Clarinetgal's 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 » Fri Jun 06, 2014 6:41 am

Sounds like you had a great day! I like your idea of going to a smaller plate rather than measuring everything. Sounds much more relaxing!

Just wanted to give you the link to the powder I use for my mochas. It's really good! For an ice blended they use really concentrated coffee so it doesn't get watered down w all the ice.
http://www.coffeebean.com/special-dutch ... 301_cl_438

Here's the video on how to make them!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BH1QOGDR5Ms

(Sorry I'm a tad obsessed!)

Keep up the good work!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by clarinetgal » Sun Jun 08, 2014 8:00 am

The past couple of days have been...interesting. :? I got the results back from my thigh MRI, and it turns out I have a vascular malformation. I'm working on getting a referral to a vascular surgeon, and I guess I'll go from there. My eating has not been the best, the past couple of days. I'll try to have a more sane S day tomorrow, and get back on track on Monday.

Linda, I will have to check out that info. Thanks! :D

Heather

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Post by worth it » Sun Jun 08, 2014 2:17 pm

Clarinetgal,

While at least you have an answer, it is still not enough info. Here's to hoping you get more info soon from your vascular surgeon.

Have a good second S day!

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Post by automatedeating » Sun Jun 08, 2014 3:06 pm

A vascular malformation? Is it an arterial problem, then--or is is venous? Interesting. I assume you didn't have problems when you were a teenager or young adult? How old were you when you first started having problems? When you look back over your life, does it make sense there was a problem there all along?
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 clarinetgal » Sun Jun 08, 2014 11:30 pm

Worth It, Thanks! :D

Auto, Based on what I've read, it sounds like sometime during my conception, some arteries and veins clumped together improperly, and stayed dormant until 'something' caused them to become active and start draining blood flow from my hamstring. My best guesses are either my pregnancies, or a workout injury from a few months back. I know during my first pregnancy in 2007, I had stabbing pains down my right hamstring which I thought was sciatica, but I wonder if it was the malformation getting active (I get stabbing pains now, also). I still feel like there is a lot I don't know, so I'm hoping this surgeon can answer my questions.
I will update tonight. So far, this S Day has been MUCH better.

Heather

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Post by lpearlmom » Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:26 am

Hi heather

Okay this probably isnt too helpful but I did ask DH about it & he did say it's usually a minor issue and nothing to worry about. So fingers crossed that's the case for you but I guess you'll get a more solid answer soon.

Hang in there & glad you had a good S day!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Jun 09, 2014 7:05 am

Linda, Thanks for asking! I hope your DH is right, in my case.

I had a great S Day today. It was decently moderate, and I did not eat after dinner. :D

Breakfast: Coffee with coconut milk and liquid Stevia. Oatmeal mixed with hemp hearts, raisins, PB 2, and cinnamon.

Lunch: Canned salmon mixed with mayo and relish on top of lettuce and tomatoes, with almonds and honey mustard dressing. 3 kumquats.

S Day treat: Homemade tropical fruit ice cream made in my Ninja with whipped cream on top (yum!)

Dinner: Turkey burger, veggie chips, dairy free chocolate bar, about 4 jelly beans

Heather

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Post by clarinetgal » Wed Jun 11, 2014 7:01 am

Yesterday ended up being a NWS day. My DH and I were able to go out for lunch, for the first time in awhile! :D We went to the Olive Garden. I ended up eating half of my meal (Chicken Alfredo), 1 breadstick, 1 bowl of pasta e Fagioli soup, and DH and I split a slice of Black Tie Mousse Cake. I left feeling a little overly full, but not stuffed. I just ate the leftovers for dinner.
I guess I would classify today as a minor fail. I did eat a few York minis before dinner. Tonight, after my band rehearsal, I got an orange cream milk shake. Rehearsal went extra long (it was a dress rehearsal for a big concert tomorrow), and I covered for the soloist tonight. I did really well (even the director complimented me), but it was very stressful. By the end of the rehearsal, I was really thirsty, and I think my adrenaline from being nervous had worn off, so I was craving a treat. I think this is one of those situations where I can make an exception to the rules. I will also be getting something tomorrow night, because my throat is always parched after concerts.

Today's meals

Breakfast: Veggie and egg scramble with a small handful of Daiya mozzarella shreds melted into it. Strawberries with 1 T allergy free chocolate chips melted into them. Coffee with coconut milk and liquid stevia.

Lunch: Salad with a variety of veggies (carrots, radishes, red cabbage, grape tomatoes, and mushrooms, chick peas, pine nuts, and papaya poppyseed dressing. 1 Reese's peanut butter cup. A few jelly beans.

PM: Iced coffee with almond milk and liquid stevia. About 1/3 of a serving of York minis.

Dinner: Mexican chicken (chicken breast cooked in the crockpot with mango peach salsa, cumin, and cilantro), rice, blueberries with a little bit of whipped cream.

Post band snack: orange cream milkshake

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Post by clarinetgal » Thu Jun 12, 2014 8:15 am

Not too bad of an eating day. I did have my planned dessert after my band concert (which went very well, by the way). I stopped at Olive Garden, and I had tiramisu and coffee. The rest of my eating wasn't too bad -- except for lunch. I got lunch from Panera today, because I wanted one last 'naughty' lunch before my older son gets out of school. Starting this Friday, I will have to take him to therapy sessions at a clinic that is about 30 minutes from home (he's autistic). The sessions are 2 hours, which means we'll be away from home for at least 3 hours a day. I have a feeling my lunches will have to be quick foods, like sandwiches or wraps. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll have to experiment with meal times. I may end up having to do 4 meals: Something like 8, 11, 2, and 6.
The other thing I keep thinking about is more plant-based meals. I definitely do not like eating meat for breakfast. I like eggs okay, but eggs feel a little heavy in my stomach after I eat them, which is why I don't eat them more than 1-2 times a week. Because of my son's schedule, my breakfasts may end up being smoothies, oatmeal, or cereal (if I can find a cereal I actually like), or possibly toast or an English muffin with nut butter.

Today's meals

Breakfast: oatmeal with raisins, butter, hemp hearts, cinnamon, and 1 T maple syrup. Coffee with coconut milk and liquid stevia.

Lunch: Panera Bread. Green smoothie; strawberry, poppyseed, chicken salad; part of a baseball cookie; part of the baguette that comes as a side. (This was WAY too much food, and it bothered my stomach. I will probably avoid Panera during the Summer).

Dinner:Leftover Mexican chicken and rice (I put this meal on an 8 inch plate. I used no measuring cups. It was nice!)

Post band concert: Olive Garden. I slice of tiramisu, and coffee. I'm starting to really believe that the first 3 bites of dessert taste the best. From now on, if I get a dessert after a band concert, I'll get a small dessert, or I'll just eat 1/2 of it and save the rest for tomorrow.

Heather

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hey

Post by tobiasmom » Fri Jun 13, 2014 3:03 pm

Looks yummy! I, too, experiment with more plant based eating. I kind of go through phases where I crave meat and then it is revolting again. Hahaha.

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Post by clarinetgal » Fri Jun 13, 2014 11:33 pm

Tobiasmom, Same here. I don't think I could ever become a full fledged vegetarian or vegan, because there are times when I really do crave meat, but meat is definitely not my favorite food group.

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Post by clarinetgal » Sat Jun 14, 2014 7:26 am

I came to a pleasant realization today. While I am still not a fully compliant No-Esser, I am getting closer! For example, my only really sweet treat today was about 15 Surf Sweets jelly beans. I'm using those to help potty train my 2 year old, and I grabbed a couple of small handfuls today. I also had a small handful of raw almonds after my workout tonight. Other than the small amount of snacking, my eating wasn't too bad!

Breakfast: Homemade cinnamon raisin muffin, cashews, frozen mango chunks with a small amount of whipped cream, coffee with coconut milk and liquid stevia.

Lunch: Lara bar alt, snack pack of Enjoy Life trail mix.

PM Snacks: 15 jelly beans, green smoothie ice cream ( a green smoothie blended in a way that made it the consistency of ice cream. Not bad!).

Dinner: Hot dogs, baked beans, a kiwi.

Post workout snack: small handful of raw almonds

I need to work on a better eating schedule for the days when my son has therapy. I think what I will try doing, starting on Monday, is to get up at around 7, so I can eat my breakfast before my kids wake up. That way, I can eat my lunch in the 11 AM hour, before my DS and I have to leave. I might still need something like a Lara Bar at 2, since dinner won't be until 6-6:30. I'll keep experimenting.

Heather

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Post by automatedeating » Sat Jun 14, 2014 2:17 pm

Hi Heather,
I've found that over time I'm able to wait longer between meals before I even feel hungry. I've particularly noticed it this month (month 10 for me), so perhaps it takes a long time to get easier.

Anyway, congrats on your good attitude toward your progress, and your gentle experimenting to find a meal schedule for your busy weeks.
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 worth it » Sun Jun 15, 2014 2:48 am

Clarinetgal,

Am curious about your green smoothie ice cream-like dessert. Interesting.

From the sound of it, you ARE getting closer to becoming a No S'er- It's great to see, how in the meantime, you are making some of the basics of the program fit into your life now.

Enjoy your weekend!

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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:37 am

I had an over the top weekend -- especially yesterday. :oops: Today was better, although I still overdid it on the sweets. One thing I discovered today is that I REALLY do crave fruits and veggies now. I didn't have a lot of fruits or veggies today, and I really missed them.
Tomorrow starts the first full week of my son's busy therapy schedule, so I will continue to work on finding a good eating schedule. I think I will end up eating 3 main meals plus something small, like a Lara Bar, or some nuts and dried fruit.
My other observation I've been thinking about is I need to 'step up my game', so to speak, so that I finally lose these last 20-30 pounds. In my thigh MRI report, I saw a little blurb about how I had arthrosis in my right knee. My orthopedic doctor didn't say anything about it at the time, so I'm guessing it isn't too bad. When I looked that word up later on, I found out it's another word for osteoarthritis. Maybe I have the earliest stages of it? Anyway, I figure that by losing this weight, I will take some pressure off of my knees, which should help. To help speed things along with my weight loss, I will try tweaking the composition of my meals so that I'm eating a little less at each meal, and I may try adding even more veggies. I'm not expecting super quick results, but I just want to see the scale start moving downwards again.

Breakfast: Homemade cinnamon raisin muffin, blueberries with whipped cream and chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, coffee with coconut milk and liquid stevia.

'Lunch': A vegan mexi-spiced chai cupcake ( yum!) and a chai latte with almond milk. I also had some samples at the grocery store.

PM Snacks: Surf sweets jelly beans, samples at Costco

Dinner: Steak, steak fries with BBQ sauce, onion rings, a York peppermint patty.

Evening: Strawberry short cake

Auto, I will definitely experiment with my meal schedule. Normally, I don't get hungry until 9:30, but if I could push that back a little bit, I'd only have to worry about 1 meal, before I have to take my son to therapy. Thanks! :D

Worth It: if I recall, the recipe is 2 cups of greens, 1.5 cups of fruit, and 1 C of liquid. It didn't end up being overly sweet, but it wasn't bad! Thanks! :D

Heather

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Post by clarinetgal » Wed Jun 18, 2014 11:22 pm

This Summer is shaping up to be as busy and crazy as I thought it would be, so I've been doing some experimenting, to figure out how to get my eating to work for me.
First, I tried pushing breakfast back later, to see if I could eat breakfast at 10:30, late lunch/early dinner at 4, and a small meal in the evening. Unfortunately, that did not work for me. I got pretty grouchy after 10, and didn't feel better until I finally ate breakfast. The other two meals went okay, except I felt pretty tired and depleted from 2-4 PM, until I ate dinner. In contrast, I ate breakfast today at 10, a KIND bar at 1, I'll eat dinner in the 4 PM hour, and I will try eating a small meal after my workout. So far, I have noticed a definite improvement in my energy levels.
Second, I have discovered that eating enough protein in the morning seems to be the key in controlling my cravings for junk food, plus I just feel better. I will definitely work on increasing my protein intake.
I am still working on reducing my sugar intake. The past two days didn't go very well, but today has been great!

Breakfast: Green smoothie (almond milk, 1.5 bananas, spinach, cacao powder, almond butter, egg whites -- for extra protein). Macadamia nuts. Black coffee.

Snack: Kind bar. About 10 Surf Sweets jelly beans. Coffee with coconut milk and liquid Stevia.

Dinner: Stir fried veggies and shrimp over quinoa. I may add a few chicken nuggets for extra protein.

Evening meal: TBD. If I'm not hungry after my workout, I'll just skip it.

Heather

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Jun 20, 2014 3:51 am

Good for you for experimenting till you find a good solution. Can be tricky with complicated schedules.

Protein in the morning really helps with my satiety.

I hope you get your MRI results sorted out soon.

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by clarinetgal » Fri Jun 20, 2014 5:26 am

Linda, Thanks! The extra protein in the morning is definitely helping. As for the MRI results, I still don't have a solid answer. I met with a vascular surgeon in my area, and he referred me to the University of Washington, which is the big hospital in my area. The surgeon at UW will go over my options, since I guess my kind of vascular malformation (an AVM) is apparently more complicated to treat. I'm hoping I'll know more in the next few weeks.

Heather

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Post by clarinetgal » Fri Jun 20, 2014 5:39 am

Today was a fail, but not a huge one. I had a very rough day with a lot of stress, which would normally result in a binge. While my eating did get a little excessive, and while I did eat too many sweets, I did not descend into a binge.
I am also figuring out that for the remainder of this Summer, while my son has his 4 hour a day therapy schedule, four meals a day seems to work really well for me. I will stick with that for the remainder of the Summer and, once my son goes back to school, I will see if I can return to eating 3 meals a day.

Breakfast: 3 egg omelette (2 eggs, 1 egg white) with various herbs and Daiya cheddar shreds. Trader Joes tropical fruit blend with a little bit of whipped cream. Coffee with coconut milk and liquid stevia. [i also are about 10 jelly beans, before my kids and I left the house today]

Lunch: McDonalds Southwest chicken salad with grilled chicken, 1/2 of a container of medium French fries, Diet Dr. Pepper

PM Snack: Black coffee, about 1/2 of a serving of SO Delicious coconut milk ice cream (I threw the rest of the bowl out, because the ice cream tasted weird), 1 Cadbury biscuit, about 1/2 a serving of Cadbury mini fingers.

Dinner: BLT in a wrap. Potato chips. 1 No Bake Energy Bite (a homemade treat that is semi-healthy, so it's not quite a sweet, but it is a gray area food).

Heather

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Post by automatedeating » Fri Jun 20, 2014 1:16 pm

Clarinetgal, which would you say is trickier for you: resisting sweets or resisting snacks? I almost wonder if you could pick just one of them to work on (well, no seconds either, but that doesn't seem to be an issue for you)
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 Dandelion » Fri Jun 20, 2014 3:53 pm

I think that's a good strategy, Auto. I have been thinking along those lines myself. I think I will actually do it this time :)

CG. I finally had to admit I have to do four meals. I tried three, and I couldn't do it. The mid-afternoon one is small, but necessary for me.
'I do think the way to a full and healthy life is to adopt the sensible system of small helpings, no seconds, no snacking, and a little bit of everything. Above all, have a good time.' Julia Child

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Post by clarinetgal » Fri Jun 20, 2014 11:06 pm

Auto, The no sweets rule is the trickiest one for me, by far. Once my older son goes back to school, I may try eliminating the 4th meal. I think that is a great suggestion, to focus on one, so I'll pick no sweets. I'll start on Monday. You're also right that the no seconds rule is not much of a problem for me. Thanks!

Dandelion, I think that every body is different, and some people just need more than 3 meals.

Heather

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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Jun 23, 2014 3:45 pm

I am doing a lot of thinking about my eating, and about body acceptance. For now, my self esteem regarding my body is pretty low. A lot of it ties in to being stuck in a weight plateau for several months. I want to lose weight, but there are several factors in my life that are out of my control, and I do a lot of emotional eating to 'comfort' myself. I'm realizing more and more how futile that is, and that I need to find non-food ways to cope with the parts of my life that I don't like right now. I also need to realize that I am more than just my weight. Honestly, I don't think a lot of people could even guess how much I weigh. I was blessed with a larger bone frame, and I've always been able to get away with carrying a few extra pounds. I just need to not obsess so much about the number on the scale. I also need to think about positive features of my body. I have a great smile, nice eyes, and good skin and teeth. I am decently strong.
As for the eating itself, I am reading two books to help me learn how to tweak my plates, so that I can still be full on fewer calories. The book I am most intrigued with is Volumetrics. It talks about eating mostly foods that have a lot of water (soups, salads, fruits, veggies) and less of the calorie-dense foods. With my crazy Summer schedule, I may not be able to follow that plan for all of my meals, but I can do it for the meals I'm able to eat at home. The other book is called something like The Doctors Diet, by an ER doctor on some TV show. What I am taking away from his book is eating more lean proteins with each meal.
The other change I'm going to make is to switch my workouts from the evenings, after my kids go to bed, to the mornings. I found that when I work out at night, I get hungry, and I end up eating late at night (not good). I tried that today, and it was nice to get it done early!
Finally, I think I will take baby steps, in terms of phasing out sweets. I will try eating sweets 3 times a week ( and confine it to one sweet), and see how that goes.
I'll update my meals later.

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Post by Dandelion » Mon Jun 23, 2014 7:10 pm

I hear you on the self esteem thing. I never realized until recently how much of my self-esteem was tied up in how I looked and how little I think of myself - how little I feel I'm worth. It hurt when the sales lady the other day happily shared with me the information that they carried a nice range for the 'fuller figure'. It STILL hurts. I never thought of myself that way before. I'm trying to accept it (I am, after all) and be okay with it, and allow myself to believe I am more than what I look like on the outside.
'I do think the way to a full and healthy life is to adopt the sensible system of small helpings, no seconds, no snacking, and a little bit of everything. Above all, have a good time.' Julia Child

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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Jun 23, 2014 10:59 pm

Oh gosh, Dandelion! I would have been hurt, too. :( You are definitely more than what you look like on the outside.

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Post by automatedeating » Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:19 pm

CG, I just wrote an overly-opinionated post saying basically eat whatever you feel like eating (rather than the non-dense things, etc.), but then deleted it, because--hey, to each her own. But then I was left thinking what should I post to encourage you? :)

I can definitely say "hurrah, hurrah!" for loving your body for the way it is right this moment! And I can surely relate to the eating for comfort thing. But it is overcome-able. With regular meals every day, and a couple days a week to let loose.
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 worth it » Tue Jun 24, 2014 12:27 am

CG,

I was going to write something along the lines of what auto was going to write and then I also stopped myself. I'm really writing because I want to empathize with you and truly hope that you will find whatever works to make you feel strong and confident in your food choices and eating style.

My self-esteem is also completely wrapped up in my weight, which I also equate with my looks. The other thing I face is that my love of clothes and fashion reinforce how yucky I feel because I can't wear the kind of styles and things I want. Well, I can wear them, but I feel sloppy and not as cute in the larger size. Sigh.

May we overcome all of this one day soon!

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Post by Dandelion » Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:39 am

Heheheh. I decided not to comment on the food choice either. Eyes on my own plate, right? :)
'I do think the way to a full and healthy life is to adopt the sensible system of small helpings, no seconds, no snacking, and a little bit of everything. Above all, have a good time.' Julia Child

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Post by ironchef » Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:49 am

I can relate to the "comfort" eating, I've been guilty of doing this a bit in the last week while I was sick. Just something about coming home tired on a cold, rainy night and feeling snotty and horrid, has me reaching for the fruit toast with a side of self-justification.

I really believe that finding alternative comfort strategies is a great step forward. oolala is my inspiration on that front, as is eschano with her "LAM" category.

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Post by lpearlmom » Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:27 am

I think everyone has already made great points so just wanted to give my encouragement. The body image thing seems to be a general theme around here lately so maybe we can all try to support each other in that area.

When I was doing overcoming overeating, there was a great exercise in the book that I found super helpful. You were suppose to close your eyes and imagine that you just woke up to the news that a gas had been leaked into the atmosphere that made it so nobody would be able to gain or lose a single pound again. For me it felt like a relief. I felt like I could finally just get on with my life. I would wear clothes I loved, and generally stop putting things off till I was a certain size.

It would be great if we could accept ourselves in the here & now even if we still hope to lose a little weight. It seems like a waste of precious time to not fully live now. I think it's important to ask why we want to lose weight & explore other ways to achieve those goals. Is it to feel more attractive? Try new clothes & a new haircut. To be more comfortable in social settings? We can learn the art of conversation. Etc.

Oh and I think your plan sounds good. If you stick to the the no snacking, you'll find you can deal with your feelings much better than you ever thought you could. And I actually like volumetrics a lot. It doesn't focus on deprivation IMO. I think it's fine as a general guideline for making food choices but if you tried to stick to the meal plan or something I could see that backfiring (at least for me it would).

Anyway you're on the right track & it's important to experiment till you hit on what works best for you.

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by eschano » Tue Jun 24, 2014 9:10 am

Brilliant advice here already. I remember sitting on a beach in Brazil seeing lots of bigger ladies and men (yes, Brazil was not string bikini models they way I experienced it) moving so freely and being so happy in their body. It dawned on me when I watched them that I found them beautiful, their life force was just beautiful and life was celebrated there. It took two more days until I realised that I, too, am beautiful. It was the most important turning point of my life. Everything (very slowly) changed after that.

I hope you can experience this too!
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Post by clarinetgal » Tue Jun 24, 2014 11:13 am

Just a quick update to say that yesterday was the first time in who knows how long that I went an entire day without eating sweets! :D I did eat 3 dates with dinner, which sort of helped with the cravings. I will play it by ear today, as far as whether to eat sweets, but at least I know I can do it.
Wow, thank you, Worth It, Auto, Linda, Dandelion, Iron Chef, and Eschano!
Linda, I loved that visualization! I think if that ever came true, I would feel a huge sense of relief. Eschano, I loved the story about your epiphany while on a beach in Brazil. As I was reading it, I reflected on a time where I was at one of the beaches in Southern California, and I noticed something similar -- there were people there who were definitely on the bigger side and still wearing bikinis and other bathing suits, and they were having a great time.


Heather

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Post by Dandelion » Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:08 pm

As usual, lots to think about from everyone!
'I do think the way to a full and healthy life is to adopt the sensible system of small helpings, no seconds, no snacking, and a little bit of everything. Above all, have a good time.' Julia Child

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Post by clarinetgal » Thu Jun 26, 2014 7:30 am

I feel like I've been in survival mode with my eating ( and other things) over the past few days. As I mentioned awhile ago, my older son is autistic (he's 6). He has a VERY hard time during Summer break, because he misses his structured school routine. This results in a lot more aggressive behavior, throwing tantrums, etc... The past 3 out of 4 days have been pretty bad. :( I have him in behavior therapy (ABA) for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, and his therapist is definitely trying to help. Anyway, in terms of eating, I have been so busy dealing with my son, plus some other issues, that it is hard to stick with any diet plan for now. I think, for the time being, I will focus on keeping my eating at least somewhat structured, and I will work on more specific goals (like no sweets) in the Fall, when my son goes back to school.
My eating wasn't too bad today. I did get a little 'snacky' tonight, but I made sure to not let it get out of control.

Breakfast: Oatmeal with cinnamon, raisins, and hemp hearts. Mixed fruit with a little whipped cream. Coffee with coconut milk and liquid stevia.
'Lunch': Caffe vanilla frappucino and a birthday cake pop.
Dinner: Lemon basil chicken cooked in the crockpot, mashed sweet potatoes with butter and cinnamon, cabbage, peas.
PM: Snacked on 1 serving of tortilla chips, a very small handful of peanuts, and a very small handful of grapes.

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Post by worth it » Thu Jun 26, 2014 4:50 pm

CG,

My thoughts and heart go out to you. Know that you are doing your best right now, and that's all that you can do.

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Post by automatedeating » Fri Jun 27, 2014 5:08 am

Hi CG.

I am so glad that you have a therapist that you can feel like a team with (or at least, that's what it seems like--sorry if that's not the case). Maybe, just maybe....a few weeks into summer break he will adapt to the "new" structure of summer with his therapy and whatever your home routines are.

Hang in there!
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
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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Jun 27, 2014 6:14 am

So sorry Heather. That sounds really tough and makes me feel like a wimp for complaining about my parenting struggles!

You are a real hero & doing great under the circumstances. Your dinner sounds delicious. How'd the chicken turn out?
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Post by clarinetgal » Fri Jun 27, 2014 6:21 am

Thank you so much, Worth It, Auto, and Linda! Linda, The chicken was pretty good! I just used lemon juice, fresh basil leaves, and no salt seasoning.

Heather

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Post by clarinetgal » Fri Jun 27, 2014 6:33 am

I didn't have too bad of an eating day, BUT I confirmed an important observation about my eating. I'm trying very hard to actually eat when I'm hungry, as opposed to making myself eat at a certain time. I have figured out the perfect breakfast time for myself (9:30-10 AM), and during the school year, I always ate lunch at 1:30. With my son's clinic schedule, however, lunch sometimes doesn't happen until 4. Today, for example, I went from 10-4 before I ate anything. That is apparently too long for my particular body chemistry. I noticed at around 3, I started getting tired, cranky, and slightly shaky. I think from now on, I will bring a Lara Bar or Simple Square with me, and eat it at around 2. I'll just make my 4 PM meal a little smaller.

Breakfast: A Paleo mint chip protein smoothie. Coffee with coconut milk and liquid stevia.

Lunch: Small handful of jelly beans, 2 oatmeal cookies (this was right after my son and I came home and I was feeling tired and shaky). Scrambled egg sandwich, veggie straws, kiwi, kumato tomato.

Dinner (Applebee's!): I split an order of boneless wings with several family members. My actual dinner was the Chicken Freschado (yum!).

Heather

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Post by clarinetgal » Sun Jun 29, 2014 8:38 am

Just a quick update, since it's late. On Friday, I broke through a major weight plateau. :D I saw 149 on my scale, for the first time in over 3 years (my goal is 125-130). I have then proceeded to sabotage myself. Why? I think it has to do with some self esteem issues. I am done with the bingeing. Tomorrow, I have one last family gathering for my youngest sister and her husband, who are going back to Germany. I'm sure I'll overeat, but I'm not going to binge, and I'm not going to restrict myself. I will officially get back on track with my eating, starting on Monday.

Heather

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Post by lpearlmom » Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:20 am

Yay heather for breaking through your plateau but sorry to hear about your self sabotage. I think it's a common tendency. At least you know it's possible to lose weight now and tomorrow you can get back to things.
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Post by Imogen Morley » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:30 am

There's an enormous psychological difference between overeating and bingeing. Just get back on track, and march forward!

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Post by ironchef » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:35 am

clarinetgal wrote:On Friday, I broke through a major weight plateau. :D I saw 149 on my scale, for the first time in over 3 years (my goal is 125-130).
Well done! Keep on putting one foot in front of the other, you can do this.

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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Jun 30, 2014 10:54 pm

Thank you, Linda, Imogen, and Iron Chef! I'm having a much better day, so far! I will update later tonight, after my kids go to bed.

Edited to add: it was definitely a much better day. It wasn't a perfect day, but it was a lot better than the past few days. I'm still eating 4 times a day, for now.

Breakfast: Green smoothie, cashews, coffee with coconut milk and liquid stevia.

Afternoon snack: A Simple Square (kind of like a Lara Bar, in that there are only a few ingredients. This one was Sage!), and 2 fig newtons.

Dinner: Costco salmon burger, veggie straws, cucumber and tomato slices with homemade ranch dressing.

Evening: A Coffee Crisp bar and Klondike candy bar. I shopped at World Market tonight, and I was pretty hungry, and I ended up stocking up on chocolate. :oops: I will be more moderate with it, starting tomorrow.

Any ideas on relatively non-messy things I can eat in the car, while waiting for my older son while he's in therapy? All I've thought of at this point are Lara Bars, Simple Squares, and sandwiches. I try to avoid dairy (it bothers me), so string cheese would be out.

Heather

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Post by eschano » Tue Jul 01, 2014 8:39 am

Hi Heather,

if 4 meals work for you they are perfectly NoS! Reinhard even says somewhere 2-4 meals. I think the routine of them is more important and in the case of 4 meals you might want to aim for smaller plates, which you probably do.

As for unmessy things: I'm a big fan of fajitas. If you perfect your tortilla rolling skills they can be great.

Otherwise sushi - another one I love. Or to be precise: rolled maki as they are easy to make.
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Post by clarinetgal » Tue Jul 01, 2014 1:17 pm

Eschano, I love both of those suggestions! Thanks! :D

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Post by clarinetgal » Wed Jul 02, 2014 5:44 am

Today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad eating day. :oops: It started off with breakfast. I tried having a green smoothie, plus some chocolate hemp heart pudding (which is sweetened with bananas and maple syrup). It ended up being way too much sugar for my system, even though it was mostly natural sugar from fruit. I felt off for a few hours afterwards.
My lunch wasn't perfect, but it was alright. I took my younger son to McDonald's, while we were waiting for my older son's therapy session to end. I had a bacon ranch salad, most of a container of fries, and a Diet Dr. Pepper. My next really bad mistake came during the 4 PM hour. This is when I normally eat my late lunch/early dinner. I was not in the mood to cook anything, so I snacked on a couple of candy bars. I then had some potato salad. Later on tonight, I had some chips. I should have had some sort of protein with it, but I wasn't in the mood, so I ate some more potato salad. I still wasn't satisfied, so I ate some apple pie. To end my terrible eating, I had a Caffe Vanilla frappucino.
So here is what I learned from my terrible eating day:
1) A smoothie is okay for breakfast, IF I pair it with something low carb and higher fat, like nuts.
2) I really do prefer to eat an actual lunch while I'm waiting for my older son, as opposed to just a snack bar. I think I will just take a sandwich with me, or I'll try out Eschano's ideas (I'm also open to try other simple, not too messy lunches to eat in my car). The only day where I won't be able to eat an actual lunch is on Thursdays, because my younger son and I go straight from dropping off my older son at therapy to a play date.
3) I need to make sure to eat an actual meal at 4 PM, even if it's just a sandwich and chips, or a frozen meal with a salad.
4) I will never stock up on candy bars at World Market again. They are too tempting, plus processed chocolate seems to bother my stomach.

Tomorrow will definitely be a better day!

Heather

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Jul 02, 2014 5:55 am

Sorry heather! (Love that book btw!) sounds like you learned a lot & realize it'll take a bit of experimenting before you find a good groove with your difficult schedule. Yeah I'd probably do a sandwich or wrap plus a little bag of chips or nuts & a piece of fruit for the car.

Good luck & yes tomorrow will be better!

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Post by ironchef » Wed Jul 02, 2014 6:24 am

Ouch, tough day. You poor thing. I know exactly that weird overeating feeling of "but I'm not satisfied, I need something else" without really knowing what it is, and knowing that you've already eaten past the point of feeling good.

Just a few thoughts, firstly on the pudding. Everyone defines their S's differently, but to me, if it looks like a cake and quacks like a cake, it's a cake. When you're trying to train habit, not your higher functioning mind, eating something called "cake" or "slice" or "pudding" is confusing. My habit brain is dumb, it doesn't check the back to see if the sweet taste is from sugar, maple syrup, artificial sweeteners, organic honey or whatever. It just goes "cool, cake! I didn't know we could have cake for breakfast during the week. Hooray for cake!". I realise this is a line that everyone draws in a different spot, but just something to ponder. I have learned from reading that I'm probably more strict around the borders (maple syrup, honey, cocoa drinks, etc) than other No-Sers. Maybe my habit brain is extra dumb? :)

On the smoothies, cool if you like them, I certainly do, but if I had nothing but a smoothie for breakfast and then a 4pm lunch, I'd fail every day. I think oolala has a saying about "chew your juice and drink your food" or something like that? Meaning it might be more satisfying to eat some yoghurt with nuts and seeds, drink milk or juice and eat some fruits than to put exactly the same ingredients in a blender and drink them?

Anyway, sounds like you have learned a few pitfalls and tomorrow will be better!

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Post by eschano » Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:16 am

Ooh, good suggestions ironchef.
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Post by clarinetgal » Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:05 pm

So far, today is going much better! I had my usual green smoothie for breakfast with a Simple Square (similar to Lara Bars), and it was a much better combo! While waiting for my son today, I decided to drive to my gym and do my workout, since I overslept this morning (and I don't like exercising at night). Afterwards, I was hungry, but I didn't want to buy one of the overly processed protein bars or drinks that my gym sells. Instead, I went to Safeway, and I bought some California rolls. It wasn't a perfect choice, but it wasn't a bad choice, either (plus, they were good!). I also had the thought today that if I bring a cooler with me, I could always take tuna or chicken salad sandwiches with me. I'm trying to cut back on my spending (I've been inspired by Auto, and Eschano!).
I will update tonight, after my kids go to bed.

Linda, Auto, and Iron Chef, Thanks! Iron, I do agree with you that it's a fine line on naturally sweetened foods, like that pudding. I don't think I'll have that with breakfast again. I 'might' have it as a dessert after lunch or dinner sometime, though. As for the smoothies, I go back and forth on them. Right now, I'm in a phase where my body seems to like the big hit of fruits and veggies in the morning. I'll just pair the smoothie with something that has protein and fat. When I get sick of smoothies, I'll move on to something else. :D

Heather

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Post by ironchef » Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:16 pm

Well done! What a great day.
naturally sweetened
Sugar is natural, and made from plants. For that matter, so is corn syrup. I found this article on the topic of syrups interesting.

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Post by automatedeating » Thu Jul 03, 2014 1:08 am

I make my smoothies with 1-2 cups greek yogurt that has 18 grams fat/serving and 10 grams/protein. Then I add half a banana and a cup of frozen strawberries. It makes a big cup and then I pour smaller cups for my kids and sometimes even share with my husband.
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 eschano » Thu Jul 03, 2014 10:36 am

The cooler idea sounds great and I adore California maki.
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Post by clarinetgal » Fri Jul 04, 2014 7:30 am

Unfortunately, yesterday evening did not end up going so well. :oops: I had managed to make it until dinner time without any sweets, but shortly after dinner, I had a major headache, and I was feeling resentful about not having any sweets. I remembered I still had 2 candy bars left from my trip to World Market, and I ate both of them. I also had some chips later in the evening. I finally figured out the source of the problem. Stupid AF reared her ugly head. I always get like this around that time.
Today was much, much better. Yes, I had sweets, but I ate way less of them, and the quality of the sweets was a lot better.
My other random thought for today: Because of the sweets, I don't feel like a No Esser. However, I identify way more with No S than anything else. I like actual meals, as opposed to snacking. I rarely ever get seconds during a meal. While I am still counting calories for now, my goal is to get away from calorie counting, and to focus on the quality of my meals.

Breakfast: 2 homemade Paleo muffins, peaches with a tiny bit of whipped cream and some cinnamon, 1 carton of lactose free Yami yogurt, coffee with coconut milk and liquid stevia.

Lunch: 1/2 of a large green smoothie (made with almond milk, spinach, PB2, a banana, strawberries, blueberries, and coconut butter).

Dinner: The other 1/2 of my smoothie, a tuna wrap, chips, 2 homemade oatmeal raisin cookies (I modified the recipe to make it gluten and dairy free, and the cookies were still really good!)

PM snack: Sugar free chocolate cake with some whipped cream and 1 T chocolate chunks.

Note: Because I eat a late lunch/early dinner at 4, part of me thinks I should eat something in the evening, but I wasn't super hungry tonight, so maybe I don't need to, after all? I think I'll play this 4th meal by ear.

Thanks, Iron chef, Auto, and Eschano! Iron, that was an interesting article!

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Post by clarinetgal » Wed Jul 16, 2014 3:32 pm

I'm back. I went through a very tough period with my older son (the one who is autistic), but thankfully, things are going a little better now. I fell off the wagon with my eating, by bingeing at night ( a combination of stress, exhaustion, and some depression). For the past three nights, I have either eaten nothing after dinner, or just something small. I am working on reestablishing better eating habits (3-4 set meals, no snacks/seconds). The sweets are still a real struggle, so I may just do what I can, until he goes back to school.
I will update more and catch up on threads tonight!

Heather

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Jul 16, 2014 10:40 pm

Big *hugs* heather. Sounds so incredibly tough. Glad you are back & sounds like things are a little better.
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Post by clarinetgal » Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:44 am

Thanks, Linda! :D

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Post by ironchef » Thu Jul 17, 2014 7:36 am

Sorry to hear things have been so tough. Glad you are back and taking steps in the right direction.

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Post by r.jean » Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:15 pm

Just when we think our own lives are tough, we are always reminded to count our blessings. Best wishes for you and your son. I hope you have a good support system around you.
The journey is the reward.
Maintenance is progress.

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Post by eschano » Thu Jul 17, 2014 3:35 pm

Hang in there! You're such an inspiration.
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Post by clarinetgal » Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:08 am

Thank you, r.jean, ironchef, and Eschano! Things are going a little better with my son. His therapist is giving me a lot of very helpful advice and insights, and I'm hoping it will pay off over time.
As for eating, I am actually out of town at a band convention, so the next 2 days will be NWS days. I'm going to try not to be too wild, though.

Breakfast: Small bowl of granola, coffee with coconut milk and liquid stevia.

Lunch: Meconi's subs! A 1/2 BLT sub, bag of Sun Chips, Diet Coke, 2 small cookies.

Afternoon: I snitched a small handful of my son's potty training treats. :oops:

Dinner: Black Angus! Steak, loaded baked potato, green beans, small piece of bread, unsweetened iced tea.

Evening: I bought a bag of M and Ms from the vending machine, because I 'could.' (NWS day). I doubt I'll do that tomorrow, though.

Heather

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Post by aspencer27 » Fri Jul 18, 2014 2:50 pm

Thanks for supporting me on my check-in - it's so helpful!

Your NWS day sounds really tame. That's great! I'm hoping my first S days on the challenge will be tame, too, but I'm not going to push it - I'll just see what I feel like.

Enjoy your NWS day today, too, and don't sweat the few snacks - you're doing great! Best wishes for you and your son.

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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Jul 21, 2014 12:38 pm

Thank you, aspencer! :D

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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Jul 21, 2014 12:40 pm

I just came back from a very fun band convention in Vancouver, WA, and I am officially getting back on track with my eating today. I will try to update tonight.

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Post by clarinetgal » Wed Jul 23, 2014 6:54 am

I took an NWS day, because I had a big doctor's appointment at my regional medical center regarding the vascular malformation in my right leg (I'll be having an angiogram in a few weeks). Anyway, my eating was pretty tame! I'm trying very hard to listen to my body, in terms of tweaking the size of my meals, and I think it's starting to pay off. I haven't lost weight yet, but I'm feeling less overly full. I'm also working again on breaking myself of the habit of eating after dinner. I almost succeeded tonight ( I only ate 2 Junior Mints after dinner).

Breakfast: 3 egg omelette with spinach and tomato, a kiwi, 2 GF cookies, coffee with coconut milk and liquid Stevia.

Lunch: Green smoothie

Snack at medical center: Nonfat caramel latte

Dinner: Old Spaghetti Factory! Salad, bread with butter, the Manager's Special combo, with spaghetti with clam sauce and mizithra pasta with brown butter, small dish of spumoni ice cream (I only ate 1/2 of the dinner, and I'll have the rest tomorrow).

PM: 2 Junior Mints

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Post by eschano » Wed Jul 23, 2014 11:38 am

clarinetgal wrote:but I'm feeling less overly full.
Honestly, that for me was a better benefit than the weight loss since I started. It gives you so much more energy and allows your body to deal with other things.

Well done on the habit-breaking!
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Post by clarinetgal » Wed Jul 23, 2014 6:27 pm

Thanks, Eschano! :D

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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Jul 28, 2014 12:32 am

I'm still here! This Summer has been crazy, between my older son's therapy schedule, a variety of band concerts, and the daily joys and challenges of raising a family, so all I'm focusing on for now is moderation with my eating. I'm still working on breaking myself of the habit of eating after dinner, and while I'm still not 100 percent back on track, I am much closer. I'm also still trying to stick with 3-4 planned meals a day. This is still a challenge, on the days my son has therapy. I've decided to just do my best for now, and really focus on sticking with planned meals starting in the Fall, when my son goes back to school.

Breakfast: Creamy buckwheat with butter, fruit, coffee with almond milk.

Late morning: Black coffee.

Lunch: Panera (1/2 flatbread sandwich, 1/2 a salad, baguette, white chocolate raspberry mini cake, diet coke).

PM: 2.5 SO Delicious minis ice cream sandwiches.

Dinner: Tilapia burger with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce on a sandwich thin, kumato tomato, potato chips, 3 York minis.

I ate nothing after dinner. :D

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Post by eschano » Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:48 am

Really glad you're hanging in there and despite all challenges make sustainable changes for the better!
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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:58 am

Thanks, Eschano! :D I'm still here, just really busy with life. For a variety of reasons, I think I am finally at the point where I really want to make No S (or some slightly modified version of No S) work for me. I saw in one of the general threads that oolala had said it was important to focus on the reasons you want to lose weight, so here are some of my reasons:

1) I really want my smaller clothes to fit me again. Before I had my younger son almost 3 years ago, I was wearing mostly size 6 pants, and size 8 dresses, and I could fit in to some vanity-sized 4 pants. Currently, I am wearing mostly size 10, but I'm starting to fit in to some larger-cut size 8s.

2) My health. Being diagnosed with the AVM in my leg really scared me. Even though it's not life threatening, it does affect my blood flow, and I just feel like getting healthier might help with that. Plus, there is a strong history of cancer in my family, and I certainly don't want cancer. :(

3) This ties in to reason 2, plus the No S habits. I have developed a very sensitive gut, since having my children, and a number of foods bother me (dairy, soy, bell peppers, garlic, onions, and cauliflower are the ones I can pinpoint as giving me problems). Plus, I struggle with reflux. Eating more moderate-sized meals spaced several hours apart seems to help with that.

I started getting back on track tonight, by not eating after dinner tonight (except for a couple of junior mints). I will get back to focusing on the more moderate meals, starting tomorrow. At this point, I may stick to 4 meals a day, but I'll play it by ear, for now.

Heather

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Post by ironchef » Mon Aug 04, 2014 8:31 am

All good reasons, CG :) We're all pulling for you!

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Post by Imogen Morley » Mon Aug 04, 2014 9:39 am

My fiance has been diagnosed with GERD, and eating four moderate meals instead of his usual two has helped him tremendously.
Personally, I think that NoS is a terrific way to get healthier without obsessing over the whole process. My parents, after retiring, have recently adopted NoS lifestyle (no snacks at least, and three meals), and lost some weight already, their blood test results last week came out great.

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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:06 pm

Thanks, Ironchef. :D Imogen, I'm glad eating slightly smaller meals has helped your fiancé. That's great, about the No S lifestyle helping your parents! :D

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Post by Dandelion » Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:02 am

Your york minis always make me smile. I usually have a few chocolate chips - but maybe york would be a nice change :)
'I do think the way to a full and healthy life is to adopt the sensible system of small helpings, no seconds, no snacking, and a little bit of everything. Above all, have a good time.' Julia Child

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Post by clarinetgal » Tue Aug 05, 2014 10:48 am

Dandelion, Thanks! :D I've always liked little mints. I'm just working on keeping my consumption moderate.

I didn't have too bad of a day yesterday. I ended up eating basically 3 meals yesterday, although I did do a tiny bit of snacking after dinner -- but I ate nothing after 7:30. Woo hoo!

Breakfast: Fruit smoothie, cashews, coffee with creamer.

Lunch: Sushi rolls, chips, a Diet Coke. (Kind of a strange lunch, but I didn't have time to eat before I took my son to his clinic appointment, and by the time I got to Safeway, I was starving).

Dinner: Half of a Daiya pizza (pizza with Daiya dairy free cheese) that I enhanced with some pepperoni, bacon, tomatoes, and mushrooms; small handful of chips; carrots with homemade ranch dressing; cherries.

Small snack shortly after dinner and before 7:30: Small handful of Junior Mints, small handful of Surf Sweets jelly beans

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Aug 08, 2014 8:36 pm

Sounds like a good day all & all. Great job not snacking after dinner. I hate going to bed too full.

Have a great weekend!

Linda :)
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by clarinetgal » Sun Aug 10, 2014 5:46 am

Linda, Thanks! :D I hope you're having a good weekend, as well.
Even though today was an S Day, I treated it more like an N Day, because I basically spent the past few days going on a bender, eating naughty foods that I normally avoid, because they are hard on my gut. Well, I paid the price. My gut was in pretty bad shape for a few days. :( My eating was a lot better today (although not perfect), and my gut is starting to feel better.

Breakfast: Chocolate avocado protein smoothie. Coffee with creamer.

Lunch: A strawberry fields salad from Wendy's (half portion). 2 chicken nuggets. 1 can of Diet Rite cola.

Snack (at my local children's museum!): Split a mini cupcake, a small chocolate chip cookie, and an ice cream sandwich with my older DS.

Dinner: salad with a Costco tilapia burger, rice, tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, greens, almonds, and light dressing. (Note: It was good for the first few bites, but I got bored with it, before long. I am not a one dish meal person. I think I prefer my meals to be a meat, carb, and fruit/veggie).

Tonight: Very small handful of jelly beans, small handful of veggie straws).

Heather

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Post by clarinetgal » Sun Aug 10, 2014 6:31 am

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, about meals. There is a part of me that wants to lose weight, and I think that all of my meals have to be super Paleo, and healthy. I did this for several months back in 2013, and while I lost some weight, I was SO bored with Paleo, after awhile. Honestly, I don't think I can ever go back to eating fully Paleo. I will try to mostly avoid dairy and soy, since they clearly bother me, and I will continue to limit gluten, because of my older DS, but I like to eat a certain amount of grains, and I like beans, from time to time (grains and beans are 2 foods that are forbidden in Paleo).
I've been battling another part of me that is sick of worrying about losing weight and I'm sick of the food restrictions. As I mentioned above, I went on a little bender for a few days, as an act of rebellion ( I guess). I ended up really paying the price in my gut. :( I think there are some foods I will just have to restrict, if I want to feel good (dairy, soy, certain veggies, and I don't do great with red meat and eggs). I think I can make peace with the restrictions, if I allow myself to eat the foods I banned in the past (like grains and beans).
I think I'll have to find a middle ground, by eating mostly healthy, but allowing myself foods in which I find pleasure, but in moderation. I'm still not quite ready to make the leap to Vanilla No S, but I'm getting closer -- especially after allowing myself way too much sugar over the past few days.
At this point, I'm still trying to come up with quick, mostly healthy meals that don't require a lot of cooking-- since I don't have a lot of time to cook, while I'm busy with my son's therapy schedule. I really do want to make this work, so I will keep on keeping on. :D

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Post by lpearlmom » Sun Aug 10, 2014 2:56 pm

Hi heather

It's funny how it's hard to let go of certain eating regimes esp if we had some success no matter how limited or brief. I did the dr ornish plan (v low fat) for a few years and I still find myself wanting to go back to that way of eating even though I didn't lose a whole lot of weight overall. I think it's hard to not hold out some hope that there's a magical formula out there that will cause us to effortlessly lose weight.

In my experience though, too much deprivation leads to rebellion (binge) and it's a viscous cycle. I also did intuitive eating for years and while I definitely didn't lose weight, it did make it so that now all foods are created equal in my eyes. Once I allowed myself to have any type of food, the binging stopped completely. Sometimes I get too full at one meal but that kind of out of control, scary binging hasn't happened for many years.

Soo if you have health issues that make it so you need to avoid certain foods that's one thing, but I think it's important to differentiate between the two (which it sounds like you are). One is about self-care while the other is about self-punishment.

Anyway I'm sure you will find a good solution. While I can't promise you'll lose tons of weight on vanilla, it does seem to get rid of obsessive thinking about food/weight and that's no small thing.

Good luck & sorry for being so long-winded.

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by aspencer27 » Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:09 pm

Linda - glad to hear that the intuitive eating helped so much! I used to eat like that, but somehow got off track and have been struggling to get back on track with it. NoS is helping me get back there though. I think the one thing that I took away from intuitive eating that really helps is to think of yourself as being in charge. You are in charge of what and how much you eat. You can choose to eat more, you can choose to fail on an N day, etc. When I start mindless eating or am thinking about a snack, sweets or seconds, I try to focus on me being in charge.

Heather - don't be too hard on yourself - you are so helpful to me on the boards. Just keep trying to experiment with what works. For me, making very small changes works best. Slow and steady! I'll leave one bite on the plate - eating one less bite is usually pretty easy and it doesn't seem like much, but it does add up. Also, I find that cooking at home versus eating out is HUGE for me. Even if I make decadent meals at home, I think the meals generally have less sodium and fat and are smaller portions. Now, if I could just hire someone to make me some homecooked meals!

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Post by clarinetgal » Tue Aug 12, 2014 1:00 am

Yesterday was a great, and a very moderate S Day. I did have some treats, but the portions were moderate, and I ended the day feeling pleasantly full, but not stuffed and bloated.
Today has been a fail, but not a horrible one. Breakfast was moderate enough. I ended up eating lunch at Meconis sub shop, because I didn't have time to eat lunch after my workout, since I had to take my DS to therapy. One success from that meal was that I deliberately left some of the bread, and I didn't eat some of the cookie. I was too full when I left, but I didn't feel stuffed or bloated.
This afternoon, DH came home from work early, and he asked if I wanted to get some ice cream with him. He rarely ever does this, so I'm totally fine with this fail.

I also made the realization today that I don't think I can fully commit to dieting until my older DS goes back to school (3 more weeks). At this point, I am spending the vast majority of my energy dealing with him and his therapy schedule. In the meantime, I'm just going to do my best. I'm not perma snacking, and I don't get seconds, so it's a good start.

Breakfast: Square bar (a vegan protein bar I tried from Amazon. I doubt I'll buy these again), cashews, Trader Joes tropical fruit blend with a little whipped cream, coffee with creamer.

Lunch: Meconis. Meatball marinara sub, Sun Chips, about 3/4 of a cookie, Diet Coke.

Afternoon: 1 Junior Mint. Coffee with coconut milk and liquid stevia. Baskin Robbins 2 scoop sundae with mint chip for one scoop, and state fair fried dough for the other scoop (yum!!).

Dinner: spiralized zucchini noodles with mushrooms, tomatoes, and shrimp sautéed in coconut oil, and seasoned with no salt seasoning, basil, and black pepper.

Linda, Yes, it is hard to let to of previous eating regimes. Because of my food sensitivities, I don't think I'll be able to completely let go of Paleo, but it's nice to have more freedom in my eating. I am becoming very intrigued with intuitive eating! I know I need some structure, like No S, but I seem to also need the reassurance that no food is forbidden. Thanks!
:D

Aspencer, Thanks! :D I totally agree about making small changes! I try to cook at home, when I can, and I should have more time to do that when DS goes back to school. Yes, I would love to have the money to hire someone to cook for me. :D

Heather

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Post by aspencer27 » Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:44 pm

Awesome job on your S Day and sometimes fail-worthy events are so needed! Sounds like you did great with letting yourself have the treat and not letting it spill into anything else - overall, I'd consider that a WIN!

As for not committing to a diet - eh, I'd focus more on the NoS rules and less on the actual food. I find myself starting to want healthier food more naturally, just because I feel so sluggish after a large and/or unhealthy meal. But, I still have my inner rebellious child that doesn't fully believe I can eat whatever I want, so more often than not, I'll still go for less healthy options.

I definitely think that I needed the structure of NoS to apply the rules of Intuitive Eating - it was just too abstract for me. It focuses on learning your hunger signals, not eating until your full, and allowing yourself to eat whatever you want. NoS is giving me rules as opposed to the free for all I felt before. It's helping me get to the point where I'm not eating until I'm hungry through no snacking and where I'm not eating too much through no seconds. I definitely have major fails still, but I'm a work in progress!

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Post by clarinetgal » Sun Aug 17, 2014 11:48 pm

Aspencer, I hear you on needing some structure! I can also relate on craving healthy foods, after eating a bunch of junk! I'm continuing to work on finding a balance, in terms of the foods I eat, and for how much structure I need.

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Post by lpearlmom » Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:32 am

Glad to see you still here & working hard to find just the right balance for you.

Hang in there!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by clarinetgal » Fri Aug 22, 2014 4:59 am

Thanks, Linda! :D My Internet has been down at my house for a few days, so I've been hanging out at spots with free wifi, when I get the chance. All of the free wifi spots sell food, and I've been buying food there, because a part of me feels obligated to buy something, since I'm using their wifi. When I'm there at lunch, I'll still get lunch, but when I go there in the evening, I've decided I'll just buy tea. I hope things will get back to normal in a few days.

Heather

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Aug 22, 2014 5:54 am

Ugh! Hope it's up and running soon!

Yeah I'd be spending a lot of time at Starbucks & drinking way to much coffee. Wait I do that anyway! :oops:

GL !
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by eschano » Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:36 am

Oh Heather, I hope your internet will work again soon. Pretty impressive on the tea though!
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

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Post by clarinetgal » Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:59 pm

Thanks, Linda and Eschano! :D

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Post by Over43 » Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:56 pm

Does your library have free internet?
Bacon is the gateway meat. - Anthony Bourdain
You pale in comparison to Fox Mulder. - The Smoking Man

I made myself be hungry, then I would get hungrier. - Frank Zane Mr. Olympia '77, '78, '79

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Post by clarinetgal » Sat Aug 23, 2014 7:55 am

I have the Internet back! Woo hoo! :D DH bought a new modem tonight. Anyway, starting tomorrow, I will begin getting back on track with my eating (such as cutting way back on eating out).

O 43, Yes, my library does have free Internet. However, I did most of my free wifi time while my son was in therapy, and the library is a little too far away from the clinic. Thanks! :D

Heather

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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Aug 25, 2014 8:04 am

Today wasn't too bad of an S Day, but I did make a couple of observations for my eating (and this is for me personally, other people could respond totally differently).

1) I don't do well with really high carb breakfasts. Today's breakfast needed to be quick (we had church), so I had a bowl of raisin bran with almond milk, lactose-free yogurt, some cantaloupe, and coffee with homemade coconut milk creamer. While it seemed like a decent amount of food at the time, I was hungry 1.5 hours later -- which is unusual for me. When I eat lower-carb, higher fat breakfasts like my homemade Paleo muffins (I have several good recipes), oatmeal, or eggs, I don't get hungry for at least 3 hours. I think I'll mostly stick with my more satisfying breakfasts, but if I have cereal, I'll pair it with either some meat, or a piece of toast with peanut butter.

2) My body seems to really like fruits and/or veggies with each meal. I've been skimping a little bit on my fruits and veggies lately, and I have felt sluggish, and less energetic. However, I need to find other options besides salads for my veggies (I am extremely bored with salads right now). I know I can do raw veggies with dip ( I would do homemade ranch. I don't like hummus), soup ( when the weather gets colder), cooked veggies with my dinner, or green smoothies. Any other ideas?

3) I definitely need to keep limiting my dairy intake (too much dairy causes me to feel like crud), and a few other things like citrus, spicy foods, and coffee (they aggravate my reflux), but I have pretty much concluded that gluten is NOT a problem for me, which is a relief. I still need to eat mostly gluten free for my older son's sake, but when he is at school, I can sneak it without worrying about it.

Here's what I had today:

Breakfast: Raisin bran with almond milk, lactose free yogurt, cantaloupe, coffee with creamer

Lunch: A chai latte with almond milk, a piece of pumpkin bread, 1 GF mini cupcake, some Annie's white cheddar bunny crackers

Dinner: Fried chicken ( one breast), potato wedges, cole slaw, slice of birthday cake (it was my FILs birthday), small scoop of vanilla ice cream

Tonight: 2 more GF cupcakes. Tea

Note: I am still working on not eating after my boys go to bed. This is still a struggle for me. The 2 mini cupcakes I had tonight was a big improvement (much less than I've been eating at night lately).

Heather

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Post by ironchef » Mon Aug 25, 2014 8:22 am

Sounds like a good day, well done.
clarinetgal wrote:Note: I am still working on not eating after my boys go to bed. This is still a struggle for me. The 2 mini cupcakes I had tonight was a big improvement (much less than I've been eating at night lately).
I find that time of day hard as well. When I put my son down I have a big mental sense of "phew! made it" and then "I need a rest / treat / medal". I need some kind of break or reward before I can launch into evening chores.

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Post by clarinetgal » Mon Aug 25, 2014 12:44 pm

That is exactly the way I feel, ironchef! Drinking some nice tea does feel like somewhat of a treat, so I will continue with that tradition.

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Post by clarinetgal » Tue Aug 26, 2014 8:12 am

I have got to nip this eating after dinner habit in the bud! I failed again tonight. There are a couple of nights where I have to eat at night, because I have band, which means I eat my dinner in the 4 PM hour (and that is too early for me). On those nights, I'll just have to plan something to eat, after I come home from rehearsal. I know my main problem is what ironchef alluded to above; I feel like it's my reward for a busy day with my kids. I also feel like I should have one meal per day where I can eat and not be interrupted by one or both boys. I'm going to try to start going to bed and waking up earlier, so I can have breakfast by myself, at least.
Also, I have got to return to a more moderate carb eating approach, as opposed to eating higher carb, which I've been doing lately. My sugar and carb cravings are really intense right now. I feel sluggish, and it seems like my blood sugar dips a lot more quickly, when I eat higher carb. I will start shifting to more moderate carb eating this week, and I will officially return to moderate carb eating next week. My goal will be to find more recipes, to add variety to my eating.

Heather

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Post by clarinetgal » Wed Aug 27, 2014 12:02 am

I tried a new experiment today. I'll see if I can stick with it. At 4 PM, while my older son was in his home therapy, and my younger son was napping, I had a planned sweets meal. I had a mini almond milk ice cream sandwich, and one coconut milk, coffee flavored ice cream bar. My hypothesis is if I allow myself one planned occasion each day for sweets, then I won't need to binge on them at night. I fully realize I need to cut back on sugar, and I know I need to find other ways to unwind, but I'm hoping this will be a good start.

Breakfast: Coffee with creamer, pumpkin smoothie (yum!), protein bar.

Lunch: Meconis. 1/2 Philly cheese steak sub, chips, diet coke.

Afternoon: Coffee with creamer, mini ice cream sandwich, ice cream bar (made with coconut milk)

Dinner: Chips with salsa, cashews, watermelon, corn on the cob. It was an odd dinner, but my stomach was feeling off, and meat just did not sound good to me.

Tonight was basically a success! I had a very small handful of jelly beans, but otherwise, I ate nothing after dinner. :D

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Aug 27, 2014 5:57 am

I actually think that's a great plan! There's nothing inherently wrong with sugar IMO. There's plenty of non-sugary foods that have as many calories as sugary ones so I think it's fine to have a sweet item a day. You have to have a livable plan for you.

For me I have to have my mochas so I let myself have one a day. It's better than fighting against it constantly and beating myself up for failing everyday. It's important to set ourselves up for success and go from there.

Anyway, let us know how it goes!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by clarinetgal » Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:00 am

Thanks, Linda! It seemed to work okay. I just have to time it, so I'm hungrier for dinner. Yes, I completely agree that you have to make the plan doable for you, whether it's a sweet treat, or a mocha. :D

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Post by worth it » Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:20 am

Ok, so the planned sweet treat during the day sounds like it could work- I have read several other posts where they do the same thing and it hasn't halted their progress at all (wish I could remember who it was, perhaps Imogen?). In fact, I remembering reading one post where it actually helped with their S days to become less wild- they didn't feel restricted from sweets and eventually didn't really care about them. Keep it going girl!

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Post by clarinetgal » Thu Aug 28, 2014 3:41 am

Thanks, Worth It! :D I had a pretty decent eating day today. I still need to reduce my meals, but I'm not eating as much junk, and I'm determined to not binge tonight.

Breakfast: Homemade zucchini muffin, chicken apple sausages, peaches with whipped cream and cinnamon, coffee with creamer.

Lunch: Panda Express. Portions of broccoli beef and orange chicken, with a side of veggies, and an egg roll. Also tried a Harvest Vegetable juice from Jamba Juice. This tasted a little too... Green for my liking, but I did get a really big energy boost after drinking it, so I might experiment with juicing at home, to see if I can find a blend I like.

PM sweet: Creme Brûlée shake from Arby's. The flavor was sort of good, but sort of icky sweet. I don't think I'll buy this shake again.

Dinner: Tuna on a salad, with various veggies, almonds, and light dressing. Toasted coconut cashews.

My son will finish his Summer therapy on Friday, which means no more longish drive, and much less eating out. I ate out so much this Summer, because there was not a lot to do around his clinic, and my leg has been in too much pain to walk for very long (so going on walks was not an option). It will be nice to eat my lunches at home again.

Heather

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