Nurture and Nourish: November 2021 Check-in & Accountability Thread

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  • Welcome to the November 2021 daily weigh-in/check-in! This is an open invitation to one and all to join our little block party where no one's a stranger.

    This month's theme centers around nurture and nourishment. November is one of the comfort months. In the Northern Hemisphere we dig out our jackets and coats, wrap ourselves sweaters and warm blankets, and take comfort in heartier food choices to sustain us. November also ushers in a time for family, friends and in the United States.

    So what's your plan as we move through the fall? Do you have any special projects that have been on the back burner knowing that you'd attend to them once the shorter days and longer nights arrived? Any plans to spend more time outside now that the trees have fully exploded in color? Are you anticipating visits from extended family and friends this month? Each person's path to nourish and nurture themselves and their life will be different. I don't think it's a coincidence that as the year winds down so do parts of nature. Some animals hibernate, rivers and lakes freeze, and some plants go dormant. They're taking a respite from their active work and preparing for future growth. While there is no right or wrong way to nurture and nourish ourselves, we can all learn from they rhythms of the natural world.

    Here you can:
    ~track your weight daily, weekly or however you'd like ... but do check in
    ~keep track of what you eat or didn't eat
    ~keep track of your water intake or lack of
    ~keep track of your exercise/other goals
    ~vent, rant ... express yourself or just chit-chat

    Wishing everyone a lovely November. May the month treat us kindly.
    __________________
  • Good morning

    I'll start with my usual observation, I can't believe we're at the beginning of another month! The university where I work started fall quarter in late September and I thought October would slow down a bit. I was overly optimistic. Early in the month we were finalizing our annual fall welcome for transfer students, only to be followed by our awards tea that we host for the winners of the scholarships that we coordinate out of our office. This year, through the generosity of two donors, we awarded nearly $200,000 worth of scholarships. In between all the coordination that those required there's the day-to-day work that needs to be done.

    I'm grateful that my weight has stayed the same within 1.5 pounds. I also noticed that during this really busy period I would either skip meals or have limited time to eat so would eat half my lunch in the afternoon and the rest either as a snack or dinnertime. When I was super busy, I really wasn't hungry. And if half my lunch turned into a snack, I significantly less at dinner. Clearly, boredom eating is something I need to be more mindful of.

    Happy Monday!


  • Doing a little catch-up from October

    loganandlivsmom: HUGE congratulations on reaching ONEDERLAND! It's been so satisfying seeing all the work you've put into your health and your consistency over time being rewarded!

    RunningRedHead: Glad to hear that your program accreditation went well! Prepping for one of those is a major undertaking but positive results are worth it. I'm sure you and your colleagues are happy to have that in your rearview mirror. Count me in as a New England fall foliage fan. I was a nanny in Connecticut after I graduated from high-school and the fall season was just breathtaking!

    William47: I've always admired how insightful and transparent you are with your real feelings about going through the weight-loss process. Many of the things you write about resonate with me personally, and I'm sure it's the same with others. Our lives are all different but we all experience successes and challenges along the way.
    Martine
  • Good morning

    Not a whole lot to report today. After a dreary start to the week, Tuesday has turned into a and lovely day. My university has provided some flexibility for anyone who can work from home so yesterday was a remote work day for me. I work in Student Life and our Vice Chancellor has allowed for two days of remote work which I think is very generous. Even though my staff isn't new, all but one were hired during the pandemic and are new to campus. It made sense to me to be in person as much as I could until they acclimate to being and working in the office setting. It's a transition being in-person when you've spent a year working remote.

    Other than this, it's shaping up to be a regular work day. Wishing everyone a great day!

  • curvynotlumpy thank you again for this monthly thread. It’s nice to hear that things are slowly coming back to normal at work for you, but that you are also allowed to work from home on certain days. It makes sense to spend time in the office to get the most recent hires used to in-person work. We’re still not allowed back to our regional office, even though our provincial government has given the go-ahead. Once we are back, we too will be able to work from home 2 days per week.

    After months of trying to find an appointment at various walk-in clinics, I decided to cave and pay (a lot of money) to see a private nurse practitioner, to get a complete check-up. I constantly feel tired and cold, so I want to rule any physical conditions. My appointment was yesterday and now I have to book blood work. The nurse was incredibly positive and supportive, not pushing about my weight but rather encouraging me to get moving again to help with my borderline high blood pressure.

    My goals for this month are to walk at least 30 minutes each day, drink 2L of water daily and keep eating within my calorie range. I hope to be able to add back exercise at some point.

    Have a great month of November everyone!
  • curvynotlumpy Thank you so much! It's been a long road (15 months or so) but I am very happy with the new me. I think you are right about boredom eating when you said "Clearly, boredom eating is something I need to be more mindful of." A lot of us are that way or even eating out of habit like eating popcorn at the movies with tons of butter. Nobody was hungry they just wanted it. LOL

    Martine I hope you feel better soon!
    My bp was borderline before too. I can relate. Even if you can't can't get all the walking in with watching your calories daily you will definitely lose. That is what I have been doing. I write every little thing I eat down and the calories. It keeps me honest.

    RunningRedHead Where are you? Hope all is well with you.
  • Curvy: Thank you, as ever, for continuing the monthly thread. Although I’ve been quiet, I’ve been lurking here and there. You stating that your semester so far has been one thing after another really resonated with me. I feel like this year is so much busier than last year ever was and I haven’t had a chance to catch my mental breath. So glad to hear your weight has stayed stable despite all the stress—amazing the impact being busy can have on boredom eating (I struggle with that frequently as well!).

    Martine: So glad to hear you had a positive experience with the NP you went to see—the approach to care and goals can make all the difference. all is well with you and your blood work went well (or at least gives you answers you’re looking for).

    Loganandlivsmom: on reaching ONEDERLAND! I’m so happy for you, that’s absolutely wonderful!

    Now that we’re more than halfway through November, a little update—things have been hectic to say the least.

    - I derailed myself with a piece or three of Halloween candy, but just in time for Thanksgiving, I’m tracking strictly again. My boyfriend’s parents are coming to stay with us from the 18th to Dec. 1st and I’m nervous but so very excited! I’ve not met them in person (because pandemic and they’re from England—travel restricitons ).

    - I finally got into to see an orthopedist to work up my hip pain. This issue started around Christmas of 2017 when I was still at my highest weight—the answer was “you’re obese, you need to lose weight, it’s tendonitis. Go to physical therapy.” 4 years later, a wonderful surgical PA finally heard me and I had an arthrogram; instead of the dye and numbing agent making it stiff as they said it would, I felt relief—I have a torn labrum and am getting a cortisone shot next week before meeting with a surgeon to discuss treatment. I’m really looking forward to getting treatment and being able to enjoy running and yoga again.

    My plan for the rest of the month is to get outside with Loki every day that I have her (she stays with my parents on really long work days), and track my intake closesly now that work is settling down for me (still overall busy, but after Thursday all my lectures for the semester are done).

    Sorry, that was a long one-- now that I've caught up, I won't write essays!


    10/14: 225.7
    10/31: 233.0
    CW: 232.2

    GW: 229.9

    Week 1:
    11/1: 232.2 (-0.8)
    11/2: 230.0 (-2.2)
    11/3: 230.9 (+0.9)
    11/4: 229.6 (-1.3)
    11/5: 229.6 (+/-0)
    11/6: 229.2 (-0.4)
    11/7:229.8 (+0.6)
    Week 2:
    11/8: 232.5 (+2.7)
    11/9: 233.2 (+0.7)
    11/10: NWI
    11/11: 229.9 (-3.3)
    11/12: 229.9 (+/-0)
    11/13: 231.3 (+1.4)
    11/14:NWI
    Week 3:
    11/15: 229.8 (-1.5)
    11/16: 230.3 (+0.5)
  • Yay!! RunningRedHead is back! So glad to see you checking in! Don't apologize for "essays". It's more real to see a glimpse of what's going on for you. I am glad you are getting answers about your hip pain. I have heard this from many others that docs blow off issues for obese people and tell them to "just lose weight." I know your bf's parents will love you if you they don't already. You are a great catch. Parents just want their son to have a good partner and be in a healthy relationship. It's a relief when they are. Just because your "kid" is grown you never stop worrying about them. (My son is 26 so I have some knowledge of this.) LOL I am glad you are tracking again too, we all know that is the best we can do really. Thanks for the congrats! The good news is I am still in ONEDERLAND.


    I realized that I never stated a goal this month. My goal is to try to get to 195 now. I am 196 even today. I am officially no longer obese and am just overweight now . It always sounded funny to me to say my goal was to be overweight. Now I met the goal! I know it's "only one pound" but that's how I like to do it. Slower means I still get to eat enough and don't feel like I am starving like some on a starvation short term diet feel. Onward and downward friends!
  • Loganandlivsmom: So glad to hear you’re still kicking butt in Onederland and you’ve moved into your next goal weight range! Way to go!

    I’ve had a whoosh over the past week or so—between tracking and being back on plan again, and shark week causing that water retention to be released, I’m thinking about changing my goal weight for the last week and a couple days to 226.0 I hope everyone had a lovely, restful weekend!

    SW: 232.2
    11/14 231.3
    GW: 229.9

    Week 3:
    11/15: 229.8 (-1.5)
    11/16: 230.3 (+0.5)
    11/17: 229.3 (-1.0)
    11/18: 229.7 (+0.4)
    11/19: 228.5 (-1.2)
    11/20: 228.5 (+/-0)
    11/21: 228.1 (-0.4)
    Total for week 3: -3.2
    Total for November: -4.1

    Week 4:
    11/22: 226.8 (-1.3)
  • Just a quick update for me today.

    SW: 232.2
    11/21: 228.1
    GW: 229.9 226.0

    Week 4:
    11/22: 226.8 (-1.3)
    11/23: 226.9 (+0.1)
  • RunningRedHead Thanks so much! I like the image of kicking butt in Onderland. LMAO It sounds like you are doing great! It's great you are giving yourself a lower goal during the holidays. I bet many just use the excuse that it's impossible, but we know it isn't if you try. At least we won't gain!

    No weight loss to report. Really right now I am slightly up. It seems to be my normal cycle. I get to a new low, stay there a few days and it seems to go up and then down to a newer low. I don't let the upticks bother me too much. I know it could be water retention from carbs, too much sodium, whatever. Eventually it will go down again.
    Happy Thanksgiving!
  • Hello everyone,

    It is very nice to meet you all. I have been reading some of your posts and I am very glad to hear about your successes and come backs.


    RunningRedHead I am so happy to hear that you are finally getting the medical treatment you need. As a doctor (and patient) myself, it is always hard to hear how treatment was delayed due to physician's biases. Hope everything keeps going well and the treatment offered solves your problem.


    I originally joined more than a year ago to restart my weightless journey, however I was not able to keep up with my dieting/exercise plan kind of early on in the game. Now I am back and I have restarted at 255 lbs, I've set up my meal and fitness plans for this week (maybe not a great idea right before the main holidays but I cannot wait any longer).

    I would love to hear some suggestions to a particular problem that seems to trump me up every time. Most of the people in my life are very thin, eat whatever/whenever they want and only exercise for fun occasionally. It is very tempting to eat and act like they do but I definitely do not have the metabolism for that. I have a really hard time telling my partner I do not want to get the same things she does at the grocery store or at the restaurant, or having to always cook special for me at home. It is especially tempting to see bad carbs and sugary drinks constantly in our fridge. I have asked in the past if we could change both of our eating and exercising lifestyles (since even though she is thin, it still is not healthy for her) and she agrees for about 3 weeks and then goes back to her previous habits. I have come to the conclusion that the work is going to fall solely on me (which is something I should have realized earlier) and I would love to hear about your experiences with this type of situation, as well as your suggestions and techniques to avoid falling into temptation.


    I'm sorry for the long post. I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and Happy Thanksgiving to the people who'll celebrate it this week.
  • Welcome Tzabek! You are right when you wrote that it's up to you (and each of us) when it comes to what we eat or don't eat. I have been there with my husband. He isn't thin, but thinks he wants to lose weight every once in a while, but never sticks with it too long. My best advice is to focus solely on your calories. I looked up calories needed to maintain weight calculators and saw how many calories I would need to maintain my ideal weight and it was 1600. At my highest weight it was 2200 calories if sedentary which I basically am. I made sure I stayed below 2000 normally and sometimes would even just have the 1600 (getting used to the amount of calories I will need to eat to maintain my goal weight).I started last August. It's been over a year now but I have gone from 264 to now 196. It's slow to some, but I am not starving and learning what it will be like to maintain my goal weight. I have lost weight several times in the past (even 50 pounds). In the past I would semi starve at 1200 calories to lose weigh, but of course you can't semi starve long term.

    Exercise all you'd like, I am just saying it's more about the calories than movement. I saw someone say you can't outrun a bad diet and it's true. You can eat a handful of cookies in minutes but it would take hours to walk it off. I hope this helps and makes sense! You've got this! Looking forward to seeing your progress!
  • Loganandlivsmom:Glad to hear the normal weight loss roller coaster isn’t getting you down! I find sometimes the upticks get in my head, but lately I’ve been trying to be more mindful of the fact that weight loss is far from linear.

    Tzabek: Thank you for the kind words and welcome back! It is very challenging to stick to a particular way of eating when others in your house either don’t support it or don’t follow it also. I’m very lucky in that my boyfriend, for the most part, does low carb (I stick to a more whole food based keto way of eating). Even if he goes for bread, he rarely goes for sugary snacks, and when he does so, it’s usually while he’s away for work. We do have roommates though, who are not nearly as mindful of sugar and processed carbs, so there is tempting junk food in the house. I don’t try to persuade them to change their way of eating. Just because it would be good for them (and easier for me!) doesn’t mean it’s my place to try to change them—they have to want to make that change for themselves or it will never stick. The two things I’ve found that work best for dealing with this are of a more cognitive-behavioral approach: focusing on myself (I can’t control what they do, but I can control what I do or eat); and shifting from a mindset of “I can’t eat that,” to “I don’t eat that.” Other people can eat all the cakes, pies, and stuffing they like, but I don’t eat that-- really does make it easier. And if I’m ever sad about it I have a piece of cheese or some stuffed olives (I’m a savory snack person). Good on you for setting up your food plan and exercise for the week—planning for success is half the battle!

    Given the fact that I ate far more food than I should have over the past week (and drank far more wine than necessary), I’m actually impressed my weight didn’t fluctuate higher than it did! It’s been a fun week and a half of getting to know and visit with Boyfriend’s parents. The very worst part of the semester is behind me, and I took the GRE yesterday, so it’s all downhill from here! I hope everyone celebrating had a fantastic holiday. Now that I’ve had my cortisone shot, I’m very much looking forward to getting back into some hot yoga (starting out gently of course). Let’s finish the month (and the year ) strong!

    SW: 232.2
    11/21: 229.4
    GW: 229.9 226.0

    Week 4:
    11/22: 226.8 (-1.3)
    11/23: 226.9 (+0.1)
    11/24: 226.4 (-0.5)
    11/25: 226.6 (+0.2)
    11/26: 227.8 (+1.2)
    11/27: 228.9 (+1.1)
    11/28: 229.4 (+0.5)
    Total for week 4: +1.3
    Total for November: -2.8

    Final days:
    11/29: 228.9
  • SW: 232.2
    11/28: 229.4
    GW: 229.9 226.0

    Final days:
    11/29: 228.9 (-0.5)
    11/30: 228.1 (-0.8)
    Total for final days: -1.3
    Total for November: -4.1