Make something for yourself for breakfast in the morning. Put together a PB&J sandwich, or even a mostly-healthy granola bar on the counter. Boil eggs, peel em, and grab one on the way out the door. Put everything for a smoothie in the blender and put the blender in the fridge, then turn it on in the morning and drink it while you run around. Part of what helps me (I work Saturdays, too) is filling my lunchbox with all the stuff I'd take on a regular day of work (breakfast included) and taking it in with me, even if I end up only working half a day.
An idea for your sweet tooth...we'll take whole wheat pitas and slice them into triangles (yay pizza cutter!), spray on both sides with a little butter-flavor Pam, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top, then bake at 375 for 10-15 min. Let 'em cool a bit, and they're tasty little things Like a sopapilla, if you've had one of those.
Challenge Goals: *10 minutes of unplanned exercise five times a week *Gym time twice a week *Socialize at least once every two weeks.
Originally posted by isabel: i am going to brush my teeth and turn off the kitchen lights. ok, saturday and sunday to go.
Sounds like a plan to me. Say night, night to the kitchen.
Wow!!! You've done a lot of indepth thinking about how you get off track on weekends. It sounds like you've overcome a lot of obstacles. Hang in there and you'll be fine!!!
Denise
Posts: 8744 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
ok, friday evening. after dinner is a tough time, a temptation to munch. so far, i have eaten probably 4 more crackers than i should have. i had a real craving to just have something in my mouth, so i ate cauliflower and a frozen low fat yogurt. now, i am going to brush my teeth and turn off the kitchen lights. ok, saturday and sunday to go.
Goals: 1. Stop thinking like a chronic dieter and start living to inspire. 2. HALT (hungry, anxious, lonely, tired) I will stop and tune in with myself should I experience these things, and respond with something healthy. 3. One word 2008: courage 4. Eat slow and mindfully.
thanks Denise. I will keep checking in. it is nice to know you guys are out there. it is 5pm, dinner time. i am still on track. to get back to your questions as to why weekends are a problems, if i had to narrow it down, it owuld be: 1. 2 years of a pattern where i underfed myself (deprivation) monday thru friday, and then my body was screaming for enough carbs and food by saturday, i was bingeing sat and sunday. by monday, i was riddled with guilt and back to underfeeding myself. what a horribly unhealthy pattern. 2. i work on the weekends, and i get exhausted. on saturday, i don't get to have a breakfast until 10am or so. by then, i have taught 3 classes. then i spend saturday running around with errands, and driving my daughter here and there. sunday is a little better but not much. so not enough joy. too much exhaustion. when i get tired, i seek comfort in food. instead of "going toward the light", i go into the large pantry... 3. giving myself permission to indulge in my favorite munchies on the weekends. i love going to Whole Foods on saturday and munching on the tortilla chips and the pita chips. then i am off to have some sweets. crunchy and sweet are my weaknesses. i think i need to enjoy these things in moderation regularly instead of just saturday.
thanks for being out there!
Goals: 1. Stop thinking like a chronic dieter and start living to inspire. 2. HALT (hungry, anxious, lonely, tired) I will stop and tune in with myself should I experience these things, and respond with something healthy. 3. One word 2008: courage 4. Eat slow and mindfully.
thanks for all the suggestions. i am going to follow every one. ok, half way thru friday and i am on track. i did more time on the elliptical , just to show myself that i could! two and a half more days to go. it is just another hurdle (I am telling myself). i have overcome them before, like binge eating to the point of being sick (don't do that anymore and it seemed like forever before that old programming was behind me.) so the weekend issue is my next hurdle (or little speedbump?) thanks, i will get back to GoingSKiing about the specifics (which will help me sort thru the problem) you guys are awesome. izzy
Goals: 1. Stop thinking like a chronic dieter and start living to inspire. 2. HALT (hungry, anxious, lonely, tired) I will stop and tune in with myself should I experience these things, and respond with something healthy. 3. One word 2008: courage 4. Eat slow and mindfully.
and you should have extra cals for desserts or dinners out. I might follow the 1400 cal plans... but end up eating about 1800-2000 cals with desserts and extra restaurant cals.
But if you are eating 3-4 cups of fruits and vegs. and 5 servings of whole grains and 4-5 oz of meat and beans and 2-3 cups of milk... plus dessert. You probably won't be hungry.
And it is more positive to be thinking of the foods you CAN eat vs. all the foods you can't/shouldn't/won't/etc.
Denise
Posts: 8744 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
Weekends used to be my hardest time, too. We used to eat out EVERY meal and snack. It was hard because I had to change me and two other people (my family)
I found it worked really well to make a plan and plan eating out one time. We would sit down and decide which meal did we want to eat out, and then the rest of the meals, we ate at home and ate like a regular weekday.
The restaurant meal… I usually had a (rather large) restaurant burger with 1/3 lb of beef (and I subbed a salad for the fries). I’d cut the burger in half and eat half and throw the rest away. It seems wasteful, but it is REALLY likely that the burger had 1200 cals… and I don’t want to bring home 600 cals of leftovers. It is really hard to do this the first 2-3 times… but Sheri can vouch that it DOES get easier.
And I enjoy “bad” food like burgers. I’d much rather have half of a really good burger than a salad with chicken breast. I think that if I felt like I could ONLY eat salads in restaurants... I'd have quit a long time ago. I eat what I like... but don't finish it.
And we planned two desserts. (We usually eat fruit for desserts of weeknights). One dessert is usually “light” like lf pumpkin pie with no crust and ¼ c. of ice cream or a no-pudge brownie with ¼ c. ice cream, but the other dessert was usually something that we split (3 ways) in a restaurant and was NOT “lite”.
I did this when I was losing and still do it.
The weekends were HARD at first and it was hard to get up and have oatmeal… since we usually drove thru and got a McBreakfast or went to Denny’s for a Grand Slam… but after a few weeks it did get easier. But I won’t lie, we white knuckled it at first and made myself walk in the kitchen to make cereal. But it truly is second nature and habit now and it feels easy.
Hang in there!!!
Denise
Posts: 8744 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
Isabel, weekends can still be about treating yourself -- just redefine "treat." It doesn't have to involve food. Rent a chick flick to watch with your dd or your best girlfriend. Spend an afternoon window-shopping and make up your holiday wish list. Lock the bathroom door so you can take the longest bubble bath ever. Curl up with a good book (plenty of suggestions on the "What Are We Reading" thread).
Whatever makes you happy is a treat, right? Just so it keeps you out of the kitchen!
You aren't the only one on watch this weekend. I've got a ton of work to do (again) this weekend so I am going to have to super careful that I don't eat while I am working at my desk. Talk about mindless calories.
Sounds like you have a gameplan for this weekend. I know for me that is important. Take the weekend, meal by meal, day by day. Don't overwhelm yourself. Enjoy the weekend.
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is." Albert Einstein
Daily to do: Drink plenty of water & take vitamins
Posts: 1624 | Location: Georgia | Registered: March 24, 2004
Like a sopapilla, if you've had one of those.
