Being accountable to myself

March 14 - 11.12.6

So, new to this ap, not understanding how to find people to add as friends, so going to start my own journal posting.

I have been tracking food against feelings/ situations the last month or so. Have always been a comfort eater but have identified I cope ok with most stresses unless I’m also tired, then I cave. So have been making sure I get a good 8 hours sleep. But bad night last night, woke up middle of the night so only 6.45 hours sleep, got a busy and stressful day at work, working from home so access to Hubbies biscuit stash.
Decided if I feel tempted that I am going to have a short break, jog for 5 minutes instead (around the house if it’s raining) fingers crossed I can keep myself away from the biccies!
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Replies

  • StaciInGa
    StaciInGa Posts: 60 Member
    Sounds like you have identified your habits and are working out the solutions. Good job!
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 15 - 11.12.6
    Mar 14 - 11.12.6

    Successful day yesterday, despite being tired and stressed I didn’t succumb to the biscuit cupboard 🎉🎉
    Finished the initial 7 day plan learning how to use MFP. Started 28 day plan on macro nutrients. Calories are usually within budget for the week, tend to have a couple of slightly low days and a couple of slightly high days, latter when I’m playing golf so I’m content that is ok. Mix tends to be low on fat and over on carbohydrates. Reflects being nervous of eating fat. Have spent years avoiding using even the littlest bit of fat in cooking, I am edging it up but would be good to understand more.
    Long day again today but feeling good, decent nights sleep and plenty of energy 👍🤪
  • Carollee24
    Carollee24 Posts: 12 Member
    Hi, well I had a heart attack 3 weeks ago and now I am learning about heart healthy eating and activity. I enjoyed your post MazLB. I see you had health issues to with the type 2 diabetes. I have that also so I was very interestedd to see you are coming off the meds. It appears that healthy eating and activity definitely can be an answer to so many health issues. Fortunately for me I had only a mild heart attack and my new Cardiologist said he thinks we can manage my health with diet, activity and medication. So far so good, but the eating is getting harder. I try to always count my calories and I am charting so maybe this will end on a positive note for me instead of another heart attack. I extended my walk a few blocks today and it was harder than I expected. I start Cardio rehab next week and that makes me nervous. I will see how it goes. I sure could use some moral support! Have a great week friends. Hope all your dreams come true.
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Hi Carollee - sorry to hear you have had a heart attack, and good luck with recovery.
    I do also have lots of charts that I keep on excel. I find it helps my motivation to have a visual record of progress.
    I’m not diabetic though? Under active thyroid and pernicious anaemia are my issues.
    Good luck 👍
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
    Nice work resisting the biscuit tin; you successfully identified the problem, anticipated it coming, came up with a strategy for dealing with it and saw it through. Well done!
    Wishing you every success of your journey forwards, it sounds like you’ve a great attitude.
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 16 - 11.12
    Mar 15 - 11.12.6
    Mar 14 - 11.12.6

    A good day yesterday all round so had no problems sticking to it and feeling good today, plenty of energy and not tired
    Day with the granddaughter today, 2 1/2 so my step count will be up! The challenge is being at my daughters house. She has one of those really wide and deep drawers that most people keep the pots and pans in. It’s the family treat drawer. They are all really good at having a little treat and leaving the rest. I don’t know how they do it! So lots of open packets of different types of sweets, biscuits, crisps, nuts and crackers etc. last couple of weeks I have been not too bad and only succumbed to a couple of sweets. Today I am challenging myself to not even open it!
  • katyjay2014
    katyjay2014 Posts: 54 Member
    I love how you've found a way to counteract your own triggers. Mine is similar: when I get home from a 12 hr shift I'm tired, cranky and snackish. And I have a hard time saying no! I suspect the drop in cortisol doesn't help. I'm not going for a walk at 830pm, does anyone have a suggestion for me?
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Hi Katyjay - only thing I can think of is having something snackish but healthy ready for when you get in? Take the edge of till you have a proper meal? 😊
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 17 - 11.11.8
    Mar 16 - 11.12
    Mar 15 - 11.12.6

    Yesterday was not a good day, sister in law who was in hospital and had been on the mend took a turn for the worse and is now very very very poorly. Covid on top of infection following surgery, pneumonia, diabetes. Cannot visit as shut due to Covid. Brother with me. Puts any other problems into perspective.

    Didn’t get to my daughters, didn’t get time for lunch, had to rejig meal plans for almost entire day. From an eating perspective coped ok.

    Keeping to the plan and feeling ok physically just tired drained and sad.
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 18 - 11.11
    Mar 17 - 11.11.8
    Mar 16 - 11.12
    Mar 15 - 11.12.6

    It’s quite nice seeing progress listed like that.
    Idea stolen from someone else’s feed.
    Bad day yesterday, called into hospital in the morning and Sister in law died in the evening. Brother totally shell shocked
    Had to rejig food plan which started badly when I thought the only place we could get anything in the hospital was a Costa which had absolutely nothing I would want to eat even if I wasn’t trying to lose weight. So I had water and the worst cup of tea I have ever tasted in my life and my brother a toasted bacon roll which consisted of a dry roll and one tiny thin rasher of bacon and a coffee. Cost an arm and a leg. Then on way back to ward found the canteen and was able to get chicken in a mushroom sauce with a pile of Carrots. Was very tasty, apple for pud to give me some carbs and a decent cup of tea. Worked perfectly on the food plan and a fraction of the price. Cannot understand why anyone would go in the Costa 🤷‍♀️
    Hospital is huge so got lots of steps in. Was shattered by end of day.
    Unsurprisingly not a particularly good nights sleep. Going to have to catch up on work this weekend as will need to spend some time with Bro come Monday helping sort things out. So no golf and expecting diddly squat on step count.
    Feeling relatively ok, but tired, bit worried about the Bro but overall not too bad in circumstances
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 19 - 11.11.2
    Mar 18 - 11.11
    Mar 17 - 11.11.8
    Mar 16 - 11.12
    Mar 15 - 11.12.6

    Very minor bump up this morning, feeling a little deflated, then I have just written the above list and realise that is daft with all the !#!!##*** I have had to deal with this week I have stayed eating healthy, balancing macros well, in my calorie budget and in 5 days lost 1.4 pounds which is flipping great! 🎉🎉
    Lost track of what day of the week it is and needing to cram in some work to catch up on last week, get in front for the time I will lose this week. All a bit stressful but pales into insignificance when compared to what little bro is going through.
    Been thinking a bit about sister in law and how important it is to do everything you can do. to stay as healthy as you can be. It’s not always easy, and it is much harder for some than others, but if you want to make old bones you have to stick to it.
    Also so important to put out a helping hand if you see someone on this journey
    struggling. I find for me it’s quite easy if my head is in the right place. If my head is not in the right place I won’t stick to it and will eat large quantities of total garbage.
    I imagine it is the same for a lot of people. There is a chance that giving somebody a bit of support and encouragement you may help either keep their mind in the right place or get their mind in the right place. Down the
    line that just might make the difference between them coming home from hospital or not. 😢😢
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Monday Mar 20 - 11.10
    Monday Mar 13 - 11.12.4

    Happy with this week. Lost 2.4 lb 🎉🎉 stayed within calorie budget and macro within 1% of target. Fats dead on, carbs +1 and protein -1. Given that I’m new to the idea of macros I think that’s pretty good! (Gives self Pat on back)
    Day went ok yesterday, took Bro back to his flat and sorted out who needs to be contacted and split responsibility between us. (Legal stuff like bills) Very hard for my Bro to be there
    without her, but worry about him. Not for the immediate future, all the stuff that needs doing, people calling in etc will keep him busy. It’s after the funeral when it’s all done and there is nothing to fill the void. Sad times
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    edited March 2023
    Mar 21 - 11.10
    Mar 22 - 11.10

    Same weight but body fat % down, hydration up and muscle mass up. Very happy with that.

    In the office today so steps will be up a bit.

    Planned todays meals last night so had enough time to fiddle around to get macros right. I have a tendency to be a bit ocd and love playing with numbers so finding this fun at the moment (yes i know i’m weird, who wants to be normal anyway 🤷‍♀️) All i’ve got to do now is stick to it!
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 21 - 11.10
    Mar 22 - 11.10
    Mar 23 - 11.10.6

    So slight blip up in weight today, but again body fat percentage down, hydration up, and muscle mass up .6 of a pound so little dissapointing but all good 😊
    Full day board meeting to day so will be tired tonight.
    Plan today was looking at fats. I am happily working on getting my macros almost spot on by %, at very most 1 or 2 percent out. Usually under on fat and added to protein and carb, most often protein.
    Not 100% sure I am working on the right split - going 55% carb, 20% fat, 25% protein. Diet was much heavier on carbs and much much lower on fat, so it has taken some adjusting and i am reasonably comfortable at getting to this now. However should i tweak it again to drop the carb and increase the fat?
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 20 - 11.10
    Mar 21 - 11.10
    Mar 22 - 11.10.6
    Mar 23 - 11.11.6

    And so the blip continues ☹️ I am staying within my calorie allowance but my steps are up a bit for me. Body fat percentage lower than hydration level for the first time in months. Muscle mass up a pound on yesterday. I’m pretty sure that if I don’t let the blip lead me astray it will be reflected in the basic LB on the scales in the next couple of days
    Day with granddaughter today so need to stay away from her treat drawer 🤪
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 20 - 11.10
    Mar 21 - 11.10
    Mar 22 - 11.10.6
    Mar 23 - 11.11.6
    Mar 24 - 11.9.8

    Amazing how the body tweaks itself. Blip on scales gone, but fat % reverted to just above hydration and muscle mass dropped. All good, trend on fat and hydration both in right direction and my muscle mass is maintaining if not teensy increase from before I started losing weight.
    Good day yesterday till the evening. Got home late after 4 days away helping my little brother deal with late wife’s death last week, tired and stressed. Empty house as hubby had decided this was a good night to get to pub. Cos he couldn’t possibly have done that the last four nights when he was home Sloane. Couldn’t find keys in bag so stood in rain balancing all the stuff I was carrying from car scratching around in my bag. Adding cross to tired and stressed is really not good for a comfort eater. I succumbed to his biscuit cupboard. 😢
    But I have tracked everything I ate. Just over 500 calories over and mucked up my macro mix. Played with todays meal plan to start pulling the weekly average back on the calories and to get the weekly average on macros back closer to track. Reckon I can get both back on target for the weekly average
    Should explain I do tend to be a little bit ocd and I absolutely love playing with numbers and data. So I find it weirdly fun to play with the numbers 🤷‍♀️
    Strong belief that being normal is grossly overrated 😂😂
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 20 - 11.10
    Mar 21 - 11.10
    Mar 22 - 11.10.6
    Mar 23 - 11.11.6
    Mar 24 - 11.9.8
    Mar 25 - 11.9.6

    Good day yesterday, and with todays and tomorrow’s plan complete my average calories and macros for the week are back on track after I fell off track Thursday 😊👍
    Getting ready to go play golf today, first time in nearly a fortnight, so excited I woke up extra early and couldn’t get back to sleep 🏌️‍♀️⛳️🏌️‍♀️⛳️🏌️‍♀️
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 19 - 11.11.2
    Mar 26 - 11.9.6
    Loss - 1.6

    On a plan to lose 1.5 a week so that’s pretty good.
    Had an excellent day yesterday, always puts me in a good mood when I can get out and play golf.
    Stuck to the plan till the evening and then succumbed to some chocolate. Net calories still way below goal. Wondering whether I should actually be planning to eat at least some of the extra calories when they take me way below goal level? Gonna take a look in community and if I can’t find an answer start a thread
    Out again on the course later today 🤪🏌️‍♀️
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 26 - 11.9.6
    Mar 27 - 11.10.8

    Bit of a disaster yesterday, got back to clubhouse a little late from playing golf, they were closed, so could not pick up my lovely Sunday roast take away. Ended up with an Indian takeaway late and this is reflected today. 😭
    Never mind, today is a new day and a new week. That little blip will disappear in the next day or so 🤷‍♀️😜😊
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 26 - 11.9.6
    Mar 27 - 11.10.8
    Mar 28 - 11.10.8

    Disaster day 2 - long story short work away in week ended up turning round on way there as issue with car, now up mega early to travel in morning having not gone to bed till really late as stressed and already tired. So ate and ate cos not yet worked out how to deal with stressed and tired.
    But scales not up, body fat way down, hydration way up, muscle mass way up. Think it’s probably just a confused body and will probably all revert tomorrow with a weight up and everything else down.
    Need to try and get to bed mega early tonight and stop the rot. Todays a new day and a new start and yesterday is just history 🤞😊
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 26 - 11.9.6
    Mar 27 - 11.10.8
    Mar 28 - 11.10.8
    Mar 29 - 11.11.8
    Mar 30 - 11.10.6

    4 bad days now.

    Okay I have identified that I am rubbish at looking after myself and eating healthy if I am tired plus stressed. This week dealing with a lot of stuff at work on a deadline plus helping little bro register wife’s death, arrange funeral plus several nights with much less sleep than my preferred 8 hours plus = absolutely no will power no meal planning and eating on self destruct.

    The silver lining on this cloud is that, in the last couple of months, I have identified that if I’m not also tired I don’t do this. Step one to change identify the problem. So I have been making sure I get enough sleep. Preventative action.

    But that doesn’t help when I don’t get enough sleep. I have got to find a way to train my brain out of this habit. 🤔🤔🤔

    👍😊
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 31 - 11.10.8

    8.5 hours sleep last night. Feeling a little less stressed. Have the granddaughter for the weekend so that will keep my excersize up!
    Not a good day yesterday. Need to get my head back in the game
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Mar 31 - 11.10.8
    Apr 5 - 11.11.8

    Well that was over a week of not eating to plan. To be honest of not even having a plan.
    But back on it yesterday and plan completed for today. I do enjoy fiddling with my meal plan to get my macro’s right. Odd I know 🤪
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Apr 6 - 11.11.4, down .4

    Didn’t stck to it all day, too tired to make tea. Didn’t go to bed as I was. Tired today with lots to do. Really not helping myself. Need to get my act together and start doing the things that I know will help me stay on track.
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
    You’ve got this! You know what you need to do.
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    April 9 - 11.12

    Up .6 since last post. Happy with that, got the family with me so had a very belated (got Covid in December) full Christmas dinner. Was really good and everyone enjoyed. Turkey dinner was fine but starters, puddings and cheese board that go with was excellent 😜
    Then had two days out with the guys. Lots of steps in, but extra eating too. Did mean two early nights as was totally knackered. 10 hours sleep Friday and 9.15 last night so starting today feeling pretty good!
    Really good fun. They go home today so I will send the extra goodies home with them and get back to it 🤞🤞🤞
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Apr 10 - 11.11.2

    Down .8 since yesterday. Family all gone home so house is very quiet but tidy! 😂😂

    Plan for today complete. Macro’s within 10g of target and within 2% of target. Enjoying fiddling with plan to meet these and it does get easier as you get used to it. But it’s numbers and I looooove playing with numbers 😊

    Out on the golf course this afternoon, should get 18 in. Been reading up on line as to why my drives fade right all the time. Apparently it’s all in the swing. So going to try to tweak that slightly 🤞🤞🤪
  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Apr 11 - 11.9.8

    Down 1.4 on yesterday, the effects of a full 18 holes of golf with eating on plan. Plus it only takes me back to where I was a couple of weeks ago when I fell off plan. Always drops off easier if it’s only just gone on.

    Working day at home today. Usually means I hit my drinking goals (water that is) but very very low on movement. Going to set an hourly alarm and run around the house like some sort of demented chicken for 3 minutes. 🤞it will get me up to half hour exercise on my Apple Watch as well as a semi decent step count.

    Office tomorrow so drive to there tonight ☹️ looking forward to the day I can start working from home almost exclusively! Hopefully in the next few months 🤞

  • MazLB
    MazLB Posts: 55 Member
    Apr 12 - 11.9.4

    Down .4 on yesterday. Slight pleasant surprise. As had big loss yesterday following a lot of exercise was expecting + a little or break even. A result I think of staying on plan and running round the house a few times. 😜🏃‍♀️

    In the office today then out at a clients so steps should be not tooo bad. Planned my meals to within 1% and 10gm of target. Couple of bits of shopping to get but no reason why it should not be on plan again today 🤞😊
  • nitaoriol
    nitaoriol Posts: 17 Member
    I love how you've found a way to counteract your own triggers. Mine is similar: when I get home from a 12 hr shift I'm tired, cranky and snackish. And I have a hard time saying no! I suspect the drop in cortisol doesn't help. I'm not going for a walk at 830pm, does anyone have a suggestion for me?

    I like having fat free plain geek yogurt with fruit. Frozen fruit because it's cheaper. Then i add a sweetener like Monk fruit. So so good.