Monday, January 10, 2011

Day 8 Phase 4: Where I decide this is the week I get results or I Make a Change....and how the hunger has not been an issue even at our belated "Christmas" celebration....where I shot temptations down!

Scale has not budged.

I say this the day after I had my family's Three King's Day (belated Christmas) celebration. I turned down the dip and chips. I rejected the chocolate and cake. I had to literally just move away from the dining area cause of all the festive yummies on there. I did not have the turkey fricasse, corn, etc. I had none of the homemade pineapple upside down cake. Most telling, I had none of the Cuban coffee my brother brewed.

That's not unimportant. Several stunned familial heads turned to me to say, "What, Mirty's not having coffee? She's really esrious."

I never turn down Cuban coffee. :) I did. It has sugar. (Note: Eldest sis makes it sans sugar, give me my portion, then adds sugar for everyone else when she makes it at her house. Ain't that really sweet?)

I had taken my decaf green tea bags and made me a mug o' that. Snack time, I had my string cheese. Bottle of water in hand, I learned to say no, no , no.

My caloric count for the day was 1093. I had switched to a different string cheese that had fewer calories and a fat free instead of lowfat yogurt yesterday, so the calories reflected that.

I am on the verge of tears. Seriously. Seven days averaging less than 1200 calories and I'm only 0.8 pounds lower than P4 Weigh-in. I've never had such a crappy scale week while eating low-cal. Never.

I'm feeling a bit fragile. Not just the scale, just some other issues, too, that have come up this weekend, but mostly it's the being good calorically with dashed expectations.

So, I give it this week. This week makes or breaks it.

I did my groceries for the plan last night on the way home. I have my egg whites, fruit, salad fixings, chicken breast, oatmeal (it's actually made and tupperwared in the fridge to portion when I want it this week), string cheese, yogurt, cashews, raisins, deli turkey, fat free hot dogs (never had these in my life and don't know if I'll even like em, but chicken gets old and these were something different), lite high fiber breads, lower sodieum canned soups, veggies, Mrs Dash, Montreal Seasoning, etc.

This week. I see results or I go back to my three meals no snacks from 1200 up to 1600 cals, different cals each day according to how I feel like eating. (I'm not huge on snacking, and I only do it cause of the plan. I much prefer 3 more substantial meals than smaller meals + snacks.)

I will say it's NOT cause of hunger. I felt none yesterday. NONE AT ALL. Did I WANT to eat dips, chip, etc. Yes. But there is a difference between appetite and hunger. I felt no hunger. The day before, I don't remember if I did--I'd have to check my bloggy info. I have not felt pangs or anything.

I just cannot deal with crap results when the math says 1200 calories should give me 1.8 + pounds loss per week....

I have no desire to go bonkers. I have no binge inclination right now. Those are blessings. :) The journey the past few months has helped a lot. And like Karen/Sunshine often advises, I've come to tell myself when the temptations are before me: "It's just food."

Energy is fine. Yesterday it was good. I played some football/catch (not running, as I had chunky heels on), but lots of throwing and catching, bending, and going after missed balls. Got my breathing up and sweated enough to glow a bit. :D I'm gonna have to keep sneakers in my trunk so I can change into when a spontaneous chance to burn some calories comes up.

Got nice compliments yesterday, too. "Looking slimmer!" Heard a "skinny" tossed about, but that's a relative "skinny".hahah. Compared to previous Pentagon-sized me, I guess. I felt attractive, which is nice.

Today, Pilates and strength training and my walk (hope the weather doesn't go bad). My butt is still some sore from FRIDAY's squats, can you believe it?

So, that's my recap and the day's plan.

Doing breakfast and water now. Well, the coffee and water part. Food part is done: egg white (with Mrs. Dash onion/herb for flavor), lite bread, banana, milk with cinnamon. I expect lunch to be the salad option, just cause it's easy and I get my veggies.

Have a great, fresh, new 2011 week. Be well...

9 comments:

Tamzin said...

Well, I think you are doing amazing. I know you are not getting the success you want on the scale.. I didn't note if you have your inches logged anywhere... you might be seeing more progress on them if the scale is not moving?

Regardless. You ARE kicking ass.

Removing yourself from the food area - check
Not having sweetend coffee - check
Getting your exercise - check
Feeling and looking better - check
emotional distress - check....

Your grocerie list looks good too. Keep on working, I'm sure that the results are going to follow quickly on your heels.

Beth said...

Ohhh, I feel for you, I do.

I have to admit, those numbers are a downer but as we all know that tomfoolery sometimes happens with the scales. I am really hoping that this week brings a down turn on the scale for you.

Do you think you could stay off the scale for a few days? That always helps me if I'm feeling really attached to it. I have to use mindfulness and just let go of the scale thoughts as they come along, and even imagine them just floating past and let go of my attachment to the numbers. Might sound cheesy but getting too focused on the numbers is risky behaviour for me.

Sounds like a good idea to me as far as re-thinking the plan after Sunday's weigh in, especially because I do think that this week will bring a good loss, I really do. Let's see what happens. You are doing amazingly well, take it easy on yourself and I'm here if there's anything I can do from 5,000 (or more) miles away.

So pleased for you at the party and hearing that you are feeling attractive and positive about yourself. That is such a powerful, life-affirming feeling. Nothing tastes as good as that confidence and self-esteem.

Take care and rest up and be gentle and release the scale for a little while if you are able.

Hugs to you.

Losing It said...

I had a similar blog post myself. It IS disheartening, but just keep on keeping on. It will pay off (so I hear).

I don't tend to snack either. I like having my meals and it's easier for me to avoid temptation by not snacking. I never eat a morning snack. Afternoon I use it when I need it.

Karen Butler Ogle said...

Hey, girlfriend. Don't give up yet. Sometimes the scale does strange things even when there is no rhyme or reason. Stick to the plan and I bet you make up the loss next week. Also, I've heard it time and again that working out slows weight loss because of the building of muscle. That is one of the reasons I put of getting in regular exercise as long as I could. I wanted to see the scale moving down. However, now I'm sorry because I've lost some muscle mass. I'm thinner but not necessarily healthier or in better shape. Don't give it up, dear. The inexplicable happens but perseverance always wins the day!

Kelly the Happy Texan said...

I feel ya, sister. Really. I had a similar post a few days back. Couple of things:

1) You WILL lose weight with those calories. It's science. Math. It HAS to happen. Sometimes it'll be on hold then there'll be a big whoosh of weight loss. It's just tough to deal with until the whoosh comes along.

2) Sore muscles=water retention=weight gain. It's just the way it is. But it's so worth it. Toned muscles take less room than fat and make you look slimmer. Give your body a chance to adjust. It sucks, I know. It's so hard to put in the effort and not see the numbers. But there are other things going on behind the numbers that you can't see. You're getting stronger and replacing fat with lean mass. Good stuff happening for you. :)

Hang in there. I predict a good weight loss soon. :)

Anne H said...

Just do right and don't worry about the numbers.
I would do LoCarb if there was no weight loss benefits.
Just keep doing right - it's all good!

Diandra said...

That sucks, but sometimes it works like that... I remember, before Christmas the scale would hardly move, and one week it even went up (despite good eating). And then I lost six pounds in one week. I don't know how that works, but I take it as proof that sometimes you body does not want to let go, and you have to plow through until it gives in.

Kimberly said...

You ARE doing the work. You will lose the weight. My guess is that you need to eat cleaner - less sodium and sugar and the scale will start giving you a number you like. I do think that is the hold up in your case.

Read your labels. Don't eat anything over 5g of sugar for a while. Eat fresh, whole food you cook yourself instead of processed to cut the salt. When I made those changes I consistently see about a 2-3 lb loss each week.

Trust the math. It works.

Ann (-50 lbs in -60 lb challenge) said...

I am having the exact same issues. Doing everything right, and still no scale movement. I've come to the conclusion it may just be a well-placed, ill-timed plateau. It is coincidental that it lined up with the start of Phase 4. I last had a plateau around 283-84, so about 40 lbs ago. I am making note of it, because this may just be a natural adjustment cycle. Time will tell, but I'm not giving up on the plan. Math doesn't lie, and it should work. That it is NOT working may have nothing whatsoever to do with the P4 diet/exercise.

If you are holding to the diet plan, I would urge you to not give up on P4 just yet. Rather, give it time, because you may have hit a plateau. When was your last one?

I'm proud of you for handling the family Christmas celebrations so well! You are doing fantastic work. I am trusting the scale will respond as soon as the body "gets" that this is now the lifestyle.

xxox