I need to be more mindful...

DesertDiva85379 · July 6

I need to be more mindful to get off my butt and exercise. I feel I've got the whole eating better thing okay. I'll also try to be even more mindful and eat even healthier. I need to cut down on the Coke. I guess I can have it for breakfast, because that's when I really need it. I need the caffeine and sugar and the bubbly. I need to eat more vegetables and fruits for sugar. I need to eat more lean protein like chicken and salmon. I need to drink more water. I won't put myself down for not drinking 100 ounces (3 liters). I will do my best and reach for that goal. That's 6.25 bottles of water, pure clean water. No adding Crystal Light. I'll probably feel better, my skin will look amazing, and I'll get all the toxins out of my body. Better kidney function, increased energy, and better digestion.

But as I had written previously, I do need to constantly move and workout. I need to clean house to move, Turbo Jam, go swimming. I don't want to waste this summer like I did last year. But I think the Turbo Jam will help. Got to get into a groove.

springlering62 · July 6

welcome to MFP @DesertDiva85379

that’s an exhausting list of Need To’s. I think I burned a few calories just reading it!

You indicate you have the eating part right, but then back track with a long list of need to dos.

Instead of focusing on everything all at once, and swimming in SOS circles, maybe choose one or two to conquer before moving on the the next?

I’d start with the move prep. I’ve packed, moved, and unpacked various people four times in the past four years. If you think it’s not “exercise”, you’re crazy. I often get 20,000 steps when doing it, and I’ll never forget the 172 flights climbed one day in a particularly hurried move from a no-elevator apartment that was seven flights up.

Once that monkey is off your back, you may find you have the time, energy and incentive to move on to other exercise. It doesn’t have to be fancy, involve equipment or instructors, or be in a gym I got started on my way to a large loss by just walking

And as an aside, I, too, had myself convinced that I “needed” a sugary, caffeine-y Coke to jumpstart my day. Turns out I didn’t. What I needed (and your needs will differ) was a nutritious and (in my case) protein laden breakfast to accomplish the same thing- and to give me longer lasting energy. Giving up Coke (and then giving up Diet Coke) was one of the best things I did for myself. And I say that as a very loyal someone whom Coke has provided a darn good living to, secondhand.

Ditto for the mid morning, late morning, mid day, mid afternoon, late afternoon, drive time, and after dinner sugar boost I thought I “needed”. Turns out there is life after Coke and candy. Who knew?

Ice water can be delicious and refreshing, and you may eventually find yourself craving it.

Anyway, for me, there’s still a lot of Need To, however, what steps I’ve made are better than I was before. 👍🏻

springlering62 · July 6

PS 100 ounces is quite a goal. That’s over 3/4 of a gallon.

I do a ton of hot sweaty workouts and constantly crave water. I always have a big ole insulated Bubba cup of ice water at hand. I don’t think I even come close to 100 ounces and I’m sucking the stuff down all day.

You do you, but if I had to think about downing that much water in a day, if would darn well put me off of it, and make it sound like the chore you do, too!

DesertDiva85379 · July 6

The only reason I mentioned 100 ounces because it's recommended to drink half your weight in water in ounces. I'm at 200 pounds, I Googled it and that was the information that came up. I know I need to ease into it, which I plan to do. I know I need to ease into this instead of starting off doing everything all at once. I realize if I did that I would burn out fast. So baby steps. Consistency is key.

springlering62 · July 6

Yay, you! You’re already thinking about this stuff, and questioning what you’re reading.

The basic rule of thumb is, if your urine is pale gold or straw colored you’re adequately hydrated. Dark gold urine indicates you are dehydrated, and clear indicates potential over hydration (believe it or not, excessive hydration can be as bad as not enough!)

I started at 225 myself. If you stick with this, question everything you read, ask for help, and take those slow steps, you’ll do well. Weigh accurately and log honestly.

It’s the folks that try to bulldog their way through fast loss that are here today, gone tomorrow. I initially started with a 2 pound per week goal, since my weight was fairly high. I knocked that down to a pound a week after a few months, and while I’ve been in maintenance several years, if I find myself drifting more than 5 over where I’d like to be, I’ll shoot for half a pound or less per week to get back down. It’s much slower and grinding when your closer to goal.

My similar Need To list was super helpful for me. Just weighing and logging made me sit to straight and think about what I was putting in my gullet, and improvements followed after that, once I had committed to a daily goal.

Nowadays,it’s like Tetris. I’ve been craving bbq brisket for several weeks but couldn’t find any in the grocery. Finally found a 3 pound slice but good grief! It’s much higher calories than the leaner cuts of beef pork and chicken I usually eat. So I’ve tetrised the meal plan today and have shed an afternoon snack so I can have a reasonably sized piece of brisket.

You’ll have to develop that skill of planning and shifting, but it comes with practice.

I sincerely wish you much success, and hope we’ll see you participating here in the boards! 😘

csplatt · July 6

Try planning your day early each morning! I like to decide ahead of time what all my meals and snacks will be and go ahead and log them into MFP while I drink my coffee. That way nothing is impulsive. You can also decide during breakfast whether exercise is realistic for that day, what you will do, and when. There’s something about putting it on paper ahead of time that helps.

springlering62 · July 7

that BBQ brisket ended up beigg be a massive waste of calories. Even though I marinated it for over a day, and slow smoked it, it was fragrant, perfect “crust” and promised to delicious at first bite, but too tough to chew.

Cie la vie.

That happens, too.

At least the dog is freaking overjoyed. 👍🏻

PAV8888 · July 9

Building a new world that encourages you to be the new weight you want to be is not only fun, it is probably also needful in order to both get there and stay there.

Stretching a bit and experimenting and trying new things is an adventure, keeps you focused and occupied, allows you to build a toolbox and embed new behaviors and habits and all the goody goodies we all envision when we sit on one side of the spectrum and want to move to the other! :-)

But one other, major one, is to be a bit methodical, choosy, think things through, choose things that make sense long term, try ideas but question their necessity and balance it all against desirability, fit into your current or morphing to new life setup, and most of all be ready to make things easier at each point as oppose to always try to make them harder.

Keep an open mind. But also keep a critical mind and, not only verify the information you find, but also try to figure out where it might be coming from and what the underpinnings and assumptions of various recommendations you run into may be.

Sort of like when you read some prescription medicine fact sheets there may be one for the patients, one for the doctors and health professionals, maybe an additional for pharmacists, one for the drug company's sales reps or marketing teams, a public health info sheet, or extra fact sheets for law enforcement or addiction professionals… they may all cover the same things more or less.

But a simple sentence about dosage in the consumer sheet may be hiding several assumptions that are much more nuanced and granular in the other ones.

Jump into things for sure… but take a breath from time to time to try to enjoy the trip.

Actually getting a grip on the Calories in and then managing to create a stable, substantial, but not excessive deficit in a consistent and long term sustainable manner is not just 50% or 60% or even 70% of the battle. It IS the battle. Everything else can be folded into both encouraging you and helping you achieve that balanced grip both for now and for the longer term!

Looking forward to your success in this!

iamjoyce1 · July 11

Thank you for this post and everyone who responded. It gives some great ideas and provides ways to thing about and utilize new ideas in my weight loss journey

jenna_artis · August 5

I suggest replacing the morning coke with a bottle of sparkling water and some Mio energy. It’s almost like a coke or a juice and you can get caffeine from there without the added sugar and carbs.

springlering62 · August 6

I’ve been adding three or four fresh, sliced cherries to sparkling water.

Or, a couple of maraschino, a spoonful of the juice from the jars and a squirt of lime juice.

I may try a slice of apple for a lark.

lazenbyd50788 · August 9

WATER GOALS: Learning to drink water was a challenge that has become an increasing success (1) by infrequently adding a taste of lemon or lime. Also, (2) keeping a fresh supply of cold water in bottles in the refrigerator. (3) I can drink water faster from a bottle than from a glass. (4) Setting a goal to drink a bottle at designated intervals i.e. one every 2 hours. (5) Positive thoughts toward water consumption i.e. tomorrow I might drop half a pound because I met today’s goal!

Now to choose another goal like cutting back on carbs! I climb a mountain one step at a time.

daydrem_dw · August 18

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48719464#Comment_48719464

Sometimes, ice cold water is the best thing and just what I need. More times than not, though, I find I drink more water during the day if I choose hot water (not tea hot, but warmer than room temp). Don't now why it works for me, but it does. Tossing it out in case others are looking for a new trick to try.

I need to be more mindful...

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