Motivational Thread - Nov 17-23 Getting ready for the Holiday Season
 

I know we all have different traditions, some of us have already had Thanksgiving, some may celebrate in different ways. How are we going to handle the parties, gatherings, pot lucks, etc. Do we eat like the queen of England and push our food around the plate, or make wise choices?

Ok, that question asked. I'll even have to think about it. My next pot luck is coming up on Dec 14. I have avoided them so far, but I can't skip this one.

My weekend - I did pretty good considering I spent nearly 4 hours in emergency yesterday. Chest pain. They took an x-ray, EKG, and got a blood test on the seventh try. Everything came back negative. No second heart attack. I was told to take it easy. No more heavy lifting.

My week ahead -

1. Continue walking every morning at 7:30 (NOW)
2. Low sodium
3. Low fat
4. Use sugar alternatives or don't use sugar at all
5. Fish twice this week

Catch you after my walk.

Good morning!!!! I was told I had to come back, so here I am. I hope to make it through thew week.

1) lose 1 pound
2) walk 5 miles (at one time... I still owe that to Quinn)
3) drink a lot of water

Today has started out with reaching a milestone! I am now officially below 300 pounds! I now weigh 298--I have been waiting soooo long to get below 300. I feel like this journey is now possible and within my reach. Ok, now to get on with my day--get ready to take my grandson to the dentist and a quick trip to the library for us. See you folks later! Vicki

Attagirl!

Congratulations Vicki! So happy for you. You can do this! =)

You get a pass because you were sick (... and because my Packers are smokin' hot so I'm in a good mood! =) )

I had a great weekend, foodwise. Usually, I'll lose a little during the week, only to gain it back on the weekend. This weekend, actually Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I had 3 separate friends/family members call or come over to unload about 3 entirely different, unrelated issues. Although I am honored that they chose me to confide in, my plans for the weekend were completely shot. The upside is that I didn't have time to eat a whole lot, so I lost a pound over the weekend which normally never happens.

My weight is coming off fairly easy this time, so I'm not going to change a thing. I have a (albeit boring) menu that I've been using almost daily... same breakfast, same lunch, light dinner. Not worried so much about Thanksgiving (...it's only one meal and it's not here). But I didn't want to go into the holidays already overweight. I should get down to my maintenance weight by Thanksgiving. Then I'll have to fill the house with healthy alternatives. Not sure when the kids will be coming in from college, but my daughter and her boyfriend have been very health conscious during the past year, so it will make it MUCH easier.

It was a cold walk. I thought about it and it turns out me doing too much makes sense. The 1 mile walk in the morning is easy, but lifting and carrying as many as fifteen 50lb trays per day for a week and a half is too much for someone post heart attack. :rolleyes: Then again, loading my winter tires into the van and putting the summer ones back in the garage might have been a factor as well.

Quinn, I am with you. Thanksgiving is only a meal and I rarely indulge in desserts that come with it. This year I made a sugar free dessert. The kids were unimpressed, but I thought it was good. I think my best bet is to make at least one salt free veggie dish and one sugar free dessert for every pot luck I go to.

Vicki, I am so happy for you. I'm right behind you and honoured to have you as an example. :D

Mike, I'm glad someone forced you to come back and see us. :p

I rewarded myself today after the dentist visit with my grandson. My treat was 4 oz of head-on chilled boiled LA shrimp with a Diet Coke. We have wonderful seafood down here from the Gulf and I love it--just don't get a chance to eat it very often since my DH is severely allergic to it. That means, I can eat it when he's gone but I must wash all the dishes I used, take out all the shells, scrub my hands and brush my teeth before he gets home or he can get really sick from just the odors that linger on me and in the air. We have to be careful about what restaurants we go to and let them know in advance of his allergy. Shrimp was wonderful and my mess all cleaned up!

I really like what was said about Thanksgiving being only one meal. It really is just about one meal--not the whole week! We're going to friends for their annual lunch that day and I haven't decided just what I'll take but I know I'll take a sugar-free low carb dessert, (something with pumpkin) and probably a side dish or two that fits my food plan.

Have any of you tried any of the wraps or breads from Julian bakery?

Quinn: So glad you're very near where you want to be--keep posting--it shows the rest of us that it really can be done!

Mike: I wish I could walk a mile at a time without knees/feet hurting or asthma kicking in--you encourage me to keep putting one foot in front of the other!

Annette: I know you want to be active and do all that you see that needs to be done, but slow down and listen to your body! Take care of it--we have no replacement parts handy!

Thanks, to all of you, for the encouragement! I really want to win the Battle of the Bulge! Vicki

Packers schmackers.:rolleyes:

Quinniepoo is tired of me being a fat sloth.

Don't get too encouraged by me too soon, I haven't done my 5 miles yet. The other night my wife and I went to Acme oyster house. I was feeling like I needed to eating something light and healthy... so we got the seafood platter for two. We had the fried fish, fried shrimp, fried oysters, fired hush puppies, fried crawpuppies. I did have some good veggies too... french fries and coleslaw. Needless to saw I felt like crap. It's a shame that I don't drink because chasing it down with a dozen beers would have been the straw that broke the camels back. Instead I had water.

I that about doing the whole food porn thing like I use to post up, but it's hard with all the fried foods.:D

Mike,
Quinniepoo is tired of me being a fat sloth.

I actually laughed so hard when I read this that I had coffee come out of my nose!! Thanks for that!! Haha! My husband thinks I'm nuts! A "fat sloth"! Now, I never said that! I may have called you a beignet snorter, but never a fat sloth! LOL Or maybe a rum cake addict... =)

Two 50+ point games back to back, buddy... a new franchise record... just sayin', Cupcake.... :D

I had a very strange food day that I don't even know how to log. May just pass on the logging today. I had oatmeal with fruit for breakfast. Ok fine. Then my husband comes home at noon and wants me to make a homemade chocolate fudge cake for a co-worker for tomorrow... really?? So, I went to the store, came back, made the cake and homemade frosting. By then it was time to start supper. So, no lunch... just lots of "bowl and beater licking". lol I made salmon patties for supper, which have a lot of ingredients and would take some to figure out. So, I think I'll just close the kitchen and call it a day.

The fudgey, delicious cake is sitting right in front of me taunting me... thanks, husband...

Well we have a QB making $100,000,000, has thrown 10 interceptions already this year and a defense that get trampled over. Top that!

I've learned my lesson. Don't eat the bison burgers.
I didn't notice before, but last night as I was eating one, I tasted salt. Then I gained 3 lbs this morning.
Someone gave us a bunch of "bison" products. I should have taken the hint from the smokies nutrition label that they were filled with salt, but there was no label with the burger patties.

This won't stop me from moving forward. I can still keep the rest of my week low sodium.

Still dark here, so I take my walk in an hour.

Good Morning!

After my crazy food day yesterday, I'm determined to get back on track today with much more discipline. Through the past 4+ years of doing this, I've learned that for me, making time to eat is sometimes just as hard as eating right and eating less. This weekend, I skipped a couple of meals because of the needs of friends and family, and yesterday I did the same.

With the upcoming craziness of the holidays, priority one is going to be taking the time to eat properly first, and then tending to the needs of others when possible. For a "recovering career mom", now an empty-nester, this is a new mindset. Every morning, I'm used to having a list of what others need me to do, not what I want to do or need to do for myself. After 31 years of this, I selfishly proclaim that, unless there is an emergency, (...and not a cake emergency) I'll take care of my own needs first, then help others as I can. A doctor once told me regarding this very topic as I was caring for my elderly mother, "Apply your own oxygen mask first. Then attend to others." For most wives, mothers and grandmothers, this is incredibly hard but essential and something that I will be working on in 2015.

Thanks all for letting me get this off my chest! So many things enter into weight gain besides food choices. Once identified, we can push them out of our daily lives and be healthier, stronger and happier. Old family and behavioral habits are hard to break, but it can be done.

Today for myself, I will:
1. Take a long, relaxing walk with my favorite music on my ipod to help build strong bones and muscles as I age. Walking (weight bearing exercise) is one of the best ways (along with calcium, of course) to avoid many issues associated with osteoporosis. My mom suffered 2 spinal fractures while simply getting out of a chair due to this disease. (I will do anything to avoid this for myself. It was heartbreaking and the most painful thing that I have ever witnessed anyone endure.)

2. I will eat 3 healthy, balanced meals to nourish my body, to be healthy and strong and to be better equipped to fight disease and infection. After 2 major, urgent and totally unexpected surgeries in the past 15 months, my doctors were convinced that my unusually rapid recovery and healing were due to my past 4 years of healthy diet and exercise. I would have been afraid to enter into these tough surgeries in my old body.

3. I will read daily to nourish my mind and take a break from stress and daily issues, even if I only have time for a chapter or two. My 102 y/o grandmother taught me this... Never stop reading; never stop learning. Choose books about topics that you know nothing about to expand your knowledge base and to be a more interesting person yourself. Taking her advice, I will finish my book Neverhome today after my walk.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

:confused:Not possible. You're stuck at 29!

It was my birthday and I was asked how old I was by my young niece. I said I was 29 and holding. She then asked me how old I would be if I let go. We all roared with laughter. Have a great day no matter your age.

Yes, thanksgiving is ahead of us next week..... I have made the decision that I will enjoy myself for that ONE DAY :D...... not gonna feel guilty one bit... I have worked so hard leading up to it...that I can splurge ONE DAY

Vicki great job on the weight #'s... I know that's exciting!!...mmmm seafood I love it...and yea my mister is allergic too

Mike, glad you are back...

Quinn...your hubby is sooo wrong about the cake... temptation big time:p

I will try and post more on the weekly thread :)

What a southern charmer you are! :) Unfortunately, it won't keep Mern and I from dragging your butt back here when you stray again... What was that??? I think I heard the sound of Mern's whip! :D

This is priceless! I have to remember this! :D

I have been struggling to remember that I am no longer 36. I don't refer back to 29 because I wasn't at my best then. 36 was my year. I was a farmer's wife, worked on the farm, grandma, mom of preteens and teens. I had taken in my niece and nephew, giving me a houseful number 10 with the baby. I was a Scout leader at night along with being mom's taxi.

Now when it takes me four days to mow the lawn, I consider myself lazy. Then I have to remind myself that I'm not 36 anymore.

Mike, close your eyes.

I discovered this morning that my boobs aren't 36 anymore either. One shirt, and I have to say that I love the colour, requires perkier boobs.

Mike, you can open your eyes again.

The temp was right on freezing this morning so I pushed for 1.5 miles. When I got back I realized that I didn't have to take a break at the 1 mile mark.

Annette,
10 in your household?? :eek: Bless your heart! You gave so much to them, it's time that they cut the lawn for you! :)

One of the people who came over this weekend, was a friend of my daughter's. At 21, he's going through some tough issues. I agreed with him that 21 is hard, and that I am the happiest now at 52. He looked at me like I was crazy! But, for me it's true. I wouldn't go back to my 20's for all the money in the world.

Annette, you can't tell a guy to close his eyes and expect him to do that. What you have to do is write your message in white and hope I don't notice it!

I'm sure some of the "old" regulars know what I just said... I use to always post like that.;)

Libby: Happy Belated Birthday! Hang on for as long as you can! I let go a few years ago and now I'm pushing 56! Each day I see more gray in the mirror and I choose to LOVE it! Ain't gonna wash it away--I worked to hard to get it!

Annette: I love to try new things and bison burgers would be new for me, but now I know to double-check for sodium--Thanks! My parts and pieces are showing their age too--welcome to the Club! Kudos on not having to take a break in your walk--that's great! I agree with Quinn--it's time someone else cuts the lawn.

Quinn: For years I felt guilty for taking care of my needs--until I learned that if I didn't take care of me no one else was gonna. I believe learning should never stop and is what keeps us young and alert mentally. I also believe in nurturing the artistic/creative side and do this by listening to a variety of music and operas, watching classic film, reading the classics and I adore traditional ballet. We make it a point to attend concerts and support the arts in our area too. I'm so much happier and in a much better place now than I was 30 years ago--I wouldn't want to go back either.

Trying to stay warm--it's pretty easy in the sunshine since the wind is calm but after the sun goes down is another story entirely! Soup time! Vicki

Its all good, Mike. I gave away the shirt so the problem is gone.

Doing the lawn burns lots of calories.

I agree! I've never belonged to a gym in my life, but instead I'm very physically active around my home. When my kids were home, every day I would do something like play one-on-one basketball in the driveway with them, mow the lawn, shovel snow, whatever needed to be done. Home improvement projects have also been a great way to keep in shape. I've tackled everything from laying floor tile to taping and mudding drywall. lol After a car accident a few years ago, I was forced to give up some activities, requiring me to watch my weight more closely, but I still push up to my new limits. It's just harder to keep the weight off now when my lifting limit is a bag of groceries.

Good Morning!
Well, here it is Wednesday already. For one reason or another, it seems as though I'm not getting a whole lot accomplished this week around the house. It's certain that the non-stop snow, high winds and unseasonably cold temps are definitely starting to get to me.

The only thing going in my favor right now is my clean eating. It's amazing how a high number on the scale, and the threat of throwing away my prior hard work and weight loss can scare you into straightening up. I was lucky. After a doctors appt. and a very well-timed message in my email from Mike inviting me back, I realized that all of my old habits had returned after 4 years of maintaining. I also realized, maybe for the first time of my long journey, what my triggers are.

I started journaling again so that, hopefully, I can talk out my triggers before they sabotage my health again. For me, my weight is completely dictated by what's going on in my life. Finding other ways to deal, besides food, is the trick. Let's face it... when your feeling really crappy for whatever reason, a celery stick and a carrot isn't going to replace a hot fudge brownie delight at DQ... or a Sonic blast...lol.

Keep up the fight. We can do this... not just reaching our goals for a short time, but for life. I want to live a long life... I want to be healthy... I want to remain active as I age and not be so arthritic that I can't move (already starting). I guess I've found that I want this for me, which makes all the difference in the world. =)

Today I will:

1. Walk for one hour in the snow, remembering how fun the first few snowfalls were when I was a kid.

2. Pick up a new book at the library that I've been anxious to read.

3. Buy whole wheat buns for my amazing turkey burgers that I am going to throw on the grill tonight. (Yes, in the snow...lol.)

4. Keep hydrating continually.

Hope you all have an amazing day. =)

Hi all. Been absent for quite some time but have been staying on track. I weighed myself on Sun and my BMI is closer to 40--still too high but it was a mini goal and I lost 2.5lbs! Had been doing a lot of yardwork last week so it paid off.

Jenn

Welcome back Jenn. Congrats on the loss, keep it up!

QP, much of what you said rang true with me as well, not just the DQ and Sonic Blast part. ;)

Haha! I hear the girls in the Sonic drive-thru know your order by heart! :D

I took some time last night and read through my fitday journals from 4 years ago, and I realized that writing it all down really helped. For anyone who hasn't used the journaling feature of fitday, I really recommend it.

I've accomplished everything on my list for the day, except I cut my walk a little short because the cold even got to ME today! :)

One last task... my football picks for the week. Mike, I'm picking NO to win this week, a Monday night game against Baltimore. (Only assigning a 3 point commitment to it though...lol.) Currently second place out of 32 in my pool! :D

It's so hard to tell with the Saints. You never know which team is going to show up on game day. I hope you are right though.

Yesterday was one of those days where if anything could go wrong, it would.

First of all, I am trying to drive with only a working left hand signal. That kind of set the tone for my day.
I only walked half of my morning walk because I was running a bit late. I had to take a friend and her baby to the doctor in another town. That part of the day went well. I had to make the odd right hand turn, but there was never traffic behind me and thankfully no police.
After I took her home, I had three personal errands to run. I only completed one and half of another before I had to go pick up another friend to take her out for a birthday treat. I ended up taking her to a farmer's market for shopping and a country feed store for pet supplies.
Yeah, so far it seems like all my friends are non-drivers, but I assure you, most of them do drive.
The second friend didn't want to let me go, but I had to feed my family before I went to writer's group. I guess I had to eat as well, but it wasn't to be.
The moment I drove in the driveway, the power went out.
So...
An hour later, there I was with a flashlight, standing in the middle of my bed, peering into the back of my closet looking for some smaller item of clothing. My jeans were feeling like they were riding way too low. I have an image to maintain and it doesn't involve low riding pants and wife-beater t-shirts. Not that I own those type of t-shirts, but when the arms ride low and show my bra it sure feels like it.
I wore a jean skirt and put a blouse over the t-shirt.
Book club was great, but when I left I turned in to the first fast food place on the left hand side of the road. I got a veggie pizza for me, but pizza is pizza. High salt, high fat.
Oh well, it made me feel a little like a teenager yesterday. I lived on pizza and peanut butter all day long and my pants were too low while my shirt was too revealing.

Today, I finish my errand, get the turn signal fixed, cook dinner while the power is on, scrub the kitchen floor, and spend a little time looking for something better to wear.
I forgot, I have piano this morning, so I better get out on my walk on time.

I hope I feel up to squeezing an hour in with my Thursday writing group.

Good Morning!

Annette, what an awful day you had! Car issues are one of my biggest pet peeves. That along with people who have forgotten how to drive on ice and snow over the summer... but, that's a whole 'nuther story.

Power issues are tough in the north this time of year. Hope you were able to keep warm. We lose power occasionally in the winter during ice storms. If it weren't for our fireplace, I'm not sure what we would do. Thinking about installing a second one- one on each floor.

I think it's great that your part of a writing group... something that I would love to do. I just finished a book about a writing circle that ran out of fresh ideas, so one of the writers wrote a book about the lives of those in the writing circle. A fun book that I really enjoyed.

No weight loss for me for a few days. I'm afraid that I have bogged down in one of those pesky plateaus. I know what I have to do... don't get discouraged and keep going with everything I've been doing. This happens every time I get near my target weight. It's like my body's saying, "I bet you would love to be back at your goal weight, now wouldn't you?? Well, sister, not today." lol

Today I have a lot to catch up on around the house; a great day to do so as my husband has a business lunch. Already have 3 loads of laundry under my belt, which I'm counting as exercise since I have 2 flights of stairs to go up and down to get to my laundry room. I have to stick around the house anyway as I'm expecting a Fed Ex delivery. Two 70L mountaineering backpacks that I bought for Christmas for daughter and her boyfriend. My daughter does 2-3 day back country expeditions with her internship and engineering major, checking out dams for water quality and performance. Next summer, she will be going to Africa (...yes, Ebola ridden Africa) to work on an engineering project in their back country. My sleepless nights have already begun over this matter, but I raised her to be a strong, adventurous, educated young woman and cannot step in her way now. Our family thinks I'm crazy for "letting" her go. But there is no stopping her even if I could. She will be on the east coast, but it still makes me sick just thinking about it.

A long day around the house is going to mean an entire day with close proximity and ease to the kitchen. Hopefully, I can keep busy enough to stay out of trouble. A left over turkey burger from last night will be my lunch. =)

Have a great day! =)

Mern, I'm so sorry to here about the death of your friend. I know how much your daughter and her children mean to you and I'm certain that this news of foreclosure is very hard on you. Sending love and hugs to you and your family. Please take care of yourself. Remember, "Apply your own oxygen mask first before assisting others."

My husband is a banker and I know that they will try (his bank anyway) to work with families when hard times hit. Don't let her give up too easily. There may be an answer. In the meantime, hang in there and I'll be thinking of you.

Quinn

Mern, I have no idea how or why, but my reply ended up being posted before yours.

I haven't read the posts, but Quinn, it's great to see your lovely face.

I haven't left the group--just some heavy stuff falling on our family right now with the death of a friend last weekend and our divorced daughter (with three children still at home) losing her house to foreclosure right before the holidays. Lost my motivation to eat cleanly but I'll try to get back on track soon.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so I guess I'd better go count my many blessings.

Hugs to all--

It looks like I've started a new story. It began Monday morning with the title. I saw it in a tree.

The Winter Nest

This morning I began the story with the first paragraph. Geese flying south got me thinking.
My hope is to add at least a paragraph every morning after my walk.

Technically, I live in the south. Of Canada. If we get snow, it doesn't last. If we get cold, it doesn't last. I'm wearing sandals today. Maybe not shorts and sleeveless, but still relatively warm in comparison with the rest of Canada.

1 hour countdown till walk-time.

I have another busy day ahead of me, but I still hope to get a paragraph of Winter Nest, but a lot more of Bugs on Windshield written.

I have to plan my menu for next week because this week has not worked out for me.

Tonight for dinner, I have some sausage thawed. I had it made special order with lean meat and no added sodium. I will cut them, toss with onion and garlic and cook. Then add a can of salt free tomatoes and a mix of herbs and spices to give a Spanish flair. I would prefer to serve this with brown and wild rice, but I have to think of my family, so pasta it will be. I will just cook up a serving of pasta made with a flour alternative for me.

Annette, I find it really easy to make up an evening meal menu for 2 weeks at a time. I never know what I'm going to have on a particular day. Rather I have everything in the house for 2 weeks worth of healthy evening meals. Sure, I may have to pick up a fresh ingredient here and there, but I have a master list with 10-12 meals, some easy and quick, some which require more prep, depending on the days activities.

Busy day for me preparing for the weekend. I actually did my 2 week shopping today, so the house is full of healthy alternatives. Usually go out on Friday nights, but the forecast is calling for freezing rain, so I'm going to stick close to home. I'm thinking maybe a veggie pizza and a movie. =)

I'd love to plan my evening meals in advance, but DH changes his mind about what he wants VERY often. I do plan breakfast and lunch the day before. I try to always keep things I can eat or fix quickly on hand most of the time. Warmer temps are being enjoyed, but rain is on the way tomorrow. Grands are out of school and will be here tomorrow for the next 9 days. Hope my sanity can handle it!

Mern: So sorry for the loss of your friend. Stay strong and stick to your food plan--that will help keep you nourished as you stand strong for your daughter. I hope everything works out for her. Vicki