Motivational Thread March 17-March 23
 

Good morning, everyone!

I haven't posted for several days, but have been eating on track. Exercise and water have been lacking. But I'm ready to work harder this week.

Boy, did I pay dearly for instant gratification last night! I was craving chocolate and didn't have any dark chocolate but I had a bag of sugar free caramel filled milk chocolate candy. I usually eat only two pieces of the dark chocolate--a serving is five pieces. I ate the whole bag of milk chocolate, which is about TEN pieces and wound up with a horrible stomach ache--I'm guessing from all the sugar alcohols and other fake ingredients.

I haven't weighed since Friday and even though I know the cause of my hands and feet aching is from indulging in too much sodium from turkey bacon, turkey sausage, and deli sliced lunch meats, I continued to eat them. I usually don't crave salt, so I don't know what's up with that. I did go to the butcher shop yesterday, though, and bought some very low sodium store-cooked roast beef and some low sodium turkey breast. I'm swearing off turkey bacon and sausage until my water retention goes away.

Off to exercise and I can't come back here until I do.

Good morning!

Let's look toward a successful, positive, hard working week!

Hi, Bea. I added to my opening post after getting us started. Thanks for the pep talk--I really need it! You did a fabulous job on weight loss last week. Congrats on that! I'm up on the scale but I'm sure it's not fat gain--just water retention. I'm determined to post a loss on this Friday's weigh-in thread.

Thanks for starting us off. I'm off to a hotel for the next 4 nights with food provided. I'm a bit concerned it may be all high carb. I plan on exercising at least an hour per day while a friend has radiation. I'm providing driving and emotional support. The Cancer Society arranges for a hotel with food and this is her first full week. The rest of the time she is using Cancer Society drivers. Her battle makes me realize how I should be happy I am healthy and look after my body.

I suppose I can count going to London, ON as going south. My goals this week are to eat healthy and avoid bread. There is going to be too much temptation. I'm not good with temptation Mern I would have eaten the whole package too.

Good Morning Mern and Bea.

Goals
1. Keep within carb limit (40 grams per meal)
2. 4 servings fruits/veggies
3. 6 glasses of water (at least)
4. Lose 1lb and post in friday weigh-in
5. Exercise 30 min 4X

Personal goals
1. Clean bedroom including vacuuming
2. Vacuum living room
3. write

Have a Dr appointment April 2 so I want to lose 2 lbs by that time so I'm under 270. It definetly gives me an incentive to eat healthier to have good bloodwork numbers.

Jenn

Good morning fitday friends. I had a pretty good week, but feel like my weekend wasn't so successful. I had planned for a dinner out with my husband on Saturday (we had an awesome date night!!) so I didn't feel guilty about that. Unfortunately, I let my overindulgence spill over into Sunday. It's only 1 day though, so I need to keep it in perspective and just keep moving forward hence today's motivational quote. ;)

"Take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go"

Mern - I'm with you....the scale is up today and I know it's water weight. Between the weekend indulgences and hormonal fluctuations, I knew I'd be up. It will be hard to get the scale down by Friday (at least for me!) but I'm determined to have a loss this week as well. Let's make it happen lady! :p

Bea - I'm all for a successful, positive and hard working week! Let's do this! :D

Mary - Those are good goals for the your travel week. Sorry to hear your friend is battling cancer. I personally know how that can put things in perspective.

Jenn - Whatever helps to keep us motivated is always a good thing right! Good luck with your goals this week!

Have an awesome day!

Mern, thanks for starting us off this week. I am having problems with water retention and the scale is showing it. Part of the problem is the new medication I started using on Friday. Even though I am still on a low calorie diet and exercising my weight loss has stopped. GRRRR. Week 2 of Jumpstart
isn't going so well.

Libby - By keeping your calories very low for too long can actually slow your metabolism. Your body adjusts to the new calorie level by being able to function on only 800 calories. This could potentially backfire when you up your calories to a more practical level. Have you thought about calorie cycling instead? I don't want to post any links here...I think they would be removed? Google calorie cycling or zig zagging calories and have a read and see what you think. I personally think it could be just as effective and easier to sustain for a longer term...if not forever really.

Debbie, I understand your concern but I would like to stick with jumpstart for 3 weeks. I am going to make a pitcher of lemon water and drink it through out the day. It should help with water retention and may help with weight loss as well. I don't want to give up half way through other wise I will always wonder what would have happened if I had stuck with the diet.

I totally respect your commitment! Maybe I should try the lemon water thing too....do you really think it helps with water retention?

Good morning ladies.:D

I really enjoy this motivational thread. Hope it's ok if I join. I too have been struggling with water retention. It's really starting to wear me down!! I hope that setting weekly goals here will help hold me accountable!!


Goals
1. 4 servings of fruits and veggies a day
2. Min. of 6 glasses of water daily.
3. Be down 1.5 pounds by Friday weight in.
4. Say no to the extra serving at family meal times.
5. Exercise 30 min 5 times this week.

Personal goals
1. Read at least 20 minutes a day
2. Put cleaning on the back burner and spend quality time with the children this week - - spring break
3. Try a new healthy food


Thanks for letting me join!!! I hope everyone has a great week!!!

Good morning all! Glad to be starting a new week.
Mern, I would have eaten them all too. All those processed meats contain sooo much salt, don't they? I hope the retention goes down quickly.

Mary, Good luck on the temptations you face on your trip. Knowing in advance what will probably happen I think makes it easier to plan and overcome. So sorry your friend is going through this!

Jenn, I am sure you will be where you want to by your next appointment. You have 2 weeks, and I know if you stick to your goals you will get there. Plus you have extra motivation in wanting good lab results. you can do it!

Debbie, don't let one weekend derail you. Start back on track today and you'll be fine. But you already know that! :)

Libby, new medications can really work a number on us! Is the water retention something that will even out as you get adjusted to the meds, or is it just something that will always be as long as you take it? Although I personally think that 800 calories is too low, your Jump Start is only 3 weeks, and you are doing well to stay so committed. I hope at the end of the 3 weeks it will have worked for you!

I'm going to keep my goals pretty much the same...
1. Eat some fruits and vegetables each day.
2. Exercise
3. Drink lots of water
4. Get enough protein and fiber
5. Overhaul and organize my pantry

It's going to be hard to keep myself motivated going to the gym without my son there to push me along. I'll be glad when his leg heals enough that he can go back!

Since I seem to have a hard time getting in all my meals and I'm often too low in protein and fiber, I bought some Atkin's shakes as a meal replacement or a smoothie base because they have tons of protein and fiber. We'll see how that works out.

I got a new toy delivered, and I can't wait to use it. I got a vegetable/fruit spiralizer/slicer/ribbon maker. A lot of my dishes and casseroles start with pasta, and I'm trying to avoid pasta. I'm looking forward to making zucchini and squash "spaghetti" and stuff like that. I hope the contraption works! It got good reviews on Amazon so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I saw the 250's yesterday, and I was so excited! Although my sodium last night was high so I spiked back up a little, but at least I know the 260's will soon be a thing of my past...forever this time!!!

Here's to a good week for everyone!

Good morning, Mike!
Jennifer, I like your goals. Particularly saying no to extra servings. I have a really hard time with that myself. And also the goal to spend more time with the kiddos over spring break. I hope you do lots of fun, quality things together!

LOL! Good morning Mike! ;)

I squeeze the juice of a whole lemon and add it to a pitcher of water. Don't add any sweetener. Drink a glass before every meal and finish it before the end of the day. You will be running to the bathroom a lot but it will get rid of water retention and make you feel better. It works for me. I am on my forth glass and its only noon. Lets see what the scale says tomorrow. I just finished my walk, 5.4K in 61 minutes and I am not even breathing hard. I am getting fitter and when I get down to 150 I am going to start running.
My goals for this week are.
Lots of fruit and vegetables
Lots of water
Walk every day
Upper body work 3XW
Keep the house clean
Enjoy life
Have a great week.
Jenai, I hope that the water retention will go down on its own because I don't want to go on a water pill. My ankles are looking better already and my rings aren't tight like they were this morning.
Last night we had fish and I sliced some large tomatoes about one quarter inch thick, put some parm cheese on to and put them under the broiler. Were they ever good. The guys ate potato salad.

The water retention is gone. I hope the scale agrees tomorrow.
My goals for this week are:
Lots of fruit and vegetables: Yes
Lots of water: Yes
Walk every day: 5.4K in 61 min.
Upper body work 3XW
Keep the house clean: No
Enjoy life
Have a great week.
I made quinoa for the first time and I like it.

Hi Libby :D I think I got a hold of the water retention...somewhat. I ended up drinking a few glasses of water with apple cider vinegar...apparently it helps? We'll see tomorrow if the scale agrees. :p So how did you prepare the quinoa?

Goals
1. Keep within carb limit (40 grams per meal) no not terribly over but could've been better
2. 4 servings fruits/veggies 3 veggies
3. 6 glasses of water (at least) yes
4. Lose 1lb and post in friday weigh-in
5. Exercise 30 min 4X yes

Personal goals
1. Clean bedroom including vacuuming clean--just need to vacuum
2. Vacuum living room DONE :D
3. write

Not a bad day overall.
Jenn

1. Eat some fruits and vegetables each day M-Y
2. Exercise M-N
3. Drink lots of water M-N
4. Get enough protein and fiber M-Y
5. Overhaul and organize my pantry YES!!! and it looks amazing!!! Labels on the shelves and everything!!!

I'm going to add a goal this week...
6. Stay away from fast food!!!

Calories too many yesterday but not bad. I miss my morning protein shake. I know I could do it however it's hard to do that when breakfast is available. I did avoid the grains. It was interesting to compare my food journal - more calories and carbs and less protein even though I had eggs and sausage.

I ended up getting another workout partner. My buddy I was working out has gone to the gym maybe once or twice in the last month. The rough thing is my new partner (which is my neighbor and his wife) go at the ass crack of dawn, 5:50 am and I'm not the best morning person. We had an insane workout last Thursday, which I'm still sore from. As much as I wanted to sleep in (b/c I always get to be super late), I still went to the gym.

I'll try to make goals for this week, but if nt I still will be around with updates like this.

"Ass crack of dawn" is my favourite time of day! :) I don't have any friends who appreciate that time of day....

It's not too bad if I can get in bed before midnight.:(

I do my best sleeping between 5am and 8am because I am a night owl.
The quinoa box said to rinse the quinoa twice, then add a cup of quinoa to half a liter of boiling water with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and one tsp salt. When it was done I added some crushed garlic and chopped basil.
We left the house this morning to run errands and went to Tim Hortons for
breakfast. I had the biscuit sausage sandwich with egg and cheese which was way too many calories for one meal but it tasted so good. Then I had left over chicken broccoli and quinoa for lunch. If I have a large salad for dinner I should be OK calorie wise for the day. This is not the way I usually eat and not on my diet it . The only way it could have been worse is if I had eaten a doughnut or a muffin which they have plenty of. I need to get some exercise in this afternoon after I clean up the kitchen disaster. Have a good day and I will be back later tonight.

so far so good...no stops at the drive thru for either soda or food. I bought Atkin's Day Break shakes because they have a ton of protein and fiber, which I'm usually low on. Today it's my brunch. They are so sickenly sweet though. Too much! I mixed in a cup of milk and that really toned it down. yesterday I made a smoothie with the shake, banana, almond milk and a Tbsp of PB2. It was really good, but the calories sure did add up fast. I'll have to be careful with those.

Hope everyone is having a good day so far!

I am giving up on Jump start. In the last 4 days I have been exercising harder
keeping my calories low and nothing is happening on the scale.
Debbie, can you tell me more about calorie cycling? Send me a private message.

Libby, I am sorry you are stalled, and I certainly admire the dedication to having done this for as long as you did!! But, my heavens that was extreme! I think anyone undertaking those few calories and that much exercise, should be under constant medical supervision!

Every day I looked to see if you posted something, so I knew you were ok! I don't know you, but I was worried, because this 3 weeks is EXTREME.

I am done with jumpstart. In the past 4 days I have gained back 2 pounds.
I need some professional advice. This is killing me.

I sent you a PM Libby. So sorry to hear you're having a tough day! Sending you big hugs!

TY Debbie, I should have listened to you.

Libby, not all programs with work with every person. You stayed committed and worked hard the way the program said, and you sound really frustrated (understandably). Don't get too down that it didn't suit your body. I think Debbie has a good idea with calorie cycling. Maybe that might work better for you.

1. Eat some fruits and vegetables each day M-Y, T-Y
2. Exercise M-N, T-N
3. Drink lots of water M-N, T-N
4. Get enough protein and fiber M-Y, T-Y (in a big way)
5. Overhaul and organize my pantry YES!!! and it looks amazing!!! Labels on the shelves and everything!!!
6. Stay away from fast food!!! T-Y!

I did a good job today with no fast food and my calories stayed under 1300. I did have some soda, but still stayed within my target calories so I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I didn't have a lot of fruit or veggies today, just cooked yellow onions and blackberries, but at least it was "some".:rolleyes: I did not exercise today again. My daughter had a softball scrimmage, and her games come first above all else. And I'm having a real hard time getting in enough water. I'm feeling it too...feeling very dry and dehydrated. Need to ramp that back up!

My son has lost over 10 lbs (started at about 176 and weighed in today at 165)! He hasn't recognized it but I have that he has been eating less lately. And it is showing. I bought him a belt about a month ago, and he's now too small for the smallest notch and his pants are falling down.

Last night I fell asleep at 6:30pm and didn't wake up for 12 solid hours! I am ALWAYS tired, never feel awake or rested. I have insomnia. I usually only sleep a couple hours at a time. A few at night and off and on through the day, so it's never very deep and restful. But last night I zonked out and today was the absolute BEST I have felt in MANY years. I wish I felt like this every day. I felt energetic, awake, alert, rested, focused. If someone could bottle this feeling I'd pay a fortune for it! Got some good things done today and I feel great about it. Keeping fingers crossed I can feel this good tomorrow! I think with as good as I felt it helped me to be able to stay focused and mindful of what I was eating and with having a plan and sticking to it.

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Jenai - I too have sleep issues. No problem falling asleep, but staying asleep is the issue. I have found that regular exercise has helped me with staying asleep. Also, you're right, when we're rested it does help with the mindset of staying on track. Good job on avoiding fast food yesterday!

Hi all! It's funny...there's weeks where I feel invincible and then there's weeks like this one...where I'm struggling. I know we all experience this! I feel I've come so far though and I'm not willing to ruin all I've accomplished, so struggle be gone!! This weight isn't going to come off by itself! It's going to take hard work and perseverance to make it happen. As a wise fitday'r once said "putting on my big girl panties" and off to do my daily workout! :p ;)

The Only Workout You'll Ever Regret is the One You Didn't Do!!!

Make today count! Let's be awesome!

I'm learning more about why I'm overweight! I have been trying to eat healthy however when I put everything in my journal the calories are 2300, the carbs and fat are high and the protein low. It really points out that more discipline will be needed when I reach maintenance - and why I regain. Today I'm skipping the included breakfast and having my protein shake. Now to go workout.

Libby - everytime I have tried an extreme diet it has worked the first week then slowed down or stopped. IT is hard to lose slowly however the reward is that there is a much better chance of long term success. Even those of us who have regained some of our loss have gotten back on track before it was all back. I hope you find what works for you. I know I need a calorie number and balance that lets me lose but does not cause me hunger. The right combo can be hard to find.

I am feeling pleasure here to read this. I will also try. Thank you

Hi Mary - You're doing a great job staying focused on your goal while away from home. How is your friend coping with treatment? I know cancer treatment can be very difficult. I hope the outcome is successful!

Do you find having a protein drink filling enough for breakfast? The only time I use protein powder in a shake is right after a long intense workout when my body quickly needs protein to recover. Otherwise I stick to whole foods...they make me feel full longer than any shake does. The reason I ask is if you don't find the shake filling enough, you may be better off to find a meal that has close to the same amount of calories as your shake. Are you having a shake because it's either that or the included breakfast?

Goals
1. Keep within carb limit (40 grams per meal) no not terribly over but could've been better, no
2. 4 servings fruits/veggies 3 veggies no
3. 6 glasses of water (at least) yes no--does coffee count??
4. Lose 1lb and post in friday weigh-in
5. Exercise 30 min 4X yes no

Personal goals
1. Clean bedroom including vacuuming clean--just need to vacuum
2. Vacuum living room DONE
3. write (Going to make time today to relieve stress!)

Didn't get any exercise in yesterday because I had to run errands for my Mom who is sick--has a nasty cold. I don't know how women do it with children, a job and running a house and still find time to workout.
Woke up at 3AM and my mind wouldn't shut off so I got up and put my laundry away. Might as well do something useful!!

Jenn

Quick update. I had to skip my 5:50 am workout this morning. My back started acting up again last night and I took a muscle relaxer late last night that put me on my butt! I'm still extremely sore from Tuesday's workout. I plan on catching up on my missed workout tomorrow... if not tonight.

Debbie I find the protein shake is usually good for me for breakfast. I mix my own with whey powder and almond milk. At home I usually add berries. It's funny but it will keep hunger away a lot longer than a regular breakfast. I've noticed this on days I can't have lunch till 1 or 1:30. Tomorrow I may do the scrambled eggs here - the main problem is all the other things tempt me and I can quickly have a 6 or 7 hundred calorie breakfast even without toast. Today I am still below 850 even with a good lunch.

My friend is coping well. I think she will find it a long 5 weeks, Monday to Friday. The next 3 she will be on her own then another friend is coming down for her last 3 days here. It is strange staying at a hotel full of people receiving cancer therapy. Her therapy only takes about 1 hour out of the day however it's 2.5 hours from home so there is no use going home each day. We are going out for dinner tonight to make it a bit like one of our vacations south!