The "Just -Stick-To-Your-Goal" Challenge

Welcome aboard!

Shirley: welcome! Glad you can join us!

bslclay: good questions. The idea of adding everyone as friends is a great one. I'll do that later today. I'd like to post every morning and ask how everyone is doing. I know that will keep me on track. I don't calculate my calories on this website though, using a small notebook goes faster for me. If you have other ideas, please let me know, you know this site better than I do.
Have a great, successful day!

Let's check in every day to report about the day before. It can help al of us to stay focused... especially me!

I have a good feeling about this group!

I have done very well yesterday and today so far. I am worried about the next few days though... I am working two long days in a row, Wednesday is 930am-10pm and Thursday is 3pm-730am. I don't do this very often but my husband is not working and I need to pick up extra shifts whenever I can to pay the mortgage. Anyway, I plan on packing my meals and only eating what I brought but when it gets really busy and I get stressed (I work in a hospital doing crisis intervention/intake as well as art therapy), I want to grab junk like chocolate or something. I am going to try to stop myself in that moment of weakness and post something on here... Let's see how it goes;)

I totally understand about these long days at work. I am sometimes in the same situation. The worst is not on the job when I keep busy, it's when I come home. I am so hungry I'd the entire refrigerator. For now -- lucky me -- I can work from home, at least until August. But I am sure I will have my temptation moments too.

Packing your meals and planning your snacks ahead really helps, so you eat a little all the time and you are not hungry.
Good luck!

Day 3 was great from me. I stayed under 1300 cals.
A nice side effect of eating healthier and less: I sleep like a baby, and my digestive track seems to work much better than before.
How is everyone doing?
Have a nice day 4!

bslclay: you did great!
Coming home after a long day of work is also a tough one for me.
Hope you have the time to rest before working tonight!

Tiff: great job! Hope your cold does not last too long. I got one of those chest colds back in November and it was nasty. I don't know how you could work out with it, but you did!
Snacking while at home? I do that too, and for no reason at all. Just because I can and because the food is there. I am working at home right now (until August) but I've been a good girl too lately.

Yesterday was good. Stayed under 1300 cal, but not way under because DH brought home some enchiladas from a great mexican restaurant and I got a little of those. I resisted the cookies and cupcakes at my son's cub scout meeting. I don't really have a sweet tooth, but in the past I would just have grabbed a handful and ate it, almost absentmindedly.
Hope everyone is doing well!

It's 4am and I am feeling soooo hungry. Im at work for another 3 hrs---yuck! I already ate the food I brought/planned for. Working a 16 hour shift really makes it hard to have a normal day... I can do it! I can do it! I can do it!

BTW - I already know I am going to be over on Saturday and I am allowing myself to be-- no guilt. It's my mom's birthday party and a potluck. I will still make wise choices but I am not going to be counting calories as accurately... I would fail miserably if I didn't allow myself a day here and there. How does everyone else fit in celebrations into their weight loss goals?

Good to hear from you!
Yup, working a long day makes it really hard.
I am going to take a "day off" on Saturday too. A friend and I are going to the opera and, as a ritual, we go have dinner afterward. He already made the reservation so I'll check the restaurant menu online and will think about decent choices. But I won't be able to count my calories either. My goal then will be to refrain from stuffing myself. For example to eat only half of my food and take the rest home for the day after and limit myself to one slice of bread istead of half the basket.

Good question about how to fit celebrations in all that. IMHO celebrations happen, that's life and it's a wonderful part of life, and there is no reason to be miserable and eat only carrot sticks while everyone enjoys a glass of wine and some great appetizer. Being in a weight loss program, whatever it is, does not mean not enjoying life and food, especially during celebrations with family and friends. But I think it means having a different attitude toward food during celebrations, like eating more slowly, enjoying food, eating less (= not stuffing oneself), and trying to eat only the best stuff at the buffet, the things you are really craving. I totally agree with you that anyone would fail if once in a while they would not be able to taste the food they really like. Your strategy of still making good choices is right on target: you don't count the calories (which would be impossible) but it does not mean you are not in control of what you are eating.

Try to get some rest, if you can, before the party. I don't know about you but when I am tired, I pig out.

I'll post on Sunday about my restaurant adventures:happy:

Have a great day and a nice weekend.

My report for today:
Restaurant last night: I didn't mess up. I did not count my cals bc it would have been impossible. But I did what I had planned to do: no wine, only one slice of bread with no butter, ate only half of my dish. It was interesting to see my friend eating the entire bread basket and put a huge amount of butter of each slices. I didn;t say anything of course: he is a healthy guy, exercises a lot and eats healthy at home.
One less pound on the scale this morning, so I'm at 170!