This weeks goals are: 8 glasses of water per day, exercise 3 days, break the chip and chocolate habit.
The eating habits I'd like to change are: 1. grazing for salty and crunchy when I am stressed. 2. Eating unplanned food at night. 3. Having seconds of non-produce dishes.
1. Better: having healthier foods available for munching during these moments Best: Finding other outlets to let off steam.
2. Better: Again, having healthy choices available for these moments Best: Having a true kitchen closing time that I can stick with.
3. Better and Best: Having all-you-can-eat veggie and fruit sides available at each meal.
I haven't tried 8 minutes in the morning but I've done a bunch of quickie workouts - like 8 minute abs and I have a bunch of exercise DVD's - all Gaiam and I like having them. Cue them up on the telly and it's hard to ignore the workout. SheriaV does DVD reviews on the site and will have great ideas for you. Welcome!
I also feel the need to count calories (actually for me, points) but I know that it works. I am now learning to combine the best of the information I know and incorporating it into my "diet" I love KD's diet tips and cookbooks. I find WW points work for me and it's what I know to do. My latest interest is in the real-age diet and the healthy choices it encourages. I add all this into my daybook. Kind of extra work, recording points in my WW log and also writing in my daybook. But the daybook is what I find so encouraging. The nutrition part of my weight loss journey is going well but the gym part is just so-so. I used the holiday as an excuse to sleep in and not go. My goal is to get back in the gym every morning before work. I don't like spending much time on weights so I am looking for something that will interest me. Has anyone tried the "8 Minutes in the Morning" routine? diana
Cindy, Just wanted to say "way to go!". You're doing a lot of the heavy thinking that helps us all think about what does and doesn't work for us. I encourage you to keep working that 'something weird' that happened when you dipped below 200lbs until you figure out what went on and even start composing a list of counter-strategies (or post a new thread on here and you'll get a list that'll knock your socks off ).
Good luck and congratulations on not gaining it all back!
Peg
PS) This type of sharing is very, very helpful to others on the board so I wanted to also thank you for that and encourage you (and all the newbies) to keep it up. It helps fellow newbies, those of us still in the process and those of us in maintanence. We are all trying to figure out a lot of the same stuff so sharing the process really helps everyone!
Originally posted by KimberlyB: I'm really excited to be joining the Cooking Thin Fit club. The only thing I'm worried about, is that I get really nervous if I'm not counting calories, and it takes a really long time to count them for each recipe. I'm an emotional eater, and a bored eater, and I really want to lose the weight. I'm discovering that I'm the type of person, that is going to have to work out 5-7 days a week, just to get my metabolism in order. I also have hypothyroidism. That is all straightened out, but I guess I will have to make sure I'm journaling in my daybook, and keeping everything together. I suppose its more about what you put in being healthy and not putting any more excess in, than counting calories, but honestly it still worries me.
Welcome to you Kimberly! If counting calories works for you, why not continue doing it? Lots of folks here on the board count calories. There is no right or wrong here, just finding what works for you!
Out of our beliefs are born deeds; out of our deeds we form habits; out of our habits grows our character; and on our character we build our destiny.
I'm really excited to be joining the Cooking Thin Fit club. The only thing I'm worried about, is that I get really nervous if I'm not counting calories, and it takes a really long time to count them for each recipe. I'm an emotional eater, and a bored eater, and I really want to lose the weight. I'm discovering that I'm the type of person, that is going to have to work out 5-7 days a week, just to get my metabolism in order. I also have hypothyroidism. That is all straightened out, but I guess I will have to make sure I'm journaling in my daybook, and keeping everything together. I suppose its more about what you put in being healthy and not putting any more excess in, than counting calories, but honestly it still worries me.
Posts: 3 | Location: Maine | Registered: January 13, 2006
And that is a good thing. I am learning to look at things from a different perspective: not beating myself up, not considering myself a perpetual failure. So, a little overview is in order. (This is more of a pep talk for me than info for you all - please feel free to skip the bio/info )
My daughter had given me our first grandchild in 2000. Daughter is gorgeous. Tall, blonde, wonderful figure, smart, etc... how did I get a kid like THIS? She got married and took 8 years to give us a baby, so we were so excited to have little one come into our world. AND I am lucky enough to live in the same town as they do,unlike my grandmother, who always lived on the other side of the country from us.
Her pregnancy wasn't easy, and she developed post partum migraines as well. One of the meds she finally went on led to a gain of 20 pounds in less than two months -after she had lost all her pregnancy weight! Poor kid. She was finally able to stop the meds, and in March 2001 decided to go to Weight Watchers to shed the pounds. Lord knows she had seen her own mother go often enough!
I decided to go with her to keep her company. Unlike her mother, my daughter isn't a ham, and meeting new people is torture for her, so having mom at her side helped. I did well - in fact, in spite of 9-11, I lost 60 pounds.
After I went below 200 pounds, something weird happened. All of a sudden something that had been easy (well, pretty easy compared to WW in several of its other incarnations) I started struggling big time. I started bingeing like crazy. Then I would have to eat ultra low points to keep from messing up the weigh-ins. I returned to a bunch of the nutty behavior of the past: not eating the day before weigh in, no food or drink on WI day until I was off the scale, etc. My weight started to see saw big time. I would see 3 pound fluctations from week to week.
It had been so easy, and I had been so smug. I posted regularly on the WW bulletin boards and encouraged folks not to give up... and then when I started to struggle I was too prideful to ask for help, to admit that I was in trouble. I couldn't tell my WW lecturer, either. I WOULDN'T tell her. And then I quit going. I removed myself from a good support system because of my pride. Sheesh.
And of course the weight started coming back on, because in spite of the fact that I wrote every day that this is a lifestyle, not a diet, and that I must never allow myself to fall into a deprivation mind set - I had those two behaviors so firmly a part of my head that I couldn't recognize that I was indeed "on a diet" instead of making permanent changes in my life.
For instance: I complained to myself every time I had to fiddle with vegetables to make the palatable. See, I don't like 'em. And salad = punishment to me. "You don't deserve to eat ______, Cindy, 'cause YOU are FAT and YOU need to DIET. So it is SALAD for YOU!"
I honestly DO have issues with taste and texture,and I do have to work harder to get the veggies in. But in my rebellion, and my funk, I quit doing even the things I enjoyed: peanut butter on celery, peanut sauce on stir fry, V-8 juice, baby carrots with hummus...
So not only did I start eating football player portions of meats and breads, I quit eating veggies. I didn't take my vitamins.
So, that is where I WAS coming from. Having learned from FlyLady that I can do anything in baby steps, I now believe I can babystep my way into a healthier life. That is when someone directed me to Kathleen's website.
So what DID become a permanent part of my life since 2000?
* I drink water most of all. Getting in my hydration therapy isn't a problem. I actually prefer water to sweet drinks of any kind. * I LOVE whole grains. It is easy for me to eat whole wheat bread (it IS bread!)tortillas, pitas, english muffins, pancakes, and so on. I don't feel deprived, I like them better.
Those are two pretty good habits to have kept. I did NOT gain all 60 pounds back. I kept 17 of them off. I made it through the holidays without gaining, and have lost a pound since then. Behavior-wise, I have had a few binges since November, but not many - fewer than 5 - and considering that night time binges are the biggest behavior sabotage, that is a good thing.
Unfortunately, though, my body composition is such that I have lost muscle, so I am in the same size at this weight that I was at the higher one. So exercise clearly has to be a big focus. Babystepping that one as well.
My goals for this week: eat the veggies every day get on the treadmill at least 5 of the 7 days add at least 2 days of weight training
have a good week, cindy p in AZ
Luke 17:15-16 Be the one.
Posts: 4 | Location: Desert Southwest USA | Registered: January 12, 2006
Oh shoot! I gave in yesterday and did not go to the gym. I had so much work to do that I thought I would go later in the day. Did not happen. My eating has gone really well. I do not feel deprived as I have in past "dieting". I drink most of my water and have been trying to get veggies in. I have written in my food diary everyday. So I am plugging away. Diana
OK, I only ate one cookie instead of 6, I ate one slice of pizza instead of two or three. I ate ONE piece of chocolate instead of ... well, you see.
I ate my healthy plan all day, and then went to a friend's house to babysit - and ate. When they left. Just like I did 20 YEARS ago when the babies were my own. (the sound you hear is Cindy banging her head on the desk) I wouldn't have a problem with what I did if I was hungry when I got there, but I wasn't. It was just there. And pizza and home made cookies are two of my favorite foods on the planet. Especially when my friend makes them 'cause she is a great cook.
I wasn't prepared for dealing with food at their house. But there are always going to be times when I am not prepared for whatever - that is what life is like. So you all KNOW what the "I wish I hadn't" section has in it.
So I am sitting here today, with my daily oat bran with amonds and raisins and a nice (delicious, btw) clementine ... and now I have to shut up the voices in my head.
And on top of it, my hubby, who had two good arthritis days in a row: he had some energy, felt good enough to go to Barnes and Noble with me yesterday. We had a real breakfast date at a nice little French bistro, and last night he stopped in to visit with me for a bit while I babysat - he woke up in pain from head to toe, so the plan for the day is out the window. Now, part of the plan included dangerously close proximity to a favorite restaurant that makes from scratch, CLASSIC diner favs AND home made ice cream in every flavor you can imagine. So, not facing that temptation is a good thing, and I choose to be grateful. It also means I can walk some extra on the treadmill without putting a cramp on his day.
While at BN yesterday, as I was sipping my tall, skinny decaf, I found Getting Thin and Loving Food. Stopped at the store on the way home to pick up a couple of ingredients I didn't have on hand, and am going to make the Basalmic Chicken with Pan Roasted Parsnips and Carrots for the big family Sunday dinner.
I'm off to de clutter a closet for 15 minutes, and then I am going to treadmill some of those cookie and pizza calories off my hips, make a smoothie for hubby and have a good day in spite of busted plans.
have a great day, cindy
Luke 17:15-16 Be the one.
Posts: 4 | Location: Desert Southwest USA | Registered: January 12, 2006
I am feeling a little better today -- even though I'm still coughing a bit, my head has cleared. I have a swimming workout planned for tomorrow and I think I'll try it and see how I feel. I can always cut it short. I planned the workout a week ago with a friend I don't get much time to see.
----------- Jen
Posts: 2872 | Location: Ohio | Registered: March 11, 2004
Hi, I thought I would introduce myself. I'm Cindy, 51, married, mom of 3, grammy to 3, I work part time at a local rescue mission and volunteer in my community here in the desert. I cater small dinners for my church on a monthly basis, usually feeding about 15-25 people. My darling hubby of 33 years has a chronic, degenerative illness, and though he has a good job, the disease leaves little energy for much else. Pain and fatigue are big parts of RA.
This is the year we decided to focus on improving our health as much as we can. I have been a yo-yo dieter since high school, so I am a veteran of the diet wars, and have generally been on the losing side. THIS time, we are working on baby steps, and I think ours are smaller than any of yours,
Starting in November, I decided to do some things for myself that I only did when I was being "good" - taking my vitamins, drinking 6-8 glasses of water each day, and enjoying V-8 juice. Believe it or not, I guess I only thought I "deserved" them if I was sticking to an eating plan.
Intellectually I could have told you that I was working on an eating strategy for life, not a diet. Those were the words that came out of my mouth, but in my head I was "on a DIET!" And consequently, I could go off the diet. Which I did, repeatedly.
I plan to take advantage of all that I have learned, all I can learn from smart sources like Kathleen and YOU all. I have an accountablility group made up of friends of all ages who live in my vicinity. We walk together, or at least report our mileage to each other. Some of us go to Weight Watchers, some are eating sensibly on our own.
My hip joints have been letting me know both that I need to exercise, and that I need to be very careful about what I do. I tried upping the intensity of my walks by adding too many uphill intervals earlier this week and am in pain. So, I am back "on the level" and will stay that way for another week, I think, just varying the speed at which I walk.
Food wise, this week my goal is 3 servings of veggies and 2 fruits per day, whole grains except for our Friday date (often hard to find whole grains when we eat out) and our family Sunday dinner, when I make some special dinner rolls everyone loves that are made with white flour. I often don't like vegetables - and don't tell me that if I get used to them I will like them more. I have been eating them for my whole life. Unless I can get fresh-from-the-farm, picked-just-before-I eat-it, most of what I am able to buy just doesn't taste good. Picked and shipped quite a long distance, flavor not the priority, sturdiness and appearance are. I eat them when I am being "good" - but my commitment now is to eat them all the time. This week I have eaten spinach, cabbage, parsnips, carrots, as well as my usual celery, onion, bell pepper and cucumber.
I bought my yearly daybook yesterday and am going to try the squash soup tomorrow. I look forward to "meeting" you all.
cindy p
Luke 17:15-16 Be the one.
Posts: 4 | Location: Desert Southwest USA | Registered: January 12, 2006
Sheri and Jen - sad to hear that you're under the weather. Time for some serious nurture! Mother yourselves for a while! I've been knitting up a storm, and recently realized that it is what I do to hold myself together when I have an illness or a struggle. Do you have something like that that you do for yourselves? Drag it out!
Hugs, Lynne
Posts: 1104 | Location: NH | Registered: February 28, 2005
Originally posted by TriGirl: Well, just as I was doing well with exercise and the homework called for more, I got really sick.
I have had some sort of weird flu-like thing since Tuesday night. I was off sick from work on Wednesday with it...went to work Thursday but felt kinda miserable on and off all day...and today I'm KO'd again at home. I took Wednesday as an exercise off day and did balance ball yesterday, which is the gentlest workout I own. Hate to take another day off from exercise today but we'll see how the day progresses.
Posts: 7864 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
Originally posted by TriGirl: Well, just as I was doing well with exercise and the homework called for more, I got really sick. But I have still been doing some walking. We've had unseasonably warm weather so I figure the fresh air is good for me.
It seems like just a cold and I think it's finally lifting, but my workouts have been pretty minimal this week.
Sorry to hear that you have been sick Jen : ( I hope you'll feel better soon (just in time for the cool down ; ).
Out of our beliefs are born deeds; out of our deeds we form habits; out of our habits grows our character; and on our character we build our destiny.
Well, just as I was doing well with exercise and the homework called for more, I got really sick. But I have still been doing some walking. We've had unseasonably warm weather so I figure the fresh air is good for me.
It seems like just a cold and I think it's finally lifting, but my workouts have been pretty minimal this week.
----------- Jen
Posts: 2872 | Location: Ohio | Registered: March 11, 2004
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