debs 2011 check in

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 6:11 am

Nice work! I'd be happy with consistent 14 minutes. maybe it'll turn into an hour of dance later...

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Aug 08, 2012 4:49 pm

thank you so much NoSRocks and oolala!

actually, i am also really being very careful about how much and what i have been eating.. that's just as much a factor in this.. i am doing NoS, in terms of keeping sweets for the weekend only, and not snacking, and definitely not seconding.. but i am also eating probably 1/3 of the amt of refined carbs that i used to.. i am having smaller meals, with an emphasis on protein and fibrous carbs like fruits and raw vegs.. and i am trying to do most of my food prep at home and avoid processed foods with msg and hfcs.. i eat out about once a week and it's usually something small like a chinese lunch or a slice of pizza.. otherwise i'm eating at home and in control of all the added salt and fat and sugar that goes into whatever i'm making. i've also been drinking about 6 times as much water as i used to and trying to pass on caloric drinks much more often.. i just feel they're not worth it..
i am now 245 though, and a 42 inch waist.. i am still really big..
so i have a long way to go.. my first goal is to make it to 200 lbs.. hopefully, i will get there by sometime in early spring next year. i wish i could say it would be sooner, but realistically, i am happy with what i'm doing.. so i'm going by the rate of loss i've had for the past 3 months, which is just about a lb a week.. if i started tweaking and trying to push myself more, i am sure i'd lose track of the plot.. so i'll just have to be patient.. ultimately, i would love to weigh 150 lbs, or have a 32 inch waist, whichever comes first..that's what i'm shooting for in the long run.

thanks to you both for your encouragement and support!!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 6:59 pm

so this is my four month update, since beginning regular daily exercise in april..
in 16 weeks i have had 12 failures (none major) on NoS, and only 4 failures for daily exercise (dancing).. i have lost 17 lbs so far..
i am really pleased with this and myself, and amazed and thrilled that i have been able to maintain my daily exercise this consistently! i even danced on the days this week when i had a virus, because i knew it would cheer me up..i plan on adding a little more food into my day, as i had one month recently where it turned out that i was only having about 2.5 meals a day.. i know i won't be able to keep that up, especially once the seasons change, and winter sets in, nor do i want to, because it's not really maintainable.. it just kind of happened that way.. so i am sure my weight loss will slow a tiny bit as a result, but hopefully not much.. i will also say, that i am having probably 1/3 the amount of cups of coffee with sugar, or any other caloric beverages, than i have in the past, and about 4 times as much water as i used to drink every day.. a good change.
i am feeling very relieved that i found something i enjoy doing every day for exercise, that is indoors and that i can do through winter, when i usually do nothing.
will update again soon

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 10:30 pm

You are doing so well! It's like a dream to me to think of being consistent with exercise. but it's a little scary to hear how slowly the weight still comes of when it sounds like you couldn't reasonably be much more strict. Oh, well. When they talk about being able to lose 2 pounds a week (not my expectation, but you know who I'm talking about), what kind of regimen would a person have to adhere to? No wonder so many fail or just give up.

Thanks for the update!

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 7:35 am

Wow! Good for you - this is great to hear!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sat Aug 25, 2012 4:24 pm

thanks alot oolala and amy!

yeah, maybe when i was in my twenties or early thirties i might have been able to lose 2 lbs a week, average.. but now.. no way..
i have weeks when i gain, during my period, and occasional times when i gain from something that i ate, if it's very salty, which then sets me back a few days.. i can't imagine being able to lose any faster than this, and actually am thrilled at the rate of loss, and hope it continues. if it does, then i will hopefully be down under 200 lbs again, or in that ballpark, by late spring next year.. at the moment, i weigh 243..
i am planning on continuing what i'm doing, so all else being equal, i think this is a reasonable expectation.
i'm just very happy i'm sticking with my exercise.. as i said before, this is the most consistent i've been since about 14 years ago, when i last took exercise seriously and was doing daily home aerobic stuff and also jogging and working at a physical job.
have a great weekend guys!
deb x

mimi · Post by **mimi** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 1:40 am

Congratulations, Deb! A loss of a pound per week is an excellent loss! 17 pounds gone - wow! I'm thrilled for you!
I may try free dancing to music like you've been doing with so much success. I'm not sure if the Zumba class that I attended all last school year will resume this fall - we haven't heard yet, so I may have to come up with an alternative, especially when it's too cold to walk outside.
Best wishes for your continued success!

Mimi

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 2:02 am

thank you mimi!! hope you're well

snapdragon · Post by **snapdragon** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 1:36 pm

Hi deb, I'm back after a long summer,in which I avoided the Internet. I am not sure you remember me, I have to say you seem to be doing really well! Congratulations!!!!!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 9:04 pm

thanks snapdragon! i do remember you

good for you for avoiding the internet this summer.. i am going to have to develop a system to cut down on my time on the computer myself.
i appreciate your support!
have a great rest of the summer!
deb

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 2:41 pm

had a couple of failures this week and last, on NoS and a few extra S days for exercise, because of very bad symptoms from my period.. since last week my weight is up about 5 lbs as a result of it all.. i am feeling better finally, today, so i will recommence with my dancing and truly get back to being strict about what i'm eating.. it's pretty scary how fast the weight can come piling back on, in only a few days if i don't exercise and eat a little too much..my failures weren't even big ones.
well i'm back to it today.. i hope that a good amount of this weight might be related to some water retention, as i'm not completely finished with my cycle.. either way, i am determined to get back on track and i know it will come back off within a week or so..

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 3:06 pm

just a little ps.. for myself, as i've just remembered that i ate a whole container of pickles and had a slice of pizza yesterday.. those foods alone could explain at least 4 of the lbs i gained, just from water retention..
i feel a little better now.. i guess pickles are just not the best choice for me, even though they are NoS kosher (garlic)

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:29 pm

ok, so my hunch about the salt and water retention was right.. i have already lost almost 3 lbs since this morning.. that's a relief!!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 4:59 pm

phew! down another two pounds this morning.. it took 3 days to lose back the 5 lbs i went up from only a few days of eating very salty food and a few days of eating out.. i am going to make sure this does not happen again next time my period rolls around.. it is hard enough to go up the usual 2 lbs of water weight, and feel all bloated and yucky.. i have to find a way to trick those cravings for "that time of the month" food, ie chinese food, pickles, chips.. etc.. i have no problem passing them by under normal circumstances but the beckon me during my cycle, and then make me feel 100 times worse and gain weight which takes days to lose back..
i need to find a mantra or something to remind me that it's not worth it..
maybe that's it..
"it's not worth it"... lol
well, i am very happy that i'm back down to where i was before.. it takes soooo much effort and self control..
i'm gearing up to have a very successful month.. i know winter is around the bend and it's so hard to lose weight then.

~reneew · Post by **~reneew** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 4:00 pm

You're doing great! Keep it up! I've recently just started exercising again (I bought a treadmill) and I know how hard it is to get motivated sometimes.
Consider it mandidtory and non-negotiable. 100%.

You can do it! I know you can!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:28 pm

thanks a lot rene!

well after a not so great september, i am doing great this month!
i am very happy to announce that i've lost about 3 or 4 lbs more than my last lowest weight, and i am now down a total of 22 lbs since i april!!! it's so exciting for me because i was in between 15 and 19 for the longest time and, i don't know, somehow being able to say i've lost more than 20 lbs sounds, looks and feels so good! i've had successes every day for both dancing and NoS since the beginning of the month!!
yay!!
will update again sometime in the next few weeks.

Strawberry Roan · Post by **Strawberry Roan** » Wed Oct 10, 2012 1:44 am

Wow, that is great! Keep up the good work.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Oct 10, 2012 7:38 pm

thanks berry!!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 3:28 pm

down 23 lbs now!!

~reneew · Post by **~reneew** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:16 pm

Wow! Look at you go! Good job girl!!!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 5:29 pm

thank you so much rene!

~reneew · Post by **~reneew** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 5:56 pm

gratefuldeb67 wrote:just a little ps.. for myself, as i've just remembered that i ate a whole container of pickles and had a slice of pizza yesterday.. those foods alone could explain at least 4 of the lbs i gained, just from water retention..
i feel a little better now.. i guess pickles are just not the best choice for me, even though they are NoS kosher (garlic)

I eat salty stuff and pizza every weekend. Maybe that's part of my 4-10 pound gain every weekend... duh me, huh? Oh well, at least we know it and give it a day or two to reflect the water loss. I always make a tight fist to test for retension. I can always tell.

gk · Post by gk » Sat Oct 27, 2012 2:01 am

gratefuldeb67 wrote:down 23 lbs now!!

Awesome job!!!!! Way to go!

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 2:33 am

FANTASTIC JOB, DEB!

Well done!!!!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 5:11 pm

thank you NoS rocks!
i just wanted to bump up my thread for the new year before it totally gets lost...

well quick update since i'm here... my weight has stayed within the same 2 to 3 lb range for the past two months (up down up down...etc...)
so weight wise, i'm about the same now.... i did go down to a new low of 25 lbs down total, but that was short lived and i'm back up those two pounds... still it felt so great to see that, and i am sure i will see it again very soon.

november i had a lot of red days for exercise, and not so many for NoS, but december i had much less red days for exercise, but much more for NoS... it was also a very very strange month for me, because i had two menstrual cycles within the same month... this has never happened to me before, and since i am now 45 years old, i'm thinking and hoping, that this is the beginning of menopause...i don't know what to expect but am very eager to go thru this change and just be done with having a period already...

this month i have decided to add one more habit to my arsenal, and that is daily meditation for 20 mins a day... i have made this promise to myself before and never stuck with it, but i really feel i need it badly...
i am going to try and do this every day, not just on N days... i mean, really, what is 20 mins? so i have made a Habit Cal for it and i am starting today... i think i will try to incorporate the meditation in the evenings, because i find that i can only get myself to exercise in the mornings, and i don't think i will have the time to exercise and also meditate back to back, most N days... this should be a nice way to wind down and relax before sleeping...

i'm setting my mind on being as successful as i can this month, for all my goals...NoS, dancing every day or going for a walk with a little bit of ab work thrown in, and meditation every day...

for the record, i committed to dancing every day, last April (2012) and at that point, i weighed 260 lbs with a 45 inch waist...
i am currently 237 lbs and my waist is 41.5 inches... even though i am still overweight, i feel in much much better shape...
i will update again soon...

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Jan 03, 2013 2:06 am

argh... mad at myself... i ate twice as much as i should have for dinner... i'm counting it as a red... also ate in the middle of the night last night so yesterday was red too... really i'm pissed off now...
i am posting this to get myself back on track...
exercise is going great, i'm just really upset that i'm letting myself slip on diet... i know i can stick with it if i want to, so i don't know why i'm letting myself do this when it is stopping me from succeeding???
well, here's to a better tomorrow...
hope i don't have to post another "negative tracking" post like this again for a while...

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Thu Jan 03, 2013 2:24 am

Ouch for negative tracking. I have faith in your abilities! but I know the feeling well.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Jan 03, 2013 2:05 pm

aw thanks a lot oolala! i am going to get this under control right away...
appreciate your support!
hugs
deb x

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 2:42 pm

i'm very happy to announce that after a very iffy and up and down january, i have gotten back on track and am now down 25 lbs!... i have also lost another 1/2 inch from my waist, making it 4 inches down since last april...i never imagined it would take so much time, but i'm getting there gradually... i am now exactly a quarter of the way to my ultimate personal weight loss goal

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 8:41 am

Wow! Good for you! This is inspiring to hear!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 2:17 pm

thanks amy!

~reneew · Post by **~reneew** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 5:03 pm

Yea!!! Keep doing what your'e doing! Good job!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:10 am

thank you rene!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:07 am

Nice work! and a great start for 2013.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 1:41 am

thank you oolala! x

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:11 am

Wowsers!! Most excellent progress! Congrats!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:35 pm

thanks No BS!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 2:45 pm

man, last week was pretty bad... i had almost no exercise days and ate out at fast food about three times... not helpful in the weight dept...
the more and more this happens, the more i realise that i am much happier being very strict, than letting myself "enjoy" these kind of weeks...
it's too disheartening to see a 3 or 4 lb gain after only a few days of eating like that...
i'm gearing up for being much better in february than i was in january.
will report back soon...

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:45 am

That kind of "enjoyment" really does pale when you put it up against a really good green week. My problem is that I tend to realize it only after the fact!

More power to you for a great February - that's what I'm hoping for as well!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:56 pm

Fast food just begets mostly water. There is no way you overate by thousands of calories. In my life, fast food (in the form of pizza or Mexican food) is going to happen sometimes, as long as I still enjoy it. I'm not going to forgo it to manipulate the water I store. But I do limit it because it's easy to feel a little too full afterwards.

Big picture- you're doing great.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:32 am

thanks a lot amy and oolala!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 2:02 pm

ughhh... negative tracking post...
it's almost mid february and i'm seeing a lot of non weekend s days and red days...
i am refocusing today, to try and salvage the rest of this month...
the failures haven't been huge, but enough to make me gain about 5 lbs back... this really sucks, because it takes me about a month to lose that much, and yet gaining that much only takes one "iffy" week... damn...i'm back up to 240 lbs...this really upsets me... i thought i'd never see that number again, and last month was hoping i'd be down to 230 by feb, not back up in the opposite direction... oh well, i guess that i'm not the only person who isn't immune to winter gain...

gonna try and get back into the "zealous newbie of NoS" mindset, and strive for total and comical strictness... i'm also going to make an extra goal of trying to limit eating out to only once a week...
and eating at night is starting again, and that scares me a lot, so, i am really going to be directing my energy towards drinking water at night instead, when that urge to eat (usually out of stress and boredom, not hunger) hits...
please wish me luck!

MJ7910 · Post by **MJ7910** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 2:54 pm

some of the 5 lb can be attributed to water weight, so don't panic! usually for me if i have a bad week i'm up a lot but then if i reign it in i can go back down in a few weeks.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:30 am

Nip those failures in the bud! You'll feel more peace.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 2:04 pm

thank you both!
i am already doing better on habit, but won't weigh again until after the weekend... i have my period and that is making me retain a lot of water now too...
oolala, yes i do feel peace already from nipping those failures in the bud... thank you!
will check in again next week.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:47 pm

quick update... i actually got back on track over the weekend after my last post and had two good days of exercise...then i got food poisoning at the beginning of the week

i was sick for a little over 2 days, but managed with some good probiotic kefir, to get myself back to normal... really wasn't well though, so i only ate a very small amount for two days because i felt so bad...
i have marked them "green" days even though i was sick, because i didn't use that as an excuse to have any S's during that time... but i did not exercise until yesterday... my digestion is still a little off now, but i am much better... not sure if maybe i also have a lingering virus because i just feel pretty spaced out... i think it's the remnants of the food poisoning...
i'm now down 5 pounds, mainly as a result of those two days of not being well, and just not having much food... hope it stays off... i don't feel like eating very much now anyway, and i'm avoiding S's, so i am thinking i might be able to keep it off...
so i am back at my lowest weight of the year now, since restarting in April 2012... 234 lbs... even though i wasn't happy to be sick, i am happy to have shed that 5 lbs i gained a little while back... i am down a total of 26 lbs since my restart last spring. plodding along, but i am doing this... i am now down 1/4 of the way to my ultimate goal of losing 100 lbs... i will be thrilled when i get down another 20 or 30... the 100 lbs is a pretty long term goal...

will update again when there's something to report and hopefully not negative tracking!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:48 am

I got sick in January and had several days of not eating much. I, too, did not eat any S's. I know I lost a few pounds, though I don't keep track officially but 4x a year.

Back to wonderful N days tomorrow.

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 8:02 am

Sorry to hear you were sick, Deb!

Just keep on plodding - that's the best thing we can do, right?

Hang in there!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Feb 26, 2013 2:50 pm

thanks amy and oolala! x

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:48 pm

well, of the 5 lbs lost when i was sick last week, i gained back 1.5 lbs... so still maintaining a 3.5 loss... very pleased about that...
something really nice too...when i got together with my family last week, i saw my uncle's girlfriend...i hadn't seen for over a year, when i was 26 lbs heavier, and before i got back into regular exercise, and both she and my brother, who i hadn't seen since last december, said how i looked like i was "wasting away"...
it was a real confidence booster! it's hard to see the changes in myself, and stay motivated and excited when the progress is so slow...
this was very re-affirming that i'm doing well

it made my year!

Strawberry Roan · Post by **Strawberry Roan** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 6:12 pm

Sorry about your sickness but glad you are doing better and some of the lost weight is still lost

It is good to get positive reinforcement when we see people that we haven't seen for a while, isn't it? We are hard on ourselves because we are the ones that look in the mirror at ourselves naked so it is hard for us to judge the progress as much as others can

You are doing great!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:56 pm

thank you berry!!
i appreciate it

deb x

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sat Mar 02, 2013 4:21 pm

I'm glad! And never lose touch with the reward of vitality and harmony with your true appetite. Very few people win at changing their eating just to be smaller. If it did, people would stick to strict diets forever. The way it works long term for most is that they become truly at peace with how much they eat. I think that's why there's so much "failure" out there. The data shows that most people are not actually reinforced by being smaller but by being happier with the feeling of their new eating habits. In that way, you win just about every day!

And, we're human, and our society admires smallness. So enjoy that, TOO.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Sat Mar 02, 2013 4:59 pm

gratefuldeb67 wrote:it's hard to see the changes in myself, and stay motivated and excited when the progress is so slow...
this was very re-affirming that i'm doing well
it made my year!

Congratulations Deb! Long term progress & enormous rewards! Good job.

It really is compelling when others notice & comment on external evidence of your progress, personal growth & commitment!

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:10 am

So glad those compliments gave you a boost! Awesome! Have a great week!!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:40 pm

thank you oolala, NoBS and Zippadee

yes oolala, i totally agree about feeling at peace with the new way of eating being the real key to long term success...
thanks for the encouragement!
deb x

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 5:52 pm

shovelled my mom's driveway today... it was pretty hard work, but i have to say that i feel i was in pretty good shape for it...it seems that my daily dancing workouts have primed me for the task...my back is a little tired, but not too bad... feeling good!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 1:16 am

I imagine you might feel some tummy muscles later, too.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 1:24 am

Shoveling snow is one heck of a tough workout, Deb! Kudos to you.

Here the wind usually carries our snow away before it accumulates.

No shovel = no heart attack!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:11 am

thanks oolala and NoBS...

just bumping my thread up now and reporting that i have lost another pound and inch from my waist this month!

Strawberry Roan · Post by **Strawberry Roan** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:13 am

No Way!

That is great.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 2:02 am

Awesome.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 9:25 pm

thanks berry and oolala... xo

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:10 am

gratefuldeb67 wrote: just bumping my thread up now and reporting that i have lost another pound and inch from my waist this month!

Awesome!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 2:29 am

thanks NoBS

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 7:03 pm

just bumping up my thread so it doesn't get too lost... nothing remarkable or new to report...

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:32 pm

went on a trip up to visit colleges with my son in cambridge this week... although i could have done much worse, i really didn't do very well in terms of eating moderately... somehow with all the fast food stops on the way up and indulging at restaurants for three days, i still managed to only gain 4 lbs on the trip, and i know that isn't as bad as it could have been... gained another pound last night because i was in "what the hell" mode and ordered chinese food and very bad choices off the menu... so... i am now up a full 5 lbs and gonna try to get rid of it asap... i feel very uncomfortable and a little disappointed in myself... not so much because of the weight gain, although i am pretty sad to see that number go up so high again, but mostly, because i see that when given an excuse, like a trip, i still seem to equate that with just letting myself go and tend to over eat... i mean, i really enjoyed going out with my son, but i could have made much better choices and not over eaten, and would have enjoyed myself even more... those old habits are really a bitch sometimes... anyway... i am back on the horse today... gonna try to limit eating out to only once a month... i will report back sometime next week...
on the nice side of things, it's pretty cool that richie is applying to harvard... i am very very proud of him

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 11:11 pm

Even when I eat reasonably on a trip, I sometimes gain because the food is usually so much saltier. I know you didn't gain 5 bls. of fat!

I think I lucked out in a way because I was on a trip in my first week of No S and I found I could really enjoy myself with my three meals and some leisurely coffee snacks. It set the tone for other vacations. But I still sometimes when getting in the car for a trip have a flash of memory of stopping for gas and getting beef jerky or some other road food I would never have, even though in three years I don't think I've ever failed on a trip!

I hope you have a chance sometime to have some green N days on a trip so that you have a point of reference. It feels good to be green on a trip, too! Then the NWS days are even more special.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 6:15 pm

thanks oolala...

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sun Apr 07, 2013 7:31 am

I just got back from a trip and I know what you mean. I think half of the problem is just being out of routine and not having our familiar (safe) choices in close proximity. Sometimes you have to just do the best you can.

That is so exciting your son is applying to Harvard - you must be so proud! My oldest will start university here in September. I think it is going to be a big change!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Apr 08, 2013 8:54 pm

thanks amy!
yes i am very proud

good luck to your son on his first year in college and to you on that big change!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sun Apr 14, 2013 5:07 pm

just bumping up my thread... not the best week ever but still managed to lose 2 lbs of the 5 i gained the week we went up to harvard...
really having a hard time keeping myself from rebelling against my better instincts to not eat junk food recently and haven't been exercising as much as i'd like... so i am focusing on those goals this week...
be back next week to report

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Apr 16, 2013 12:02 pm

really over sweeted yesterday... this isn't normal for me... i bought a large bag of chocolate covered goji candies and pretty much ate them all in one evening... i was upset about something and i guess i grabbed for sweets to "deal" with it... not happy about that at all...
also, didn't exercise... i did complete an important test that i needed to do for my massage recertification, so i'm glad about that...
i'm kinda scared of this becoming a new kind of very bad way of reacting to stress for me... so far my habits haven't been perfect, but i couldn't say i was binging either, for a very long time... this was binging...
focusing my energy on getting back on track asap...
not buying anymore large serving sizes of *anything*, unless it's broccoli!! lol...
i'm not even gonna weigh myself or beat myself up, but i have to get serious and back on track now...

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 12:56 pm

so upset with myself now... i had a great day yesterday and did exercise, had very good and healthy food, and even managed to put away half of the food i cooked myself for dinner... but by middle of the night, i ended up eating the leftovers instead of just having some water and going back to sleep... i wasn't even hungry... i'm not sure if this is some kind of subconscious stress that's causing it, but i've been back into eating at night and i have to stop it... i am pissed off that an otherwise great green day had to be marked red this morning

i can't seem to talk myself out of this when it's happening, and i am feeling very sad because i know that as long as i continue like this i will never lose the weight i want to lose...

it doesn't help that my bed is six feet away from the fridge, because my son sleeps in the bedroom in our one bedroom apt and i sleep in the living room/kitchen...
i will just keep trying... i was so proud of myself for having half of what i ususally do for dinner and then i just went and messed it up... really upset...

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:21 am

Oh, Deb, I know how you feel - how frustrating it is when we sabotage ourselves like this.

I had a bad day on Thursday, was also mad at myself. But I think we still have to recognize that there were good things - I mean you still had that entirely green day, right? Try not to beat yourself up too much. Keep on keeping on!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 3:21 pm

thanks amy, you're so sweet... xxx

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 3:34 pm

Hi Deb, just cruisin' your thread catching up on news.

I wonder if your habits are changing (subconscious stress, eating during night), could you be stressed out about your son leaving to go to Harvard? Big (and inevitable) change for you...........and him. In both your lives.

You must really be proud of your son!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 1:59 pm

thanks NoBS! that's nice of you... i am feeling better now... i got back on track since i last posted and have been feeling less stressed...
not sure if richie is going to harvard or not, but he is applying there... our trip was just to visit and take the tour... he's in 11th grade now and his college applications will be going out in the next four or five months...
i've exercised and eaten well this week and only one night time eating thing since last i posted, and that was a cup of steamed broccoli with some dressing so i'm not too worried about it...

actually, to go back to my previous thing about stress... i have also been going thru major hormone shifts this year, and this month i actually experienced 2 periods in one month, less than 2 weeks apart... so i am pretty much in perimenopause, and i'm sure that's also affecting me and my stress levels...

i'm happy to say that this morning i've lost 3.5 lbs of the 5 that i gained after our trip to boston, and i am sure as long as i continue as i'm going, i'll keep losing...
so right now i'm at 236.5
i'm hoping to lose at least another one or two lbs by next week... i'll report back soon...
just happy that i'm back on track

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 12:41 pm

well, as soon as i posted i'm back on track, i had a night time eating thing happen again... last night... twice... i am going to try to be much more mindful and focus my efforts on this... frustrated and upset with myself...

~reneew · Post by **~reneew** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 2:04 pm

When that happens to me it's sometimes because I get a bit comfortable and a bit slack and over confident. Just brush it off

and push your restart button. I know you can do it!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:42 pm

thanks rene! that's just what i am going to do... what else can we really do anyway?

deb x

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Jun 03, 2013 6:11 pm

just bumping my thread up so it doesn't get totally lost...
may was pretty much a complete failure because i was sick the whole month... but luckily, even though i have a huge messy bunch of yellow and red days for exercise and NoS, i am happy, and very relieved to say i really didn't gain...
i'm all better now, and glad to report that i'm back on track with exercise...
nice to begin the month this way... really gonna try to go for 100 percent compliance...
will report back in a week or two, or maybe even a month...

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 4:10 am

i had a great week!! i had only one missed N day for exercise, and the rest was all green... and i had a perfect green week for NoS!!! even passed up fast food when i was really kinda hungry and didn't have any night time eating episodes... i'm very happy to report i'm down 2 lbs since last week!!
will report back again next week

MerryKat · Post by **MerryKat** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 12:03 pm

Well Done Deb!!

Congratulations for Sticking with it even when some days don't go with plan and for coming and reporting them!

((HUGS))

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 1:47 pm

thanks mo

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Jul 03, 2013 7:33 pm

ok so now we're into july and i wanted to report on how i did in june... i had a really great month!!

i didn't have many failures for exercise or NoS, though there were a few and a few legitimate non weekend S days... otherwise i had a very successful month... i really had to work at it though, and actually, this makes it feel so much more gratifying to see that i succeeded... i am hoping that i can keep up my motivation and focus this month...
i also lost weight... i did vacillate a little on some days gaining and losing a pound or two of water weight here and there, but i managed to lose almost 4 lbs since last month and now weigh 233... it sounds like a little, but i am thrilled with it and just hope that i can keep it off and keep losing...
i had hoped that i'd lose between 8 and 10 lbs this month, but i guess that was an unrealistic expectation... but i see that 4 lbs is doable... so i'm hoping that by august i will be down another 4... would be nice if it was more, but i'll be happy with just simply losing weight consistently, and not losing and gaining back the same 5 lbs over and over...
will report back in august...