Eleven short weeks, and I will be on this journey for an entire year. That's a lot to think about.
I lost most of my weight in the first half of these forty-plus weeks, and the latter trying to maintain- or not gain so much as to weigh over 300 pounds. It's been a struggle.
Right now I'm not only fighting fat, I'm fighting peri-menopause, dental issues and financial fallout. That's a lot to juggle in a day, no less for a three month stretch! Though I'm not giving up fighting fat, I really do need to find time to rest and heal up a bit.
Nothing can be more distracting than a sore mouth when you need to focus- and not all healthy foods are soft foods. The good news is not all bad foods are soft foods either!
I'm working on herbal solutions for the menopausal thing; unfortunately I have to take antibiotics for my infected gums. Odd jobs can be expounded on for more fundage, so I can work on that as I trudge along.
Cooked veggies are becoming more prominent on the menu- and home-grown beets out of the garden then slow roasted are awesome! They're naturally sweet and are great hot or cold- and taste much better than the ones I bought at the store!
And they're easy to chew. Oh yeah!
While I'm eating my soft veggies, I'll be taking a look at my past posts from the beginning of this New Eating Lifestyle. Seeing how far I've come can help me stay on track to lose more!
Lessons Learned:
Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you need to switch gears concerning diet when some foods are hard to eat.
It's okay to falter- as long as you get back up and do it again!
Reviewing past posts can revive the spirit- and see where things could be changed.
Stop telling yourself you'll do better tomorrow- tell yourself you'll do better right now. One screw-up won't ruin the entire day, but bingeing will!
I'm going through a lot of changes lately, but that will only help me get stronger in the long run. I'll learn from the trips and spills, pick myself up, dust myself off and get back in the game. Can you imagine what the posts will be a year from now? I know I can!
Monday, October 26, 2015
Monday, October 19, 2015
Week Forty: The Dear-God-What-Happened? New Eating Lifestyle
Where did the week go?
I managed to work two days this week, but the rest of the week was a wash. Sickness is never fun. This time I had no problem eating- and guess what? I gained back those five unwelcome pounds.
Of course it could be water weight, but it also could be that this is my plateau weight range. 290-295 pounds is my plateau zone.
I'm not going to try to break this zone just yet. My body is still sluggish, so all-out workouts just won't happen- but I can control what I eat to lose some of it, so that's what I'll do.
Breakfast has changed here and there for workday mornings, but has mostly been lean roasted chicken, raw spinach and cherry tomatoes. These do a body good, and I can eat them on the fly when waiting between drives. I'm not starving when I get home (or if I get done in time to go to the gym), so I'm not eating like a rabid beast at lunchtime.
Idle hands while staying home? Not such a good idea. Stress eating doesn't do a body good!
Lessons learned:
When sick, stay upstairs as long as possible. No TV or computer up there. The only item is my laptop- which I never remove from my writing room- and the only thing I do on that machine is write. I never eat in any of the upstairs rooms.
Remove all food nearby when I want to graze. I was surprised how much PB I consumed with a butter knife while watching a movie. A little dab won't do ya!
If you still want to munch, make it veggies or watermelon- something that will fill you up, satisfy the crunch/sweet craving, but not cost a lot in calories.
Find something better to do with your hands other than scrape the vestiges of PB from the bottom of a jar!
Alas, I have gained back the weight. Yet I'll lose it again. Hopefully I'll lose more than five in the next few weeks. In the meantime, the PB will go back on the shelf, the watermelon is cut, and I have plenty of things to do with my hands- including writing this blog!
I managed to work two days this week, but the rest of the week was a wash. Sickness is never fun. This time I had no problem eating- and guess what? I gained back those five unwelcome pounds.
Of course it could be water weight, but it also could be that this is my plateau weight range. 290-295 pounds is my plateau zone.
I'm not going to try to break this zone just yet. My body is still sluggish, so all-out workouts just won't happen- but I can control what I eat to lose some of it, so that's what I'll do.
Breakfast has changed here and there for workday mornings, but has mostly been lean roasted chicken, raw spinach and cherry tomatoes. These do a body good, and I can eat them on the fly when waiting between drives. I'm not starving when I get home (or if I get done in time to go to the gym), so I'm not eating like a rabid beast at lunchtime.
Idle hands while staying home? Not such a good idea. Stress eating doesn't do a body good!
Lessons learned:
When sick, stay upstairs as long as possible. No TV or computer up there. The only item is my laptop- which I never remove from my writing room- and the only thing I do on that machine is write. I never eat in any of the upstairs rooms.
Remove all food nearby when I want to graze. I was surprised how much PB I consumed with a butter knife while watching a movie. A little dab won't do ya!
If you still want to munch, make it veggies or watermelon- something that will fill you up, satisfy the crunch/sweet craving, but not cost a lot in calories.
Find something better to do with your hands other than scrape the vestiges of PB from the bottom of a jar!
Alas, I have gained back the weight. Yet I'll lose it again. Hopefully I'll lose more than five in the next few weeks. In the meantime, the PB will go back on the shelf, the watermelon is cut, and I have plenty of things to do with my hands- including writing this blog!
Monday, October 12, 2015
Week Thirty Nine: The Dear-God-The-Weight-Flu-Off New eating Lifestyle
No, that wasn't a misspelling. The weight really did 'flu' off.
This was a week of sickness. Not so much for me, but for my family- then me. My son started it, then my husband, so I went into Mommy Mode and made a huge pot pf chicken noodle soup. I don't know what you use for sicknesses, but this homemade soup does wonders for us.
I was too busy to eat as much as I have been because I spent my energy taking care of them. I also had to work longer and pitch in more concerning chores, and by the time dinner was finished, so was I.
Despite all of my preventative measures, I got the flu this weekend.
I'm still a little wonky, so I'm staying home today also. Yes, I'll lose a day of work, but having a bathroom nearby is just a wee bit more important at the moment! Lucky for me I have at least two working brain cells to make my blog posts this morning.
I took my now recovered husband to work and while there, I weighed myself. I lost five of the seven pounds I gained!
So now my weight is an even 290 pounds.
Being sick had its advantages after all!
Normally I don't lose weight. I usually gain weight because I get a cold, and you know the adage "Starve a fever, feed a cold"- and I fed that sucker. This time it was a fever and a sour stomach, so even the thought of food made me want to hide under the covers.
Still a five pound loss over a week? Maybe some of it was water loss. At this point I'm not caring too much as to the why- I'll just celebrate because I'm only two pounds heavier than my greatest loss.
I'd dance like a lunatic, but my stomach is still a bit wonky, so I'll do it in my head- and on my blog.
*dance, dance, twirl...backflip, split, do the worm, jump to my feet, twirl, twirl, dance, take a bow*
Lessons learned:
Sickness can be a good thing- especially when it resets your tummy for lesser storage.
Those 'sometimes' snacks should possibly become 'don't eat that' snacks. Or 'only at parties' snacks.
Listen to your body when you're sick. It's okay not to eat your own chicken noodle soup if the smell makes you gag.
Keep hydrated when sick, even if it takes you ten minutes to shuffle to the bathroom and back. Just consider it a mild gym workout every couple of hours.
You can do your best thinking on the road to recovery.
You can also gain a lot of perspective.
This was a tough week, health-wise. But everyone is slowly getting back to normal (at least our version of normal), and I already have ideas on rewriting the family budget, getting the house clean (since the kids are off today), and making sure I rest and sip my soup.
God is good! He even made being sick a blessing!
I'll be honest with you- that seven pound gain scared the bejoobees out of me! I kept thinking about how hard it's been to lose a single pound, and I gained seven. Being sick was a definite blessing, in its own weird way. Now all I have to do is behave, eat right- and pick up all of my bejoobees.
This was a week of sickness. Not so much for me, but for my family- then me. My son started it, then my husband, so I went into Mommy Mode and made a huge pot pf chicken noodle soup. I don't know what you use for sicknesses, but this homemade soup does wonders for us.
I was too busy to eat as much as I have been because I spent my energy taking care of them. I also had to work longer and pitch in more concerning chores, and by the time dinner was finished, so was I.
Despite all of my preventative measures, I got the flu this weekend.
I'm still a little wonky, so I'm staying home today also. Yes, I'll lose a day of work, but having a bathroom nearby is just a wee bit more important at the moment! Lucky for me I have at least two working brain cells to make my blog posts this morning.
I took my now recovered husband to work and while there, I weighed myself. I lost five of the seven pounds I gained!
So now my weight is an even 290 pounds.
Being sick had its advantages after all!
Normally I don't lose weight. I usually gain weight because I get a cold, and you know the adage "Starve a fever, feed a cold"- and I fed that sucker. This time it was a fever and a sour stomach, so even the thought of food made me want to hide under the covers.
Still a five pound loss over a week? Maybe some of it was water loss. At this point I'm not caring too much as to the why- I'll just celebrate because I'm only two pounds heavier than my greatest loss.
I'd dance like a lunatic, but my stomach is still a bit wonky, so I'll do it in my head- and on my blog.
*dance, dance, twirl...backflip, split, do the worm, jump to my feet, twirl, twirl, dance, take a bow*
Lessons learned:
Sickness can be a good thing- especially when it resets your tummy for lesser storage.
Those 'sometimes' snacks should possibly become 'don't eat that' snacks. Or 'only at parties' snacks.
Listen to your body when you're sick. It's okay not to eat your own chicken noodle soup if the smell makes you gag.
Keep hydrated when sick, even if it takes you ten minutes to shuffle to the bathroom and back. Just consider it a mild gym workout every couple of hours.
You can do your best thinking on the road to recovery.
You can also gain a lot of perspective.
This was a tough week, health-wise. But everyone is slowly getting back to normal (at least our version of normal), and I already have ideas on rewriting the family budget, getting the house clean (since the kids are off today), and making sure I rest and sip my soup.
God is good! He even made being sick a blessing!
I'll be honest with you- that seven pound gain scared the bejoobees out of me! I kept thinking about how hard it's been to lose a single pound, and I gained seven. Being sick was a definite blessing, in its own weird way. Now all I have to do is behave, eat right- and pick up all of my bejoobees.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Week Thirty Eight: The Dear-God-It's-A-Tough-Fight! New Eating Lifestyle
I did the one thing I didn't want to do this week. I stepped on a scale.
I really didn't want to. Truly. I'd rather have painted the house than to step on the stupid scale. But I had to know just how bad a blew it.
Ugh.
I now weigh 295. A seven pound gain.
Double ugh.
Okay it's not so bad that I can't bounce back from it (though 'bounce' might not be the best word...sheesh!), but it's a big enough gain that I need to do something. Fast.
The problem is when I work, it's best for me to do the gym right afterwards, but menopause has hit me hard. I don't eat much in the mornings anymore, and by the time I finish working, it's almost lunch and I have no energy- not the best time to go to the gym.
I'm not making excuses. It's just the way things are going at the present moment. I've got to find a better way to get that exercise in, even if it means I do it after dinner. Or after lunch. Or after writing.
Egad, I wear way too many hats.
I've been thinking about joining a walking group. I've been thinking about starting a walking group. Just one more responsibility to add to the list! At least if I did this one, it might do a body good. Exercise reduces stress, and I could use a boatload of that right now.
Diet alone won't do it. Neither will exercise alone. I have to do both- there's no way around it. Especially if I want to avoid those 'miracle pills' and other weird things they make people do to lose weight.
Working as a driver, there isn't a lot of time to eat, but very little exercise. However, when I took that week off, that's when I gained the most weight- more than half the gain was in that week! So after a week or two back at work might help me lose something other than my schmidt! Now all I have to do is find something that's low intensity exercise and still keeps me away from food (at least for the most part), then the weight should melt off. I'll worry about sweating and raised heart rates later.
I need to keep my hands busy without sitting all the time. Egad- could it be? Would housework be the answer? Ewwww!
Although this is leaf raking season. That could be a good 'all over' workout! Hmm...
Lessons learned:
Some form of exercise must be done each day. Including...*shudder*...housework.
Stop having seconds- you're doing it again!
Remind yourself that the calories aren't worth it.
Don't beat yourself up over the gain. Learn from it.
Stop trying to fight this yourself. Join a group, create a group, or involve the family to motivate you to exercise more.
Reward your efforts with activities or a good book- not goodies.
If you can't live with 'just one taste', then do without it. You can't miss what you haven't tasted (or have seconds either!)
This is not an easy road for me to travel. To be honest, I'd thought I'd be a lot thinner by now. But that's okay- I'm still forty pounds lost, and I can lose that seven again. I will lose that seven again. I just might need some help this time, even if it's someone nagging me to take that walk! I might not be able to depend on anyone to go with me, but I know I can depend on a lot of people to nag me to get out there and do it!
I really didn't want to. Truly. I'd rather have painted the house than to step on the stupid scale. But I had to know just how bad a blew it.
Ugh.
I now weigh 295. A seven pound gain.
Double ugh.
Okay it's not so bad that I can't bounce back from it (though 'bounce' might not be the best word...sheesh!), but it's a big enough gain that I need to do something. Fast.
The problem is when I work, it's best for me to do the gym right afterwards, but menopause has hit me hard. I don't eat much in the mornings anymore, and by the time I finish working, it's almost lunch and I have no energy- not the best time to go to the gym.
I'm not making excuses. It's just the way things are going at the present moment. I've got to find a better way to get that exercise in, even if it means I do it after dinner. Or after lunch. Or after writing.
Egad, I wear way too many hats.
I've been thinking about joining a walking group. I've been thinking about starting a walking group. Just one more responsibility to add to the list! At least if I did this one, it might do a body good. Exercise reduces stress, and I could use a boatload of that right now.
Diet alone won't do it. Neither will exercise alone. I have to do both- there's no way around it. Especially if I want to avoid those 'miracle pills' and other weird things they make people do to lose weight.
Working as a driver, there isn't a lot of time to eat, but very little exercise. However, when I took that week off, that's when I gained the most weight- more than half the gain was in that week! So after a week or two back at work might help me lose something other than my schmidt! Now all I have to do is find something that's low intensity exercise and still keeps me away from food (at least for the most part), then the weight should melt off. I'll worry about sweating and raised heart rates later.
I need to keep my hands busy without sitting all the time. Egad- could it be? Would housework be the answer? Ewwww!
Although this is leaf raking season. That could be a good 'all over' workout! Hmm...
Lessons learned:
Some form of exercise must be done each day. Including...*shudder*...housework.
Stop having seconds- you're doing it again!
Remind yourself that the calories aren't worth it.
Don't beat yourself up over the gain. Learn from it.
Stop trying to fight this yourself. Join a group, create a group, or involve the family to motivate you to exercise more.
Reward your efforts with activities or a good book- not goodies.
If you can't live with 'just one taste', then do without it. You can't miss what you haven't tasted (or have seconds either!)
This is not an easy road for me to travel. To be honest, I'd thought I'd be a lot thinner by now. But that's okay- I'm still forty pounds lost, and I can lose that seven again. I will lose that seven again. I just might need some help this time, even if it's someone nagging me to take that walk! I might not be able to depend on anyone to go with me, but I know I can depend on a lot of people to nag me to get out there and do it!
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