Love Your Health: Feb Challenge-Week 4 (2/22-2/29)
baconslave
Posts: 7,021 Member
Challenge blurb. 
I've got a thread stickied to the top of the group so you can find the weekly challenge threads, even if they are buried in the feed.
This thread is going to take us through the rest of the challenge. Have a great week.
Let's show some love to ourselves by selecting a goal that is going to further your health in some way, whether it be physical health or even mental health.
You could make sure your electrolyte levels are better.
Or commit to more exercise.
Or decide to forgo a bad habit you KNOW is hampering your health from being what it could.
Or start a good habit you've been putting off.
Or simply continue to focus on whatever health-conscious New Year's Resolution you made for last month.
You decide.
Love your health by "sprinting," (focusing hard and giving your all) for the whole month. It's only 29 days.
I've got a thread stickied to the top of the group so you can find the weekly challenge threads, even if they are buried in the feed.
This thread is going to take us through the rest of the challenge. Have a great week.
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Today marks one year of eating Low Carb High Fat without cheats or binges! My highest carb day was 88g total on Christmas Eve. That didn't seem to impact my progress, as I was at my lowest weight of the past year on December 30th. Since then I've steadily crept up five pounds and I'm back to wearing pants that had been in the "to trade in" pile.
I wish I could say this was from working out the past two weeks, but I truly believe this is from eating when food's available instead of when I'm hungry. I also think I was likely experimenting too much. And I don't think being the 'manager' for my mother's LCHF diet is helping me, either.
This morning I'm feeling very proud of my accomplishment (I tried Low Carb MANNNY times since 2010 but never went a full month without a planned 'cheat day' - now I called those 'planned fails' and disdain them as such). All the same, I need to make a course adjustment because, while I can deal with a spike on the scale, I do not like my pants getting tighter!
Mom says she's reevaluating whether she'll continue after Sunday. She's told me her IBS, which has plagued her for decades, has been better. I can't fathom why she'd stop, based on that alone, but she's her own person and needs to figure it out on her own. She's reading Keto Clarity, which arrived yesterday. I've never been so happy to have a new purchase snatched out of my hands! Really hoping that it helps her understand exactly how this way of eating is meant to help, and maybe she'll make some adjustments and become less dependent on me to be the keeper of the Keto Knowledge.
We hashed out the menu for the week, since my husband and I each have an appointment this week that will keep us from being able to cook whole dinner dishes. Until Thursday we'll be eating separately from my mom. She's having sausages, peppers and onions for dinner with my dad, then rib eye tomorrow, dinner out with dad on Wednesday. My husband batch cooked himself a pot of chili yesterday to feed himself from. Thursday night we are planning for pancakes as a family. A servings is 10.9 g carbs (and I'm rather not good at precision pancake pouring). Mom's already asked what else she can put on it that isn't the SF syrup. I'm going to offer her a SF preserve reduction or whipped cream. She's not getting fresh berries. I'm not going there. If she was going to have berries, I'd have to buy berries, and we wouldn't use all the berries, and then berries would be around and we'd have something else to go with the leftover berries, then she starts craving berries and relying on the berries... slippery slope.
Anyway, my folks are on their own again for Friday's Lenten fish dinner (she wanted to get me a lobster but I'm not interested in paying that much to work that hard). My husband and I are planning for a fathead pizza, though I may pass depending on my progress (almond flour is an issue for me).
My plan for this week is basically an egg-based reboot:
HB eggs in the morning with a BPC coffee (I had a scoop of guacamole this morning, as well, 3g carbs total).
BPC for lunch (we have an office lunch thief, so no point in bringing in food).
Fried eggs and bacon for dinner.
I expect to be back on track after that. Sunday we have an appointment to get tattoos, and dinner will probably be burgers just to keep it easy (tattoos are exhausting, and our visit will take all day, likely).
I am of half a mind to go back to my "Disney Diet," lolol. Eggs and BPC for breakfast, no/minimal lunch, then buttered meat and greens for dinner and coffee for dessert. Yes, my Disney progress had a lot to do with the constant walking, too, and I do want to get my step count up. My plan is to walk around at lunch instead of eating. Target, Stew Leonard's, or I could even pop over to the mall and do that circuit. Plus walking around the office more at work. Like, instead of a straight line between the bathroom and my desk, I'll walk through the whole building once.
So yeah. 1 year Lowcarbversary, not quite on track with where I want to be, but still very proud of my new outlook on eating (no interest in binging on carbage, no matter how disappointed I might be that everyone else seems to be able to drop 50 pounds in a flash, while I've worked hard on these 22 pounds for 365 days). I can't compare myself to others. N=1 and no one is just like me. My determination is solid, and I do still hope to reach my goal of size 6 (~125 lbs) by late spring/early summer. I am pretty sure I know what I need to do to get there.
I guess I should thank the coworker who ate my steak out of the office fridge last week. Not trusting the office environment to bring my lunch in will definitely help with my intermittent fasting!0 -
@glossbones Congrats on your 1 year anniversary.
I'm back from a 10 day vacation. Disney, Nassau, Hoot! Tons of walking and eating and drinking. Net result a 4 pound gain. Back to 150 again. I did eat a lot of LCHF foods so I stuck to my plan, mostly. I think this week will drop back the gain. Looking forward to keeping on. Heading to the grocery store to restock the fridge full of goodness.
My next goal is also to reach 125 pounds by late spring - early summer. Here we go!
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SW: 153.4
CW: 130.2
Cals: 1451
Carbs: 32 net
Exercise: About to do yoga.
Sleep: Enough for a change.
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FEB 22
SW: 247 (12/12, started keto)
SW: 219.8 (Feb 1)
CW: 212.6
GW for February: 215
GW for 12/31: 180
Calories under 1200: yes
Carbs Under 30: yes0 -
FEB 22
SW: 187 (5.1.2015)
CW: 148.0
GW 125
Calories: check
Carbs: check
Sleep: Not great, kept waking up. I still feel like I'm on a boat. LOL.
Exercise: None last night. Planning for today.
Hi Guys, I'm feeling really great. Down 2 pounds yesterday. Hoot. After the 4 pound gain over the vacation, I knew it was just a lot of water weight. I ate a lot, few more carbs and sweets than I usually eat, but mainly stuck to LCHF. I was happy it was only 4. Today's weight of 2 pounds more is probably more reflective of my splurge. Good day planned, back to work. Lots to catch up.0 -
FEB 23
SW: 153.4
CW: 130.0. So close to a new "decade"!
GW: 128 or 24% body fat
Calories: 1489
Carbs: 35 net
Exercise: About to do yoga
Sleep: Not quite enough, but close.0 -
@glossbones congrats on your 1 year lowcarbversary!
@reblazed your success is inspiring.
@slimzandra so glad you're doing well!0 -
FEB 23
SW: 247 (12/12, started keto)
SW: 219.8 (Feb 1)
CW: 212.2
GW for February: 215
GW for 12/31: 180
Calories under 1200: yes
Carbs Under 30: yes0 -
My buttercano liquid lunch has been serving me well for the whole two days I've been trying to get back on track.
This morning I was up early again and tried to make this inside-out cheese/egg taco/omelette thing I saw on Facebook yesterday. Messed it up and it was a big heavy cheesy mess. It probably would have killed me if I were still on a SAD diet, lol. I just feel a little heavy in the gut at the moment. Wishing I'd just had the hard boiled eggs. If it ain't broke...
Down 1.2 pounds on the scale from where I was Monday. Belly is still looking like I've got some inflammation. I suspect it's the tomato content in the chili I've had for dinner both nights. I need to accept that I don't do well with nightshades (I can't accept it because OMG hot sauce, jalapenos, salsa. But I need to accept it.).0 -
glossbones wrote: »My buttercano liquid lunch has been serving me well for the whole two days I've been trying to get back on track.
This morning I was up early again and tried to make this inside-out cheese/egg taco/omelette thing I saw on Facebook yesterday. Messed it up and it was a big heavy cheesy mess. It probably would have killed me if I were still on a SAD diet, lol. I just feel a little heavy in the gut at the moment. Wishing I'd just had the hard boiled eggs. If it ain't broke...
Down 1.2 pounds on the scale from where I was Monday. Belly is still looking like I've got some inflammation. I suspect it's the tomato content in the chili I've had for dinner both nights. I need to accept that I don't do well with nightshades (I can't accept it because OMG hot sauce, jalapenos, salsa. But I need to accept it.).
I "wahoo"ed you on "The Feed" but didn't get around to doing it here.
WAHOO on your anniversary! Seriously. Amazing accomplishment.
Sorry about the nightshades.
Coming to grips with stuff we like that we can't really eat is the pits.
What to say in update? I think the expensive prescrip eyedrops might be working mm by mm. I only get up 3 or 4 times a night to save my corneas instead of 6. If I didn't dry out like a damn mummy every night this wouldn't be an issue. :rollingmydamneyes:
I can't manage to stay in ketosis more than 7-10 days because I'm a flipping idiot. I HAVE brought my carbs down to 20g net and have actually been keeping them under 20 total some. The raging appetite has been more ignorable. I still crave the nuts by the end of the week. It always starts with the nuts...they are a gateway drug. I haven't had a drink in 2 weeks because I can't be knocked out while sleeping enough that I'm unable to babysit my damn eyes and catch them if they are about to fight. And I'm crazy. I haven't been out by myself since November maybe...
I'm frustrated by the fatigue. And I stopped all my supps and vites and am adding things back 1 at a time. I thought maybe one of them was causing the nonsense, but it isn't. I've been trying to keep my protein down lower. I don't know if that's helping any. It makes me miss eating more meat for sure.
And I'm frustrated with the interruptions in my workout/strength routine adding my oldest son into the mix has made. I had to delay a workout so he could go play outside. We need to get back at it today. But today is the last nice weather before winter comes back. It's making me pissy. I mean, I can go take a walk around the property while they are out. And listen to a podcast. But I want to do my strength workout. Strength work is mommy's me time, ok! It's my "get absorbed in my workout and zen out" time. Grrr. Plus our damn cats stalk me while I'm trying to walk outside. Then jump out of the bushes and attack my feet, untie my shoes, and force me to pet them. They do. If I don't stop and pet those little turds, they will TRIP ME to get me to stop. I hate having workouts interrupted. And I only get so much time to do things.
Do I sound very zen? NO!
I'm just going to stop whining and drink my coffee.
Everyone have a great day.
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@baconslave LOL. I love kitties. I had a cat who used to play pounce the feet. So cute.
You are loved! I had painful dry eyes too, but for some reason it has improved, I wish I could point to a cause-effect. (Knock on wood.)
FEB 22
SW: 187 (5.1.2015)
CW: 148.0
GW 125
Calories: check
Carbs: check
Sleep: Like a baby. I was really tired after a full day's work.
Exercise: Excuses, excuses.. ug.
I skinned my knee at Disney and it got badly infected. Gross. Doctor advised, that I should have used Bacitracin instead of Neosporin. He said it is common for people to have an allergic reaction to Neosporin and it just made matters worse. I got a tetanus shot which still hurts. I also stopped the antibiotic today (Keflex) due to a negative reaction to it (IB). I think the cures are worse than the wound. I'm just going to leave it alone today, let it dry out. I'm a mess today. Keep the zen!0 -
Been celebrating my birthday since last Friday (2/19), not always with food or alcohol (though Saturday was the worst of it), but the carbs and sugar has been up more with some of the choices I've made. Thankfully I'm not blowing my calories out of the water, but I am needing to become more diligent with my choices and getting my carbs back in balance and cutting out the sugar I've been consuming. While I don't FEEL heavier I have been avoiding my scale to see where I am....I need to suck it up and just look.
I've still been keeping up my runs and weight training, so that's been good. I've been toying with adding in jump rope for cardio on my weight training days. I want a decent rope, but you either pay less for crap or a lot for more than I really need. Figure I'll do some more looking and see what's out there. I'm also toying around with getting a gym membership to our local gym. Still debating it all. In the meantime, sticking with my plan and keeping at the runs and home weights.0 -
slimzandra wrote: »@baconslave LOL. I love kitties. I had a cat who used to play pounce the feet. So cute.
You are loved! I had painful dry eyes too, but for some reason it has improved, I wish I could point to a cause-effect. (Knock on wood.)
FEB 22
SW: 187 (5.1.2015)
CW: 148.0
GW 125
Calories: check
Carbs: check
Sleep: Like a baby. I was really tired after a full day's work.
Exercise: Excuses, excuses.. ug.
I skinned my knee at Disney and it got badly infected. Gross. Doctor advised, that I should have used Bacitracin instead of Neosporin. He said it is common for people to have an allergic reaction to Neosporin and it just made matters worse. I got a tetanus shot which still hurts. I also stopped the antibiotic today (Keflex) due to a negative reaction to it (IB). I think the cures are worse than the wound. I'm just going to leave it alone today, let it dry out. I'm a mess today. Keep the zen!
Polysporin is actually safer than Bacitracin, @slimzandra . I personally have a known rash-like reaction to Neomycin (and first aid cream, too, ironically) - and so I avoid Neosporin like the PLAGUE. I've heard it actually kills off the while blood cells BEFORE the infection...and just seals it in rather than heals it. Yeah, that sounds good, not.0 -
I just broke into the 120's this morning; 129.6!
(Original GW was 133, then I decided to aim for 128-130 before shifting to recomp.)
I *think* my body fat is probably still around 28% and I would love to get it from "acceptable" to "fitness" range but we'll see how that goes. I definitely have "skinny fat" genes/predisposition to fight against even when my weight loss efforts are successful. Hoping strength training and HIIT will help with that if I can stop injuring myself and get some traction with a strength program. 0 -
Way to go @macchiatto on getting under 130 !!!0
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Thanks, @reblazed!0
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FEB 24
SW: 153.4
CW: 129.6
GW: 128
Cals: 1400
Net carbs: 20gm
Exercise: Tons of cleaning today and a 10-min walk.
Sleep: Bad insomnia last night.0 -
Congratulations on all the wonderful successes! You all are really inspirational!0
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@Karlottap Thanks. LOL ... my body is not the only part of me that's lovin' this way of eating. 0
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FEB 24
SW: 247 (12/12, started keto)
SW: 219.8 (Feb 1)
CW: 211.4
GW for February: 215
GW for 12/31: 180
Calories under 1200: yes
Carbs Under 30: yes0 -
FEB 22
SW: 187 (5.1.2015)
CW: 148.0
GW 125
Calories: check
Carbs: check
Sleep: Thunderstorms woke me up. I ate 3 pieces of bacon at 3am and went back to sleep readily. So tired.
Exercise: More excuses, excuses.. Got grocery shopping done tho.
Knee still hurts. I will look into Polysporin, thanks for the tip! At this point, I should just keep it clean and leave it alone. It's just a mess at this point. I will spare everyone the photos. LOL.0 -
slimzandra wrote: »FEB 22
SW: 187 (5.1.2015)
CW: 148.0
GW 125
Calories: check
Carbs: check
Sleep: Thunderstorms woke me up. I ate 3 pieces of bacon at 3am and went back to sleep readily. So tired.
Exercise: More excuses, excuses.. Got grocery shopping done tho.
Knee still hurts. I will look into Polysporin, thanks for the tip! At this point, I should just keep it clean and leave it alone. It's just a mess at this point. I will spare everyone the photos. LOL.
@slimzandra Just as a random side note, Polysporin was what my grandfather used - and he was a late in life diagnosed T2D....for whatever reason it worked better with his system too, and I'm sure the Neomycin sensitivity probably came from that side, too. I'm weird in that I'm not allergic to latex or anything, but to the adhesive stuff - I'll get a worse rash from the sticky part of the bandaid than from whatever it's protecting!0 -
More evidence that the scale is a Lying LiarPants.
Me at 152 (left pic) vs. Me-Now at 154 (right pic)
I know it's hard to tell. It's subtle. But the waist tapers, less poof in the lower belly, thighs are more narrow, tighter junk in the trunk. Those pants are more loose now.
Liar. Scale. Lying. To. My. Face.
That is all.0 -
Bleh. I am still trying to catch up to life from all the craziness from last week. Yesterday was the first night I got a decent amount of sleep (more then 4 hours) in the last week. Stress has been eating me from the inside, and I had a binge episode on Tuesday, so I am fighting cravings, mostly with diet soda. It's also not the best time of the month for me, so I just want to cry and dive face-first into some corn chips. On a happier note, I am looking forward to a nice long run tonight, which may kill the cravings and make me feel better. After the run, I am hoping to get the mythical 8-9 hours of sleep, and hopefully wake up in a bit more cheerful mood.
On the bright side, I've stayed away from Starbucks.0 -
also regrouping this week. even good stress can throw me off my game, so once again i'm buckling down, getting serious about keto. and it works. not too much in the loss department but overall the trend is downward at a snails pace.
feeling overly emotional about some things. just trying to keep it steady eddie. when does it all start to feel good? its been awhile now and still feeling off, like no substance in the changes. like im still on the outside looking in. hopefully soon, it will feel better, look better and be better. hanging in there for this week, guys.
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@baconslave you look great! Thanks for the inspiration.
SW: 153.4
CW: 130
GW: 128
Cals: Just under
Carbs: 30 net
Exercise: Doing strength once I get the boys in bed.
Sleep: Insomnia again last night.
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@baconslave I don't think I've ever seen a photo of you before! You look great! You certainly don't look like someone who is having such a struggle with your health.
I wasn't feeling well yesterday. It started with a headache and muscle soreness and I thought it was because I woke up so late I had to skip my shower (muscles) and I only reheated the decaf coffee from the night before (headache). As the day went on, though, I felt worse, more sore, and couldn't focus. I ended up leaving work before lunch and spent the rest of the day in forced relaxation (no internet so I couldn't work on the website I need to build by Monday night). I finished a book I'd only just started (haven't done that in a LONG time) and took a couple naps. Made coconut flour pancakes for dinner. I blame them for eating up the scale loss I reported yesterday, but the more I think about it, I probably felt crappy because I was dehydrated and this is that hydration reappearing.
Preparing myself to go dairy-free for two weeks starting March 1, I am interested to see what happens. If I see a clear acceleration, I'll stay dairy free until I reach goal, then see how much I can back add in to maintain without regaining. If anyone's interested I could do an auxiliary challenge thread. 0 -
@glossbones good luck going dairy-free! I did go gluten and dairy free for 6 weeks a year ago and didn't really notice a difference, but I wasn't all that low carb at the time. I tried going dairy free again recently and quit after a day. I am weak. Let us know how it goes though! I hope you're feeling better today. 0
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Ok, week 4 check-in:
1. Avoid food waste/too much eating out - check. After the pre-planned weekend packed with work/in-laws, I stayed away from restaurants.
2. Get 7 hours of sleep a night - I got 7 hours on Wednesday night, and 7 last night, and I am finally feeling like I am catching up.
3. Drop another 2-3lb before the end of the month - Not going anywhere near the scale for the next two weeks, but at my last weigh-in I lost 6
4. Send out at least one resume a week - I should have the time/ability to do that over the weekend. Yey for having a free weekend!0
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