I bake pretty infrequently, but I love to do it. I usually bake if we're having a dinner party, but if I bake just for us it's usually low-cal, high-fiber muffins. I am the queen of whole wheat pastry flour and plain yogurt substitutions!

Yesterday was on plan. Still didn't get a strength workout in, but planning on it for tonight. It's much harder to do at home than it was at the gym! I think soon we may start alternating days at the gym since we are taking two cars to work b/c of my 8am wrist therapy appointments twice a week. Once my therapy is done (4 more weeks) I should be able to squeeze in lunchtime workouts too.

Weight was 137.4 today, which is great considering it's TOM this week. I am really excited because I feel like it's possible I might see 136.something for my official weigh-in this week! Slowly creeping closer to my red line (135) . . .

So last night I got really confused and thought "No Excuses" meant "there is no excuse not to eat everything in the kitchen that doesn't run away from me." Oops. :o

Less flippantly, I think I wasn't really taking this thread as seriously as I should. Because I wasn't struggling, it was easy to say "oh, how nice, a no excuses thread." Of course, the time that being a member of this thread really matters is when the crazy white flour / sugar monster springs on me out of nowhere and screams EAT!!! EAT MORE!!! EAT NOW!!!

So I have now confessed my failure (and there is really no other word for what happened last night) and I am here with a renewed sense of commitment to the spirit of this thread. I already want to eat a muffin from my cafeteria (b/c they're wonderful and I'm on a carb-craving high) but I won't because I have NO EXCUSE!

Good luck to everyone for a wonderful on plan day!

Debbie

Jessica, that's so exciting that you're almost back to your red-line! With all that you've been through lately, that's quite the accomplishment. :cp: Does your doctor think that your thyroid hormone dose is where it should be or is it still being tweaked? It's so frustrating when they keep switching the doses!

Debbie, so that monster lives in your house too? :crazy: Cold turkey off the sugar and white flour is the only way to go. You can do it!! :cheer:

Nothing motivates me more than seeing low numbers on my scale. Weighed in at 125 today . Made my goal weight 5 months ago, went up to 3 pounds over goal when the No Excuses Week was introduced . I joined in and was back to my goal weight fairly soon and since have dropped 3 pounds below. This is very encouraging. I have successfully lost before but was never successful at maintaining .

Man, how I hate when that happens. ;). No, but seriously, I HATE when that happens.

And I'm with Meg, cold turkey. The best bet. I am SUCH an all or nothing person.

Bargoo, congrats on your weight loss. That's fabulous. :carrot: You too Jessica.

As far as the baking goes, so many times I went to put a small bite in my mouth. I figured one bite can't have more then 20 calories or so, but I stopped myself - because I can't do one bite. I just can't. So completely avoiding it is the only way. I also told myself over and over again - I can eat this, just not today. It will be there another day. I don't HAVE to have it now.

And my scale was apparently happy with the decision as I was down to 124.4 this morning, after being POP yesterday.

Hang tough folks. We CAN do this!!!

:wave:

Things are crazy - we've got an 18 month old here (Sarah's best friend's little sister) for the week. Eating is definitely a challenge but I was close yesterday and plan to be completely on track today.

Meg - thanks! They haven't adjusted it lately so I think it's okay for now. My last test showed that my TSH was barely below normal, and that was only a couple weeks after they adjusted my dose. I'm guessing I'll have my TSH tested again next time I go to the doc (next month), and hopefully they'll say the dosage is okay! I feel pretty good at this dose, no symptoms or anything.

So I get home last night and find that DH has eaten the leftover chicken I had planned for dinner! Thank goodness for microwaves! :) I quickly thawed out some lean beef and made us some teryaki beef and broccoli. Whew. Especially so since I got home about 5:20 and had to be back for a City Council meeting at 6:45. (I only live 3.5 miles away)

B - cheerios with 1% milk, toast with pb
S - veggie sausage patty
L - eating out - some sort of salad
S - cottage cheese/yogurt (1/4 c each) with strawberries
D - again out (it's a weird week) at Mexican - looking for the best choice.....

I've been doing well sticking to plan.....until today when I made a choice to have a slice of pie. It was pretty good, though unplanned. I could go into a litany of reasons why I made the choice to have pie, but ultimately they are irrelevant. The rest of my day will be as planned, as will be the rest of my week.

Carry on.....

Well I got over confident yesterday and had a snack attack yesterday evening. If I had just stayed away from the PB it would have been just fine but nooooooooooooo. Normally PB in the house is not an issue but every once and a while it can get me into trouble. It could have been worse but it wasn't the 100% I was striving for. Thank goodness that is yesterday and it is already behind me. I did get an extra walk in during lunch (3 miles) to help offset some of the extra calories I ate. You should have heard the argument I had in my head over that one, I'm starting to wonder if I have a split personality disorder or something. I kept arguing that it was to hot to walk but the good me won out and I drug my sorry butt out of the chair and walked to the airport and back. It really was a beautiful walk, it's cooled down a bit for a few days and is just gorgious out.

I'm on plan so far today, have my food scheduled in fitday and a copy of it printed and in my purse to reinforce my determination. Sometimes just checking it off as I eat it helps keep me focused.

I have a hair appointment after work tonight so I don't plan on working out and it will shorten the evening and hopefully shorten the amount of time I have to get into trouble.

Midwife - sometimes, its OK to make a choice to go off plan. I find that when I choose to do so, I'm much more likely to get right back on plan afterward. Something about carefully considering my options and deciding to go off plan because I really, really want something makes me value that moment and then move on.

EofAZ - great job getting right back to your plan today. That's what counts, right?

The baby is so freaking cute I can't stand it. I keep forgetting to eat so I can play with her. Going to go heat up my lunch now (its naptime!)

Evangeline-- I have that split personality thing too!
You should hear the arguments I have with myself and nine times out of ten it is over whether or not I should exercise!

Back on track for me today. :D Started with a 4 mile run, then lifted legs and shoulders at lunch time. I went back to work a little steamier than I like to.

Everyone is doing great! Who ever said losing was the hard part??? :o

Mel

Eating breakfast...healthy lunch...watching my portions...drinking way and I mean way less alcohol...getting miles in...down 5 pounds as of today since we started here!

Today came in POP again, around 1700 calories and 1 hour strength training with my trainer. Dinner was awesome--chicken tacos with sauteed onions, peppers, and apples. :drool: And there are leftovers, so I get to have it again before the end of the week. :D

Tomorrow will be my first real test in this "no excuses" challenge. I have a business lunch meeting and the food choices will be limited at best. Sometimes the only choice is between greasy carby vegetarian and greasy carby carnivore. But it's not lunch I'm worried about. One off-plan isn't going to matter much, but lately one off-plan meal has turned into an entire off-plan day (well, half a day, since I usually stay on plan until the meal). So my goal is to get back on plan as soon as lunch is over and stay on plan for the rest of the day.