Ahhhhh, Nutella! The Italian breakfast of champions, lol. Slathered on fresh crusty Italian loaf, eaten after homemade salami & hunks of Grana Padano Parmesan. Finished off with a yummy blood orange or homegrown kiwifruit. And a really good deep bowl of café latte. (Every bloody morning last trip to Italy, lol). But of course with all the exercise there, walking everywhere... never wavered from 150 (still a bit overweight for me, though).

I cannot touch Nutella ever again. And I know it. I accept the sadness, and move on :cry:

Liana

Linda - I defer to HIS in the knowledge department - my 'knowledge' is years of reading, research, and trial-n-error.
I think the 2 biggest things I've learned over 20+ years of yo-yo dieting is that:
1. What works for one does NOT work for all
2. CICO (Calories in / calories out) is NOT a blanket statement

1. - we've all seen / read a hundred stories now on our various weight loss journeys - bootcamps, not eating restricted, eating restricted, adding extra packets, exercise, low fat / high carb, high fat / low carb etc...and while 4 people may say "yes, this worked for me" 3 others will caution against or vice versa. Thankfully, we all did well with the IP principles & guidelines - collectively, we all shared some thread that kept us on track until goal - but we all did it our own ways :)

2. Yes, in theory, calories do matter, but I've read the research and people CAN be carb sensitive and do better with a high fat / low carb maintenance plan (tossing the traditional IP P4 guidelines out the window - but still minimizing mixing carb/fat) or do amazingly well as vegans / vegetarian (more or less high carb / low fat). What hinders us is for 50 years or more, they've been shoving everyone into the same boxes. Issues like "healthy" BMI, total cholesterol, even calorie guidelines are antiquated - science has made amazing strides and all these measurements need to be updated.

:lol: Nutella - maybe, maybe not ;) but I can tell you BEFORE IP, I was not a fan - it's been in the house for years as DD11 and DH like the occasional Nutella sandwich. I absolutely love it now, but it is VERY sweet and a little bit on the end of a spoon is more than enough. - mixed with almond butter & it's crack ;)
Liana - those breakfasts sound amazing - salty & sweet - mmmmmmm

Countdown is on. DH & I meet up at 12:30 to Metro into town and do the Sports & Health Expo / get our swag.
Started carbing up last night with leftover pancakes from DH's dinner as snack & this morning I had an english muffin with sunflower butter. I need to lay off the nuts!
Glycogen stores are definitely full - thankfully, the uh-oh pants feel ok - no tightness in the crotch ;) a bit of fluff around the mid-section...but I think unless I win the lottery to pay for a tummy tuck, I'm just going to have to learn to live with that
Still no decision on dinner...I'm not even sure I want to go out to eat tonight...seriously, 2 grilled cheese on white bread with a bowl of tomato soup sounds terrific ;)

Linda, don't listen to Beth about who's smarter. She's brilliant about thinking through cause and effect. :)

In all seriousness, I have to agree that everyone learns what works for them. I still believe in the basic principle of calories in, calories out, but, yeah, we have to figure WHICH calories work best for us in terms of supplying energy and general good health.

An aside: I read a study last year about adult identical twins in the UK who were put on two different diets: one was on low-carb, high fat, and the other was one high-carb, low-fat. They both lost the same amount of weight, but had different challenges through the weight loss period. (I remember that the low-carb guy struggled with brain fog and low energy.)

But it makes sense that we wouldn't all fit in the same diet box. We have different bodies, with various combinations of muscle mass and fat, and even that muscle mass can be very different between two people (fast-twitch fibers vs. slow-twitch). We know that metabolisms vary between people. We know that bone density varies, and that's a factor in nutritional needs. And on and on and on....

Nutella... I like it, and I actually have two jars in the cupboard that haven't been touched in months. But I reach for regular PB before Nutella. Which is weird because I LOVE chocolate.

Beth, I woke up this morning thinking of your race prep. :) I have to admit, I'm green with envy. I wish I were running my planned 9.5 mile long run this week. I hope you can sleep tonight. Weather looking good for tomorrow?

I ran into a co-worker yesterday who's an ultra marathoner. We talked about fractures - she once ran on a stress-fractured foot which then went on to become a full fracture. :yikes: She urged me to consider cycling, said it would improve my running times. That piqued my interest, so I guess I will look into what's available for stationary bikes at the gym. Yesterday I did 50 minutes of aqua jogging and got a great workout. I had the pool to myself the whole time. Today I plan to just do a treadmill walk.

I found Kay's Naturals Apple Cinnamon protein cereal at a grocery store the other day. They're like Cheerios. The flavor is good, but they're not very sweet, so I added a package of stevia. One serving (1 1/4 c.) has 15 g carbs, 12 g protein. With a cup of my high-protein milk, I get 25 g of protein. I think I like the Special K protein cereal better, but it has less protein.

DH got called by a neighbor down the road to cut up a fallen tree. A couple of years ago, this guy had a HUGE tree that went down in a storm, and we needed firewood, so DH did all the chain saw work and I threw the logs on the trailer. This tree is a bit smaller, but DH isn't as nimble as he was then, so it's going to be a challenge. But it will be a good workout for me!!

I am being ever-so-productive today ;) T-minus 1:45 to clock-out :p

Aww :( You will be back on the roads in no time...but you be gentle lady - I'm sure DH could use your help, but lifting / straining...isn't that putting a lot of pressure on the pelvis??? I'm not a doctor or nurse...but I know from watching my mother (who was an RN) they are their own worst enemies when it comes to taking care of themselves

Your friend and DH must have read the same articles ;) he liked biking anyway, but improving his running was the primary reason for choosing that as his cross-training.
Personally, I like strength training and am planning to trade out my other cardio cross-training day for weights. I need to work on strengthening the muscles around my knees.

My type-A plan right now is to be home by 7pm, fix dinner if we don't go out, shower, stretch/roll for a bit, have a snack (& can't have too much: sugar, fiber, dairy - ugh, decisions, decisions :lol: ), then relax with some ASMR videos on YouTube - I don't want to take the chance of getting into a movie, or TV show tonight...even a 10p bed time = 6 hours of sleep
Weather is looking good - high 40's & the rain is holding off until Sunday :D

With all the rain, it's too wet to get back into the field where the tree is right now. And DH has his temporary neurostimulator placement in 10 days, so we can't do it the week after that. I imagine we won't be cutting wood until late March or early April. Hopefully I'll be further along in the healing process by then.

I need to do more strength training, particularly in my core, but I'm scared to do it right now, as I'm concerned about using those ligaments that might put stress on the fracture area. It's so hard to know what's safe to do!!

Weather in high 40's - perfect! I'lm going to keep an eye on the race results and look for your name. :)

Happy Saturday...

Its official I have made it to onderland!!:celebrate:. Lost 2.6 # and have a new "chick" The weight loss has been less each week since I returned from vacation, but the stress has also been higher lately and I am not exercising as much.

HIS - I love biking and it will likely be one of my favorite exercises when I get to goal. (I have been having a lot of carpel tunnel issues the last few years with my weight). I can't believe it is warmer in WI than TX. We have had several days in the 50's and 60's recently.

Beth - I hope you had a great race. Take the time to reflect on the accomplishments of your journey. Be Proud. Love your pics on FB.

Liana - I think I am thankful that I never got into Nutella. I love chocolate, but for me it is not appealing.

Destony - I completely agree with the value of this group of people that we know and trust. While the group is bigger on FB, it is impossible to get to know anyone. We know each others experiences, journeys, struggles and achievements. I have been learning from yours as well. I continue to admire your courage to say that I am not at goal - once you reached your goal weight and the way that you persisted through those final pounds at a very difficult time of year.

Blue - hope your vacation is going well. We miss you.

MiWi - If I remember correctly you are in PR this weekend. Hope you are having a great time.

The candle has been burning on both ends lately - work and personal life. Getting close to finishing budgets, but still need to do adjustments for services being moved from one hospital to another. Seems like there have been so many moving parts the last few years.

Personally, we went back to the house we looked at earlier this week and brought mom and dad (dad is looking great after his knee replacement - he looks like he is 2 months post versus under 2 weeks post). Dad is a carpenter and it is always nice to get his opinion and stamp of approval. Back north today to meet with realtor . If all works any spare time the next month will be spent cleaning, packing and staging the current house so we can put it on the market.

I am frustrated with the "how do you feel" or "are you feeling better" comments that come after the wow you have lost a lot of weight. I never felt bad, I just knew that I would in the future if I continue down the path I was going. Any suggestions...
I am within a couple of pounds of my initial goal and have revised goal from 195 to 165. I just can envision anything lower at this time so I will start with this.

Time to take a few minutes to prep veggies for the week ahead. (at least the celery)

Sue

Sue :carrot: YAY!! Great work on getting to Onederland! That's such a major accomplishment. :D

Re people's comments: honestly, I never feel compelled to discuss the diet or health issues with people when they ask or comment. I would just say, "I feel great!" and move on. I know they're commenting out of kindness, but they don't really want to talk about my weight loss, so I just guide the conversation to the next topic.

I've been checking on Beth's race progress - the results are live - and she's at the 11 mile mark and running a good pace. I hope her gut is cooperating. Can't wait for her to check in and give a full report.

I never did get to the gym yesterday. The weather was still yucky here and I decided to give my body a complete day off. I did some laundry and made dinner, but other than that, it was a total rest day on the couch. It's still drizzly this morning, so I guess I will have to haul my butt to the gym in a while. Tomorrow we're supposed to have sunshine, and I'm looking forward to a nice outdoor walk!

Congratulations!!! Such a huge accomplishment :yay::congrat::yay:

Beth - just saw your finish pic. You look great

Awwww :D thanks everyone - the race was terrific - even as a native of the area, it was awesome running by the monuments, White House, Watergate hotel - and the BEST part was running through the residential neighborhoods where everyone came out with kids, signs, cowbells ;) and cheered us on. The most taxing was between miles 6 - 7...DH & I agreed it was the toughest hill either of us have ever done! HIS will understand - the gain was over 500 ft! But I powered through and ran up to the top!
I accomplished my goals:
I finished!
I ran the entire time except when I jogged, for a moment, to gulp some Gatorade or water
I wanted to finish in under 2:15 & did it!
No runners gut! :D

Sue - congrats on official onedeland lady :D

HIS - I thought about you bunches today! Cool to know I had someone watching :)

Oh - and I had my IHOP...think I earned the 2 cinnamon pancakes I had with some eggs :D

Beth, I wasn't kidding when I said I got tears in my eyes when I saw your picture. I can only imagine how great it felt to cross that finish line! You had a good pace - 10 minute miles, right? I'm glad your tummy cooperated. Looks like you figured out how to manage that problem. Weren't the pancakes wonderful? :) I'm just so stinkin' happy for you!!!

I just returned from a 5.5 mile walk. We had a two-hour break in the weather and I took advantage of it. I'd hadn't done any outside activity all week and my mental health NEEDED it. Things have greened up around here quite a bit in one week. Tomorrow is supposed to be a gorgeous day so I'm hoping to do a 6 mile walk - not at a strenuous pace - and just soak up the sun.

My official pace time was 10:02 - BUT - and this is interesting - we were talking to people around us after the race and most were using apps like Map my Run, Runtastic, etc and mileage crossing the finish was consistently 13.2x - DH had 13.28, a guy on the Metro had 13.29, and a girl after the race had 13.22 - ?????
Oh well - now I have a new goal to shoot for in May - to finish under 2:10 ;)
As I sit here with a bag of frozen peas on my knee :p

Congrats hysteria! and smdawheel!
:encore::encore::congrat:

As a side note, you could say "I feel great and I'm so much less worried about my future health now."

I've read about "recovery" from running 13.1 / 26.2 - oof!!! Finally starting to feel alive tonight

Back to reality tomorrow - and no scale until Wednesday

Cleaned up a little today, but had a Resees peanut butter egg and kit kat - otherwise was ok...a little nibbling

Sadly I didn't eat a vegetable for 2 days :p Did much better today :)

Besides the IHOP, I had some Chinese for the first time in over a year

Ready to get back to clean eating though...a couple more days before I hit the roads again

:d