Beautiful Behaviors - End of year 2016

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.

jessiquoi

My name is Jess, and I currently live in Harford County, MD. I am moving in less than one week to an old farmhouse my fiancé and I bought and are in the process of remodeling. It's going to be stressful living in a construction site, and I won't have a kitchen for the first few months, so I really need to work hard at staying healthy.

I'm 59, and a Type 1 diabetic (insulin required). I have a 27 yr old daughter from a previous marriage, and I have 100 lbs to lose. I work full time as a Software Development Project Manager, and I'm less than 3 years away from retirement and COUNTING!!!

I'm very sedentary at the moment, and just started wearing a Fitbit to motivate me to move more. I started tracking my food yesterday, and my goal this week is simply that... to track the food I eat without judging its quantity or quality. I believe that awareness alone can bring a certain amount of change, and tracking sure does make me aware!

Have a beautiful day,
jess

2011rocket3touring

Soooo much win in your post.

jessiquoi

thanks, i'm glad it spoke to you. i hope i find some people who feel the same way, it's more fun to do this with friends

mila_lova

I love this idea. I like how you call them beautiful habits.

My name is Mila. I'm a 26 year old substitute teacher. I live in Southern California with my boyfriend. I've been working on developing healthy habits for about a month now. It's been hard lately. I'll be back with more later.

jessiquoi

hi, @mila_lova , thanks for joining in! i look forward to reading more.

jessiquoi

good morning, mila and everyone else!

i tracked all my food yesterday, even though i went over my allotment. i was honest and i feel good about it. seeing how much i'm eating is making me think of ways to cut back. somehow, this method makes me feel more comfortable than mandating i meet the calorie limit and suffer (tongue in cheek) the rest of the day with hunger.

today my goal is the same. track everything, walk a little bit further than yesterday, and drink more than 32 oz of water.

i've got my breakfasts down the last few days of tracking. i'm either having yogurt w/flax seed and banana and oat bran if i'm home, or a tim horton's breakfast grilled wrap if i'm at the office. i love that mfp has tim horton's food in its database! it's the only restaurant i can walk to from my office, so i eat there 2 meals/day the 2 days/week i am in the office.

all in all, i feel like i'm more aware and getting ready to work harder on this journey come 1/1. i love starting new things on a new year/new week/month/day/whatever. i'm definitely the "i'll start on monday" kind of girl. come 1/1, i'll have practiced these behaviors for a week or two and be ready to rock and roll.

what are you doing good for yourself today? i have house cleaners coming. yay!

jess

woznube7

Good Morning!

My name is Libby... and I love this "beautiful habits" as well. A great way to look at it and think about it.

I am a 28 year old Administrative Assistant, working on my Office Admin. Associates as well as my Early Childhood Associates... hoping in five years to be a preschool teacher or have my own in-home daycare. I did WW back in 2007, hit my goal weight and lost 40-50lbs. Over these last 10 years, i've gained it all back.. plus about another 20lbs. In August, I was back down to 175 (my lowest since, 2007 when I was 140- goal weight) and since then I have had many stressors, curves, stumbles, holes, etc. I am a serial starter, an emotional eater, insecure, etc.. but I am a beautiful mess, in which I need to embrace.

So with this journey, I am not only trying to lose weight, i'm trying to gain confidence, learn to love myself, be happy, be inspiring, be me. Some day I want a family. I know that I need to be in great shape and be healthy to have a family and to be a teacher/daycare provider. Examples need to be set and they need to be great. I want to inspire, make the world a better place, and be a great role model.

This morning I have been pretty down... because I am still working on my self control, some days it's ok, some days it isn't there at all. But I have been drinking 100oz water, every day, and that is a good little/small/baby step. I know that I am successful when I take baby steps.

You are doing a great job and I am thankful you shared this with us! It is very inspiring. So many people have accomplished so much and are crushing their goals.. I want to be like that!

Tonight I am babysitting at a hotel, so I will swim with the kids and that will be my movement/exercise for the day. That will be my good.. along with healthy meals.

I hope you have a great day!

jessiquoi

hey Libby, good for you for drinking SO much water each day! i believe it's necessary to keep all of our functions, well, functioning! i hope you feel less down after writing here, and that the rest of your day is fabulous. enjoy the swimming this evening!

jess

mila_lova

I keep trying to post but MFP cuts it off.

woznube7

Feeling much better than I did this morning. Probably because I had gotten busier at work, so I wasn't staring at the clock so much, or outside!

ajerome3386

Hello friends! I wanted to just applaud this group for existing, it's helpful to have somewhere to put the things you're proud of.

I'm proud that I hit my 35 day logging streak yesterday, which is the longest I've ever logged using MFP! Hopefully this time around the habits stick!

jessiquoi

congratulations, 35 days sounds like a lifetime! i'm on day 2.

jessiquoi

glad you're feeling better, libby

iris2811

What a wonderful post OP and how great to see it's had a positive response
Well I haven't got much to lose but for the past three years I've come back every winter to lose the same 15ish lb! Ridiculous! So this time my intention is to stick around and make sure those 15 stay off.
I have a very positive outlook on life. My fitness is important to me now at 47 than it ever was when i was younger. This is for my vanity lol and also for my ten year old boy. I'm so pleased i still have both my parents alive at 80 and 90, I would hope to be there for him as he gets older.
To keep me focused I've signed up for a 70 mile ride in April. Be prepared I love cycling and may well mention it once or twice ;-)

@jessiquoi you look sooooo much younger than you say you are!

jessiquoi

thanks, Iris! that picture is two years old. my hair is long now, i should update my profile pic.

i love filling my life with positive people, and i hope you DO stick around after losing your 15 to inspire me on my looooong road ahead.

jessiquoi

well, i just closed my food diary for the day. i've never done that before, i usually don't close them until the following morning, and i think that leaves me open to snack. anyway, it never worked before so i'm trying something different. let's see if i can stay satisfied this evening with just water... of which i've had 64 oz already!

iris2811

Oh yes sticking around is one of my goals for next year :-)

yes you do have a long road but with your great attitude you'll do just fine!
Well done on drawing a line under your day - i'm never sure what to think about the five week prediction that comes with it - it's too dependent on that day to have any real relevance yet i bet we all look at it and wither dream or fret & the water intake - you will find that will soon become a habit I'm sure

btw I lived in a caravan/trailer for nealy nine months whilst my (now) ex remodeled out home... you have some interesting times ahead :-) I had literally just fallen pregnant and we were both worried how we'd cope with showers at the gym and frozen pipes ect ect - keep a focus on the end result and whilst i sometime may seem like it's going on forever have an estimated finish date at the back of your head and keep counting down to that - in the end the hardship was more than worth it for us - also if you you are lucky enough to have friends (like we did) who will take pity on you and invite you over for dinner and a bath, don't be proud hahaha just thank them with a moving in party later :-)

jessiquoi

Good morning all! I'm so happy with yesterday, I could dance.

I got my steps up to almost 2500, which is up from under 1000 at the beginning of the week. I feel like I'm going to beat that today, cause it's an "in the office" day and I always walk more when I'm here.

I drank 90 oz of water! That is harder for me to do at the office, but I do have a lot of unsweetened iced tea while I'm here, which will have to suffice.

Finally, I ate 400 calories less than the day before, so I'm closing in on actually staying within the suggested 1600 calorie limit MFP gave me.

All in all, a day I'm proud of for this first week of mine.

IRIS, this is actually the second time I will be living in a construction zone, but the first time I was 20 years younger. I'm not looking forward to it, but I'm not totally petrified either. My biggest concerns are 1) how well and how quickly will my cat adjust; and 2) how well will I be able to stick to a healthy eating program when I don't have a kitchen. We shall see. I'm glad to have some support here. I always do better when I can vent lol.

@ajerome3386 thanks for joining us! Happy Day 36!

LIBBY, how's your day going so far?

MILA, I hope today MFP allows you to post.

Where are you all living? I'm in Harford County, MD, but I'm from Brooklyn, NY.

woznube7

Good Morning!

I'll share a story of my night, last night:

Once upon a time, I was at a decent weight to wear a two piece. Since then, I've gained weight and shouldn't wear one, but it's the only thing I have. One night I went to a hotel to babysit two kids. The hotel has a pool, hot tub, and water slide. So I take the kids down to the pool where there are about three other children and two sets of grandparents in a corner table. I keep my cover-up on and let the kids play for a little bit. The little girl I am watching asks me a handful of times to come in the pool to play. Meanwhile, I am extremely mortified, because I am too heavy for the bathing suit that I am wearing and do not want people to stare at me. I get up and go to the hot tub, get in and take my cover up off, so I feel a little less uncomfortable. The little girl asks me again to go in the pool.... and now there is a like a mini family reunion going on, so there are MORE people around. I tell the little girl that I am feeling a little nervous. She asks me why. She is almost five... like two weeks away. I tell her that I do not want people to look at me, but then I ask her if I look OK. She says yes. So I finally get enough courage to just jump in. I do a couple laps, then I freeze and go back into the hot tub. The kids are still there, so they all play.

Moral of the story: That was the worst feeling,and then I had to be strong because I did not want to put any ideas in her head. Those kids love me unconditionally, and even more, they do not care what I look like. I don't want to keep being in those kinds of situations. I want to be able to get in the pool and swim and not care or feel uncomfortable. That was a swift kick of motivation.

Today, I have 100 OZ of water planned to drink, throughout the work day (I'll be drinking more, tonight, but that's the work day goal!). I will make a better dinner choice/eat less. My big obstacle is to stay within the means of my calories allotted. Babysitting is challenging in that sense, with food, actually good (bad) food!

@jessiquoi, fantastic job on upping your steps and lowering your calories in! Awesome job in the water department too, you almost drank as much as I did! One week down, many more successful weeks to come!

@aejrome3386, welcome!! Congrats on 36 days. I need to do better at actually completing my diary. I tend to log, but become embarrassed by being over my limit and then not letting anyone see my "failure". That is something I am really going to work on, in 2017! I have many resolutions to achieve!

Mila- Hope to hear from you today, MFP can be so finicky sometimes!!

I am from Grand Rapids, MI.

jessiquoi

Libby, I so get the way you felt last night. Great job setting an awesome example for that 5 yr old girl! You know, you could make your diary private so nobody can see it, and then you can just practice being honest with yourself and not worry about anyone seeing anything. There's no failure unless you stop trying!

woznube7

I do have it set to private, but I should just log it even though I am over. Because I know that it's not going to be forever, that I am over! Just makes me feel like I failed, when I am not "under"! So I don't log. Silly excuse and feeling!

jessiquoi

I am currently over every day too, Libby, and I find that just by logging every single bite, I'm slowly making changes. It's not "silly" to feel anything. Try setting your intention to log everything instead of to stay within your calories, and see how that works. Just redefine "success" and maybe that will help.

woznube7

Always too hard on myself! Thanks for being so sweet. Sometimes I just need the push to help me think differently.

ivygirl1937

Hi!

I just wanted to say that I think this thread is awesome and I love the heart/attitude behind it. I feel like attitude and where you are mentally is 90% of weight loss and taking care of oneself. I'm on my third time doing this, I've logged over 300 days and I've lost about 40 pounds of the about 170 I need to, I'm losing about a pound a week and while it's slow, I'm okay with that. Before I wanted instant results, now it's more about cultivating "beautiful habits" as you said (I love that!) and slower is okay with me. I have bad days like yesterday when I went over my calories by quite a bit and that used to make me throw in the towel but now I realize that it's okay, it's life and it will happen, and I'm just going to keep on going. Even when I'm over, I'm still eating way better than I have in years past and that in of itself is a win and should be celebrated. Every little win should be! Sorry for the mini-rant to just say I think this thread and everyone in it is awesome.

jessiquoi

I think we're all too hard on ourselves. I've decided that's over for me. I am working on loving myself WHILE I get to the weight I want. I hope you will join me in adopting this attitude!

jessiquoi

Hi, @ivygirl1937 ! happy to have you join us, losing about 1 lb per week is where I want to be. Great job, great attitude! welcome!

ivygirl1937

Oh sorry, I forgot to say, my name is Amanda.

ivygirl1937

jessiquoi wrote: »

I think we're all too hard on ourselves. I've decided that's over for me. I am working on loving myself WHILE I get to the weight I want. I hope you will join me in adopting this attitude!

This. This is absolutely awesome, couldn't agree more.

passion4peace

Hello Everyone! I think that this is precisely the sort of group that I have been looking for. You all are quite inspiring. My goal is to have overall better (beautiful) habits that lead to improved health and fitness.

A little about me:
My name is Deanna. I am 24 years old, and currently live in Atlanta, Georgia with my fiance, daughter, and our dog. I am enrolled in a Masters program where I am set to graduate in May (Yay!), and also work in marketing for a non-profit organization full-time. I would like to find an accountability partner, so that I can add more like-minded people to my circle. The aim is to support each other in accomplishing our health and fitness goals. My fiance bought me a fitness tracker that I have been using to monitor my steps and I have been successfully logging in to MyFitnessPal for over a month. I have not necessarily been sticking to my calorie or macro goals, but I am proud that I have been making a habit of keeping track. I plan to start meal prepping this Monday, and will doing my shopping tomorrow. Hopefully, that helps with sticking to the goals that I have set.

Please feel free to add me!

jessiquoi

Amanda, thanks! I think I deserve to be loved BECAUSE I'm working so hard to get healthier. This is a new attitude for me, and it's still sinking in, so let's all reinforce it for ourselves. Love yourself NOW!

What are you doing to make yourself feel good today?

Me? I'm writing everything in my head here. I love the interaction of an active group of people... I'm kind of needy that way. I guess a more positive way of looking at it is that I love leading a group of people with the same goals and attitudes in discussions that support those goals. So don't worry about posting "too much" here... it's more than welcome!