. . . in more ways than one. It's the middle of the week and I'm also at day 3 of staying OP. This is where I've been failing whether dieting or maintaining.
I invariably start to feel that I deserve a splurge for being "good" and that usually clocks in at about 500 calories if I'm lucky and can stop at that.
That's how I've regained the 5 lbs in the last couple of months .
So now that I've figured it out it stops tonite. The "splurge" will be fitting into my tiniest jeans again and being able to breathe while doing it! I'm going to lock myself in my office and read, post, putter, whatever it takes to stay away from the kitchen.
Tomorrow morning I will try on my jeans and be proud that I'm that much closer to zipping them up again.
I've found that if I serve people a dip, etc. made of lowfat sour cream, lowfat cream cheese, etc. (not fat free, mind you, just low fat) they don't even notice the difference! Even the most die hard "I will NEVER eat low fat this or that" people... don't even notice. Mwahahahaha!
I've actually thought it would be fun to own a bakery, but besides all the risks of owning your own business, I know cooking like that on a daily basis (no matter how many healthy subs I make) would take too much of a toll on my waistline! I do help my friends who have a part-time catering company when they get requests for things they don't have on their normal menu (some appetizers or desserts, for example). That's hard enough for me to resist BLTs!
Hang in there Dagmar!
I've found that keeping my hands busy can help - I (try to) make myself clean the house when I want to watch TV and mindlessly munch. Usually I can find a few chores that I've lapsed on.
Once I made the dip with Morningstar Farms crumbles rather than sausage, lf cream cheese cut with ZTrim and the tomatoes. It was runnier but very little change in taste. For the kids, I'll stick with the original recipe and I'll limit myself to only one or two scoops. I'll be busy fixing food so I won't be too tempted.
Dana and I discussed the party yesterday. She wants burgers, baked beans, salad (I'll probably do two) and corn, although we might do without the corn. She wants the dip as well as regular potato chips. For dessert she said either a cake or cupcakes but I suggested mini cheesecakes. She liked that idea. The napkins she picked out won't work--I'd have to order 192 napkins and 96 plates. Way too many!!! So I'll order a different but gorgeous napkin (and if she doesn't like it, I'll save it for my own use). I'll pair it with plain plates and I have a huge box of "silver" plastic flatware that we can use. I'm so excited!
I wasn't thinking you'd tell people the dip was low calorie, you'd just make it with the turkey sausage and reduced-fat cream cheese and not tell anyone. I'd be surprised if people noticed the difference. For one thing, Rotel is pretty strong so it's going to draw attention away from the sausage and cream cheese. Plus people are eating the dip in small quantities and with chips, etc. Sure, if you eat cream cheese plain you can taste the difference between reduced fat and regular, but once you mix it with all that other stuff, I wouldn't think the difference would be that noticeable.
I bring lower calorie, healthy food to most of the parties I get invited to and people rarely notice. But, if I do tell them that what I brought is low cal and healthy, people are usually relieved (and surprised). Maybe it's because I live in CA where everyone is health conscious (although, I'm pretty sure that if I brought low calorie stuff to my family gatherings in IL, it would go over well there too).
I've thought it would be fun to open up a cafe that serves healthy food in reasonable portions. Just to show that it can be done. I've also thought about including a box lunch service (e.g., people could stop in on their way to work to pick up a healthy lunch for the day).
I had a great day yesterday! I went to a networking reception after work and didn't eat a single thing. None of the appetizers and even skipped the cheesecake, tiramisu, and brownies (even when they actually brought the dessert tray around to try to get people to eat it, I still resisted). The only thing I had was a glass of diet Coke! The day was POP, even a little low calorie-wise. Which is good because I'm going out for sushi tonight!
I would be there every day Barbara, buying a box lunch from you. I eat the same old, same old brown bag every day. Don't have time to figure out new things or calorie counts and I have to eat in the car, while driving Scout back to her house. Boring!
I'd be there too, Barbara, tough it's a tad bit far for lunch daily! We have a newish restaurant in town that's gone a long way towards what you've described. Their food is served in much small portions than many places, and much of it is lower calorie (except of course they have lovely cream soups!). It's very popular here, esp as our other choics are 85% fast food!
Yeah, Dagmar and WaterRat, it's a pretty long drive to get to my place from Canada and Alaska, especially just for lunch!
WaterRat, that restaurant sounds fabulous. I think you've mentioned it before (I seem to remember something about cilantro brown rice). If I'm ever in Alaska, I'm so there!
I'm still OP today . Managed to avoid the kitchen.
Tuned in to reruns (we no longer have cable so I'm assuming it aired before) of "America's Biggest Loser" last night for a bit. And realized something which was quite profound to me .
I am really impressed by those people. To come on TV and bare themselves and their struggle with weight. To be isolated from the world for that length of time and maintain their composure with a group of strangers, while they are, no doubt, hungry, tired, sore and scared.
But I am truly inspired by all the people here, at 3FC. Although a lot of us do use help from trainers, nutritionists, doctors, etc. we are all losing/maintaining our weight largely "out there" in the real world.
And we're doing it with mostly this website for support. It's all voluntary and self-directed. We choose to come here and post. We choose our group to "hang with".
And we manage to mostly stay OP. That is success, to me, in both dieting and maintenance.
Hi everyone! I am back from my conference in Portland. Whew! I am exhausted. My eating was about 75% on plan, exercise about 40%. I credit Starbucks with a good portion of my on-plan eating since I skipped the conference "continental breakfast" (=pastries and fruit salad) and got food from Starbucks every day I was there. Did you know that Starbucks now serves OATMEAL?
Anyway, I am up 4lbs today over last Friday. I'm sure a good portion of it is water weight, although I did eat more junk than I should have.
No time to catch up, but I hope you're all doing well!
How was the Starbucks oatmeal, Jessica? They sent me a free coupon but I haven't used it yet. If it's good, that's a fantastic option to have while traveling!
Hi Everyone, I've been MIA for a few days. Just terribly busy. I've been pretty ok with eating and even exercising. I made sure I packed my lunch for work, and didn't even get to eat that. And Wed. the day was so stressful that i couldn't eat. Not a good way to diet.
I am the "healthy snack" person at most of the parties I go to also. I never make a point of telling everyone, but most of them know that i'm health concious and if it tasts good they eat it. Just chaning to low fat things makes a difference and I can't tell the difference usually. Some times i even think it tasts better.
Jessica, Good for you for making such an effort to eat right. Not an easy thing to do while traveling. I know the temptation is there to just let it go and eat what's available. I'll have to check out that oatmeal too. Do you think restaurants are getting the idea that people really are interested in health eating?
Dagmar, Stay out of the kitchen!! I have to remind myself of that too!!
Barbara, Put me down for one of those lunches also. I get tired of making my own stuff all the time. But it beats the heck out of trying to eat at the cafateria. Wouldn't you think a hospital would have healthy selections? They even took out the salad bar.
Allison, I know the party will be fun. And i can tell you are excited about giving it.
Meg, I could never do anything in the food industry, especially own a bakery. I am a carb lover anyway, and those smells would drive me insane. UMMM fresh baked bread!
Hi everyone, I just got a wonderful e-mail from my son. He is now in Germany and will be here around noon tomorrow for me to pick him up at the airport. Please excuse that I will be very scare around here for the next 2 weeks while he is home.
I did get his bedroom completely painted and remodeled with new floor. Me and Shelbey also got his big banner made. Now, tonite I'll be busy blowing up tons of red, white and blue balloons and making the ribbons to hang all over the trees.
I know that tomorrow I'm cooking his favorite meal, home-made chicken and dumplins! Dang, those will be hard for me to resist. He really doesn't eat sweets or I'd be in more trouble by baking a big cake!
I felt like my jeans size 5, were getting uncomfortably snug. Today I bought 2 new pairs size 7 to wear. Both are completely baggy and I'm using a belt to hold them up. Here's hoping I don't let myself grow into them!
Hope everyone has a great week and I'll catch up when I get a chance.
No, I had no idea. I'm definitely going to have to look into that the next time I travel. I wonder if they have it in the airport Starbucks yet? I wonder if they serve it all day (I like to eat my oatmeal as an afternoon snack).
Hump day . . .
whether dieting or maintaining. 
for being "good" and that usually clocks in at about 500 calories if I'm lucky and can stop at that.
.
while doing it! I'm going to lock myself in my office and read, post, putter, whatever it takes to stay away from the kitchen.
safely in the no TV, no eating zone)
I went to a networking reception after work and didn't eat a single thing. None of the appetizers and even skipped the cheesecake, tiramisu, and brownies (even when they actually brought the dessert tray around to try to get people to eat it, I still resisted). The only thing I had was a glass of diet Coke! 
The day was POP, even a little low calorie-wise. Which is good because I'm going out for sushi tonight!
Barb's Box Lunch service
We have a newish restaurant in town that's gone a long way towards what you've described. Their food is served in much small portions than many places, and much of it is lower calorie (except of course they have lovely cream soups!). It's very popular here, esp as our other choics are 85% fast food!
Being impressed vs inspired
. Managed to avoid the kitchen.
.
at 3FC. Although a lot of us do use help from trainers, nutritionists, doctors, etc. we are all losing/maintaining our weight largely "out there" in the real world.
everyone at 3FC. I couldn't do it without you.
