5/7 to 5/14 BWW weight loss thread.

[gwendolyn]

Date: 5/9/2008 10:25:00 AM
Author: SarahLovesJS
Ditto! My Mom was also having issues with this. She was so frustrated, and when she went to the doctor he told her the same thing. It just takes time sometimes.

Don''t worry about weight as much as inches/shape. You might want to try to vary your workouts if you don''t, but it sounds like you are doing great!

If other people are noticing, then you''ve definitely made progress!


ETA: Thank you Gwendolyn! Do you usually go by Gwen or Gwendolyn? Sigh I know what you mean about breakfast, I am just not hungry! Ugh. And busy of course. All right I am really leaving now.

Hehe, Sarah, you are too cute! I actually made myself have breakfast this morning because I know it''s better for me--just some low fat yogurt. And you can call me anything your little heart desires--Gwen is fine, if you don''t want to type out the whole thing. It''s not my real name, so any version of it is a-ok with me.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

mjso and icekid thank you for the advice!
Zoe Thank you!
Gwen! Haha Gwen it is! I slept through breakfast today, bad me!

Today so Far: Let''s see. We went to Panera for lunch, so I deem that a moderately healthy lunch. After that we walked all around the shopping center which is some decent exercise I think. FI also got his hair cut, yaaaaay! I love it when he gets his hair cut. As soon as my headache goes away I am going to take my LSAT assessment test. Wish me some luck.

I picked up the US News best grad schools book and I am feeling a bit more confident, so that''s good. I know it''s not 100% or anything, but it gives me a score to aim toward.

Well, I will be back later. FI has challenged me to Wii Mario Kart and I must accept the challenge!

 

[Gypsy]

Hello!

Update: I''ve been meeting OR EXEEDING my water goals since I posted about the vitamin water!! My headache is in it''s god-knows how many day... but it''s getting better. 3rd? 4th? And it was terrible yesterday, but just nagging today.

I went to La Salsa for lunch. I got two tacos la salsa... no cheese. So really just corn tortilla, meat (carnitas), lettuce and salsa. It was good and filling and though I was tempted by the numeous hih calorie things on the menu, I was very satisfied with what I ordered (which is actually just my favorite thing to order there). I''ve been drinking water, that''s about all I''ve had today. It''s almost seven though and I''m really hungry.

I''ve been taking my metformin regularly. I think I''m going to step up to 3 pills a day today. I also made sure to park FAR away from places I was going today to force myself to walk. It felt good. Honestly, it''s the ONLY excercise I''ve gotten in weeks, and I liked it.

So I''m thinking about walking about with John tonight after dinner! I think we are going to see a movie tonight.

Tomorrow is mother''s day and we are making brunch for my mom. I think we''re going to do omlettes, hash browns, and berries with creme. But I''m actually leaning toward steak, eggs, and berries instead. I want to get an ostrich or buffalo steak for it, so I''ll have to go to whole foods and see what I find.

AND I .... stepped on a scale today! I KNEW I needed to so that I could track my weight and so forth. But I''ve been avoiding it. It wasn''t as high as I thought, so that was nice. Especially as I did it just before shopping. I went shopping and I''m between sizes... 14-16, and I''m ''normally'' a 12-14, so I know I''m heavier... but I it didn''t depress me too much as I''ve already started taking steps to deal with it.

This has been a really positive things. These baby steps!!

October.. .Sarah... other ''camel'' ladies... how are we doing on our water? Any tricks? The large bottle trick (thank you whoever suggested it) is one that''s working for me. It gives me a tangible goal to work toward.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 5/9/2008 9:51:58 AM
Author: Lauren1116

Date: 5/8/2008 11:22:15 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
Oh! and for making it to the gym during the week - its tough, and honestly, there are times I don''t go. Things that I''ve found that help:


1. a gym partner. This is really fantastic but can be tough to find.


2. ''bribing'' myself - I''ll put fun new songs on my iPod or buy a fun magazine, but I can''t listen to the music except at the gym, or look at the magazine unless I''ve worked out (or while working out!). My gym also has TVs on the cardio machines and I watch super-junky TV sometimes, just because I can.


3. rewarding yourself - make a deal with yourself - if I go to the gym three times this week and next week, I can buy a new pair of shoes, or a great purse, or whatever your ''thing'' is.


4. writing it into my schedule ahead of time - as much as possible, I try to write it in my planner so I have the time already carved out, and that helps.

I like those ideas.

What also works for me is going in the morning before work. Lots of days things come up in the evening or afternoon and that is a reason or excuse not to go. Nothing ever comes up at 5 am when I wake up to go to the gym. It took a solid 2 weeks of getting up and going before I got used to it and I wasn''t dragging myself but now I feel better all day. I workout Monday through Friday without interuption. I sleep better at night. And if I am super motivated or not thrilled with my food choices that day I can follow up my am workout with a short 30 minute afternoon workout.

I like these ideas! Thanks AG and Lauren.

I think I''ll try the bride thing. LOL. But short term bribes as long term goal bribes don''t work for me, apparently!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 5/10/2008 10:00:37 PM
Author: Gypsy
Hello!


Update: I''ve been meeting OR EXEEDING my water goals since I posted about the vitamin water!! My headache is in it''s god-knows how many day... but it''s getting better. 3rd? 4th? And it was terrible yesterday, but just nagging today.


I went to La Salsa for lunch. I got two tacos la salsa... no cheese. So really just corn tortilla, meat (carnitas), lettuce and salsa. It was good and filling and though I was tempted by the numeous hih calorie things on the menu, I was very satisfied with what I ordered (which is actually just my favorite thing to order there). I''ve been drinking water, that''s about all I''ve had today. It''s almost seven though and I''m really hungry.


I''ve been taking my metformin regularly. I think I''m going to step up to 3 pills a day today. I also made sure to park FAR away from places I was going today to force myself to walk. It felt good. Honestly, it''s the ONLY excercise I''ve gotten in weeks, and I liked it.


So I''m thinking about walking about with John tonight after dinner! I think we are going to see a movie tonight.


Tomorrow is mother''s day and we are making brunch for my mom. I think we''re going to do omlettes, hash browns, and berries with creme. But I''m actually leaning toward steak, eggs, and berries instead. I want to get an ostrich or buffalo steak for it, so I''ll have to go to whole foods and see what I find.


AND I .... stepped on a scale today! I KNEW I needed to so that I could track my weight and so forth. But I''ve been avoiding it. It wasn''t as high as I thought, so that was nice. Especially as I did it just before shopping. I went shopping and I''m between sizes... 14-16, and I''m ''normally'' a 12-14, so I know I''m heavier... but I it didn''t depress me too much as I''ve already started taking steps to deal with it.


This has been a really positive things. These baby steps!!


October.. .Sarah... other ''camel'' ladies... how are we doing on our water? Any tricks? The large bottle trick (thank you whoever suggested it) is one that''s working for me. It gives me a tangible goal to work toward.

Oh honey this just sounds so positive and hopeful - it made me smile just reading it

You are doing so well with your habits but more importantly with your attitude and I''m so proud of you and happy for you. Baby steps is right, and before you know it you''ll look up and realize you''re there

 

[Gypsy]

Aww. Thanks AG! ((HUGS)). Wanna help me come up with bribes next week?

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Date: 5/10/2008 10:27:13 PM
Author: Gypsy
Aww. Thanks AG! ((HUGS)). Wanna help me come up with bribes next week?

Woo! My water is going okay. Not great, but okay! I am up to one whole bottle today.

I won''t be going to bed any time soon, so I am going to try to get like 3 or 4 glasses in before then. Thought you might find this funny Gypsy, FI and I took LSAT practice tests for fun. Yeah I know how fun,

, but I used it to bribe myself to take it. He can get into Yale with his practice score..I can''t get in anywhere decent.

Ahhh I guess he''ll have to help me study!! He obviously understands it better than me.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 5/10/2008 10:27:13 PM
Author: Gypsy
Aww. Thanks AG! ((HUGS)). Wanna help me come up with bribes next week?

I''m TOTALLY up for coming up with bribes. I could use a few myself - I''ve been sort of slacking off on my running lately and need to really work on getting back into it.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 5/10/2008 11:52:45 PM
Author: SarahLovesJS

Date: 5/10/2008 10:27:13 PM

Author: Gypsy

Aww. Thanks AG! ((HUGS)). Wanna help me come up with bribes next week?

Woo! My water is going okay. Not great, but okay! I am up to one whole bottle today.

I won''t be going to bed any time soon, so I am going to try to get like 3 or 4 glasses in before then. Thought you might find this funny Gypsy, FI and I took LSAT practice tests for fun. Yeah I know how fun,

, but I used it to bribe myself to take it. He can get into Yale with his practice score..I can''t get in anywhere decent.

Ahhh I guess he''ll have to help me study!! He obviously understands it better than me.

Sarah - I totally forgot to say congrats on your summer job a few pages back

And I think its great that your FI is going to help you with LSAT stuff - keep it up with the water

 

[gwendolyn]

Ok...

Breakfast: low-fat yogurt
Lunch: Ramen noodles (I am basically out of food!)
Dinner: Lentil & veggie soup, labeled a healthy choice option (but it''s not Healthy Choice the brand, I''m in the UK, that doesn''t exist here)

So, moderately healthy, yeah? Except I sat on my butt all day, working on this bleepin'' paper.

 

[sumbride]

I survived! The MIL wanted to go to Outback for Mother''s day. OUTBACK. Ugh, the madness! The HOURS we had to wait to go to a flippin'' kitschy mediocre steakhouse! But it''s what she wanted, so we did it. I avoided the Bloomin'' Onion by being cold and not sitting outside with them while they ate it. I''d looked up the nutrition info before we left, so I had the 7 oz filet with steamed veggies (pretty sure they had butter on them...) and the wild rice, but I only ate a little bit of it. Skipped the bread and the alcohol. I feel like I made the right choices and I actually walked out a little bit hungry, but I think it was mostly emotional (as this woman is AWFUL) and now that we''re home I don''t really feel hungry anymore. Not full, but not hungry.

How did everyone else handle this emotional and food-filled day?

 

[October2008bride]

Date: 5/10/2008 10:00:37 PM
Author: Gypsy
Hello!

Update: I''ve been meeting OR EXEEDING my water goals since I posted about the vitamin water!! My headache is in it''s god-knows how many day... but it''s getting better. 3rd? 4th? And it was terrible yesterday, but just nagging today.

I went to La Salsa for lunch. I got two tacos la salsa... no cheese. So really just corn tortilla, meat (carnitas), lettuce and salsa. It was good and filling and though I was tempted by the numeous hih calorie things on the menu, I was very satisfied with what I ordered (which is actually just my favorite thing to order there). I''ve been drinking water, that''s about all I''ve had today. It''s almost seven though and I''m really hungry.

I''ve been taking my metformin regularly. I think I''m going to step up to 3 pills a day today. I also made sure to park FAR away from places I was going today to force myself to walk. It felt good. Honestly, it''s the ONLY excercise I''ve gotten in weeks, and I liked it.

So I''m thinking about walking about with John tonight after dinner! I think we are going to see a movie tonight.

Tomorrow is mother''s day and we are making brunch for my mom. I think we''re going to do omlettes, hash browns, and berries with creme. But I''m actually leaning toward steak, eggs, and berries instead. I want to get an ostrich or buffalo steak for it, so I''ll have to go to whole foods and see what I find.

AND I .... stepped on a scale today! I KNEW I needed to so that I could track my weight and so forth. But I''ve been avoiding it. It wasn''t as high as I thought, so that was nice. Especially as I did it just before shopping. I went shopping and I''m between sizes... 14-16, and I''m ''normally'' a 12-14, so I know I''m heavier... but I it didn''t depress me too much as I''ve already started taking steps to deal with it.

This has been a really positive things. These baby steps!!

October.. .Sarah... other ''camel'' ladies... how are we doing on our water? Any tricks? The large bottle trick (thank you whoever suggested it) is one that''s working for me. It gives me a tangible goal to work toward.

Awesome job Gypsy! I''m very impressed with the water drinking - I am still not doing great but I''m going to try to start fresh tomorrow. What vitamin water do you like best? They just started selling it here (canada) so I can go grab some tomorrow.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Thank you AmberGretchen!! Any guy that will willingly take a grueling test like that is a sweetie in my book, haha. Or crazy.

Hello all! I am super late today. I drove home from school amidst bad storms, but I couldn''t stand to see my Mom be alone on Mother''s Day!

My Dad had to work, and there''s no way our puppy will suffice as a stand-in kid. Hehe.

Safe to say I think we blew our diets, well I did at the Japanese restaurant we went to for dinner. Oh well! Anyway, other than that I did decently today. FI and I went out and walked around a bit which was fun. So I wanted to pop in and say hello. How was the water today Gypsy? I didn''t do so well, but I tried. I still have a bit of time left. Oh God I left the Wii at home with FI and I am feeling some Mario Kart withdrawal!

How was everyone''s day?

Gwen How''s the paper going? What''s it on?

Hey sumbride I love Outback! Okay well I don''t love Outback, but I love this one drink they have.

Glad to hear you survived!

Gypsy, October, etc., how''s the water?

 

[zoebartlett]

Happy Monday!

Congrats on the water Gypsy!

Sumbride -- thanks for your message. I''ll get back to ya when I get a chance. It sounds like you had a yummy dinner, regardless of where it was.

Ooohh just looked at the time and I have to run. Have a good day everyone!

Real quick -- yesterday I had 2 pancakes (homemade) and a little low sugar maple syrup. Then we went to my parents'' and had baked herb chicken that my dad had made. It was really yummy. We didn''t have a starch but we did have green beans with slivered almonds. THen for dessert my dad had bought an ice cream cake. It was really good.

So far today I''ve just had a bowl of raisin bran with skim milk. I''m going to have a WW Smart Ones for lunch, and I''m not sure what we''ll do for dinner.

I''ll try to check in later.

 

[Courtneylub]

So...I did BAD yesterday. I read that a couple of people didn''t like when we used the terms "good" or "bad" when referring to dieting. How else am I supposed to express that I ate horribly yesterday?

I''ve gained 4 lbs over the weekend.

This is what I do. Workout and eat well during the week...then screw it up on the weekends. I''ll never change!

 

[Stephanie]

Date: 5/10/2008 10:00:37 PM
Author: Gypsy
October.. .Sarah... other ''camel'' ladies... how are we doing on our water? Any tricks? The large bottle trick (thank you whoever suggested it) is one that''s working for me. It gives me a tangible goal to work toward.

Sweet! The large bottles are the only way I can do it. I can''t drink several tiny ones, but two big ones I can down before four in the afternoon. And it''s really helpful to use a full bottle as a weight when I go walking during lunch. Other tricks for water consumption - now these may only work for me - if I start to feel "snacky" I drink some (8 oz at least) water and walk around for a few minutes; I try to get a whole 8oz in before leaving the house in the morning (I eat breakfast at work, but I''ll try to drink a whole glass when I first wake up); have your bottles ready to go so you have no excuse for not grabbing one (I''ll keep a nalgene bottle in the fridge, throw some ice in, and out the door); and, as silly as it sounds, always have a bottle on you (I will literally keep a bottle of water in hand or in my purse.

Those are a few tricks I guess.

I haven''t read everyone''s posts from the weekend yet, but I will get to it. Looks like some people were making some healthy choices while out to dinner. I, however, did not. I know this sounds odd, but I eat better during the week and then blow up the caloric scale on the weekends

. I really need to focus on eating well all the time, not just part of the time.That''s my goal for the next few weeks - to really concentrate on my weekend habits because they are awful!

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 5/12/2008 12:11:42 AM
Author: SarahLovesJS
Gwen How's the paper going? What's it on?

Hey, sweetie, thanks for asking!

It's my master's dissertation. I'm currently at Cambridge getting a degree in special education, and 80% of my grade (or some ridiculously huge percent like that) is dependent upon the 20,000-word paper I will write up about the research I conducted last month. It's due July 14th, which sometimes feels like it's right around the corner (I haven't started actually *writing* any of it, just doing prep work for it), and sometimes feels like it's aaaages away!

Mostly I have to get my rear in gear, since it's due in two months but I'm supposed to have a rough draft of the whole thing in a month. Yikes! Need to get to it!

Food-wise, I was bad and skipped breakfast this morning again.

Got caught up applying for teaching jobs here in the UK and was excited because a few people emailed me back right away for more info, but then didn't eat before my research seminar.

Lunch wasn't awful..? I had an egg-salad sandwich with slices of sausage and Branston (sp?) pickle (it's a British thing, rather tasty), and a pear, and a Diet Coke. Not sure what dinner will be yet.

 

[Gypsy]

Amber-- we''ll do bribes and get us both on track.

Sarah, water was at the goal or over all through the weekend. Headache finally went away around noon on Sunday. YAY!

Saturday night we went to a sushi buffet, but even though I was starving when we walked in, I didn''t eat a lot. I''ve been getting full quicker recently, which is nice. Went to the movies (Iron Man ROCKS!), had water and a couple of John''s sour patch kids... about 5 of them.

Sunday, I don''t know... I got my monthly, and can''t stand the thought of eating meat. Cooked steak and eggs for mothers day, it was good, but I only managed to choke down some eggs and for dinner all I had was a small baked potatoe with lowfat sourcream, and some bread and butter.

Today, had cereal for breakfast with bananas (kashi hearts, non fat milk, one banana). Feeling very full and a little icky in my belly.

Sarah, the LSAT was hard for me the first few practices, until I learned the tricks, and got my brained used to thinking the way it wants me to. I''m glad your fiance will be helping you! Good luck honey. As for mother''s day... I LOVE Japanese steakhouses. YUM. Just get back on the horse today, and it will be fine!

Sumbride--- YAY on conquering Outback, I love their bread, so I''m really impressed! Sorry FMIL is such a PITA and makes you want to eat. Can we get you a doll of her and you can stick pins in it whenever she makes you hungry?

Hi Octoberbride-- I think my favorite is the dragonwater (red, has vitamin C), but I pretty much all of them except focus (strawberry something). They do have a lot of sugar though. But it''s a good thing to start you off on the habit!!


Thank you Zoe! Keep up the good work!


Courtney... I don''t get the good and bad thing either... but I guess that''s why I need to pick up the book! Why don''t we pick it up together? As for weekends versus weekdays. Can you increase your exercise or water intake to compensate?

Hi Stephanie... great tips! The big bottle thing held up through the weekend too! I don''t have any water or even a bottle at my desk right now, but I''ll fix that at lunch. I''ve had only tea (unsweetened) and milk this morning. I will try your tip regarding a glass of water when feeling snacky. I think I can handle that!

Gwen... Cambridge! Wow, great accomplishment. the egg sandwich sounds yummy! It''s hard for me to remember berakfast too, so I totally understand getting caught up!

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 5/12/2008 1:22:37 PM
Author: Gypsy
Gwen... Cambridge! Wow, great accomplishment. the egg sandwich sounds yummy! It's hard for me to remember berakfast too, so I totally understand getting caught up!

Thanks, babe!

The egg sandwich was pretty yummy, especially since I skipped breakfast and had it seasoned with my hunger! I see that you had Kashi hearts this morning--I love Kashi cereal, especially the hearts! Cute and tasty to boot. I can't bring myself to buy any cereal here in the UK--it's almost the equivalent of $10/box.

ETA: For dinner!!! My wonderful, gorgeous, fabulous neighbour Nathalie is going to cook for me tonight! She is a wonderful cook--born and raised in France but has been living in China for the past 5 years. Her cooking is to die for! So...uh...probably not all that healthy, but oh so good.

 

[Stephanie]

Date: 5/12/2008 1:22:37 PM
Author: Gypsy
Today, had cereal for breakfast with bananas (kashi hearts, non fat milk, one banana). Feeling very full and a little icky in my belly.

Kashi does the same to me. I think it's the protein in the milk and the high, high fiber content of Kashi. In fact, (warning, too much info alert) I will only eat Kashi for breakfast when I know that I will be at home. It will, for lack of a better phrase, tear my stomach to pieces. When I eat it dry as a snack, it's fine but with milk, it's awful for me.

Today it's been the usual breakfast of english muffin, non fat cheese, and turkey sausage. Lunch was a Lean Cuisine Chicken Club Panini. My afternoon snack will be yogurt with some soy protein added - I have a bag of soy that I keep near to add to the yogurt since I don't get enough protein. I've downed my first bottle of water and have started on the second.

 

[sumbride]

a voodoo doll of my MIL? I like it. I''ll have to work on it. I keep telling myself that I''m watching her like an animal in the zoo, like IndyGal suggests but it shows on my face when I''m horrified by what she says and DH asked me to try and hide it a little better... he actually said, "I''m asking you as your husband to PLEASE TRY not to show your horror..." He played the husband card! I said I would try, but I also sat on the same side of the table but down a bit from her so she couldn''t see my face. I just rolled my eyes at our nephew the whole time. He started snickering so we had to try and hide THAT. And it helped me not have an argument with DH about her on the way home... which is pretty impressive. We''re always arguing about her after a visit. That''s partly why we don''t see her very often even though we only live 30 miles away.

I was amused by her kitchen counters when we walked through her house. Donuts, white bread and oreos. Hmmm.... Not somebody who understands why I wouldn''t choose to eat the bloomin onion.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 5/12/2008 9:27:33 AM
Author: Courtneylub
So...I did BAD yesterday. I read that a couple of people didn''t like when we used the terms ''good'' or ''bad'' when referring to dieting. How else am I supposed to express that I ate horribly yesterday?


I''ve gained 4 lbs over the weekend.


This is what I do. Workout and eat well during the week...then screw it up on the weekends. I''ll never change!

Courtney - I think the bad/good thing can be explained a little better as follows. By using bad in the way you''ve used it above, it puts a value judgment on what you''re doing/eating. This takes it to an emotional judgment place, mentally. You are being so hard on yourself, and the guilt reinforces your perception that "you''ll never change" - its a self-defeating attitude, and if you honestly believe that, you are right, you will never change.

If you can take the judgment out of it, it makes it much much easier to make better choices. Instead of thinking "I ate horribly" a better way to think about it is "I didn''t fuel my body optimally." But put some thought into why you did that. Was the food itself really tempting? Were you eating it because you were craving something particular? Or were you eating it because it was there? If you were really craving something or things in particular, could you have eaten less of it and still been satisfied? Did you make one "mistake" and decide that the whole day/weekend was scrapped, or were you able to make each decision on its own? How did eating certain foods in certain amounts make you feel physically?

I really think that thinking about these kinds of questions when you make decisions about food is the first step, but ultimately, its about learning to listen to your body and what it needs to eat without putting value judgments on it. And remember, even "bad" foods have nutritional merit usually - and usually the higher-quality the "bad" food, the better the nutritionals (i.e. really excellent dark chocolate is better for you because it has more antioxidants etc... vs. Hershey''s or whatever). It also feels more indulgent and usually tastes better, so those are both pluses as well.

Think also about what is appealing to you about the "bad" foods you are eating - if its something salty or crispy or sweet or creamy or whatever, there are often healthier options. And sometimes the only thing that will satisfy a craving is that particular food - and that''s fine, but then have only a little bit. For example, I ADORE macaroni and cheese, so I often really want to get it when I go to a place that makes really good mac ''n cheese. But I almost always ask for a small or side portion, and/or split it with someone else (my DH or my mom usually). And then I get something healthy to go with it - a healthy salad or side of veggies or whatever. Then its the best of both worlds - I''ve indulged my craving so I don''t feel deprived, but I''ve also fueled my body with nutritionally "good" stuff, and of course, mac ''n cheese is very high in fat (especially saturated fat), but it also has a healthy dose of protein and calcium, and as a vegetarian, saturated fat in my diet is pretty low anyway, so I don''t stress very much about it. I''ve often heard/read that trying to make about 80-85% of your calories come from healthy sources and then having the rest come from whatever your indulgences are.

Anyway, I''m not doing the most articulate job of explaining, this, but I really think that the value judgments on food are harmful and create unnecessary feelings of guilt and shame, which makes things much harder than they need to be.

Please Courtney - try to think about some of the issues and ask yourself some of the questions above. Then when next weekend comes around, try to really eat as consciously as you can - I think if you really pay attention to what your body is telling you, you won''t want to eat junk for two days straight. And maybe try keeping a food journal as well, because its possible that you aren''t eating nearly as badly as you perceive you are, and if you can track what you''re eating, that might help make that more clear.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 5/12/2008 2:28:42 PM
Author: Stephanie

Date: 5/12/2008 1:22:37 PM

Author: Gypsy

Today, had cereal for breakfast with bananas (kashi hearts, non fat milk, one banana). Feeling very full and a little icky in my belly.

Kashi does the same to me. I think it''s the protein in the milk and the high, high fiber content of Kashi. In fact, (warning, too much info alert) I will only eat Kashi for breakfast when I know that I will be at home. It will, for lack of a better phrase, tear my stomach to pieces. When I eat it dry as a snack, it''s fine but with milk, it''s awful for me.


Today it''s been the usual breakfast of english muffin, non fat cheese, and turkey sausage. Lunch was a Lean Cuisine Chicken Club Panini. My afternoon snack will be yogurt with some soy protein added - I have a bag of soy that I keep near to add to the yogurt since I don''t get enough protein. I''ve downed my first bottle of water and have started on the second.

Have you guys tried Lactaid milk? Most adults are somewhat lactose intolerant. I''m not super lactose-intolerant, but it helped a ton when I switched to Lactaid milk instead of regular. It costs slightly more (maybe $0.50-$1 per half-gallon), but it lasts way longer.

 

[Courtneylub]

Date: 5/12/2008 4:19:21 PM
Author: AmberGretchen

Date: 5/12/2008 9:27:33 AM
Author: Courtneylub
So...I did BAD yesterday. I read that a couple of people didn''t like when we used the terms ''good'' or ''bad'' when referring to dieting. How else am I supposed to express that I ate horribly yesterday?


I''ve gained 4 lbs over the weekend.


This is what I do. Workout and eat well during the week...then screw it up on the weekends. I''ll never change!

Courtney - I think the bad/good thing can be explained a little better as follows. By using bad in the way you''ve used it above, it puts a value judgment on what you''re doing/eating. This takes it to an emotional judgment place, mentally. You are being so hard on yourself, and the guilt reinforces your perception that ''you''ll never change'' - its a self-defeating attitude, and if you honestly believe that, you are right, you will never change.

If you can take the judgment out of it, it makes it much much easier to make better choices. Instead of thinking ''I ate horribly'' a better way to think about it is ''I didn''t fuel my body optimally.'' But put some thought into why you did that. Was the food itself really tempting? Were you eating it because you were craving something particular? Or were you eating it because it was there? If you were really craving something or things in particular, could you have eaten less of it and still been satisfied? Did you make one ''mistake'' and decide that the whole day/weekend was scrapped, or were you able to make each decision on its own? How did eating certain foods in certain amounts make you feel physically?

I really think that thinking about these kinds of questions when you make decisions about food is the first step, but ultimately, its about learning to listen to your body and what it needs to eat without putting value judgments on it. And remember, even ''bad'' foods have nutritional merit usually - and usually the higher-quality the ''bad'' food, the better the nutritionals (i.e. really excellent dark chocolate is better for you because it has more antioxidants etc... vs. Hershey''s or whatever). It also feels more indulgent and usually tastes better, so those are both pluses as well.

Think also about what is appealing to you about the ''bad'' foods you are eating - if its something salty or crispy or sweet or creamy or whatever, there are often healthier options. And sometimes the only thing that will satisfy a craving is that particular food - and that''s fine, but then have only a little bit. For example, I ADORE macaroni and cheese, so I often really want to get it when I go to a place that makes really good mac ''n cheese. But I almost always ask for a small or side portion, and/or split it with someone else (my DH or my mom usually). And then I get something healthy to go with it - a healthy salad or side of veggies or whatever. Then its the best of both worlds - I''ve indulged my craving so I don''t feel deprived, but I''ve also fueled my body with nutritionally ''good'' stuff, and of course, mac ''n cheese is very high in fat (especially saturated fat), but it also has a healthy dose of protein and calcium, and as a vegetarian, saturated fat in my diet is pretty low anyway, so I don''t stress very much about it. I''ve often heard/read that trying to make about 80-85% of your calories come from healthy sources and then having the rest come from whatever your indulgences are.

Anyway, I''m not doing the most articulate job of explaining, this, but I really think that the value judgments on food are harmful and create unnecessary feelings of guilt and shame, which makes things much harder than they need to be.

Please Courtney - try to think about some of the issues and ask yourself some of the questions above. Then when next weekend comes around, try to really eat as consciously as you can - I think if you really pay attention to what your body is telling you, you won''t want to eat junk for two days straight. And maybe try keeping a food journal as well, because its possible that you aren''t eating nearly as badly as you perceive you are, and if you can track what you''re eating, that might help make that more clear.

I think you did a VERY articulate job of explaining it. I can tell you that I crave these foods. I will also admit, I crave certains food after a night out. Just to give you an example of how I eat on the weekends...this was everything I consumed yesterday.

Special K bar for breakfast
A very small portion of leftover shrimp lo-mein with broccoli
Foldover tuna on wheat with a few potato chips..yes a few like 3 or 4
A TON of multi-grain tositos with guacamole..seriously...like half a bag
A 260 calorie chocolate ice cream (I don''t regret that)
Taco bell cheesy gordita crunch with beans instead of beef. I had them add tomatoes to make this healthier

2 - 40 cal popsicles

And that''s finally it. That was ONE day.

I know I need to drink more water on these days instead of eating. It''s very difficult for me.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Courtney – I’ve done a rough breakdown of your day nutritionally:

Special K bar for breakfast – 90 cals

A very small portion of leftover shrimp lo-mein with broccoli – this is a big unknown because a restaurant version can have 1550 cals for a whole plate, while a homemade version could have more like 350. So since yours was a very tiny serving, I’ll estimate 150 cals.

Foldover tuna on wheat with a few potato chips..yes a few like 3 or 4 subway 6” tuna sub on wheat = 530 cals, assume 1/3 of that b/c homemade and small serving, don’t bother with 3-4 chips b/c not worth counting (IMO), so total = 180 cals


A TON of multi-grain tositos with guacamole..seriously...like half a bag – 9 oz bag is standard, so you ate about 4.5 oz, 150 cals/oz = 675 cals, guac 50 cals/2 T, so assume 4 servings = 250 cals, so total is 925 cals

A 260 calorie chocolate ice cream (I don''t regret that)

Taco bell cheesy gordita crunch with beans instead of beef. I had them add tomatoes to make this healthier – with the beef, its 530 cals, with beans you probably save at least 40-50 based on my estimations from online nutritionals, so we’ll round down to 450

2 - 40 cal popsicles

So total is 2,135 calories. Which is not a HUGE amount, but is not ideal for someone who is already small (which you are) who is trying to lose weight – it would be a completely reasonable amount for you to maintain, most likely. But you could be eating much less during the week – if you are eating 1500/day during the week, the 2,000 calorie weekend days may not make a very big difference. Its hard to know how many calories you actually need – I find that that is very individual and you ideally have to do some trial and error to find out what works for maintaining, losing, etc.. for YOU.

Honestly though my concern would be less with how much you are eating calorie-wise, and more with the nutritional value of the food. I have a couple of thoughts/suggestions. The first is to bmp up breakfast. According to studies I’ve seen, the best breakfasts include some fruit or veggies, some protein, and some whole grains. Some examples:

1 cup strawberries, ½ cup lowfat yogurt, ½ cup whole grain cereal such as Kashi

1-3 eggs/egg whites, veggies as omelette filling, whole grain toast

whole grain waffles, fresh berries, nonfat milk

The reason this is so important is because your small breakfast probably left you hungry soon after eating it. Also, your whole day was really light on fiber and produce, both of which are so important for your health and your maintaining a healthy weight. They even did a study where they studied two groups and the only difference was they told one group to focus on eating more fruits and veggies, and that group lost more weight. Not to mention all the health benefits, known and unknown.

The tuna on wheat was fine, but it would have been awesome if you could have gotten more veggies in there – baby carrots, a salad, sliced celery or bell peppers, whatever you like. That, maybe some fruit, and a small amount of nonfat/lowfat dairy (like a slice of low-fat cheese or some non-fat milk), and you would have had a nice filling meal.

The Tostitos sound like they were just there. I totally have a weakness for chips and guacamole, but I bet that if you had put a controlled portion on a plate and then physically separated yourself from the rest, that would have helped a lot. Were you in a place where veggies were an option? Because I often find at parties that a small serving of chips and guac and a big pile of baby carrots or other crunchy veggies does me really well.

I think the ice cream and the popsicles were totally reasonable indulgences as part of a normal weekend day, and its awesome that you recognize how much you enjoyed the ice cream – that’s very important.

The taco bell is problematic, but salvageable I think. The beans instead of beef and adding tomatoes were really good instincts. It looks like you could have done even better by ordering something “fresco-style” – a soft taco has less than 200 calories ordered this way, which is much better than 500. You can always ask for extra lettuce and tomatoes. And if you really need some crunch, get an order of chips, pull out 4-5, and get rid of the rest.

Anyway, I think its great that you wrote it out like that, and hopefully seeing the breakdown and starting to think about healthier choices is helpful. I know it seems kind of obvious and common-sense, but I have to say that approaching weight loss like this is the only thing that has worked for me, ever.

Oh, and for what its worth, I saw your pictures in your dress, and you don’t look overweight even a little bit. Assuming you already have a healthy BMI, you should know that additional weight is often the hardest to shed, and can take a long time to come off, so you’ll need to be patient with yourself.

 

[Courtneylub]

Yikes. I didn''t like seeing the actual number, but I knew it was around there. I was in denial!

I normally eat pretty well in the morning. Special K with 1% milk and some strawberries or apple slices a couple of hours later as a snack. I was in a hurry that particular morning. The chips and guac I planned ahead! I was craving them beyond belief and now that I think about it, half a bag was maybe an exaggeration. It did seem like quite a bit while I was watching a movie.

Of course some of the alternative options you mentioned would''ve been a lot smarter, but I honestly wasn''t caring at the moment. I regret later on....like you said. Feeling the guilt.

Thank you so much for the break down and alternatives. Tell me, what are some veggies I could snack on in the afternoon around 3-5pm when I start getting pretty hungry? I sometimes have a half a cup of coffee around that time to ween off any cravings for sweets.

Today was a very typical day for me. I had Special K for breakfast, apple slices with a little peanut butter for a snack, low sodium tuna with lite mayo, mustard, banana peppers, and triscuit thin crisps, and dinner was grilled chicken with green bean casserole (used 98% fat free cream of mushroom). My total comes to about 1100 calories with most cals consumed at dinner. I swam for 25 minutes at the gym today.

Now that I think about it, I get those horrible cravings right before that time of the month. And what do ya know? Aunt Flo just arrived.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Gwen that is awesome! And Gypsy glad to hear the headache went away!

We bought some cookies tonight, but they're not that bad. We calculated the weight watchers points woo! Anyway, I am leaving for the beach tomorrow morning so I am hoping to exercise bunches there. Lots of walking and whantot! I ate ok today, but not great. 0 water..0..

. Any way to bribe myself to drink water? Need a bribe!

ETA: Could you guys send some PS dust my Dad's way? He's going through some really annoying crap at work right now.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Courtney - that''s great you planned the chips and guac. I think though that the serving thing applies even more then. If you had measured out a portion (or even two or three) and put them on a plate and then closed up the bag and put it completely away so it would have been inconvenient to get to while watching the movie - I often find that helps a lot when I''m indulging a craving. And the pile o'' veggies helps too - keeps the hands and mouth busy and fills you up so you''re even less tempted to go back for more.

For afternoon snacks, I love baby carrots. You can have them with some lowfat cheese or hummus to help hold you. Sliced celery is tasty, especially dipped in some low-cal salad dressing. I also like just about any veggie oven-roasted - broccoli and cauliflower are two of my favorites. Its super easy - just get the pre-cut bags of florets, make sure they are all around the same time, and spray a large baking dish with spray olive oil, add some kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, spray once more, and bake at 400-450 for about 10 minutes. Its super tasty, and you can season it with different flavors. If you make a big batch it will last you a while and it re-heats nicely. Lightly steamed asparagus.

Or I also like fresh fruit as an afternoon snack. Again - you can add some lowfat yogurt or something for extra protein/filling power.

 

[gwendolyn]

Ok, I *seriously* need to make a run to the grocery store. When I don''t have pre-bought, in-the-cupboard breakfast items (like Special K bars), I just don''t eat it. I can''t be arsed to get myself to the buttery to buy a yogurt or whatever because it is time when I could either be sleeping, writing my paper, or procrastinating in other fun ways! Bad Gwen.

So, dinner last night was AWESOME. One of my best friends at school made me dinner, and it was mostly veggies because we are both trying to be good! Of course, she cooked them in this sesame paste which has who knows how many calories in it (tastes good, so it must be bad for me, right?), but since about 80% of the meal was veg, I think it was overall more healthy than not. (Go go gadget dieting precision!)

No breakfast today, as previously stated. Oops.

Lunch: pork wrap from the buttery. I *think* it is something awful like 500 calories? Hard to say, the info is in metric. But I didn''t have anything else to eat, and drank water with it, so that''s probably ok...

Dinner: Will be with a friend in town, I think! Probably Chinese again. Everything in Cambridge is mega-expensive, but Chinese generally isn''t too overpriced, and I have no money, so we need to go somewhere cheapcheapcheap.

Positive for me: I have not been doing ANY snacking lately! Usually when I''m sitting here in my room, typing and typing away, to break the monotony I look for something to nibble on, but not for the past few days! Of course, it helps that I''m basically out of food, but when I go grocery shopping (probably tonight), I will make a point of not getting snack food so that I remain good. Well, that''s the plan anyway--should work as long as I''m not hungry when I go shopping, and since I plan on going shopping when we finish dinner, it should be all good! I hope.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Hello all!

How was your day today? I did decently. Ate okay, but did a lot of exercise so I think that''s good! Woo! I am exhausted from the drive so I am going to go sleep early and be kind of MIA on PS tonight. Hope everyone''s Tuesday went well! How''s water going?