Daily Habit Checkin
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Good job keeping up with the stretches Garfield and well done Nerdy-Cat! Laurie join the phone club and "cast" it to the big monitor if you need life size
Yesterday was like only day 2 out of the last 15 that I was over 15750 which is my official goal I've rarely missed over the past number of years.... except for 13 out of the last 15 days!
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Thanks Pav! 😊. You'll get back on track, sometimes we all need a little break.
10/11/2021 check-in
I woke up with a migraine, so spent most of the day sleeping and working to get rid of the headache.
Gratitude - no active gratitude practice but giving myself a pass since I wasn’t feeling great.
Rest - ✅ 10+ with naps
Drink - ✅ 136 oz
Eat well - ✅2 -
11th ✅ 18
12th ✅ 18
13th 5
Eats are "ok"ish. A little bit higher than I would want (i.e. +/- 100 Cal from maintenance instead of -150s to -250s) but nothing crazy.
Saw a spectacular (for me in recent memory anyway) +4.2lbs scale jump on the 12, followed by a -4.0lbs on the 13th!
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I think Laurie is going to join the asylum club. When my computer died it feels like it took a big chunk of my brain with it.3
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I have a whole new set of behaviours that I want to embrace, because I think they'll instil good habits.
- Observe and learn ✅
I noticed today that - unlike my husband - I always practically lick my plate clean. Hence adding habit number six... - Feel real, physical hunger ✅
I was genuinely hungry before breakfast when I was walking the dog; by the time we had breakfast it was 14 hours since I'd last eaten. Breakfast was light, so I was then genuinely hungry by the time I had lunch at 1:30pm (my stomach was growling); and now it's about ninety minutes until dinner and my stomach is growling again and hunger pangs are coming and going. My lunchtime soup was delicious, but not especially filling. - Just one more/less.. ✅
I walked the length of one extra field on my morning walk, which added about a 1000 steps. - Neatly does it ✅
I needed things from the hardware store, so I chose a parking slot as far from the store as possible; I also used a basket in the store to lug around all my purchases, rather than a trolley - Slow down and savour ✅
I heated the lunchtime soup until it was piping hot, so that it took me ages to sip slowly. - Leave a little ✅
At lunchtime I left maybe a quarter-inch of soup dregs in the bottom of my mug, and one of my four crackers. The dog was grateful for the cracker. - Make savvy swaps ✅
Instead of grating 40g of sharp cheddar into my soup (as per my husband), I added 15g grated parmesam. Saved me 106 calories. - Portion control ✅
I had a mugful of soup and 3 crackers, rather than a brimming bowlful with a big chunk of bread. - Move and bend✅
I walked 16.939 steps and did a full set of stretches - Avoid empty calories ✅
I politely declined one of my MIL's homemade rock buns.
4 - Observe and learn ✅
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Dare I even ask about a rock bun?2
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https://www.christinascucina.com/rock-cakes-from-harry-potter-rock-buns/
Checked out rock buns. These sound pretty good and not too deadly - see calories bottom of recipe.3 -
I love your habits, @Bella_Figura! Super inspirational! Some of things you listed were initial changes I made before changing my diet and adding more exercise. Identifying hunger was hard and troublesome. Not because I can’t pinpoint but because I rarely feel actually hungry. I use a self-test though, when I think I’m hungry especially when overly emotional, bored or stressed. I start by asking myself if I’m hydrated. If no, I drink. If that doesn’t satisfy my hunger, I ask myself if anything will satisfy me. If yes, actual hunger. If no, it’s mental, not real and just a craving. I’m constantly working on the emotional and bored eating, even though I know it’s happening anf have got a million times better since I started asking myself the questions. I still faulted though — weekends can be rough.
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So check-in 10/13/2021
Simple - 📛📛📛📛
😂🤣😂
Yesterday my normal routine was thrown way out of whack and apparently I’m a huge creature of habit and adding an 8 month old puppy (babysitting my Mom’s puppy) to my life was too much. Not enough sleep, drank and ate below my goal, and the only real gratitude in my life was for bedtime. I felt good though and am not kicking myself for not hitting any of my daily habits. I didn’t do much better today BUT day isn’t over 💃🏼
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Friday 15th October
- Observe and learn ✅
I noticed today that hunger genuinely is peristaltic. If you ignore it long enough, it really does go away for a while. - Feel real, physical hunger ✅
Linked to the above, I've been mindful about allowing myself to get genuinely hungry. I got up at 6am and walked the dog, and didn't have breakfast until 8.30, by which time I was ravenous. Then. just as I was about to make lunch, the electrician arrived to check our wiring. By the time he left. I was again truly hungry for my soup. And now it's about an hour until dinner will be ready, and my stomach is growling again. - Just one more/less.. ✅
My training session on the turbo was brutal today, and I was struggling by the end. I'd ridden 17.2kms at a minimum cadence of 110 rpm (about 20 rpm faster than I'm comfortable riding). The route the session was set on was 24.6kms long. Should I quit at the end of the training session, or plough on to the end of the route? I gritted my teeth and did one further push to get me to the end of the route at 24.6kms - and then did one final push to get me to 25kms. - Neatly does it ✅
I spent a whole hour scrubbing the stainless steel racks in my oven. I could've just put them in the dishwasher, but what would be the fun in that? - Slow down and savour ✅
I took my time eating a delicious slice of bruschetta topped with peppery olive oil and cherry tomatoes. It was a small slice, but punched above its weight in terms of providing pleasure. - Leave a little ✅
At lunchtime I only left a few breadcrumbs on my plate, but I'm taking that as a win, as usually I wouldn't even leave a single crumb. - Make savvy swaps ✅
I'm having fresh fruit salad and greek yoghurt for dessert; my husband's having his fruit salad with a couple of scoops of homemade gelato. - Portion control ✅
All my meals today have been moderately proportioned. - Move and bend✅
I walked 15,569 steps, cycled 25kms and did a full set of stretches - Avoid empty calories ✅
All food today has been nutritious and healthy.
1 - Observe and learn ✅
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@NerdyScienceGrl, I know what you mean about being a creature of habit, but I woudn't care about any disruption to my routine if it meant I could play with a gorgeous high-spirited puppy!2
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Bella I'm quite impressed.
Re: puppy.... Would love to have one to play with... And then hand over to his mom ❣️😹😹😹😇1 -
I want a Golden Retriever puppy….Willow is with us all the time but she is our daughters dog….2
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Saturday 16th October
- Observe and learn ✅
I noticed today that a food that isn't inately appetising can become dangerously tempting if it's heated until it's warm, gooey and squidgy. The case in point was a Mars Bar, which I would ordinarily never have any trouble resisting because I find them over-sweet and (ironically) too soft. I'm a hard-centres gal, so I'd take a chocolate-covered hard toffee or a boiled sweet over a Mars any day. It must be a decade at least since I last had one, though we often have some in the pantry as my husband likes them. HOWEVER, today my husband microwaved his Mars Bar, so that it was a warm, gooey, caramelly lump, which he then devoured with a dollop of ice-cream. OMG, it looked sooooooooooo good! - Feel real, physical hunger ✅
I didn't eat breakfast until I'd walked the dog, by which time I was ravenous; then I had just a small mugful of soup (no bread) for lunch, so that by the time it was time for dinner I was hungry enough to eat the tablecloth! - Just one more/less.. ✅
Normally I do two walks per day. Today I did one more little walk (an extra 30 mins). - Neatly does it ✅
I scrubbed all the bathrooms, kitchen floor and skirting boards with hot soapy water. Then went over them again with the steam cleaner. - Slow down and savour ✅
We had grilled artisan cheddar on sourdough toast for a light (if calorific) dinner; I just had the one slice, but I savoured every bite. Then I had a banana and some greek yoghurt and berries to make it a more rounded meal. - Leave a little ✅
l accepted a small cube of chocolate cake to please a friend - but I left the chocolate frosting. - Make savvy swaps ✅
Instead of having two slices of cheese on toast, I had just one slice and filled up on banana and yoghurt/berries. That way I was able to enjoy the high-fat treat but still come in under my calorie goal - Portion control ✅
All my meals today were moderately proportioned. - Move and bend✅
I walked 17,159 steps and did a full set of stretches - Avoid empty calories ✅
I allowed peer pressure to push me into eating chocolate cake, but I only had a small cube-sized piece and I left the chocolate frosting.
3 - Observe and learn ✅
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Sunday 17th October
- Observe and learn ✅
Further to yesterday's observation about the increased temptation of a warm, gooey Mars Bar compared to a cold one, I realised today that the addition of gelato or good quality ice cream to ANY puddingy sweet confection immediately elevates it from the category 'meh-I-could-take-it-or-leave-it' to the category 'GIMME!-GIMME!-GIMME!' Both of these observations will be useful when it comes to resisting temptation at Christmas. [Note to self: DON'T BUY ICE-CREAM!] - Feel real, physical hunger ✅
I didn't eat breakfast until I'd walked the dog, by which time I was ravenous; dinner isn't for at least an hour and I'm already hungry. - Just one more/less.. ✅
The route I'd chosen on the turbo was 10.3km long. I did an extra lap to take me over 20kms. - Neatly does it ✅
I've spent the whole afternoon decluttering the garage. - Slow down and savour ✅
We walked into the village today for breakfast at the cafe, and because it was an additional walk on top of my regular dog walk, I was extra hungry. By the time the food was served, I was ravenous. Usually this would mean that I'd fall on the food like a starving lion on an antelope, but I forced myself to slow down and eat like a civilised person not a ravening beast. Amazingly, taking longer over the food didn't cause it to vanish like magic in front of my eyes or lead me to die of starvation. Who knew?! - Leave a little ✅
I left the slice of buttered toast. The cafe owner has chickens so it wouldn't be wasted. - Make savvy swaps ✅
I swapped my slice of bacon for my husband's grilled tomato. - Portion control ✅
For breakfast the choice was limited: just ''Full English Breakfast" in size 'belly buster', 'large', 'small' or 'childs'. I chose 'small'. Lunch was half a mug of homemade leek and potato soup. Dinner will be 80g of pasta with homemade tomato sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan. - Move and bend✅
I walked 17,192 steps, cycled 20.5kms and did a full set of stretches - Avoid empty calories ✅
No empty calories today.
2 - Observe and learn ✅
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Life has been busy, but here is my check in for 10/14-10/16
Gratitude - uhm, didn’t happen 📛 I just didn’t find any time for me. I normally make the time but had other priorities.
Sleep - ✅✅✅ 8:37, 7:31, 9:02
Drink - ✅✅✅ 128, 140, 120
Eat - ✅✅✅ ate between 1000 - 2000, but Friday I didn’t eat great while on the go.
For the week had a 4600 cal deficit. The scale went down 6 lbs that I attribute to inflammation going down thanks to the physical therapist.2 -
Very inspiring, Bella! I love that you e challenged yourself in such meaningful ways. You’ve got me thinking 🤔. Once Im released from PT and with the holidays around the corner, maybe it’s time to think bigger but until I can consistently meet my little daily goals/habits, I should probably work harder on them or refine more within them.1
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Thanks @NerdyScienceGrl
I thought long and hard about what behaviours have driven my lifetime of obesity, and these were the ones that seemed to be the biggest culprits:- All my life I've had an almost pathological fear of being hungry.
- I've always eaten fast, so I don't notice and act on satiety signals.
- I'm naturally very indolent and I gravitate to couch-potato activities (reading, creative writing etc.)
- I finish everything that's on my plate, even when I'm full
- My portions have always been man-sized (though I'm only 5'1)
- I've always been a reluctant exerciser.
So being comfortable with hunger is a worthwhile goal for me to work on. This wouldn't necessarily be an issue for other people, but for me it's A Big Deal. Ditto slowing down while eating, delaying gratification, eating in moderation, increasing my baseline activity level, etc.
By trying to habit-form these revised behaviours, I'm trying to do a factory reset on myself. I'm probably too old now to change my neural pathways enough to transform me into a person with little interest in food, but - with enough repetition - I hope to carve out some modified neural pathways that reinforce my good intentions, rather than undermine them.
At least, that's the plan!3 -
It’s really admirable you know yourself so well and have observed behavioral changes you want to make. I’d say that’s an amazing start!2
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Monday 18th October
- Observe and learn ✅
For most of my adult life if I've eated a slice of toast, I haven't bothered to cut it in half, but just wolfed it down as one large slice (which horrifies my refined MIL). Recently, though, I've started to cut my slice of breakfast toast into quarters once I've buttered it; I don't know why, but psychologically it's made me slow down when I eat it, and it seems more satiating than when it's bolted down. - Feel real, physical hunger ✅
Breakfast was after my dog walk, as usual, by which time I'd been up several hours; lunch was another mugful of soup, so not exactly filling, which meant I was ravenous by dinner time. - Just one more/less.. ✅
I was planning to have three sausages for dinner - in the end I settled for two. - Neatly does it ✅
3 hours gardening! - Slow down and savour ✅
I really took my time over eating dinner and tried to listen to my body's signals. - Leave a little ✅
We had home cooked sausages with chip-shop-chips for dinner - I left over half my small portion of chips, which my husband will reheat for his lunch tomorrow. - Make savvy swaps ✅
I had some mushy peas rather than a third sausage. - Portion control ✅
The chippy chips came in two portion sizes - 'large' and 'small'. I bought two small portions. My husband ate all of his; I ate just under half of mine. - Move and bend✅
Only 8774 steps today because I had to cut short the evening walk due to back pain; managed a full set of stretches though - Avoid empty calories ✅
No empty calories today.
2 - Observe and learn ✅
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So glad to be back here again - I'm enjoying your goals, Bella. Your other post with the chocolatey plate and SPOON! really reinforced some thinking I've been doing.
Yesterday while I was driving around, waiting for the computer god to finish his work, I pick up some terrible drive through take out. Ate it so quickly I didn't go much further than a block before going back for a second round. The idea flickered through my mind that perhaps I could wait! That there was no need to inhale the insanely high calories. But it flickered out pretty quick.
I like the idea of conditioning myself. I would like to try that. Postponed gratification...eating slowly...and leaving a bit behind.2
