The week started out great!
Monday was chock full of chores, deadlines and prepping. The new morning schedule is working out great- all the editing is done, breakfast eaten and workouts finished by 10:30 am. The rest of the day was spent making up for a too-busy weekend. I brewed two kinds of tea, cleaned out the fridge, cut all of my veggies into bagged snacks to grab and go, and even made a breakfast casserole.
I didn't finish my entire list of things to do that day (will I ever?), but I did what I could at a good pace. I accomplished a lot. I still have a long list, but the stuff I didn't do just went to the top of the list for the next day. A mom's list is never ever totally completed!
One thing I noticed during the latter part of this week is that I was getting physically hungrier, despite the fact I was staying on track. Yes, I rode my bike, but I've been riding regularly, so why the change? I decided to look at my past logs and see what was different.
Sugar and carbs.
This week I had sugary snacks like a Cadbury caramel egg (love those things!), strawberry shortcake, and Swedish fish. Not a lot, mind you, but that was the only difference. Now my stomach is growling first thing in the morning. In fact, any time I had sugar the previous day, my stomach growled earlier the next day- and I wanted to eat more throughout the day.
I admit that I indulged more this week because I thought I could get away with it. Easter is jellybean and chocolate egg season (at least for me), and I thought a little bit of indulgence wouldn't hurt. A little indulgence doesn't hurt- but I was having something sugary every day, which is not good-even if I was staying within my caloric intake.
I also had more bread and pasta than I normally do. Sandwiches, though thrifty foods, don't always do this body good. I love bagels, but bagel sandwiches are close to 600 calories, and half of that is the bagel! So I fixed the situation by slicing the bagels into fourths instead of halves. Did I mention I love my deli slicer? Made the job a snap, and I sliced all the bagels so my family can save calories too- and get twice as many sandwiches out of them!
But still too carby to have every day. It's been a busy week and I was in "Grab and Go" mode. Sigh.
Still hoping to be under 300 pounds soon, and still seeking a scale to use until I can buy one. My ring turns around my finger on a constant basis now, and I even found it on upside down once! My spring pants are a lot more roomy, and shirts that were tight now fit better- still a little snug, but much better than before. WOOHOO!
Lessons Learned:
Sugar is okay in small doses, but reserve the sugary treats to once or twice a week.
Savor sandwiches by putting the sandwich down after each bite, and take smaller bites.
Cutting out isn't an answer, but holding off until you truly crave something is paramount to success.
"Just a small handful" doesn't work if you do it several times a day.
Having an online journal really helped pinpoint the problem- even though I hate journaling.
Unless I'm truly craving something sugary/carby, I need to hold off eating it.
"It's not worth the calories" works- but should especially be applied to carbs and sugar (in my case).
All in all, it was a good week. I keep learning new things about myself as I go, and I like finding out what works for me and what doesn't. I'm pinpointing calories with more accuracy when I'm eating out, as well as gauging serving sizes.
It's starting to warm up outside, and there's a lot of yard work to do. It looks like I'll get the chance to burn more calories this spring!
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