March Mindfulness Challenge: Week 4 (3/22-3/31)
baconslave
Posts: 7,018 Member
baconslave wrote: »Ye ol' challenge blurb!baconslave wrote: »Welcome!
Life is...well....it's LIFE, isn't it? It can be good. It can also be busy, frantic, and sometimes, downright chaotic. We are pulled so many directions but so many situations and distractions. When do we have time to breathe, let alone live in the moment?
So this month, I think it would be excellent to challenge ourselves to incorporate mindfulness into our journey to health. Plus, it works with the whole alliteration thing.
Morwenna Ferrier (writer for the Guardian) defines the new fad-term "mindfulness" this way: "The whole ethos of mindfulness is to encourage people to live in the moment. The theory goes that we are so busy trying to block out past worries and anticipate future ones that we rarely concentrate on enjoying what we are doing at the precise moment we are doing it. Devotees claim mindfulness can be applied to everything from walking and running to sex and eating." http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jun/23/mindful-eating-how-to-get-more-from-your-meals
But I challenge that it isn't only about enjoyment. It's about AWARENESS. That's how we diagnose the elusive issue we carry, the sneaky ones that fly under our radar, but continue to throw a wrench into our efforts. So much about success in weight loss and health is about healing our dysfunctional relationships with food and other things in our lives, so we are free from the impetus of stress and emotions that often spurs us to sabotage ourselves.
So in that vein, the challenge is to practice some form of mindfulness by pausing and observing what happens in our heads and bodies when we eat or exercise, to be aware. And maybe then we can enjoy our journey more and discover any hang-ups we've missed and lock them down.
How? I've created a list of links. Some repeat the theme but add something. There a couple that apply to mindfulness in general terms. But understanding the concept can help but aide us in applying it to our reason for being here on MFP.
Start with this, garnered from zenhabits.comhttp://zenhabits.net/mindful-eating/Benefits?
Reduced over eating. It’s been a while now since I went to bed feeling bloated and over stuffed. Which is great in itself but also means that my ‘muffin top’ is pretty much gone when I wear my favorite jeans.
Increased enjoyment of food. As a food scientist, I’ve always considered myself a big fan of eating. Now that I’m on the path to mastering the art of mindful eating, I am finding a new found respect for food and am gaining far more pleasure from meal times.
Improved digestion. Digestion begins in the mouth with the action of saliva. If food isn’t chewed properly it means that there’s more work for the rest of your digestion system. I may be imagining this, but I think I’ve also noticed I have less gas now that I’m eating mindfully.
Being satisfied with less. Linked with reduced over eating, the real benefit here is being able to trust yourself to feel satisfied after one or two squares of chocolate so there is no temptation to scoff the whole block. Suddenly there’s no need to deny yourself the occasional treat which makes for a far healthier relationship with food.
Ready to change the way you interact with food?
How to master the art of mindful eating:
1. Start small. Like all new habits, it’s best to set realistic expectations. Choose one meal or snack each day and commit to focusing on mindful eating at that time.
2. Stop multitasking at meal times. It’s really difficult to focus on eating if you’re doing other things. Set aside time for eating without other entertainment.
3. Only eat at the table. Another way to minimize mindless munching is to get into the habit of only eating when you are sitting down and able to give the food your full attention. No more snacking on the run.
4. Appreciate the appearance. While we’ve all drooled over gorgeous food porn in magazines or online, sometimes we forget about the beauty of the food we are about to eat. Taking the time to notice sets the scene for mindful eating.
5. Focus on each mouthful. Think about the flavour, texture and even the sound of the food in your mouth. Focus on how much you like, or dislike these sensations.
6. Chew. While it can be overkill to go to the monastic extreme of 100 bites per mouthful, make sure you chew your food enough so that it is well broken down before you swallow.
7.Use cutlery and put it down between mouthfuls. It’s much easier to take smaller portions when using a knife and fork. Of course if you feel like you’re having a ridiculous Seinfeld moment eating a chocolate bar with utensils, then skip this step but do put the bar down in between bites so you can focus.
8. Talk and share. One of the joys of eating is sharing a meal with loved ones. It can be challenging to incorporate mindfulness in a social situation but not impossible. Turn the focus of the conversation onto the meal while you are actually eating. Share what you are experiencing in terms of flavours and textures, likes and dislikes. At first this may seem a little weird but trust me, you’ll soon find yourself having fun with it.
9. Go for quality not quantity. By choosing smaller amounts of the best food you can afford, you will not only enjoy it more, you’re far more likely to be satisfied without having to over eat.
10. Make time to prepare your own meals, preferably from fresh ingredients. The cooking process can be as relaxing and enjoyable as eating if you let it. For me, the peace of mind that comes from knowing exactly what has gone into my food makes any hassle worthwhile.
The links that follow might be helpful. I can't speak as to the helpfulness of the podcasts. Yet. I'm going to carve the time to investigate them and will nix them if they aren't really relevant. Please do share any links you personally come across, and I'll add them to the running list.
http://zenhabits.net/mindful-eating/
http://stress.about.com/od/dietandsuppliments/a/mindful_eating.htm
http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/mindfulness.htm
http://jamesclear.com/stay-focused
http://jamesclear.com/zanshin
http://fourhourworkweek.com/2015/11/29/magic-of-mindfulness/
https://www.bulletproofexec.com/rick-hanson-forgetfulness-mindfulness-techniques-hardwiring-happiness-243/
The weekly thread links will be also added to the challenge sticky at the top of the group for easy reference should it get buried.
Last week of our challenge! Technically we'd have partial week for week 5 but I like to wrap things up neatly, and consequently since it is less work for me, we'll keep this thread until the end.
I haven't listened to this yet, but came across it. Maybe I'll get to listen this week. Stuff keeps happening to interrupt my podcast time during walks, like kids and kamikaze cats that insist on me paying attention to them.
http://foreverfit.tv/podcast-66-mindful-eating-simplify-things-life/
Yesterday I didn't get to exercise at all.
I had bloodwork done to sniff out the cause of my issues. 10 vials. I was ok at the time. But when I got home, my BP tanked and I got really light-headed and had to lay down. I was completely exhausted the rest of the day. Plus my arm was very swollen and sore. I'll be delaying any arm workouts to the end of the week.
I should hear by Friday they said. Which probably means a referral to a specialist, which means more waiting. I'm so damn tired.
I did diary-free for 7 days noticing no difference. So I added it back. Now my eyes are being even worse, but there are really too many factors in play for me to tell. I really need to do a full AIP, but it's such a PITA and it's supposed to mean no stevia and no coffee. The caffeine withdrawal will murder me the condition I'm in right now. I just don't know what to do. Hubs makes fun of me more when I cut things out. He should shut up. He knows how miserable I am. Bah!
Last night was terrible. My eyes are pissed this morning. Plus, nasal allergies are killing me in the mornings. Antihistamines are drying so I can't take them. But they go away and are replaced by my dry burning sinuses by the afternoon, as per my new usual. Bah!
Anyway... enough grousing. The world keeps turning, regardless.
I order everyone to have an exceptionally enlightening, mindfulness-filled, fantastic week!
So there, mean ol' Universe. In your eye! Ha ha HA!
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My body is starting to get back on track. I'm not as bloated and I did AWESOME with drinking water yesterday AND eating my dinner at the table. Made it MUCH easier not to feel like I needed something more to eat later. Today I'm allotting for a larger amount of carbs for dinner, since my husband wants to do a baked potato bar. I'm going to opt for a sweet potato and am still debating if I want to mash it with garlic and butter or eat it baked. We'll see....it's still early. My son is having a friend over this coming weekend and we're talking about doing pizza....I'm nervous because I REALLY want to avoid eating it. Still trying to find a good game plan, as just eating the toppings would be fine if my husband wasn't obsessed with not wasting food. Maybe I can find another solution that will allow me better choices.0
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Working home today. Normally I think I'd have eaten a breakfast rather than just operating on coffee til lunch, but no trouble eating on my normal schedule today. I am very curious how I'll do once I add back in more types of foods.0
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March 22
BW: LCHF 189 (5.1.2015)
SW: 147 (March 1st)
CW: 147. And Holding....
GW: for March 142
Exercise - No
Sleep - OK. Knocked myself out with cough syrup.
Calories - Great
Carbs - Great.
Didn't want all the sugar in the cough syrup, but had no choice. It was 11pm and I was exhausted, but kept coughing. So sick with this cold. Made it to work again today. Keeping the door closed, will do the needful then I'm bailing back to beddy bye.0 -
Broken sleep plus no coffee sounds like a rough combination. I'm sorry, @baconslave.
MAR 22
SW: 153.4
CW: 131.2
Maintenance range: 129-132, I think.
Cals: just under goal
Carbs: 50 net
Exercise: No time today.
Sleep: Ugh. Went to bed earlier but woke up around 3:30 a.m. and couldn't fall back to sleep. Ended up taking a morning nap after boys left for school before I had to get ready for work.0 -
Staying the course. My mindfulness is shifting around to various subjects... for example this weekend I really made some breakthroughs in fixing up my home which I've been after myself about for a long time. Food plan was better, but need to get more low carb real after too many excuses. maybe my focus will shift back to correct keto for this week. I hope so. Downshifting on social pressures, I just need to scale back to a social level that doesn't terrify me so much. That might help with the food slips as well.
Well, later alligators!0 -
BRobertson23 wrote: »My body is starting to get back on track. I'm not as bloated and I did AWESOME with drinking water yesterday AND eating my dinner at the table. Made it MUCH easier not to feel like I needed something more to eat later. Today I'm allotting for a larger amount of carbs for dinner, since my husband wants to do a baked potato bar. I'm going to opt for a sweet potato and am still debating if I want to mash it with garlic and butter or eat it baked. We'll see....it's still early. My son is having a friend over this coming weekend and we're talking about doing pizza....I'm nervous because I REALLY want to avoid eating it. Still trying to find a good game plan, as just eating the toppings would be fine if my husband wasn't obsessed with not wasting food. Maybe I can find another solution that will allow me better choices.
I just make my own pizza. Either with a cheese/egg crust recipe or a Fathhead crust, or a pizza bowl (which is surprisingly good! Cheese, tomato sauce seasoned with pizza seasoning, pepperoni, sausage crumbles, onions, and olives. I nuke it. Then, I sprinkle in pork rind crumbs at the end, and it gives a crust flavor without the carbs.)0 -
glossbones wrote: »Working home today. Normally I think I'd have eaten a breakfast rather than just operating on coffee til lunch, but no trouble eating on my normal schedule today. I am very curious how I'll do once I add back in more types of foods.
I picked heartily at the plain ground beef in the pan before I made tacos.
So good.
Waiting, not so patiently, for a call from the dr.
Went crazy researching online and put coconut oil in my eyes last night. Didn't let DH catch me. Didn't hurt my torn eyes any more than regular gel drops. My eyes left me alone until 4am last night, at which point I had to start using drops often and grabbing the eyelids out of a dead sleep to keep a rip from happening. But until 4, they were alright. That's something new. Today, they are no longer tender to the touch and the blur is mostly gone. Yeah they are dry as all hell still. But they were in seriously bad condition after the night before last. I was crying all day from the pain. So desperation panned out. I'll be doing that again tonight.
I'm probably eating too many nuts, but I'm not binging periodically like crazy like I was before this challenge.
I wanted to try 16:8 IF again. And with my coffee (half&half and CO with stevia) I'm making it till noon and after without fuss or killing people.
I had a very delicious taco/greens/mushrooms/salsa/sour-cream/cheddar bowl last night. I savored every bite. Keeping in mind I am the last to sit at the table usually because I'm serving everyone, I used to be one of the first to leave. Now I'm still zenning out on my food after everyone else has left the table. LOL! I still lick the fat at the bottom of the plate.
I think this has helped me with the binging. I'm up to 158lb now. But my clothes aren't fitting any tigher. My stomach is looking flatter and my thighs more trim. I know I'm retaining water due to DOMS, and not being in ketosis anymore, and the stress of this eye BS, so I'm not worried about it more than a tiny bit. If I go up to 160, then I may try to actively restrict again. But right now, despite all the eye-drama, I am happy.
Have a fabulous day!
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baconslave wrote: »glossbones wrote: »Working home today. Normally I think I'd have eaten a breakfast rather than just operating on coffee til lunch, but no trouble eating on my normal schedule today. I am very curious how I'll do once I add back in more types of foods.
I picked heartily at the plain ground beef in the pan before I made tacos.
So good.
Waiting, not so patiently, for a call from the dr.
Went crazy researching online and put coconut oil in my eyes last night. Didn't let DH catch me. Didn't hurt my torn eyes any more than regular gel drops. My eyes left me alone until 4am last night, at which point I had to start using drops often and grabbing the eyelids out of a dead sleep to keep a rip from happening. But until 4, they were alright. That's something new. Today, they are no longer tender to the touch and the blur is mostly gone. Yeah they are dry as all hell still. But they were in seriously bad condition after the night before last. I was crying all day from the pain. So desperation panned out. I'll be doing that again tonight.
I'm probably eating too many nuts, but I'm not binging periodically like crazy like I was before this challenge.
I wanted to try 16:8 IF again. And with my coffee (half&half and CO with stevia) I'm making it till noon and after without fuss or killing people.
I had a very delicious taco/greens/mushrooms/salsa/sour-cream/cheddar bowl last night. I savored every bite. Keeping in mind I am the last to sit at the table usually because I'm serving everyone, I used to be one of the first to leave. Now I'm still zenning out on my food after everyone else has left the table. LOL! I still lick the fat at the bottom of the plate.
I think this has helped me with the binging. I'm up to 158lb now. But my clothes aren't fitting any tigher. My stomach is looking flatter and my thighs more trim. I know I'm retaining water due to DOMS, and not being in ketosis anymore, and the stress of this eye BS, so I'm not worried about it more than a tiny bit. If I go up to 160, then I may try to actively restrict again. But right now, despite all the eye-drama, I am happy.
Have a fabulous day!
That all sounds like pretty good news! I am not sure if I could put CO in my eyes, but then it generally stays solid all year here, so that's part of my "WHA?" reaction to that.
Dave Asprey said somethign on his podcast last week about not being able to stay in Ketosis or his eyes get dry and itchy. Obviously if you're not in ketosis at the moment, though, that's not wholly relevant but it made me think of you.0 -
glossbones wrote: »baconslave wrote: »glossbones wrote: »Working home today. Normally I think I'd have eaten a breakfast rather than just operating on coffee til lunch, but no trouble eating on my normal schedule today. I am very curious how I'll do once I add back in more types of foods.
I picked heartily at the plain ground beef in the pan before I made tacos.
So good.
Waiting, not so patiently, for a call from the dr.
Went crazy researching online and put coconut oil in my eyes last night. Didn't let DH catch me. Didn't hurt my torn eyes any more than regular gel drops. My eyes left me alone until 4am last night, at which point I had to start using drops often and grabbing the eyelids out of a dead sleep to keep a rip from happening. But until 4, they were alright. That's something new. Today, they are no longer tender to the touch and the blur is mostly gone. Yeah they are dry as all hell still. But they were in seriously bad condition after the night before last. I was crying all day from the pain. So desperation panned out. I'll be doing that again tonight.
I'm probably eating too many nuts, but I'm not binging periodically like crazy like I was before this challenge.
I wanted to try 16:8 IF again. And with my coffee (half&half and CO with stevia) I'm making it till noon and after without fuss or killing people.
I had a very delicious taco/greens/mushrooms/salsa/sour-cream/cheddar bowl last night. I savored every bite. Keeping in mind I am the last to sit at the table usually because I'm serving everyone, I used to be one of the first to leave. Now I'm still zenning out on my food after everyone else has left the table. LOL! I still lick the fat at the bottom of the plate.
I think this has helped me with the binging. I'm up to 158lb now. But my clothes aren't fitting any tigher. My stomach is looking flatter and my thighs more trim. I know I'm retaining water due to DOMS, and not being in ketosis anymore, and the stress of this eye BS, so I'm not worried about it more than a tiny bit. If I go up to 160, then I may try to actively restrict again. But right now, despite all the eye-drama, I am happy.
Have a fabulous day!
That all sounds like pretty good news! I am not sure if I could put CO in my eyes, but then it generally stays solid all year here, so that's part of my "WHA?" reaction to that.
Dave Asprey said somethign on his podcast last week about not being able to stay in Ketosis or his eyes get dry and itchy. Obviously if you're not in ketosis at the moment, though, that's not wholly relevant but it made me think of you.
I put bit of the solid on the tip of my pinky. That's enough for both eyes. It immediately starts melting and when I touch my pinky to my eye, (I just run it between my almost closed upper and lower lid-at this point, I've put so much stuff in my eyes, if it's gonna help I don't give a single fig that I'm sticking more stuff in my eye) it completely melts to oil in less than a sec. I figured it couldn't hurt as it has antibacterial/antifungal properties. It isn't any more nefarious than the long-name whatever that's in the night-gel that doesn't work well. Of course I wash my hands well first.0 -
I'm reminded of when the budgerigar I had in college got an eye infection and I had to put a gel in his eyes every night. OMG I miss that little bird. What a trooper. Seriously, what bird wants to let someone rub their eyes with a q-tip??
Man, now I'm sad. Thanks a LOT, baconslave!
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@baconslave - Man you've been in agony with this eye situation. I feel for you. I hate to say it, but are you sure you found the best ophthalmologist in your area? I struggled with a dry eye situation for just a week, (felt like glass was in there) finally after two 'doctors' and two other 'scriptions. I went to a third guy at Mass Eye and Ear and they gave me some goop that cleared it right up overnight. Which makes me wonder why the other two didn't prescribe me the same thing. My eye deal wasn't quite as bad as yours and I was a complete mess. I'm not the kind to wait for a call from the doctor. I called them and said I was coming down. She said they didn't have any openings, I told her I was coming anyway, that this was an emergency. Walked into the office and made a complete scene. I'm now known as the crazy lady, but they saw me. They paid me back by not submitting it through insurance, so I had to have another scene. LOL.
Other than when I'm really sick or in physical pain - I'm mostly normal.
I hope you find someone to help you!
March 23
BW: LCHF 189 (5.1.2015)
SW: 147 (March 1st)
CW: 147. And Holding....
GW: for March 142
Exercise - No
Sleep - OK. More cough syrup.
Calories - Great
Carbs - Great.
Feeling a little better with the cold.. At the coughing phase now. Lost my voice, I sound lovely.0 -
glossbones wrote: »I'm reminded of when the budgerigar I had in college got an eye infection and I had to put a gel in his eyes every night. OMG I miss that little bird. What a trooper. Seriously, what bird wants to let someone rub their eyes with a q-tip??
Man, now I'm sad. Thanks a LOT, baconslave!
I never intended to remind you of something sad.
Sorry.
slimzandra wrote: »@baconslave - Man you've been in agony with this eye situation. I feel for you. I hate to say it, but are you sure you found the best ophthalmologist in your area? I struggled with a dry eye situation for just a week, (felt like glass was in there) finally after two 'doctors' and two other 'scriptions. I went to a third guy at Mass Eye and Ear and they gave me some goop that cleared it right up overnight. Which makes me wonder why the other two didn't prescribe me the same thing. My eye deal wasn't quite as bad as yours and I was a complete mess. I'm not the kind to wait for a call from the doctor. I called them and said I was coming down. She said they didn't have any openings, I told her I was coming anyway, that this was an emergency. Walked into the office and made a complete scene. I'm now known as the crazy lady, but they saw me. They paid me back by not submitting it through insurance, so I had to have another scene. LOL. Other than when I'm really sick or in physical pain - I'm mostly normal.
I hope you find someone to help you!
Yeah it's hell. My opthamologist did what she could at the time. Put in punctal plugs and prescribed Restasis. All there was to do was wait after that point for the med to work. It can take a month minimum. I'd been using ointments multiple times a night and was still getting the rips. They just don't work. I make watery tears for crying and when my eye is injured, but not though the rest of my day/night and not the lasting ones that keep the eyes lubricated. The prescrip still isn't working either.
So I got the bloodwork call yesterday afternoon. The nurse cheerfully told me nothing showed up on the bloodwork. Which wasn't good news, but I didn't shoot the messenger. After having a 30 min breakdown, I talked to DH, and I'm getting a copy of my bloodwork. And I'll think on what to do next. Whether that means going to a specialist, or demanding the opthamologist look more closely. It's got to involve the Meibomian Glands (the ones that produce the oil to make the tears moisturizing and lubricating) or something. I narrowly managed to not dive into the chocolate chips in the pantry and eat them all, but I did eat a lot of popcorn with DH. I just ate a lot period. I wasn't being mindful. I was letting my frustration control me. In the future I'll do better. I also need to go brush my teeth after supper so I'll stop being snacky.
I used the CO again and until 4am, I was good. After that I reapplied it, but that's apparently mummy hour, so it was slightly rough after but I was able to go back to sleep. But I had to wake to apply drops once. That's also when I get the ignoramus hot-flash.
Anyway, I won't be bothering you all with my unending eye BS any more.
There's nothing to say. I'll likely have to live with it. But I do wish the doc would have taken me seriously about the Sjogren's...
regardless...
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baconslave wrote: »
I never intended to remind you of something sad.
Sorry.
Oh, I was teasing! Sorry about that. Didn't mean to make you feel bad.
You'd think a nurse would know we kinda want our blood tests and lab work to come back with SOME sort of explanation. Not "There's nothing wrong, isn't that great? You're totally fine!" when you're totally not.0 -
March 24 - Thursday!
So excited. I think a lot of folks will be out of the office tomorrow for the holidays.
Which means. - I can get some work done! Hoot. I cranked this morning. Now, I feel done.
There should be a rule that if you do the amount of work that you are getting paid to do, you should be able to leave after that. I guess it balances all the slow days when I hang out here.
Lunch today was smoked polish kielbasa (the real polish Easter ring from a good butcher) and Brussels sprouts. What a delightful change.
Looks like I got voted to cook Easter brunch for the family. I don't mind doing the cooking.
We were going to go out, but were too late booking and the restaurants I'd go to are asking $25+/pp for price fixe brunches. My elderly group is the $9.99/4 o'clock special crowd.
BW: LCHF 189 (5.1.2015)
SW: 147 (March 1st)
CW: 146
GW: for March 142
Exercise - No
Sleep - Meh... More cough syrup. The cold that won't go away.
Calories - Great
Carbs - Great.
For Sunday
Bacon and Balsamic Deviled Eggs
12 hard-cooked eggs
5 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2½ tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out all the yolks. Put yolks in separate bowl and mash. Add bacon, mayonnaise, onion, mustard, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Spoon the mixture in the egg halves evenly.
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Good Friday!!
BW: LCHF 189 (5.1.2015)
SW: 147 (March 1st)
CW: 145.5
GW: for March 142
Exercise - No
Sleep - Still coughing.
Calories - Great
Carbs - Great.
Plan dinner for Sunday. Shopping trip tomorrow.
Just.
Need.
To.
Finish.
Work.
Today. ....
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glossbones wrote: »baconslave wrote: »
I never intended to remind you of something sad.
Sorry.
Oh, I was teasing! Sorry about that. Didn't mean to make you feel bad.
You'd think a nurse would know we kinda want our blood tests and lab work to come back with SOME sort of explanation. Not "There's nothing wrong, isn't that great? You're totally fine!" when you're totally not.
Is fine. I've have been a little too much on the dark side lately.
Urgh! Still mad. About the bloodwork. I'm going to run by today and get a copy of the tests so I can get good and angry when I find out they didn't do all the tests I wanted.
In other news, I'm up to 160 now. So the fun of not tracking will be put on hold. I can't remember how long I went higher carb to humor DH and his "glucose and tears" theory, but as there has been no improvement...forget that. I'll be tracking carbs again and keeping them under 50g net. I did measurements, so I know I've gained weight. Up and not in good places.
And HOLY HOT FLASHES last night! WTH?
Anyway,
Ran across a mindful eating technique in the vein of slowing things down, "Eat with your non-dominant hand." Tried that last night. It was interesting.0 -
slimzandra wrote: »Good Friday!!
BW: LCHF 189 (5.1.2015)
SW: 147 (March 1st)
CW: 145.5
GW: for March 142
Exercise - No
Sleep - Still coughing.
Calories - Great
Carbs - Great.
Plan dinner for Sunday. Shopping trip tomorrow.
Just.
Need.
To.
Finish.
Work.
Today. ....
Good luck! I hope it's an easy day.0 -
Had a work Easter Egg Hunt/Party yesterday. I had planned to only have 3 pieces of candy, which turned into at least 7 because I didn't really plan well....I thought if I didn't bring "extra" snacks then I wouldn't eat the candy AND my snacks and blow my calorie count up, but what it did was open the door while/when I felt hungry to eat another piece or two, which then became "I'll just grab one more when I pass by the bowl of candy in the lobby." Despite my disappointment in myself, I'm not going to dwell on it.
I've continued to eat at the dining room table, which I feel has made a positive impact on me in a few different ways. I have not drank any soda all week and have been pushing my water. That feels really good too! I was wanting to do more running, but it didn't really pan out like I had planned. I'm going to do a running plan for April with another 30 day challenge. Excited to see that pay off and get me ready for my 10K in June!0 -
Traveling + packed schedule + being new to maintenance + emotionally draining trip has been challenging. Doing the best I can but may need a reset when we get back.0
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I cannot tell you guys how much "Not my circus, not my monkeys" helped my well-being (and blood pressure) while visiting family.0
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Happy Dyngus Day! (Can't wait for Tuesday)
BW: LCHF 189 (5.1.2015)
SW: 147 (March 1st)
CW: 147
GW: for March 142
Exercise - No
Sleep - OK
Calories - Arg
Carbs - Double Arg
On the upside I was mindful of everything I ate and made for dinner. On the down side, I did
indulge in dessert (but not alcohol) Also, although it wasn't a complete blow out, it wasn't exactly a diet weekend. Bounced back up again. 2 up, 2 down. This really has been more of a Mental March and really getting my head back in the game, than anything else. Family can be rough on the nerves. I have elderly relatives who can really try your patience. I did my good deed for the month. I'd love to close out the month with a down number. Last push this week!0 -
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I am mindfully still eating my ground beef. I mindfully still love my ground beef. And I mindfully can't $(*@%ing wait to add some eggs to my ground beef.
That's my big update. Whoo!0 -
Well, another trip out to the dumpster with my food contraband. Maintenence is so hard for me....and it's back to the Keto drawing board. Again. I am hoping that with each advance and retreat I am learning something or some new skills that may eventually help me be able to do maintenence.
I am so grateful to be at a place of weight loss that I can gain a few pounds and not have it mess with my self image..i really am that close to a good goal weight and trust that keto will bring me back down after a disappointing maintenence trial period. I am so grateful that I am learning to set limits to my trial periods and get back to keto before I need to go up a clothing size. I am so grateful to have the faith in myself to keep trying and trying even after so many failures because I believe I will figure it out someday. It is nice to find that I do believe in myself.
One thing I find as I transition into maintenence is that it is coinciding with risk taking in my life...or dare I actually say- living my life. I took a risk at work, asking to be trained to do something that I really want to do, and that is now going to happen..I was so afraid to ask, but Wow!
Well. Day off, resting on my laurels, painting some landscapes, sewing, living the dream. Have a great day, pals!0 -
glossbones wrote: »I am mindfully still eating my ground beef. I mindfully still love my ground beef. And I mindfully can't $(*@%ing wait to add some eggs to my ground beef.
That's my big update. Whoo!
No one can blame you there.
I'm convinced I need to do a 2-week all-meat challenge and then add things back like you listed in the ground beef thread. The veggie pusher however would never let that happen.Well, another trip out to the dumpster with my food contraband. Maintenence is so hard for me....and it's back to the Keto drawing board. Again. I am hoping that with each advance and retreat I am learning something or some new skills that may eventually help me be able to do maintenence.
I am so grateful to be at a place of weight loss that I can gain a few pounds and not have it mess with my self image..i really am that close to a good goal weight and trust that keto will bring me back down after a disappointing maintenence trial period. I am so grateful that I am learning to set limits to my trial periods and get back to keto before I need to go up a clothing size. I am so grateful to have the faith in myself to keep trying and trying even after so many failures because I believe I will figure it out someday. It is nice to find that I do believe in myself.
One thing I find as I transition into maintenence is that it is coinciding with risk taking in my life...or dare I actually say- living my life. I took a risk at work, asking to be trained to do something that I really want to do, and that is now going to happen..I was so afraid to ask, but Wow!
Well. Day off, resting on my laurels, painting some landscapes, sewing, living the dream. Have a great day, pals!
IMO maintenance is as hard as losing. You have to figure out how much you can push things before you go too far. I went too far, now I'm having to claw my way back. It's hard. I've learned all kinds of things though. Each one is getting me closer to achieving a place where I can maintain in cruise mode.
I'm trying to continue to mindfully eat. I notice I was munching way too much after supper. Jess, there's a difference between satiety and being too full to eat anymore, dear. Learn that, mmmmkaay? So I've been doing IF with a firm cut-off after supper. I'm making it to noon on only my cuppa with h&h and CO, though I'd like to try to work my way to black with stevia over time to make it an honest fasting window. Me and my hangries require baby steps. But for me to make it just on the cuppa as it is right now without becoming Super-Beeotch, is progress indeed.
I'm still not tracking cals and I don't want to. But I need to get these 9lb off. I know I'm retaining water from my strength training and lack of sleep. I've been at under 50g since Friday, but the water weight isn't going yet. Makes me she-Hulk-angry, but I'll deal. It's just not as easy unless I'm sub 20. Which I need to do. I can't seem to manage it. I like my dumb ol' low-carb tortilla with which I make yummy wraps and toast to make sammies with. But it's 16g with 9g fiber. I'm going to not eat those for a few days. I've made lower-carb wraps before but they are gummy and so calorie dense...
Anyway, I've been without any supplements or vites since Saturday. No improvement. I've increased the frequency of CO in my eyes and it seems to keep them just lubricated enough to allow me to only get up 3 times instead of 7. I HAVE TO SLEEP. Next week, should the supplement elim not bear fruit (I know it won't-but DH needs convinced) I'll be going back to the eye dr to discuss my expensive, out-of-pocket options.
If I have an idea, it's WOO. He has an idea, and it's golden, inspired, and scientific...
Anywho...
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@elize7. Great post. Congratulations on making the transition to maintenance! So inspiring what you wrote. Power on!
March 29th
Still working towards my goals! One day at a time. Making the next 24 hours count.
BW: LCHF 189 (5.1.2015)
SW: 147 (March 1st)
CW: 147 - here again.
GW: for March 142
Exercise - No
Sleep - Good.
Calories - Good
Carbs - Good.
Coming into a good day. Meals planned, exercise scheduled. Plugging away.0 -
The Easter bunny brought some stuff into the house that (I) she shouldn't have. Reese's peanut butter eggs. Dear God. Well, I made the conscious decision to eat some and "get it out of my system". Now they're gone. Yesterday I started the All Animal April challenge, a little early. I think it will go well, as far as eating, anyway. Who know what that rotten old scale will say. I have some veg at home which my DH will gladly take care of. Planned my meals for the week. Salmon with a wad of butter, tonite. Yeah!0
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@ChoiceNotChance - I'm starting the ground beef thang from now (starting today) until at least April 15. Are you on a thread for All Animal April? If so, would you post it?
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