need some help-slipping
 

I posted on the support forum and got a response to try in this forum.

I reached my goal weight last year- after the initial hump, eating well became a habit, easy, and the weight felt great.

Over the last year, I've been slipping, slowly but surely- and I'm starting to gain. And try as I might to get back on the wagon it's not working!!!I'm really trying.

Any help out there to nip this in the bud??? Maybe the way I initially lost weight is not sustainable???? It was a nutritionist low-cal low- fat plan.

PS please help- I'm really getting sad and desperate

Hi there, wedded :wave:
Breathe deep, don't panic! Wecome to Maintainers :)

Congratulations on your weightloss and maintaining it for so long. What are you doing differently now? Are you letting "licks, bites, and tastes" sabotage you?
Has your exercise program gotten dull and fallen by the wayside? What did you do that made you successful in the first place? Were you journaling all your food and maybe you've stopped? Were you weighing and measuring and after you'd been maintaining for a while felt that you didn't need to do that any more and maybe "portion creep" just bit you? Hmmmm...just trying to throw some ideas out here.

From your screen name, I'm guessing you got married recently. Of course, I could be waaaaay off base and you're celebrating your 25th anniversary
:^: . But if you've recently had a change in lifestyle and living arrangements, that usually brings a change in eating patterns even if you don't notice the little extras that creep in.

Tell us a little more about yourself and maybe we can all brainstorm some ideas with you.

Mel

Hi wedded:

This fall, after a foot injury, I gained 20 lbs after having lost 115 and maintained it for 6 months.

I've lost about 10 lbs now by just easing back on the snacking and the larger helpings along with the return of my fitness walking 3-4 times a week for an hour.

I tried not to panic and make a mountain out of a molehill - something a shrink told me I do under stress, only he called it "catastrophizing".

Anyway, I found one or two eating behaviors that had become problems and I worked on reducing them. I also knew that when I got back walking that I could handle stress better and some weight would come off just because I was up moving about more and more.

When I reached BMI goal weight (still not sure it's right for me - might be too low at 52 cuz I struggled to maintain it for 6 months)..... anyway when I reached it I told hubby that I might have to loose 115 lbs just to stay there for a year. I was part serious and part joking - I was prepared to be up and down some 10-20 pounds a number of times before my weight really stabilized out. I had been overweight for many years, so I figured I'd be working to maintain for 4-5 years before I believed that I really conquered my weight gaining behaviors. I knew that some of my bad eating behaviors were just dormant - not really vanquished, and they'd be back. I've been dieting and gaining weight since I was 19. Seems I didn't learn Maintenance skills, just more and more dieting skills; and sad to say more gaining skills too. An ever increasing yo-yo. So for me, it is truly a success to be a 20 lb. yo-yo. For some people it's unthinkable... but for me it is a mark of my success at maintaining.


I found a quote from "The Thin Book" by Jeane Eddy Westin:

"No one changes a lifelong way of reacting overnight. Growth is gradual. Each time you withstand a negative feeling over which you would have formerly eaten, you become a little stronger for the next time.......

Each time you win a small battle against self-hate, hopelessness and guilt, you are stronger."


Allie
Still up a few, but maintaining 100 loss now for 10 months :cb:

Some ideas . . .
 

I lost weight easily when my husband was deployed with the reserves. When he came back, I was determined to keep it off, but it was so hard. Despite my committed efforts, my weight kept slipping upwards. I, too, became pretty despondent about it. It seemed nothing worked. I kept trying though, and became as informed as possible about the caloric content of foods and nutritional values. I kept exercising daily. I journalled everything. Looking back over those months, the problems seemed to stem from treats enjoyed with my husband and his family. I generally had no idea of the caloric content of these items and tended to estimate on the low side. For instance, I would probably never choose to have a piece of baklava now as a snack or eat from the bread basket before dinner. You can definitely sabotage your efforts by rationalizing that you are working hard and have enough of a calorie deficit to warrant an indulgence.

After much trial and error, the maintenance plan that seems to be working for me (4 months now!) is the Zone program. I respond well to eating fewer starchy foods and a little more protein. Sometimes changing your approach a little bit will get you excited by fitness again. You might check out "A Week in the Zone" and see if it's something you want to try. I would also suggest that you keep measuring, weighing, and writing down everything you eat and how your body responds. You can use fitday.com to determine the caloric content. You might also change your exercise program to challenge your body in a different way. Finally, make a plan and if you stick to it for a week, reward yourself with a non-food item. (Accessories, books, or makeup always work for me.) Eventually, your husband will adjust to your new habits and make even adopt a few of them himself.

Some items I acquired that have helped me:

A digital scale that measures down to 1/8 of an ounce and 1 gram. I got the scale from King Arthur Flour.

Hand weights and a jump rope.

A Sony armband radio. I now take 45 minutes almost every morning to walk/jog and listen to NPR news. I enjoy this routine so much more than the very difficult interval work I was doing (and dreading!)

A small crock pot for cooking my steel cut oats overnight.

A taste for black coffee!

An extra set of measuring cups and spoons.


Stay committed, stay determined, and keep trying until you get it right! We're all in this together :flow1:

Allie and Laura Leigh – great posts! :high:

Hi Wedded! :wave: We’re glad you found your way over here to Maintainers. We hope you stick around with us, read some of the threads here, and post often. You CAN get that weight gain turned around and get back to maintaining! Like Mel said, it would be helpful if you could tell us a little bit more about your story – when and how you lost the weight and what you’ve been doing food and exercise-wise since you reached goal; what’s worked for you in the past and what’s changed. We have an Introductions thread here at the top of the forum where you’re welcome to post or just tell us some more about yourself here. :)

Please don’t be sad and desperate! You’re dealing with the weight regain NOW before you put all the weight back on, right? Believe me, a lot of us struggle with our weight and food issues, even after we reach goal and maintenance. It turns out that goal wasn’t an end or a destination for any of us – we’ve all discovered that maintenance is an on-going, lifetime process. None of us has ‘arrived’ at that point where we know we’re safe from ever regaining the weight.

You touched on something in your post that’s one of the keys to maintenance – finding a way to eat and exercise that you can live with for the rest of your life. You’ll notice, after you’re here for a while, that the Maintainers all lost/are losing weight in their own special and unique ways. I can guarantee that if you looked at all our menus and exercise plans for a week, they’d all be very different. Some here may have started with a name plan (and there’s lots of different ones that work) and then they’ve customized the plan to fit their lifestyle. Others, like myself, just counted calories. Some people just made better food choices. Bottom line - there’s no ‘right way’ to lose weight and there sure isn’t any ‘right way’ to keep it off for the rest of your life. You gotta do it YOUR WAY. ;)

So maybe take a look at what’s worked for you in the past. What do you feel you can sustain, day-in and day-out, year-in and year-out? What’s hard? What do you miss? Can you pinpoint where you’re slipping up? Are you hungry? Tired? Sick of dieting? Burned out on exercise? Mad at having to do this for the rest of your life? Talk to us about yourself some more! :D

Wedded, my dear, you’ve found a group of people here who struggle with exactly the issues that you do and we’ll help you get back on track. :)

I am fairly new to maintaining, but I think the key to how I've kept it off is consistent tracking--every bite gets logged right away. For those weeks when I gained a couple of pounds, I could check back in my journal and see that I was eating (for example) more cheese and fewer vegetables. Then I could make that change and track the results.

I agree that you will find this a wonderful and supportive forum--it has made a huge difference in my life.

Thank you, thank you, thank you....oh- and thank you!!! All the suggestions are really helpful. It's hard to reach out for help sometimes and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments and support.

After reading your posts, so many things occurred to me that I never realized. I've tried to think about what's changed between then and now and realized that everything's changed.

I moved states and cities, went from living long-distance from a fiance to living with a husband, from a very active and demanding job that I loved, to a sedentary job that I'm luke-warm about, from a single lifestyle and social life to being married with few friends. Frankly, I'm a little depressed and probably comfort eating.

What Laura said about enjoying treats with her husband and his family really makes sense to me. Although, we both lost weight together, my husband is pretty off the wagon now and we're not really on the same "trying-level" anymore.

Here's a little more about me: Late in 2002, my doctor told me I had high cholesterol and I needed to lose weight and it kicked me into gear. It occured to me that it wasn't just vanity anymore, I was 28, and feeling the emotional and health effects of the extra poundage.
So my husband and I both went to a nutritionist. She made out an eating plan, 1500 cals, low-fat, and with the motivating factor of an upcoming wedding we started on it. We lost weight about 2 lbs per week, stuck to it well after the wedding. At the time we were living apart for that year due to a new job opportunity for him, although we'd lived together for about 2 years before that. It was a crazy year for us, my career was taking off, his job was new, living apart, and the wedding planning.
Early this year, we had to make a choice, and we made the choice for me to quit my job and move to the city he had moved to. I got a job here and just been adjusting ever since. I even did ok until I started slipping this summer.

What worked in the past and what's different? After thinking about it- it's hard to admit- but you know what I've lost: FEAR!!! When I was losing the weight I was motivated by an upcoming wedding date- and I'd be *@!@#$ if I wasn't going to look good on me wedding day. Is that a horrible way to do it?

What's hard and what can I sustain? That's a problem too...I did what the nutritionist told me for a year- and you know what was hard, I didn't have any cravings so it wasn't that: it's time ,boredom, and portability. I'm finding I don't want to eat that way anymore because I've run into those road blocks: to stay on that diet I am either eating foods that I'm bored stiff with or I can make the foods interesting which takes all my energy and time.
For instance for lunch: 2 veggies portions, a starch , and 3 oz of meat. How on earth do you fit 2 cups of vegetables and 3 oz of meat on a single slice of bread. And the site of a baggie filled with raw vegetables makes me ill now. I can't think of any more interesting combinations for that prescription.

Oh- And I miss cheese......and mocha coffee drinks, and eating at mexican restaurants, and just ordering pizza because it's 3 am and there's nothing in the fridge, and fried things, and the convenience of not having to think about it..........

whew- that was good to get out.

So I just blabbed a whole lot about things- I'm starting to realize the causes, but I'm still not sure how to fix it.

But your words have been very inspirational- and I do have to realize that growth is gradual, it doesn't happen overnight- (it's so depressing to backslide) but it's not as easy at first appears. And there are other people going through and have gone through what I am. And it's not the end of the world. And I can do this! Right??????

Absolutely right!!! You can do this and we'll do everything that we can to help!

Wedded - thanks for your answer; it's really helpful! :) I have LOTS that I want to say but don't have time right now (I'll be back), but in the meantime you MUST read this thread called 'Marriage and Maintaining' from someone who sounds like she's in your shoes: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49857

In the meantime, I hope you get lots of ideas from the others here. :)

I dunno, a healthy dose of fear never hurt anybody. Your cholesterol could skyrocket again, you have a better chance of gaining all the weight back than someone who had never been overweight, and when we gain weight back we usually gain extra to go with it. So be afraid, be very afraid. But only if it helps. LOL

Walking's good, for both health and marriage. Take long walks with your husband. And it's ok to order pizza. But my guess is you probably used to order it like I did...once a week or more? Remember that pizza is a treat, not a lifestyle. Well, it becomes a lifestyle for some of us and that's why we end up here. ;)

oh honey.. i'm so late to everything these days. but after reading your last post about the boredom, i just gotta suggest DOING IT DIFFERENTLY!! where is it written that lunch MUST be a sandwich?????

even just dumping 3 oz of tuna on a prebagged salad with some decent dressing could be better than a dull old sandwich and a baggy of veggies.. add a couple of crackers on the side, or a few low fat croutons for the starch...

chili and salad. other leftovers...

raw veggies? ya don't have to eat them! roast them instead with some seasonings. make a good sized pan and use them for sandwiches, in salads and pasta dishes, top them with a little good parmesan or romano as a side dish. find some different seasonings..

use hummus as a salad dressing [i've gotten into this phase in which i HATE salad dressing - it happens every once in a while]. or as a dip.

special coffee drinks... well, many places - starbucks, panera bread, to name just two -now have sugar free syrups. i often order tea bag chai because the chai latte mix has way too much sugar. some people make the tea with milk, but i ask them to make it with water and add 2-3 tbs steamed milk. works great! it's a treat, but a forgiving one.

pasta salad instead of bread. or wasa crackers [yeah, i'm weird].

it's about substitution and experimenting. but good heavens, woman - you have been through about HALF of the 'most stressful life experiences' possible in a year... sounds to me as if you are in the process of learning how to live ALL OVER AGAIN. and eating is one part of this process...

there's no question, you have a lot of work to do, between the job, the move, the wedding, the eating, etc etc etc. please be gentle and PATIENT with yourself...

it's all an adventure...

Hey wedded,

Your prescribed lunch is similar to how I eat--and I happen to love sandwiches!
How do I do it? First, I use lite 9 Grain Bread at 40 cal/slice--so you can have 2 slices! Next, I trade 1oz. of meat for 1 slice lowfat cheese (there are lots of great ones). Next the veggies. I hate raw veggies and found it hard to eat enough--until I started making veggie soup! I make a big pot once a week, starting with low sodium vegetable broth adding any and every kind of veggie, cut into bite sized chunks. It can be seasoned any way you like, but my favorite is with curry powder. Make it really chunky, store in the fridge and just scoop out 1 1/2 cup, zap in the microwave to heat and it's really great!!! Easy to take to work, also!!!

Just one idea, out of endless possibilities! Good luck to you!

Hi Wedded – back again – thanks for taking the time to let us know what’s going on with you. :) Wow – what a whirlwind year you’ve had! No wonder you’ve had trouble maintaining focus - everything that worked for you before has changed. It’s like you’re back at the beginning and need to figure out new ways to make diet and exercise fit in with all the changes in your life. What worked before isn’t going to work now. :dizzy:

That’s the great thing about posting here – sometimes just writing things out makes them a little clearer and sets us on the path to thinking of solutions. And then you've got all of us to help with ideas! :D

You got some great suggestions about trying to make what you’re eating less boring. We really have to enjoy what we’re eating or else it’s impossible to stick to, long-term (as you’re finding out). Suggestion – if you’re missing cheese, mocha drinks, and Mexican food (and whatever else), figure out a way to put them in your food plan. The nutritionist gave you a good basic food plan, but it’s not magic or written in stone. You can change it to suit your likes and needs, especially if you count calories and keep approximately the same calories and/or protein, fat, and carb ratios. Some people do a once a week treat meal (or day); others just figure out how to eat what they like on a daily basis. Do it YOUR way - because you’re going to be doing it forever if you want to keep the weight off. ;)

About the fear factor – I have to agree with almostheaven – I don’t WANT to lose the fear. Being afraid of going back to where I was definitely keeps me on track. I don’t ever want to forget how it felt to be obese; those memories will keep me from regaining the weight. Along those lines, I don’t ever want to lose the guilt factor either, like if I eat something that I shouldn’t. If I just forgave myself and moved on (like some people recommend), I think I’d do it way too often and forgive myself right back to 257 pounds. I WANT to feel guilty, be mad at myself, and feel like crap if I go off-track. Crazy as it sounds, I think that fear and guilt can be useful emotions in maintenance (at least for me).

It sounds like the wedding was your goal and you’re floundering a bit now that you’re past it. Can you think of some new goals or something else to focus on? They don’t have to be weight related, necessarily. Sometimes a fitness goal works better, like an achievement or just exercising a certain number of times a week. Is DH still losing weight or watching what he eats? Can the two of you sit down and brainstorm ways to make this work for the two of you? (it's so much easier with your spouse helping! :) )

I think you're going to be just fine, Wedded. :) Maintenance isn't a one-way street - for a lot of people, there's some regain and loss and regain and loss. It's a continual process of learning about ourselves and what we can sustain as a lifestyle for the rest of our lives. Because the biggest lesson I think that any of us here at Maintainers has learned is that this HAS to be for the rest of our lives if we want to keep the weight off.

We're glad you're here - keep posting!

that's where I am right now- my wedding on 3/5/05- I'm gonna look good- the honeymoon, all of that... and it's easy- you've been there, you know. But I'm also doing it for myself. I knew I needed to lose weight/ get back in shape- I would get winded going upstairs! the wedding was just the push that I needed.

Meg's right though- gotta set some new goals for yourself now. I already set one for after the wedding (my 25th bday) because I know I'll slack off- and goals keep me on track (so far) even if it's just fitness goals or going to the gym 3x a week. gotta set something.

Hi Wedded and all,

Fear can be a powerful motivator. It has been for me. Alas I no longer feel as fearful so I have had to find other motivators. Its smaller sized cute clothes for me right now that I get at the thrift store and have hanging all over the house in plain sight.

Meg said: << I don’t ever want to lose the guilt factor either, like if I eat something that I shouldn’t. If I just forgave myself and moved on (like some people recommend), I think I’d do it way too often and forgive myself right back to 257 pounds. I WANT to feel guilty, be mad at myself, and feel like crap if I go off-track. Crazy as it sounds, I think that fear and guilt can be useful emotions in maintenance (at least for me).>>

I agree emotions are powerful motivators. The concept of forgiveness however is complex and we each handle it differently (just like everything else). To me forgiveness does not mean what has happened is acceptable, but that I just dont want to beat up on myself about it. I also can feel bad and mad and just plain p*ssed when I go off track, and haate it when it happens. But its over and these feelings are something to learn from too. If one goes off-track, to be successful one has to learn something from it or else indeed one will continue to go off the same track over and over again if everything stays the same. No doubt about it. Mindless forgiveness is worthless in my opinion. But I do want to responsibly forgive myself for food indiscretions so I can learn and do better next time. I forgive myself so I can more rationally focus on what really happened and come up with a better solution for next time. To me forgiveness is not a blank check for any and all behavior but rather another tool for solving a problem.

One of the more interesting things I have learned from this maintainers forum is how very many ways people have come up with solutions that work for themselves. This is such an individual pathway. Yet again one size does not fit all.

Jan

Bored with food, not me!
 

First, I have to thank Meg for pointing us all to the marriage and weight thread. Wow -- did I recognize myself there. The original poster talked about feeling competitive with her husband regarding food. I can relate. I want to eat everything he is eating, and resent not being able to. A few things seem to work. I tell myself that I can eat like a man if I want to look like one :lol: I also get up from the table when I am through, rinse my plate and go to another room. My husband can graze for an hour and a half. If I stay in the room, it is just too tempting. At first, he didn't like not having me to keep him company, but he understands now. Also packaging up the leftover, before I sit down to eat helps as well. Sometimes, he will ask me if he can have more of the pre-portioned veggies and chicken or pork and apples, or whatever. I just say that it is for tomorrow night and he can have toast with almond butter or whatever else is handy but not already placed in tupperware.

Second, with all the variety out there in food choices, you can really look forward to your meals. Treat yourself to some new diet books and try a few of the lunches. I like the Zone books and the Okinawa books. The Omega Plan also has balanced meals. Today for lunch, I brought a salad made of spring mix (pre-bagged) lettuce, 1/4 cup canned chickpeas, pre-sliced mushrooms, 1 oz. low-fat jarlesberg cheese, 3 oz. chipotle deli-turkey shredded and a dressing of 1 tsp. ev olive oil and 2 tsp. chardonnay vinegar. For dessert I had a cup of organic grapes.

Another idea is a seafood salad of 6 oz. of shrimp, crabmeat, or whatever you like mixed with a T. of Nayonnaise and stuffed into a half of an Ezekial bread pita. Add lettuce if you like and round out the meal with an apple and 9 roasted almonds.

Both of these lunches are 300 calories or so and balanced with carbs, fat, and protein.

I love trying new veggies, new seafood, and new fruits. Be adventurous with you healthy food. Try seasoned tofu products for a lean protein. Make an eggwhite, egg salad with no-fat yogurt dressing.

What you are attempting is hard, but you can do it! :D

I've wanted to post again earlier, but got a little busy with work for the week and just got a chance to read the last few posts.

It's been enlightening to read about what everyone said about fear. I was feeling "unhealthy" being motivated by it, instead of by some more positive emotion. But hearing from everyone, it sounds like it is a good motivator. And why not? If it works. I'm going to try and reignite a little fear, and maybe set another goal date as Kandice has.

The food suggestions are VERY helpful- and I do need to shake it up a bit. And maybe losing last year and gaining this year is part of a process. I lost weight last year so now I know its possible, now I have to find a way that's sustainable.

I've figured out that at this point, I just don't have the discipline that Lauraleigh has when her husband is eathing. This weekend my husband and I had a long talk (after a little fight) and he's really helping me now. I think he saw how unhappy the weight was making me. He wants to lose the weight he's gained this year too, but its just not as important to him. But yesterday he went grocery shopping, today he cooked a really healthy meal. I'm hopeful that this will really help me get back on track!

I still am craving sweets and had some today unfortunately. Trying not to think about it. I'm not sure what's best in terms of forgiving yourself. I wish I could learn from my mistakes, but sometimes I can try and analyze why I did it, and then just do the same darn thing the next day.

Sometimes it's a realization, like when I skip my protein, I crave starches later on. But I'm also a person who will cut corners when no one is looking, so the "being hard on yourself" method may work better for me.

I'm wondering what's going through everyone's head before, during and after you eat the "cookie of sin": you know... the one that coworkers bring in a dozen and leave in the lunchroom and send out an email to the office "hello-- free cookies in breakroom- please help yourself", when it should actually read "hello- temptation in the breakroom- please hate yourself afterwards".

Hi wedded,

Sounds like you've made some major progress this week! Just getting a more supportive environment at home and thinking through what you want and planning how to get there are big big steps!

As far as the 'cookie of sin' dialog goes, I have successful (avoid cookies) and unsuccessful (eat cookies) versions. In the unsuccessful version before I eat the cookies I'm thinking things like:
'What evildoer brought in these cookies'
'Those really look good'
'Wish I could have one'
'just one won't hurt'.
'I'm having such a bad day, I deserve that cookie'

During, I think things like
'I should really enjoy this cookie, since I'm not supposed to be having it'.

After there are two basic options,
'I really shouldn't have had that cookie--I have no willpower' and
'Boy, I really blew that!' and
'Well, the day is shot anyway, might as well have another.'

A better day will be more like,
'Well, it wasn't the best choice, but it was one cookie, it was OK, and I can move on now', or even better,
'What did I do that I can avoid next time?'

A more successful day starts like the first but then I'll tell myself,
'Last time I had a cookie, it just wasn't worth the calories', or
'Last time, I felt really bad about myself afterwards' or
'last time, I felt really bloated', or
'I've decided not to eat work food, so that cookie is OFF LIMITS. I can go get my own cookie, if I really really need one'

When I've gotten over the hurdle, I'll think things like,
'Great job!'
'You're really taking care of yourself today'
'Setting myself up for a streak here!'

No matter what, I try to keep in mind that it is just a cookie. Even if I ate 7 of them, and I've had those days, it isn't like I've committed a felony. I try to remind myself that there are consequences to every decision that I have to live with, and I have the power to make the decision I want, even bad ones. Build momentum off of the good decisions, learn from the bad ones, and realize that you will always have plenty of each. That is the way it is supposed to be. Over time, if I work it, there will be more good decisions than bad, and it'll turn around.

I usually try to go half-and-half with the temptations and sweet tooth. When I'm craving chocolate, I try to pick up a healthier version of it, or something so small as to just get a taste. I've fallen in love with the Slim Whey peanut butter & chocolate bars. They're small and have soy protein added in. Or I snag a small truffle for a taste when I see those sitting on store counters. Of course I also usually have a bite of whatever my husband's eating, so I can say "I came, I saw, I tasted." ;)

Wedded,

how generous of you to think that I am so disciplined. In fact, I had many bad days when my husband and I were first reunited. I would think that I was sticking to my plan, because I was eating less than he was and exercising, but I turns out I was making some pretty poor food choices. Also, he was not used to my new spartan ways. I was definitely cranky and resentful.

What has changed is that I've become more knowledgable about nutritious, filling food choices. My husband's attitude has helped as well. He (like your husband) saw how concerned I was about keeping my weight off and has become very supportive. He tries to suggest restaurants that he knows will have grilled fish and vegetables available. He doesn't order dessert and doesn't eat junk food anymore. Over the weekend, my mom saw him eating some all natural peanut butter and commented that he probaby scarfed up the Jif at his office. My sweet husband, replied that he is totally on board with my nutrition ideas (such as no trans-fat and limited sugar) and feels lucky to have his own personal nutritionist!

See if reading up on diet and exercise helps you. You may also find that making healthier versions of foods you both enjoy is pretty satisfying. We used to make waffles almost every weekend and haven't had them in a very long while. On Sunday, I made a new version using cottage cheese, egg beaters, and ground oatmeal that we both enjoyed immensely. Thinking creatively will definitely help combat the feelings of deprivation. By the way, the waffle recipe is from drsears.com under reader recipes and is called Bed and Breakfast Waffles.

I hate workfood. I avoided it with great difficulty last year during Carnival season by telling myself that no piece of king cake was going to come between me and my new Marc Jacobs suit I had gotten at an after Christmas sale. I usually avoided it, but was so angry about the whole situation. Now, I think I truly prefer "my" food. Saying no to the work treats has gotten so much easier. But, when the going got tough, I would actually bring my own water and coffee in to the office to avoid seeing and smelling all the treats in the kitchen. I also kept a list at my desk of things to do instead of eating.

Try different mental approaches and see what works. Thinking back, I still struggle with my attitude and long-term commitment, but as Mrs. Jim says, it is getting easier! ;)

Lots of great food ideas here
 

Along with Wedded, I plan to try out many of the food suggestions here.

I went thru Hanukkah with reasonable control and grace. I made latkes baked in the oven, instead of fried, and used fat-free sour cream and unsweetened applesauce. I have continued to track all food, but haven't been fitting in much exercise. Still within my WW Lifetime goal.

Where I have been slipping: once again, not eating enough during the workday. Arriving home ready to scarf down lots of hummus (not an unhealthy food, but not one I can easily eat in moderation). My plan: back to Trader Joe's for lots of frozen entrees to store at work, stock up on the Wasa crackers, cut up the raw veggies and eat a snack mid-morning. These things worked in the past and they should work again.

thanks and holidays?
 

Great suggestions for the "cookie of sin" problem. I really wanted to know how people deal with this and I really liked hearing wndrane's thought process, and the ways that almostheaven and lauraleigh deal with this. It seems its a common thing in the workplace. I think the South is worse though. (I moved from North to South)

Lauraleigh's husband sounds very supportive, and I'm finding that with my husband helping me again- it's making a world of difference. It is a process of adjustment I guess- it's not just you being able to control everything in your kitchen. And the Marc Jacobs suit- I never thought of that- Clothes! That's a great motivator. If I can think of the most pleasurable aspect of being the right weight it's how clothes fit and all the stylish things you can wear without having to think so much.

So all's going well- mixing the food up a bit- taking all the food suggestions. Joining the forum has really been the kick in the butt I needed.

I hope that I handle Hannukah like as Elana has. I'll be gone for 5 days to my mother-in-law's for an early Christmas celebration this weekend. I'm not even going to try to be strict about it- My mother-on-law's food is delicious and high calorie- but there's no unawkward way to ask for healthier food. If it were my own mother, no problem, but this being our first year of marriage- I'll just take a walk everyday and moderate. And start again after. Does that sound ok-or not such a good idea. How is everyone else dealing with Xmas/Holidays? being out-of-town?

I think you're onto something. I spent most of my life in WV, and most of my adult life overweight. I moved to NH at the end of 1997. I saw an entirely different lifestyle there. Rather than where my family ate out at every all-you-can-eat buffet 3 to 5 times per week, and dined on take-out for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I was now in a location where people exercised at lunch and had showers in the offices, where people actually walked their dogs rather than letting them loose in a fenced in yard, where people walked or bicycled to the corner store rather than drove there, and where organics was a hot commodity.

I just last month moved down to Virginia and am already facing challenges with my sister and neice (both about 300 pounds each), but I stick to my guns and stay with healthy places to eat out when they insist on going out to eat with me. They might get sick of Ruby Tuesdays, but I won't. LOL

Wedded,
You brought up a very interesting topic here. Once I've read on the other bulletin board that it is not sweets we crave, it is tastes we crave. Like if you have enough will power, you can just try a little piece and ask yourself - do I really want to continue. I remeber that this principle just changed my life last holiday season - I would have EVERY cake but only a piece...

Here is an example I had yesterday. I just picked my cup of tea (I don't drink coffee and I don't use sweeteners in my herbal teas) and went back to my office. At that moment coworker went into kitchen and said - here is Krispy Cream donuts! I love them. I mean, I don't like donuts in general, but I love krispy creams! Add to it that we have only 1 store near Vancover (thanks God) -so I have exposure to them about once a year... I really wanted to try... So I asked coworker (who is training for marathon in February so he is very weight consious) - do you want to share? He said, that he thinks that half of the donut would be fine. We shared and after that he said: you know what, I never knew that half of the donut will make me feel so happy and not disgusted that I slipped on my meal plan. Later I thought that i had my donut, I had my moment of happiness of eating it, but I am still fine...

That is my "holiday season" method of eating. I adopted it a year ago, and it worked for me - i was still loosing weight last holdiay season - we went to the trip for 2 weeks, I ate EVeRYTHING and I lost 3 pounds! I hope this principle will carry me thru this holiday season. BTW, we have potluck lunch tomorrow at my work - I am going to make low fat spanokopita :)

Sandy.

Sandy -- I've got to ask ! What is spanokopita? And if it's low fat can we have the recipe? THanks!

I also wanted to add to the mindset of having only one piece or just a half. It does work! I do it too, and also add to the mindset that this is NOT the last KrispyKream donut in the world there will be some tomorrow ! So why should I eat 6 of them and feel awful when only a half or even a quarter will satisfy my sweet tooth... We live and learn don't we? It's a wonderful thing, the mind...

Spanokopita is a greek pastry dish. Since greek food is high on fat, I call my spanokopita low fat as I limit fat there as much as I can limit it. Spanokopita is a pastry with spinach/cheese in it.

If you buy pastry douh you will have to put oil between each layer. It makes the pastry krispy, but also adds enormously on fat. So I buy tenderflake pastry douh - it is a small package (yellow with two squares of douh on it) - it is sold frozen. You have to let it unfreze and you do not add any oil - you have to roll it into the shape you need (I do rectangular). One square makes one rectangular. Place it into rectangular (kind of lasagna) baking dish (covered with PAM) - make sure you have enough douh to roll along the sides of the dish. Unfreeze 2 packages of spinach(drained of liquids) (or use fresh but steamed spinach) - the rule of thumb - spinach should cover 1/2 inch high all the surface of the inside of the douh. Place grated cheese (low fat, not fat) - I use half of feta and half of mozarella, but sometimes i use mozarella only, sometimes feta only - of course greeks use feta only. It is nice to add one teaspoon of olive oil. Salt, pepper, your favourite spices. Roll second square of douh and place it on top, pinch bottom and top together (nothing bad happens if liquids will come out, but it is neater if they stay inside). I usually make a couple of holes with fork or knife in the top so that liquides can evaporate. Sometimes I use PAM on top - the color of the pie will be nicer.

I bake it for about an hour at 375F - usually I look at the douh color - it should be yellowish. Enjoy! I can not figure out how to make it even less fat, but I do not gain any weight by eating 1-2 pieces every now and than.

This is one of the dishes which look nice to eat, it contains spinach, and it tastes always good. Plus everybody will think you are a great cook!

Sandy -- Thank you for that recipe, it sounds like it would be a great pie to accompany a tourtiere, which is French Canadian...

Torture? Thought that was one of my mother-in-law's recipes! :p Opps, I'm just getting paranoid about her coming for Christmas. :dizzy: What is tourtiere, Ilene? I remember that you're the one who taught me about poutine (sp?) - is it another one like that?

Tourtierre is a traditional meat pie, served at this time of year. Every region of the province has its own recipe. Ground pork seems to be the basic ingredient though. Being vegetarian, I've never tried it, but my dh has tried it and liked it.

Only Me is right-on, it's a meat pie made with ground pork...NOT low-fat friendly, like poutine...

Wah? I thought poutine was like the highest fat thing on earth ... :?:

Or are you Canadians laughing at us Yanks??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Well, there might be a redeeming onion or potato thrown in with the ground pork....of course, it is all in a pie crust.

Here's Ilene's Tourtiere recipe that she gave me last year. It got rave reviews from my resident Canucks! But it's not low fat :lol:

If you want a good laugh, try to find a lowfat, low sugar recipe for Nanaimo Bars :lol:

MMMMMmmmmmmm poutine and tortiere (my BF's family are French Canadian and love making this).... yummy... I had my last poutine when I joined WW in 2000..... Still can't justify ever having one.

CheerS!

Ali

Poutine -- I've had it once, it's good, but the guilt it gives me is not worth the headache...

My mother used to make a mashed potato pie to go with the tourtiere, yep mashed potatoes in a pie shell... All your food groups in 2 pieces of pie!!! :lol: Oh, and let's have a piece of apple pie too, then it's really a full meal deal!

:crazy: OMG, I better be leaving now...:lol:

You're onto something here, chickie! Let's see - you've got your meat pie for protein, your mashed potato pie for carbs, apple pie for fruit, how about pumpkin pie for a veggie? With whipped cream for those important dairy servings? Or ... maybe just cream pie?? :lol:

The Pie Diet! We'll sell a million books! (too bad no one will lose any weight though) :lol:

Meg I was thinking that the onions in the tourtiere were the vegetables ;)...


Yes, great idea we'll go on the road :callme:...:rofl:

You can call it "The Piet". Perhaps we can discuss that book right after Thin for Life to really test those concepts. :dizzy:

Jan

I love it Jan!! "THE PIET" :callme: we'll ALL go on the road!! :) Do the Oprah and all the talk shows! :dizzy: