Sunday, February 19, 2012

E2E Challenge Update #7: Halfway Point, Backward Movement, and Yeah, I'm Ticked At Myself...The "Midway Pic"

Tanita-San: 180.6
Last Week: 178.4

Waist: Same as last week= 34.75

That is an uptick of 2.2 lbs, and puts me back to where I was a month ago.

Just to show the math is not as super neat as one may imagine, I have eaten this week roughly 500 calories more than my limit goal of 1500...roughly 2000. (Some days a bit over, some days under). I have NOT been disciplined, neither have I binged. I've been dipping into apathy about containment of portions, and it shows.

An extra 500 calories is ridiculously easy to do if it's calorically dense food--an extra tablespoon of dressing , some nuts, a couple extra servings of fruit, and a protein bar one day: voila!  Or a couple of wedges of cheese, an extra yogurt/fruit snack, a couple boiled eggs. Although the blow-out was the Valentine's Day Godiva choco-strawberries. I have no idea the calorie count, though I went to the Godiva site and saw some estimates on calorie trackers. One woman had 40 calories, which is nuts. NUTS.

I figured 200 to 250 per strawberry, and I had FOUR. I did cut back on my meals knowing I was gonna have at least ONE....but there you go. Avoidance would have been better than moderation in this case. For sure.

Anyway, I used the higher count and went with 1000 cals of the things. If it's less great. I have no real guide. But anyone estimating 50 or 100 is probably really optimistic out there. Or deluded, maybe.

The math says I ought to have gained about a pound...um, yeah.

I didn't meet my goals this week, period. Not caloric. I missed 2 walking sessions (yes, the lethargy won this week.)  I even missed fluids a couple days. I posted on my buddy's posts (did I miss any?), and went above the minimum for the challenge with support overall, but really, haven't been as much of a cheerleader overall as I could.  Didn't even dive into the books for help. I'm just...not "head in the game." Please feel free to rah-rah and kick my ass. THANKS.

I'm getting dressed for my birthday party, so I'll add the pics and whatever later.

Quotes, where I ignore the first and hang on like a gal in rising waters to the second:

"The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term is the indispensable prerequisite for success." 
~Maxwell Maltz
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 
~Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

18 comments:

downsizers said...

I guess this is a pothole in the road to your goal. Emotions and physical situations can wreak havoc on our resolve so I guess welcome to the human race. Sometimes it's just hard to care isn't it? Little slips can snowball on us (i.e., chocolate strawberries) and make the control difficult to regain but you have done it before and you will do it again. Be well.

Jordan said...

Well, it's done and in the past now. How are you going to follow through on your last week's plans to have a most excellent birthday while staying true to your heart's goal? Any plans to revise meds? Any plans to shake up your exercise with the things you mentioned in your E2E initial post? I know it's been a very tough few months, but I have faith in your power!! I'm supporting you and thinking about you as your birthday comes up!
(ps - I don't pay attention to whether you comment on all my posts or not. I post so much, I know it's hard to keep up!)

Karen Butler Ogle said...

Mir, at least your aren't binging, which is where I find myself. I know that slacking on the plan is the beginning to a downward spiral but I believe you can pull out of this. Don't let a few strawberries get you discouraged. You ate strong and your success is keeping me trying. You have been a great inspiration to me in spite of your struggle. Hang in there. :)

Debbie said...

It is a struggle....you can't change yesterday, but you can change today!

Nanette N. said...

okay... so you're disappointed. What're you going to do about it? How are you going to pull yourself out of this slump and get yourself back into your good habits?

Just like you said, "500 calories is ridiculously easy to do.." So let's un-do it. No extra 500 calories this week.

Let's move on from being ticked. Let's move forward. You have a blank slate ahead of you, it's up to you to make it a good one.

I guess that's as kick-ass-y as I get. heh.

Jo said...

Pick a day this week and have 500 calories less. Or pick 2 days and have 250 less. Then forget about the chocolate strawberries. You're doing amazingly well, period. In spite of health issues and meds and lethargy. You will get through this. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, you know. Hugs!

screaming fatgirl said...

Chances are that that isn't a real 2.2 lbs. of fat. Even eating at 2000 most days and going over by 1000 by eating Godiva chocolates wouldn't result in that much fat gain. Chances are, at least 1.5 lbs. of that is water or temporary food in the body weight.

My husband had an identical gain (1 kg./2.2 lbs.) from a day of eating a ton of popcorn (something on the order of 6 cups) and eating a big piece of Kobe beef. I told him that within 3 days, it'd be gone if he just ate normally for a few days ("normally" being in line with modest weight loss). It was gone.

My guess is that, if you return to routine, that weight will be gone in 3-5 days without extra restriction or exercise. Bodies react powerfully to such changes, but not permanently.

I'm not a believer in beating yourself up about food, but rather in being a realist. If you ate a bit too much, it's like spending more of your budget this week than planned. It's no big deal unless you do it habitually and spend everything and more every time. It'll be okay. You'll be great. You really will be, because life is hard, but you've been doing this anyway and you are strong enough to keep doing it. :-)

Anonymous said...

Got any ideas on how you are gonna pull yourself from the apathy or do you just do it?

I think those berries are about 100-150 cals myself. I estimated by ghirardeli squares being 50. The strawberry is hardly anything.

sixty-five said...

I can't tell whether you're looking for sympathy or constructive advice. Consider the former a given. Now I'd like to offer the latter.

I've been stuck myself at around 170 for quite some time. Eating what I consider to be a "maintenance" diet, but with the hope that a few more pounds would gradually depart. So far they haven't.

I just finished reading Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint. I THOUGHT I knew what it said, just from reading his blog, but somehow the books put it all together in a new way that resonated with me. I'm going to try going "strictly primal" for a while (including the gentle exercise he recommends) - just to see what happens.

I notice that Beth over at Weight Maven is doing something similar. She's going to eat a la Mat Lalonde "for Lent". You can bet I'll be watching to see how that goes!

Maybe you want to try to shake it up a little and see what happens? Another takeaway from Sisson is: RELAX! Do what feels good - don't OVER do. Obviously you're facing some health issues, but you're dealing with them. But over-obsession with the scale and with punishing exercise sessions is probably not the best thing for you, or for anyone.

You and your steely determination will surely triumph in the long run, but - in the short run - be kind to yourself.

Cheers!

Julie said...

So it's onward and downwards. We aren't perfect and are going to have times that just aren't perfect. You know this Mir, you've been our leader for so long and have always done amazing, there are times that human things just happen. Onward you go, downward the scale goes and you will suceed, you will.
Take care and have a blessed week.

Jane Cartelli said...

I thank you for your honesty in posting your weight and what you ate. I agree with the comments that focus and picking up and moving forward with that same simple honesty and commitment.

Bookmark this for yourself so you can read it again the next special occasion where sugar is involved.

Floriana said...

How much chocolate can fit on one strawberry? Strawberries have very few calories and to get 1000 calories from chocolate one would need to eat a lot of chocolate, about 150g (over 5 oz). Frankly, I don't think you ate nearly that many calories with just 4 chocolate covered strawberries. Regardless, I agree that it's super easy to go 500 over a limit. Even with seemingly harmless foods.

As it was already pointed out, it's likely that the two pounds are pure fat. Weight fluctuates, I don't need to tell you that, you already knows. The relaxed attitude can spell trouble, though. But you know, it's so hard to stay completely focused and strict for so long and especially now that your weight is down and feels so much better than where you started. You've worked so hard for so long, the body and mind are tired. It's understandable. I say, whatever you do and however strict you decide to be, just keep being kind to yourself.

Unknown said...

It's frustrating but you'll recover so I leave it at that and say that I hope you have a Happy Birthday cause you deserve it:-)

Anonymous said...

Hello Mir - I have a question and wasn't sure best way to contact you. hope this is ok: the genetic DNA test you did a while back where you found out your genotype -- do you feel that was a valuable tool and worth the $ you spent? or not so much??? I'm considering doing that but since it's a nice chunk of change I would really value your opinion at this point. Thanks so much!! Allie

Anne H said...

Our body DOES keep a journal.... regardless of what we write down! You are doing FINE.... NO worries!

Beth said...

I've no butt kicking to offer but just wanted to stop by and say that I'm thinking of you.

Aaaand that's about all that I can squeeze out of my overmedicated brain cells and that was a stretch - I had to re-read it to make sure it makes sense.

Oh but I second what Anne says, you are doing fine - no worries. Keep the moody blues at bay, fight as hard as you are able and retreat when the time is right and the time seems right right now.

Does that makes sense because I'm struggling here with my 2 last functioning brain cells.

Godspeed to you, hun. Hang in there.

Mrs. O said...

Sorry to hear that you're still not feeling your best. It's tough when there's little you can do about it at the moment. I'm praying your issues get resolved pronto so you can get back to your happier-with-lots-of-energy self.

If the strawberries were covered in dark chocolate, chances are the calories were less than you estimated. Not too much less but still. But the sugar along with the thyroid issues you're going through now probably caused the weight gain.

Casey said...

You always get up and keep going! I have total faith in you, that that is what you'll do again. Usually, the scale is more of an ass-kicker for you than any commenters are, so, I know you'll do what needs to be done and will be an encouragement to the rest of us by example! :)