the good wishes. I agree completely with your perspective. If it had come down to the need to take meds I definitely would have. WIth my mom and her history....I'd be careful not to take any chances.

Your workout sounds wicked hard WAY TO GO!!! I admire you (and now Robert too and anyone else who exercises as hard as the two of you). I thought wine is good, no? especially the red? As long as you work it into your program, I say go for it if you enjoy it. I can't drink any alcohol. I mean I CAN but I drop off to sleep within a few min. and who wants that...Really low threshold for CNS depressants.
Ohhhhhh Lisa, that's a touchy one. You want to be kind and show gratitude to somebody who is BASICALLY MESSING UP YOUR DIET!!!! Be darned if I know, my parents have been doing that to me for years and all I do is to get frustrated But no, seriously, if you find a way to do this gently, please share. What I've done with my parents (and they've been pretty good since they've heard about my BP), is to say that I TOTALLY appreciate their gifts but would it be possible for them to substitute X (treat) for Y, since my health necessitates some changes. Anyway, good luck with that, I DON'T envy you this delicate issue and I think your solution was very elegant and gentle

Have a good rest of the day everybody. I'll go learn how to boil some dry beans and such. All this new stuff I'm learning

Hi Boomerang,

I went through this with my doctor a few years ago and he put me on a diuretic (hydrochlorothiazide) and then added an ACE inhibitor (Lisinopril) to get my BP under control. I don't really have any side effects, so it is definitely worth it to reduce my risk of stroke and kidney disease.

What I don't like is acknowledging that I am "sick".

Oh well, hopefully I can stop taking them if I get my weight under control and/or change jobs. I am not sure how much of my blood pressure issues are weight related versus job stress.

Thank you Robert , I appreciate the feedback. I know what you mean, EXACTLY about feeling like you are somehow "sick". Despite occasional forays into the higher numbers (on the scale), I've always been really healthy. My mom, on the other hand, has a pretty lousy fam. history of heart disease.
About a year ago my cholesterol started creeping up so I'm taking meds for that. A few months ago my BP started to follow the trajectory North and although I know that initially my MD would try diuretics, I'd SO much rather escape the fate of adding yet something else and ending up, like my mom with an arsenal of pharmaceuticals that takes her an hr. a week to distribute into her med box.
I do agree though, it would be crazy of me to take a chance and I truly WOULD accept taking the diuretics in order to avoid problems with my kidneys in particular. I feel I kind of "cheated" today in the sense that I have eliminated all caffeine and salt the last couple of days, I've been drinking a lot of water and made sure to get full nights of sleep the last three days.

I hope that you will find that it will no longer be necessary to take your combo, once you are at your goal wt. On the other hand, I am very sorry that you are finding your work stressful. Is changing jobs a viable option for you? I find that with all the people being laid off, companies/organizations, shift the responsibilities of those whom they let go onto the few people they kept, of course without an increase in salary. I wonder how much of the stress eating that is done by some of our friends is directly related to these scenarios...

Yay for no bp meds!!

I haven't tried Zumba yet, princess. I've heard it's a lot of fun but I was afraid to try it out. I wanted to find a class and sneak in and watch. lol My Jazzercise instructor says Jazzercise is better anyway. Guess she would say that, eh?

Robert! Glad you joined us.

I'm cranky today. I don't really know why. I'm feeling so hungry all day long and can't seem to curb it. I'm eating in the right calories, but I don't think I'm choosing very filling food. And I am not bringing good, low cal snacks for me to eat throughout the day. A mid morning and mid afternoon snack is going to be best, I think. I just need to get to the store. For now, I'm sitting here miserable and hungry. Praying my water fills me up until I can get home and start dinner.

Question---what do you recommend I eat after work, before Jazzercise? Jazzercise is at dinner time. I ate a granola bar and was so hungry. The whole time I was exercising I was dreaming of what I was going to eat for dinner. Seemed to defeat my whole purpose. I need something filling, yet not overly filling. Thoughts?