my progress
 

well, after a good first week of the new healthy eating regime, i had a couple of days where i was a) eating too much at night (mostly healthy stuff , but still overdoing it, i think) , b) not drinking nearly enough water and c) indulging in some wheat/jam/butter.

i confirmed something that i have long suspected though, so it's not a total loss ... i am almost certain that wheat gives me morning headaches. i have been keeping a log and with very few exceptions, if i eat wheat the night before. i will be woken early with a headache. eating wheat earlier in the day doesn't seem to affect me as much but if i eat it at night, 9 times out of 10 i am going to have a headache in the morning. oatmeal is also a suspect.

so the goal for today is ... clean eating, adequate water, and NO WHEAT !

hope you are all doing well.

progress report ...

friday, nov27 ... declined a large sugary cupcake after the boys' final football game. in the future i will be able to partake in big celebrations like this, but i felt that i had to exercise a little willpower right now. got a decent amount of water in me but did a bit too much late night eating. healthy eating, mind you, but too much of it.

saturday ... woke up with a headache; i strongly suspect that i am sensitive to oatmeal and i did have some the night before. again, a good amount of water was consumed and ate clean all day. late night eating was way down only because i had almost nothing in the house that was 'ready-to-eat'.

today (sunday) ... no headache this morning and the scale rewarded me for 2 days of good work. grocery shopping today. who thought they would ever look forward to having cottage cheese and frozen strawberries in the fridge ? will have to make sure i don't buy anything that is going to tempt me late at night. this is a big challenge for me.

monday ... off the rails a bit ... got bored, ate 4 slices bread, 6 slices junky sandwich meat, 1/2 cup milk, couple of tablespoons peanut butter, some jam ... a better diet than most north americans eat on any given day but not good enough for me. woke up with a headache this morning from the bread ... no surprise there.

the good news is that i got a goodly amount of water into me again. no excuses today. i have plenty to keep me busy and a good supply of healthy food to eat. i seem to be taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back, so that IS progress.

tuesday, dec. 1 ... ate clean today (with the exception of some rye crackers, which resulted in a mild morning headache on wednesday). drank a good amount of water, but did too much late night eating. once again, healthy eating, but TOO MUCH of it.

wednesday, dec. 2 ... morning headache (see above). once again i ate healthy but STILL had some rye crackers (when will i learn ?). hoping i won't be woken early with yet another headache.
wasn't happy with the morning weigh-in today and decided i had to make a change. from now on, the kitchen is CLOSED from 9:00PM til morning. i have been a late-night eater for as long as i can remember and it is VERY common in my family. this will be difficult but i am determined to change this habit. the weird thing is, i actually find the thought of it scary.

thursday dec. 3 ... as expected, slight morning headache from eating crackers the day before. ate a few around mid-day today then fed the rest to the birds. i am done with that. having eaten this early in the day i might dodge a headache tomorrow morning but regardless, i can not and will not keep crackers or bread in the house anymore.

succeeded in closing the kitchen at 9:00pm last night. it was difficult and i did not sleep well at all, but i am determined to make this a permanent life-style change. it is the only way i am going to be able to lose the weight that i want to lose and to keep it off, since the majority of my calorie intake happens after 6pm most days.

still doing reasonably well with water intake. could do better but i have improved immensely in this area, so i am please about that.

friday dec. 4 ... no morning headache. as i suspected, eating those crackers early in the day did not have the same effect as when i eat them late at night. there were none in the house to eat today, so i expect to be fine in the morning.

i have found that when i remember to pour a glass of water i have no trouble drinking it at all; i just never developed that habit ; instead, i would reach for food, not even realizing that i was thirsty, not hungry.

shut the kitchen down again at 9:00pm last night, and again didn't sleep particularly well. when i woke up to go to the bathroom i was tempted by 1/4 of a grapefruit that i knew was in the fridge, but i resisted.

i have found that chicken poached in water in a deep frying pan with a few vegetables and seasonings is delicious. no need for calorie-laden cooking oil at all !

sat. dec. 5 ... while grocery shopping today i lingered in the aisle where the crackers were, trying to somehow justify buying a box even though i know for sure that wheat will usually give me a headache. in the end, i made the smart choice.

scale showed 200lbs today, so that was rewarding. will change my current weight when it shows 200 or less for 3 days in a row. ate clean all day; water intake not as high as i would like but not too bad. it's past 9:00pm as i write this so the kitchen is now closed. hoping to start getting a better nights sleep as i get accustomed to not eating all evening. not sleep deprived though because i can always have a mid-day nap.

using a day counter from now on, instead of just the date. i have now been at this for 20 days so ...

day 20 ...

another successful day of clean eating and adequate water intake. i think i might have slept better last night or maybe it's just wishful thinking ? sooner or later my body/brain has to adjust to no late-night eating. had pasta with onions and scallops for dinner. hoping that i don't get a headache from the pasta; i'm not sure if it affects me the way that bread and crackers do. will find out in the morning i suppose.

the mall that i do much of my shopping at has a cobs bread franchise right at the bottom of the escalator. to me the smell of fresh baked bread, etc. is intoxicating, but i managed to get through it and carry on with my business.

day 21 ...

broke my own rule of no eating after 9pm but at least i didn't go overboard; just a banana and a half cup of cottage cheese around 1am. no eating tonight !

bought some canned crab meat today ...was totally disappointed with how it tasted. this stuff really needs a couple of tablespoons of seafood sauce in order to taste good. forced myself to finish it because it's difficult for me to throw away edible food. really though, i should have tossed it and walked over to the store for a couple of pieces of fruit. bad choice. food should be enjoyed.

all in all, i am managing the "clean eating " thing pretty well, i think, but i am not so sure i am keeping the overall calorie intake as low as i should. will be keeping a close eye on the scale. water intake was not as good as i would have liked but still miles better than i was doing in the bad old days. i am determined to have a good entry tomorrow night.

day 22 ...

no late night eating last night !

it's now 930pm and i am only just now making dinner, so technically breaking the 'no eating after 9' rule, but that's fine as it IS actually dinner. drank enough water today and ate clean again today. so an all around successful day, even though i was pathetically sedentary due to the lousy weather.

realizing that i really do like brussels sprouts, so that is a great addition to the eating regime. also, frozen fruit is my friend. i thaw the bag in the fridge and then bring it up to room temperature on the counter. when i am ready to eat some i usually warm it up just slightly in the microwave. an entire 600 gram bag of frozen strawberries is only about 300 calories so i indulge in the whole bag, guilt-free, throughout the day.

day 23 ...

caved in again and ate a banana late last night in spite of having a VERY late dinner. it's hard, but i really have to break this habit in order to keep total calories down.

that aside, weigh-in was good this morning, drank plenty of water today and ate clean all day. kept myself fairly busy so snacking due to boredom was way down.

grocery shopping tomorrow; gonna get me some really ripe bananas and some carob chips and make a bunch of banana/carob "ice cream" to have for dessert. the carob chips are probably sweetened with sugar but i won't be using many.

day 24 ...

water intake ... good;
eating clean ... sort of good ... had about 1/2 cup of white rice with some delicious stew. in the bad old days i would have gorged on it, so i am calling it a draw.
couldn't find any carob chips and after looking at the calorie count of semi-sweet chocolate chips i declined to buy them. too many calories. will just make my banana "ice cream" with no added ingredients; it's delicious anyway.
another VERY late dinner tonight. will do my best to not eat a single bite now until morning.

day 24 1/2 ...

i usually post an entry at night, but i wanted to do this one while it's still fresh in my mind.

was knocked out of bed early this morning with a nasty headache. i haven't been bothered by a morning headache since i threw away the last of my wheat crackers exactly a week ago. i had 1/2 cup of rice last night but i just realized that the yogurt i bought was not lactose-free, so i have 2 prime suspects. i REALLY think it was the lactose but i need to figure this out. going to roll the dice and buy some sushi from the restaurant down the street. will make sure i have painkillers and water by my bedside when i go to sleep tonight. i am lactose intolerant (a relatively recent development) so i should ALWAYS be buying lactose-free dairy products anyway.

day 25 ...

only got 3 or 4 glasses of water into me today. managed to eat clean though. nightime eating still a MAJOR challenge. i am not bingeing like the bad old days, but i always seem to go for a banana or some strawberries with yogurt. i am determined to overcome this old habit because i really need to keep the calories down (even though they are healthy calories, they are still excess calories to my needs). scale still hovering around 200lbs. has been that way for almost a week and i'm not going to change my current weight until statistic it holds at under 200 for 3 straight days.

day 26 ...

scale at 199.5 this morning.

had some sushi last night as planned and NO headache whatsoever as a result, so the previous days headache was likely caused by the lactose in the yogurt (which is gone now, and buying nothing but lactose-free from now on).
in fact, i had the best nights sleep that i have had in a while. not going to make sushi a regular part of my diet but i will definitely make note of how well i sleep the next time i do have some.

night-time eating ...FAIL;
water intake ...WIN;
clean eating ...WIN.

day 26.5 ...

another morning posting because i want to get some stuff down while i still remember and because today is a good day ...

morning weigh-in 198.5. nice to see progress. looking forward to the day that i notice my pants are getting loose.

woke up with a headache, undoubtedly due to me finishing off the container of yogurt that was NOT lactose-free. it's such a relief to finally identify what has been causing these headaches that have plagued me for well over a year and have become more and more frequent.

got through the evening/night without any late night eating ...HUGE win there; AND i slept soundly, morning headache aside, reeeeally hoping that my body is adjusting to the new eating pattern.

day 27 ..

allowed myself to get bored in the first half of the day and that increased the snacking (fruit) but got myself busy in the afternoon/evening which took my mind off food, so all in all a good day.

thinking of re-intoducing oatmeal into my diet because 1) i love the stuff, 2) it contains a lot of iron and fibre and 3) it would add some much needed variety in my diet. there are downsides ... 1) it is one of the suspects that was causing me to have morning headaches, although it's quite possible that it was the milk that i had with it; would like to find out and 2) it is a high calorie food. for that reason, it may have to wait until i am in maintenance mode.

going to try my best to not engage in night-time eating tonight. if successful, that would make 2 nights in a row, and that would be HUGE !

night-time eating ...WIN;
water intake ...WIN;
clean eating ...WIN.

day 28 ...

a good day. no late night eating last night so that makes 2 in a row ...HUGE WIN !!!

night-time eating ...WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... WIN.

day 29 ...

no late night eating again last night ... 3 nights in a row !

while i was out driving i got hungry and had to stop at a gas station to use the restroom. while i was there i picked up what seemed to be the "cleanest" food that i was likely to find in a gas station; a small bag of salted peanuts. was actually quite satisfying but the calorie load was pretty intense .... a whopping 360 calories for a handful !

water ... water is my friend. i am getting more and more into the habit of pouring a glass when i think i am hungry. as often as not, i was really just thirsty. in the bad old days i would have eaten something, unneccesarily taking in calories; usually not the best kind of calories either.

the kitchen is closing in 5 minutes. if i succeed in making it through the rest of the night without eating that will make 4 nights in a row ... something that i probably haven't done in over 2 decades, if not longer.

night-time eating ...WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... WIN.

day 30 ...

was not successful in going through the whole night without eating. had trouble falling asleep and finally gave in around 3AM. brushing myself off and getting right back at it. even though i am having trouble making that particular change, clean eating and adequate water consumption are going well enough that i am encouraged and motivated. i have re-introduced oatmeal into my eating plan and since i dont keep evaporated milk around the house, i am not nearly so inclined to overdo it on the oatmeal.

the usual december rain/drizzle/showers/downpour here has been so relentless that there have been few opportunities to enjoy being outside which can lead to boredom which can lead to thoughts of snacking. for the most part i have been able to resist, and when i do give in, i only have healthy stuff in the house to eat; plus i am getting in the habit of pouring a glass of water which helps a bit. when the rain does let up, i make a point of getting out to do a bit of work or just a short walk.

night-time eating ...FAIL;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... WIN.

day 31 ...

had some sushi for dinner last night and had a headache in the morning. must be gluten sensitive. on the positive side, i managed to NOT engage in any late night eating. i will call that day 1 with many more to come.

we had a break in the rain today so i got outside for over an hour. later in the day i got bored but kept the snacking down to a minimum. water IS my friend.

today i re-introduced garlic into the eating regime. haven't bought any in quite a while and for no particular reason. it will be a welcome addition to the kitchen.

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... WIN.

day 32 ...

no late night-eating last night. that makes 2 in a row. was tempted, as always, but it seemed less intense last night. also slept quite a bit better; hoping my body/mind is adjusting to the new reality.

was out for lunch today and really took in too many calories ... soup, salad, garlic bread and of course i had to help my grandson finish his pizza. really used up a huge chunk of the days calorie allottment so i only had a salad for dinner and snacked on fruit. have to get used to the fact that there is going to be high-calorie foods within arms reach sometimes and really try to stick to the plan.

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... FAIL.

day 33 ...

no night-time eating last night so that makes 3 in a row ! this is the hardest part for me so it's also the part that i take the most pride in when i am successful.

had a busy morning but allowed myself to get bored in the afternoon/evening which always turns the temptation up a few notches. kept the snacking in check, but i am really making things harder for myself this way; i need an indoors hobby that i can immerse myself in when it is dismal outside.

had a faint headache this morning; nothing serious, but since i am not eating wheat and am strictly lactose-free with dairy, i am somewhat puzzled as to it's source. i am going to lower my computer screen to exactly eye level and see what happens.

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... WIN.

day 34 ...

no night time eating last night ... 4 in a row !!! couldn't be happier about that.

didn't sleep that well though. kept busy throughout the day which is always super helpful in keeping the temptation to snack down to a minimum.

i noticed that after breakfast, and again after finishing dinner/dessert tonight that i actually felt full. a good feeling and one that, in recent years, i haven't experience until i was PAINFULLY full. also, while i am not actually counting calories, i am definitely aware of how calorie-rich, or calorie-lean, the foods are that i am eating. i must be maintaining an adequate calorie deficit because the scale is telling me that i am.

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... WIN.

day 35 ...

no night-time eating last night ... 5 in a row !

was yanked out of my routine today due to xmas shopping with the grandkids. didn't have time to make breakfast at home so i had a high calorie/high fat/high salt fast food breakfast and followed that up by a peanut butter sandwich (white bread) for lunch. in the past i have noticed that anytime i "indulge" it makes clean eating difficult the rest of the day, but i made it through reasonably well, only snacking on fruit, oatmeal and 4 slices of turkey bacon. not sure if i scored a calorie deficit today; maybe a small one. will call the day a draw if i can get through the evening without snacking.

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... FAIL.

day36 ...

didn't quite make it through the night without eating; got up around 430am to go to the bathroom and couldn't resist having a small snack. it would have been nice to report 6 in a row but i didn't succeed. starting over in that regard.

on the plus side of the ledger, i kept busy, ate clean, drank water, and almost certainly achieved an adequate calorie deficit for the day. i am finding that i need more fibre though. i may try peas ... high in calories but also high in fibre. going to do a search to see if there is a lower calorie alternative.

night-time eating ... FAIL;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... WIN.

edit ... a quick search shows that raspberries and spinach both contain goodly amounts of fibre and both are foods that i enjoy eating ... problem solved !

day 37 ...

although hungry and very tempted, i got through the night without eating ...1 day in a row !

on the negative side of the ledger ... started the day with a high calorie/high salt/high fat, fast-food breakfast again; on top of that, my neighbour gave me some xmas cookies which she has done for the last few years now, and on top of that, my brother is visiting for xmas and there was eating to be done. i expected all this, of course, so no surprise that there will be no calorie deficit for today. i did drink my water and if i get through the night without eating i can salvage the day a little.

night-time eating ...WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ...FAIL.

day 38 ...

couldn't resist going after the souvlaki leftovers last night so got a fail on the late night eating. detemine to win tonight so as to salvage something from the day ...

christmas sweets are hitting hard ... got a small box of chocolates and just had to inhale it. went out for chinese food so no win there either. tomorrow being christmas there will be munching snacks and dessert. it will be hard to get back on track when the holidays are over, but i am still determined to do so.

night-time eating ... FAIL;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... FAIL.

day 39 ...

xmas eve and xmas day ...

didn't make it through the night without eating and the day itself went about as i expected. too many chocolates, chips, pies, etc. to resist. i thought that i could at least maintain my water intake but, sadly, that was replaced by coffee and beer. i expected this, planned on it even, but still, it's tough to see the scale erase a good weeks work overnight.
there is a lot of leftovers; so i don't see myself maintaining a calorie deficit today, but going to do my best to get water into me and stop eating at 9:00pm.

night-time eating ...FAIL;
water intake ... FAIL;
clean eating ... FAIL.

day 40 ...

actually scored a win on the late-night eating, in part because i went to bed at 930 !

did ok on water intake too, but calorie deficit went out the window again ... and then some.

will be glad when all this high-calorie food is gone.

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... FAIL.

keep it up

day 41 ...

woke up with a headache today from eating 3 slices of bread yesterday. the funny thing is, as i was eating it, i had completely forgotten about the fact that bread gives me headaches, but was acutely aware of the calorie load.

throwing out the rest of the chocolates as soon as i finish typing this, along with the rest of the crackers. the cheddar cheese and processed meats are already eaten, the beer has already been drank ... so no worries there. not much junk left, maybe some olives, but i am ok with eating them. looking forward to getting back to eating healthy as i definitely feel better when i do.

night-time eating ...FAIL;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... FAIL.

day 42 ...

threw away the remaining chocolates, chip and crackers. actually came close to success on the late-night eating as well as the clean-eating with only relatively minor transgressions in each area. i definitely feel better when i eat healthy; i feel "lighter" and "cleaner" somehow. junk food is gone, xmas guest is gone and i am glad to be back in the saddle, food-wise. holiday weight gain was about what i expected but still, it sucks to have to lose that 5 lbs. all over again. feeling upbeat about things though; i know i can do this.

night-time eating ... FAIL;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... FAIL.

day 43 ...

although i felt hungry during the night, i got through without eating ... 1 in a row !

reaching for water when my mouth feels like it "wants something" is starting to become a habit. there are still times when my thoughts turn to food, but i am really getting the hang of this water thing.

had a little lower intestine discomfort as well as a slight morning headache. after reviewing what i had eaten the day before i realized that i had used up the leftover tzatziki sauce on my spinach. it made a good combo but the yogurt used to make the tzatziki sauce was surely not lactose-free; so there's that.

the scale is recovering quickly from the holiday over-indulgence and so am i. it's great to go 3 for 3 on my checklist again !

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... WIN.

day 44 ...

felt hungry again last night but got through it ... 2 days in a row !

avoiding late-night eating is the hardest for me, as it seems to be for SO many others here. i often wonder whether i am REALLY hungry or am i looking to fill some other need. my stomach and mouth tell me that i AM hungry, but could it just be that after so many years my body just EXPECTS a large calorie intake at this time of day ? regardless, i have been fighting hard in this area and will continue to do so, hoping for my body/mind to adjust to the new normal.

woke up with a headache due to eating spaghetti for dinner. i know that wheat has this effect on me but i have a hard time throwing away good food. it is gone now and i won't be buying any more.

tonight, being new years eve, i am allowing myself some wine and some yet-to-be-determined snack. i don't intend to go beyond this and won't be giving myself "fails" in tomorrows report unless i do go off the plan.

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ...WIN.

day 45 ...

went pretty much as planned but for 1 exception ... i had planned on some dry red wine but then realized that i had received a bottle of baileys irish cream for a christmas gift. i wasn't going to throw it out so i drank that instead. because of the immense sugar load, along with the fact that i really DID veer off the plan, i feel it's right to give myself a demerit on the clean eating portion of the program. the "cheat" day was planned but that's just way too much sugar to ignore. i still have 2/3 of the bottle left so i am going to have to use it as a planned weekly treat perhaps. or maybe i will throw it out ... TBD.

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... FAIL.

day 46 ...

had such a late dinner and such an early bedtime that the late-night eating wasn't so much of a challenge last night. the urge was still there, mind you, just not as lengthy or as intense as usual. that makes 4 successful evenings/nights in a row, and that is HUGE !

the scale punished me for the baileys irish cream indulgence but i am on the right path, having scored a 3 star day yesterday ... and scales are finicky things anyhow.

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean-eating ... WIN.

day 47 ...

it's always great to be able to check off all 3 boxes with a win. the scale is showing that i am on the right path, too. another BIG win on the late-night eating ... 5 in a row ... a new world record !!!

i have decided that each monday morning will be "current weight adjustment day" and so far, tomorrows adjustment looks to be a happy one. i have already shed all of the christmas fat and look forward to some good gains (losses). there are no birthdays until right near the end of the month and i intend to be in control on those "planned cheat days". no more 5lb overnight gains for me.

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... WIN.

adding a P.S. to this entry ... last night, the scale was not telling such a sweet tale. i am used to weighing 3 lbs less in the morning compared to the evening, but according to the scale it was looking like my morning weigh-in would not be good at all. frankly, i was VERY discouraged. however, the morning weigh-in turned out to be even better than i had hoped for. the lesson to be learned here ... a bathroom scale (at least MY scale) is not a precision instrument ... stay the course !

day 48 ...

each monday, starting with today, i will update my current weight, whatever that may be. when comparing each mondays weight with the previous mondays weight i will be able to record a weight loss (or gain) and thus, be able to record a calorie-deficit win (or fail).

no late-night eating last night ,,, 6 days in a row ... another new world record !!!

yesterday was a good day; weather was dry through most of the daylight hours (for a change) so i got a little bit done outside. i seem to be falling asleep quicker and sleeping a bit more soundly lately so i am hoping that i am finally adjusting to not eating at night. slight morning headache today; the only "unusual" thing in my diet yesterday was that i ate both peas and lentils so will keep an eye on that.

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... WIN;
clean eating ... WIN;
CALORIE DEFICIT FOR THE WEEK ... WIN !

day 49 ...

another win in the night-time eating department ... 7 days in a row ... another new world record !!!

i do think my sleep is just a bit better these days; i must be adjusting to the new eating style. on the downside, i allowed myself to get bored during the day and reached for the fruit more than i should have instead of reaching for water. i was doing SO GOOD in the water department, too ! not sure if i created a calorie overage in so doing, and i only keep healthy food in the house now, but regardless i will try to remind myself to grab a glass of water instead of falling into the old habit of eating something when bored ... better yet ...DON'T allow myself to get bored ! it's not as if i don't have plenty to do around here !

night-time eating ... WIN;
water intake ... FAIL;
clean eating ... WIN.