Week Twenty Two: Getting in the Zone

I've started the motor. 

Revved it up a few times.

Coasted for a bit.

My engine started sputtering because I didn't give it enough fuel.

And now? I'm beginning to find my IF zone.

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay 

The week started out with me taking advantage of the Valentines' Day chocolate sales (which were semi-awesome) and ended with me feeling energetic and 'thin' again.

Yippee!

Up and down days worked well this week, though I admit, I could have done better in the salad department. I found myself wanting more after my protein-rich salad, and I indulged myself in something else more often than not- and the extra food wasn't even chocolate-related!

My energy levels went up quite a bit this week, and I got a lot done around the house. The only issue that's arising now is how the family reacts to this new lifestyle.

Some of it's good, but there are still a few things that I instilled in them due to my past bad habits that are harder to get over. Consistency is key to break my bad habits, but it's also the key to getting them to see that the changes aren't temporary. I've been exceedingly inconsistent for most of my life (oh, the irony of being consistent in my inconsistency!), so how else can I prove this isn't some fad diet, and I really can change unless I stick to this IF journey?  

I need to set the pace before they believe I'm in it for the long run. A lifetime run.

I'll be honest. It's a struggle sometimes, but I feel so much better about life in general by the end of the day. This IF journey is changing my body mass and the way I think and feel about life in general. I want to get out more. I want to do more in the house. A year ago, I was contemplating getting a wheelchair. Now I'm planning on taking long walks and looking forward to perusing the local malls (when the pandemic is over).

I'm even starting to like looking in the mirror because there's less of me to see! It doesn't always show in the pictures, but it certainly does in my mind's eye and reflection!

About all of that chocolate I bought- some of it was put into a small stash I keep for myself to enjoy on occasion. I had to have a small space to hide some goodies from the rest of the family because certain members would eat it all, and I started feeling binge-panic. Now that I have a little stash, I can store some goodies just for me, and it totally quells my need to eat everything before it's gone. 

And the funny thing? I hardly ever touch my stash. I had chocolate twice this entire week. I still have some of those Christmas Lindors left as well! I'm not in a panic to eat them, and that feels awesome.

I spent this morning cleaning out the fridge. I never do that. Especially not on a workday. I always saved my energy for work and waited until the weekend when I felt I could spare the energy to do it. 

The downside to this is I found a lot of wasted food because I'm not eating as much, and the family doesn't feel like eating the same things over and over. The freezer is getting very full of leftovers. I never thought we'd have to change the way we cook as well, but it looks like bulk cooking will only be for when the freezers (yes, that's plural) are a lot more empty. 

I am not a garbage disposal! 

I don't need to eat all of the leftovers!

And when the freezer is full, we don't need to cook!

WOOHOO!

The engine is revving, ready to run. And I can't wait to see where it takes me and how far I'll go!

Week Twenty-One: Tweak Until It's Easier

January and February are usually the calm months after the celebratory storms. The big holiday celebrations are over, and things settle down as we pay off the holiday bills and plan for tax season. Jan-yawn-ary and Feb-blah-ary for most folks.

Not in this house. Two or more birthdays, game nights, the Superbowl, and all kinds of mini-eat fests going on. And of course this past weekend, Valentines' Day.

For the first time in at least a decade, we went out to eat for Valentines' Day. To be honest, it was the first time we could afford it! But we've been good, stuck to our budgets (sort of), and even though the city is somewhat shut down, restaurants are still open. Even the rare ones we like. So he made a reservation, and I tweaked my window so I would behave myself. 

Image by free stock photos from www.picjumbo.com from Pixabay 

I was hungry enough to eat more than half, but I finished off the entire thing mainly because I didn't want to take the last 1/3 to 1/4 home. I slowed down finishing off my plate as my husband ordered a dessert (for him- I didn't need one), and I took a small bite of his dessert just to taste it before finishing off my meal.

Ugh. Why do I keep doing this to myself? I was really full- I went to bed full as well because it was a two-hour dinner. However, that was my only overeating experience this week.

Let's just say today is a 'down' day. 

Oddly enough, I find myself falling asleep in the middle of the day on the weekends and even nodding off right before going to work during the week, yet, I have trouble falling asleep at night. This could be because I'm tweaking my food choices and windows a bit more. I had a little more bread during the week this week- but homemade pizza dough shouldn't count- should it? 

Nah. 

I am wondering if it's the yeast that's causing the problem and not the gluten. When I have crackers and biscuits I don't react the same as I do with yeasty bread. I've gotten tested, and gluten isn't the issue.

Here I am writing this blog, and thinking 'Gee, I wonder how many deals I can get on Valentines' Day candy today?' I go to a certain grocery chain for my job, and it takes me to many locations. And each store has different specials going on. 

It's salad day, Beth. Salad. Day.

So maybe I'll get two boxes of candy- one for the family, and one to stow away for myself. A little one, for that occasional craving. Hey, it worked for the Lindors! I still have a few left from Christmas- the rabid wolverines that are my family ate the rest- but I still have mine!

Tweak, tweak, tweak. That's what I love about this way of eating!

Week Twenty: Feed the Machine Weigh-In

It was the greatest week, it was the not-so-greatest week. 

Monday and Tuesday I stayed home because of a major snowstorm. It was awesome! I was at my desk writing, then planning new and more wonderful things to write, spending time reading and watching a few shows with my son who was also off from work. All that good comfy sit-sown stuff we all like to do when it's snowing outside.

Did I exercise? No.

Did I shovel snow? I thought about it, but no.

Did I eat? You bet I did. I didn't overeat, but I ate well.

I worked the last three days of the week without a hitch- I even got a little more exercise (once my knees started working) climbing over heaps of plowed snow trying to get to clients who couldn't shovel their walkways. Ice and arthritic knees are not a good combo, but I persevered and got through each day without injury.

I had two chicken cobb salads during the week, then ran out of salad stuff. We had no intention going back to the mobbed stores filled with storm-panicked customers, so I ate leftovers and did without my salads the rest of the week.

Remember that birthday celebration dinner I mentioned last week? Well, we enjoyed the heck out of ourselves. I tried to hold off eating the entire day, but decided to stop trying to eat one meal a day all the time- this was the weekend...and I'd planned on eating two meals on the weekends- why was I trying to cut down my intake even more?

So I had a little leftover meal about 2:00 pm, and went out to a late dinner with the family.

I had soup for dessert, and so did my son!

I know that sounds weird, but hear me out. We both got soup for an appetizer (cream of chicken rice), and we liked it so much, that when everyone else was ordering dessert, we both decided to have another order of soup instead, because nothing desserty sounded interesting. 

Was I hungry for it? Nope. But I ate it anyway. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Everyone who had the soup liked it so much, we said we would have everyone back on Sunday and make our own version- which is exceedingly popular, by the way- and end the weekend with a night of soup, homemade strawberry swirl cake, and a few games of Catan.

The superbowl wasn't watched for more than a few minutes, just to see if the commercials were good. We turned off the TV after the first few commercials and continued playing Catan instead, which was much more fun!

I had three helpings of soup, and a slice of that strawberry cake (which was only slightly sweet- more like a bread). It was so good! I promised myself to toast a slice of that stuff on Monday and slather some butter on it. 

But wait. Wasn't Monday my weigh-in day?

Oh crap. I forgot again. Sort of.

My mind whirled at the possibilities of what would happen on Monday. I'd eaten my cobb salad twice that week without much else on the salad days. I'd had bread maybe twice that week, not including the strawberry bread. But all that yummy soup and the fruity bread this weekend? Had I just tossed the entire months' progress out the window?

I had to measure myself too. Egad. What would the numbers say?

I immediately started thinking of Plan B. There is another section of the book to try in case you bottom out your metabolism, which is what I thought I did. The last three months were slow progress- especially the most recent month. Could I already have put myself in metabolic limbo? If I had, Plan B was to do the 5:2 plan- open my up windows more on at least four of the five days, and have the cobb salad or a homemade soup on the down days. 

Then I read something that made me rethink what I was doing. I'm hypothyroid. I've been overweight for decades. My resistance is probably really high. Yet, I've been trying to regulate my eating hours!

Instead of up and down sporadic eating windows to knock my metabolism into high gear, I've been doing the opposite- trying to lower those windows- and keep them low- for as long as possible! I need to feed the machine on the up days- and here I've been trying to cut down my weekend hours. Maybe this weekend was a sign that I needed to feed myself to get those metabolic motors restarted. 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

I also knew that one weekend does not a monthly matter make!

Then it was Monday. Weigh-in day. Also measuring day. And the measurements weren't looking good, folks.

I'd lost an inch in my bicep, but gained an inch in my waist? I'd gained one-half inch in my hips and gained two inches in my thigh? Uh oh. This didn't look good.

I went to the scale with a feeling of doom. I saw the number, stepped off, blinked a few times, then stepped back on just to make sure I was reading it right. I'd lost six pounds!

Here are the numbers:

Original numbers:          4 weeks ago:              Now:                Difference:

Weight 363 lbs.                  336                        330                  6 pounds

Biceps- 23"                         21"                        20"                     -1"

Chest- 61-1/2"                 59-1/2"                  59-1/2"                 none

Waist- 58"                       55-1/4"                  56-1/4"                 +1"

Hips- 69-1/2"                     64"                     64-1/2"                 +1/2"

Thigh- 32"                        29-1/2"                 31-1/2"                  +2"

Neck- 18"                         17-3/4"                   same                  none

It was right in the middle of the sweet spot! I still don't know why the measurements and the scale tell a different story- but I'm so grateful it did!

I'd lost a total of 33 pounds so far! WOOHOO!

Apparently this weekend, I needed to feed the machine. I think it also helped a great deal having those robust salads and staying away from bread. Come to think of it, I cut down on the chip snacking as well. Something to think about.

Oh, and after I came home from work? I'd had two slices of that strawberry bread, toasted and buttered. It was better than I imagined. I also ate soup, and had a small meal of sausage and rice with my husband when he came home. I think my total window was four hours. 

I'm also going to get to the store in the next day or two to buy my salad stuff, and maybe a few things for a hearty, healthy soup. It's the beginning of a great new month!

Week Nineteen: Forgotten Celebrations

Remember when I said I was going to behave myself this weekend?

I forgot that there were a few celebrations coming up at the end of the week- and on the weekend. Oops.

Saturday my daughter was taking the journey back to college in New Hampshire. A far walk, but luckily for us it was a short flight, not a long drive- especially when there was a winter storm warning coming on Sunday. We decided to celebrate her going back by getting take out- we live in Philadelphia, cheesesteak capitol of the Universe, so cheesesteaks were ordered, along with pizza, stromboli, and fries. 

Good news- I ate a little of what I wanted. Bad news- the food came late so I had a little something before the food got there. Like, thirty minutes before it got there. I ate too much and felt bloaty. Ugh.

We had to take her to the airport early the next morning: my son decided to get up early and make breakfast for all of us. Sweet kid! No, I didn't eat at this time, so he saved the rest of the for my breakfast- and their lunchtime. After we dropped her off (and after a lot of hugging), my husband and I went on a few errands before going home. 

I was really hungry when we arrived at the house, and immediately checked the fridge for my Friday night leftovers. I was in the middle of toaster oven heaven when my son piped up "Hey Mom, are you eating the breakfast I'd made?"

Oopsy number two. I forgot. So I took out the breakfast he'd made and made a breakfast bowl out of it in the microwave. Beep! It was done in under two minutes. I had just put the fork to my lips when I'd heard a second Beep! That fast I'd forgotten about my yummy Friday leftovers. 

Want to know what the funny thing was? Earlier that week, I'd planned on eating a cobb salad on Saturday. But noooo, instead I ate breakfast and lunch in the same meal, and was mad at myself. Reheated cheesesteak is a bit dry, but re-RE-heated cheesesteak is inedible. So not being one to toss out good food, I ate it. 

Sigh.

I could still salvage the weekend...right? Sunday can be redeeming in more than just one way- at least that was the plan.

Until my husband told me a friend was coming over and we were celebrating his birthday. Triple oops. Forgot this too. I kept thinking it was going to happen next week. My husband, the chef, was making a special cake for him, and that sucker smelled awesome in the oven. Homemade vanilla sponge cake, with a homemade orange cream icing, along with a homemade berry drizzle?

You're kidding, right? I was definitely having some of that cake! I had a small piece after a simple dinner of soup and sandwiches...not too bad...right? Did I also mention I was reminded of the birthday cake after I'd had a breakfast of leftover pizza?

Egad- my mind is like a steel trap- rusted shut.

Image by diapicard from Pixabay 

(this is not a pic of that cake btw...I also forgot to take pictures!)

One more thing I'd forgotten as well- that I have only one more week before I weigh myself. One. I thought I had two. I think this was the first time I actually felt guilty since I started this IFing!

However, this is a new week. The Friday night food is gone. I have good, healthy leftovers in the fridge, including two soups and the makings of several cobb salads. And because of the winter storm (which is still going on), I'm taking the day off from deliveries. You know what that means, don't you?

I'm alone.

In a house with an overstuffed fridge.

With the vestiges of my guilt about my feet.

Wait...the guilt is at my feet? Not on my heart? In my bones? Fluttering in my stomach?

Nope. That was yesterday. This is today.

Yes, today I feel fat. I feel bloated. I am alone in my house with good food, leftover cake and potato chips. I could pig out. I could forget everything I've learned, say "Forget this too!" and break out the mini food shovels, open the fridge, and go for it.

But I'm not going to.

What I am going to do is find out what's going on in my own household, and sync my schedule with my husbands' so I don't have this issue again. Next weekend we are celebrating my sons' birthday, so I know what's coming and I can prepare.

Preparation is half the battle.

I need to food prep for my salads, but I won't do it until my window is open. I don't even want to go downstairs to the first floor yet, because I know what will tempt me. Plenty to do up here on the second floor- including this blog post!

In just a few hours I can take my time prepping and eating what I choose, savor every bit, and find a good book to read until my family gets home. Maybe I'll even read Fast, Feast, Repeat again in certain places, just to refresh what counts for my memory these days.

Maybe I should write a book called Provide, Prepare, Prevent!

If you've fallen off the IF train, don't let guilt ruin the IF ride- toss it by the side of the road, pull up those pants, cinch that belt and get back on that train!