Hi all,
I have been being good and trying to eat right for almost 2 months now. I have lost 14-16 lbs (fluctuating scale) and I think I have done well.

Well, today is my birthday, and as I knew they would, my family cooked me a big dinner for my birthday. Well, weeks ago, I declaired my birthday a "cheat day", and I have to say that I overdid it today, my calories going well over 2,000 (shame on me I have been doing 1500 for the last two months). I knew I would go high today, it was pretty well planned...

But, I think eating treats and fattening foods is out of my system for the next while, and I can start fresh tomorrow, and really get back on track with healthy eating. Time to pull myself back on the wagon! Since I have been at a plateau for the last week or two, due to good ole TOM, I am so ready to get the scales back moving downward....

Any words of encouragement?

Congratulations! 15 pounds is a great start!

Congratulations on the 14-16 pounds! 2000 calories is maintnance for a lot of women, so I think you did pretty well if that was your cheat day! I pretty much indulged in "birthday WEEK" when mine rolled a round this month, and I'm still undoing the last little bit of damage. So, I say well done!

Hey Heather!
You're doing great!!!! I'd say you DESERVED your little "birthday bash". (Happy birthday, by the way).

It looks like you and I started out at pretty much the same place, although I'm not trying to get down quite as far as you. I've been "lifestyle changed" for about a month now, and have lost nine pounds. (I don't know how to change the pounds-thingie on my avatar, although I figured out how to do it on my ticker.) It's been seeming slow to me, but I'm getting used to it, and feeling a little more resigned to not reaching my goal overnight (although I'd LIKE to get there by the end of summer if I possibly could).

What I am really & truly trying to do is find other ways to reward myself - or to celebrate, or whatever - rather than thinking of off-plan food as a special treat. I think it's fine that you indulged this once, and it certainly won't have any negative effect on your weight loss...in fact, the sudden intake of calories followed by a sudden decline again may just jolt your body into losing a few EXTRA pounds. It works that way, sometimes. But, as I was saying, I know that I have always looked at rich, calorie-laden foods - especially sweets and starches - as the DESIRED food items, and healthy foods - fruits, veggies, etc. - as something I HAVE to stick to in order to lose weight.

I'm trying to change my attitude towards food entirely - so that my rewards, or celebrations - aren't about overeating, which is how MY family always celebrated everything, too, so it IS hard to get rid of that mind set.

Mostly, I'm keeping a firm image in my head of where I really WANT to be - how I want to look - and telling myself that THAT will be my reward. I plan to celebrate with new clothes, and loads and loads of beach time, which I haven't had much of in the past several years because I haven't wanted to get into a bathing suit. I'm sick of feeling that way, yanno?

So here are your words of encouragement....KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, Heather...and hopefully, we'll BOTH be looking back a year from now and saying, "Man, I sure am glad I stuck to it!"

TTFN,

Ella

Cajun, good for you for your weight loss, and good for you for declaring your intention to get right back on track after your birthday!

I went out for a celebratory dinner last night, and it was fabulous! The best food I've had in a long time! And, because I planned ahead and tracked what I ate, I stayed under 1500 cals for the day. So it IS possible to have special dinners and such and not go too far off.

So, you went over 2000. That's OK. You can expect to stall out for a little while, but if you get right back on track, you'll start to drop again. I've been there a few times, and sticking with the plan is really the way to go.

Good luck!
Jay

Next week is my 55th birthday and I know we will be going out to eat and I will have a small cake to help celebrate. I too know this will be a cheat day.

I started my journey this time around the first of the year. and knew that there would be holidays that I just couldn't stay on plan. Start the day fresh and get back on plan. One day won't kill you, just don't stay off the wagon.

Happy Birthday. My b-day was Sunday and my cake eating carried over onto Monday. Scale was up by 2 lbs. on Tuesday and down by 3 lbs. on Wednesday , so it all evened out OK. You did great to only have 2000 cal's on your B-day. I had way more than that. I've now cut back to 1400 cal's this week and doing fine. I actually think that sudden influx of high cal's helped me take off an extra lb. I finally put my cake in the trash as I can't be trusted near cake. I kept just getting a tiny piece at a time and was nibblling on it any time I passed the kitchen.

Thanks you guys. Actually, I couldn't wait for it to be over so that I could start anew... I know that sounds crazy, but it's true... I used to look forward to eating high cal fattening foods. The more forbidden, the more I wanted it. It's hard to explain, but the whole time I was indulging, eating Popeye's fried chicken for lunch and Crawfish Etoufee and cheesecake for dinner (these are some of my all-time favorite foods), I had these little bells and whistles going off in my head! Not enough to make me stop, but enough for me to make me consider what I was eating and not let myself go hog wild.

Could it be that my mind is now set on healthier eating? Could this transition really happen that quickly??? Becuase the way I see it is, if it could, I am well on my way to being where I want to be, and I may stand half a chance of succeeding this time....


2086 calories is not that far off track, so if I take it easy for the next few days, cut back a few calories, and maybe walk an extra lap each day, I think my body will take care of the extra 500-600 calories...

Happy Belated Birthday to you Lilibelle and Happy Early Birthday to you, Grammpaula! Thanks for the kind words.

And good for you lilibelle for throwing that cake in the trash. I didn't have a cake exactly. I had an little apple pie, 2 brownies from Kellers Bakery, and I had made a pie sized cheesecake the night before, for the whole family to share. I ate a good sized slice of it, but thats all. I'm not sure if there is any left today, not sure I want to know. If there is, I'll find someone to give it to, I will not eat it.

What concerns me is the leftover crawfish etoufee in the fridge, which is crawfish tails (which is like mini lobster tails) in a rich spicy cream sauce, served over rice, and it's soooooo fattening. The sauce is made of lots of margarine and cream of chicken soup, as well as onions, bell peppers, and celery, and garlic.... OMG... It is to die for... Ever watch Emeril Live on the food network? He cooks alot of our kinds of food, though his methods and ingredients are somewhat different than ours most of the time.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words, and for the Happy Birthday wishes. You all are great....

Ms. Ella, to change the pounds thingy on your avatar, click on user cp, click on profile, and you will find it about halfway down the profile page...

Thanks, Heather!

cajungal328, I think we might live close by I know about Kellers Bakery, my favorite is Southside Bakery,although it's been a while since I've been in. The way you delt with your birthday celebration was so normal. In our lives were always going to have them occasions when we splurge and feel we deserve it . You gave into it ,within reason and get back on track. That is normal living.
When I deprive myself of something I truley want and deserve within reason
I end up eating everything in sight still feeling deprived.


cagungal328,Lillibelle,andGGrammpaula,






Rhonda

cajungal, I threw the cake away because even though I only had one piece of it on my B-day, I had it the next day for BF and lunch. (cake and coffee only). I would have kept munching til it was gone.

Hi there, mudbug....nice to see someone here from my neck of the woods.... and struggling to resist the good stuff here, like boudin and crawfish etoufee and gumbo... (but it is a little hot outside for gumbo, isn' t it?) About a week or two ago, I let myself eat half a link of Best Stop boudin, and I thought I was in heaven.....

BTW, I live in Scott/Carencro area, where do you live?

Southside Bakery is on Johnston St., next to the bowling alley, right? I've never been there, but I know where it is. I go to Keller's (downtown at the corner of Jefferson St. and Johnston St.) for one item only, white iced brownies. My mama got me hooked on those as a child, and I still go there about once or twice a year for them....

Lillybelle, at least you didn't eat cake in addition to you breakfast and lunch... good for you!!

good morning cajungal328....I 'm in Youngsville!!! so close heh! I didn't know we would jump right into summer. Best stop does have the best boudin also the turkey links are pretty good too. This is the first year I did not have any king cake just dh and me so I would have eaten the whole thing. I try to bike ride everyday, but this town isn't very bike friendly. I mostly go over to River Ranch , at least they have some hills. dh is in the oilfield so he's gone alot which makes it easier to stick to a good eating plan. Congrats on your wieght loss , good job!! I was supposed to start on Jan 1 but didn't get serious abouy it untill March 1 , down 11lbs. So far so good. I feel I'm in the right mindset now.

Rhonda