Beautiful Behaviors - April 2017

jessiquoi

This thread will be for people who are focusing on creating a set of gorgeous habits that support a healthy lifestyle.

Weight loss is a byproduct, and not the focus. We will practice self-care by eating healthy foods, moving our bodies, drinking enough water, and other activities that make us FEEL GOOD without harmful effects.

For example, taking an hour with your current book on your favorite lounge chair is a great way to take care of yourself. Get a massage or facial, spend time with a friend, crafting… all good ways to make us feel good without the harmful effects of immediate gratification activities like overeating or indulging in other unhealthy activities. It’s all about taking care of ourselves and loving ourselves and making ourselves happy EVEN IF we are not at a weight we love right now.

Yes, we want to lose weight, but there’s more to life than that. Sometimes giving yourself a foot massage will keep you from the donut. Sometimes it won’t but you will still feel better.

This is a judgment free zone. Let’s support each other and leave the negativity offline. I’m tired of beating myself up about my size. I want to plan to do the best I can and not feel guilty about life getting in the way.

I’m a big believer in baby steps, and setting realistic goals, and celebrating every little success! No reason we can’t enjoy the journey to a healthier lifestyle, no reason we have to feel “wrong” because we are where we are.

If you like the way this sounds, please introduce yourself in this thread. Share whatever you like and come back often! I look forward to meeting people with similar attitudes towards life.

aleahurst

There you are @jessiquoi !!!! We..... Um no, I needed my reminder to take baby steps.

I need to RANT. Other online communities are not so nice. Ouch.

1. I am NOT embarrassed about my body.
2. I am obese.
3. I can talk about weight in public.
4. I am dieting to get healthy.
5. I will NOT give up coffee.
6. I will NOT give up chocolate.
7. I will NOT give up sugar.
8. Obesity is natural effect of my genetics and my life choices.
9. I choose to lose weight at my pace.
10. Life is a fascinating journey.
11. I'm not here to compete.

Okay. Deep breath. That's better.

@fruitydelicious - how is it going???

Love to all.

Lea

jessiquoi

i'm working very hard at staying on program. it's a struggle. i get all high and motivated every time i restart this difficult journey, and it lasts for about 3 months, with some minor fall backs. after that, it's tough tough tough for another few months until it totally becomes something i've built into a habit. i forgive myself for all my fall backs today. i know i'm doing the best i can at any one moment, and that the best i can varies from moment to moment.

i spent this morning working on an exercise i use with my coaching clients. it's about setting your life goals by looking back at your life from your deathbed, in many different areas of life. i think it helped clear my head and get me pointed in the right direction again. that doesn't mean it's going to be any easier, other than knowing where i want to be consciously, which totally helps.

i love interacting with you all here. everyone is very real, and i feel safe acknowledging my struggles and triumphs no matter how minor. keep it real, i love you all.

jess

jessiquoi

on another note, the thing that makes me most frustrated is when i know i'm doing my best, or at least THINK i'm doing my best, and manage only not to gain weight for months. i'm ready for a loss! i've been flirting with the high 240s for months. i'm ready for the 230s!

fangcat623

I'm new to this community. I am trying to work on behaviors right now. When I'm good, I'm great, but when I'm bad .... whew baby! Once I fall off the rails, it takes a while to get back on the track. I'm looking for ideas on how not to be so black or white with my eating habits and exercise program.

happysherri

ok, I know I just posted on the March thread but I must chime in!
@aleahurst - Testify, sistah!!! A lot of MFP members in other threads are annoying! There's the one's that think they know it all (most profressionals and doctors are too busy to comment on MFP). There's the my way of losing weight is the only and correct way (bodies and people are all different). There's the one's who just like to argue. Etc... Fitness Journeys are what you want it to be, tailored to your needs and goals. Also it's all trial and error, I'm trying some new things with my nutrition and have a new strength training program. My body seems to adapt and I have to switch things up every now and then. *Don't you worry what others say or do, do you! I only compete with myself, I try to be better than I was yesterday or last week. Go at your own pace, I have my loss set to less than .5 lbs a week, and I'm not even hitting that, but I'm happy. Keep up the strong attitude and stay the course

@jessiquoi - quit flirting!!! I just thought that was cute Sounds as if you are putting the right things in place to make things happen! Focus on you, love it
@fangcat623 - Welcome!!! Yep, we all have those set backs. This past weekend my "splurge" meal turned into 2 days of junk (it was delicious) lol But here I am today with my oats, chicken, salad and pineapple and then the gym tonight. You have to keep pushing and it sounds as if you are still on here putting in effort and figuring things out. Trial and error is what's great about this fitness journey. You can try different styles of exercise to see which one you enjoy, that you will stick with. Also so many different eating plans (I eat meat, don't think i could go veggie). Have you tried looking on Pintrest? I have gotten so many healthy recipes from there that actually taste like I'm cheating. Enjoy the journey, and the minute you aren't change it up (different foods, spices and different exercise (dance, hiking, yoga, volleyball -my fave).

To all - always love your body at any stage or any time. Be kind to yourself

KimF0715

Hello all ! Checking in to say hello!

Things are nuts, but what else is new? Just want to say hello....

We are in the "post New Year, okay is this all there is to life?, I'm sick of counting, logging and avoiding ice cream" phase. Let's regain our motivation!!!!!

Kick butt girls! (And if "butt" becomes "kitten" ....I give up"

Kim

aleahurst

well KITTEN!!!

I had this fabulous post written and it went away, POOF!

Hi to everyone. I'll try again tomorrow when the glass of wine wears off. Less than a half cup. I'm a lightweight.

Love to all.

Lea

ParanormaLauren

Hey everyone! I love the sentiment behind this thread.

I know I am changed for the better because instead of eating the gross convention food at WonderCon this year- the extremely expensive food that I never even really enjoy- I brought a salad and healthy snacks with me in my backpack. Total game changer! I don't know why it never occurred to me that I could just do that, but mindful eating over the past few months made me rethink how I approach many aspects of my life.

Looking forward to seeing you all blossom with new habits.

KimF0715

@aleahurst That makes you a cheap date.

Hi All. Keep rockin' it. Feeling pretty proud of myself these days.

Now I just have to find the energy to exercise. Grrrrr!

Or even stretch. The aches and pains of this nearly 46 year old body are a newfound joy daily.

LOL Kim

jessiquoi

fighting hard today! tracked my breakfast, and plan to continue. feeling like crap though, my back and hips are tight and tired of dragging around my weight. today I feel like I might not make it through the whole work day. I have a full morning of meetings, so maybe that will get me going.

xxbrimstonexx

Hi everyone! Can I join this awesome thread?

I am bloated... I can't wait to deflate in a few days... Since I am the only woman at my company, I needed to write that out here...

I've realized that I have a bad tendency to wait until conditions are "ideal" in order to let myself enjoy things... sort of like, "if I'm a good girl and lose 20 more pounds, I'll let myself buy/do/have _____". Does anyone else postpone happiness to some elusive date in the future?... it's like I'm always dangling a golden carrot in front of myself...

So in an effort to actually enjoy my life NOW, I just ordered a set of 6-16 oz. Philosophy body washes in all kinds of happy, Spring scents!... why wait to smell fantastic?

KimF0715

@xxbrimstonexx - Story of my life. I am my own worst enemy.

Problem with that is....you get older.... You wake up and you wonder where the last 5 years ....maybe 10 went.

Life is short. Live for now. It's not selfish. It's necessary.

Kim

happysherri

@ParanormaLauren - welcome and way to plan ahead! I meal prep and it's way less expensive and I know what I'm eating.
@KimF0715 - haha, sometimes I feel like I'm 80 yrs old. Stretching is so good for the body. I'm thinking about doing yoga on one of my rest days.
@jessiquoi - great work tracking. I hope your body gets the rest it needs.

Update: I did not log Sunday, I took it off from logging food. But back at it with Monday a full day logged. Back on track eating better than this weekend and started my new program. My bf was running late and couldn't go, so I had to go to the gym by myself (the gym was super busy).

****Uplifting story time: Last night at the gym I completed my lifting (back) and then completed HIIT cardio. I hit it hard -pun intended. After my HIIT cardio, a young lady approached me. She said 'I just want to tell you that I really admire your dedication.' I replied that she made my week. She didn't have to come up to me and tell me that, we don't know each other, have never seen each other. I love uplifting people and as women we should send positive vibes and statements to each other. It was so refreshing to have her comment on me. Love It

Thought for the day: If not now, when? **This is for everything, not just fitness. I struggle with spending the money to do things/adventures. Since my mom's passing I have made it a point to say 'yes'. If I hadn't I wouldn't have had quality ocean time with my kids, or went with my sisters to a beach volleyball tournament where we won 1st place, or went out west with my father and I would have missed out on my first cruise with my sisters! Say 'yes' more often. -This is different things for different people. Happy Tuesday

jessiquoi

amazing how a productive meeting can wake me up and give me a little more oomph to get through the day. I was planning on going home at lunch, and now I scheduled 2 more meetings for after lunch. yay!

jessiquoi

Sherri, that is awesome! inspiring others is so motivating in itself, isn't it? you inspire me too! reading about your workouts make me want to try harder.

@xxbrimstonexx, I used to do that, until I turned about 40, 45. i'll be 60 this year, and long learned that even if I'm not the shape I desire, I still deserve to be happy. treat yourself as you would your best friend!

Hi Kim! get up and stretch! I see this commercial on facebook about starting your day with a short yoga sequence and then doing short sequences through the day. that seems so much more attractive to me than a long class!

welcome, @ParanormaLauren & @fangcat623

Lea, I loved your rant. I want to be brave enough to say "I refuse to give up chocolate" and still say that I'm trying to lose weight. I'm going to work on that.

mcglothinm

Hello again all,

I totally slipped off the wagon the last few months. I moved and had some major changes in routine, and I'm just now getting back into the swing of things. Good news is that I think I remained pretty steady in weight (guessing because my scale isn't working) and I've been working on picking up some better habits. Success#1 is that eating at home is becoming the norm- you know instead of grabbing something quick! Success#2 is that I've been trying to cut back on my soda and I'm down to just 1x/day!

Now if I could just figure out how to fit exercise in!

Glad to be back amongst all the positivity!

jessiquoi

@mcglothinm, be creative and you can fit extra activity into your day. I find that easier than thinking about when I might be able to exercise. I keep a set of small dumbbells next to my chair at the table where john and I play backgammon nightly, and when it's his turn, I do a few curls or presses. it's not much at any one time, but it adds up. I also used to group trips up/down the stairs together, but now I only do one thing at a time, which adds trips up and down. I am far from active still, but I'm trying to move more. yesterday I did 10 minutes of a 30 minute bellydancing video on youtube! I didn't care that I didn't have the time or the strength to do the whole thing. I got up and did 10 minutes. you can do this!

nickiphillips1

Hello, may I join your group? I like this thread.

@jessiquoi, you sound like you are going in the right direction. Acceptance is important and you have to live your life and make your own happiness. I like that. Small steps, that's what it takes some times.

I have MS and 5 years ago I had to live day to day and I could barely walk or stand. Life is a journey and I lost the physical for a while. I don't take things for granted anymore.

Since then I had a pulmonary embolism and almost died. I have always exercised, but sometimes my MS made me so sick that I would overdo it and end up using a cane.

I am 47. I put on 50 lbs from menopause, what a drag. I couldn't lose weight any more. Nothing worked. And every time I started to exercise, my body would mess me up. I accepted my over 200 lb body and moved on.

In October last year I started to watch what I ate more. I got back in the pool. I used to be a competitive swimmer (14 year hiatus). I started 2 days a week, the second day I would get a migraine, but I kept pushing to 3 days a week, then 4. Now I am up to 5-6 days a week.

I met with a couple of dietitians along the way and started eating healthier. I used to eat my feelings. I still couldn't lose any weight other than the first 10 lbs. It was so frustrating.

Feb 20 I started with MFP after meeting with a dietitian who helped me straighten out my diet a little more.

I have now lost 13.5 lbs and moved into lane 3 at the pool. I have a meet this weekend, where I hope to drop some time.

I don't eat refined sugar (causes inflammation), cut out dairy (causes inflammation), cut out soy, and rarely eat gluten. I eat my smoothie (kale, frozen fruit, ginger, tumeric, peanut butter powder, flax) every day after swimming or weights. I eat mostly fish and chicken and an occassional (every other week) steak.

I feel great. I haven't been sick since August (I have an auto-immune disease) and my kids have shared their germs with me. Ok, I have terrible athlete's foot and I got pink eye.

I have lived day to day before. I am single and haven't had a boyfriend in 5 years. I am divorced as well.

I am so happy right now. Swimming is filling a void I have had for a while. It gets me up in the morning and I have a meet this weekend. I have goals outside of work and my children.

rdevol

@nickiphillips1: Wow, you're story is very inspiring! Good for you!

nickiphillips1

Thanks @rdevol, that means a lot!