Ok, here's the inaugural post of the newest "5-10 pound" weight loss thread. Here's to all of us seeing our goal weights again by August.

And here's to enjoying all summer has to offer while we try to lose those lbs.! I plan to eat fresh berries, corn on the cob, BBQ, lots of new salads from my salad book, etc. I'm going to kayak, SUP and bike whenever I can, go to two open art shows and a couple of music festivals, see some summer blockbusters, and just hang out in my backyard with my cats.

Now if only the $#*& weather would co-operate!

Dagmar

Welcome summer! Welcome summer thread!

I intend to have a watermelon instead of a birthday cake - taking into account neurodoc's post about its calories, of course.

I'm going to try to trust that I've fully adapted to my new job, and, like a surfer crouching on a surfboard, let myself stand upright and ride the waves. I'm going to actually schedule vacation in the next few months and take my hard-earned time off, rather than carrying it over into the next year and risking losing some of it.

And I'm going to continue my exercises in loosening up my rigidity and opening up my life.

I bought strawberries, blueberries and bananas yesterday. I never have trouble getting enough fruit it is the vegies I have trouble with. It seems like they are such a nuisance to prepare before you can actually eat them. Now, fruit, wash and go !

I eat plenty of vegetables, but have trouble fitting in the fruit, and all this talk of watermelon is making me want some. I did buy a melon assortment--including watermelon--and it'll be part of tonight's dinner.

Off to San Diego for the day. DH and I are going to the Pacific Builder's Show at the convention center. Long drive for something I consider a tad boring, but at least I'll be away from work. It can be extra boring when DH isn't in the office.

I'm OK with the scale # and want to focus on fitness. Looking to spend a lot of time outside this summer. I already look much better in a swimsuit than at this time last year which is great. I feel encouraged after a nice long run yesterday and an insatiable craving for...salad.

Thanks for the new thread, Andrea!

I find I'm needing to step away from the number on the scale for a bit, as well as my focus on "restriction." Both of those things have messed with my head the last month or so, and I think contributed to some of my overeating episodes. I'm still going to count calories, but I'm going to stay closer to 1300-1400 per day instead of the 1200-1250 per day I've been sticking to. I need to remind myself that a consistent 1400 per day is better than 1200 a day for the weekdays, then 3000+ on the weekends.

My big goals for the summer are to change habits. Specifically:
- Social situations do not always call for excess food and drink. In fact, they RARELY do.
- No more "pattern binges." Those are just a habit, at this point.
- I miss writing in my journal and on my personal blog. I used to do that a lot more, and that was a really nice creative outlet. I want to do that more and build up a new habit.

My thoughts for this rainy Thursday!

I would like for it to change from November to June please. Then I can actually start getting interested in salad recipes, instead of wanting to bake cookies (I have become a fan of a reality show where people bake) and then crawling into the still warm oven.

BLEAGH!

Dagmar

For me it's gotta be by July 13, when we're having relatives at our cottage. That gives me just over 5 weeks. I'd like to lose about 5 pounds, so it's doable.

Freelance

I just want to get down under my redline (135 lbs.) by a couple of lbs. and stay there. I will make my target date July 22 just because that happens to be when we take possession of the new house.

Dagmar

I'll be visiting my family down south July 10 - 20, so I would like to be 4-5 lbs. less by then. I'm in!


JenMusic, I have to ask, what is a "pattern binge"?

Lin - The "pattern binges" are what I've decided to call the recent overeating times, when I was eating out of habit (as opposed to emotional stressors, which happens at times, too). They almost always follow the same pattern:

- There's always a social event involved, be it dinner with the bf, or a group of friends, or even just meeting at someone's house.
- Somewhere along the line, I stopped actively making a plan for these situations, so AFTER I get somewhere and see all the delicious food, I start to make poor choices.
- I may have a beer or a glass of wine. If that happens, look out.
- If there is sugar in the vicinity it will go in my mouth.
- I will decide I've totally blown it for the day, so I might as well keep eating.
- Finally, if I leave the social situation and am still feeling like I want to keep eating, I've been known to stop for ice cream. For real.

So yeah, there's the pattern. Specifics might change but my thoughts are mostly the same: I don't plan at all (even planning to overeat would be an improvement), I decide I've blown it, and just start eating junk. After the conversations we've been having here on 3FC and the books I've been reading, I really do think these times are mostly just habit at this point, ingrained behavior, and I need to actively break the habit.

Which leads me to . . . . tonight! Some friends were meeting at a local brewery for a tour and tasting. I knew this was going to be a danger zone, but I planned and stuck to the plan.
- Filling snack before we met.
- 3 small beer pours at the tasting.
- When everyone else wanted to do dinner after, I went and had a cup of soup. Bonus - the soup was maybe one of the yummiest things I've had in a while. Very spicy green chile with a little ground pork.

Completely on plan and under calories for the day, but even more, I proved I can do this. I used to do this all the time while losing weight, I just have to get back to that mindset - not deprivation, but also not a total free-for-all.

Jen, that soup sounds amazing. Was it the new brewery that opened downtown? And I agree - patterns patterns patterns.

I've had a terrible week. Working catering all week, so driving everyday to Norcross which should be one of the levels of h e double l. 28 year old friend had a mini stroke on Tuesday so DH was at the hospital all day. MIL thinks her cancer is back and was refusing to find d a new doctor that takes Medicare -I finally called her old doctor and begged. Planning a baby shower for 50 on Saturday - hard. Today the honoree couple had to put their dog down - stomach cancer. DH picked DSS up from camp today and he was vomiting and sick - Again. Hadn't eaten all day, nothing since some milk and a handful of cheerios this morning. Back to catering tomorrow, then cooking for shower. So I had ice cream for dinner. Patterns.

I need a break. Before I have a breakdown.

Thanks for the new thread, Andrea!