Linda's daily check-in

Counting carbs/calories is a drag. Obsessive scale stepping is a recipe for despair. If you want to count something, "days on habit" is a much better metric. Checking off days on a calendar would do just fine, but if you do it here you get accountability and support. Here's how. Start a new topic in this forum called (say) "Your Name Daily Check In." Then every N day post a "reply" to that topic as to whether you stayed on habit. A simple "<font color="green">SUCCESS</font>" or "<font color="red">FAILURE</font>" (or your preferred euphemism if that's too harsh) is sufficient, but obviously you're welcome to write more if you want. On S-days just register that you're taking an S-day. You don't have to do this forever, just until you're confident you've built the habit. Feel free to check in weekly or monthly or sporadically instead of daily. Feel free also to track other habits besides No-s (I'm keeping this forum under No-s because that's what the vast majority are using it for). See also my <a href="/habitcal/">HabitCal</a> tool for another more formal (and perhaps complementary) way to track habits.

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Tue Sep 04, 2018 5:13 am

You guys are the best for thinkimg it was funny instead of crazy ex-girlfriendish. We totally should start a jean thread.

Back home now and happy to be so. I ate lunch thinkimg we’d be skipping dinner which I did but I caught DH eating chips. Thinking he’s not so dedicated to this idea. I’ll see how the week goes but if he doesn’t stick to it then I’ll go back to my old eating times.

There are benefits to having an earlier window though I think. First of all I think I generally eat less when I eat during the day. Secondly, it’s much easier to avoid alcohol and thirdly it’s better for my reflux to not eat near bedtime. Oh and also, I can have lunch dates again. We shall see.

16/.5

Lunch (12pm): veggie burger, fries, small salad
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:44 am

Oh boy, stressful time. Things are really tight financially right now due to a contract change with DHs work. We knew his paycheck would be less but it’s worse than we realized. Hopefully it’s temporary but in the meantime we have to tighten the belt.

I got rid of cable, switched our car insurance, cancelled Plated, audible and asked my cleaning lady to come every other week. Any other ideas? I’m also thinking of switching my hairdresser but I’ve been with her 5 years. Breaking up with her will be hard!

I’ve decided to stop counting my fasting hours and using my fasting app. I’m just going to keep it to one meal a day or a snack and a meal depending upon the day but I’m tired of keeping my eye on the clock and ready to just make this a lifestyle.

155.9 lbs

Breakfast (12pm): 2 chicken thighs; roasted veggies, rice, small bowl of yogurt w fruit and nuts.
Snack: sf iced tea latte

Exercise: 30 min circuit-rowing, jump lunges, wall hold
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Octavia
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Post by Octavia » Thu Sep 06, 2018 10:23 am

Sorry to hear about your money challenges, Linda. Sending sympathy. Not sure I have any real brainwaves regarding budgeting, but....

I’ve recently been trying to stop myself shopping for so many clothes by making a wardrobe inventory, and insanely long list of everything in my wardrobe, then reading those inspiring ‘shop your wardrobe’ blogs, which encourage you to find interesting new outfits from the stuff you already have. This actually feels like creativity and fun rather than budgeting. ...Probably only a useful budgeting tip for sad compulsive shoppers like me. :roll:

My DH is currently looking into having solar panels put on our roof. He reckons that eventually we could be in a position of having free electricity if we do that. Not an immediate saver, though.

The wine-free challenge should save a lot of cash. And buying the supermarket’s own brand of cereal instead of Kellogg’s, etc..(totally obvious idea and you probably do this already....😊)

Then there’s Octavia’s Very Cheap Lentil Pie recipe. Bung two handfuls of red lentils in a pan with a chopped onion and a big grated carrot (you could fry the onion first to make the pie a bit richer, but it works fine without any oil!). Cover with stock and simmer for 20 mins till lentils are cooked. Put in a pie dish, top with sliced or mashed potatoes and grate over lots of cheese. Bake in oven till golden - maybe half an hour or a bit more. It’s a great veggie alternative to a shepherds pie and a real money saver.

Good luck with your clock-free fasting! Hope your day goes well.

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Post by automatedeating » Fri Sep 07, 2018 1:11 am

Oh my goodness! Those are some serious $$-savers!! Wow! You cut the cable cord? AND got rid of Audible? You are on a roll!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Sep 08, 2018 1:56 am

Thanks for the tips Octavia! I love the pie idea. My kids would love it. Also living in Arizona, we should definitely have solar panels but yeah the up front cost is probably a lot.

Auto: I know, I’m doing my best! Also, got rid of Apple Music and told the landscaper to come every other week.

Today was rough. My daughter and I made up but after everyone left I had a little mini breakdown. I’m fine, basically just needed a good cry I think. I’m just so upset that we’ve made so many bad financial decisions and we are now in this position. Income wise we are still in the top1% but I can tell you , it definitely does not feel that way. I’m actually thinking about going back to school to be a scrub tech or something. I’m pretty sure DH could help me get a job and it’d be nice to not have to rely on him for all the income. We shall see.

Also my eating did not go very well. I think without a definite plan, it just becomes a slippery slope. Eating lunch instead of dinner isn’t too bad. It’s actually easier to stop eating because I usually want to get on to something else. It does make me feel sleepy for a couple hours though and getting motivated to cook when I know I won’t be eating is a bit tough.

DH is really sticking to it though so that’s good. I guess I’ll keep it up in support. Maybe I need to cook dinner in the morning and then I can have some for lunch. Then dinner will be ready for the girls. That’ll really cut into my day but might be worth a try. I also maybe need to go back to using my app.

154.9 lbs

Lunch (1230): smoothie bowl, muffin, sf iced tea latte
Snacks: couple handful of nuts, few bites of shrimp, small bowl of tofu, a couple bites of power ball mixture, sf tea latte, coconut water

Phew! Finally stopped eating around 6pm!

Exercise: walked dogs 25 mins; circuit training 15 mins—squats, sit ups, burpees.

Update: got even worse. Went to pick up falafels for my girls and the lady gave me soup while we waited. I didn’t want to be rude so ate it then had some leftover sandwich. Oh well.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by automatedeating » Sat Sep 08, 2018 2:05 pm

Hugs, Linda.

Stress is a great way to make it hard for us to moderate our eating. With everything you've got going on, plus this shift in your eating window -- sounds difficult. Hang in there.

And you know I'll tell you your mini-melt-down was just what your heart needed.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:36 am

Thanks auto!

Today was another disastrous eating day. It’s oretty clear the lunchtime window does not work for me. DH said we should just have different eating windows so that’s what we will probably have to do. I swear fasting is so much easier than eating.

My appetite is way down but I just keep eating right on past those signals anyway. I could probably go a couple days without eating, no problem. Well Monday I have a lunch date and Tuesday I have a dinner meeting so that’s probably not going to happen anytime soon.

I had a small lunch then a snack and then DH and I took my oldest to a party downtown. We didn’t want to go all the way back home so we went to one of our favorite vegan restaurants nearby. We were just going to have coffee but it felt weird so we went ahead and ate and then of course had to have dessert too. Ugh.

154.1 lbs
19/10 ☺ï¸

Lunch: 1/2 falafel, apple, sf tea latte
Dinner: cauliflower tacos, chai
Dessert: vegan ice cream sundae
(Couple bites of daughters dinner when we got home)

Well no alcohol at least. â˜ºï¸ Weighing will not be good tomorrow I’m sure.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Soprano » Sun Sep 09, 2018 12:56 pm

Sorry to hear of your troubles Linda.

Your eating past satiety signals is probably down to stress, sometimes even when we think we have a handle on things it can come back to bite us...

I'm sure you'll turn things around soon, sending good thoughts your way

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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Post by lpearlmom » Mon Sep 10, 2018 4:12 am

Thank you Soprano! Yes, I’m sure the stress has a lot to do with it. Today was much better. I waited till late afternoon to eat & kept it to a 5 hr window. I was also mindful of not wanting to overdo it so that was good.

It’s just starting to feel like I’ll never ever get in the 140s let alone the 130s which is my ultimate goal but I’m just going to keep on truckin’. Doing the 7 day running average has been really helpful though because I can see that my weight does seem to be coming down ever so slowly. I’m just going to try to be very consistent and re-evaluate in eight weeks. I’m going to go back to 23/1 on the weekdays and 19/5 on the weekends.

I’ve gone a whole week without drinking—woot! I haven’t even been tempted actually so that’s good. This weekend will be challenging though as I’m going to a margarita postcard party. Then the following weekend we’re going out to dinner with friends. To be honest I may breakdown and have a glass of wine that night but maybe I’ll be strong. We shall see.

23/5
154.4 lbs

Break-fast (4:30): piece of honey cake, chips and guacamole,
Dinner: peach, bite of grilled cheese, couple handfuls of baked chips w sour cream, glass of coconut water, sf latte

Okay, wow just realized I had no actual real meal today. Oh well!

Exercise: canvassed for two hrs, couple laps in the pool.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Octavia
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Post by Octavia » Mon Sep 10, 2018 2:01 pm

Aww, Linda, you’ve been through some tough times. I wanted to cry a little when I read about you crying on Saturday. Actually, I do think that sometimes we do just need a cry. Difficulties large and small just mount up - you’ve got this ongoing background worry about money, and all the other stuff just leads to a heavy emotional burden. So often we can’t get any solitude so we can’t cry, and it gets put off till we find we can’t cry at all. I’m often concluding that I need to cry more.

Perhaps getting into the 140s or 30s will simply take more time. It just does take ages. But you’re doing all the right things. If you were super-perfect, that would be weird...but you are definitely going in the right direction, and personally I feel quite sure that you will get there. You have the persistence and strength to succeed, and you are always looking for ways to improve your strategies. Keep trucking!

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Post by automatedeating » Mon Sep 10, 2018 2:08 pm

What Octavia said. :-) I definitely can't improve upon her encouragement, but I will add my own. I'm all about good cries!

Hey -- super congrats on your Dry Days!!!!!!!!!!!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by lpearlmom » Tue Sep 11, 2018 5:16 am

Ohh you guys are so sweet. Thank you Octavia and auto so much for the support and encouragement.

I seem to really be struggling to fast for very long lately. I’m sure it’s because we were on. Vacation and then I tried the lunchtime window. Today I went out to lunch for a friends bday and my plan was to make that my only meal. Well around 2pm I really wanted something so had a little tea with sugar free creamer. That of course made me full blown hungry so I just went ahead and had dinner later.

I think I’m just going to have to cut myself some slack for a bit. I’ll just do what I can for now.... ^sigh^

154.4 lbs
15/7.5

Lunch: fajita salad, chips & salsa
Snack: sf tea latte
Dinner: nuts, pickle, 2 peaches, 2 shrimp tacos
Dessert: cake and ice cream (small bowl)

Exercise:
walked dogs 25 mins;
15 mins-assisted pull ups
4 rounds-jump rope 60x, push-ups 15x, sprint
Run 1 mile
10 burpees

So tired. Will catch up on everyone’s threads later!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Tue Sep 11, 2018 1:50 pm

I was so tired yesterday too! I was pleasantly surprised to wake up early and refreshed this morning.

Slack is good. You're building habits that will last you for decades to come, so these are just bumps along the way. Things will settle relatively soon, I bet.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Sep 12, 2018 6:02 am

That’s good auto! Sleep is the best! Btw, you inspired me to pick out names for my family. ;)

Feeling a little depression today but trying to shake it off. I’m hoping some gym time tomorrow will help. I think I’m just feeling a little bit hopeless about things. The future just feels a little bleak. My sister texted me today too and that never helps. How sad is that ?

Okay, it’s fine. The good news is SweetPea (my oldest) is now getting straight As and Rosebud (my baby) got accepted into a Jr Vet program that’ll look great on her college applications. Doc (DH) is in good spirits but I don’t think he’s sticking to his fasting. Oh well.

23/2
154.7 lbs

Break-fast (6pm): salad, fruit, vegan nacho dip, chips, rice salad, tea w sf creamer.

I was at a dinner meeting and didn’t put much on my plate. I was trapped between two ppl and couldn’t get seconds. I hope it’ll last me to dinner tomorrow.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by cedar » Wed Sep 12, 2018 9:49 am

Hey Linda, I am feeling a bit down/depressed today too. It's a yucky feeling.I hope it passes swiftly for you?
I wanted to say though do you ever stop and really think about how well you've done in terms of weight lost? Just look at your numbers..is it 50pounds lost and kept off? Do you realise how amazing that is? You've done so well, I know you want to make it into the 140's and you know your body, I just want to say I think you've done amazingly well to have lost and kept it off with such consistency, healthy meals, life, family etc.. give yourself some -actually lots!- of credit. :D 8) xx

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Post by Soprano » Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:24 am

some good news there :)

Hope your depression lifts, think positive and remind yourself how far you have come.

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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Post by automatedeating » Wed Sep 12, 2018 1:46 pm

Great names for your family, Linda! :-) Love 'em! I'm not settled on mine yet, but it's fun to play around with them!

The book I'm reading is called "Controlling Your Drinking" by Warren Miller. I just happened to find it at the library a couple days ago. It's nothing revolutionary, but it is definitely chock-full of suggestions and methods. A very big tool box, I'd say, so I'm glad I found it.

I hope your mood lifts soon.

Also, so cool about the Jr. Vet thing! What a special opportunity for her!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

worth it
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Post by worth it » Thu Sep 13, 2018 12:37 am

Hi Linda,

Wow. I have missed a lot after reading through your thread. Seems to me you are going through a bit of a rough patch over the past few weeks, and it’s doesn’t seem isolated to just one thing or another. While i know this sounds so cliche-you gotta go through the bad to feel the good. And the good news is that the downswing should be lifting soon, since it’s already been a few weeks of the bad. I keep thinking, perhaps it’s the season change, the girls going back to school, etc. paired with a short wane in your confidence about fasting (that has generally been so consistently effortless and successful for you), I’m not surprised you’re feeling “icky†and not so confident in other areas (ie finances...ðŸ˜).

I guess that was just a long way of saying the upswing is coming soon. Promise.

And anyway, you’ve already started putting one for in front of the other (fasting seemed good today and you are doing good with the “dry†days too).

...and sending lots of hugs 🤗 !

p.s. I â¤ï¸ The jeans story!!! I was dying when I read it! So funny and ever so satisfying! Ha ha ha!

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Post by lpearlmom » Thu Sep 13, 2018 5:30 am

Thank you cedar! I am super proud of how far I’ve come. I wish I could just be happy with where I’m at but I’m just not there yet. At least the workout goals are giving me something else to focus on besides just the number on the scale. I hope your mood lifts soon too.

Thanks auto & Soprano! 💜

Worth: I know, my life is like a rollercoaster or at least my moods are. Never a dull moment! 😃 what you said made a lot of sense. Really made me feel better realizing that ups and downs are a normal part of life and there’s most likely some highs coming way. Sometimes when you’re in the moment it’s hard to see that this isn’t forever.

Well my workout definitely helped and then keeping busy was good too. I was feeling a lot better till I was talking to my bug exterminator. He told me that he’s 52 years old and has never voted in his life. His reason was because he just puts his trust in God. I have nothing against religion but this is the mentality we are fighting against. It’s funny how fragile my mood is at times like this. Oh well, I have to remember the man’s door that I knocked on last weekend that was so happy to talk to me and get registered to vote.

Anyway that was a tangent. I also toured a school that does medical billing training. Not sure it’s for me but it’s good to see there’s options.

21/2.5
154.3 lbs

Break-fast (5pm): 2 apples, couple handfuls of chips with hummus, melon
Dinner: chicken thigh, piece of naan bread,
Dessert: sf tea latte, granola bar

I miss wine but not too badly. I keep going back and forth on how I’m going to handle my upcoming social events. The one I’m most undecided about is coming up next Friday. We’re going out with a friend to a nice Italian restaurant to celebrate her new promotion. Maybe one glass of red wine ?


Exercise: ran 3 miles, walked 1 mile
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

worth it
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Post by worth it » Fri Sep 14, 2018 12:07 am

Hi Linda,

Looks like a good moderate day for you. I totally agree about exercise helping so much with mood regulation.

So, I’m gonna say that glass of wine next Friday is a yes-It’s a celebration! Kinda like a NWS day!

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:00 am

Yeah, worth I think I’ll allow myself one “cheat day†especially since I’ll have gone almost 3 weeks at that point. Also we’re doing a tasting menu that includes a glass of wine. Boy, do I have a lot of excuses!

I was reading about moderate drinking and it said you should have no more than 5 drinking days a week with no more than 3 drinks per day. Also, you shouldn’t drink more than one drink/hour and you should eat before and during. I think one issue I have is eating before I drink. Since drinks are usually served before food at a restaurant, it usually means I haven’t eaten all day when I have that first drink. I’ll work on that.

Today was all around crappy but ended on a good note thank goodness. Lots of drama with Rosebud but I think we’re all good now. *phew*

21/2.5
154.25

Break-fast (4:30): bean chips w/ vegan nacho dip , handful of nuts, chicken
Dinner: curry chicken salad sandwich
Dessert: couple handfuls chocolate covered blueberries

Exercise: lazy day...
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Kathleen » Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:28 pm

lpearlmom,

Try listening to Dave Ramsey on the radio or maybe even taking his Financial Peace University class. He advocates no use of credit cards. We put almost all expenditures on credit cards so we can easily track expenditures, but we really like his idea that being out of debt is critically important. We got out of debt this summer when we paid off the mortgage, and it's great!

I also am a stay at home Mom and have found it just much easier to manage our expenditures by being home. Our taxes went way up when I was working, and I had expenditures associated with working, including more times of eating out because I did not have time to prepare dinner.

If you are definitely in the top 1%, then expenditures rather than income is likely to be more of the issue, and Dave Ramsey is great at helping people to understand that. You can even call into his radio show for some personal advice. He's sometimes pretty rough on the callers, especially callers who go out and buy expensive cars or lease cars. I have learned a lot just by listening to him.

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Sep 15, 2018 5:23 am

Hi Kathleen, thanks for stopping by! I do remember when I was working before the kids were born and it really messed up our tax refund even though I barely made anything. I never understood that.

My friend also swears by Dave Ramsey but he just rubs me the wrong way. I’m probably not yet ready for that hardcore program yet but maybe I’ll give him another shot. Money just freaks me out. I had a dream the other night that I was naked inside a bank. Gee, I wonder if I have issues with finances or not? 😃

Well the good news is that the cloud seems to have lifted. Today was just so much better. It’s funny how when your mind just shifts a little, everything gets a little better. I told my housekeeper to come every other week and for some reason I was really nervous about this. I thought the house was just going to suddenly turn into a chaotic mess. Well I decided to spend a couple of hours doing all the deep cleaning that she usually does and by the end the house looked great! It was really satisfying and rewarding & I realized will be just fine. It was good because I got a closer look at everything and was able to see some things that needed to be done that I hadn’t noticed before.

I guess I got to bond with my house. It sounds weird, but sometimes I don’t feel like this house is ours still. I think that’s partly because of the fact that there’s parts of the house I never clean. When I was cleaning I noticed something that I realized could be a larger (expensive) problem and my first instinct was to panic and imagine is bankrupt living on the streets. Then I had that mindset shift and rembered house insurance. Oh right, that’s what that’s for. The most we’d probably have to pay is the deductible. It’s funny how I couldn’t see things logically when I’m in a certain state of mind.

It was so nice to feel happy today and when I went into the stores everyone seemed so extra nice and helpful whereas just yesterday everyone seemed rude and uncaring. Funny what a difference a day can make. Isn’t that a commercial or something?

Also, things are looking up with Doc’s work. Sounds like they had a meeting today and are figuring out how to get more call days and increase referrals. It’ll probably end up back to where he was or more eventually. And the good news is we’re learning how to be better with our money in the meantime. I’m doing pretty good but boy does that grocery money go fast. I budgeted $250/week. Is that too little ?

I don’t know about going back to work right now but if there was something I could possibly do from home, that’s be great. I’ll figure it out.

My weight has not budged at all for 3 days. How can that be possible. Stupid scale.

23/2
154.25 lbs

Dinner( 5pm): veggie stir-fry with tofu, grilled halibut, 1/2 baked potato, coconut mocktail.
Dessert: granola bar, handful chocolate covered blueberries, sf latte

Exercise: walked dogs 25 mins, circuit training—(4 rounds of 25 ea ) push-ups, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, lunges, squats, knee highs, power jumps.

Boy did I want a drink tonight. I made a mocktail instead. September is feeling rather loooonnngg.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Sat Sep 15, 2018 4:33 pm

lpearlmom wrote:Money just freaks me out. I had a dream the other night that I was naked inside a bank. Gee, I wonder if I have issues with finances or not? 😃
This made me laugh. I think we are kindred spirits in the money-anxiety dept.
lpearlmom wrote:I guess I got to bond with my house.
This is sweet!!! I had to axe the housekeeper a few years ago and it ends up making me exercise more when I clean + makes the kids have to clean more. Win-win. Little did I know I've been "bonding" with my house too! :-)
lpearlmom wrote:I’m doing pretty good but boy does that grocery money go fast. I budgeted $250/week. Is that too little ?
Ugh, I'm not a good one to ask on this. I'm also trying to reduce spending WAY down this month and I STILL spent $200 on groceries last night. I think if I don't buy fresh stuff we could do it, but sheesh, that's a little counter to my "healthy eating" goals....
lpearlmom wrote:Boy did I want a drink tonight. I made a mocktail instead. September is feeling rather loooonnngg.
I feel you. I was SOOOO tempted to buy wine last night, and had that exact thought -- we still have 2 weeks to go. I talked myself out of it by thinking, "I'll survive this, and I will be glad I resisted tomorrow.". Notice that the saving $$ by not buying alcohol wasn't the greatest deterrent for my temptation. Strange, but hey, it is what it is.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by Kathleen » Sat Sep 15, 2018 9:47 pm

Hi lpearlmom,
We'd never do the hardcore Dave Ramsey program, either, but we do get ideas from him. Tracking every dollar has yielded some interesting holes in our budget, especially with Katie sweet talking me into stuff! Chicken coops! Pedicures! Clothing! And a semester abroad! Good luck!
Kathleen

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Sep 15, 2018 9:55 pm

Lol I hear ya! Yeah I do use his online calculator to get an idea of how much I should be budgeting for things. I’ll see what other tips might work for us.
Thx!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Sun Sep 16, 2018 4:25 am

Auto: glad you enjoyed my post! I agree about the cleaning. It’s good for my kids to have to clean up after themselves. I don’t make them keep their rooms clean but they both commented on the fact that they “need†to clean their rooms. They’re used to it being clean at least every Friday. Spoiled, I know. I guess we’ll all be bonding with the house soon!

Okay, I found an article estimating different grocery budgets:

“The USDA uses national food intake data and grocery price information to calculate different costs for a healthy diet at home. The latest numbers for a four-member family: a thrifty food plan, $146 a week; a low-cost food plan, $191 a week; a moderate-cost plan, $239; a liberal plan, $289 a week.â€

So I think $250 should be plenty. I had to buy stuff like dishwashing liquid & toilet paper this week at Costco so now I only have $168 left for next week but since I’ll just be buying food, it should be fine. I’m determined not to go to the grocery store again till next week. That’s always my downfall, I go in for two things and come out with 10. Nope not going to happen.

I don’t think not buying alcohol is saving me much money especially since I’m consoling myself with $10 bottles of organic pink coconut water. ☺ï¸

Good for you for resisting the wine! You’re doing great! I’m going to a margarita postcard tomorrow. She’s making strawberry margaritas though with a mix so I’m actually not that tempted. Too sweet. I like the real deal.
I think I’ll be okay. Bringing my coconut water.

Today was good. Took Rosebud to her volunteer gig and got my grocery shopping done. Proud of myself for sticking to my list for the most part. I allowed eggs which I forgot to put on there after accidentally sticking them in the freezer the other day (I know!).

Was a nice quiet day at home. Doc was home for once and Rosebud was at a sleepover so no sibling fighting—yay!

I ate a lot though but it’s okay.

18/5.5
154 lbs.

Lunch (12:30): bagel, cream cheese, & lox
Snack: muffin & sf latte, grapes, nuts
Dinner: ramen w/ veggies & tofu
Dessert: 4 small cookies, milk
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Mon Sep 17, 2018 5:06 am

Was such a nice day. Rosebud was with her bff all day and doc was at work so I spent the day with sweetpea. We worked out together, swam a bit then went shopping. Usually she’s all stressed out when we go shopping. It’s hard being a size zero, I know. 🙄 Anyway, she was in good spirits and found stuff she liked (within our budget) so we had fun.

Later, I had a postcard party which was a ton of fun. I’m still amazed how much my social life has improved since the election. Something to be thankful for I guess. Anyway, I had no problem sticking to my coconut water even though I was the one making the margaritas.

I did have a longer than normal window and ate a lot but oh well. At least my running average is slowly coming down. Woot!

22/7
153.7 lbs

Break-fast (2:30 pm): mocktail
Dinner: 3 tacos, chicken enchilada, chips and guacamole, coconut water
Dessert: 4 ? Snickerdoodles, sf latte

Exercise: 12 min circuit training.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

Soprano
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Post by Soprano » Mon Sep 17, 2018 6:18 am

Pleased to hear you had a great weekend. Well done on running average.

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Tue Sep 18, 2018 4:13 am

Thanks soprano!

My weight when up a little today but hopefully it’ll come back down.

It’s annoying how little unexpected expenses keep coming up but I’m proud of myself for sticking to the budget as much as possible. We haven’t eaten out all week so have plenty in the budget for our dinner next weekend. I hope the other couple isn’t expecting us to pay though....

I’m back to meal planning now that we’re done with Plated. I missed it. I wrote up a 4 week rotating meal plan with the 5th week for trying new dishes. Using the same recipes over and over again make things easier because you start to have all the right pantry ingredients around and you eventually can make the dishes from memory. Here’s this week:

Mon-vegan beet burgers (double batch) with sweet potato fries
Tues—Beet burgers w/ southwest potato salad
Wens— veggie chili (double batch & freeze half) w/ cornbread
Thurs—ramen noodles w/ toppings
Fri—eat out
Sat—poke party
Sun-leftovers/pantry

153.7 lbs
21/2

Break-fast (6 pm): nuts, pickles, grapes
Dinner: a beet burger w/ sweet potato fries, coconut water
Dessert: 2 power balls, glass milk

Exercise: walked 1.5. Miles, ran 2 miles
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Tue Sep 18, 2018 2:18 pm

Cool menu planning! I bet you are expert and I'm sure your meals are awesome. I actually menu-planned for all of Sept (at least main dish) since we were trying not to spend at the store. But I like it so much I think I'll do it every month, rather than just weekly.

Congrats on the coconut water victory! I'm so proud of all of us for doing things to make what we want of our lives.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Sep 19, 2018 4:58 am

Thanks auto! Meal planning is fun! I’m super impressed with how we’ve all been doing. Every day is a little bit of a struggle with the wine. I keep trying to talk myself into having a glass with things like “you’re a grown-up, drinking is one of the few perks!†Or “you had a rough day, you deserve itâ€.
I haven’t caved yet and I do feel better. No sleep issues or fuzzy head in the mornings.

A little down today unfortunately. I was doing so well but the scale said I was up 3 lbs and I feel like I’m never going to get to my goal weight. Never ever. It’s so discouraging. I really doint want to go low carb or count ANYTHING! Should I just try to maintain for a few months? I think texark had this suggestion and it’s not a bad one. Then when I’m ready, I can try to get back to losing again. I guess I could do like 19/5 or something? Im frustrated and my frustration led to overeating and a long window. Oh boy!

It probably didn’t help that I stayed home all day doing laundry and watching tv. I need to get out of the house tomorrow. I didn’t even walk the dogs. I really need to cut back on tv. I have it on during the day but it gets to be like an addiction where I don’t want to turn it off. I know it’s not good for my productivity either.

Okay, sorry for being such a downer. Tomorrow will be better!

20/5
Break-fast (330): extra large sf iced blended tea , handful nuts
Dinner: beet burger, potato salad, kiwi
Dessert: 2 1/2 power balls, sf latte
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Wed Sep 19, 2018 2:18 pm

If you think you can settle for just working on maintenance for even just one month (sort of like our no alcohol for one month thing), that would be kind of nice for you, I think. Kind of rest your soul and just enjoy how far you've come. But that might end up being frustrating in its own way, because you've already had to be patient for a long time.

Somebody on these boards is having an electronic limit in the mornings. I can't remember right now who it is. Ladybird?
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

worth it
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Post by worth it » Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:12 am

Oh Linda,

Just wanted to send BIG hugs 🤗! Wish there was something I could say to make you feel better, but ultimately I think this is all part of your individual journey and you’ll work your way through it. I’ll bet it sure doesn’t feel good in the meantime, though. ðŸ˜

Anyway, I like auto’s idea about the one-month maintenance thing. Perhaps 19/5 is a good place to start?

Wishing you some (much needed) peace soon.

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:01 am

Thanks auto & worth! Much better day today. The weather finally broke a bit and it actually rained. I swear I think ppl in AZ start to get depression from too much heat/sun. Kind of like the opposite of SAD. It just gets to be too much. Everyone was giddy today.

Anyway, feeling better and re-grouping. Not ready to give up just yet I guess. Maybe I’ll, take a break in 10 lbs? I decided to just try for shorter windows and watch my sugar intake. I think I forgot that although losing weight doesn’t have to be torturous, it does take a bit of work. Especially with these last 20 lbs I’m guessing.

I did a longer fast today and forgot how I feel best once I get to like 21 hrs. That’s when I get that burst of energy and mental focus everyone talks about. I also kept the tv off during the day. Not sure if I got more done but it was definitely peaceful and I even spent time outside. My new rule is I can only watch tv if it’s someone else’s idea.

I’ve had a full 18 days of dry days—woot! It’s hard but it does feel good. I’m really looking forward to my glass of wine on Friday. Then I’ll have to decide how to handle Saturday & Sunday. I. Sure I can get through it.

23/1
Didn’t weigh..

Dinner (6:30pm): 2 bowls veggie chili w chips, kiwi & apples

Exercise: 25 min walk, shoveglove and step ups (5 rounds)
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by ladybird30 » Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:06 am

lpearlmom wrote: Should I just try to maintain for a few months? I think texark had this suggestion and it’s not a bad one. Then when I’m ready, I can try to get back to losing again.
This might be helpful. At the very least it's a no lose (no pun intended) proposition. And it's far preferable to eating your way into weight gain. It could be thought of as practising maintenance in preparation for when you do reach you goal weight.

I have had some success in reducing screen time recently, doing it in small steps.

All the best with whatever you decide.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

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Post by Octavia » Thu Sep 20, 2018 10:02 am

Hi Linda,
Just wanted to add my own good wishes for getting through this challenging patch. It must be infuriating when you’ve come so far, but feel so stuck. You’re already so far ahead of me in experience and achievement, so I don’t have any insights to add! But maybe the maintenance idea is the best one...it certainly isn’t the easy option...but it could be the right one.

It’s funny, regarding TV, but I now find I only watch if someone else has out it on. For me, TV is a major cue for bad habits...like when half of me is watching and the other half wants (or feels pressured) to do something else. That state of inner conflict really triggers me and I can end up sort of paralysed (apart from the hand eating the crisps!).

Take care and hope today goes well. It’s bucketing it down with rain here, too!

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:36 am

Thanks Octavia and lady! Every time I think I’m going to take a break and focus on maintenance, I rally and keep going forward. I would just really like to get to 141 which would put me in the “normal†range finally.

So I’m pushing forward and trying to get creative. Today I decided to break my fast early so I can do a longer one tomorrow. I won’t eat till dinner tomorrow so that should put me at about 30 hrs. I’m also thinking about doing a couple days of fat fasts. I just need to try to break this plateau. It’s kind of just pissing me off at this point but I’ll get there.

Dry days are going well. I really didn’t have any urges today. I watched this video about a news woman who was an alcoholic. Boy was it powerful. Not that I’m anywhere near this kind of situation but it sure is a good reminder of why we want to keep our potentially harmful behaviors in check. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HPLJuyULAZ8

I did well with the no tv thing. Feeling kind of spacey and unproductive in general though.

I’m much less stressed about finances right now but ask me in a week when I have to do all the bills again. Doc is working crazy hours which means more money but I hope he doesn’t get too burnt out. Oh and I did book us a little cabin in Sedona for our 20th anniversary (29 years together). I’m super excited. It’s just for a night but will be wonderful to get away. Sedona’s only a couple hours away so we can go early Saturday morning and come back late afternoon on Sunday.

So looking forward to dinner tomorrow night. My only concern is our friends kind of expect us to pay because doc so often offers. And she just got a job promotion so I’m worried she’ll really be expecting it. I’m planning on bringing her flowers and champagne to congratulate her. Is it rude to ask for separate checks as soon as we get there ? Hate these awkward situations.

14/1.5
154 lbs

Breakfast (10am): pumpkin smoothie, 2 veggie sausages, vegan muffin, couple bites of chili.

Boy, can I fit in a lot in a short time. ☺ï¸

Exercise: walked dogs 25 mins
ran 1/4 mile then squats, push ups and sit-ups to fail (5 rounds).
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:39 pm

Oh, that is tough about the dinner thing. I don't have a solution, because I am always guaranteed to handle those things without tact. :roll:
Good luck!!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

cedar
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Post by cedar » Fri Sep 21, 2018 10:04 pm

Yes I'm no good with that either..I either feel rude if I say 'let's just pay our own' or I feel I've gone overboard if we pay for both. Maybe just don't say anything and let your husband handle it (hope I don't sound like I'm from the 1950's but If he's like mine he will just do it in a way that's a non issue..) ? There are 3 other adults there you don't have to take that on on your own..just sit back and see what they do..they may offer to pay for you guys!
Good luck :D :lol:

Edit..sorry just read that your husband often offers to pay... :?

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Sep 22, 2018 6:05 am

automatedeating wrote:I don't have a solution, because I am always guaranteed to handle those things without tact. :roll:
Good luck!!
Lol auto!

Cedar: it’s tough no offense taken. You’re right, I don’t need to take it all on myself.

Soooo this is how it went down. I had bought champagne and flowers for my friend so she’d realize that was her gift and not dinner out. When I told doc about my plan, he rolled his eyes and said since they make so much less money than us, we should just pay. I said Fine but then I’m keeping the flowers. (Nice friend, right?)

Well then when the bill came, they were pretty insistent about paying half but then I suddenly felt kind of badly and basically told the waiter to put like 3/4 on ours and let them pay the rest. Partly because their kids are still young and so they have to pay for a sitter. That sitter also just happens to be sweetpea. So I think it worked out fine.

The dinner was pretty good. It was a 4 course meal and the restaurant was a very cool little place with excellent service. Our favorite thing is to try new restaurants which is great but now I’m so super picky about quality. So this place was really good but not amazing. Still we had fun. Of course when you’re 30 hrs fasted the first few bites are heavenly.

So I had alcohol and the first few sips of wine were divine but I really didn’t get much effect so we ordered a cocktail. Still nothing much. So much for resetting my tolerance. What do you think is wrong with me? Anyway I stuck to the one drink per hour rule which I’d the hardest moderation rule for me to stick to so happy about that. I may just call the sober thing done and jump into my moderation plan. Not sure.

31/2
154 lbs

Appetizers (7pm): cheese, bread, salami, burrata w/ tomatoes
Dinner: salmon w/ potatoes and Brussels sprouts, glass of red wine, mojito
Dessert: chocolate bread pudding with root beer ice cream
Last edited by lpearlmom on Sun Sep 23, 2018 6:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

cedar
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Post by cedar » Sat Sep 22, 2018 7:37 am

Oh no..I didn't mean to cause any offence!!!?? I'm so sorry if it read that way..

Sounds like it all worked out beautifully, glad you enjoyed the night out :D

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Sep 22, 2018 1:20 pm

No your comment genuinely made me relax a bit cedar. It’s all good!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

TexArk
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Post by TexArk » Sat Sep 22, 2018 2:16 pm

Since you are struggling with the last 10 pounds or so I thought these videos might help. Yoni Freedhoff The last 10 pounds are the hardest myth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzVjF7vhyJg

Here's the whole series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPExK40 ... a2uH5K33FC

I also like the Dieting Must be Difficult Myth #3

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Sat Sep 22, 2018 3:57 pm

Hey Linda!

The food you listed for your dinner out sure looks yummy. Sounds like the dinner $-issues went OK. Funny that their sitter was Sweatpea. That made me laugh.

Alcohol - well, I didn't get a buzz last night, but felt bad this morning. So maybe we are in the same boat, with alcohol not affecting us normally anymore. Maybe fasting for you and low-carb for me is reducing our alcohol dehydrogenase, which means we just get sick instead of high....?

I'm about ready to jump into my moderation plan, too, but I'll finish one more workweek dry with Sexy and then start my plan next Friday, which technically is still September.

Anyway, you sound good. And hilarious about the flower conversation with Doc.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Sun Sep 23, 2018 6:39 am

Thanks Tex! So is it basically going to tell me that I’m just imaging I these last 10 lbs are the hardest? Cuz, it definitely feels as if they are.

Auto— yup that’s what happened to me too. I didn’t really have a hangover but felt a little less energetic, was dehydrated and my head hurt. Sooo none of the good parts but still the bad parts? Does this mean we just stop drinking? Maybe just one glass because we enjoy the taste? Annoying.

Today was good. So much driving! Drove Rosebud downtown for her volunteer gig then went grocery shopping around there, then home and bday shopping for sweetpeas friend. Then drove her back downtown for her party. Then back home and out to dinner. Then back downtown to pick up sweetpea.

We went to dinner with our neighbors which was fun but was disappointed with our restaurant pick. I feel a little embarrassed because they’re big foodies but oh well. It happens.

Kind of funny but I went grocery shopping and had $148 left in my budget. Well my bill came to exactly $148 and some change. So weird. We will have plenty till next week so I feel pretty good about how much I’ve cut back on our grocery bills. Really sticking to the list helps so much. And I love Trader Joe’s. Their prices are crazy good. I ended up with quite a lot of food including organic fruit and some fancy cheeses.

I’m dreading canvassing tomorrow but I promised my friend so I have to go. I just really want a quiet day at home.

Oh and I kept dry today. It felt good.

19/5
153.9 lbs

Break-fast (4pm); iced blended latte (sf), 1/2 small chai
Dinner: calamari, black bean burger, small salad
Dessert: chocolate pb bar
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Mon Sep 24, 2018 4:57 am

Omygosh... so completely burnt out. Too much socializing! We had dinner out with friends Friday and sat night then today I wen canvassing with a friend and then we had a bday party to go to. And it’s not over. Tomorrow I have a meeting as well as on Tuesday night & Tuesday afternoon. It’s just too much. I just want to curl up in bed with a good book for three days.

Anyway despite a long window yesterday, my weight is down a bit. Pretty nice. I ate a lot of sweets today though so I’m sure it’ll be back up tomorrow. One of my fb groups is doing a no weigh challenge in October but I really do t think I’m going to do it. The seven day running average is making weighing less stressful and I find the daily data interesting. Maybe another time.

So tired... still keeping my dry days but oh so over it.

19/4
153.85 lbs

Break-fast (5pm): coconut water
Dinner: quesadillas, rice , beans, salad, coconut water
Dessert: piece of lemon cake, piece of pineapple 🎂, ice cream
2nd dessert or decompression of social anxiety: some chocolate, glass milk

Exercising: 2 hrs of canvassing
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

cedar
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Location: Australia

Post by cedar » Mon Sep 24, 2018 8:49 am

Oh I'm so glad Linda, I was worried.

Yes you're busy busy, socialising always wears me out too. Hope you get some quiet time soon. 8)

TexArk
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Post by TexArk » Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:28 pm

I feel your pain, Linda. Don't tell me what is not hard! However, I think what he is saying is that the last 10 pounds are SLOW. He stresses that we humans are only going to allow ourselves to suffer for just so long. Therefore, if we are overexercising, over-restricting, over-obsessing to get those last pounds off, they are not going to stay off. There will be a rebound if you lose that way and more pounds will return on top of the last 10. His philosophy is that we have to find what we will be willing to do to have an enjoyable life.

That being said, you have come a really long way. If the weight you want to get to is right for you, and the diet and exercise choices match your life, your DNA, your body frame, etc. it will happen.

I think Bright Angel often said something like, "Losing weight is hard, maintaining weight loss is hard, being fat is hard. Choose your hard." I agree as long has hard is not defined as suffering!

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Post by jenji » Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:18 pm

Just caught up, and your jeans story was hilarious. That sneaky 28 inch waist. LOL

My best advice on finances has been to make payments automatic and more frequent. That is how I paid down a lot of debt and kept a better handle on expenses and cash. I scheduled my mortgage and student loan as weekly payments from my bank account online bill pay, so I have a more accurate idea of how much cash I really have. Then I scheduled bills that used to be quarterly to be paid monthly - life insurance, water/sewer, etc. All on autopay. I also have an autopay toward my credit card weekly, which is a pretty accurate estimate of what I usually spend on it. Between all those, I feel poor a lot, which is accurate. I just paid off my student loan a couple of years early, and I have made extra payments on the mortgage (because there are not exactly 4.3 weeks in a month, so most months I pay a little extra). This keeps me from spending too much on restaurants or clothing, because I can see that I don't have it. It's not for everyone, but I thought I'd mention my system. It is similar in some ways to No S - all about a habit that allows you to accurately gauge what you are spending.
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Tue Sep 25, 2018 1:06 am

Then I scheduled bills that used to be quarterly to be paid monthly - life insurance, water/sewer, etc. All on autopay.
Jenji - how do you do that? Did you have to call the companies? I guess I didn't know I could do that with quarterly (or even semiannual or annual) bills.

But I love these ideas - thanks for the tips!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by lpearlmom » Tue Sep 25, 2018 4:45 am

Thanks Tex for the thoughts!

I do hope nobody thinks I’m suffering over here though too much. I love fasting and I look forward to my workouts. I don’t count calories or macros and I no longer obsess about food. The only suffering really that I’m experiencing is my frustration with the scale. But I’m continuing to tweak and figure out what’s going to work. All through HS till my late 20s I was between 118-130 lbs so I don’t think 135-140 is too unrealistic but we shall see!

Thanks so much for the awesome ideas Jen!

Today was just exhausting. I got up early and made my kids muffins. Then I walked the dogs and worked out. Shortly after that the sh*t hit the fan in the Whitehouse and it looked as if I was going to have to host a protest. Well that didn’t happen but it may still this week.

Then when I was at the store , my battery died. Thank goodness for AAA. After that got fixed, I had to run home and make dinner plus artichoke dip for a meeting. Before I rushed off to the meeting I had a conference call. *phew* I don’t get paid enough for all this. Wait, I don’t get paid at all. 🤦ðŸ¼â€â™€ï¸

21/1
154

Dinner (5:30): piece of tortilla casserole, couple handfuls of chips w/ guacamole.
Dessert: plain yogurt with berries.

Exercise: 25 min walk w dogs, rowed 2k meters, sit-ups, burpees, squats.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by cedar » Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:35 am

Oh gee, what a day! Hope you get a lovely rest and sleep tonight.

I'm so impressed with how you are going with your fasting Linda, it seems like it's really clicked with you. I always loved Gin Stephens attitude about fasting, and enjoyed the podcast, she seemed really balanced with it (although very very fanatical about the clean fast!), but Melanie seemed very restrictive with her food.. and very very thin. I don't like to comment on others weight but I did find it shocking when I saw a photo of her..not sure if she should be promoting weight loss and fasting.. anyway, I think your attitude with fasting is great 8) .

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Post by automatedeating » Tue Sep 25, 2018 4:45 pm

LOL your dessert is my main meal. 8)
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by jenji » Tue Sep 25, 2018 7:04 pm

automatedeating wrote:
Then I scheduled bills that used to be quarterly to be paid monthly - life insurance, water/sewer, etc. All on autopay.
Jenji - how do you do that? Did you have to call the companies? I guess I didn't know I could do that with quarterly (or even semiannual or annual) bills.

But I love these ideas - thanks for the tips!
'
I did not set it up with the companies. I did it through my bank's online bill pay system, as "autopays". The companies honestly seem annoyed by it, but they accept the money. The mortgage company shows them as funds "in suspension" until I've paid the full amount, then they count it as a payment.
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:08 am

Thank you cedar! Yeah Gin is super chill. The clean fasting thing gets a bit annoying though.

Melanie is super neurotic about food and you can tell she thinks about this stuff a lot. It’s a full time hobby for her. I don’t know if she has an eating disorder or anything though. She recently spoke about how she has been trying very hard to gain weight to no avail. I know she’s got weird health and digestive issues so that may play a part in the thinness and constant overthinking. I’m not sure.

“LOL your dessert is my main meal.†That’s a small main meal auto!


I woke up feeling unwell so no exercise and got zero accomplished. Oh well. I broke my fast early to see if food would help. It did not. Do you think I’m having mild alcohol withdrawals? I’m so done with this sober stuff yet I keep going. It’s interesting how much I’m hating it. I think it’s more the idea that I can’t have something I want right away. On that note I may ha e a glass of wine tomorrow night.

20/.5
153.7 lbs

Break-fast (2pm): scrambled eggs with cheese, cream cheese, sour cream & avocado.

I wanted to try a fat fast.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by automatedeating » Thu Sep 27, 2018 12:36 am

Linda - you should see how much yogurt I eat. Add to it nuts & stuff and I'm sure it's pretty calorie dense for lunch.

And I saw your lunch and was thinking, "dang that looks good!" :lol:
But sorry you're not feeling good.

I really doubt you're having alcohol withdrawal this far into the month. Just that we enjoy it psychologically and look forward to its physical effects (which, bummer, we don't exactly have the way we'd like anyway!!!)
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by lpearlmom » Thu Sep 27, 2018 4:07 am

I’m sure it’s plenty auto! Plus I’m not realky one to talk considering my lunch is normally zero everything. â˜ºï¸ Yeah I’m sure you’re right about the alcoholic esp since I wasn’t drinking that much. I don’t think anyway. Maybe 1-2 glasses a night, 3 max if we were out.

Well I did end up having some drinks and yep still not feeling much. I told Doc and he said “yeah, drinking just is not as interesting as we used to think it was.†He’s probably right.

Today was basically a day off. I still felt nauseous this morning and my body was sending me strong signals to eat so I decided I should listen. I had a two hr window and thought I’d close it for the day. Well around 4pm I had some financial stress and just really wanted to eat something. When I got home I reopened my window had some drinks and snacks. I don’t regret it. I just needed it today. I’m sure my weight will be up tomorrow. Oh well.

All is well otherwise but I hope I’m 100% tomorrow. I miss my workouts and the dogs are pissed at me!

18/11
153.1 lbs

Breakfast: couple bowls of plain yogurt, almond butter, berries, nuts ; vegan banana muffin, sf tea latte
Dinner: vegan artichoke dip with crackers, chocolate, glass of wine, coconut water/rum cocktail.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Sep 28, 2018 5:20 am

Jeezus what a day. Watching the Kavanaugh hearings was pretty difficult. For a lot of ppl I’m sure. Very triggering for victims of sexual assault. I’m so sick of these ahole men getting away with everything and anything. Tough, but I really feel like this is the end of a patriarchal era and they know it. They’re clinging on for dear life. How dare, somebody call them out on their behavior when they are white privileged men with degrees from Yale nonetheless( especially a woman).

Okay rant over. Then Sweetpea & I got into a big fight. It ended in tears and her apologizing to me. It’s exhausting. Poor doc tried to help but he’s very confused by our yelling one minute and hugging and crying the next. His family was just so much more rational than mine was so he doesn’t get it. 🤷â€â™€ï¸

We went to Rosebud ‘s induction ceremony to the Jr honors society and by the time we got back it was late and I just didn’t have much of an appetite. We got take out but none of it was very appealing to me. Waste of money.

Boy I’m a downer. Everything is actually fine. I’m feeling better but not up for exercising a ton yet. Maybe back at ot on Monday.

23/2

Dinner (7pm): hummus and crackers, couple bites of salad and veg burger each, couple fries , 1/2 chocolate shake

Exercise: 25 min walk w dogs
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by cedar » Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:24 pm

I hope you're feeling ok Linda. Big hugs to you. :D

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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Sep 29, 2018 3:05 am

Thank you cedar. Tough times for our nation. I just fear the message we’re send to our sons and daughters. It’s okay to sexually attack women and in fact you may be rewarded handsomely. Good news though. An investigation has been ordered. Thanks to our AZ senator shockingly enough. Maybe he did it for McCain. Definitely something McCain would have the courage to do. I live in a weird state.

Anywhoooo, today was fine although now both my daughters are grounded through the weekend. Teens. 🤦ðŸ¼â€â™€ï¸

Sober September is officially over....

20/3

Snack (5p): hummus, chocolate pretzels, rum & coconut water x2
Dinner: vegan chili w/cornbread

Exercise: 45 mins —Run 1.5 miles, weighted squats, slam balls, pulls ups (assisted).
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by lpearlmom » Sun Sep 30, 2018 8:57 am

Ended up drinking too much last night. Maybe I’m no good at this moderate drinking stuff. Maybe I need to stick to the no drinking ...ugh, I don’t know.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by ladybird30 » Mon Oct 01, 2018 2:51 am

Glass ceiling?
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

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Post by lpearlmom » Mon Oct 01, 2018 3:49 am

Yes ladybird, and my plan was a 3 drink minimum but I kind of threw that all out the window last night. 🤦ðŸ¼â€â™€ï¸ Okay, regrouping October is officially moderate drinking month. I just seem to have this issue in certain social situations and just need to really aware of it and make a plan ahead of time. I definitely don’t like the feeling of having too much. It interferes with my sleep and makes it hard to get stuff done the next day. Geez that’s okay when you’re 20 I guess but I’m so over that.

I ate a lot today too but did manage to get some stuff done. Grocery shopping And took Rosebud to get some things she needed. I bought sweetpea a vegetarian cookbook and she’s taken an interest in cooking which makes me happy. Its something we could share together. I bought her some ingredients for some veggie wraps and she did a nice job.

Looking forward to feeling back to my normal self tomorrow.

18/4
153 lbs (According to my 7 day running average, I’m down 2 lbs since the beginning of the month. I’ll take it!)

Snack (2:30): pumpkin smoothie, hummus and crackers, cookie, couple bites of pie, coconut water, glass of milk, bite of veggie wrap

I can’t remember if I ate anything else. It was a grazing kind o& day.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by automatedeating » Mon Oct 01, 2018 4:01 am

I'm thinking you are a pretty popular lady. I never have so many social opportunities. Hahaha

Such good news about your downward trend. I know that must feel great!

And neat-o about you & sweetpea cooking together!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by Soprano » Mon Oct 01, 2018 8:06 pm

So pleased to read of your downward trend.

Re drinking, with life's stresses there are times I go over the top and then regret it the next day. If I make a plan and commitment in advance not to drink too much or say alternate with water I do much better :)

But some nights you really just need it...…

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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Post by jenji » Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:21 pm

I am too old and tired to drink much. :lol:

One thing I do that might show you just how much of a barbarian I am, is I will mix water and wine. A shot glass of wine and mostly water. Also seltzer for a poor man's "wine cooler". I can dress it up with a slice of lemon and feel like I'm indulging without feeling crappy afterward.
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Oct 03, 2018 5:50 am

Thanks for the support and ideas ladies!

Auto: I do seem to be in a roll lately. I go through periods of high social activity then it inevitably ends with some kind of personality conflict or something. Then things get quiet for awhile till I get involved with a new group of friends. Hopefully I’ve matured beyond that pattern but we shall see.

Right now it’s mostly my activist friends and oh my it’s like HS all over. So much drama. I had like 5 different ppl texting me today about our current social drama within the group. It’s all a little crazy. I did meet with Doc’s partners gf today for coffee though and that was nice. She’s very normal, and she’s into working out so I think we could be no drama friends even though she’s quite a bit younger than me. That’s ok.

Soprano: thanks! You’re right. Sometimes it’s a good release. I just really dislike hangovers!

Jenji: I do t think I can do water in wine but I do mix it with Kombucha and that’s nice. I think I’ll ask for wine spritzers in restaurants. That’s a great idea.

I practiced my moderate drinking today and it went fine. I had about 1.5 glasses of wine over about 2 hrs. Phew, I can do this. I just need to slow down when I’m out with friends.

I ate kinda a lot today. That time of month. Oh and we got a lot of rain! Sooooo exciting but no dog walking.

21/3

Break-fast (4:30): melon, yogurt, nuts
Dinner: olives, bun less veggie burger , wine
Dessert: several pieces of chocolate, glass milk
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by lpearlmom » Thu Oct 04, 2018 6:16 am

Wow I seem to have this pattern of getting super motivated and being all hardcore then burning out and trying to get back to moderation. Sooooo I’m going to try to focus on being moderate and maybe let go of specific weight loss goals for awhile.

I’ll get back to focusing on habits which I can control instead of the number on the scale which I cannot control much to my dismay. I’m still weighing daily but I’ll try to be less effected by the numbers.

I’m going to shoot for 21/3 during the week and 19/5 on the weekends. To me that is easy peasy and very sustainable. I’ll continue trying for my Mud Run and just try to eat healthy whatever that means.

So I basically didn’t fast today. My plan was to do another fat fast early on in the day. So after I worked out I had a big meal and closed my window but later that night I resented not being able to eat. I realized I just am too unhappy not eating dinner. I need to be realistic.

16/10
153.5 lbs

Breakfast: scrambled eggs w cheese, avocado, sour cream . Sf latte
Dinner: date and almond butter smoothie, grilled portobello mushroom, sf latte

Exercise: 25 min dog walk, 30 min circuit training
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Oct 05, 2018 5:16 am

Interestingly, my weight was down today despite my failed fat fast. Little bit stressed today. A big leak in our front yard and I stressed out all morning while waiting for the plumber.

Funny how stress lights a fire under me though. I sure got a lot done this morning. I think cleaning calms me. Anyway ended up being an irrigation problem so waiting on the landscaper tomorrow & hoping it’s a small deal.

20/3

Dinner: chips and hummus; mango, yogurt & nuts
Dessert: 1 cookie, couple bites of pie, 2 pieces of chocolate, tea latte

Weird eating day.

Exercise: 25 mins walk
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Soprano » Sat Oct 06, 2018 3:20 pm

Great idea re focusing on being moderate. I don't think there is anything wrong with making the odd adjustment as long as moderate is the default position. :)

Sorry to hear you have been stressed hope all sorted now

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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Post by automatedeating » Sat Oct 06, 2018 5:16 pm

Cleaning calms you -- that is great! It is such a healthy way to cope with stress, really! Gets some cortisol out of your system + things look nice!

Hope the leak is all OK.

Is a grilled portabello mushroom like an entree? Or just a side dish? I'm new to the mushroom world....

And although I'm sure you feel the roller coaster of motivation/crashing (just like I do), I think you should revel in your commitment to your health for (at least) the last 5 years. You are a health scientist, forever trying experiments and seeing what works, what doesn't, what's works BUT is unsustainable and......ultimately what we all look for - What works AND is sustainable! :-)
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by lpearlmom » Sun Oct 07, 2018 5:49 am

Not too worried about the leak. My landscaper is taking care of it and they tend to be very reasonable. Phew. We went out last night for date night although I almost gave up. I was all dressed up ready to go for 7 pm reservations but had to cancel because doc was stuck at work. He finally got home a little after 8 and I had just sat down with popcorn and wine for dinner.

We’ll be still wanted to go even though it was a 35 min drive so we went and had a great time. We really needed that one on one time. I thought my weight would be way up but it wasn’t. Today I had to take Rosebud to her volunteer gig downtown so I dropped her off and then went to a Kavanaugh protest before my grocery shopping. Yup, he’s confirmed and yup we’re totally screwed.

Picked up my mil from the airport before heading home. She took us to a really nice restaurant where I ate a lot and am sure my weight will be up tomorrow. The sad thing is that it takes A Lot to impress my palate these days. Very few things taste amazing anymore. Sigh.

So tired.

18/6

Breakfast: (4 pm): sf chai
Dinner: fry bread, ceviche, salmon w cauliflower mash, glass of wine, martini
Dessert: chocolate soufflé, couple pieces chocolate
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by lpearlmom » Tue Oct 09, 2018 3:37 am

Boy it’s been busy around here. I had trouble finding my thread. Totally overdid it tonight. Feeling a little down due to all the recent news. I really want to move out of the country but don’t think DH would ever go for it.

I ate too much out of needing comfort but also I think because I’m suppose to do a bone broth fast tomorrow so I don’t want to undereat the day before. I didn’t. Also despite eating a ton over the weekend, my weight is still down. Whenever that happens it’s like I want to push my limits and see how much 8 can get away with. Oh well.

Sweetpea went to NYC with her grandma and sounds like she’s having an amazing time. I’m really happy for her. My mil was here beforehand for a couple of days and it was fine actually but I was kind of expecting an apology. Ha, guess not.

Tired, need sleeep. So happy I don’t have to drive downtown to pick up sweetpea from school for two weeks (fall break).

19/4

Break fast (430): fruit, salad, low carb crackers, tea latte
Dinner: 2 big pieces noodless zucchini lasagna
Dessert: 4 pieces pumpkvark, 2 glasses milk

Exercise: 30 min circuit training
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by automatedeating » Tue Oct 09, 2018 3:51 am

Oh, wow - so neat about Sweatpea going to NYC with her grandma! I'm glad you get a little bit of a break, and excited that she gets to experience NYC! Has she ever been there before? Hope you get some good sleep.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by Soprano » Tue Oct 09, 2018 4:55 am

Great news re the weight moving again, don't push it too much :)

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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Post by lpearlmom » Thu Oct 11, 2018 6:07 am

Welp, weight is up a bit. I’m struggling, struggling, struggling but I don’t want to give up now that I’m in the home stretch. I will think of something.

Was feeling a bit depressed. Wish I could do something more exciting with my life but what exactly is the question.

18/7
152.7 lbs

Break-fast (1:30) avocado, several low carb crackers w/ cilantro/almond dip, 2 pieces of zucchini bread.
Snack: shortbread cookie, couple pieces cheese, 2 glasses wine (was phone Banking)
Dinner: 1/2 stuffed spaghetti squash, another piece zucchini bread

Exercise: 15 min dog walk
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by automatedeating » Thu Oct 11, 2018 2:01 pm

Phone banking + wine
:-)
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by Soprano » Thu Oct 11, 2018 6:18 pm

lpearlmom wrote:Welp, weight is up a bit. I’m struggling, struggling, struggling but I don’t want to give up now that I’m in the home stretch. I will think of something.


That's raised an interesting question in my mind...

What exactly are you giving up, isn't this a way of eating for life?

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Oct 12, 2018 5:49 am

Yup, auto! They have wine Wednesday’s every week. They have to lure us there somehow. Getting hung up on is not my idea of fun but I gotta do my part. Elections are upon us.

Soprano, good question. I do plan on doing this for life but if I want to keep losing will need to keep a shorter window and limit my sugar intake. Just frustrated because I’ve been having extra long windows and too much sugar. I can maintain like this but I still need to lose 15-20 lbs.

Today went much better and I realized that when I don’t eat sugary foods, it’s so much easier to stop eating when I’m no longer hungry. I got my haircut today which is always a big self-esteem booster. My hairdresser swears I look skinnier since I last saw her so maybe I’m losing inches or something.

Tired.

19/2.5
153.2 lbs

Dinner: 1/2 stuffed spaghetti squash, hummus with low carb crackers, glass wine
Dessert: plain yogurt with fruit & nuts

Exercise: 2 miles walk/run; 15 min circuit— push ups, v-ups, kettlebell swings
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by automatedeating » Sat Oct 13, 2018 3:04 am

I'm so glad your hair lady noticed and gave you some love. You totally deserve it and don't get enough of it!

And - yes, I definitely know better when I'm full when I'm not eating sugar. Glad you had a better day.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Post by cedar » Sat Oct 13, 2018 11:34 am

I bet you look fantastic Linda hair and weight wise😀.

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Sun Oct 14, 2018 5:07 am

Awww thx you guys! It’s funny how I can feel so good on Thursday and so not great just two days later. Even eating a ton and my weight is up. Went to try on clothes and wel, you know those mirrors are rarely a boost to ones self esteem. Will I ever get to feel happy with my body again? Sigh, I don’t know.

I actually decided just to go back to 19/5 for awhile because the truth is I’m a little burnt out on those short windows. 19/5 is super sustainable and I should still get decent AC with it. I want to at least try it for awhile. It’s kind of a relief knowing I don’t have to squish everything inside a short amount of time. I just hope I don’t gain. Boy, why is this so dang hard?

Yesterday I did a really intense workout, came home and made some tea. I suddenly felt super nauseous and had to eat something. I was just going to make that my one meal but decided to just take the day off of fasting. I think I needed it but my weight was up today.

Spent the day shopping with Rosebud then picked up sweetpea and my mil up from the airport. They had an amazing trip but my mil maxed out sweetpea’s patience and she was happy to be back home. I missed her. Then we went out for sushi and doc ordered an insane amount of food. We blew our entire budget for eating out till the next paycheck. 🤦ðŸ¼â€â™€ï¸ Oh well. Lots of eating in I guess.

Not looking forward to the scale tomorrow. I hope it goes back down over the week.

19/5
154.4 lbs

Snack (4 pm): large lavender chai
Dinner: tempura, a lot of sushi, 3 glasses of wine
Dessert: large Froyo

Exercise: 4 hrs walking the mall
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Octavia
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Post by Octavia » Sun Oct 14, 2018 4:45 pm

Clothes shop mirrors are terrible! I reckon everyone looks bad in them, even models.

Gosh Linda, you have been so busy - I’m not surprised you treated yourselves to a big sushi meal. You deserved it!

I find intense workouts can backfire. One minute you feel great, the next, awful. Maybe if you do them regularly though, you get used to it. Anyway, hope you are feeling better after your queasy spell yesterday!

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:20 pm

A lot of interesting things from your post

1. OH - AC means appetite correction -- click - I got it! :-) When you put that on my thread, I felt like I should know what it means. You're the one that first introduced me to the term, but I didn't get the acronym yet! Ha!

2. FOUR hours of shopping. ...... lol Linda with 2 boys I have never done that. I don't think I've done anything like that since college, lol. One good thing about that is that I don't have time to even really look at myself in the mirror that long when I'm at the store, haha. It's like literally a "blink" reaction -- feels good, looks good (or not) and move on to the next item. I could probably win a competition for speed-shopping.

3. Sexy43 is always messing up my eat-out budget. :evil: But of course I want to stay married so I bite my tongue (usually).
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Mon Oct 15, 2018 5:18 am

Thank you Octavia! Yeah I guess nobody really loves those mirrors. I think part of the problem is I always just feel so much skinnier than I really am. Do t most ppl have the opposite problem? It was nice to go out and just enjoy ourselves. I don’t mind cooking for the next week or so.

Auto: that’s funny about AC. There’s actually a whole book written on it by Bert Herring. He’s a pretty cool guy. Very chill about the whole fasting thing. Yeah, I definitely didn’t give DH a hard time about the $270 sushi bill. He works hard and if he wants to splurge now and then, it seems reasonable. I will just have to tighten things up for the rest of the week.

Oh and would you believe we did more shopping today? Rosebud wanted to exchange something so we went back to the mall and she ended up doing about another hour of shopping. This is after canvassing for 3 hrs and after the mall we still had to go to the grocery store so I’m totally beat. Luckily we just ate some ore made stuff from Trader Joe’s so no cooking necessary.

My weight is way up but at least today went better. I’m wondering if my big appetite is hormonal. I was feeling cramps coming on today even though I’m not due for another 13 days. I guess this could be peri menopausal stuff coming on? I dunno but would explain a lot. I’m going to stick with the 19/5 and see how it goes but if I’m. It hungry at 19 hrs I’ll keep going.

18/4
155.1 😭

Snack: (2 pm) medium pumpkin smoothie
Dinner: salad with pb dressing, chicken piccata, grapes, glass wine
Dessert: 2 pieces of pumpkin bark, glass milk

Exercise: 7k steps
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:26 am

Really hungry today but trying to listen to my body and eat as much as I need. I guess this is because of the increased exercise. Weight still up. Whatcha gonna do?

The upside is that 19/5 feels so enjoyable that not losing or losing very slowly doesn’t seem like such a big deal. This is what Kayla talks about a lot. Making it easy so it’s sustainable. Now if I gain, that’ll be another story. Let’s see how it goes.

19/5
155.7 lbs

Snack (2 pm): 3 deviled eggs, large almond milk and banana smoothie, handful of nuts, couple of crackers w/ cilantro spread
Dinner: bowl of cauliflower Tikka Masala, naan, glass wine
Dessert: vegan muffin, glass of milk, small piece of chocolate

Exercise: 25 mins dog walk , 1 hr walk/run on treadmill, 10 assisted pull ups.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

jenji
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Post by jenji » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:59 pm

lpearlmom wrote:Thank you Octavia! Yeah I guess nobody really loves those mirrors. I think part of the problem is I always just feel so much skinnier than I really am. Do t most ppl have the opposite problem?
I have this problem, too! I've never heard anyone else admit to this. I walk around feeling great and attractive, and then I accidentally see my reflection somewhere... it's with my weight, but also generally hair care, etc. I THINK I look fly.
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Wed Oct 17, 2018 2:47 am

An hour on the treadmill? Wow, way to go!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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lpearlmom
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Thu Oct 18, 2018 3:46 am

Jenji: wel, since attractiveness is largely about confidence, I’m guessing we do have it going on. ;)

Thanks auto!

Been enjoying my 5 hr window a little too much maybe. Been eating a lot. Weight still up but I think it’s partly hormonal. Maybe, idk. I’m not too worried about it for once.

20/5
155.7 lbs

Lunch (1:30): veggie patty w/ tomatoes , large mango smoothie, couple pieces pumpkin bark
Dinner: porcini crusted tofu w/ mashed potatoes and vegan gravy, couple bites of cauliflower tikka Marsala , glass of wine
Dessert: plain yogurt w/ fruit and nuts, 3 small pieces of salted chocolate caramel, tea latte

Boy I can eat a lot in 5 hrs! ☺ï¸

Exercise: 25 min walk with dogs; 20 min circuit—mountain climbers, Russian twists & alternative pull up exercise.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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lpearlmom
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Fri Oct 19, 2018 4:03 am

Crazy day, woke up at 4 a. And couldn’t go back to sleep. Got out of bed at 6am to do the morning routine and take Rosebud to school. Walked the dogs then went to the gym. Had a lunch date for a friends bday so bought her a small gift and another friend was going to be there whose mother just passed away so I bought her booze, chocolate and flowers. All not in the budget. Oh well.

Had a nice lunch even though the bday girl is not my favorite person. Then had to rosebuds teacher conferences. She’s doing great. Straight As honor roll and her teachers all love having her in their class. Of course she’s being a pill to me but oh well.

Then I rushed home, cleaned the kitchen and made dinner. Then I picked up Rosebud from her friends and took her to volleyball. Now I have to wait till 1030 to pick up sweetpea from a haunted house thing (she’s still on fall break). All I want to do is sleeeeep.

Our 20th anniversary today. Doc gave me beautiful black pearl earrings. He’s a keeper. I guess he’ll get lucky tonight. â˜ºï¸ I didn’t get him anything. 🤦ðŸ¼â€â™€ï¸

17/4
156 lbs

Lunch: bbq 🗠🥗 , 2 glasses ðŸ·
Snack: large 🎃 chai, 2 small pieces of ðŸ«

Exercise: waled dogs 🕠25 mins, jogged 4 miles
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:31 pm

Happy Anniversary to you and Doc! What a jam-packed day you had!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

worth it
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Post by worth it » Sat Oct 20, 2018 12:04 am

Linda,

Happy Anniversary- 20 years is awesome! So funny on the role reversal to the typical husband and wife anniversary gift! Ha!

So I took a moment to read through your thread and we really are on the same page a lot of the time! I especially noticed the part where you wrote about limiting your sugar intake on a thread from a few days ago. I also noticed that when I don’t eat a lot of sugar it’s so much easier to recognize my satiety signals. I’ve even toyed with going back to having sweets only on the weekends but I remember what that did to me during No S and I’m sure that I want to go back to wild weekends again. As a result, I’m just trying to be super relaxed about my sugar intake and allow myself to have something if I’m really craving it- whether it’s daily or not.

Anyway you are sounding really relaxed about everything again. I’m so glad that we can have each other for support!

Soprano
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Post by Soprano » Sat Oct 20, 2018 4:17 pm

Happy Anniversary :)

Great news re your daughter's school report.

Also good to hear you are feeling relaxed re your weight

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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Octavia
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Post by Octavia » Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:35 pm

Congratulations Linda, on your anniversary!

And so great to hear about your daughter’ school report. Yay! :D

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Tue Oct 23, 2018 4:51 am

Thanks all! I ended up getting him a belated gift and this weekend we’re going out of town for our anniversary. I’m really looking forward to that. Staying in two different hotels in Sedona and hopefully get some hiking in.

A lot of eating and pmsing this weekend so weight still up a bit. Had a meeting for my activist group Sunday night and pretty much just snacked and drank sangria throughout a 6 hr window. I decided if I’m going to stick with the longer window, I really cannot graze for 5 hr. I’m going back to my NoS ways and having 3 plates in my window to keep everything a bit more contained.

Did pretty well today but picked a bit during cooking dinner mostly because I was stressed due to a fight with Rosebud. Appetite Correction seemed much stronger with time between the eating sessions so that’s a good thing.

Didn’t sleep well last night and wondering if it’s from the sangria. Groggy today and so no exercise. :/ skipped the wine tonight so hopefully I can get a good nights rest and back on track tomorrow.

18/5.5
155.1

Snack (2pm): tea latte, smoked salmon, avocado, grapes, Ww crackers
Dinner: pizza veg burger, sweet potato fries
Dessert: raspberries, 1 piece pumpkin bark
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

Soprano
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Post by Soprano » Mon Oct 29, 2018 7:17 am

Hope you are okay and the not sleeping well was not an illness coming on

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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lpearlmom
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Tue Oct 30, 2018 6:46 am

Thanks for checking on me Soprano!

A lot going on. I recently found out that the mud run I was planning on doing in March has a lot of injuries and even a few deaths. I suddenly don’t want to do it now and unfortunately lost my motivation to work out. I’m trying to figure what my routine should be now and what my fitness goals are.

I was going to try Orangetheory but then I thought that maybe it wouldn’t be sustainable. I’m really trying to think long term. So maybe 3 days of run/walk on the treadmill and 2 days of Pilates or yoga. I’m not sure.

Doc and I went Sedona for the weekend for our anniversary. We had a great time but ate and drank way too much. Friday night we went to this really popular southwestern restaurant that doesn’t take reservations. We had a 1 hr 45 min wait but it was fun. We drank margaritas and ate popcorn and bonded with the other people who were also waiting. Food was really good.

The next day we went on a hike then went to a cabin in this beautiful canyon. They served us tea, cocktail hour and then a 4 course meal with items from their garden. They seat you with other guests and we sat with a very colorful bunch. Was fun but I drank too much again and we weren’t able to hike the next day. Instead we went to this artsy town that used to be a mining town and is supposedly haunted. We went shopping and had coffee before going home.

Sunday I didn’t fast at all and boy did I feel icky. We had a great time but doc brought up money issues and it kind of caused me to spiral into a ball of anxiety. So many worries about our future. I k ow I need to face them head on but oh how I don’t want to. I really hate being a grown up sometimes.

A couple of new things I’m trying are—weighing 1/mos , allowing myself a latte at 20 hrs but keeping my window at 22/2 still, having a 16/8 regime on sundays, not resricting in my window at all and realizing it may take a couple of years to really reach my goals and being okay with that.

Today has been kind of emotional just because of my anxiety then not-so-sweetpea and I got into an ugly fight. She really knows how to hit me where it hurts and boy did I do a lot of good crying tonight. She ended up apologizing and she told me she’s been feeling very insecure lately. I guess partly because she feels she’s not as independent as a lot of her friends. I guess that’s the downside of having a mom that’s home all the time. I still make her breakfast and lunch and because we live in the suburbs, there’s just not a lot of opportunity for her to be Independent. I’m going to stop with the morning routine stuff and see if that helps. I’ll try to think of other ways she can take on more as well.

Boy what a day and I have so much to get done this week. At least I have two lunch dates planned this week. I’m looking forward to some friend time.


22/1

Dinner: 2 pieces of tortilla casserole, chips & guac
Dessert: grapes, granola w/ almond milk and bananas

Exercise: 45 min walk/run treadmill, 15 min walk dog
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Tue Oct 30, 2018 4:12 pm

hugs, Linda.

I hope you really get some nice time with your friends today.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

Soprano
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Location: UK

Post by Soprano » Tue Oct 30, 2018 8:23 pm

Hope you had a good day with your girlfriends. Just remember when the girls were little and all the problems you had. I bet you didn't actually solve half of them, they just passed.

Your problems now will also pass, do the best you can with what you've got.

You are strong and resourceful :)

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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