August ETL
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Peas, I've perused that whyquit website a few times over the years. Excellent site. I knew that if I had a single puff I'd be right back where I was. I went over a year without a single puff, wasn't even really missing smoking at that point. I don't even remember what possessed me to have one, I was with a friend who smokes and bummed one. I didn't smoke again for a few weeks then thought well hey I had that one and it was fine, and so I let them creep back into my life little by little after that. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Now I have to go through the whole process of cravings and withdrawals again. Ugh. But it's time.
Another great ETL day, yay! Two more days and week 3 will be done, halfway there! I don't think I'm getting a walk in. There have been intermittent storms since late afternoon. I think I'll go play with some dumbbell weights for a little while and then hit my bed. I've been so tired and I don't really know why, but I think going to bed a bit earlier tonight would be wise.
Lia, I just told myself from day one that I wasn't going to snack, and other than one day when I had 2 rice cakes I've done it. The weird part is, I honestly have no idea, none whatsoever, why it is all falling into place and I'm doing it this time. I wasn't any more motivated than the 100 other times I've made false starts. There's probably a hint of desperation underlying my efforts. Gaining 18 pounds is not fun, not good at all, and I was getting really afraid I'd never turn it around. Still a ways to go to even get back to where I was before I started gaining, and then I'll still have 17 to go, but I'm not going to think that far ahead.
Karrie, how's the training going?
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Training is kinda happening in fits and bursts right now. I'm a slacker. There's so much going on right now, and that's the first thing that I always let slide. But I will try my best to wake up early tomorrow and go run hills again. I did that earlier in the week, and I felt pretty good about it when I was done. Only 2 more weeks to go (oh no!!!)
I ate like crap yesterday, and today I feel like crap. Ugh. I had a morning smoothie, and I'm starting to feel a bit better, but I am bloated and my stomach hurts. Starchy carb overload... yuck... Nothing makes me want a big salad for lunch more than how my stomach is feeling right now...
For supper I am going to roast some brussel sprouts. I had that for supper on Monday night and they were divine! I am craving them again...
Does anyone have the OSG cookbook readily available? I want to make the red lentil & kale soup, but I have to buy the supplies, and I don't want to run home first just to run back out again for groceries. Fingers crossed that someone can help me out before I leave for the day!!
I'm SO glad it's Thursday. This is the first full week I've had at work all summer. Longest. Week. Of. My. Life.
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Too late now Karrie, but I believe that one is on her website. I seem to recall looking it up one day at the office when I wanted to buy the stuff on the way home.
I have a case I need to work on tonight for a client coming in tomorrow morning so I may miss out on a walk again. I'll do something here before bedtime though. Another good ETL day. I stopped today and bought myself an electric steamer. It has two baskets so I put broccoli in one and collard greens in the other and had a big plate of veggies for dinner with a few chickpeas and a sliced tomato. I anticipate using the steamer a lot, it's so convenient. I'm a bit frustrated, not to mention perplexed, by my lack of weight loss during the 2nd and 3rd weeks of the 6 week plan, so I'm going to try to concentrate more on the veggies, especially greens, in the coming weeks, less on fruit and beans. I haven't had any starches this week. I am hoping that I'll see a loss when I weigh myself on Saturday.
I also bought a multi-vitamin today when I stopped at the health food store. I always take a B12 and a D, and recently added in a vegan Omega supplement, but maybe I need an extra boost. I've just not been feeling great lately, although not any worse than I did before I started the 6 week plan so it doesn't have anything to do with the diet.
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Thank you SO much for the recipe, PEAS!! I did scribble it down quickly before I left, but I didn't have enough time to reply and then last night I didn't get online at all. So THANKS AGAIN!!
I am having a very rich cherry smoothie this morning - I put extra frozen cherries in it. It's SO thick and simply decadent. mmmmm.....
Tonight I'll be making a million little cake pops for my daughter's birthday party tomorrow. Hopefully they all stay in the tray and don't pop into my mouth...
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The smoothie sounds wonderful Karrie. Have fun baking!
Tomorrow starts week 4, will weigh myself in the morning. Sure hope there's a loss!0 -
Okay, this is more like it. Week 3 results, 2 pounds, total for 3 weeks 7.8 pounds! I won't deny I was hoping for more dramatic results in my first few weeks, but I'm just happy I'm sticking with it and the scale is responding. When I did a mid-week weight check, I think it was Wednesday, I was the same or maybe I was down .2, can't remember now, but that means that I lost most or all of that 2 pounds in the past 3 days. What I did differently the past couple days was concentrate more on cooked greens and other non-starchy veggies for dinner. I've also avoided starchy carbs completely the past 5 days.
So I think I have my game plan down now. On to week 4! I do have a lunch out planned for next week. I am hoping to find a good salad when we go, but if I settle for something ETL'ish rather than salad I'll be okay. It's one meal out of 6 weeks. I admit that I'm looking forward to the end of the 6 weeks and enjoying a glass of wine, but I figured 6 weeks without alcohol or caffeine wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme, and so far so good.
Have a short road trip with my sis-in-law planned for later today, going to a farm market. Should be able to grab some good fruits and veggies. Before that, a solid 6 or so hours in the office. The boss won't be there so I'll be able to get more done without anyone there interrupting me.0 -
Hi all! Been a super busy week, but, finally seems things will calm down for a while. The big focus has been on my little sister (S2). My younger sister (S1) (I am the oldest of three girls) and I have been planning a baby shower for S2 the last couple of months and this past Saturday was the big day! I have been working my butt off to get a quilt done for S2 and basically drove myself batty this week trying to get everything done for the big day. We haven't seen S2 in a little over a month and she officially looks like she is now carrying a basketball in her belly. It is so adorable. This is her first baby and the first new bundle of joy in our family in ten years. Everyone is super excited! Everything went fabulously Saturday, it was just perfect. The whole family has been exhausted ever since! lol
I did have a very meaningful conversation with S1 after everything wrapped up Saturday. (I think I have mentioned she had gastric bypass surgery in February and my struggles with it.) I had overheard some conversations she had with various people and comments she had made about herself and I really had an epiphany. I realized after listening to her that even though she looks amazing on the outside she is still struggling with a lot of stuff internally that I am struggling with. I realized just how hard it must be for her to be dealing with all of that internally while everyone keeps telling her how great she looks. That has got to be a crazy disconnect. After the party I quietly talked to her and gave her a really big hug. I told her I had heard some of the things she was saying and just wanted to let her know that I love her and am here for her if she wants to talk. I told her she really does look fabulous and that I hope one day her mind catches up with her great results. She teared up and gave me a huge hug and said thanks. It was a really great moment that really lifted an enormous weight off of my shoulders. It is hard to explain, but, I feel so much better about being on my own journey (albeit slow). I guess it made me realize that the outside isn't always an accurate reflection of what is happening inside and to be careful and not judge too quickly.
Sunday rolled around and I woke up still feeling kind of tired, so, it was a pretty low key day. At one point all the kids were gone, everything was prepped and I found myself asking "well...now what?" So, I changed into my workout gear and got in an awesome workout. Spent some time cleaning and lubing my treadmill, did some self pampering and just really enjoyed myself.
Love getting on here and reading about everyone's success and such positive energy. You all continue to inspire me to keep making continuous improvements!0 -
Yay Mihani!! It's all coming together!!
I have to admit to having a couple of cake pops. At the store we found little candy Minion eyes, so we made the bottoms of the cake pops blue and the tops yellow and then put the candy eyes on them. SO CUTE! But the kids ate most of them, and we're having the family celebration tonight, so last night I had to make a batch of cupcakes. I specifically made them with eggs, though, so I won't be partaking of them. (That's one way to fix that little problem!!)
I also indulged in some chips and popcorn at her party, but I also specifically didn't order any cheese-free pizza, so that was easy to avoid too. Instead, I had my Red Lentil & Kale soup - I do love that soup!
The good news is that I am only up 1.0 lbs exactly after the weekend party, and I can live with that.
I've got 2 more weeks until the tough mudder. After that, I'm just going to focus 100% on nutrition and gradually get into a regular workout routine again. But it's gotta be nutrition first, because I've been struggling with that for a little while now...
NewMe, it sounds like you and your sister had a great moment together and that you understand each other a little more. I bet you feel a lot better after the heart-to-heart. Good for you!!
Alright, I have to get to it. Have a wonderful day!!0 -
Laura, so glad you got to have such a great talk with your sister.
Karrie, those cake pops sound adorable! Your kids are lucky to have such a creative mom. Are you getting nervous about the tough mudder?
I had a little slip today, 3rd day without a cigarette and I had a few pretzels and a couple twizzlers that were about the office. It was totally stupid and I just let myself do it. Came home and had my nice ETL dinner and moving on. Not going to dwell on it, it's one slip and I have 3 more weeks to go on the 6 week plan!0 -
Morning all! Did a combo of regular walking and incline walking last night. Thinking I will keep my running to every other day and do some variety on the days I am not running. Hit 120% of my activity goal on my Polar A300 yesterday. I get completely psyched every time I am able to over achieve on this. Thankfully it is starting to happen more and more lately. Also managed to stay completely on track food wise yesterday. There is still clean up to do, but, right now I am pretty happy if I stay within my caloric goal each day. I figure when I start cleaning things up this won't be as much of an issue.
Karrie - oh my gosh, those sound adorable! I love the Minions. It is a weird obsession of mine right now. Sounds like overall you handled things pretty well with the party. Nice job on the pizza. I am still trying to figure out how to resist pizza nights at the house. Right now I figure it is a "win" if I manage to keep the husband at bay and only get it one day a week! I have a 3 week streak going right now on that one. ;-) I can't wait to hear about the tough mudder. That is something that has been on my bucket list for a while.
Mihani - as a former smoker, honestly, if that is as bad as it gets that is pretty daggone good!! Sounds like you bounced right back on plan and are not letting it phase you which is even better.0 -
Hi guys! Just popping by briefly to commend everyone on their awesome successes!!!
Woohoo, Karrie, that is a huge accomplishment re pizza! Good for you
I also lost the pizza battle this weekend.
Laura, awesome job with all of your activity time!! I would be so excited with my Polar too.
Mihani, you meant to say, I HAVE BEEN THREE DAYS WITHOUT A CIGARETTE!! That is amazing. Twizzlers are inconsequential! Great job.
I am here and struggling along but also doing well. I sort of (finally) had some sort of epiphany this Sunday. I, like you Mihani, sort of just slug along until luck would have it that I am fully motivated and involved! I've been forcing myself to try to get there but it just hasn't been happening (not that I'm avoiding responsibility, but again, the all or nothing mentality!). Anyway, I realized how it's become a lot more than just losing weight, but wanting to FEEL healthy again. I haven't felt healthy or light or strong or anything related to healthy lately and I miss that feeling, and that gives me motivation to eat all the good foods! I had a great day yesterday and today too so far.
Found a new organic CSA in our area and placed an order for Monday too!0 -
Laura, I quit for over a year, and started smoking just here and there probably 6 months ago, and that quickly bloomed into smoking every day again. I am weird, I know, but I actually lost weight when I quit smoking. I think just because I felt better and also, to be honest, I was bored without my smokes (I had also given up alcohol temporarily to avoid the alcohol/cigarette connection) so I started riding my bike and spent more time cooking. It was all very accidental lol. Hoping that history repeats itself and I lose weight again.
Lia, sounds like you're on a roll. I can totally relate to that feeling of being healthy, light, strong. I miss it! I want it back! Maybe that's what finally tripped me into sticking out the 6 week plan. I have had a few tired days, but overall my energy level has increased dramatically, and with work the way it has been I need that energy. I was just noticing yesterday that there's a bounce in my step and I walk faster. I get up and do things instead of sitting around thinking about doing things lol.
Today was good, back on track, no snack attacks. I am OD'ing on nicorette lozenges but I'll deal with that problem later. It's better than smoking! I think I'm going to look up a Leslie Sansone video on youtube tonight and do that since it looks like rain.0 -
A thread month should be named for epiphanies. Although it really doesn't sound right with any particular month. Mihani, do you want a kick in the @$$ to keep you off the cigarettes? I'm back on the gum. I had to do something to stop the binges, and I just decided I WOULD swap the gum for binges. So far, so good. But, I've been down this road before, so I know how giving myself leeway turns into a gateway. Currently, I'm working on eating healthier.... nothing close to ETL... but, if I'm not driving from the McD's drivethru to the Timmies drivethru, anyways... I might as well eat some salad. It's a start. I can't seem to get motivated to make a really futile and stupid gesture <Otter in Animal House> so I"m sticking with small moves. It's almost like... <gasp> moderation?
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Sloth! I was thinking about you. I think it's funny that we all sort of have a similar diet mentality, and similar ways with success and failure. I think it's hugeeee that you aren't parked at drive-thrus, that's awesome. I keep thinking... a lot of the stuff I was reading said rather than depriving, try ADDING, and I think that does make a difference. Not that I've perfected it, but it does help (ie. fitting in salads or veggies before the junky crap).
Mihani, that is actually really inspiring to hear! You are actually really inspiring me to try harder to stick with things more. I can't wait to feel better again and that is motivating! I am trying to have lots of good food on hand so that I don't have room or time for (as much) bad food. Still haven't trouble with the exercise though but like Karrie said, I'm trying to focus on nutrition for now.
I still think you guys are doing ok with the nicorette stuff too. Hang in there
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*gasp!* -- Sloth, don't SAY the "m" word!!
I'm in agreement with just wanting to feel better again. Still struggling with carbs. My first week was pretty successful, but since then, I've gotten pretty complacent again. As always, I've been eating too many carbs. Stupid!
Today my goal is for just ONE ETL day. So far, so good.
I woke up with my alarm this morning, for the first time in quite awhile... Got up and ran 7km (nonstop - yay!). That felt REALLY good. Glad I did it.
I packed all my fruit, 1oz raw almonds and my soup for work. CHECK! BUT.... My biggest struggle is when I get home from work. There's about a 2 hour window between getting home and eating supper when I kinda binge on carbs like a giant fool. So tonight I'm going to try to redirect myself somewhere else in the house. Make myself busy. See how that goes.
And then I will try again for just ONE day tomorrow.
If I can just focus on one day, the weeks will take care of themselves...
Oh, and Mihani, no - I'm not too nervous... YET.0 -
Lia, I hear you about adding. When I don't have any kind of real plan... I sometimes tend to think that just waiting or skipping meals is a sensible thing to do. When, in reality, I should just have a healthy snack or meal, and at this point, it's not 'supposed' to be about the weight loss for me, but just NOT binging, and slowly ( like a sloth ) easing my way back into healthy eating. So, my word of the day should be ADD not subtract.
And Karrie, although I'm Canadian, I'm also old(school), and think in terms of miles. And 4 1/2 miles is AWESOME!!!
*** Or at your weightloss goal?
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Hi all, hope everything is going great. Not much new here; I've been eating about 80 or 90% ETL (adding protein powder at breakfast and chocolate cashew milk in the evening, and using about 1/3 the oil I used to for cooking) and doing my hikes three days a week.
We did 8 miles on Friday, which was great but made my legs awfully sore. At least we did the biggest hill right at the start while we were still fresh, so it wasn't as brutal as when we drag ourselves up it at the end.
I'm going home to Canada for a week next Wednesday so I'm trying to come up with a plan to not go too far astray. I'm staying with my parents, so I thought volunteering to cook might help my mom out and solve my "what the heck am I supposed to eat" issues. They eat pretty healthy, but they aren't vegan so I'm going to try to find the best omnivore-approved recipes I can. I'm definitely thinking OSG enchilada casserole and that sweet potato chili I tried yesterday. Any and all suggestions welcome.
Karrie, I think you're going to do great on the TM. It seems like such a blast, too.
Sloth and Lia, I definitely third the "adding not subtracting" school of healthy eating. I actually used the Eat for Health book and exercises to get back on track this time. The first two were adding 8oz of fresh fruit before breakfast and adding 8 oz of raw veggies before dinner. It really helped me get away from the heavy, processed stuff I'd been eating and I didn't feel pressured or deprived.
Mihani, how goes the quitting? It's tough, but you've done this before so you know you have it in you. You've got this.
Laura, sounds like you're doing well with both the eating and exercise right now, nice job. I, too, live with a pizza fiend. I don't bother asking him what he wants for dinner anymore, because it is literally always pizza.0 -
Lots of mileage it sounds like!!
What an amazing hike, Peas. Where in Canada are you from, again? That'll be nice to be back, but I always find it hard being at home too. I associate it with comfort and relaxation and therefore comfort food lol. Good luck! I think a good plan is your best bet. I like tex mex and vegan caesar salads too!
Scott, Wow that "destination addiction" is dead on! I need out of that mindset too. Every once in awhile it occurs to me, "if this was forever, would it really be that bad?!". Awesome on slowing backing out of binging, that's great news.
Karrie, also great with the miles! That is amazing to me. I have no desire to ever do a tough mudder lol, but I'm excited to hear about your experience! I'm sure you'll be great.
Tonight my in-laws are coming to stay with us for the first time ever. I'm already slightly nervous. They want to order in which makes me nervous too! Tomorrow night I have a rehearsal dinner for a wedding I'm in on Saturday and the vegetarian option is cheese pizza. But I have to go right after work, so I'm also trying to think of a plan of defence! I'm feeling better after 4 days of good eats and I'd like to carry that through the weekend so I'm motivated at least!0 -
Hey y'all, couple extra long days at work. I haven't been 100% this week, I'm adjusting to not smoking and letting myself snack, but trying to keep the snacks limited and on the healthier side. I'm going to continue to cut myself a little slack over the weekend, back to the 6 week plan on Monday. I feel sooooo good though. I'd been having a lot of headaches, really bad ones, and I haven't had a single headache this week. Which leads me to believe that the headaches were caused by smoking. I haven't really had any massive cravings for smokes, a couple impulsive moments when I was sort of reaching for one, but quickly realized there weren't any to reach for and forgot about it.
I'm not going to the office tomorrow. The boss will probably be around and we've been snapping at each other more than usual, so I think we need a break from each other. Plus my house is an absolute wreck and I need to work on it tomorrow. Going to try to get some serious cleaning done and take care of some minor repairs and chores that I've been procrastinating about for a long while.
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