I'm feeling a bit better, anxiety-wise, after getting sleep two nights in a row. Hallelujah!
Been so busy, between some stuff we had to do--job searching, taking company info notes for hubby; decluttering in case we need to move; and attending Supercon, which we had paid for BEFORE the lay-off and I thought I'd not enjoy, but it helped distract me, so worked fine.
I only had moments of that bone-rattling, shaking, nerves and palpitations anxiety/panic over the last couple days. Mostly, been praying, busy, and even danced 2 hours last night at the Supercon concerts.
Thank you so much, those who have prayed for us. I appreciate that more than these typed words could express, as I believe in the power of corporate prayer--prayers of like mind, of agreement.
Well, the good news is two-fold. 1. I'm at a total new low: 176.6 Weird, so weird. I stepped on the scale like 5 times thinking it had to be a blip. But no, five times it gave the same reading. That makes for 122.4 lbs lost total.
Good news #2 is that hubby had an interview today and they liked him enough for them to ask for him to come in for round 2 of interviews. Obviously, I researched the company for him, and it's a good one, a local one, and it would be a huge blessing for him to get the position. Please pray!
I hope this week sees you all doing well...and better..and best! I'm sorry I've been so busy that I haven't stopped by my usual blogging fatfighter-pal blogs. Forgive my absence. I hope to be back encouraging y'all soon. But a zillion things have my attention right now.
God bless...
Showing posts with label progress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label progress. Show all posts
Monday, July 2, 2012
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Today Marks ONE YEAR Since This Blog Began...Happy Blogiversary to ME!
I began this blog last year on my dad's birthday. He's not alive. But I was and am and wanted to begin my journey on that special day. Dad lived to be a couple weeks short of 90, and most of his life, he was a hardy, strong, very slim, well-muscled man who looked easily 15 years younger than his true age.
I wanted to honor the vibrant health of his non-declining years--and extend my own life, the one he and mom gave me--by starting over on my weight loss journey.
I had a blog for weight loss that I began May of 2007. I made some progress, learned, made contacts in the bloggy world, had many setbacks, but never again regained to high weight of 299. I didn't lose more than 41 pounds with that one in those 3+ years. So, I decided to give it a really good and focused shot, a totally goal-oriented one.
That commitment resulted in starting this blog with UTTER accountability. I posted lots of pics. I posted lots of numbers. I've had weekly weigh-ins. I've put it out there and made myself do it.
I started this blog on that day, 9/3/10, at 258 pounds. Severely morbidly obese.
I had the good fortune to come across the Double Dog Dare You Challenge series, which began over a month after I began Happy Weight After. I figured, hey, a challenge back in June on my old blog got me motivated to really lose, lose steadily, so why not another.
It was a great, great decision. Allan's challenges helped me make great strides and learn about what I was capable of.
I type this today at 181 pounds. Overweight, but not obese.
I feel good. I feel stronger than any other time post my twenties.
9/3/10--me, 50 and 258 lbs, but hopeful
9/3/11--me, 51, and 181 lbs, still hopeful, and now kinda transformed, inside and out.
A work still in progress....I had a goal of 2 years to 160 pounds. I plan to get there before that, get to goal by my next birthday. Wish me well.
Anyone can make progress, bit by bit, in one year's time. ANYONE.
But you gotta start and believe it....
I wanted to honor the vibrant health of his non-declining years--and extend my own life, the one he and mom gave me--by starting over on my weight loss journey.
I had a blog for weight loss that I began May of 2007. I made some progress, learned, made contacts in the bloggy world, had many setbacks, but never again regained to high weight of 299. I didn't lose more than 41 pounds with that one in those 3+ years. So, I decided to give it a really good and focused shot, a totally goal-oriented one.
That commitment resulted in starting this blog with UTTER accountability. I posted lots of pics. I posted lots of numbers. I've had weekly weigh-ins. I've put it out there and made myself do it.
I started this blog on that day, 9/3/10, at 258 pounds. Severely morbidly obese.
I had the good fortune to come across the Double Dog Dare You Challenge series, which began over a month after I began Happy Weight After. I figured, hey, a challenge back in June on my old blog got me motivated to really lose, lose steadily, so why not another.
It was a great, great decision. Allan's challenges helped me make great strides and learn about what I was capable of.
I type this today at 181 pounds. Overweight, but not obese.
I feel good. I feel stronger than any other time post my twenties.
9/3/10--me, 50 and 258 lbs, but hopeful
9/3/11--me, 51, and 181 lbs, still hopeful, and now kinda transformed, inside and out.
A work still in progress....I had a goal of 2 years to 160 pounds. I plan to get there before that, get to goal by my next birthday. Wish me well.
Anyone can make progress, bit by bit, in one year's time. ANYONE.
But you gotta start and believe it....
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Slimmer this Summer Update: Only 21 Days Left, But Hey, Not Obese Anymore and Still Making Progress...and a huge loss (for me, not you mebbe ) this week, which is nearly freakish, but hey, happy!
Loss since last challenge update: 3.2 lbs.
Um, that like never happens. Huh. Yeah? Whoa. Dang. Whoo! Must have been retaining water last time. I better enjoy that loss number. It's a rarity on a list somewhere. ; )
This was my first week back to some challenge order and normality after the tragedy for my family. I still have sad moments and weepy moments and wake up sometimes just....feeling down. But it's gotten better. Life insists we live, ya know?
I'm back to exercising. This week, I moved, while not at my challenge level. Just moving again felt like a victory. Sometimes fun, sometimes challenging.
I'll be honest, it's hard getting back in form and the heat makes me wanna stay inside, where I have very limited room to MOVE--yes, I'm an obsessive-compulsive clutter-hoarder, which you can tell by my pics like in the I'm not Obese Anymore post from Friday. And that's the bit of space I have!
Exercise: I swam x1. I walked x 4. I did some work on the push-ups. And that's all.
Fluids: perfect
Waist: Still 36. My waist is being stubborn. Hips and upper thighs are down a smidge, though.
Food: Went over calories by a hundred a couple days, otherwise stayed under 1400.
Prayer: Yes, I'm still praying for the challengers.
Support: Lacking. I need to get my support mojo up, but I have left some comments on a few blogs. Just not all, of course, and not many. My apologies.
Quitting: Not a chance. :)
My weight today: 183.8
I started the challenge at 195. I should be down 13.5 pounds by this time to be on Challenge Level Timetable.
I'm down 11.2. I'm behind, obviously. And....I am not stressed at all. No joke. I am very pleased.
My progress is fine enough for me given I went through a horrible time when I could have caved altogether. I did not cave. I continue to make progress. Thank you, Lord!
I'm now down 115.2 pounds from my highest weight, and I updated my ticker. :D
No longer obese, and getting farther from that obese-overweight boundary of 185.4. Each pound away from that number makes me happier and happier.
It's unlikely I'll make challenge goal of 18 lost. But I will strive to get close. As long as I make progress each week, I will be satisfied. It's all about moving forward!
Are you moving forward, be it by an inch or a yard or a mile? Be happy as long as you are making it closer and closer to your goals.
Have a great Sunday. Keep challenging yourself, no matter how little or how much, just keep doing it. Don't give up.
AND..if you're still working it in the Slimmer This Summer Challenge and want to continue with challenges through to the holiday (one or multiple), please comment to that effect and tell me what sorts of things you'd like to see in a Christmas Dress Countdown or other type of challenge. The idea is to keep at it and keep focused and not give up. The idea is also to provide accountability through Thanksgiving and up to the food-temptation bomb that is the end of the year. Anyway, comment away on this matter if it's of interest or email me.
Be well...
Um, that like never happens. Huh. Yeah? Whoa. Dang. Whoo! Must have been retaining water last time. I better enjoy that loss number. It's a rarity on a list somewhere. ; )
This was my first week back to some challenge order and normality after the tragedy for my family. I still have sad moments and weepy moments and wake up sometimes just....feeling down. But it's gotten better. Life insists we live, ya know?
I'm back to exercising. This week, I moved, while not at my challenge level. Just moving again felt like a victory. Sometimes fun, sometimes challenging.
I'll be honest, it's hard getting back in form and the heat makes me wanna stay inside, where I have very limited room to MOVE--yes, I'm an obsessive-compulsive clutter-hoarder, which you can tell by my pics like in the I'm not Obese Anymore post from Friday. And that's the bit of space I have!
Exercise: I swam x1. I walked x 4. I did some work on the push-ups. And that's all.
Fluids: perfect
Waist: Still 36. My waist is being stubborn. Hips and upper thighs are down a smidge, though.
Food: Went over calories by a hundred a couple days, otherwise stayed under 1400.
Prayer: Yes, I'm still praying for the challengers.
Support: Lacking. I need to get my support mojo up, but I have left some comments on a few blogs. Just not all, of course, and not many. My apologies.
Quitting: Not a chance. :)
My weight today: 183.8
I started the challenge at 195. I should be down 13.5 pounds by this time to be on Challenge Level Timetable.
I'm down 11.2. I'm behind, obviously. And....I am not stressed at all. No joke. I am very pleased.
My progress is fine enough for me given I went through a horrible time when I could have caved altogether. I did not cave. I continue to make progress. Thank you, Lord!
I'm now down 115.2 pounds from my highest weight, and I updated my ticker. :D
No longer obese, and getting farther from that obese-overweight boundary of 185.4. Each pound away from that number makes me happier and happier.
It's unlikely I'll make challenge goal of 18 lost. But I will strive to get close. As long as I make progress each week, I will be satisfied. It's all about moving forward!
Are you moving forward, be it by an inch or a yard or a mile? Be happy as long as you are making it closer and closer to your goals.
Have a great Sunday. Keep challenging yourself, no matter how little or how much, just keep doing it. Don't give up.
AND..if you're still working it in the Slimmer This Summer Challenge and want to continue with challenges through to the holiday (one or multiple), please comment to that effect and tell me what sorts of things you'd like to see in a Christmas Dress Countdown or other type of challenge. The idea is to keep at it and keep focused and not give up. The idea is also to provide accountability through Thanksgiving and up to the food-temptation bomb that is the end of the year. Anyway, comment away on this matter if it's of interest or email me.
Be well...
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Day 34 in Slimmer This Summer Challenge, Part II: 110 Pounds Lost as of Today! And my assorted updates for the Challenge...
Well, 110.4 lost. :)
It's nice to cross another small boundary after a mild setback. I'm not on target for loss for the challenge--I'd have to be down 7.5 lbs by now for that, and I'm only down 6.4. So about a pound lagging to be ON goal. But the scale is moving properly downward again.
I was planning to do the challenge update tomorrow, but I'll just placemark this so I can linky up. I forgot to linky last week and wanted to make sure to chime in. If I feel like adding more, I will. Or I won't. Either way, this is my update. I'd originally planned to do it on Monday, but, eh. Might get busy.
~I did not eat 100% on plan this past week, but I did better than the previous one.
~I did have exercise nearly daily. Walking, swimming, playing Pilates.
~Water was great.
~Tracking calories daily, yes--but not always on SparkPeople.
~Trying to stay on top of blogging and hoping I'm not boring the swim shorts off ya.
~I did forget to pray for y'all on a couple of the more rushed days or cause my heart was praying heavy for something else so focusedly that, honestly, it's only on looking back that I realized, "Whoa, I missed that goal."
~I did hit up some blogs for support. :) Hope I was able to cheer some of you.
Mood is back to normal chipper me. Clothes are looser--can one pound plus make that much difference, or is it muscle to fat shift, too?
Will try to do even better this week. My apologies for where I fell short. Onwad...
And to close out, my eyes are on a short-term goal: I just need to lose 3.6 more pounds to NOT BE OBESE anymore. Getting there, getting there...
Ah, sorry if this is a lousy update. I'm so summer-distracted. :D
Happy Challenging, people!
It's nice to cross another small boundary after a mild setback. I'm not on target for loss for the challenge--I'd have to be down 7.5 lbs by now for that, and I'm only down 6.4. So about a pound lagging to be ON goal. But the scale is moving properly downward again.
I was planning to do the challenge update tomorrow, but I'll just placemark this so I can linky up. I forgot to linky last week and wanted to make sure to chime in. If I feel like adding more, I will. Or I won't. Either way, this is my update. I'd originally planned to do it on Monday, but, eh. Might get busy.
~I did not eat 100% on plan this past week, but I did better than the previous one.
~I did have exercise nearly daily. Walking, swimming, playing Pilates.
~Water was great.
~Tracking calories daily, yes--but not always on SparkPeople.
~Trying to stay on top of blogging and hoping I'm not boring the swim shorts off ya.
~I did forget to pray for y'all on a couple of the more rushed days or cause my heart was praying heavy for something else so focusedly that, honestly, it's only on looking back that I realized, "Whoa, I missed that goal."
~I did hit up some blogs for support. :) Hope I was able to cheer some of you.
Mood is back to normal chipper me. Clothes are looser--can one pound plus make that much difference, or is it muscle to fat shift, too?
Will try to do even better this week. My apologies for where I fell short. Onwad...
And to close out, my eyes are on a short-term goal: I just need to lose 3.6 more pounds to NOT BE OBESE anymore. Getting there, getting there...
Ah, sorry if this is a lousy update. I'm so summer-distracted. :D
Happy Challenging, people!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Then....Now...To Go... some Pics and Motivational Rah-Rah-ing on Day 66 (or whatever) of Phase 5...cause Seeing Where You've Been and Where You Are Keeps You Pumped Up For Where You're Going...
Then:
Now:
Today: 211.2
To go: 51.2 lbs. Looking forward to a whole new "NOW" when I hit goal.
My original target date for goal weight achievement was September 3, 2012. I'm feeling confident I'll make it BEFORE that date. My heart wants it to be by Christmas, so I can wear a killer holiday outfit (with a lot of Spanx to control that saggy, empty skin).
My new motto for 2011:
Eyes on the prize, heart on the target, soul on the goal!
When temptation hits today, eyes...heart...soul....GOAL.....let's NOT waver...
 |
| 278 lbs, 21 lbs less than highest weight (2008) |
 |
| 212 lbs (a few days ago) |
Today: 211.2
To go: 51.2 lbs. Looking forward to a whole new "NOW" when I hit goal.
My original target date for goal weight achievement was September 3, 2012. I'm feeling confident I'll make it BEFORE that date. My heart wants it to be by Christmas, so I can wear a killer holiday outfit (with a lot of Spanx to control that saggy, empty skin).
My new motto for 2011:
Eyes on the prize, heart on the target, soul on the goal!
When temptation hits today, eyes...heart...soul....GOAL.....let's NOT waver...
Monday, March 14, 2011
A Few Pics from Feb and March--Sugar Free, Low Cal "Birthday Cake", Fort Lauderdale Beach, Yesterday at Starbucks.. AKA PROGRESS: What 218 Pounds Looks Like On Me!
I like to upload pics to this blog to document my progress. The previous progress post (with pics) is HERE. It has links to earlier phases of my body's transformation.
As my regular readers may recall, I had a health-oriented birthday party and no traditional birthday cake. My middle sis did bring a sugar-free angel food cake with sugar free whipped topping and fresh strawberries, so we'd have something for the candle and kids. :)
I did not miss cake, cookies or crap. At all. Food was nourishing, tasty, and low cal. Lots of veggies and fruit. AND.... I had good weight loss that week, too. :)
Here's a birthday shot with "cake" where I'm 222 lbs:
Feb 28 on the Fort Lauderdale Beach strip made famous by WHERE THE BOYS ARE in 1960. Elbo room is nearby. Lovely day. We went to the museum exhibit of Vatican Splendors and then ate beachside (on plan). Walked a bunch, too. I wore sneakers, natch. Any opportunity to move, and this means I wear sneakers a lot more than what was my usual going-out footwear (comfy sandals). I'm becoming sneakers addicted.
Yesterday at Starbucks. I reserved some calories for a treat--half and half in my cinnamon iced coffee. Empty calories, but it satisfies enough that I don't feel deprived and don't have crap. Not a daily thing, but I love it. And I like looking smaller, though the big belly is still vexing. Hope to see that baby gone by year's end! (Well, I will likely need a tummy tuck, cause my pannus is horrid, but that I'd put off and save for.)
That above is me at roughly 218 lbs. Compare to this in 2008 at about 278:
Guess at which weight I'm happier and more energetic? Even if OLDER? :)
I want to spend health-filled years with this sweetiepie o' mine:
So, yeah, progress. Onward to goal!
(Oh, and if you haven't read the regular post for the day, see it below. I don't much double-post these days, but, hey, felt like it. Later, gotta go walk....)
As my regular readers may recall, I had a health-oriented birthday party and no traditional birthday cake. My middle sis did bring a sugar-free angel food cake with sugar free whipped topping and fresh strawberries, so we'd have something for the candle and kids. :)
I did not miss cake, cookies or crap. At all. Food was nourishing, tasty, and low cal. Lots of veggies and fruit. AND.... I had good weight loss that week, too. :)
Here's a birthday shot with "cake" where I'm 222 lbs:
 |
| Princess Dieter's Sugar-Free Birthday Cake Alternative |
Feb 28 on the Fort Lauderdale Beach strip made famous by WHERE THE BOYS ARE in 1960. Elbo room is nearby. Lovely day. We went to the museum exhibit of Vatican Splendors and then ate beachside (on plan). Walked a bunch, too. I wore sneakers, natch. Any opportunity to move, and this means I wear sneakers a lot more than what was my usual going-out footwear (comfy sandals). I'm becoming sneakers addicted.
 |
| Me , my sneaks, & a wood sculpture of a Native American on Ft. Lauderdale strip. |
Yesterday at Starbucks. I reserved some calories for a treat--half and half in my cinnamon iced coffee. Empty calories, but it satisfies enough that I don't feel deprived and don't have crap. Not a daily thing, but I love it. And I like looking smaller, though the big belly is still vexing. Hope to see that baby gone by year's end! (Well, I will likely need a tummy tuck, cause my pannus is horrid, but that I'd put off and save for.)
 |
| Mmm...Coffee...Fewer Unhealthful Lbs, More Natural Curls! |
That above is me at roughly 218 lbs. Compare to this in 2008 at about 278:
|
| A bit after starting Pilates...Huge! But Game! And Hopeful! |
Guess at which weight I'm happier and more energetic? Even if OLDER? :)
I want to spend health-filled years with this sweetiepie o' mine:
 |
| The Princess and her Prince, Ft Lauderdale Beach |
So, yeah, progress. Onward to goal!
(Oh, and if you haven't read the regular post for the day, see it below. I don't much double-post these days, but, hey, felt like it. Later, gotta go walk....)
Monday, December 6, 2010
Power Foods on WW Points Plus AND The 242 Pound Pics compared to the 252 Pound Pics...at the Pilates Studio
So, I got my WW Points Plus kit today, and I'm scanning the Food Companion (FC from now on) book to see what's up.
The new FC has a little green triangle next to "Power Foods"--those satisfying, nutritious foods that WW encourages one to choose to consume. Examples, choosing random FC pages:
Antelope meat
Apples, fresh.
Beans (whole lotta them)
Bean curd skin (ugh)
Breadfruit
Buckwheat
Buffalo
Cheese--fat free
Chicken-white meat
Chickory
Corn
Egg White
Egg Whole, boiled
Edamame
Emu
Fennel
Fiddlefern
Fish (lotsa them, but not lox, salmon, sardines, canned in oil tuna, mackerel, etc)
Gobo (burdock)
Grapes
Hearts of Palm
Honeydew Melon
Jicama
Kimchee
Latte, fat free
Lentils, cooked
Liver beef, cooked (not chicken or turkey liver)
Loganberries
Malanga (mmm, love it boiled and mashed with EVOO)
Moose
Okra, but not breaded or fried
Pasta, whole wheat
Potatoes
Rice, brown and wild, not white
Salsa
Shellfish
Soursop (mmmm, love it in smoothies)
Taro
Tofu
Veal Loin, trimmed
Venison
Yam, cooked, not canned in syrup
Yogurt, fat free
Yucca--having some boiled yucca today. Great with garlic/EVOO or "mojo"
Zucchini
In the Dining Out Companion (DOC), here are some power foods at popular eateries:
Au Bon Pain:
oatmeal
toppings: ham, roasted red peppers, turkey breast
fruit cup
Burger King:
fresh apple fries (yep, that's it)
Chick-Fil-A:
fruit cup
Chipotle:
black beans
steak
pinto beans
fajita vegetables
corn salsa
tomato salsa
red tomatillo salsa
romaine lettuce
Church's Chicken:
collard greens
corn on the cob
whole jalapenos
McDonalds:
apple dippers
side salad
nonfat latte--iced or hot
nonfat cappucino
Taco Bell:
nothing (seriously? Hah!)
Other eateries also had ZIP power foods listed. Hm.
So, have some power foods today, yes? :)
On to the body shots. I'm wearing a smaller size, but looser clothes (ie, cheaper fabric that isn't as "containing" and my bra in the second shot is looser, less supportive, so more droop. Sigh.) See if you can tell there's been a 10 pound difference even so:
I see it mostly in the front-facing pics. I see it in my mirror, too---in the hips. You can tell the bump on the high part is much smaller. I have a smoother, more curved rather than BUMPY look there. The side pics, you see where I've lost upper back fat and the upper abdomen, that's where it's most noticeable. The stomach is stubborn to go, but I note a lessenign there, too. The belly's gonna have to surrender. I will win eventually! Little by little!
Next pics at 232-ish.
The new FC has a little green triangle next to "Power Foods"--those satisfying, nutritious foods that WW encourages one to choose to consume. Examples, choosing random FC pages:
Antelope meat
Apples, fresh.
Beans (whole lotta them)
Bean curd skin (ugh)
Breadfruit
Buckwheat
Buffalo
Cheese--fat free
Chicken-white meat
Chickory
Corn
Egg White
Egg Whole, boiled
Edamame
Emu
Fennel
Fiddlefern
Fish (lotsa them, but not lox, salmon, sardines, canned in oil tuna, mackerel, etc)
Gobo (burdock)
Grapes
Hearts of Palm
Honeydew Melon
Jicama
Kimchee
Latte, fat free
Lentils, cooked
Liver beef, cooked (not chicken or turkey liver)
Loganberries
Malanga (mmm, love it boiled and mashed with EVOO)
Moose
Okra, but not breaded or fried
Pasta, whole wheat
Potatoes
Rice, brown and wild, not white
Salsa
Shellfish
Soursop (mmmm, love it in smoothies)
Taro
Tofu
Veal Loin, trimmed
Venison
Yam, cooked, not canned in syrup
Yogurt, fat free
Yucca--having some boiled yucca today. Great with garlic/EVOO or "mojo"
Zucchini
In the Dining Out Companion (DOC), here are some power foods at popular eateries:
Au Bon Pain:
oatmeal
toppings: ham, roasted red peppers, turkey breast
fruit cup
Burger King:
fresh apple fries (yep, that's it)
Chick-Fil-A:
fruit cup
Chipotle:
black beans
steak
pinto beans
fajita vegetables
corn salsa
tomato salsa
red tomatillo salsa
romaine lettuce
Church's Chicken:
collard greens
corn on the cob
whole jalapenos
McDonalds:
apple dippers
side salad
nonfat latte--iced or hot
nonfat cappucino
Taco Bell:
nothing (seriously? Hah!)
Other eateries also had ZIP power foods listed. Hm.
So, have some power foods today, yes? :)
On to the body shots. I'm wearing a smaller size, but looser clothes (ie, cheaper fabric that isn't as "containing" and my bra in the second shot is looser, less supportive, so more droop. Sigh.) See if you can tell there's been a 10 pound difference even so:
I see it mostly in the front-facing pics. I see it in my mirror, too---in the hips. You can tell the bump on the high part is much smaller. I have a smoother, more curved rather than BUMPY look there. The side pics, you see where I've lost upper back fat and the upper abdomen, that's where it's most noticeable. The stomach is stubborn to go, but I note a lessenign there, too. The belly's gonna have to surrender. I will win eventually! Little by little!
Next pics at 232-ish.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Face the Truth Fridays: Met Goal at Week 7 (weekly and overall) and Learned I Can Overcome Urges for "Comfort Food" Self-Medication When Sick
681 days, 10 hours, and 91 lbs to go...
Last Friday's weigh-in was 252.8.
Today, Tanita-san (my scale) smiled a nice number at me: 251.0
I like even weigh-ins. Don't you? Especially if it's a lower round number.
- 1.8 lbs.
The original goal, as you may recall, was to lose 4.08 lbs per month, roughly a pound per week. This puts me back on track. This is my seventh weigh-in since setting my 98 lbs in 2 years weight loss goal. So, I should be 7 lbs down.
And now I am, after some iffy weeks.
Nice to be back on track.
I'm hoping that I can accelerate loss before Thanksgiving, cause once the holiday hoopla starts, the celebratory days may get dicey. Better to lose extra beforehand, just in case.
If I can lose 1.5 lbs for a few weigh-ins, rather than "roughly 1" (technically, 0.95 per week), I can get a nice cushion for holiday temptations. Although I do need to PLAN for those tempting episodes. That's the pre-holiday homework.
What truth am I facing?
I don't have to let my diet go all to hell cause my health deteriorates a bit. Normally, when my asthma/allergies act up, I hit the comfort foods hard. I slurp a ton of soup. I drink a lot of tea. And I go for the easy to swallow, warm, gooey comforting stuff (usually something cheesy or doused in gravy or swimming in olive oil).
This time, when the breathing went downhill last Wednesday, got worse Saturday, and then got better before hitting a bump yesterday, I didn't go for the gooey-food-loves-me consolation.
It is possible to say no to food self-medication.
I need to remember that I did that this week when this temptation hits again.
So, while I'm not feeling great health-wise, I'm feeling great about my controlled eating and progress this week.
Hope this Friday finds you full of joy and health...
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Yummy Big Breakfast The Day After Organic Co-op Pick-Up & Learning To Eat Less, bit by bit, cause I'm a Diet Marathoner, not a Sprinter
I woke up feeling no hunger, so I did email and some dishwashing (the dinner soakers) and listened to radio (a program about showing love to gay teens to prevent suicides, etc, another on the stuff going on in France).
Finally got hungry around 3pm. For some reason, the hunger came on fast, so I did a quickie breakfast, one of my faves: veggie omelette. I had really fresh spinach and scallions and baby bella mushrooms, and a few days' old cubanelle pepper, and a half an heirloom tomato leftover from Tuesday's breakfast. In they went to the pan with some garlic powder and pepper anda pinch of sea salt. I added lowfat cheese on top. I cut up a beautiful papaya and sprinkled TrueLime on it (it really makes the flavor pop, more than even the liquid, real, organic limes). I had half a small organic grapefruit. Fresh coffee (this time George Howell's Terroir in the Select Custom Blend, which has this crazy good dark chocolate vibe in it). I sipped a bit of a protein fruit drink to bring the protein closer to 30 grams (what I aim for at breakfast, as I found that keeps the hunger at bay longest. Over 30 is not considered good, or so I read--and that may be unscientific and erroneous, so let me know if that's so-- so I do tally as I add ingredients.
Soooo good. The papaya is not just nice for one's digestion (due to papain), for those of use who are prone to congestion/phlegm/goo in the bronchii and nasal passages/sinusitis, it's a good thing. AND...it's good for those with high BP due to the potassium. It's my fave breakfast fruit. I try to have one ripening on the table at all times (ie, one ripe to eat, one waiting to ripen, eat half of first, refrigerate, eat that next day, then the other one is ready to go, buy new one, etc). It's a Superfood, and it's alkaline rich, so I'm glad I love the stuff.
Some folks suggest eating it alone, on an empty tummy, for maximum benefit.
Due to insulin resistance, I won't eat any carb alone (not fruit, not bread, not pasta). I'll only eat fruit if I can team with protein and a bit of fat. :D That worked to get my sugar down sans meds, and I'll stick to that.
For about 500 calories, I got a very filling, anti-oxidant packed, satisfying, mouth-happy-making breakfast. Lots of protein. Anti-nose-goo goodness. :D
And today the scale was 252.0. So, another widdle-bitty downtick. I'll take it.
I find it interesting that I haven't had such a hard time anymore staying under not just 2000 cals--which I was finding a struggle, nearly impossible, in the decade plus--but that I'm now settling into a more comfortable "under 1850" pattern. This is good, and I hope I can find the inner resolve and dietary changes to maintain this. To keep my weight in the "low overweight" range --since I'm not even aiming for "thin" or "just normal"--I'd have to eat consistently UNDER 1800--unless I plan to start marathoning. (Don't hold your collective breaths on that. My knees and R ankle shudder at the idea.)
All the talk about "lifestyle change" is not bullshit (pardon my Etruscan). It's the Lord's truth. You have to start eating the way you'll always eat, because the reason for yo-yoing is that we eat in "diet mode" and then the "I"m done and off diet mode" and guess what? Off diet mode means "stuff I used to eat I'll eat again." Which means you get to the size you were...again.
I have had a very, very slow weight-loss trajectory. But I haven't regained what I started losing in 2004. I may have only lost about 10 lbs a year, but the pounds have stayed off (with small bobbles).
If it takes me two years (as this blog's Header states as the overarching goal), then that's a FIVE TIMES MORE a year loss than I've done so far. It may seem really slow to a lot of folks, but it's REALLY FAST rate to me. Mrs. 10 lbs a year (more or less).
I've already lost more than 10 lbs this year. I'd love to end the year with a total loss of 20+ pounds. That would double the average rate of my previous loss.
But most importantly, I want to learn to happily, full-tummy-fillingly learn to live on 1700 calories (more if I find my inner athlete). That's how it has to go down. And as I get older, I'll probably need to eat 1600, then 1500. That's just how the math goes. You age, you need less food unless you're Jack LaLanne maybe.
I tell myself even now: This is how it is. Forever. You have to find a way to make satisfying meals that are around 500 calories or fewer. You need to find nutrition optimizing combos and snacks. You have to learn to say no a lot to urges and cravings. You sometimes have to go to bed hungry.
I don't fool myself that this will be easy. I'm still struggling some days not to go over 2000...cause my brain and body still want to eat MORE MORE MORE. But I do find a certain calmness I didn't have last year, the year before, the year before that. Maybe it's just that I'm really sloooooooow to adapt to new habits. And it just takes me a long time to switch grooves.
It took me a while to be able to eat fewer than 2500.
It took me a while to be able to eat fewer than 2200.
It's taken me some months to be able to have consecutive days under 2000.
I'm not gonna win any weight-loss sprints. I'm a tortoise, not a hare.
That's okay. I just want to win my race and I'm only running against...me.
Hope Thursday finds you healthier and happier than yesterday and further along in your race--whether you walk, jog, or sprint....
~
Finally got hungry around 3pm. For some reason, the hunger came on fast, so I did a quickie breakfast, one of my faves: veggie omelette. I had really fresh spinach and scallions and baby bella mushrooms, and a few days' old cubanelle pepper, and a half an heirloom tomato leftover from Tuesday's breakfast. In they went to the pan with some garlic powder and pepper anda pinch of sea salt. I added lowfat cheese on top. I cut up a beautiful papaya and sprinkled TrueLime on it (it really makes the flavor pop, more than even the liquid, real, organic limes). I had half a small organic grapefruit. Fresh coffee (this time George Howell's Terroir in the Select Custom Blend, which has this crazy good dark chocolate vibe in it). I sipped a bit of a protein fruit drink to bring the protein closer to 30 grams (what I aim for at breakfast, as I found that keeps the hunger at bay longest. Over 30 is not considered good, or so I read--and that may be unscientific and erroneous, so let me know if that's so-- so I do tally as I add ingredients.
Some folks suggest eating it alone, on an empty tummy, for maximum benefit.
Due to insulin resistance, I won't eat any carb alone (not fruit, not bread, not pasta). I'll only eat fruit if I can team with protein and a bit of fat. :D That worked to get my sugar down sans meds, and I'll stick to that.
For about 500 calories, I got a very filling, anti-oxidant packed, satisfying, mouth-happy-making breakfast. Lots of protein. Anti-nose-goo goodness. :D
And today the scale was 252.0. So, another widdle-bitty downtick. I'll take it.
I find it interesting that I haven't had such a hard time anymore staying under not just 2000 cals--which I was finding a struggle, nearly impossible, in the decade plus--but that I'm now settling into a more comfortable "under 1850" pattern. This is good, and I hope I can find the inner resolve and dietary changes to maintain this. To keep my weight in the "low overweight" range --since I'm not even aiming for "thin" or "just normal"--I'd have to eat consistently UNDER 1800--unless I plan to start marathoning. (Don't hold your collective breaths on that. My knees and R ankle shudder at the idea.)
All the talk about "lifestyle change" is not bullshit (pardon my Etruscan). It's the Lord's truth. You have to start eating the way you'll always eat, because the reason for yo-yoing is that we eat in "diet mode" and then the "I"m done and off diet mode" and guess what? Off diet mode means "stuff I used to eat I'll eat again." Which means you get to the size you were...again.
I have had a very, very slow weight-loss trajectory. But I haven't regained what I started losing in 2004. I may have only lost about 10 lbs a year, but the pounds have stayed off (with small bobbles).
If it takes me two years (as this blog's Header states as the overarching goal), then that's a FIVE TIMES MORE a year loss than I've done so far. It may seem really slow to a lot of folks, but it's REALLY FAST rate to me. Mrs. 10 lbs a year (more or less).
I've already lost more than 10 lbs this year. I'd love to end the year with a total loss of 20+ pounds. That would double the average rate of my previous loss.
But most importantly, I want to learn to happily, full-tummy-fillingly learn to live on 1700 calories (more if I find my inner athlete). That's how it has to go down. And as I get older, I'll probably need to eat 1600, then 1500. That's just how the math goes. You age, you need less food unless you're Jack LaLanne maybe.
I tell myself even now: This is how it is. Forever. You have to find a way to make satisfying meals that are around 500 calories or fewer. You need to find nutrition optimizing combos and snacks. You have to learn to say no a lot to urges and cravings. You sometimes have to go to bed hungry.
I don't fool myself that this will be easy. I'm still struggling some days not to go over 2000...cause my brain and body still want to eat MORE MORE MORE. But I do find a certain calmness I didn't have last year, the year before, the year before that. Maybe it's just that I'm really sloooooooow to adapt to new habits. And it just takes me a long time to switch grooves.
It took me a while to be able to eat fewer than 2500.
It took me a while to be able to eat fewer than 2200.
I'm not gonna win any weight-loss sprints. I'm a tortoise, not a hare.
That's okay. I just want to win my race and I'm only running against...me.
Hope Thursday finds you healthier and happier than yesterday and further along in your race--whether you walk, jog, or sprint....
~
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