Motivation starting 9/7/15, Labor of Love, Taking Care of Ourselves
 

OK so I had the movie snacks and the sushi yesterday but I am here. Join me?

Hi Hope! I'll join you.

I didn't do so great today. I had a bunch of soda and too much cereal (Apple Jacks to boot!). Dinner was good though and I kept a modest portion size. Also, I finally bought a DVD player so I can do workouts in the living room on the regular tv (before it broke I used to play them on my laptop...small!). But, even though I've gained a few lbs this week I still haven't got the will to get off my fat butt and do it. I don't know what I'm waiting for. I am now just 5 lbs less than my heaviest. You'd think that would be motivation enough. Or the fact that I walk slow because I can't carry my weight, or the fact that I sweat from the "workout" of grocery shopping, or the fact that I get winded going up one flight of stairs, or the fact that I have a strained knee from going down the stairs. I could probably continue, but I'm sure you get the picture. When will I get pissed off enough at myself to do something about this???

I'll get there. I know I will. I hope you all are doing well! I will see you beautiful people tomorrow.

Ok maybe we should change the title of this week's threads to Tuesday is the New Monday.

Thank you for joining me, Lisa. OK so I got up in the middle of the night because I ate so much and so much bad stuff that I felt the bloat and pressure in my chest. And it wasn't due to celebration but to stress. Family stress. Yeah.

So I start again today, Tuesday, my new Monday because I feel better ( and weigh less) when I eat better. Why do I keep forgetting that over and over?

Lisa, you will get there and so will I. Anyone want to join us?

I'm sorry I didn't join you on Monday. I thought I might calm down a bit by waiting a day but I still want to vent. Here's the deal:

On Sunday my daughter complained to me that there is something wrong with dad because he is hardly eating. I replied that dad's problem is eating ritz crackers, fig newtons, pringles, and drinking coke. She wants me to apply some trial medicines without his knowledge. I could, but...

I also believe the man is fussy.

Saturday evening dinner, I had served salmon with rice and a kale salad. He chose not to eat.

Sunday evening I cooked up lean ground beef into a tomato meat sauce, served it over macaroni. He had seconds. (This is not a good meal choice for me, but I can have it once a week.)

Monday evening I made up a pot of turkey soup. He again had seconds. At least this meal was more acceptable for me.

Now you can see the trend. Tonight I am cooking sausage, potatoes and beans. He will eat the sausage and potatoes. I will eat the beans and some sausage because I had them specially made for me. They are salt free.

I get the grandkids today. Probably the last time I see them until October or later.

Annette, that is annoying. Is there anything you can do to protect yourself and keep your healthy habits? Like you're doing today, maybe have the beef and tomato sauce with something else and let him have the macaroni. It's hard to get healthy when people around us have different habits. I know when DD is here (as she was this weekend) I eat worse. Neither of us needs it as she is also trying to lose weight and get healthier.

Enjoy the grandkids!

It's the beef that I'm not supposed to have. A serving of pasta won't hurt me.

I'm leaving town on Thursday. My mom doesn't eat beef. Or dairy. Or drink coffee. Or eat turkey. Or...

Okay, the truth is she will tell anyone that she eats like that, but in truth I am in big trouble while I am with her.

Why? re your mom. And it's funny I assumed beef was OK.

I'm here! Had a busy week with Ol' Arthur being my very obnoxious companion for a few days and making walking very painful for me, but he left just in time for me to enjoy the 50th wedding anniversary of some very dear friends. On Sunday, a fav cousin of mine passed away from a severe infection from her second knee replacement. Today brought a victory--I'm down to 253! I think I can safely bid a fond farewell to the 260's! Still trying to eat clean, watch fats/carbs and keep my protein/h2o intake up. I've added some different exercises to my old stand-bys.

Hope--I find myself having to start some days over too!. I'm so glad each new day gives us new opportunities to try again.

Lisa--As they say in recovery, start where you are and do the next 'right' thing! Negative self talk doesn't help me reach my goals, so I try to avoid it whenever possible!

Annette--I'm always amazed at your grace under pressure! Your focus inspires me!

Vicki

Vicki, you are so right. Negative self-talk is a bad habit. I need to build myself up more often. I'm not used to it, though, and just like learning to eat right and exercising it's also a learned habit. Thank you for the reminder to be kinder to myself. Congratulations on your farewell to the 260's! Very sorry to hear of your loss. :(

Annette, I'm confused...why are you in big trouble when you are with your mom? Does she restrict what you eat to be like herself? What kind of trial medicines does your daughter want you to try on you dh?

My dh makes me crazy sometimes. I was telling him how eating less and the right things is so hard for me. I'm an excellent cook and I love the things I make, whether casseroles with pasta or rice or sweet treats...I just love all the flavors and textures. I savor every bite, and I like a lot of it. dh says, "I don't think you eat that much. And I don't think it's your calories that are causing you to gain weight." (commence laughing) I said, "Of course it's the calories. You must have a negative calorie intake [from maintain] to lose weight. And whether it's calories from food or from exercise, or a combination of both you must consume less or burn more." he says, "Exactly! You need to exercise. You won't lose weight unless you exercise." I said, "I realize I need to exercise to be more effective, but that's not all it takes." He doesn't believe me. I guess he thinks I can eat like I am (a ton of calories) as long as I exercise. I've lost 50 lbs before without so much as a single squat just by counting calories. Although I do know that exercise will help and enhance my efforts greatly, it's definitely about counting calories.

I had a bad morning. Bread and butter and Matthew's leftover pizza rolls (about 5 or 6 pieces) so they didn't just get thrown away. I didn't think about the option of putting them in a baggie and put in the fridge. lol and so what if they were thrown away. Really. What would that have hurt? But that wasn't my thinking at 7a.m. when I'd only been awake 10 minutes and obviously not thinking clearly. I've been avoiding the kitchen all day. I haven't had any full sugar soda yet today. I looked and wanted but didn't have. I think I'll go down and have an atkins with milk. That would be good.

ok everyone. Have a good night and I'll see you all tomorrow.

Hi all. I just got home and had no internet for four days and I was i missing it. Now I am back and ready to spring into action. We were at my mother in laws cottage and swam every day and ate like there was no tomorrow. Now I have to be mindful of my eating habits and try to move more.

Debbie, welcome back. I was hoping to see you on the board again. You are not the only one who has hit a new high on the scale. The good thing is we acknowledge it and want to make a change. Foot problems have been bothering
me for a while and the extra weight doesn't help it. My mother in law pointed out that I eat too much so I am cutting back on my portion sizes and hope that I will start to lose weight. I was eating less than the guys but still too much for me. Cooking for three hungry men is not easy.
Join us on Friday for weigh in.
Wow calories add up fast. I ate very little today and it added up to 1200 calories.

Hi ladies! So the kids are back in school and we are officially back into a routine....now just to get my own sh!& together ;)

Libby - Blah! Sorry to hear we're in the same damn boat girl! Let's hope we can get into the same boat that is sailing down Weightloss River! ;) We did it before, we can do it again! Right?!!?

Lisa - Men! :p Definitely about counting calories! And like you said, exercise only helps to speed the process but its certainly not all we can do. Now to put that theory to the test since I can't do much in the way of exercise right now!

Vicki - Awesome job kicking the 260's to the curb!!! Onto a new decade for you!

Hope - Tuesday is the new Monday.....since I kinda sucked today, I'll have to say Wednesday is the new Monday! LOL! :rolleyes: I'm so with you...going to the movies = buttered popcorn for me! Luckily I don't go to the movies very often!

Have a great night ladies!

Libby, I don't know what I'd do without a computer for 4 days. lol I'd feel like I was stranded on a desert island. glad you are back with us.

Hi, Debbie! Time to start fresh whether it's Tuesday, Wednesday, really a Monday, back to school day...everyday is a chance for a new start.


I just have to say that I ate terribly today. I made some bad decisions. However, I did have a delicious and nutritious dinner that I thought I'd share with you all. If anyone thinks they want the full recipe, let me know. It was a chicken bacon sweet corn salad on a pita bread. The chicken salad had (of course) chicken, 6 strips of bacon (so 1 strip per person, serves 6), corn, greek yogurt, a little mayo, a little dijon, some green onions, paprika, salt & pepper and I think that was it. It was very delicious and 1/6th of the batch on a 1/2 piece of pita bread was only 297 calories! I was pretty happy about that. It could be enhanced even more with lettuce, tomato and some thinly sliced red onion. Yum-o!

A great choice I made was an atkins with milk. You all know how much I love that! It was just what I needed, cold, chocolatey, very filling and satisfying. Kept me out of the fridge and pantry for a while.

I realize I made some bad choices, but I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't go over my calorie goal as much as I thought I did. So, I've still got work to do, but I'm a work in progress and I go one hour at a time.

I am struggling with eating less. When I am finished I feel as if something is missing. I will get used to it eventually and it will become the new normal.
Today I am doing laundry from the week end and trying to clean up the mess in the kitchen. The bathroom needs some attention too. Fall activities are starting up again so I need to manage my time better to get things done.
Such is life. Only two days till weigh in.

My son won another race on Saturday and we were able to go and watch him.
He said that he put extra effort into his bike and run because we were there.
I like his thinking and example to me to give it all I've got to accomplish my goals too. Love to my son.

Libby, sometimes our kids have great lessons to teach us, don't they? I hear you on feeling as if something is missing. I'm trying to reach a new normal right along with you.

I had a MAJOR win today. I had to get gas and went to the circle k. What do they have at circle k? 44 oz sodas! And snacks. I was really thinking powdered doughnuts. So guess what happened...I got gas without going inside! I had to really fight my thoughts, but I WON:D!!! woot woot!!!

I also was in the pantry and put down the granola bars, passed on the poptarts and slim jims, didn't open the Cheez-Its or Ritz. I also closed the freezer on the pizza rolls and breaded cheese sticks. Admission (hanging head low) I had some nacho chips.:( But that was only one bad choice today out of a long list of hard decisions, so I think I'm doing fabulous today.

(Gives self pat on back.)

Good job Lisa avoiding all those temptations. My tough time is the evening
sitting in front of the TV. DH likes to snack on junk. I some times have to leave the room and go read in bed. There is no eating in bed so it is a safe zone.
Debbie, come and join us on Friday weigh in?
I predict a one pound weigh loss this week.

Hi ladies :) I had a good day food wise today...but didn't get in any exercise. I guess I need to just get on the bike...it's about the only thing I think I can do right now with my foot the way it is. :o On another note, I read an article today regarding the possible relation between poor sleep quality and low vitamin D. I don't spend much time outside...I'm so sensitive to the sunlight so I really do avoid it. It would make sense that I'm low in Vitamin D, so I'm going to give it a shot and see if that helps with the insomnia and poor sleep quality I've suffered from for literally years!

Lisa - Great willpower today!!! Keep it up girl!! Hope your evening goes well...I know you struggle sometimes when you're up late.

Libby - I know I should join you on the Friday weigh in....I just don't know if I can actually put my weight down in black and white....I feel sick that I let myself 10 pounds past my original high weight. Guess I should just suck it up and start posting again and hold myself accountable. Thanks for the invite buddy ;)

Have a great night all!

OK, ladies, this is my rant for the day: Sept 9 is my DH's birthday and I've been working really hard to get my weight down. I wanted to be to what I weighed 10 years ago when we married for our anniversary but I missed it by a few pounds. So I was working to get to that weight for his birthday. Well, I made it--in fact, I weigh less that I did when we married! Tonight while we were getting ready to go out to eat for his birthday, I told him that while I wasn't able to get to my wedding weight for our 10 yr anniversary, I had made it for his birthday and now I weighed less than I did when we married. I thought he would be happy for all the effort I've put in and glad that I was healthier and able to be more present in our marriage, but he wasn't! In fact, his snarky comment was, "Well, it took you 10 years to do it!" I was shocked and hurt and I told him, "Hey, that's mean!" He just shrugged his shoulders, rolled his eyes and walked off. I almost cried. The very nerve of him! MEN! Vicki

Oh, Vicki! My heart just broke a little for you. Men suck. They have no clue what it takes to accomplish something like that, and they have no clue on how to appropriately respond. Keep your chin up. And I think you should have a little discussion on exactly what affect his reaction had on you and your spirit.

Ladies! I had another EPIC win tonight for dinner. I made pre-packaged chicken flavored Knorr noodles for dinner. I was struggling with myself because I knew I shouldn't eat a whole bunch of pasta, especially processed like it is. My older daughter was on her way out the door and stopped to talk about dinner. She said she didn't really want pasta because she just got her period and was feeling really bloated and heavy. So, I had a great idea. I looked in the fridge and pantry and put together a healthy, nutritious, delicious, lighter(!) dinner for me and her. I came up with baby spinach with flaked tuna (packed in water of course, drained), tomatoes, parmesan, & dressing. I splurged a little on the dressing, I'll admit. But I had a great big salad for the bulk of my dinner and a tiny little bit of pasta just to have a few bites taste. It was sooo delicious. I was still feeling hungry, but now that I've sat for a bit the "fullness" feeling has started to set in. I'm on a roll today!!!

Hi all. Last night was one of those nights I had to go to bed early. DH was snacking on cookies and I didn't want to join him. He says things about my weight and to him it's just advice. So in his mind if I am offended I am taking it the wrong way. Men, can't live without em, can't kill em.

Debbie, I put down my highest weight on Friday weigh-in. Be brave. It will just make your loss results look better. (the power of positive thinking) :D

I didn't get as much done yesterday as I had planned. My calories were good and I am getting used to eating less. The weather has really cooled down and I was thinking about getting my knitting out. I need things to keep my hands busy and not compatible with snacking. Today I am cleaning up my sewing projects from the dinning room and only leaving out one thing to work on instead of multiple projects that don't get done. I need to declutter my life. It's a new day and I am feeling good.

The restaurant where we ate last night has a wonderful sugar-free version of cheesecake which I adore, but since I was feeling so upset, I didn't order it--I didn't want to 'eat' my feelings or find solace in it's creamy richness--which I have done so many times at heavier weights. I also ordered salad and poached catfish with steamed veggies for my entree. I did eat 3 of the fried green beans and one hushpuppie which I thoroughly enjoyed!

I'm trying to remember that whatever happens getting off track with my goals hurts no one but me. Life goes on, disagreements happen and problems will crop up at whatever weight I am and I have to learn to handle all of it--both the good and the not-so-good. I really believe that improved health will help me cope with whatever life brings my way! Vicki

Vicki. Cheese cake is my favorite dessert. It is very hard to resist. I haven't had any for a long time. Good job on not giving in.

Mac and cheese got me. Oh No

Vicki, nice job on not eating your feelings and staying on track. good for you and here's to your improved health!

Libby, I know just how you feel about decluttering your life. It feels so rejuvenating to me to not be so burdened by 'stuff'. Speaking of which, I also need to clean my sewing area.

Mixed bag day for me. I'm dealing with my oldest son again, and that always brings a great deal of stress on me. I'm still not good at avoiding things when I'm at my worst stress-wise.

Debbie Hope and Annette? How are you ladies doing?

I was a little afraid to step on the scale this morning because of the mac and cheese fiasco last night but I did lose weight. WOO HOO. I promise to be good today. Where is every body?
Lisa, take a relaxing bath with some sented candles and soft music or what ever destresses you. I hope you can work things out with your son.

Good morning all! Didn't get a chance to check in yesterday, but I did a great job in the food department again. Still no exercise, I'm terrified to hurt my foot again! I go back to physio on Monday so hopefully I start seeing more progress and feel more confident to start exercising again. My weight has come down 2 lbs. already. If only it was so easy as the weeks pile up! The first week always reaps huge rewards! ;)

Vicki - Men can be so insensitive! Heck so can many women! ;) Good job remembering your goals and staying committed to yourself. Very inspirational message when you said getting off track hurts only yourself...great reminder!

Libby - I took your suggestion and bit the bullet by writing down my high weight and just moving forward. I've set myself some mini goals to focus on over the coming months. I feel confident today that I can and will make this happen again. Glad to be checking in with you again on Fridays!

Lisa - Sorry to hear you're dealing with stress with your son again. Staying on track is so hard under extra stress! Just do your best to keep your goals in front of you. Like Vicki said, if we get off track we only hurt ourselves. I've seen you do well for several consecutive months...you've done it before and you can do it again. :)

We've all had success of some degree in the past with weight loss right? So if we've done it before, we can do it again! We just have to remember how....persevere during stress, plateaus, cravings, etc. We've all go this if we want it bad enough! :cool:

Have an awesome day all! Make it count!

Today was a total relapse day, and I'm actually ok with that. Between the stress of dealing with my son AND starting my period (oh when oh when will menopause start???) I don't care that I drank probably gallons of soda and had a few mini powdered doughnuts. I had LOTS of Hawaiian chicken at dinner and after dropping Tyler off at the bus station. I guess that comes out to breakfast, lunch and dinner with what I ate, but I also suppose that's not so bad since I didn't have breakfast or lunch.

We've got a tournament again this weekend, but in all honesty I'm not sure I'm going. I'm starting to cramp, and the 2nd day is usually the worst. I get cramps all the way down to my knees. My belly, back and legs just aaaaache so badly. It's no fun.

I'll try to get back on track tomorrow.

Thanks for the encouragement Libby and Debbie.

Libby, it's good that you have a safe zone and can take yourself out of the situation like that.

Debbie...2 lbs? That's awesome! So what if it's water weight or anything else...at least it's gone, right? good for you.

Hi all.
Debbie, I took your suggestion and set some mini goals for myself.

Today was another race day and the final one of the season. DS got second over all and second in his age category. He did so well this year with many
medals to show for his hard work and training. Nothing is achieved with out dedication to a goal. Tonight we are going out to celebrate and I will be good.
I made healthy choices but my calories were still too high.
My weight was down a bit this morning so I didn't mess up. Yeah

Libby, congrats to your son on his wins and all his hard work! and to you too, for your loss this week.

Gets pretty quiet around here on the weekends. Sara had a tournament this weekend and they finished 3 & 2. Not bad for a team that's only been together for about 6 weeks.

I'm a little bit down from last week...2 lbs...but I'm not sure if it's "permanent" weight or "fluctuating" weight. It is that week, so I don't know.

I've still got residual effects dribbling down through the pipelines from dealing with my son. He's like a tornado...quick and destructive. And he blames everyone else, which he usually lets fall to me. It's so very stressful, and I'm trying so hard to maintain myself. Deep breath. In with the good air, out with the bad air. Oh, Lordy, if only it were that simple.

Lisa, congrats to your daughter for her 3 and 2 place standing in the tournaments this week end. I hope that the situation with your son resolves itself soon.
I will be gone for a week visiting friends in Barry's Bay. Neither of them are well and it may be the last time we see them. Very sad story.
The summer is over and the weather has turned cold. I will be taking my knitting with me to keep my hands busy. I hope to lose a few more pounds while I am away. I will let you know when I get back how I did, good or bad.