What Do You Notice? What Do You Wonder?

lisaharrington01

What Do You Notice? What Do You Wonder?

Before I explain how I took off seventy plus pounds, I want to reminisce about the pictures above. In the photo on the top, weighing around 210 pounds, I wanted to look nice for my daughter’s college senior orchestra recital. I squeezed myself into two pairs of spandex so I could wear my “slimming” size 16W pants instead of my usual size 18W. I felt uncomfortable walking around campus, uncomfortable sitting in the seemingly small auditorium chairs and extremely uncomfortable having my picture taken! Fast forward two and a half years later to the photo on the bottom. On this day, I enjoyed walking around my daughter’s graduate school campus feeling younger than I had in years! Instead of focusing on how uncomfortable I felt, I was able to focus on the people around me. There were no concerns about what to wear, getting my photo taken or feeling awkward and embarrassed.

I couldn’t even count how many failed attempts I had using the MyFitnessPal App. Each failed attempt started with the same goals: 1. Log my food. 2. Keep my calories under a certain number. 3. Lose a certain amount of weight by a specified date. I became discouraged each time I went over my calorie goal, disheartened when I didn’t lose weight and frustrated with constant feelings of starvation. When I would fail with one of those three goals, I felt like a failure and quit.

I hit a turning point at the beginning of 2018 when I created a New Year’s resolution: Log into MyFitnessPal daily. One simple goal. Just honestly record what I eat. I would not try to keep my calories at a certain number. I would not change my eating habits. I would not set weight loss goals. I would instead take a serious look at my eating habits with the purpose of learning about myself. As I began this habit I found myself asking two simple questions: 1. What do I notice? 2. What do I wonder?

As a kindergarten teacher I know (as most other teachers do) that children learn best when they make their very own discoveries. You could tell them
what would happen if a pumpkin was left in a garden for months (It would decompose, the seeds would reproduce, etc..) or you could give them a big pot of soil and some pumpkins and let them make observations. In the latter they become their own scientists. They become the experts in the topic and own the learning. The learning will stick and will be meaningful.

Why not apply this concept to weight loss? I could become my own expert! As I logged what I ate each day, I considered my food diary to be important data. Examining the data, I asked: What do I notice? What do I wonder? Let me give you an example. I noticed that when I ate my usual bowl of cereal each morning, I became very hungry around 10am and craved more carbohydrates. This lead to overeating at lunchtime. This made me wonder: What would happen if I ate a high protein food like eggs for breakfast instead. I tested my hypothesis for two weeks by eating eggs for breakfast everyday. I discovered many things from this inquiry: I like eggs better than cereal. I ate less calories with eggs and didn’t feel hungry until lunch. When I eat a high protein breakfast I don’t crave carbohydrates. My brain feels clearer when I eat eggs for breakfast and I believe my menopause symptoms were lessened. Whoa! I have heard experts talk about the benefits of protein, but until I became my own scientist I couldn’t commit myself to a new habit!

The “Eggs of Breakfast” was just one of MANY inquires gathered from my data collection using MyFitnessPal:

What did I notice?
I have more self control in the morning than in the evening.
Those teeny-tiny fun sized candy bars add more calories to my day than I thought.
When I drink diet soda I crave sugar.
I can’t sleep when I am hungry.
When I exercise I gain weight or lose it slower.
When I am stressed I eat more.
I miss cookies and cake.
When I restrict too many calories, I am more likely to become frustrated and quit.
Food tastes better when I am truly hungry.
Maintaining my weight is harder for me than losing weight. Since trying to maintain, I am gradually gaining pounds.


What did I wonder?
What if I ate more of my calories in the evening than in the morning?
Do mini candy bars really make me happy?
Would adding lemon to my water help me to drink more water and less diet soda?
What foods could I eat before bedtime to help me to sleep? Crackers, Nuts? Yogurt?
Why do I gain weight when I exercise? I wonder if eating extra calories on my exercise days is causing this weight gain?
What could I do instead of eating to manage my stress?
What if I eat cookies and cake on occasion? Would it destroy my progress with weight loss?
Would I still lose weight if I only reduce my calories by a few hundred?
Does intermittent fasting work? Would I lose weight if I only ate between 10am and 6pm?
How should I adjust my eating habits now that I am trying to maintain my weight?

These are just a sampling of my observations and wonderings which led to many wonderful discoveries! I uncovered the joys of oatmeal, leafy salads and how amazing ice cream tastes when it is an occasional treat. My biggest realization was understanding how to listen to my body when it told me I was hungry and full. Sure, someone could have easily told me those things, but I needed the freedom and the time to make these kinds of aha moments on my own!

My advice to those who want to give this a try:
Log into MyFitnessPal daily.
Be completely honest about what you eat. (even those little bits here and there.)
Be sure to complete your entries each day.
Weigh yourself on a regular schedule.
Ask yourself, “What do I notice? What do I wonder?”
Try out your inquiries for about two weeks and determine if it works for you.

As you can see from the picture above, my husband also lost weight. He also uses the MyFitnessPal App. He, too. made some discoveries about how to eat, but many of his discoveries differed from mine. (ex. He does better when he eats more calories in the morning while I excel when I eat more calories in the evening.) This makes me believe that there is not a one plan that fits all when it comes to weight loss. Becoming your own expert will help you to devise a plan that meets your individual needs.

MaltedTea

You're a wonderful storyteller! Congratulations on all your discoveries and success!

Geneveremfp

What an inspirational post! Congratulations - you look so happy in your own skin.

GummiMundi

I loved reading your post! It's both insightful and inspiring, and it touches on so many interesting points.
Also, congratulations on your weight loss and your husband's.

cjv73

As a 3rd grade teacher, I love everything about this post and can relate to so much of it! ❤️

springlering62

Lovely post!

Xiaolongbao

Congratulations on your weight loss and all your discoveries. What a fantastic post!

MiepPie

Nice work! You’ve demonstrated how changing habits requires thoughtful reflection.
Also, when I read your title, I thought “found the teacher!”

fairy_daisy

This is such a wise and thoughtful post, you’ve given me a lot to think about. There’s no one ‘right’ path through this that’ll fit everyone and we each have to find our own. Good luck with your continued experiments!

ms_maruska

Wonderful success and a wonderful post! You and your husband both look amazing! Great job!

ixchelkeshet

I really loved your post lisaharrington01 💕. I have been on a similar journey. MFP has been on the refining end of a years-long series of self experiments. Like you, I concluded that my body has its own series of deadbolts, Mortisse locks, and so forth. For me:

1. High-nutrient, low caloric-density vegetables are a must to keep my hunger down.
2. Carbs make me hungry.
3. Sugar gives me bladder infections (if TMI, I am sorry, but I hope to help someone else) and full-body pain.
4. Milk speeds up my heartbeat and makes me swell.
5. Salt makes my legs, and lately also my face swell.
6. Wheat makes me oversleep.
7. Too much meat makes me exhausted.
8. Too much oil keeps me from losing weight.
9. I need to eat less per meal in order to lose weight; that was counter-intuitive for me; OK, laugh, but really it was.
10. A nice cup of doctored, un-sweetened almond milk has become my go-to for a mocha latte in the morning and comfort hot chocolate made with a square of high-antioxidant bitter chocolate - adulterated with my favorite sugar substitute.
11. A nice evening ritual has been a half portion of red wine with a sugar substitute (stirred with a frother) plus flavored sparkling water.
12. Exercise will bust a plateau.
13. A 3 1/2 day fast will bust a super-sticky plateau.

So, those are the most important lessons I have learned. Continuing experimentation and observation is important, not only because the lessons are always welcome, but also because our bodies change over time.

Keep on Fighting!
Beth

charmmeth

Thank you for your inspiring post!

IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt

Great work and insights, thanks for sharing!

Annie42019

1) I need to eat large quantities of food to be satisfied. One cup of pasta and a chicken breast? No thank you. That chicken on a salad made up of 2 bags of lettuce, an entire container of tomatoes and 20 pieces of steamed asparagus. Yes please! ( I go through 8-12 bags of lettuce every week!)

2) Must weigh daily while losing weight

3) Chocolate every day is a must or I feel deprived.

4) If I go to bed hungry I’m going to wake up not hungry. It’s like a small miracle.

5) I’m never hungry before noon. Eating before noon is the best way to make me hungry all day long.

lisaharrington01

I love your unique discoveries! I can relate. Thanks for sharing!

pandry15

Great post LisaH - your self-discovery reminds me of a presentation I recently watched on-line. The premise was that we have so much data and research out there, why can't we definitively say which diet is the best for weight loss. The conclusion: the question isn't what is the best diet, but what is the best diet FOR ME. Looks like you found what works for you!

AnnPT77

This. Is. Brilliant.

The focus on process and personalization are really important, IMO and IME.

TayaCurragh

Very insightful, thanks for sharing and congratulations to the both of you.

Sand_TIger

Fascinating thoughts! I loved reading this and also some of the follow up posts. Also, great progress, both physically and mentally, the attitude of applied curiosity is wonderful.

jaroby

Annie42019 wrote: »

1) I need to eat large quantities of food to be satisfied. One cup of pasta and a chicken breast? No thank you. That chicken on a salad made up of 2 bags of lettuce, an entire container of tomatoes and 20 pieces of steamed asparagus. Yes please! ( I go through 8-12 bags of lettuce every week!)

2) Must weigh daily while losing weight

3) Chocolate every day is a must or I feel deprived.

4) If I go to bed hungry I’m going to wake up not hungry. It’s like a small miracle.

5) I’m never hungry before noon. Eating before noon is the best way to make me hungry all day long.

Yes to each and every one of these things!!
I feel more satisfied with larger meals, so it works for me to eat more of my calories later in the day and one of my meals is ALWAYS a large amount of veggies + protein. Kids want spaghetti for dinner? I lightly brown an entire bag of frozen green beans in butter, add salt and way too much garlic and put my spaghetti & meat sauce on top of that. YUM.

Other things I’ve learned:
-I am munchy when I’m tired and dehydrated. In order to stay hydrated I need about 1gal of water a day, and I must be able to guzzle it from the container I’m drinking out of. Temperature matters.
I’m basically a finicky child when it comes to water, but if I’m not I find myself not drinking it. So, I own it and get it done.

caseydimples

Love, love, love this post. Thanks for sharing as it really resonates with me.

AlexandraFindsHerself1971

My discoveries, some of which were made before I found this site.
1) All of the leafy green vegetables, all the broccoli relatives, all the cabbage relatives, all the beans (new and old world) give me an IBS attack that takes a week to get all the way over. I can have a little iceberg lettuce in tacos once a week if I don't eat any more than that. Salads are right out.

2) I get a headache and nausea if I eat fruit, commercial baked goods, or regular soda. It's the fructose. I miss fruit.

3) I get a headache and nausea if I just smell alcohol, and I can't tolerate it at all in food.

4) Even diet soda makes my arthritis pain worse. Now I drink hot tea, iced tea, and water.

5) If I drink a lot of water every day I feel better. I was already drinking enough to pee clear when I started this, so that's nothing new or difficult.

6) I don't like to eat very much when I get up, which is probably left over from having my kids. Tea and toast works, and an early lunch. If I can't have an early lunch, a hundred calories about 10 am will get me through to 12:30-1 pm.

7) I have to be very careful and make sure I don't fall into bad habits. Yes, some lunches are light enough to have a small sweet after them to give me the total calories to get to dinner. That's not a dessert every lunch. I am prone to habits, so I have to watch that.

8) I'm good with cutting my portions down very small, as if I were corseted. Half a cup of rice and half a cup of stirfry? Yep, that's about right. I eat slower too, and I don't really drink when I eat any more either.

9) If I don't go to bed on time I'll get munchy. That's why I have an alarm that tells me to shut the computer down and go to bed every night.

charmmeth

I noticed that my mfp recommended intakes and the pie chart of macros suggested that my diet might be too skewed towards fats. So I looked up the recommended calorie percentages of carbs, fat and protein and discovered that yes inded, ca. 40% calories through fat is not what is recommended. I have made a real effort to eat less fat (i.e. eating less cheese at breakfast - I tend to eat German breakfasts) and more carbs the last few days, and given my current (quite high for me) exercise levels this definitely seems to be suiting me better.

speyerj

@lisaharrington01 - what a wonderfully insightful post. I bet you are a wonderful teacher. (And you have my sympathy and support for the challenges of trying to teach Kindergarten during a pandemic.) This is great advice for anyone starting out - log your food, review your results, check, adjust. Repeat as often as necessary.

Diatonic12

What do you notice?

That you care more your outward appearance after the weight is gone.
That I no longer run and hide from people at the grocery store, bolting for the door and my vehicle.
That you must believe in yourself when you don't see any results for months on end.
That all of the compliments will eventually fade away but keep going anyway.
That my happy place doesn't live inside of the 'fridge.

What do I wonder?

I wonder if they'll be enough food going forward even though my happy place is not in the 'fridge cause 'Rona sure has made a mess out of everything.
I wonder if you can ever have enough compression yoga pants because after all, they give you a tiny hiney.
I wonder why fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing.
I wonder if we'll ever run out of things to talk about when it comes to weight, fitness, and health.
I wonder how old you really have to be before you realize you should've done this years ago and why didn't anyone tell you how much better life can be.

speyerj

Diatonic12 wrote: »

What do you notice?

I wonder how old you really have to be before you realize you should've done this years ago and why didn't anyone tell you how much better life can be.

In my case, people definitely did. I just wasn't' ready to hear it at the time.

lisaharrington01

Love this reply! “Slim chance/fat chance” 😂

SageAndFreedom

I'm just starting...again. Thank you for the encouraging post! You have given me some things to think about!

Walkingwithdogs

I notice how much my husband is enjoying me taking over all the cooking responsibility.....😆
I wonder how much slimmer we will both be by Christmas, seeing as we are both loosing weight together 🤔..

AlexandraFindsHerself1971

I notice as I put on a sweater tonight that it's comfortable, not too tight, not too loose. I remember when this size would have been way too tight, and I don't think I could have got my arms in the sleeves, let alone buttoned the cardigan across my chest.

I wonder when it will be too loose, the sleeves too long to type in, the body too billowy for comfort. Next spring? This winter?!

MyEvolvingJourney

I really like your suggestion to make observations! Question and observe. I'm going to give it a try! I've started and stopped and paused so many times. It might just help to notice and wonder!