The ME I WANT to BE - Weight Loss Support Week of July 6, 2003

[greysangel]

Good morning everyone!

Thought I would start the new thread before I went to work out...for some reason it's always hardest to motivate myself for a leg work out. Maybe it's the feeling of wanting to throw up while squatting and lunging :o Anyhoo... this week was ok. The week prior I had changed around my day off at the gym due to waking up and feeling really horrible. I also knew the gym was closed on 4th of July so I went 10 days straight working out so I would avoid a double day off. The result was feeling pretty darn tired, but hey, 80% effort is better than 0% :D Eats were great until Friday. I lost all willpower over my excitement with the tv program (fear of success anyone?) that I dipped into some trail mix and some mini twixes. Oh Well. I sort of made up for it by eating clean on my free day up until a fabulous dinner with Laura. She and her husband are just so wonderful and we had a great meal. The portions were teeny, but they made up for it with oil, butter and cheese in those portions :p

This week I'm on week 11...two more weeks until...I start another challenge lol. Still, it will be a good feeling to have one under my belt. I've already made out the shopping list and plan to go when I get back from the gym.

This week's topic is motivation. I usually stay away from this topic because motivation for me is so fleeting. It will be there one second and gone the next. When faced with the long haul, motivation will wax and wane and change. But I found this article and I thought it was a good one.

MOTIVATION IS THE MOVING FORCE
by Kala Kos

Through the Huna teachings you may be familiar with much information about what it takes to create your life the way you want it to be. However, you may not be making the time or the effort to change your old thoughts and habits, to plan and to carry through with action. In fact, you may be asking yourself, "Why aren't I doing those things? I really want to do them." Perhaps -- but not as much as you don't want to do them! You'd rather do something else or think about something else because your motivation isn't yet strong enough. Maybe you're dealing with the fear of failure, or you haven't made the goal important enough. You must be more excited about succeeding than you are afraid of failing. The motivation to change has got to be stronger than the motivation to stay the same!

Motivation is the moving force; it moves you to act. Your motivation is based upon the strength of your desire, which is based upon the importance of what you want. The more important you make your goal, the more you'll be motivated to move toward it. Increasing your motivation will also help you increase your concentration.

The third principle says, "You get what you concentrate on." In other words, you experience the results of your most dominant and consistent thinking. To concentrate is to think persistently and clearly about your aims. When you really want something, you concentrate your attention on it until you get it.!

A prime example of this comes from one of the most talked-about films of the seventies, Kramer vs. Kramer, which starred Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. It dramatically illustrates the power of heightened concentration. The film is about a major transition in the life of a man whose wife leaves their marriage unexpectedly. Because the emotional strain and the additional demands of caring for his son disrupt his work, Ted Kramer is fired from his position as art director at a major advertising agency. He then learns that his estranged wife, Joanna, is suing him for custody of their son, Billy.

Wanting very much to keep his child, Ted hires an attorney who tells him that if he's unemployed, he has no chance of winning the case. In desperation, he manages to make a last-minute appointment with a small ad agency on the last working day before Christmas. Though the head of the agency is obviously impatient to begin his vacation and reluctant to hire someone so over-qualified, Ted's intense desire and sheer determination land him the job.

The more important the goal, the stronger the desire. One of the most powerful factors in bringing ideas into form is the intensity of the desire. Kramer vs. Kramer is a perfect example of increased concentration, motivation and desire. Devotion to his son made Ted Kramer's goal urgently important. Focusing intensely on his goal -- to care for and be with Billy -- moved him to take every available action and overcome every apparent obstacle.

Since the intensity of your desire is so important, how can you increase it? Make the end result, the goal, more important by deciding that it is. Give it importance through your own personal authority. This desire -- the passion about it, the fierce determination to achieve it -- is not the same feeling as a yearning, which implies the idea of wanting something you don't have or cannot get. Rather it is the kind of feeling that says: "This is what I want, and this is what I'm going to have!"

So remember to build motivation by building up your desire to achieve your goal. You can amass so much energy this way that when you focus your attention it has much more power. Happy creating!

Have a fantastic week everyone :D

Daily Promises:
I promise to drink adequate water for hydrating my body
I promise to stick to my eating plan for the day

Jeanne

[kwormann]

Good morning JeAnne

I am having a very hard time becoming motivated to work out. I am eating the way I am supposed to, but after the 22 lbs Ive lost, Ive stalled for 5 weeks. Suppose lack of exercise is the culprit? :D

Good for you for going!

My goals:

Im going on a mini vacation this week. I will follow my eating plan.
Since we are going to the mountains, I will be hiking some:), so there is some exercise.

[JanetJ]

Good Morning!

It's been such a nice long weekend, even though the clouds have creeped back in today. My biggest excitement is that my zucchini is starting to emerge! (this will be the first vegetable I've ever produced in my garden - ever!) I also lost 2 pounds this week and am at one of those magical points where I can actually see it in the mirror. Next Saturday I will be going wedding dress shopping, so this is great news.

Motivation is very fleeting for me as well. While yesterday morning I was ecstatic over the weight loss, by early evening on the way back from a bbq I asked DF to stop at Dairy Queen. Where did that come from? I'm usually more of "stay the course" kind of girl. I think you said once, Jeanne, that motivation comes and goes and it's what you do between those times that matters. That's really become my philosophy, though I'm searching for a little motivation this morning to get me back on track after last night's little "treat."

Promises for today:
water, not diet coke
plan out lunches for the week

[gertdog]

Hello!

I had a pretty good week. I had my personal trainer appointment and equipment orientation at the gym. I went twice this week- once for cardio/weights, and today for a step-sculpt class. It was hard! Even though I haven't gained a lot of weight back, it's amazing how much your fitness level can drop in just a few months' time. My goal is to go 3 days a week for now.

It has not been an excellent eating weekend, and it's clear I need to come up with a conscious plan for the next few weeks, because I will be making a lot of day trips for work which involve eating lunch, and sometimes dinner, out. For a while I was really good at planning healthy meals-to-go... I need to re-learn that skill!

Have a good week everyone! :)

Promise for today: more water!
Promist for tomorrow: cardio workout

[kwormann]

Oh, need to say WHOOHOO for me....DH was craving ice cream yeaterday. I went with him to the next town to Dairy Cream, and watched him order and eat a Peanut Buster Parfait.....Did I have some??? NOT EVEN A LICK:)

[kwormann]

It seems to follow along with the philosophy of Walter Willet but with a plan to follow, for people like me who are followers:)

It has a 2 week period where you detox from all the bad carbs and sugars (including the sugars in fruit) then you slowly start adding back GOOD carbs and you see what YOUR body is able to handle.

I went on Atkins 8 weeks ago to stop bad sugar levels from turing into anything worse. Ive lost a fair amount of weight and feel great, but my weight loss has stalled and I think Im ready to try something "similar but different". I like the idea of learning more about my body and what it can and can't handle buy trying healthy foods one at a time to see the reaction. With any luck, I wont become "addicted" to sugar and flour like I was!!!

Here is a link to info:

http://prevention.com/cda/feature2002/0,4780,5345,00.html

[pbutterfly]

What a great article on motivation. Sometimes it takes stating the obvious to make me see it! ("Your motivation is based upon the strength of your desire, which is based upon the importance of what you want. The more important you make your goal, the more you'll be motivated to move toward it.") My quest this week is to find more ways to remind myself of not only my goals, but WHY they are so important.

For instance, printing out my list of goals and posting it somewhere instead of just keeping it on my hard drive.... or finding photos that represent things to me (like a strong, athletic female body or a healthy, vibrant senior citizen) and putting them places where I'll encounter them when I need a nudge.

My challenge lately has been this... I joined a gym (a HUGE step for me!), but I hadn't said anything because they're still building it and it wasn't to open until August. Well... they lost some funding, and they've refunded my money and don't know when - or if - they'll open. So, I've been trying to decide what to do, since I was really excited about this gym (it was close to work, inexpensive, all women, and the staff that I'd met was really nice and had great philosophies about health). I'm still working on what to do, but there is another opportunity falling into my lap, and I'm going to go try a Nia class this week. Has anyone heard of/done Nia? It sounds interesting to me - a mix of modern dance, yoga, and martial arts. I'll let you know how it goes.

Opportunity's knockin' all the time, if I'm open to hearing it. Motivation is key to my listening skills being turned on, I think.

Anyhow, those are my thoughts today.

:)
lynne

ps. Laura and JeAnne, how was the spa? Dinner sounds yummy!

[greysangel]

Kim- Congratulations on the weight loss success you've had thus far! If I were you, I would not worry so much about getting tons of activity in as I would about finding something you like and starting there. Some people like group activities, some outdoors, some people like weights and others like yoga and dance...my suggestion is to do a little exploration :cool: You're much more likely to stick with it that way. That diet sounds pretty sane...it's pretty much a revamp in some ways and seems to be getting a lot of press lately. I say if you like it, go for it! You can always change it up again!

Janet - Congrats to you as well! Yah, I definitely have those "where did *THAT* come from?" moments. That's when you just have to let it go and push on.

Gertdog (Stephanie right?) - yay on the gym! It is *amazing* to me how your fitness level drops if you are away from it. Even if you go to do something *new*, your body feels the change and it is a challenge.

Lynne - I'm sorry to hear about the gym..I know it was something you were looking forward to. Have you ever considered like a YWCA? I haven't heard of NIA but it sounds interesting. How often would you be doing it? Would you be doing it in conjunction with something else?

Spa was fun - it was a beautiful space downstairs in this building so you felt like you were entering a little sanctuary. The smells were awesome (need to find some of those candles) and I would definitely go back and try some of their other stuff...when I can afford it!

Today my legs and butt were hummin through my cardio. Yikes. I'm a sore pup but in a good way. Today's promise is to stick to my eating plan and stay hydrated. It's another hazy hot and humid day...one of those days I'm actually glad to be at work :cool:

JeAnne

[slknight]

Good morning all. Mind if I (re-)join the thread? I was on WW last year, and had just started to make a little progress when I got pregnant. I was always very active and worked out every day, even if I was 20 pounds overweight. But when I was pregnant, I had some complications and was told not to exercise at all and was then on bedrest for 8 weeks. Even when I was let off bedrest, I still wasn't allowed to exercise, empty the dishwasher, do laundry, do more than 2 flights of stairs a day, etc. You can only imagine what this did to my weight! I gained 55 pounds, although obviously lost a bunch when I had the baby.

I just started back at WW 4 weeks ago. I've lost 6 pounds, and have about 45 to go.

Susan

[BeckyM]

Welcome Susan! As a fellow "new mom", I can understand what a challenge it is to work off that pregnancy weight. I didn't have the same issues you did with having to be on bedrest, but that didn't stop me from gaining way more than I should have! :eek: But congratulations on your weight loss so far. I'm sure keeping up with a little one will help with your weight loss efforts.

My past week was pretty good -- I stuck to my promise of only having Graeter's (full fat and really yummy) ice cream once while my parents were here, and mostly I ate really well and stayed within points. The last two days I got a little off track, eating hamburgers, potato salad (made with fat free Miracle Whip though, so not TOO bad), dessert (CL ice cream pie), and pitas with hummus. I didn't really eat BAD things -- just a bit too much of the good things. But I'm proud of myself for not letting that get me off track long-term. I'm now back to journalling faithfully and being more choiceful.

Jeanne -- I liked the motivation article. I agree motivation can be fleeting at times, and I think the article actually gave a fairly straightforward way to increase motivation. So, I'm going to try focusing on WHY I want to continue to lose weight and how much better I feel about myself when I'm healthy & fit. I'll also focus on wanting be be in shape to do things with Katie (my 9-month old) as she grows and to be a good role model for her.

My promises for today:
* fruits & veggies (again)
* exercise (I haven't gotten any for a few days)
* eat within my points range

Becky :)

[greysangel]

Welcome back Susan!

Way to go Becky!

I found this article this morning on a couple who have gone through gastric bypass.

Doesn't sound like the "easy" road to me.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/135174782_obese06m.html

[Jessica]

Wow, JeAnne, that article is an eye-opener. I cannot imagine going through any of that.

Janet--Aren't those mirror moments the best??

Susan--Welcome back. I am glad you had a healthy son after your difficult pregnancy. Congrats on the loss, too!!

I did OK over the holiday weekend. I ate more sweets than I usually do but I didn't gain weight. I've been maintaining for a couple weeks and I am shooting for at least a small loss this week. Also, I need to focus more on fruits and veggies--I've definitely fallen off track there and in summer there is no excuse.

[buffygirl]

Hi all,

Congrats Janet on seeing the new you, how exciting, and just in time for wedding dress shopping!

Kim, it's funny that you posted the link to South Beach Diet, because I just started it today! I was in search of something that doesn't take a ton of planning, low sugar/bad carb, etc. I happened to see a friend of my mother's over the weekend and she looked fabulous. She told me that she's lost 65 pounds on the South Beach Diet. I bought the book and the plan seems pretty simple and pretty healthy. The recipes are simple and included in the book. I just made my grocery list by looking at what I was supposed to eat days 1-7. So far so good. Let us know if you decide to do it.

So my update is that I've started back on something. After an entire week of beating myself up and soothing myself with food, I'm back on the wagon. I must lose weight, I don't feel good and I don't like the way I look.

I'm going to start the FIRM tapes at some point this week. I previewed one yesterday and it looks hard. Even if I do half of it, that is better than sitting on my duff!

BK

[Gracie]

Hi all -

I have some catching up to do!

JeAnne, what TV program? Just the way you wrote that I feel like there's a story involved. The spa and dinner sounded wonderful.

Hi Susan! Good for you for rejoining WW and coming back to this thread. I thought you looked fine at Mamasue's!

Kwormann - have fun on vacation and enjoy the hiking. You'll get back into exercising with no problem.

Stephanie - I've been bringing fruit to work for lunch since I can't get into making something and portioning it out. I hear you about planning food to go.

Janet - wedding dress shopping! If that's not a great motivator, I don't know what is. Have fun. It's funny how "the" dress just hits you over the head even after they all start looking alike.

BuffyKim - I need to read about the South Beach diet. Then again, I also want to read Hussman's whole site and I still don't have a clue about what BFL is all about.

Lynne - too bad about your gym. We have 2 different "express" gyms opening up around here, Curves and Workout Express. It's the 30-minute workout thing. I don't think I'll join, but I have lots of friends who have.

Hi Becky and Jessica!

I have had a very slow but steady decrease in my weight since my panicked, face-the-music WI a few weeks ago. I have lost 3 pounds in those 3 weeks which is not stellar but I'll take it. I am doing much better in the eating-before-and-after-dinner category but we haven't had much chance to walk in the last couple of weeks, whereas we are used to 5 - 6 times/week. That's changing and we're getting out more again, despite the heat, but hey, we walked faithfully in 20 - 30 below zero and so now we should be able to handle the 90's!

Loren

[greysangel]

Loren - 3 lbs is great!!! And I applaud you for walking in the heat...I can barely walking to work in the morning. It's so muggy and smelly here in the city :(

As for the TV thing, Discovery Health contacted me about being on one of their weight loss segments. :)

JeAnne

[gertdog]

Yay Janet, Loren and Kim! Kim, what is it about those Peanut Buster Parfaits? My DH craves them every time we see a DQ!

Loren, thanks for the fresh fruit idea. I am really bad at picking out ripe fruit at the store- I tend to get stuck in a rut of apples, bananas, cantaloupe. I'm going to try getting brave and buy some different fruits.

[Jessica]

I LOVE Peanut Buster Parfaits. I get one per summer and I haven't cashed in yet this year :) I am not even a big DQ fan but these parfaits do something for me--I think it takes me back to childhood and tin roof sundae ice cream. Does anyone else remember that? Vanilla ice cream with chocolate swirl and Spanish peanuts? I haven't seen it for sale in years.

[Gracie]

Originally posted by greysangel
As for the TV thing, Discovery Health contacted me about being on one of their weight loss segments. :)

Wow JeAnne you are really becoming a celebrity! Is this on the Discovery Channel? I'm not sure we get a channel/network called Discovery Health up here and I'd love to see it. When will it be on?


Originally posted by gertdog
Loren, thanks for the fresh fruit idea. I am really bad at picking out ripe fruit at the store- I tend to get stuck in a rut of apples, bananas, cantaloupe. I'm going to try getting brave and buy some different fruits.

Stephanie, that's really funny because I've never made anything with cherries before and would not have if not for your chopstick trick! Now I've bought around 4 pounds of cherries and I'm pitting like a woman possessed! ;) DD ate half the cherries I originally bought and then I made EW's Cherry Almond Crumble which was so good and so low fat. I'm thinking I could make it fat free by subbing OJ concentrate for the butter, too. It's only 1 T, why not?

Loren

[Gracie]

What is that peanutty crunch topping stuff they sell at DQ? That stuff takes me back to my childhood. I must have gone 30 years between having it as a child and re-discovering it at DQ. I've gotten DD into it, too. Can you buy that in stores? (not that I need it! :rolleyes: )

Loren

[kwormann]

Originally posted by buffygirl
Hi all,

Kim, it's funny that you posted the link to South Beach Diet, because I just started it today! I was in search of something that doesn't take a ton of planning, low sugar/bad carb, etc. I happened to see a friend of my mother's over the weekend and she looked fabulous. She told me that she's lost 65 pounds on the South Beach Diet. I bought the book and the plan seems pretty simple and pretty healthy. The recipes are simple and included in the book. I just made my grocery list by looking at what I was supposed to eat days 1-7. So far so good. Let us know if you decide to do it.
BK

Im starting SBD today while on vacation...as much as I can. I might need to re-start when I get back since I wont have total control. Im glad to see many people doing this. Support is great!

JeAnne, how did Discovery Health know about you? Someone else I "know" on the low carb board was on and I watched.

When will you be on???

[kwormann]

Loren, SBD book is an easy and interesting read! It isnt confusing at all!

[greysangel]

ok no more sundae talk!!! :D :D

As for the show, I have no idea...these things seem to take pretty long. Right now we're in the initial email/interview question stage. I'm thinking it will at least be a couple months. She found me through my website.

Promise:
Clean eats
No stressing about things out of my control!

Jeanne

[pbutterfly]

There's so much excitement and good-vibes going on here this week! Yay!! :)

JeAnne - The Nia class is actually AT a Y, so I am planning on looking into that option (especially if I like the class). That way, I could do the class once a week and supplement it with other things the rest of the week. The gastric bypass story was interesting. I've never thought it was the 'easy' way to go, from any story I've heard (even at the most successful outcome of it, you still have to make the same eating and exercise changes that we're all working on).

Susan - Sounds like you're making good progress post-baby. I hope that the baby is healthy and happy, as well. Congratulations!

Becky - I'm so impressed with your guest-holiday eating! That you stuck to the Graeter's plan is really something! Eating a little too much of the good stuff is miles better than giving in and eating a lot too much of stuff you didn't want to be eating. Yay for you!

Loren - 3 pounds in 3 weeks is really good! :) You're doing great!

I've read some good things about the South Beach Diet -- mostly that while the first two weeks are too restrictive (and should, in some cases, not be done, depending on your health issues), the diet after that is really great and healthy and balanced. Sometimes I think we need those short term jump starts, so I'm certainly not knocking that! I'm interested to hear how it works for those of you who are trying it -- and whether it's something you can see sticking to as a lifetime eating plan.

today's promises --
drink enough water
get in all my fruits and veggies


:)
lynne

[JanetJ]

Loren, 3 pounds is great!! I've heard the same thing about the wedding dress...that you will just know when it's the right one. I'm a little nervous (and excited) about trying them on. I've got very specific things I'm looking for and I'm worried I won't find the right one and if I do that it'll look bad. Sheesh, I'm stressing out already....

Susan, you're making great progress!!

Lynne, sorry to hear about your gym. The Nia class sounds very interesting...let us know how it is.

I've been hearing a lot about the South Beach Diet - in fact I think one of my coworkers just started it. I confess to not knowing much about it so I will be going to read that article shortly.

Today's promises:
Water!
Get the fruits and veggies in - and not skinny cows!

[swquilts]

Well, after not making the best decisions over the holiday weekend I found out that I still lost .5! Whew!! I'm truly surprised that I didn't gain since the wine bottle was emptied twice by myself and my friend. We were camping and we took all of the food so at least my choices were good ones. (Except for the wine! :eek: )

This weeks goals:
Eat right
Count points
Drink water

[MrsReber]

JeAnne, that is so cool about the Discovery program! We watch that channel, but I've never seen that show. You better let us all know when you'll be on! How exciting! Yes, you sure do make a difference in people's lives, speaking of motivation and inspiration!

My biggest problem is portion control and snacking when I get home from work. I guess it's that instant gratification thing. If I don't cave and I don't eat the ice cream after dinner, I feel so good about myself the next day. If I do eat the ice cream, I enjoy it at the time, but wake up a bit disappointed in myself. Weight loss is not easy! WW was great when I was still nursing DS. I could eat so much food in a day and still lose weight. Now I'm down to the lowest points group and it's really hard.

Lynne, I totally agree about that "magic moment" when everyone starts to really notice that you've lost weight. That happened to me last week and boy did it feel great!

My goals- work on portion control!!!!!


Going back to lurk mode.... have a great day, all you wonderful, amazing women! I think we should all be proud of ourselves for wanting to make these changes in our lives!

[pbutterfly]

Janet -- I can attest that with my wedding dress, I did "just know" what I found the right one. (Okay, I DID have a sketch that I'd drawn up of exactly what I wanted, so I wasn't going in blind, but still...). I went in this shop in Chinatown and described what I was looking for... the saleswoman had other ideas, but eventually brought out what I had described, and when I tried it on, SHE got all gushy and agreed that it was "the one". :) You'll find it... and I can't wait to hear about it!

Thanks for the sympathy about the gym... but I have a feeling it's happened for a reason (like most things seem to). :)

Tomorrow's WI at a new meeting (my work schedule's changed for the summer, so I have to shift meetings).

:)
lynne

[Gracie]

I just had to tell you all about my NON-EATING evening last night! It can be done! ;)

DD has play rehearsal every evening this week from 5:30 - 9 ish. It's production week and the show is on each night this weekend. So, I get home from work around 4:30 and dinner has to be cooked and eaten before 5:15 when she leaves. Last night I had 1 portion of June's Angel Hair with Shrimp and Spinach (which was bland, but that's a topic for another thread) and 1 portion of EW's Cherry-Almond Crumble. Then I brought her to rehearsal and... drum roll please... I never ate anything else the rest of the night! Despite the fact that I stayed up past 11 to watch the end of the extra-innings Red Sox game.

I actually felt thinner this morning! It's really frustrating to know that if I only changed one habit I'd be right back at goal where I want to be. Why can't I do this all the time?????

Now to do 2 in a row...

Loren

[greysangel]

I guess the South Beach Diet is the new buzz now :D I say great...the more options for people to try, the more chances people will find something they like!

Susan - Congrats with the scale. Most times it is relentless, but sometimes it's merciful. I also hear alcohol dehydrates you :eek: :D

Mrs Reber - It does feel good to stick with your plan. After too many nights of being a starving idiot by the time I got home from work and devouring the contents of the fridge, I now eat around 4:30-5:00. This gets me through getting home and making dinner. Weight loss is not easy! Neither is lugging around excess baggage!!

WOOOOOOOOO HOOOO LOREN!!!!!! Now you have to sit for awhile and think about how great you feel having accomplished that! It gives you confidence that you can do it and if you did it once, you can do it again!

I'm so happy it's Wednesday :) Today's promise is to be grateful for all the things I have whenever I think of something I'm better off doing without!~

Jeanne

[BeckyM]

I'm also happy to report a half-pound loss after a weekend with a few bad choices. I guess the good choices the rest of the time made up for it. I did have a bad moment yesterday, when I caved in to the temptation of chocolate chips and pecans again. They are definitely my weight-loss nemesis! But I didn't have a huge amount of them, and I didn't let that ruin the rest of my day. I went for a nice long walk yesterday evening and I didn't eat the piece of Grasshopper Ice Cream pie that's in the freezer! (In the past, I would have figured the day was already ruined by the chocolate chips, so I might as well eat the ice cream pie too.) I've come a long way!

Today I'm going to a Farmer's Market this afternoon for the first time. The nearby church always has this Farmer's Market on Wednesday afternoons in the summer, but since I've always been working at that time before, I've never gone. Today is the first day of the market for this summer, so I'm going to try it out. My MIL found some great tomatoes, corn, and other fruits & veggies there last year, so I'm hopeful this year will be the same. Then I'll go to the grocery store this evening and buy the things that I couldn't get at the Farmer's Market. I know part of my problem with the chocolate chips yesterday was that I didn't have any yummy fruit around to snack on. I'm going to make sure I get plenty of healthy snacks so the other stuff won't be as tempting.

MrsReber -- I read with interest your comment about WW and breastfeeding. Since I'm still nursing Katie, I'm finding it relatively easy to stick within my points range for the day. I'm wondering how much more difficult it will be once I wean her. I'm worried I'll be used to eating much more, so it will be difficult to cut back. By the way, congrats on reaching the point where people notice your weight loss. Isn't that a great feeling?

My promises for today:
* eat my fruits & veggies
(even though I don't have many fresh ones on hand)
* buy lots of fresh fruits & veggies
* stick to my plan (i.e. no chocolate chips!)

Becky :)

[greysangel]

Becky - yay on the loss. just say no to nuts and chocolate...believe me, it's so hard. I'm nuts for nuts. I no longer have them in my house because I can't handle the pressure! I hear the pecans calling out to me :D

Here's a funny for the day. Who cares about portion control? Obviously not Swanson.

(WARNING FOUL LANGUAGE IN ARTICLE)
http://x-entertainment.com/articles/0744/

this may be worthy of it's own thread.

JeAnne

[MrsReber]

Originally posted by BeckyM

MrsReber -- I read with interest your comment about WW and breastfeeding. Since I'm still nursing Katie, I'm finding it relatively easy to stick within my points range for the day. I'm wondering how much more difficult it will be once I wean her. I'm worried I'll be used to eating much more, so it will be difficult to cut back. By the way, congrats on reaching the point where people notice your weight loss. Isn't that a great feeling?

Becky :)

Becky, in April, a horrible thing happened. I weaned my son AND I went below 150lbs. That meant that I had to deduct the 10 additional points AND I was in a lower points category. At that point, I pretty much stalled in weight loss for 2 1/2 months. However, an interesting thing happened. Due to my workouts, my clothes actually fit better. Guess I traded in some fat for muscle. Yes, it's a great thing when people notice the weight loss. I think the greatest thing of all was having my husband tell me that I look great and he's really proud of me.

[Pico]

Originally posted by greysangel

Here's a funny for the day. Who cares about portion control? Obviously not Swanson.

(WARNING FOUL LANGUAGE IN ARTICLE)
http://x-entertainment.com/articles/0744/



Yikes!!! :eek: :eek: I can't believe they actually make these things! Just when I thought food producers might actually have a conscience...

[clairea]

I'm finally able to check in with a better report. I am on my third day of both staying within my points, and making good food choices to do it. I definitely had a victory over emotional eating last night. I went to sit in Starbucks for a while to get myself back together after a very emotionally-charged discussion, and was really tempted by all the sweets in the display case. I kept reminding myself that all indulging in something would really accomplish was making me feel bad about that choice, so I just ordered my nonfat chai latte and was happy with that. I've been eating for comfort a lot lately, but I seem to have gotten back into the groove of realizing that food only helps momentarily (if at all) and then usually leaves me feeling worse.

It looks like a lot of people have losses this week. Congratulations!

Claire

[buffygirl]

Quick report, I'm on day 3 of SBD and doing well, meaning I haven't cheated once! For the record the first 2 weeks is a *****. For days 1 and 2 I had MAJOR sugar withdrawal symptoms, light headed, weak, dizziness, headache, blurry vision, ok, just kidding on teh blurry vision, but you get the picture. Today I feel great, just a smidge on the hungry side, it won't kill me. I did get on the scale this morning and have lost 4 pounds. I know that most of this is probably water, but I'll take it!!!

For the record as well, I've seen posts on other boards comparing SBD to Atkins. Having read both, they are not very similar at all. Other than the fact that you limit/eliminate the bad carbs, they don't have much else in common. SBD is really a very healthy way to eat, no gimmicks.

Hope everyone else is doing well this week.

JeAnne, you are such a super star!

BK

[BeckyM]

MrsReber -- How great that your DH noticed! They're usually the last to notice, and almost always the last to actually say something. It's great you have a DH who is so supportive!

JeAnne -- I've been wondering about the ads for the "Hungry Man" meals for a while now. They always show some big fat guy who "needs" his hungry man meal to avoid blowing away when a little old lady blows the candles out on her birthday cake (or something like that). I am always amazed and disgusted that advertising like that actually appeals to some people. To me, it just says, "Eat this, and you too can be fat!" And to think that they feel there is enough of a market to introduce breakfast versions! There is definitely something wrong with our nation's attitude toward food!

Becky :)

[pbutterfly]

Congratulations to all the loss-posters this week! I'll add my teeny .4 loss to the pile. (Yes, I'm happy that it was a loss, but I have a sneaky suspicion that if I'd been able to go to my normal 9 am meeting instead of the 12:30 meeting it would have been a bigger loss!)

Congratulations, too, to all the behavior changes (which, in my mind are even more important than the losses - the behavior changes add up for more than just ONE loss over time!). Loren, not eating in the evening! Yay for you!! Becky, I know very well the "I've just blown it already so I'll eat the _____ (and Grashopper Ice Cream Pie?? yum!)" - to realize that one mistake doesn't equal "blowing it" and not give in is HUGE!

The Swanson's breakfast made my stomach turn. At least I can take comfort in the knowledge that that sort of thing doesn't appeal to me anymore! 231% of the RDA of ANYTHING isn't a good thing - especially in ONE meal. Ugh.

Ugh.
lynne

[Chefzhat]

I pm'd JeAnne last night for help, but I figure I'd better post here and fess up . . . I just can't stay out of the kitchen!!! It's like I've forgotten everything I learned on WW. Argghhhhh!

I know my problem is that I'm bored, my summer schedule is a lot less hectic, and I've got time to read. Reading a book requires snacking - and anything that is available to snack on is finding it's way into my mouth!

This morning I've made a big salad for the day, planned my meals, and have moved all the good books I've got to the bedroom, where I will only read at night before going to bed. Hopefully I'm back on track.

Debie

[pbutterfly]

Debie -

A suggestion, if it's possible for you -- can you take your book outside to read? Somewhere a little ways from the house (a park, etc.) that's too far from the fridge and cupboards to make them a temptation? Take a nice cold bottle of water/seltzer/whatever and enjoy the outside and the book together! (Even better if you can walk to the place, getting in some activity.)

I find boredom hard, and I also find that I like combining enjoyable activities (like reading) with food (since it's also enjoyable). Recognizing danger is the first step, and you've already come up with one plan (moving the books to the bedroom), so you're well on your way to conquering it!

:)
lynne

[Gracie]

Well I did almost as well last night as I did the night before! I only ate 1 portion of dinner, plus 1 more portion of the Cherry Almond Crumble for dessert, all prior to 5:30.

DD didn't get out of rehearsal until 9:45 last night and DH had left me with dinner leftovers to clean. One of the things I made was cut up roasted potatoes and it was so easy to eat the rest of those. There really weren't very many and eating a few of those small pieces of potato was way better than eating Forbidden Chocolate Explosion ice cream from the freezer! ;)

I was just going to go straight to bed but I happened to go out in the kitchen for something else, really! and noticed that the leftovers needed to be put away.

All in all, though, I'll take it! I was thinking about this thread and all of you and how I wanted to be able to tell you I was "good" again for the second night (and I really was, especially compared to some previous nights).

Tonight is dress rehearsal so we'll be eating quickly and home late again. Is three times the charm??

Loren

[greysangel]

Claire - YAY on starbuck's victory!!!!

Kim - Congrats...I'm glad to hear your spirits are a little lifted and that you are enjoying the new program.

Lynne - yay on the loss...big or small it's all good.

Debie - I emailed you...don't make me go over there and poke you with a stick! :cool:

Forbidden Chocolate Explosion....sounds kinky to me :D Loren, I'm glad you had another kitchen victory. You're proving that it can be done!

My promise today is to stick to my eating plan.

JeAnne

[hannah_phi]

Well, I'm just checking in. I went to Denver for the holiday weekend and came down with an awful cold as soon as I got home. So I've been suffering through that and trying to clean the house before Dad gets here tonight. He'll be here until the 26th, so I don't know how much I will be checking in.

Somehow I managed to lose 1.5 #s, but I think that has to do with appetite loss while being sick. I'll take it though. :D

My promises will be running until my dad is gone:
1) Make healthy choices in eating.
2) Incorporate some sort of exercise into each day's activities.

[greysangel]

Hannah - I hope you are feeling better!

TGIF everyone!

Today's promise is to eat what I want with full consciousness and stopping when I've had enough.

JeAnne

[BeckyM]

Confession time -- Yesterday I was BAD! :eek: I got into those darned chocolate chips and pecans again. And you know, I don't think it was really the lure of the chocolate chips that did it -- I think I was just looking for SOMETHING that was yummy and decadent. If I didn't have chocolate chips handy I would have come up with something else. As I've thought about why I have those eating moments that I regret later, I think it often happens when I am faced with a ton of things I NEED to do, none of which I WANT to do. That's when I tend to seek refuge in chocolate chips or ice cream or cookies or something else that tastes good. It's almost like an escape from the yucky things I'm faced with. So now that I know that, I just have to come up with a healthier escape. So that will be one of the things I work on today -- coming up with ideas of things to pamper myself with (instead of food) when I'm feeling like I just need a break.

The good news is that I still ate fairly healthy the rest of the day. And I went walking TWICE!!! It was raining in the afternoon, but I packed Katie up in the Snugli, grabbed an umbrella, and we walked anyway. It was Katie's first walk in the rain, and it didn't seem to bother her a bit. She was curious about the umbrella at first -- leaning back to look up at it all the time -- but then she settled back and enjoyed the ride. Then in the evening the weather cleared up, so DH and I took Katie for another walk when he got home from work.

Today is good so far. My promises are:
* Fruits & veggies AGAIN!
* No escapes with food
* Incorporate some stretching into the day somewhere

Tomorrow is DH's company picnic, so my challenge there will be to make wise choices. The food is often fairly gross, so I need to remember to throw in a Luna Bar and maybe some fruit, so I have choices other than greasy hot dogs, super-fatty potato salad, or runny coleslaw.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Becky :)

[greysangel]

Becky you are RIGHT ON in your assessments.

Geneen Roth talks about this very thing...using food to have some time to yourself to be completely irresponsible or to completely escape responsibility/stress/chores etc. She recommends making a list of non food/drink escapes and to do one of those things 15 minutes a day. Some of her suggestions included:

nail polish with glitter
people magazine
lying on the floor/ground
bubble baths

I can't think of the other ones off the top of my head, but it's a great concept. We need to give ourselves permission once in awhile to indulge...really indulge in what others would think is stupid/childish/whatever. We deserve at least 15 minutes a day where we put others' needs on hold to do whatever the heck we want!

JeAnne

[BeckyM]

Thanks, JeAnne! I think I need to read some Geneen Roth. I'm sure I've seen you mention her before. Does she just have one book, or are there several? If there's more than one, any recommendation where I should start?

Becky :)

[greysangel]

I've read two and I know Jessica has read a few. The one I really recommend is "Break Free from Compulsive Eating". There's some really great info in there and I had several "aha" moments.

JeAnne

[slknight]

The Geneen Roth idea sounds like a great one. I think I need to read some too. I've got the same problem. I work from home, and it is sooo easy to go walk to the kitchen for a snack instead of doing the work that I should be doing.

My weigh-in was Wednesday and I was up .8. But I'm ok with that because I know where I faltered (a good dinner out and a few days at the in-laws) and now I'm back on track. Yesterday, DH and I ended up having an unplanned lunch at Panerra Bread. I came home and looked up the sandwich that I had and it was a whopping 16.5 points. But I was stuffed, and just had a big salad for dinner. So I ended up still staying on program (remember, I get 10 extra points 'cause I'm breastfeeding).

DH isn't officially going to WW, but is counting points on his own, so that's pretty helpful. He's a teacher so he's home for the summer. I'm glad he's trying to do this, otherwise we'd probably be both sitting around all day eating!

[pbutterfly]

Becky - Good for you on really thinking through why you were reaching for the chocolate/pecans -- I can totally relate! Sometimes I just want to pamper myself, and it's been hard (but SO worth it!) to replace the food-comfort-rewards with non-food ones. Bubble baths are a big favorite for me, as is going out window shopping or getting a $10 manicure. (I figure $10 on a non-food goodie is better than the extra $11.95 for another week of WW that I would have to go to to take off the weight from a food goodie!)

Report on the Nia class: I really enjoyed it. It's hard to describe, but it's kindof a dance class - low impact aerobic - that uses ideas and moves from yoga and martial arts as well as modern dance. There's a lot of focus on mindfulness and doing things at your own level. I'll go back (though possibily not until after my vacation), and while I was doing that DH was playing raquetball... so we may end up joining the Y if we both continue to enjoy it!

:)
Today's promises:
water!
and do something pampering, in the spirit of the conversation here today (thanks, Becky!)

lynne

[hannah_phi]

Becky, a while ago I realized that I use food for celebration/pampering more than any other reason. I started a thread related to that asking what other people's non-food rewards are. Here's the link to it:
http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=41439&highlight=reward
There are a lot of really great suggestions in it.

My dad got here fine, delayed, but fine. His delay gave me time to clean the apartment. I'm getting over my cold, but not enough to go swimming. It has been making me drink gallons of water though.

Have a good weekend!

Promises:
1)Water (not hard)
2)Good Choices this weekend.
3)Make the Vegetarian Green Chile Stew I've been meaning to make.

[buffygirl]

Hi all,

It is so great to see so many people checking in!

Becky, as the others have said, I/we can really relate to eating for emotional reasons. My problem is that I eat no matter what the emotion, happy, sad, bored, you name it. I think I've begun to stop, if that makes sense, over the last few years.

So far so good for me on South Beach. I've completed day 5 and am down 6 pounds. That stuns me because I have *such* a hard time losing, even a pound a week, even in the beginning of a program. But I will take it. I'm proud to say that I skipped b-day cake yesterday at work and I made an excellent choice today at lunch out with a client. I haven't cheated. And I do feel good. My tummy is a little rumbly, I guess because I'm not filling it up with carbs. I feel just a smidge hungry some of the time. In 9 days I get to add some carbs back though so I think I can make it.

Everyone have a good weekend.

BK

[Chefzhat]

JeAnne - no need to get the stick!! I'm over here behavin'. Two days of clean eating (but I'm not counting the gin and tonic I had last night - I really really really really needed it;))

On to day three. Portion control is soooo hard, but I'm getting the hang of it again. I think that's one of the areas that I slacked off on after finishing WW and trying to maintain.

Hugs all around - have a good weekend everyone!!

Debie