Hey all! How was your weekend? Mine was OP, actually, with even an extra workout. I'm pretty sure, though, that the sodium was through the roof, even if the calories weren't.

Ready to go all-out OP until Wednesday evening, and then things'll get a bit hairier! Still, I bought myself a gorgeous new pair of size 8 jeans yesterday and I'd like to stay in them, thankyouverymuch. One goal - work out M-F, even my traditional Christmas morning run.

So, with that, the plan for tomorrow:

B - English muffin pizza (rut, much? Perhaps I'll switch it up in 2009)
S - Orange
L - Leftover chicken sausage and lentil soup
S - Popcorn
S - Greek yogurt
D - Stirfry with shrimp, tons of veggies, Thai black pepper sauce, and brown and wild rice
S - Glass of wine out with friends

E - 60 min elliptical, 70 min strength

My weekend was not so great... I came in fine on calories Saturday, exercised for 30 minutes on the elliptical. (After no exercise Thurs or Fri...) I haven't even totaled up the calories from Sunday yet - went to DH's boss's open house Sunday night. I did fine with the meal part - veggies, lean roast beef, one small roll. It was the two Hawaiian Martinis and the slice of homemade apple pie that got me. And, didn't exercise Sunday. Or today when I got up. I need a serious kick in the butt to get back in gear...

Today:

B: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, sleigh ride flavored coffee with 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp fat free french vanilla creamer
L: (early lunch - boss took the office out for the holidays) Mediterranean Salmon Salad (romaine &/or spring mix, 4 oz. salmon, tomato, cucumber, some nut I didn't recognize, olives, red & green bell pepper, small amount of balsamic vinaigrette dressing, small amount of ricotta cheese) - No idea how many calories
S: kashi go lean
D: turkey sausage served over white rice
S: probably more kashi go lean, white chocolate cocoa kcup while wrapping

Exercise - really plan on getting out early to exercise since I have to wrap wrap wrap once DH gets home...

Ooh, that salad sounds delish, Shannon!

Size 8 jeans, Amanda!! Size 8 is more delicious than any food! I finally bought myself some size 8 Levis a couple of weeks ago....heh, heh, heh! Congrats!

I have been doing really great at sticking to plan all weekend, and I feel like I am running an obstacle course at work (and home!) with all the sweets, etc. I have used food for comfort a lot in my life and it is still a habit.

I saved a life last night, which makes me feel good, but does it have to be so $*(*%#(|* stressful? Of course it does. I need to breathe, and be grateful....and not turn to all the junk food that is so available. Stress + tiredness = big time triggers....

Today:

veggie omelet, kashi cereal, skim milk
nap
turkey sandwich with cheese and green chile, chocolate calcium chew
fruit & cottage cheese
1 hr gym
turkey meatloaf, steamed veggies

Making cookies today....Might sample, might not, but if I do it will be a SAMPLE. Holiday, not holi-month.....

E~30 minutes on the treadmill
B~grapefruit, cheese quesadilla
S~spice bread
L~Smart Ones ravioli, sml orange
S~Activia yogurt
D~chicken, green beans, sml potato or leftover rice

I just caught the size 8 jeans comment, Amanda!

And midwife, it must be amazing to work in a field where you find yourself in the position to save a life. I can't even imagine that feeling.

Thanks! I've been in 8s for a while, but usually only when they are loooow waisted (I have small hips). I've finally fit my WAIST into size 8's, which was a whole different animal.

Actually, my whole body shape is shifting. I have been on Yaz for PCOS for 3-4 months now...and I think its affecting my fat distribution. On the plus side, my waist is getting smaller. On the negative, I've stopped building muscle as easily (apparently excess testosterone was good for something), I've gotten a little more hip/butt (ok, that's actually an OK thing, I had no butt previously), and I STILL haven't gotten any chest. But its odd - like puberty all over again. Amazing that 3-4 months of having the "right" hormones has had this kind of effect!

Midwife - I can't imagine the stress. Hang in there!

I can't decide if I like Yaz or not. I think I'm on month 4 or 5. Fat distribution is "different". I really can't explain. I'm sure that if I were to get down to my goal I'd be happy with the distribution.

Allison - so it isn't just me? I'm actually going...almost hourglass-y, except the chest thing. I'm not used to looking down and seeing hip/thigh/butt, I've always been apple-shaped.

It HAS made a significant difference on some of the ickier PCOS symptoms, though...lighter hair growth, less hormonal acne. But I feel like its doing weird things with my weight and I wonder if it has had anything to do with the wee bit of gain I've had going on (not outside of maintenance range, but higher than I'd like to be...)

EXACTLY! I've never been apple shaped--always hour glass, but it's becoming more pronounced. Weird. And here I thought it was because I've put on a couple pounds! (And while I'm still within a healthy weight range, I'd really, really like to be where I was two years ago.)

Thankfully I don't have PCOS, I just complained to my doctor about mid-cycle bleeding. Yaz has stopped that.

Hey maintainers. I have no excuses. I want to make no excuses. So, I'm back to posting here. I left because I felt like a fraud. But, I AM a maintainer and I will CONTINUE to be a maintainer.

Also, I am on YAZ (PCOS here). No distribution changes that I can see d/t YAZ. Just my own redistribution in the last 9 months But yes, less acne and less hair growth. No change in scalp hair loss, unfortunately.

I am pretty apple-y shaped tho. Not much changed there.

OP day. Just ate dinner with my children. And I finished with a small calorie portioned after dinner something and NO MORE FOR THE DAY. Except hot tea.

This resonated with me lately. NO EXCUSES.

So this season I went to 3 catered or restaurant parties, and 3 potluck ones, and at only one did I find the food so good that I ate more than I had planned. Has the food always been this mediocre and I just ate it out of habit? Am I really a pickier eater? Strange. I know that I find many many things too salty now, but to find myself stopping eating when there's still food on my plate (and carefully portioned food even) is just - well, unheard of.... I'll take it though, and maybe I'll come through Christmas down a pound or two? I have still Christmas dinner and then a retirement party on the 28th. I'm not weighing myself til after the first since though I've not been badly off plan, I have had a lot more sodium than usual.

Anyway, today

B - cheerios, 1/2 banana, 1/2 oz walnuts, skim milk, ww toast,
S - ff latte
L - leftover homemade veggie pizza
S - hmmm, forgot to eat it, and now it's going home time
D - leftover salmon, peas, potato
S - tea and 1 small nutmeg bar

Kitty, IMO there is no such thing as a fraud here in maintainers. We all have a desire to keep the weight off, right? Our actions may not always be congruent with this desire, but until and unless this becomes a forum for "Perfect Maintainers", off-plan eating, binging, gaining, etc. does not a fraud make. Those times are when I need this thread even more!!

Today:

run 3.5 miles DONE!
protein pancakes with pumpkin & blueberries
cottage cheese & fruit
turkey sandwich, carrots
string cheese, fruit, protein shake
leftover turkey meatloaf, steamed veggies

hence, my return

Yesterday came in under on calories - I was oddly full from my salad at lunch, so didn't have an afternoon snack, then wasn't feeling up to my planned cocoa while I wrapped gifts so did graham crackers instead... I did exercise when I got home, then woke up this morning with some stomach upset that wasn't working well with elliptical trainer, so hope to get that in this afternoon.

Today's plan:
B: Smoothie, sleigh ride flavored coffee with 1 tsp sugar & 1 tbsp fat free french vanilla creamer; about 4 oz. of caramel apple cider that my coworker brought me in for Christmas
S: String cheese & tangelo
L: depends on where I am with my lunch time errand - either salad or a grilled chicken sandwich
S: Kashi go lean
S: Tangelo
D: CFA Chargrilled and Fruit Salad
S: oatmeal cookie

E~30 minutes treadmill
B~grapefruit
S~oatmeal if I have time
L~thai chicken, sml apple
S~yogurt
D~spaghetti w/meatballs