Aha moments

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sarita66
sarita66 Posts: 142 Member
It has been fairly quiet on here so I thought I would start a thread to see if we can get some chatter going. Today was a big accomplishment for me. I went out to lunch with some friends today and ordered a healthy salad with steak tips (small lunch portion). The group ordered spinach/artichoke dip w/ chips, drinks and fried food. normally I would have indulged in all those foods, but I stayed within my cal count and opted for water with lemon. We also walked around the shops including the candy and ice cream shops. I was able to say no! This was Hugh, not eating ice cream. I didn't feel deprived and I really tried to focus on the company and not the food.

Has anyone else had some aha moments while trying to stay on track?

Replies

  • aweltha
    aweltha Posts: 11 Member
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    Great job! Sometimes its difficult for me to realize that I can't eat the way everyone else does. Its just the reality that I live with. Luckily I surround myself with incredible people who love and support me.
  • lissa0040
    lissa0040 Posts: 362 Member
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    Nice Sarita! It is really hard sometimes. If I only had 10 pounds to lose I might let myself have a twinkie lol but at this weight sometimes we have to say no. It won't kill you, you survive and then feel proud of yourself. I was in a business meeting with 3 other "normal size" girls and they decided after eating a sensible lunch of half sandwiches and salads that they were going to buy dessert. Huge cookies and a gigantic brownie. I was full and I would have had to force myself to eat it so instead of eating the extra 400 calories I passed on it and enjoyed their company. I didn't feel deprived or have plate envy I just drank my tea and continued on with the meeting agenda. It was nice because I didn't have to feel guilty for going overboard. Now yesterday was a totally different story. I worked my booty off at the gym TWICE yesterday according to my heart rate monitor I burned over 2,000 calories. Later that night we went to a ribs burn off, I enjoyed some ribs and other treats because I had worked so hard. I wasn't using food for a reward but I knew that my hard work had put me in a nice position to be able to enjoy a little without worrying about going over in calories.

    I actually experienced an epiphany too. I learned how much I am physically capable of. My trainer had me doing things I didn't think i was "ready for at my size" I was sweating buckets and thought I might lose my lunch at a couple points but I kept at it and finished with a sense of self pride and worth that I haven't felt in years! I believe I can do this. Not sure if I didn't believe it before but yesterday that thought popped into my head. It feels really nice. Although I never thought I could afford to hire a trainer before it wasn't that expensive in the grand scheme of things and I am learning so much about myself that it is definitely worth it!
  • sarita66
    sarita66 Posts: 142 Member
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    Keep up the good work Melissa!
    I love these moments when things start to click. The trainer has made a tremendous difference. It is worth the money. I figure what I have spent on eating out more than makes up for the cost of the training. I am also doing it in a small group with friends, so we can share the cost. I am trying not to eat up all my exercise calories. I have found that in the beginning that I was overindulging with food thinking I could because I worked out.
  • Onlineslimme
    Onlineslimme Posts: 1 Member
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    Hello Sarita66
    Really great aha moment! i salute you. I don't know if i could have done that! This is my Day 4. I'm having a bit of a rough time getting started. But I feel like I'm on the brink of something big. I really believe that entering the food I eat in this format is really going to help.
    I'm quiet too. This is my aha moment. I'm not on Facebook, I have never blogged. I can't believe I'm actually sharing anything here with strangers. But i need to make a change and I'm hoping this is going to do it. 2 pounds so far, 148 to go. unbelievably crazy. I don't know how i let this happen, but here it is. I wasn't heavy til after I had my children, but my mom had the same trouble. So I've got to stop this now.
    So - good for you! that was an awesome moment - hang onto it and build. I plan to come here and read/look around the website every time i feel the need to eat something i shouldn't.
    Keep up the good work.
    Onlineslimme
  • lissa0040
    lissa0040 Posts: 362 Member
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    Welcome Onlineslimme and Aweltha! I have to agree with you Sarita. I definitely don't want to get into the habit of eating crazy just because I worked out. I feel like if I am making this crazy effort I should be getting the most out of it - not eating all of my results away.

    Over the years I have diet-ed off and on and off and on. I always would have big losses right away and usually would hit a slump and go back to my same old habits eventually packing it all back on again. This is my first real effort since I have been over 30yrs old and the difference is INSANE. It is taking me quadruple the effort it used to take to lose a single pound. It is awful and I couldn't understand what was happening but from talking to people I've heard it gets harder as you get older. What do you guys think? Next week I am shopping to eat clean and exercise hard all week and see what kind of results I get. So far I have been stuck at the same weight for a while. I am working out enough or eating just well enough that I should be progressing some just based on math alone -- but no such luck. I feel like my body has some sort of secret password that once I find the right combination of actions the weight will melt away! (fingers crossed)
  • sarita66
    sarita66 Posts: 142 Member
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    Welcome Onlineslimme and Aweltha. Do you guys have shorter nicknames? My typing sucks (lol). I am with you. I didn't think I would be comfortable talking about weight loss and my feelings online, but this has been a very supportive and friendly group. I look forward to writing things down in the MFP tracker and then checking in with folks to see how people are doing. It really keeps me motivated. I also like that there are no time constraints, you can check in anytime.

    Melissa, I have changed my eating plan this week. My weight loss has been creeping off and I have been very frustrated. This past week I have cut way back on breads, cheese and sugar. I think I have been over doing these processed foods even though I had been staying under my calorie count. I will know tomorrow if this switch has worked when I step on the scale. I also cut way back on drinking Crystal Lt ice tea and have been drinking water with lemon and fresh mint (awesome w / mint)! I have given myself a small treat with a small piece each night of really good dark chocolate. I love Lindt chili dark chocolate.

    Another aha today ( 3 days in a row, who is this woman?). I went to the beach w/friends and I packed a lunch with salad and fruit. No chips or ice cream even though the others were eating it.

    Well,that's all for now. I hope we can keep these topics going. Hang in there everyone. As Melissa says, "we can do this!".
  • lissa0040
    lissa0040 Posts: 362 Member
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    So I live in a town that comes alive once a year. The Pro Football Hall of Fame festival is this week and this morning there was a parade. I live right next to the parade route so I was trapped in traffic for a while -- making me late for my training. I called the trainer and asked if it was ok if I was late. He said I could be late if I don't mind working out with another girl. I SO wanted to cancel. I won't even lie. I know the other girl and she is half my size. I just didn't want to have to try and keep up with someone else. When I got there he had us doing exercises side by side. I was keeping up ok. Surprisingly, she is thin but not physically fit. At one point we had to race each other pushing a football plow down and back on the indoor football field. I WON every single race. Every one!! I am a good 125lbs heavier and I smoked that girl.

    I am capable of so much more than I ever thought...

    We can do this!!! :smile:
  • joannecando
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    I had one yesterday. My sister is in town for the weekend, and all "the girls" went out for Mexican food. We ordered queso, and I took one bite and decided it wasn't worth blowing my day over. That felt really good!
  • lissa0040
    lissa0040 Posts: 362 Member
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    I had one yesterday. My sister is in town for the weekend, and all "the girls" went out for Mexican food. We ordered queso, and I took one bite and decided it wasn't worth blowing my day over. That felt really good!

    AH-mazing! Now that is some self control! Great job!