GD
everyone and Happy September!! I am always so
relieved we got through another summer since work slows down so much for DH and then the excessive heat this past summer meant living in a/c all the time which is the equivalent of being indoors during a very cold Northern winter. You just want to climb the walls sometimes!
Beverlyjoy I think you have brought up one of the linchpins of successful and long term sustainable weight lose: not to see "getting through" tough situations, whatever they might be, by either overeating/ undereating, overexercising/ underexercising or basically not following your plan as you had before all that happened.
I have had three days of "just under" 1800 calories (white knuckling last night from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. and sleeping poorly until I finally fell asleep around 5 a.m. only to awaken at 10 a.m.) only to find out I "gained" 3 lbs!! What!!
That's not how it suppose to work, right??
Well, my strategy is:
I do not plan on doing anything different than what I am doing right now. Yes, I took two days in a row off from the strength/cardio exercises I had been doing but I was just so exhausted and sleeping 8 hours nightly wasn't helping. However, I am anxious to get back to that because I have "irrational" fears about newly-acquired muscles turning to mush as I write this. I don't have anything "forbidden" in my home right now that I could "overeat". Sauteed spinach (which I had last night and was good even cold!)? Nary a Kit Kat to be found.....
So, I "just keep swimming" (quote from Dora the blue fish in "Finding Nemo")
I have to say across the board: I really admire how so many of you have handled family "challenges" by pre-planning, toughing it out, or whatever in spite of all the "unknowns". You all are just so brave.
My DH and I have discussed traveling back to MN for the holidays. Now, my son will be alone then and so I am more inclined to go to PA for Christmas this year and forego going to MN for Thanksgiving but I will you all the "real truth" behind my decision. Yes, I don't want my son to be alone on the holidays [there is some family tension about his lifestyle choices but he is my child so matter what!] so there is definitely that but I simply don't want to have to deal with a ton of family issues on top of me really wanting to get this blasted weight "off my back", butt and waist (and wherever else it is hanging onto).
As I have mentioned before, my son is a vegan and he doesn't cook much but Philly has some really nice vegan restaurants, which he has taken us to, and I think we could do that instead of all the loads of junk our two respective families eat. Being this overweight is a mental stress as it is without adding all that "stuff" besides. No, it wouldn't make me happy to see them. Not at this time and what I am going through. When I get focused on doing something, I do not want to be disturbed(which is probably disturbing in of itself, I guess).
You know, when an alcoholic is recovering, they are strongly urged to not frequent former places where they "practiced" their addiction. Why do we not get the same courtesy?? No one would ever dream of offering a recovering addict his former "blow" but how many times does a person who is working on weight issues offered their "poison"? Whether that will happen or not is inconsequential; I do not want to put myself in the position of having to "be strong enough" to deal with it. Call me a coward and I will gladly accept that moniker. I just know my "limits". I have many strengths but enticing holiday food is not one of them!! The only way I can think of getting out of that is to stand out in the rain and catch a cold on purpose.
Okay, I will step off my soapbox for now. Anyway, my strategy is to hold up a cruxifix and say "Get thee behind me, Satan!"
On a similar "thread", I am also trying to illicit support to do a back-to-back Buddy Challenge through the "food holidays". Every year for as long as I can remember, I have taken off the time from Halloween to the Super Bowl to eat whatever I felt like. Seriously!! The best case scenario: I maintained my weight lose. The worst case scenario: I regained 10 lbs. Well, whether I have anyone who will bite at that "challenge" or not, I am going to do my best to not succumb to all the delectables this coming season. I have a ton of revised healthier versions of side dishes to go along with the turkey and or goose. I also have a great cookbook for desserts(for diabetics) that I have had for several years. The summer sausage, salty nuts, crackers and heavenly cheeses; et al, will just have to remain at the store.
What thoughts does everyone else have??? I'd like to know as well. I'm already tense just anticipating this.
Stats for 8/31 (day 23):
**1784 calories 3220 mg sodium 26 grams fiber
**decided to take an additional "DOR" from "specific" exercise and continue to work on the project in my bedroom. Got to hit the floor running though today.
**F/V: banana, apple, tomato, carrot and spinach
**Sugar N
**Water not a specific amt
**Sleep: with an afternoon nap I got 8 hr
**Post Y
**Planned: Note: I keep a "clean" kitchen so I eat what is available, have a general idea the night before but sometimes, depending on when I get up, things change. [Why eat breakfast if it is close to lunch?] I focus more on having a balanced food plan covering all the nutrients and getting in a wide variety of food. "Eat the Rainbow".
**Log Food
-"Always Every Day Every Bite No Matter What!"