Sundove, where is everyone? I thought I’d check in since I started back counting calories.

Hi Bobolink, Welcome back! No idea where everyone went. Maybe Facebook? I really enjoy this forum and find it useful for keeping focused on my weight goals. Good luck to you!

Tuesday

Yesterday I did not make a specific plan. I worked out at the newly re-opened JCC fitness center. They created about 10 outdoor spaces under well-distanced canopies. In each was a machine such as rowing, upright or recumbent stationary bike, etc. I happily pedaled under my canopy, with staff awaiting any requests other equipment like weights, etc. It was extremely well thought-out, with a protocol for thorough cleaning in between use. I hope the staff stay as safe as they kept us. There were only 2 other people, so we luxuriated in the personal attention. I did about 20 minutes of cycling followed by stretching.


Food was good but not enough to keep from being hungry at night.

Coffee/lightener, Turkey cheeseburger, protein mashed potatoes with frozen mixed vegs, snacking on HB eggs with mayo, veggie pancake. Julienned salad veggies with avocado in sushi wrap, watermelon.


Today I will be similarly foraging with a goal of avoiding mayo. The single serve packets are for the cat and/or part of my emergency stash for upcoming power outages in fire season. Not for current consumption. Depending on how the day's agenda evolves, I will try to avoid store bought food as well.

Thursday
Yesterday's post disappeared into cyberspace. No weigh on today. Yesterday I finished getting my home ready for sale. I'm eating well, with home-made foods, but eating too much. I think I will be able to better tolerate some empty stomach feelings, now that I have more mental space for relaxation.

Yesterday was far off plan, approaching binge territory. Attributable to relief after a period of stress. Back at it today.
Breakfast was coffee with lightener, eggs with broccoli and cheese.
Planned for later: ground turkey burger, sweet potato, water melon, TBD
Goal remains to stick with home-made. I also want to practice deep breathing for relaxation, nothing special, just taking time to focus on it and see if it sticks when i'm not trying.

Nothing on the agenda today, so nice! Last week had more off plan days than I had realized. It's time to reboot my head and palate. Planning ahead might be a good idea now, with some flexibility for days when I am away from home.


I will get back to drinking water. It should be much easier now. I can spend more time at home, and there are now public restrooms, in a pinch.


Exercise is also on the horizon. my gym is available for out door recumbent bike, by appointment. Prefer the treadmill but they haven't moved any outside. I have weights, a mat, and some yoga props at home and I will work on setting a routine.


So far,

Eggs, broccoli cheese, coffee & lightener. I'm almost out of Muscle Milk, which is half of the lightener. The other half is oat milk, Extra Creamy Planet Oat. I will see if I can just use oat milk and stevia, then wean off the stevia to a non sweetened lightener. For years, I did not sweeten my coffee.


Plan:

Lunch green salad, turkey burger with cheese

Dinner protein packet with veggies

Watermelon juice, small Hannah sweet potato

If I am still hungry: cauli rice, TJ lo-cal popsicle, cole slaw. or HB egg.

I have been off plan for over a week. Baby steps to get back on, in the tried-and-true path of ratcheting down carbs. The other stumbling blocks are store-made foods and mayonnaise. I have single serve mayo packets in anticipation of our upcoming seasonal rolling power outages. I need to stay out of the emergency food stash.

Today has been snacky. Food, so far:
Eggs with veggies, a drizzle of sesame oil and coco aminos, coffee with lightener
Trader Joes Asian salad with rich dressing, several mozzarella sticks, protein bar
Coffee/lightener

I woke up a little hungry, a good sign.

B coffee/lightener; egg foo yung w/out sauce

Plan
L turkey cheeseburger, apple
D chicken, carrots, broccoli
S sweet potato, HB egg or chicken

Breakfast: 308 calories coffee, lots of it. Fiber one cereal - dry, apple & banana
Lunch: calories 160 Egg salad, miracle whip lite, chopped celery, lettuce on lite bread
Dinner: calories 356 Air fried crispy Parmesan chicken (boneless, skinless)beets
Dessert: Angel food cake with strawberries mixed with plain fat free Greek yogurt, stevia
Snack: David’s sunflower seeds.
I’m suppose to have 1,100 calories per day. I’m not a big eater, Unfortunately I have a hard time reaching a thousand.
My demon is sugar, I can eat a box of caramel rolls faster than anyone. Once I start, I can’t stop.

Bobolink I am the same as you with sugar. I have to learn this over and over. I can have things like ketchup that contain a tiny bit of sugar. But I have to read labels for store bought salad dressing. Any kind of sweet or bread sets up a feeling of wanting more, never satisfied with a small portion. The rest of the day I'll be hungry and out of sorts. If I go full on into sweets, I experience assorted aches that go away, once I am sugar-free again. The desire for a sweet sneaks up on me, though, and I am expert at justifying why a certain sweet is a good idea to eat.


Yesterday

I fell headfirst into sweets. Gloomy summer day in SF bay area--paraphrasing Mark Twain, the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. I dusted off my SAD light just now, and am going to work out a morning exercise routine. I need to take better care of my mood in these unusual times.

I am ready to face the scale, so will weigh tomorrow.

Today
Snacky day, clearing the refrig--I'm going to eat up the veggies before they go bad. I have moved the little mayo packets to a high cupboard, just like some do with alcohol. For me, it's all about the food. I also am going back to limiting cheese to 2 products. They are not tempting but serve as a cheese fix, when needed: grated parmesan, not the gourmet version and Kraft slices, which melt nicely on a burger, but not so good by themselves.

Coffee, lightener;
Home-made humus and cucumber
Eggs with shredded cabbage,
Frittata broccoli
Coffee protein beverage

A distanced afternoon meetup with 2 friends in my 'pod' coming up. Best to keep away from the snacks they like to munch. Dinner will depend on how that goes; maybe a turkey burger.


UPDATE
The snacks were not too bad, but not really on my plan. We switched from tea to wine, also not on my plan. But the get-together was such a boost. My friend has a porch looking onto a large backyard. She is a planner, and brought up the fact that we won't be able to meet, once the weather turns. She is shopping for a space heater, so as long as it's not windy or rainy, we'll get together after all.





Will try to stick close to home and drinks lots of water.

Sunday
Another gray day, but sun is predicted for afternoon. I forgot about the SAD light. Weigh in was about what I expected, given my eating habits lately. Not as bad as it might be.

Today
Eggs and riced cauli, coffee & lightener

Planned
Lunch turkey burger and salad
Dinner Hot & Sour soup, apple
Snack humus, cucumber, celery, coffee

Today is housecleaning day, so a good opportunity to get my 2L of fluid. And floor exercises. Abd crunch, curls and twists with light weights. Stretching. I am thinking about meditation. I used to enjoy it so much, and always thought how nice it would be when I'm retired and can do it whenever I want.

Breakfast: lots of coffee, almond milk, Fiber one cereal, apple

lunch: egg beater with red, green peppers, onions on 1/2 lavish roll up. Catsup

Supper: Bacon, lettuce, tomato on lite toast. Air fried dill pickles.

Dessert: Angel food cake with strawberries and rhubarb sauce. Dollop of sweetened Greek yogurt on top

I am still working to get my mojo back. At this point it isn't returning to my plan, but starting over. I have been experiencing sleep disruption. Ironically, it's now me waking the cat with my 230am awakening. Before, it was the other way around. If I get good sleep. it will be much easier to stick to my plan.

1. I am going to increase my physical activity a lot. I have a lot of beautiful areas to walk and hike right near me. But I prefer a track when I am working on fitness. There is an outdoor mall nearby, and right across the street is a huge wetland with trails, in cae I get tired of concrete laps.

2. In these times of stay-at-home, I have some vulnerabilities that I need to address. Sticking to no sweets or flour products, I am also putting cheese and mayo on the list. Also, I'm sticking with home cooked food. My resolve weakens as the day wears on, so I will aim for getting shopping done early. I may keep sugar-free hard candy handy, until I hit my stride.

3. Water intake 2 L with flexibility for days where a restroom isn't a sure thing.

Today
Eggs, shredded cabbage and carrots, coffee/lightener
Plan: hot & sour soup, protein mashed potatoes, salad with vinaigrette, parm cheese, apple, veggies