Beautiful Behaviors - July 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.

finngirl61

@jessiquoi - thanks so much for all your efforts! I'm glad we're continuing on in July! I am up at least 5 lbs. Due to stress eating because of spouse. But he didn't force me to eat; it's still my choice. So for July, I'm going to make 'different' choices, that will make me feel better, and not guilty. I will also log my foods which I haven't been doing. It's silly to 'think' about logging, but not actually do it. It's an immature game.

finngirl61

I guess you can only write so much. The rest of my post disappeared. I wanted to say God bless all of you and let's have a positive, self-care, confident, inspiring July! You give me hope when I read all your posts.

Sp1tfire

June really flew by! I've had the most relaxing start to this month. I had my grandparents over to my house and I made them margerita pizza. Today I spent a good hour at the grocery store just enjoying browsing all the things I haven't seen before. They added lots of stuff! One thing I know has been around but I haven't tried is Edy's slow churn ice cream. Lately I've been buying halo top, but that's gotten expensive. The Edy's slow churn is low fat and only has 50 calories more per serving than halo top. I realized that even when I buy halo top I don't eat it all in one sitting, so I might as well get a big thing of ice cream with a lot more! (plus this comes in chocolate brownie- who could resist?)

Buying this new brand also helps me to practice my beautiful behaviour of not being afraid of treats. Part of me bought halo top because I didn't trust myself to have 'real' ice cream around. This seemed like a good step, and it's way more cost effective for my budget.

Hope everyone else is having a great start to July! I am going to find a new self care behaviour to practice this month, is anyone else trying to start a new habit too?

aleahurst

@finngirl61 - posts here have a way of disappearing before you post them
Especially if you are on a mobile device using the MFP app! Going straight to the internet page is a little more reliable, but not as user friendly. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

@katadx - that sounds good. I also allow myself some kinds of recreational foods. You know, foods that you eat because, darn it, you like it! If your core intention is to be mindful and self caring, you will be self caring about ice cream portions. The more mindful you are, the more slowly you eat. The more slowly you eat, the more you actually taste the stuff that you enjoy! It's a win! I think I'm preaching to me here.

New self care habit, hmmm....

Eat all foods more slowly, so that I can better discern smells and tastes! I am going to spend July tasting what I eat, not just scarfing it down. My Aunt Lora used to sniff all foods before she ate. The family thought it was an old habit developed during the great depression years. What if she just wanted to enjoy the smell?

@jessiquoi - thank you for our new thread!

Love to all.

Lea

rheddmobile

Hello everyone! This will be my first 4th of July since becoming a diabetic and I'm trying not to stress about it too much. My mom is in charge, and everything my family traditionally eats is a no-go for me: sugary baked beans, fried chicken, corn on the cob, cucumber sandwiches. I'm pretty sure that my last 4th of July I ate about 250g of carbs, which would literally put me in a coma! And right now is not a good time for me, I seem to be having a lupus flare which is making my blood glucose control whackier than usual, I can only tolerate about 30g of carbs at a time instead of the usual 45-50g.

I have negotiated for some more workable foods - we've added summer squash, and I'm going to make some coleslaw with buttermilk dressing instead of mayo. Also added ribs so I have something to eat other than chicken with the skin picked off.

@aleahurst - I'm sitting here smelling a peach right now on account of you! It really does improve the experience if you just take a moment and enjoy the smell.

@finngirl61 - sorry to hear your spousal stress is ongoing, but good for you taking charge of your own choices.

@katadx - I recently started doing my fingernails and toenails, does that count as self care? I find that having lost a bunch of weight, I care more about my appearance, whereas before it didn't seem worth the trouble. I always used to think I had pretty feet - I never wear heels so my toes are straight and strong - but they looked terrible when I was at my heaviest. Now they are pretty again.

aleahurst

Okay. I stopped to smell and enjoy my food last night. I'm surprised. I like the taste of steak. I don't like grilled broccoli. I love grilled mushrooms. I thought I would hate the smell of steak and love the taste of broccoli! I'm the autistic family member who, when going to a restaurant, shuts up and cleans her plate, by golly. It was not so last night. I'm surprised! I will do this again.

Oh my @rheddmobile , the smell of peaches is so sweet and earthy! Yum! Good for you in requesting some diabetic friendly foods for the holiday. You can stand up straight, pick the good foods, let your curves show, and tell your family to just watch you taking good care of your body!

Deep breath. I will do some food prep in order to pre-measure my portions throughout July. Then I will stand up straight, flutter my southern eyelashes, let my curves show, smile as though I am the keeper of a secret, and accurately record my foods.

@finngirl61 - stress eating is rough. I will read your posts when you want to write down your feelings.

Love to all.

Lea

aleahurst

Well. So far today, I have recorded every bite I've swallowed. How do y'all like that! Ha!

finngirl61

Happy 4th of July to all of you!! Enjoy the day, take care of yourself, and make good (not perfect) choices. Thanks to @rheddmobile and @aleahurst for your encouragement. ☺❤

SuperCarLori

Hi!
I've recently gotten a food scale, and I'm learning to be exact with intake. I've also recently became the Guardian of a Fitbit! So walking outdoors, barefoot, while practicing gratitude has become my new Beautiful Behavior.

rencawdor24

This thread speaks right to me! Thank you for creating this thread. I am just starting up my weighloss again and love the idea of looking after ourselves with weighloss being a by product.
My key this week & weekend is to try pre-plan my food and start up exercise in a few days.

rencawdor24

I would like to practice being in the present moment. I work full time and have 2 young ones-busy life! So when I am at work I want to focus on work and when I am with my children, I want it to be quality time rather then always thinking about the next thing on my to-do list.

sosteach

This is awesome. This week when I weighed the scale didn't budge even though I had been diligent about weighing and counting and exercising (I do NOT eat those calories back). I wanted to cry and then I reminded myself that I did not start this to lose weight. I started this because I wanted to feel better and I do. I am eating a healthy well-balanced diet, drinking water, walking every day, going to a dance fitness class 3 times a week, and stick to a sleep schedule. I feel better and bonus I am down 35 pounds. I am in it to win it and in it for life!

str8bowbabe

Hi ladies,

Sorry I have been MIA. I had a very busy extended weekend. I did over eat but I stayed very active with volleyball with the family. Now to get back on track. Meal prepped again last night. Second week in a row and I feel it helps a lot. Added more protein to my diet too.

I was out for 4 days from work...the place fell apart(as always). Now its so frustrating to try to "fix" everything that got either screwed up or didn't get done. Had to walk away from my desk and ran to the store to get a payday and a dt dew. Not a good combo by any means but I feel better now so back to work. Keep on keepin' on ladies. I will be back later to chat and read all your posts.

nickiphillips1

Hey everyone, I am back from Louisiana with my oldest. He had summer orientation for college. It was a lot of fun, we even sneaked in a visit to an alligator rescue.

I missed 4 days of swimming last week (argh), but it was worth it to hang with my guy before he goes off to college. I tried to eat as best as I could. When I got home my other son made some vegan treat (vegan peanut butter cups, baked onion rings, and cheesecake). Yummmmmmy. He better not make those vegan peanut butter cups too often or I might put a bunch of weight back on.

Unfortunately, we spent the 4th of July at the emergency room as he had some horrible stomach problems. I am still waiting for him to wake up to see how he is feeling today. He might have an ulcer. Argh! Poor guy!

Despite getting out of my habits, I have been noticing my pants and shorts falling down. I finally got on the scale today (was afraid) and have lost a lb. Of course at swim practice I feel like I haven't been there for a month. That kind of sucks. I have a 5K lake swim in less than two weeks and we are hosting a nationals swim meet in a month. No more breaks!

@aleahurst - have you tried grilling asparagus? put olive oil on them and some seasoning - they taste really good
@finngirl61 - I cut out refined sugar because I would binge-eat when I was stressed - that helped a lot - I didn't like binging on broccoli - At first when I wanted to eat something sweet - I would eat dark chocolate dusted skinny pop, which is a whole grain and I could eat 3 cups, which is a little over 100 calories - or I would eat boom chicka pop - another whole gain popcorn for similar calories - and it would fill me up at night
@rheddmobile - I think painting fingers and toes counts as self-care - especially if it relaxes you - can you see a dietitian to ask for some suggestions on low-carb snacks? My dietitian recommends hard boiled eggs as a quick snack - cashew milk with a pea protein - almond milk - those all have low calories as well- I love peanut butter protein (limited fat) and I put it in my smoothie every day with my kale (get my veggies in) and frozen fruit - it is recommended that you have a healthy mix of protein and carbs after exercise
@SuperCarLori - welcome to the group and thank you for the suggestions of beautiful behaviors!
@str8bowbabe - don't worry about falling off the wagon once in a while - one night in LA, I got so frustrated waiting for my son to get home that I ate about 6 - 8 of his oreos (remember I don't eat refined sugar and I don't even like oreos very much), but I was so stressed - I also had some fried alligator one night with him (don't eat fried foods) and I had an ice cream cone one night - I guess everything in moderation - so it doesn't become a habit

My beautiful behavior, I do not always keep my house clean. I am making a concerted effort to keep my room clean. I am also working on trimming my weed every day.

I am also forgiving myself for not taking better care of my finances when I was married. I trusted my then husband and let him run the finances. If I would have paid attention, I could have set money aside for my boys for college and paid for their college. I am now doing the best I can to help them out now. Forgiveness is so important!

gillykh

Hi All,

I'm new to this thread, but it sounded so lovely, I couldn't stay a lurker any longer. My name is Amy. After about 8 years of working what I affectionately refer to as "full-time plus" (full-time plus full-time school; full-time plus part-time; etc.), I recently cut back my hours at my regular job and and my part-time job. It's been a long time coming. I'm enjoying the feeling of not being on constant overload. Being at home, cleaning up around the house, easily making it from one work site to another without the fear of being late.

It's been interesting; a lot of eerie peace and a little anxiety that was probably tempered by being "too busy" has surfaced. I'm just letting myself experience each part of it, and calmly enjoying knowing that there isn't always a next thing that I MUST get to.

NRTL

Hey everyone, like @gillykh I'm new to this, but I so love the sound of it! For me, journalling and meditation are hugely effective self care practices that have a habit of falling by the wayside, looking forward to joining you in a recommitment to these daily rituals and thanks for starting this thread!

happysherri

I'm still ALIVE! haha

Update: First trip together as a couple Check (after 7+ years). It was fun and we had beautiful weather. We went to a big outlet place and I got some more athletic tanks, leggings and new Nike shoes! My daughter, her friend and I went to watch fireworks on the 3rd of July and we got back late, leaving me exhausted the next day at work. I went to bed at 9pm on the 4th of July. I put in ear plugs and took a little sleep aid - I slept like a log even with the loud booms of the fireworks outside. Work is super busy and I've been adventuring, so have not had time to post on here lately. I took Friday off of work and the bf and I are suppose to take the kiddos (remember they are 18 yrs and 20 yrs old) to Holiday World (huge water park and rollercoasters). Forecast says rain, but we'll see.

I have not worked out in over 5 days - which those of you who know me, know that that's unusual. I've just been running around. You know my 2017 Summer of Adventure lol. I have been eating whatever sounds good since I'm considering this my vacation and won't be taking a big vacay this year. I am not eating large portions, so I think this will save me. Not to worry, Because as soon as Friday's adventure is over - I will be hitting those weights hard!!! *And eating lean proteins and veggies again.

Thought for the day: The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. *True, I used to be a pretty negative thinker. I have worked on this over the years and as I hold faith - things just seemed to turn around. Faith that God was keeping me from something bad - if I didn't get an opportunity. Positive thought looking forward that I would find the right fit for me, and I beleive I have in a lot of ways. I continue to practice positive and good thoughts and to look forward.

Sp1tfire

@sosteach on the bright side, it didn't budge in the other direction either! It's probably just a temporary stall due to some water weight or something! You have an amazing outlook on why you're doing this too! It's all about the big picture.
@str8bowbabe protein always does the trick for me to help keep cravings at bay.
@nickiphillips1 I'm sure your son was so glad for your support! Going off to college is intimidating and orientations help especially with family there. Congrats on the lb!
@gillykh Welcome to the thread! Balancing time is so important I'm glad you're feeling at peace. I'm just adding a second job for two shifts a week and am quite nervous, but it's summer so I have some time until I go back to college in the fall.
@NRTL Hi!!
@happysherri that sounds amazing!! Hopefully the rain holds off.

I've been enjoying my nightly ice cream being fit into my calories. I'm not so afraid of it anymore! Work has been crazy this week and I haven't been able to eat lunch until 3 or 4 some days. My manager tends to assume I'm okay waiting to eat because I sometimes wait till 2 if i'm done at 2, but 3 or 4 is ridiculous and makes it hard to eat enough before I go to bed. Once my new job starts I need to talk to my manager and make sure I get appropriate time to eat so I have energy to go from here to there. I'm concerned about being too tired- but I think i've just been having a hard time due to the late lunch. I'm going to try being better at packing quick snacks to take with me, and maybe upping my breakfast calories.

Does anyone have advice for working two jobs? (going from one shift in the day to a shift from afternoon-night at another with no break?) I'm starting to drink black tea for the energy but I can't think of any other ideas.

gillykh

@katadx , I do have a lot of experience working more than one job and trying to keep my calories in check...not always successfully.

gillykh

I just posted a rather long reply...but of course most of it vanished into thin air. Ugh. Anyway, the net/net was that I rely on prelogging for the day and things I can eat piecemeal...boiled eggs, crackers, string cheese, bits of chicken. Protein and the ability to eat 2 peanut butter crackers and then go work for an hour help keep me satiated. What type of work do you do?

TaraUnscripted

Love the idea behind this thread. Life is about adding meaningful moments & respecting the time we are given. I'm focusing on my health because at 47 (next week) I want to live a vibrant life as I head into middle age.
I've finally started working on my novel. It's been in my head since 1996 and I recently realized this was the same year George R R Martin started working on Game Of Thrones. It was an eye opener of the two possible outcomes in any situation based on if we choose to act or simply say "some day".
It's time to embrace the now and stop waiting for someday. It's not guaranteed.

jessiquoi

Good morning, all! LOVE seeing all the new posters... welcome everyone, you've found a safe place to plan and vent and live without worrying about people hating on you or shaming you. we've all been there... we all ARE there... and this is what works for us long term. it's all about loving yourself first!

it's a lesson i'm still learning. i had a terrible week, food wise. john was away and i did not respect my body's needs or my own goals and plans. however, i'm ready today to take back control! LEA, i'm starting today. I commit to tracking every bite four days per week. These will be days that I am not in the office, because those days miraculously are so much easier than the days I work from home.

last month i committed to drinking 2 qts of water a day, and that's become a habit. this month i'm working on tracking. lea and i are trying to build a beautiful habit each month. i haven't lost an ounce though... my body and mind fight me the minute i try to make a change. i'm going to be persistent though... that will be what's different this time. no quitting, just continuing in the up and down of it all.

breakfast is coming! i'm so lucky that john loves to cook breakfast. i have a good one every day he's home.

enjoy your day, and be extra good to yourself!

jess

rheddmobile

I made it through the Fourth without spiking my blood sugar! Bizarrely, my sugar which has been high for me lately was unexpectedly low all day - I tested after eating and it was under 100, so I ate more and later it was in the 80's. Probably because I worked out so much the day before. Tabata in particular will make my glucose levels drop the day after.

@nickiphillips1 Thanks for the suggestions! I manage pretty well when I don't have to worry about other people, it's eating at my mom's house or at restaurants that's tricky. I can generally tolerate up to about 50g carbs at a time, but lately it's been weird - I think because my lupus is acting up and probably raising my cortisol levels. Usually I have Greek yogurt with berries, or an orange and some cottage cheese, after working out, like you said, protein plus carbs.

@katadx - melatonin can help you sleep when you need to sleep. That and being young are about the only tips I have for coping with swing shifts.

@str8bowbabe It sounds like your back is letting you do more, good to hear!

str8bowbabe

Hello everyone! First I have never actually introduced myself...my name is Kristene. Cant believe I have not done that yet. LOL Anyway, thank you all for the kind words. I am still at it. Not doing great on my eating at dinner because I have so much to do outside at the house that when Im finally inside (usually right at dark) Im so tired that I just grab something or like last night I ordered pizza. GRRRRR! But ya gotta eat so...

Anyway...welcome to all the new ladies in this thread. Love to see this thread spread.

@aleahurst - hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Hope you are getting outside for a bit each day.
@happysherri - glad you got to go on that mini vaca. Everyone needs one every now and then.

My beautiful behavior this week...get in more cardio. I feel I haven't had enough cardio due to the back so going to try to up that. I have a double header on Friday night so that will definitely help. Also, I am trying to shoot my traditional bow every day. I want to get proficient enough to hunt with it this fall...even if its just small game. And finally more water, more water and more water.

Have a great day ladies!

finngirl61

Hi all, glad to see the new posts. I love the encouragement and positivity. Unfortunately, I'm still going UP, and I've been logging. Very, very discouraging. I think it's partly due to too many carbs, and not enough protein. Plus, spouse stress continues and that gets me down. Any suggestions? I feel like I don't know if I can really lose weight ever. I need to lose 60 + lbs. more.

jessiquoi

@finngirl61 i feel you, i'm right there too. i've gained weight since starting this group in December. but i refuse to give up trying to improve my health. you're not alone! keep trying different things, upping your protein sounds like a great idea. i read that putting new good things into your life is more productive than trying to take out bad things... the good crowds out the bad. maybe focus on adding more veggies, or more steps, or more water, etc etc?

finngirl61

@jessiquoi - thanks for the encouraging words. I'm determined to continue to log my foods, and will add more protein, veggies, etc. You're right about adding more good things; it makes me think about weeds. The weeds will take over, unless you either pull them, or crowd them out with nicer plants. It gets so discouraging. I applaud your 'determination'. Thanks!!!!

jessiquoi

hello, everyone, and TGIF! today i am committed to tracking every bite of food. i'm usually great at this until about 5pm, when everything falls apart. today i am going to enter that time phase mindfully and remember that i'm committed. i refuse to let the usual amnesia take over and unconsciously feed myself. wish me luck!

today is going to be a hard day, because i started it off by upsetting john and now we're both upset. i tend to eat that stuff away, but not today. when he wakes from his nap, we'll have to resume our conversation and keep at it until all is well. we're good at that, but this morning was a doozy.

yay for the weekend! who has beautiful plans?

later,
jess

gillykh

@jessiquoi, that sounds like a solid strategy for evenings. I've struggled with that time of the day before, too.

I'm having a hard time this weekend. I have a lot of free time. I would normally go to the gym or browse around a store, but I started experiencing some sudden pain in my knee last night, so I'm taking it easy physically this weekend. My husband is out of town. I feel both bored and like I don't want to do anything. I can't imagine what to make of that.

Have a good weekend All.

aleahurst

Hi everyone. I have been reading and keeping up with all of you. I have struggled with my health being good bad good bad good... I was much more successful at watching my calorie intake last month... Huh. So not much to write, but still love to you all.

Lea