The ME I WANT to BE! WLS - Week of 3/26

[greysangel]

Good morning everyone :)

Sounds like a lot of people are plugging along which is always good news! It's not "just" maintaining...if you are putting the good tools to use and engaging in healthy habits, the weight loss will eventually follow. It's something I constantly have to remind myself of but it's true. I plateaued for so long a while back and who knows? It may have been the day after I gave up that the plateau would have broken..it may have been the week after ...so what? The point is I never got a chance to find out because I did give up and as a result went up! You have to just keep doing it and find the faith that your hard work will pay off.

I'm down a few pounds this week...I know it's pretty much recovery and not having an appetite but I'll take it :D I pulled down all my spring clothes from TWO SPRINGS AGO and if that isn't something to work towards, I dont know what is! Because I was in 14 misses for so long (the longest I ever maintained at ANY size which I should have totally seen as a success duh!), I actually had a cute little wardrobe going and I am determined to get into them again! Anything lower than that is gravy....of course it would require more shopping on my part which is always fun ;)

So this week's topic is little successes...and rewards!! What is success to you? What are you doing right now that contributes toward that success and have you planned any rewards along the way? Success to me (now) is the scale not going up. Success to me is consistently making it to the gym (well not so much this week :eek: :D ). Success to me is not stuffing...especially when it tastes so good. Success to me is a positive attitude instead of a cheated one.

My rewards...lush bubbles, magazines, increased energy, consistent positive mood vs food rollercoasters (when I eat right, my mood swings are barely existent) etc..

Have a great week everyone!~

[JackieO]

It's not "just" maintaining...if you are putting the good tools to use and engaging in healthy habits, the weight loss will eventually follow. It's something I constantly have to remind myself of but it's true. I plateaued for so long a while back and who knows? It may have been the day after I gave up that the plateau would have broken..it may have been the week after ...so what? The point is I never got a chance to find out because I did give up and as a result went up! You have to just keep doing it and find the faith that your hard work will pay off.
~

Very sage advice, JeAnne. I think I'm doing ok in that I'm not allowing myself to get frustrated that the scale numbers aren't budging the way I'd like -- my success/reward is that I'm much more comfortable in my clothes now than I was last fall. I've trimmed up, I feel better and I can tell I'm a lot more flexible from my yoga class. A special treat for me is a pedicure, which I justify because I have to show my feet in my yoga class! :D

I'm off to a good start today (not my usual lazy Sunday). There's beef goulash in the crock pot already (March CL) and I have butter softening for a batch of toll-house cookies (for DS!). Then, off to the gym for cardio and lower body (although it's looking mighty nice outside -- I might take a REAL bike ride if it's not to windy!)

I have a staff meeting with my newly reconstituted work group tomorrow -- not looking forward to it. I miss my former boss.... :(

Other than that, the week should be quiet.

Stay strong, everyone!

[Chefzhat]

Hi everyone - welcome to a new week! JeAnne, I'm so glad you're feeling better! Jackie - sounds like you're going to have a good day.

Success: feeling good, not stuffed. Seeing my collarbone again. Having good weigh ins. Thinking about new clothes.

I have WI tomorrow. I'm probably going to be down a couple because I've been struggling with an ongoing headache that is making it hard for me to eat much. I hope this resolves itself soon - I hate headaches.

Question: is anyone finding it hard to get their dairy nutrition in??? Calcium? Any tips for me?

Debie

[Goin' Coastal]

HI everyone!

JeAnne - you are obviously feeling better - feels good, doesn't it?

Successes - Even though the scale is not droping as quickly as I'd like, I feel I have made real progress in my eating since the first of the year. I am really concentrating on eating healthily. I have read the Book "Super Foods" and am working more of these 14 foods into my diet. I am also exercising more.

I thank Val for pointing me towards "The Thin Commandments". 2 huge things I have gotten from the book so far:

1. Look at food historically rather than calorically. I might be tempted to eat a cookie, rationalizing it is only 100 calories. Not a big deal - I'll eat less later, or cut back tomorrow. Afterall, it is only 100 calories. Wrong. I know from what I have done in the past, if I eat that one cookie, I am going to eat 6. And then I am going to feel bad for eating 6, and I'll end up feeling so disgusted with myself, I'll eat 6 more! And then I'll be thinking, what the heck, I can't do this, and who knows what I'll eat the next day. Knowing this, I can look at a cookie and see a couple thousand calories instead of 100. Thinking about this, in this way has really helped me resist a snack I shouldn't have.

2. Feelings of deprivation. Rather than looking at food and feeling deprived because I can't have it - I look at the food and think by eating it, I am being deprived of what I really want - a healthy body I am comfortable with, a feeling I look good in clothes, and better self esteem.

So much depends on our thought processes, and how we perceive things. This book has been a huge help.

I have also been reading "How the Rich Get Thin". This authour - Jana Klauer, MD - really emphasizes calcium in the diet. Says it is essential for boosting matabolism and reducing belly fat. She recommends a supplement to insure adequate calcium intake. Debi - you might check out Viactiv Calcium soft chews. Just 2 provide your calcium needs for the day. And even though they are almost like eating a piece of chocolate candy, they have never triggered my sweet tooth. www.viactiv.com

Have a great week everyone!

[sneezles]

Happy Monday all!

The scale was up 3 pounds but I know it's salt/water weight due to the crawfish boil so it should be gone by tomorrow or Wednesday.

No exercise today as we're trying to get a rent house painted (outside) and wanted to finish the first coat before the rains set in...almost made it!


Success to me is feeling good at the end of the day. Not having a sense of guilt about what I ate that day. Success is going to a crawfish boil and only eating a dozen of those mudbugs not an entire flat though that would have been very easy. Success is knowing that I can enjoy what others enjoy but stay in control at the same time.

My reward is that the size 10 jeans are becoming loose. It was seeing a bunch of people that I hadn't seen in ages and getting compliments on how great I looked...nothing like feeding the ego! ;)

[aggie94]

My successes and rewards are inextricably intertwined. My rewards are having to go back to the rack and get a smaller size when I bought new running clothes yesterday and putting on shorts for the first time this season to find that last year's shorts are now falling-off-big. Those are also reflections of my successes. Every loss right now is a success. Particularly since I only have about 10 pounds left to go, and I know that those will be the hardest (and slowest) 10 to lose. For example, this past week, I worked out 6 days - kickboxing class on Monday, running on Tuesday, spinning on Wednesday, running AND spinning on Thursday, swimming and weights on Saturday, and running and weights on Sunday - and ate cleanly all week (most days within points, a couple of days slightly into activity points, and only one day (planned) into flex, and only 10 points into flex), yet only saw a 0.2 loss this morning. That's OK, though - a loss is a loss. And I know that it will eventually all pay off.

My challenges this week are work. I have two hellish weeks of work coming up, and it will take everything I can muster up to keep up with my workouts and cooking healthy meals so that I don't eat crap. Those are my only goals for the next two weeks, so that I don't see the scale creep back up.

[clairea]

I have not really been good at focusing on success or rewards other than the numbers on the scale. I mentioned before my migraine meds so completely messed with my appetite and taste, that it helped me lose a good bit of weight fairly easily (a common side effect of this medicine), and I think that has actually been good and bad for me. It is great to lose weight, and I think seeing results (getting back into smaller clothes, remembering how good it feels to lose weight) has motivated me to really work at the last bit, but it also has made it easy to just focus on the scale without really focusing on the process. Success is more than just a good weigh-in, it is taking care of my body, setting a good example for my kids, and knowing that I will have the health and energy both short and long-term to care for myself and my family. Success is being able to get back into smaller clothes. It is DS (8 1/2 yo) saying yesterday "why do you still do weight watchers?" It has taken me 20 minutes to write this paragraph, but it thinking it through and writing it down have really helped me focus on thinking about things another way.

The scale was down 1.5 from last week, so that is good, and walking regularly made a huge difference for me mentally (and I am sure it will pay off physically too). I survived DD's birthday party, and only ate 1 small piece of cake which I had save points for. Now if I can just get through this week, the kids and I all have spring break next week -- I can't wait!

Debie, do you like yogurt? That is where I get most of my dairy. I do the Stonyfield FF Plain yogurt which is 1 point for a container (a little more than 1/2 cup). I mix it with fresh fruit or frozen berries. I also eat a lot of FF cottage cheese. Would either one of those work for you?

[Chefzhat]

Thanks Claire - I really don't like yogurt. But I bought some anyway and have been using it in fruit smoothies. How's that for innovation? :D

WI on Monday - down 3/4 :eek: I don't think I could have eaten any less last week . . .

Next week is spring break for us too! I'm busy trying to plan some fun for me and the boys.

JeAnne, how are you feeling???

Have a good Wednesday!

Debie

[greysangel]

Hi there :D

I'm feeling better thanks :) I'm working from home and back to work tomorrow. Apart from the little scars I would have a hard time believing I had major surgery last week! I guess I'm a speedy healer.

As for dairy, I go in and out with yogurt..not my favorite though I do like the greek stuff and use it often like sour cream or to cream things up like soups etc..

My favorite dairy right now is skim plus actually. It's a lot less watery than regular skim and packs 11g of protein per cup. I make sf pudding with it and that's a nice little snack. I also use it for choc/vanilla protein shakes and I'm sure it would be good for smoothies if you wanted a more latte type consistency than shake consistency of yogurt.

[aggie94]

Debie,

I have the same problem with dairy and calcium. I rarely drink milk (maybe a couple of times a month), don't eat yogurt, and basically only get calcium through greens and cheese (which I don't eat a lot of these days). I don't take a calcium supplement although I probably should. I have some higher risk factors for osteoporosis, but I don't tend to worry too much because I do a lot of weight-bearing exercise.

I used to do Viactiv but got out of the habit a few years back. I should probably start up again.

[badunnin]

My favorite dairy right now is skim plus actually. It's a lot less watery than regular skim and packs 11g of protein per cup. I make sf pudding with it and that's a nice little snack. I also use it for choc/vanilla protein shakes and I'm sure it would be good for smoothies if you wanted a more latte type consistency than shake consistency of yogurt.

Delurking quickly - what is skim plus?

[greysangel]

it's an actual brand name. It's a skim milk that is loaded with some other goodies:

http://www.farmlanddairies.com/Skim%20Plus%20Page%20New.htm

[badunnin]

it's an actual brand name. It's a skim milk that is loaded with some other goodies:

http://www.farmlanddairies.com/Skim%20Plus%20Page%20New.htm

Huh. Whaddya know. Thanks!

[aggie94]

Most brands of milk now seem to have some sort of "skim plus" or "fat free plus," which makes skim milk resemble more the taste and "texture" of 2% milk. It's the only way DH will drink skim milk, which is fine by me. Unfortunately, I have a hard time finding it in my area in gallons, only 1/2 gallons.

[aggie94]

Most brands of milk now seem to have some sort of "skim plus" or "fat free plus," which makes skim milk resemble more the taste and "texture" of 2% milk. It's the only way DH will drink skim milk, which is fine by me. Unfortunately, I have a hard time finding it in my area in gallons, only 1/2 gallons.

[LakeMartinGal]

Hi, Everybody!

I have been reading the success/reward stories, and they have made me think! (This thread has that effect on me, usually :) )

Success, for me, is actually doing my treadmill exercise and stretching! I KNOW I feel better when I do it, but there are always more interesting things to do, like reading the BB! The reward is how much better I feel. Success would be actually getting below 200! And getting into a smaller pair of jeans would sure be a reward! :D

I don't need to buy a lot of new stuff, when I lose weight -- I can go shopping in the basement or other closet to find something I haven't worn for about 5 years. Actually, one of the motivators for me will be giving everything smaller than a 14 to Goodwill.

I want to take that pressure off, because I have only been that thin for a total of about a year in my life, and I don't think I'll ever get there again. It's just not that important to me. I just really want to get into a 14, maybe a 12, and be comfortable in my body! I don't want to work so hard that I don't have time for all the fun things being retired brings. ;)

[aggie94]

Since calcium was brought up, I thought I'd post some info that I got this morning at my wellness screen (our office does an annual free screen for employees). I will be receiving results of my bloodwork in about a week, but I am hopeful that my triglycerides have gone down (last time, they were out of the normal range for the first time in my life).

I had a bone density screen this morning, which is not the same as a dexa scan, but still can provide a good baseline for future screenings and helps assess your risk for osteoporosis. I thought it was a good idea to be checked since I fall in a couple of risk groups (woman, Asian, haven't gone through childbirth, low calcium intake), plus it was free. :)

My numbers were surprisingly very good, well above average among women my age. So that was a pleasant surprise. The informational sheet I got also gave some healthy tips on bone loss prevention (risk factors that you can control/change) that I thought I'd share:

- regular weight bearing exercise
- balanced diet rick in calcium and Vitamin D (USRDA on calcium is 1000-1300 mg/day for adults)
- increased calcium intake
- proper medical monitoring of postmenopausal estrogen levels
- regular physician visits and bone density screening
- avoid sedentary lifestyle, smoking cigarettes, excessive alcohol, eating disorders, and too much sodium in your diet

It also gave a table showing calcium content of various foods. For those non-milk drinkers, like me, other very good sources of calcium are parmesan cheese (an ounce contains 400 mg, which is more than a glass of milk), yogurt, collard greens, kale, broccoli, figs, and canned sardines.

[greysangel]

Thanks Eva and happy to hear you got a good report!

I'm happy to announce that I got a copy of the thin commandments on paperbackswap! :D YAY!

I'll pass it on here when I'm done if anyone is interested :)

[clairea]

Eva, thanks for sharing the info about the calcium and bone loss prevention. That is really something I need to pay more attention to. Glad you got a good report from the wellness screening. DH's firm does that too, and I think it is a great benefit -- even better is that we get extra $$ towards our health insurance premiums if we maintain healthy weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. It is a nice little incentive.

JeAnne, I would love to read The Thin Commandments when you are done with it, if you don't mind passing it on.

I've walked 3 days already this week, so am pleased with that. Our weather has finally turned spring-like, so I have had the best time the last 2 days going for a 3-4 mile walk while my kids rids their bikes with me. Tomorrow I am going to the zoo with DD's kindergarten class so I imagine I will get lots of walking there too.

[JackieO]

Please let me add to the upbeat nature of this thread....

Went to my yoga class tonight. Awesome. I'm convinced that it's my regular, albeit only once-a-week class, that has helped me "shape up" through my mid-section. TWO ladies at the office this week commented on how slim I looked. I have noticed that I can actually FIND my hip bones without difficulty now, and while my scale numbers haven't budged all that much, I can tell I'm in better "shape" and I have a lot more flexibility. I love my yoga class -- it is such a great way to de-stress and relax.

NOW...my challenge is to see if I can do this without the discipline of the class. The weather is getting nicer and my work schedule is going into crazy mode next month. My Rodney Yee DVD hasn't been cracked open since I watched it while sipping wine a few weeks ago. :eek:

SOMEONE: Please inspire me to do a DVD yoga session! :confused: :eek:

[JackieO]

I'm down 0.5 lbs for the week, which makes for a nice round-number result: 7 lbs. total in three months. Not exactly my goal, but I'll take it! ;)

My immediate challenge is the company 5-year anniverary party tonight. Appetizers and cash bar from 5-6; "dinner" at various food stations from 6-7:30 w/complimentary wine. What an opportunity to make bad choices and not stop when full!! Oh well, since it is a company function, I'll have to be on good behavior. My plan will be to start with a glass of water before I have any wine; then have another glass of water before having any more wine. That should help slow things down and make me feel full while allowing myself to enjoy what I really WANT to eat, instead of trying to sample everything put before me.

Enough...I'm off to the gym.