Hi all,
Sorry, I went AWOL on you all. Thought I'd be around on Sunday to post and alas, wasn't. Anyway, here we go to week #4. Let us all know how things are going, what you might be switching up or starting over with and whatnot. Hope you have a great week!

Here's a thought for you:
"In the fullness of time, the egg of perseverance and persistence shall bear forth its golden chicks."
Written in 2006 by Safianu Ado Ibrahim --- Nigeria

Peg

I had another good day with my goals...another $1.00 for me.

I have been working on making sure I get the healthy guidlines met daily and it is an eyeopener to me. I thought I was doing so well but have been wasting quite a few points (ww term) on processed stuff. A good lesson for me

I had a personal victory today - I actually listened to my body telling me that I felt full and stopped eating even though I had a pre-meausred amount of food on my plate that I knew I could comfortably finish and be within calorie range for the day.

That hardly ever happens! I've been working at listening to those cues and finding that "full button" and it's nice to know that it does work ; )

Overall, I had a good day. Lots of exercise, healthy choices, within calorie range.

One of the unexpected benefits of counting calories is that I also know when I'm too low and need to add in a snack. That's probably why I left some of dinner as I had more calories earlier in the day and didn't come to the dinner table starving.

PS The kitchen counters came out BEAUTIFULLY! I was really excited about how well it looked and they even managed to do the entire kitchen without a single seam. I'm not sure how they managed that as our island is over 9 ft long with a 45 degree bend but they did it!

quote:

Originally posted by Kat N.:
What is a tangelo?

I believe it is a hybrid of tangerine and orange. This one was smaller than the average orange, though I have seen larger tangelos too. The peeled sections have a texture almost like that of a mandarin orange--very "tender"--and this one was seedless, though I didn't recall them being seedless when I've had them before.

quote:

We can't believe how mean Gordon is...but it sure makes fun tv.

If you've seen him go on any of the reward trips with challenge winners, you see that he is VERY different outside the kitchen.

What is a tangelo?

DH and I just started watching Hell's Kitchen about a month ago. We can't believe how mean Gordon is...but it sure makes fun tv.
I could never put up with that.

Totally agree with you on all your points. Keith has quite the mouth on him and I was glad to see it leave! He was way to cocky.

Virginia does seem to be having some luck when it comes to staying. Her pallette must be amazing for a salad chef
If she wins I would hate to eat in her restaurant!

Can't wait for next week!

Oh! Wanted to document that I got my a.m. fruit in today--a tangelo--and it was yummy!

quote:

Originally posted by Kat N.:
Who do you think will win Hell's Kitchen?
I think Heather will

I WANT Heather to win (have almost since the beginning). I think that Keith most definitely shot himself in the foot last night lipping off to Gordon during service. If he had kept his big mouth shut, there's a good chance he'd have been still standing there and Virginia would be going home.

It is hard to believe that someone who has been a total MESS during almost every dinner service this season is in the final two. Boggles the mind. I don't care much for Virginia, but I will give her one thing--the way she dispatched Sara last week was a wonder to behold. I didn't think she had that much evil in her!

Oh yea...and her winning that challenge last night had less to do with her amazing palate and more to do with her luck of finding the white beans and pancetta sitting out on a pan and making her puree out of that. It made me want to smack her when she was bragging later on about Gordon picking her for her amazingly sensitive palate. GAG!

Way to go Sheri!!!!

Who do you think will win Hell's Kitchen?
I think Heather will

While this was LAST week's challenge goal, I was very happy that I spent another almost 2 hours of commercial flying during Hell's Kitchen last night. Actually, the first hour, since it was a repeat of last week's ep, I flew through most of the show. Then during the new episode, I just flew during commercials.

I filed most of a pile of sorted bills that covered the entire couch and my 42-inch coffee table. The couch and 3/4 of the coffee table are now empty. I just have 2 piles that I need to sort more specifically and then file and I'm DONE!

Also, while I was at it, I purged and shredded a few years of older records from each file folder. I got halfway through the purging and most of the way through the shredding from that purge.

Finally, just had to mention that my kitchen has been staying much neater lately and it is such a thrill to walk in there and forget and be pleasantly surprised by the clean, decluttered surfaces when I am used to it being a disaster zone.

I went out to lunch at Olive Garden and had the soup, salad and breadstick combo. I ate salad, only 1 and 1/2 breadstick and one bowl of soup. It was all very tasty and much less than I have eaten in the past..wooohooo!!!

I did well with all my goals today...$1.oo for me

quote:

I was doing all right with my baby steps until Saturday. I had lost a total of 5 lbs in two weeks, which is kinda modest, but since it was the very first weight loss in years, I was proud.

I think 5 lbs is not really all that modest if you were truly just making those couple of changes you mentioned. That is right in line with the speed most experts consider healthy loss and you will be in great shape if you can keep that pace up! Good job!

quote:

And then... I blew 2 lbs on half a pizza plus soda for lunch Saturday, followed by a gorgeous no-holds-barred dinner at a nice restaurant that evening. Next morning I was up 2 lbs and have been ever since, despite going back to baby steps (water, no pigging out, etc etc.) Blechh. I'm not totally discouraged, but I will be if I don't see progress by going back on track.

Here's a chance to think through how you might do it differently next time. Sounds like lunch Saturday might not have been worth it but a gorgeous dinner at a nice restaurant probably was. Have you thought about how you might have made a good, better, best choice at lunch Saturday? Think also about how you might choose to mitigate, either beforehand or after, the gorgeous dinner. Some folks here will increase their exercise in the days before and after (a KD tried and true approach), will choose to leave an extra bite or two of food in the days before and after, some will plan particularly clean days for the days following a spluge and have that plan in place before they head out.

I really encourage you to fight past the feeling of frustration and 'all-or-none' and just try to look at it as the first in a lot of learning experiences in finding balance in the lifestyle. I must have tried every option above and then some as I was trying to learn to balance stuff out. It was tough sometimes but it is where the real stuff happens.

{{{{NBox}}}}

Peg

I had a NSV today - my mom brought a box of mini cookies and pastries from our very favorite restaurant today. I had one tiny (one bite sized) raspberry cookie and divided the rest of the box between dh and dd.

I easily could have devoured the box myself (and no one would have known they had ever been in the house) but was very mindful of my eating today.

quote:

It's amazing how many good habits I have worked hard to build but then I forget that they take work to maintain and I let them slide. It's really hard at work because I am so busy most days and am in a customer service job so I've frequently got the phone ringing, people coming by my desk for help, staff asking questions, emails coming in with more questions, etc. It's hard to remember "It's snack time!" in the midst of all that but I've done it before and I'm going to refocus my efforts on doing it again!

I struggle with this too (well, more with water than food...my hunger hits me over the head). I know I've mentioned this before but thought I'd remind that you can set up a recurring reminder in either your calendar or tasks if you use Outlook (or I'm sure other calendar software does this too) and it will pop up on your screen. I know it is easy to keep hitting snooze (try not to hit dismiss if you can avoid it) but at least you will have made a more concious reminder. People will harass you when they happen to see it come up but who cares? LOL

The fruit sounds lovely Sheri!

Peg

I have let the fruits and veggies slide back to the 5 a day minimum. I was feeling better when I was doing the 7 a day so I am going to work on bringing that habit back into my plan.

I've exercised a lot but I've also been going over my points a little here and there, and there was that funnel cake incident. So I'm not sure how my weigh-in tomorrow will go.

I have been wasting a LOT of fruit lately by buying it, taking it my lunch cooler to work, and then being too busy or just not focusing myself on making sure I get them eaten. Wasting money is always a bad feeling but even worse when you are spending extra money to buy really great quality produce at Whole Foods and then throwing it away because it has gone bad.

So I've just come back from Whole Foods with this week's fruit cache--Minneola tangelos, peaches, Fuji apples and strawberries--and I'm making getting those fruit snacks in my challenge goal for this week.

It's amazing how many good habits I have worked hard to build but then I forget that they take work to maintain and I let them slide. It's really hard at work because I am so busy most days and am in a customer service job so I've frequently got the phone ringing, people coming by my desk for help, staff asking questions, emails coming in with more questions, etc. It's hard to remember "It's snack time!" in the midst of all that but I've done it before and I'm going to refocus my efforts on doing it again!

I was doing all right with my baby steps until Saturday. I had lost a total of 5 lbs in two weeks, which is kinda modest, but since it was the very first weight loss in years, I was proud.

And then... I blew 2 lbs on half a pizza plus soda for lunch Saturday, followed by a gorgeous no-holds-barred dinner at a nice restaurant that evening. Next morning I was up 2 lbs and have been ever since, despite going back to baby steps (water, no pigging out, etc etc.) Blechh. I'm not totally discouraged, but I will be if I don't see progress by going back on track.

Well, I have really been determined this past week and more aware of my actions with and without food. I worked out more than 2 times at the gym, tried a new class at the gym, and took my vitamins everyday.

So I have decided this week will be for this week and the following since I am traveling mid-week. When I am out of town when we do go out to eat to have either appetizer and salad or soup OR share entree with my sister and have a salad. She and I have discussed it already and I do think it is the best plan.

I thought I had done well last week until the weekend hit.

I went to a retirement party with a plan that did not work...ate way too much and had 2 drinks. Left, thinking...tomorrow will be better.

Sunday morning my parents called and invited us to a buffet breakfast out....yum-o! I did okay, but still ate way to much.

Sunday afternoon I went to a baby shower and did fairly well until the ice cream cake came...I ate only 1/2 my piece.

I just got a call from dh's aunt to meet for lunch to meet dh's cousin's new girlfriend (does that make sense) so off I go with hopes that I can make really good choices!

I only drank 2 mochas last week.....YEAH for me! I journaled everyday...even when the food was out of control on the weekend

I got a fruit or veggie with each meal about 90% of the time. I only got my oil in on 4/7 days.

I will re-post after lunch

I am doing much better since I quit obsessing about the scale and the numbers. Water has been down, probably because I haven't planned to carry it with me. I need to do that. Food was a problem earlier in the week, because I just didn't track as I normally do, but I am back on that track again. Exercising has been biking and walking since I haven't had time nor energy to get to the pool. Am going later this PM, though. My shoulder and upper arms don't get the work out they get when I swim as when I bike or walk.
Journaling is never a problem, I seem to be able to do that without thinking about it. Good therapy. Thanks Peggy for setting this up everyday.

I'm doing well - counting calories really, really helps me stay on plan. Hopefully the scale will eventually start reflecting the hard work as well.