Checking in -

We leave our Christmas decorations up until Epiphany so we are still in the mind-set of Christmas. However I am delighted to report that my weight remained steady through the Christmas feasting, and I am very happy about that. I would like to drop a couple more lbs., which may or may not happen. It is no biggie, I am in the maintenance mode.

Today I did my exercise, and will be doing the general housewifey stuff around here. We have no special plans for New Years, and that's OK by me.

Today let's eat carefully. . . .

Made it home safe and sound, with sanity mostly intact.

It will take a few days to evaluate the damage of the less than stellar eating. The scale is up about ten pounds, but I know from experience that most of that is water gain, and if I push the fluids, cut out the salt, and return to low-carb, most of it will be gone in 4 or 5 days, so I'm giving myself until the weekend before changing my ticker. It's funny how an inaccurate ticker can inspire me to work harder to make it true. I hate feeling like a "liar" so the inaccuracy actually inspires me to work harder. Maybe I need to always keep my ticker at one pound less than reality, so that I'm always striving to reach that dangling carrot.

Checking in -

Glad you are home safe and sound, and without adopting any of those doggies you met.

Yes, getting the Christmas lbs. off can be a challenge, but that type of weight tends to come off quickly. Mine did. And I don't change my ticker unless and until there has been a significant weight change.

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions, however I am planning to focus on getting myself well under that 130 mark so that I have a bit of leeway during 2011. It may happen, it may not. I'm not particularly worried about it.

My big focus is to continue to do my exercise and eat a good mix of healthy foods, thereby staving off the inevitable as long as possible.

Hello to anyone reading this,

Colleen - I agree that most of your gain is probably water weight. And yes, do what you have to do to motivate yourself to stay OP!

JoJo - your focus sounds spot-on!

I'm happy to say that I lost 2.6 in the month of December. I can't remember ever losing in December before. Total gone now is 52 pounds. Slow, but consistent.

Here's to a healthy, happy New Year!

Hi folks.. I have been doing the Richard Simmons Foodmover plan again since early November 2010. It's a real comfortable plan for me. I loved the old, old Weight Watchers Exchange plan, too. I had been doing calorie counting a long time and needed to change it up. I was scheduled for surgery last year and I thought following exchanges would be easier to manage while I was recouperating. The surgery was cancelled... but, I've stayed with the exchanges.

Hi, Beverly:

If it works for you, stick with it. I've been using my Foodmover more or less regularly for 11 years now, and it is still working for me. In fact I am maintaining my weight-loss now.

Let's just keep plugging along with this weight-loss business. We are in this for the rest of our lives.

Have a great day.

Hi Jojojo - I don't actually use my Foodmover (although, I still have it). I write down all the categories with corresponding lines to X on during the day in my journal - as I eat varioius foods. I have a notebook that I keep all journally stuff there.. So it's in there.

It's a good plan.

You are right... we must keep plugging along.

Hi, Beverly:

It's confession time. I still have my Foodmover, too. It sits on the end table next to my recliner, but I seldom open it any more. I do follow the Exchange Plan, but I just do it as I remember it. My Foodmover serves as a coaster for my coffee cup.

Whatever works, right? Have a good day.

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the Exchange Plan but not new to 3FC. I am ready to begin the Food Mover Program and I'm thinking that exchanges are the way for me to go. I have just ordered some books and have been doing scads of research. I'm excited to do this!!!

Thanks!
Gwen

Hi Gwen,

I love exchange plans. I started on Weight Watcher's for the first time and my first exchange plan in 1974 (I was eight years old). I was really disappointed when WW switched over to the points system (somewhere around 1997 I think).

I wish they had at least continued to put exchange information in their cookbooks. I wish all cookbooks that included nutritional information included exchange plan information, but some people consider it obsolete (which is odd logic considering how many exchange plans and exchange plan cookbooks continue to published every year.

In a lot of ways I think it's easier than calorie counting (once you have the basics down), and it's an easy way to focus on balance. No matter what you consider balance (I laughed when I read someone criticising exchange plans for being "too high carb" because the person missed the obvious - you can choose any configuration of exchanges that you want, so if you want fewer carbs, swap out some of the carby exchanges for less carby ones (swapping breads for proteins is the most common switch).

I think one of the reasons our little thread keeps dying, is that unlike other diet plans, we tend not to compare our plan to the other plans, and there's no need to ask "can I eat this" on this plan - so that leaves us without much to say.

I wonder if sharing recipes, or cookbook recommendations/reviews might help.

Hi, Gwen - best of luck to you with your Foodmover and the exchange plan. If there is any way I can be of help to you, please do not hesitate to ask.

I'm a firm believer in the value of exchange plans. I lost my weight using the Richard Simmons Foodmover, and it worked well for me.

I have several of the RS recipe books, and also some other recipe books that list exchanges.

Let's all just keep plugging along.