January ETL - Nutritarian New Year!

Mihani
Mihani Posts: 3,892 Member
Hey all, I don't know about you but I'm glad the holidays are nearly over and I can get back into my routine.

I have pretty simple goals for this month, going to start the 6 week plan on the 2nd, and stick with it the whole 6 weeks. No excuses, no well just this one time lapses. I never lapse just one time lol. I am still in a lot of pain with the rotator cuff injury and haven't been sleeping well, and being tired makes me cranky and hungry. Going to go back on the anti-inflammatory med, although I'm going to cut the dose in half because it was making me feel blech which is why I quit taking it. Also going to make an effort to get some light exercise. I can't do any weights or resistance with my shoulder out of whack but I can do some yoga (being careful with that arm) and I can walk.

Anyone reading who is new to the ETL group, everyone is welcome to join in the monthly threads. It's just an easy way for us all to check in. I do try to keep an eye out for new threads and respond to them, I just don't always get to them right away.

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Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited January 2016
    My goals are simple as well: more plants, more yoga. Thanks much for starting this thread Mihani! You've got this. Cheers! and Happy New Year!
  • tdh1991
    tdh1991 Posts: 511 Member
    Happy New Year everyone.

    My goal for the month is to eat less food/work on portion control. I eat really healthy but I eat to much of it. I haven't lost any weight in awhile and need to lose 15-20 lbs by March 11; my next appointment with Dr. Benson.

    Like Mahini I am ready to get back to normal. Although it has been a very fun holiday season. Last night I made a Asian Hot Pot for dinner. We had lots of veggies to chose from. I even had shrimp for the meat eater and no one ended up eating any shrimp. The Bok Choy was the biggest hit.

    Going to be a low key day. Just plan on going to the gym today.


    Happy New Year
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    tdh1991 wrote: »
    Happy New Year everyone.

    My goal for the month is to eat less food/work on portion control. I eat really healthy but I eat to much of it. I haven't lost any weight in awhile and need to lose 15-20 lbs by March 11; my next appointment with Dr. Benson.

    Like Mahini I am ready to get back to normal. Although it has been a very fun holiday season. Last night I made a Asian Hot Pot for dinner. We had lots of veggies to chose from. I even had shrimp for the meat eater and no one ended up eating any shrimp. The Bok Choy was the biggest hit.

    Going to be a low key day. Just plan on going to the gym today.


    Happy New Year

    Love me some hot pot!! Especially with bok choy!
  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
    Happy New Year!!

    I already posted my goals in the Dec thread, but I'll recap them:
    - juice for 30 days if I can hack it (I'm on day 4, so far so good)
    - throw in some dancing and some treadmill workouts, starting Monday (giving myself a few days to adjust)

    I've axed the swimming idea - don't want to spread myself so thin that I just quit...


    Mihani I hope your shoulder gets better soon!
  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
    After 4 days I'm down 7 lbs. Gotta like that! I can definitely see a difference already, so that's motivating!

    I only have 2 more days off before I get back to my regular routine, and I'm actually dreading it a bit. It's easy to stick to juicing when I don't have to go anywhere. At work there will be food. And at lunch I'll have to smell all the different things people bring. That's going to be a challenge. I wish I could just hide out for a couple of months and then BAM - look at me!!! :wink:

    Wish me luck!!
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member

    I've axed the swimming idea - don't want to spread myself so thin that I just quit...


    Happy New Year all! I'll try to take over your swimming, eventually. Did you say you're heading to BC for a wedding? Whereabouts? Looks like we may have a couple hardcore 6week ETL's to keep each other company. I would try to keep you company on the juice front, but I'm only going for probably 4 days straight juice. Then, I think it will be time to add in some salad. Probably a lot of salad.

    In other news, my boy wangled himself a scholarship, and will be attending university / playing lacrosse in Indiana.

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    sloth3toes wrote: »

    I've axed the swimming idea - don't want to spread myself so thin that I just quit...


    Happy New Year all! I'll try to take over your swimming, eventually. Did you say you're heading to BC for a wedding? Whereabouts? Looks like we may have a couple hardcore 6week ETL's to keep each other company. I would try to keep you company on the juice front, but I'm only going for probably 4 days straight juice. Then, I think it will be time to add in some salad. Probably a lot of salad.

    In other news, my boy wangled himself a scholarship, and will be attending university / playing lacrosse in Indiana.

    Woo hoo for your boy!!!
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,892 Member
    Off to an amazing start there Karrie!

    Woohoo for the boy Sloth!

    Terri, I have the same problem, eating healthy but still too many calories. I am going to cut out starchy carbs completely for the next while, those are what ramp up the calories for me.

    Happy New Year Sabine!

    Day 1 went well. I did have some coffee, but going cold turkey today no caffeine. Will be switching back to herbal teas, The only non-ETL thing that I'll be adding is a scoop of plant protein in my smoothies. I am so excited to be back eating well, cutting out the junky heavy stuff. I feel better even after just one day. I've been feeling a bit sluggish lately.
  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
    sloth3toes wrote: »

    In other news, my boy wangled himself a scholarship, and will be attending university / playing lacrosse in Indiana.

    Nice!! Congrats

    The wedding is in Campbell River, on the Island. :smiley:
  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
    I'm in mourning for my holidays. :disappointed: I really don't want to go back to work tomorrow. Or ever...

    I've come to the conclusion that I'm really not a fan of cucumber in my juices. Bleck...

    Going strong. Right now, I feel like I can achieve my goals. Tomorrow might be harder. People eating at their desks might make it really hard for me... I'm dreading it.
  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
    Happy New Year, lovely ETLers!

    I am also in mourning for my holidays, although now that I'm back at work, I sort of feel better. I had that "back to school dread" all day yesterday! Still, it felt like a nice and long holiday. Neither my husband nor I had taken off that whole week between Christmas and New Years and it was lovely!

    I am only day 4 for my ETL reboot! Day 1 I'm not sure counted.... I couldn't move from my bed all day (I think I'm allergic to champagne!). I already feel a bit better and at least more confident going forward.

    Woohoo Karrie!! Huge loss already. How is it going today at work with the temptations?

    Sloth, how are you feeling about juicing?! Congrats to your son!! That is very exciting. He will be a bit far from you guys for a few years?

    Terri, glad you hear you had a nice holiday - you and Sabine have me drooling over this hot pot idea.

    Mihani, totally agree with you about how quickly it feels good again and also how relieved I am to finally have set a line that I can't cross into junk food land lol. I actually set myself to do it for the month of January rather than 6 weeks. How are you feeling without the caffeine?
  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
    So far so good - but then it isn't lunchtime yet... :tongue:

    Juicing is really a mental game. You've gotta stay focused. And I have to keep reminding myself that all day.

    Part of the mental game is in play right now, as a matter of fact. I brought green lemonade for my lunch juice today. It's tasty and I enjoy it. Win! Or so I thought...

    I just opened the juice and BLAMMO - it's Joe's Mean Green. It's not terrible, but it's not quite as tasty as what I THOUGHT I was bringing. So right away I'm all bummed out. I had to remind myself that I like this juice too, and I still have a dessert juice to drink when I get home tonight...

    Gotta make more green lemonade......
  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
    Oh, I nearly forgot to mention that I ACTUALLY managed to get my butt outta bed at 5am today and get in a treadmill workout!

    I just did a brisk walk for 2km - gotta let myself ease into it - but at least I did it!! :smiley:
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,892 Member
    Lia, the first couple days of no caffeine are sooooo hard to get through, but I've found it is better to go cold turkey than try to cut back. That whole "I don't do moderation" thing lol. Glad you got a nice break from work for the holidays.

    Karrie, well done on the treadmill! Good idea to ease into it. Especially when you are juicing you don't want to overdo the exercise.

    The past few days have gone well for me. I just basically have decided anything not on my plan is not food. I feel strong right now, like nothing can stop me, but we all know that can be fleeting. This is my get my habits firmly in place week, so I know that I can carry it on. Still need to try to get on some exercise, for stress relief as much as anything, so I think yoga would be helpful.
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    Holidays: Mihani, I too am glad the holidays are over. I was starting to lose all control of my eating. I am taking down the Christmas decorations over the next two days. Today is the warmest day we’re gonna get so I’m taking advantage of it to get the outside stuff packed away. Tomorrow I will work on the inside stuff. Hubby was smarter than me, to take off on a trip to avoid this effort.
    Food: Sabine, my goals are simple, too. Eat less overall, but more plants. I am like tdh1991; I eat pretty healthy most all the time, but I eat too much. Eat less overall but eat more plants. That’s for me.
    Which also means trying more new vegetables. I so enjoyed learning to cook and liking eating parsnips and rutabagas. I didn’t know they were so tasty! Bok choy, another vegetable to add into my ever-expanding vegetable universe.
    Exercise: Mihani, take care of that shoulder! Ouch. It will get better. We are contemplating cancelling our gym membership (can’t remember the last time either of us walked in the place) and getting a treadmill again. There’d still be the problem of creating and sticking with a routine. I would like to learn to enjoy more exercise. I do love to swim and I will try to add that to my routine, but it will only be once a week or so, as the nearest pool is a 40 minute drive away. But really, I should do what I like rather than force myself to do things I hate (like weight lifting — boring!) or I won’t stick with it. At least right now.
    Goals: I am on Day 2 of my personal re-boot. I am determined to get these last 10 pounds off this year!!! First I need to lose the rest of the weight I gained so I can get back to my lowest MFP weight. Then will work on the remaining 7 pounds to get to my lifetime goal weight. It will take this full year to do it. I can accept that. I am a patient soul, when it comes to losing weight.

    Excellent achievement, sloth3toes, to have a scholarship winner!! Well done! Lacrosse, even! We watch Lacrosse locally here and it is quite fast, lots of action. It’s not a big sport on the west coast where I grew up; we didn’t have teams to watch there.
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    edited January 2016
    Mihani wrote: »
    Lia, the first couple days of no caffeine are sooooo hard to get through, but I've found it is better to go cold turkey than try to cut back. That whole "I don't do moderation" thing lol.

    Do post your progress on the caffeine kick. I have acknowledged to myself that this is the next habit I need to tackle. I actually fear going without it, as well as how to replace that morning routine (relaxing while knitting and enjoying a cuppa joe every morning). It will be a cold-turkey thing for me, too, as moderation isn't my strong suit either.
  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
    Hi guys :) Happy tuesday. I am detoxing again! Argh. Headache and everything, but I know it is a good sign. I just feel my bed calling for me today lol.

    I know this is bad but I haven't given up caffeine. I have a coffee on Saturdays and tea during the week. I am just not worried about it enough to drop it just yet...

    Karrie, I just read your end-of-December post. Have you tried Cize?! It looks like so much fun. Would love to hear what you think about it! I have heard good things.

    Lisa, I am the same as you - I have finally, at long last, realized that if I don't like the exercise, I won't stick with it. So I really try to think about what will actually be fun and satisfying. I am sometimes just finding zumba workouts on YouTube to follow for the heck of it.

    Mihani, I like you attitude. I've drawn my lines too! And so far I'm abiding by them completely. It's kind of amazing. But I am still having cravings lol.
  • tdh1991
    tdh1991 Posts: 511 Member
    Congrats Scott! So exciting for your son to get a scholarship to college.

    Work is to busy :( I do not like to feel overwhelmed. I just finished my work for the day at 10 pm. Tomorrow looks just as busy. If this keeps up I will have to get some help.

    On the diet front. Still working on eating less. I am ok for a day or two then I get super hungry. I guess it will take time to shrink my stomach. Still stuck around the same weight but hoping to see the scale move under a mile stone in the next couple of weeks. I have made it back to the gym my goal is Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday this week. Maybe Saturday if I get out of work soon enough.

    Lisa: I am trying to quit coffee not doing so well but at least my consumption is way down. My goal is to only have it on the weekends but ended up having some coffee today to keep me going thru my busy day (no time to have lunch today).

    Mahini: I am with you. Dr.Benson wants me to limit my carbs to 1 serving a day. Bummer, but I know it will help me lose weight. I started that goal on Jan 1.

    Karrie: you got this juicing --you always seem to do really well with it. I need to do a water fast here some day before my next appointment. I on the other hand not so good with fasting.

    Well everyone off to de-stress and meditate before going to sleep.

  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,892 Member
    Hi y'all... we're all so busy it's crazy, but glad everyone is checking in. It helps me to follow your progress and share my own.

    On the coffee question, I quit drinking it several times a year for a week or two. My tolerance level seems to build up to where I am going through way too much of it and then I'm shaky and start having heart palpitations. So I'll quit completely for a while which seems to re-set my tolerance. I'm hoping to stay off it for good this time, but we'll see about that lol. It usually takes me 2 to 3 days of no caffeine to adjust and then I'm fine without it. Yesterday was the worst day, I was so tired, but I didn't sleep well the night before so I just went to bed super early last night and I should be fine now.

    Will catch up more tonight, gotta go finish getting ready for work.
  • OneTwentyThree
    OneTwentyThree Posts: 186 Member
    edited January 2016
    Hey, I have a question for you guys. This is my 2nd day into the 6 week diet and I am having a really bad headache. I am not usually prone to headaches.
    I am still counting my calories and I've had 1200 calories today, I feel really full and I don't actually feel hungry but the headache is awful.
    Has anyone else experienced this ? I was really excited to try this diet but now I am really close to having a piece of chicken to see if that helps alleviate it.