30lbs to lose... Started AGAIN yesterday (Darn Lockdown Snacking)
Replies
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@MommaGemz Several times I’ve been told to track my measurements, rather than just relying on the scale ( which can be a fickle friend!). I have yet to do that, but even though the scale is budging ever so slowly, my clothes fit better. Have you tried that route? And you are very right - this is a lifestyle, not a goal!
I do measure, however... only on the first of the month. So I have an entire week to wait and see if there are measurement improvements. The water weight is discouraging for sure, but I know that I just need to keep logging and the I will eventually start the downward trend again.
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Day 44
Still hanging in there.... and so is the water weight. I know this can't last forever, because I'm eating, measuring and logging for a 750 deficit - I just need to be patient and wait it out.
I rescheduled my bike days, so I'm not working out on the same day as I run errands. It makes errand days a little less hectic. Today is Friday, so I'm running errands after the kids' home schooling is done. It's grocery day. I already have my meal plan and grocery list completed. The change in bike schedule has immediately felt better and less overwhelming on the days I do.
Daily Goals:
Calories - ✅
Steps - ✅
Water - ✅
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Day 45
It's actually feeling like a Saturday today. There is a hurricane moving into Texas, so the temp has dropped it's dark and rainy. It's a pretty "cozy" feeling day. The kids were busy playing and working on puzzles while I'm worked on some hobby stuff. I squeezed in a bike cardio session after lunch. It felt really good to get it in earlier in the day.
I made home made meatballs, so the family could have spaghetti and meatballs. I have to be careful with pasta portion sizes, so I made my meatballs into a sandwich to reduce the "empty carb" calories (and the desire to binge that pasta tends to inspire).
Daily Goals:
Calories - ✅
Bike & Steps - ✅
Water - ✅
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@MomnaGemz Stay safe as this hurricane passes through! Our daughter and her family live in Hawaii. Keeping our fingers crossed for their safety, too.2
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@MommaGemz @suegreg2 I'm not used to hurricane weather living in the UK, so don't quite know how scary it is, but will keep fingers crossed all your loved ones will be fine.
This weekend I reviewed my macros and realised I have been very low in protein for a while, and I wonder if that's been contributing to my tiredness. I panic-bought a box of extremely expensive tiny protein bars (it's about USD 1.20 for each 31g bite) but they have 10g of protein a piece, so I decided the ridiculous price might be worth it.
I can't say they're amazing, but they're palatable, and I can easily fit them into my allowance to help with my macro goals. Having spent the last 10 weeks getting my calorie allowance down, I'm now turning my attention to the detail. Curious to see what effect this has - after all, this was always about more than just the weight loss. It's about feeling healthier in general.
Hope everyone has had a good weekend. Here's to a good week ahead. 1 -
@suegreg2 Wishing your daughter and her family the best! All we've had to deal with are brief power outages, which are annoying, but minor.
@thelastnightingale Try as I might I just never get my protein up to the percentage I'd like it. But I do feel like I've been feeling okay energy-wise the last week or two. What kind did you buy? I look forward to hearing how the change in macro affects your energy 👍0 -
Day 46
This will be a "quickie" because if you've been following along you know that Sunday is.... The Busy Day! I catch up on everything that needs to be finished for the week before Monday starts.
I did manage to get on the bike today. It was a lighter ride today since I also rode yesterday. I barely got my steps in by the skin of my teeth. Overall I feel super accomplished today and had a really good workout and eating day on top of it!
FYI - FINALLY broke away from the dreaded 187 the last two days - Hurray!! Checked in at 185.9 this morning 😀
Daily Goals:
Calories - ✅
Bike & Steps - ✅
Water - ✅
I changed things up a bit today and actually peeled and cooked some shrimp for dinner tonight. It starred in my "not Fried Rice." It was my daughter's first time trying shrimp and she loved it!
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@MommaGemz It's a British brand called Battle Bites (the name made me laugh), so I doubt you can buy it where you are. However, the principle remains and I shall be your guinea pig nonetheless.
I'll let you know if the additional protein makes any difference and whether it's worth trying!
Congratulations on breaking 187!
The not fried rice looks great. What's the trick with the 'not'? Which reminds me, I've been meaning to make chow mein for ages. Will have a look in the store cupboard and maybe give that a go this week.0 -
@MommaGemz Congratulations on breaking 187! I'm STUCK there for a couple of weeks now. I think I need to cut back on carbs. Last weekend really threw me off and I always have a difficult time getting back on track.
Oh my - that dinner looks delicious! I was thinking of making a shrimp dish for dinner today. I usually make it with tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, and onions, served over farfelle pasta. Since we just had pasta last night, I think I'll try your dish. (Minus the rice, for me. 😡)
@thelastnightingale My nutritionist told me to focus on lots of low-fat protein and cut the carbs. I really miss cereal, though. Have you found any good high-protein cereals? I tried Kashi Go-lean, but it really is like eating twigs - LOL!
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@thelastnightingale Usually when I make fried rice I actually combine everything and fry it in a pan with some oil. This time I cook everything separately (so I can weigh out each component), but I skip the pan and just stir it up in my bowl with some soy sauce and sriracha
Tastes JUST the same and with less fat and less work to prepare! Good luck on the protein trials!
@suegreg2 You can do it! It can be difficult to get back in the swing of things, for sure. I started drinking even more water to try to release some of the water I was retaining and it seems to have worked. I really 'should' have minused the rice for me as well. My body not react to it well, but it is so, so yummy. 😭 Maybe I should try Orzo pasta instead of rice?? Pasta doesn't seem to irritate my system like rice does.1 -
@suegreg2 It's always difficult getting back on track, but you know you can do it. Push through!
I haven't found any good high protein cereals either - I looked up Kashi Go-lean and can well believe it tastes like twigs... I'm focussing on the few foods I do like that have a decent protein content: eggs, low-fat cheese, veggie sausages and chocolate protein bars. I'm planning to teach myself how to make tarka dahl as I reckon something that lentil-y is bound to help.
@MommaGemz Today I hit my protein goal for what must be the first time ever! I definitely felt less hungry eating so much protein, which is positive, but my fitness tracker tells me I'm just as exhausted as I always am, and I've struggled to concentrate today. Well, it's only day one of the experiment, Rome wasn't built in a day, but I have a sneaky suspicion I'm going to need to work on something else as well. Will keep going and reassess once I've been at this for long enough to have any meaningful data.
I love orzo, but then again, I love all pasta, so am slightly biased. 1 -
Day 47
The rice and soy sauce worked their 'magic' on me last night and I woke up feeling a little bloated. I really, really just need to break-up with rice for good. It does not agree with me. However, I'm still well under the dreaded 187, so I'm not worried. I drank some Ginger tea to help relieve the tummy issues and it helped ease the discomfort.
It was a Monday and felt like a Monday. Not bad, but I didn't have much motivation. Luckily, because of pre-logging, all I had to do was follow my day of eating as written. I managed to squeak in my steps. I foresee an early bedtime for me tonight!
I am realllly looking forward to my next take-out lunch, but I want to wait until August. Once a month should be a good "treat" to have take-out from whatever place I want and not log it.
Daily Goals:
Calories - ✅
Steps - ✅
Water - ✅
Anyone else using Happy Scale? Here's the latest snapshot of my previous 30 days!
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FINALLY! 186.5 lbs
What a struggle to get that scale to budge. I was whining to myself about my slooooooow progress, but then I did the math. 40 days ago I began this journey to better over-all health. That's just under six weeks. One pound a week is six pounds. I've lost 7.5, so I'm doing okay!
I started at 194 and my ultimate goal is 160 (dr recommendation).
Next mini-goal: 1855 -
Gosh, this is exciting... you know how when menstruating women live in the same house for long enough, their cycles sync and they all have periods at the same time?
Maybe there's a similar rule for women on the same thread and weight loss. My weight has been up and down this week but only just started to move down. I'm predicting a small loss tomorrow (my weekly weigh in day) but a loss nonetheless rather than a small gain, which is how the week originally started.
Nice work, all of us! Let's keep this collective trend going as long as we can!
This is only day two of The Great Protein Experiment. I'm not sure it's having any effect on my tiredness (but it's still early days), but I definitely feel fuller. Apparently not all calories are equal. I'm eating my allowance as planned, so no change there, but I don't feel any hunger between mealtimes. If you're fighting hunger pangs or looking to reduce your calories (I can't cut mine any further as I'm already at the lower end of what is acceptable), I think it's definitely worth seeing if you can up your protein.1 -
Congratulations on our successes @suegreg2 and @thelastnightingale !! Those stagnant times can be so hard on the morale, but then progress happens again and YAY!! My motivation is back in full swing! I had a giant "dip" on Sunday then crept up a little yesterday and today, but it's well below my weigh-in weight for last week, so I am still pleased.
You have given me the idea to switch out one of my regular carb snacks for a high protein Greek Yogurt. There is still a little carb, but it's definitely more protein in the day and some added probiotics - Bonus!2 -
Day 48
I feel like the heat and humidity of the Texas summer are going to leave me feeling semi-permanently bloated until the Fall. Ugh. That's not really until October. Two more months of this blazing heat and unbearable humidity... blahhhhh
Sunday was a huge "loss" day, but I've been creeping up. This tends to happen a big drop, then a subsequent "rebalancing." I'm still down for this week so I still feel pretty good. Lackluster session on the bike today, but I know I don't need to be gung-ho every single exercise day.
I had a happy accident this week. I lost my written meal plan that I usually post of the fridge door to remind me what to cook for the evening. It had been bugging me trying to remember what I might have had planned, so I went into my food diary and pre-logged dinners for the week. Then when I open the menu for the day - viola! The dinner is already listed there for me. I'm definitely going to keep doing this because it reduces work during the week. Bonus!
Daily Goals:
Calories - ✅
Bike & Steps - ✅
Water - ✅
Somehow just seeing this chart each day is uplifting even if the individual day wasn't a "loss"
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I think I sabotage myself! Today, I swam for 2+ hours. I was famished when I got out of the pool. Just then, SIL called, so we talked. As we talked, I aimlessly ate ALL of the snacks left over from yesterday. And they didn't even taste good! I think I need a couple of mental reset days - protein drinks!1
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Day 49
For some reason I'm not feeling really well today. I'm tired and feeling a bit dehydrated. I did my best to get my steps in while still trying to take it easy today. My mood was low as well and the cravings were BAD. I really, really wanted to throw in the towel and go get beef fajitas with ALL the good stuff, including chips and queso. But... I did not. I half-heartedly ate my planned meals.
The family has decided to take a vacation next week. It's a staycation, because we can't go anywhere, but we all decided we need a break from jobs and home schooling for a week. I am looking forward to this sooooo much because I can't remember the last time I got to relax for more than an hour. I am the type of personality that feels the need to be productive and busy during the days. I have 4 books that I have been wanting to read. But what this means for me is that I have to work a little harder this week to set up my small business to run next week with minimal attention. Today through Friday I'll be trying to pre-work, so that Friday night the Staycation can begin!
Daily Goals:
Calories - ✅
Steps - ✅
Water - ✅
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Great job so far! When you can’t get your steps in you could try a standing workstation! They help burn calories and are better overall too.0
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@MommaGemz Great idea! It might be just what you need, physically and mentally. You go full-steam everyday. Plan some major relaxation time for everybody. Have fun!
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@MommaGemz I'm very jealous, a staycation sounds wonderful! I reviewed my holiday balances today to see if I could do similar, but I'm a little light on annual leave for the rest of the year, so no such joy. I shall have to live vicariously through you! 0
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nicoleisme wrote: »Great job so far! When you can’t get your steps in you could try a standing workstation! They help burn calories and are better overall too.
Thank you! So far I don't have ANY problem getting in my steps for the day. It's the one thing that remains pretty solid and consistent 👍0 -
Weigh-In Day - Week 7!!
Start: 196.2
Last week: 187.2
TODAY: 185.4 ✔️
1.8 loss from last week, and 10.8 lost total. Whoooo!!!! I'm back on track!! (That is until we eat our take-out meal tonight ) 3 -
Can I join your group? It would help me to stay consistent. I’m been gaining and losing the same 6-7 pounds during this pandemic and right now I’m at high end! Before the pandemic, I had less than 10 pounds to lose. But I just cannot seem to stay consistent. My mom lives is assisted living in NC where I moved from a year ago. My 2 sisters still live near her. But every time I read about an assisted living near her having a Covid outbreak, all bets are off- I eat everything!! So far ( praise God) her place has been Covid Free but they are planning to open back up to visitors Next Week!! Outside visits, 6 feet apart, masks on, but all I have to do is go to the grocery and see people defying the mask mandate and I cringe at the idea of them opening back up! Cases and hospitalizations are up in NC so I don’t see why there are opening back up. It’s not like the residents stay in their apartments all day. They get together with other residents and engage in conversations, walks all day long. Okay, I guess I just had my first vent. Deep breath in, deep breath out!
I think I’d like to do like MommaGenz and post my progress daily. It’s certainly working for her!!
Mind if I join?4 -
@clutterqueen Goodness, it's no wonder you're stress-eating! I know where you're coming from - different stressors, but the same reaction - grabbing food! MommaGemz and her posts have been a life-preserver in this covid storm. We're all here to help one another! 💕5
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Day 50
Whoa - can you believe it? I made it to Day 50!! 🎉
Tonight, my husband and I are going to have a take-out "date night." Beef fajitas with allllll the good stuff, including chips and queso. I debated long and hard over having this meal because I didn't want to derail any of my good progress, especially right before the end of the month.
But ultimately these assurances came to mind.- My progress can be "derailed" by nothing at all - random water retention.
- It's just one meal and we haven't had take-out of any kind in 4 weeks!
- We had a really rough week that ended on a high note and we need this time to relax and be together over a nice meal.
- AND, I've been craving this particular meal for over a week and strong cravings like this make it even harder to keep on track as each day passes.
Daily Goals:
Calories - Nope
Bike & Steps - ✅
Water - ✅2 -
clutterqueen wrote: »Can I join your group? It would help me to stay consistent. I’m been gaining and losing the same 6-7 pounds during this pandemic and right now I’m at high end! Before the pandemic, I had less than 10 pounds to lose. But I just cannot seem to stay consistent. My mom lives is assisted living in NC where I moved from a year ago. My 2 sisters still live near her. But every time I read about an assisted living near her having a Covid outbreak, all bets are off- I eat everything!! So far ( praise God) her place has been Covid Free but they are planning to open back up to visitors Next Week!! Outside visits, 6 feet apart, masks on, but all I have to do is go to the grocery and see people defying the mask mandate and I cringe at the idea of them opening back up! Cases and hospitalizations are up in NC so I don’t see why there are opening back up. It’s not like the residents stay in their apartments all day. They get together with other residents and engage in conversations, walks all day long. Okay, I guess I just had my first vent. Deep breath in, deep breath out!
I think I’d like to do like MommaGemz and post my progress daily. It’s certainly working for her!!
Mind if I join?
You are absolutely welcome to join in! I used to live in Durham, NC for many years, so I have many friends still there and I stress about their safety as well. I imagine it is so much worse when you have a loved one in assisted-living. I live in Houston where it's crazy-town here with Covid cases. At least there are mask orders - thank goodness. My Mom lives in a "Senior Community" here in Houston, but it's essentially just apartments for seniors. They all hide in their apartments and give the "stink eye" to anyone approaching without a mask
You are welcome to post about your day and vent whenever to need to - we are here for you!
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@MommaGemz I think it actually shows quite a lot of willpower to 'take a break' and order a takeaway.
I haven't had one since starting this journey because I'm afraid I'll have a relapse if I do, but I'm debating ordering one later in August as a treat for a special occasion. If I'm still vegetarian by then, that makes it harder - all the yummy dishes I know have meat in them! Am browsing menus idly trying to spot something that appeals. I wish more places gave calorie information as then I would know how much harder I had to work to pay it back, but I suppose the scales will tell me in the end.
I think being able to 'let go' and order one would be helpful for my continuing journey, but I'm working my way up to it! Point is, I do take my hat off to you for managing to have the occasional break and keep going with your usual healthy routine the day after. That's no mean feat.
@clutterqueen Welcome! I know what it's like to be worrying non-stop about a parent during this pandemic, so I do sympathise. It's difficult to accept not everything is within your control, but that's just how it is. I'm trying very hard to only worry about the things I can influence, like checking in for regular calls, as opposed to the bits I can't influence, like managing treatment. It's difficult.
I'm using Headspace to try and calm myself down in the tricky moments - I'm not meditating properly, or at all, let's be honest, but sometimes just listening to a calm voice saying stuff is very soothing. You might want to give it a go. I know when I got some very bad news during the pandemic (before I'd found Headspace), I had to call a friend and tell her to just talk to me, because I was a mess and she had a lovely calm voice and that was what I needed. To be honest, if someone does have a calm voice, you can listen to them read the phonebook and it helps!
Part of losing weight is about finding new coping mechanisms that aren't food. As much as we all love food...2 -
@thelastnightingale You have it absolutely right - finding coping mechanisms that aren't food. All of this logging and daily study of my habits highlights exactly when I want to reach for food to cope. New coping mechanisms have been getting more steps in, laying down to take a rest, meditating, reading or working on a project.
Our take-out meal last night was well worth it. I do feel a bit bloated from the sodium and know I really need to drink water and move around today,, but the bonus is... I have no food cravings right now! I took a hit on the scale, but it was planned and it will go. I think the "mental" break from not having to weigh and log one single meal was really worth it.
I've heard Headspace is wonderful! I do meditate on my own, but it would be nice to try out a program and see how it goes.2
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