May 31, 2013
Yikes, another month over...and almost half a year gone. That's a weird feeling.....I'm still doing really well with my new eating program and am feeling so much more self confident and at peace with myself.....just a lot less anxiety and incidents of self loathing....it feels so good to just be on the right track and to feel like I'm moving forward instead of just being stuck in a rut. I'm not feeling deprived or like I've given up anything....
It's weird to have no cravings and to not be tempted by junk... Vons has their to-die-for tiramisu bar cake on their ad for $5 Friday.....creamy, light, sweet and yummy....in the past, I've gotten that on many, many occasions....and it has never lasted more than 2-3 days, I'd eat the whole thing in a couple of days. Now the thought of that just isn't even in my brain....I was definitely out of control with eating too much of food that isn't healthy....for me, it seems easier to "just say no" to sugar....I'm looking at it as something that is an addictive food for me so I just need to eliminate it, much as an alcoholic has to eliminate alcohol. I remember reading a book about a million years ago "Sugar Blues" which put forth the theory that sugar is an addictive substance. And, of course, Overeaters Anonymous believes that sugar and white flour are addictive substances that an obese person must abstain from...I'm not sure I believe that but for me, for now, I want to just have NO SUGAR and see how I do....
So far, so good....a new month starting....love the feeling of a blank calendar and new opportunities ahead...
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
May 30, 2013
Happy Day...Phase Two starts....the yogurt/blueberries/Kashi for breakfast tasted soooo good after all those eggs....My weight was 303 so didn't change since last week....but I'll take a 13 lb loss over the 2 weeks of Phase One....great way to start!! Now I'll start weighing on Mondays....
Funny..I didn't even feel like eating to celebrate....in the past I would have gotten a treat of some kind as a reward...but honestly didn't even want anything junky.....the thought of eating something sweet just isn't appealing right now. So it is true that cravings will go away if I just eliminate the sugar....I think for me it will be better to just have ZERO sugar....it really isn't that hard to do, at least not for now. In my life I pretty much stay at home and am not around a lot of tempting food...I don't entertain and have no one entertaining me!! Well, other than all the cats but the point is that there is no one in my life taking me out to eat all the time and putting tempting food in my house...the only one who sabatoges me is myself....
I went grocery shopping, etc. and was past lunch time when I was finishing. Nothing quick to make for lunch here at home so I drove through Pollo Loco and got their new Mexican Cobb Salad....100% a Phase One meal...chicken, bacon, black beans, cheese, avocado....very yummy. Of course, the packet of ranch dressing I used was 220 calories...bur 210 of those are from fat so that's good for my rearranged intestines....
so, I'm taking a deep breath and settling in for the duration....my next big goal will be to get under 300 which hopefully will be next week...
Happy Day...Phase Two starts....the yogurt/blueberries/Kashi for breakfast tasted soooo good after all those eggs....My weight was 303 so didn't change since last week....but I'll take a 13 lb loss over the 2 weeks of Phase One....great way to start!! Now I'll start weighing on Mondays....
Funny..I didn't even feel like eating to celebrate....in the past I would have gotten a treat of some kind as a reward...but honestly didn't even want anything junky.....the thought of eating something sweet just isn't appealing right now. So it is true that cravings will go away if I just eliminate the sugar....I think for me it will be better to just have ZERO sugar....it really isn't that hard to do, at least not for now. In my life I pretty much stay at home and am not around a lot of tempting food...I don't entertain and have no one entertaining me!! Well, other than all the cats but the point is that there is no one in my life taking me out to eat all the time and putting tempting food in my house...the only one who sabatoges me is myself....
I went grocery shopping, etc. and was past lunch time when I was finishing. Nothing quick to make for lunch here at home so I drove through Pollo Loco and got their new Mexican Cobb Salad....100% a Phase One meal...chicken, bacon, black beans, cheese, avocado....very yummy. Of course, the packet of ranch dressing I used was 220 calories...bur 210 of those are from fat so that's good for my rearranged intestines....
so, I'm taking a deep breath and settling in for the duration....my next big goal will be to get under 300 which hopefully will be next week...
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
May 29, 2013
I just couldn't gag down eggs this morning.....so had some Oscar Mayer roast beef in a lettuce wrap...was OK.....now tomorrow, I'm sure I'll be over the moon with delight at having yogurt and blueberries!!!
I slept in my recliner last night, which made my neck hurt a bit but seemed to breathe better....and today am a bit less congested but not feeling that hot. So, kind of a quiet day....I've stayed "ON"....and that's a good thing!!
I feel much more confident having stuck to this for two entire weeks. I only ate things that aren't on the Phase One list 3 times....once, when I ate out at a Chinese restaurant the day after I had started and I ate the Mu Shu pancake and about 1/3 cup of the brown rice that came with it....then I put some fresh corn in the salsa chicken I made in the crockpot. The corn didn't seem to trigger any sugar cravings but I know I will have to only have that occasionally this summer which will be a little hard....I love corn on the cob and usually buy it and make it every week when it's in season...so now it will be an occasional treat.
Last night, I had some sugar free popsicles, they were really good and a great treat at only 20 calories each....a nice change from the sugar free jello I've been eating....so, on to Phase Two tomorrow.....
I just couldn't gag down eggs this morning.....so had some Oscar Mayer roast beef in a lettuce wrap...was OK.....now tomorrow, I'm sure I'll be over the moon with delight at having yogurt and blueberries!!!
I slept in my recliner last night, which made my neck hurt a bit but seemed to breathe better....and today am a bit less congested but not feeling that hot. So, kind of a quiet day....I've stayed "ON"....and that's a good thing!!
I feel much more confident having stuck to this for two entire weeks. I only ate things that aren't on the Phase One list 3 times....once, when I ate out at a Chinese restaurant the day after I had started and I ate the Mu Shu pancake and about 1/3 cup of the brown rice that came with it....then I put some fresh corn in the salsa chicken I made in the crockpot. The corn didn't seem to trigger any sugar cravings but I know I will have to only have that occasionally this summer which will be a little hard....I love corn on the cob and usually buy it and make it every week when it's in season...so now it will be an occasional treat.
Last night, I had some sugar free popsicles, they were really good and a great treat at only 20 calories each....a nice change from the sugar free jello I've been eating....so, on to Phase Two tomorrow.....
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
May 28, 2013
My body isn't cooperating today, congested/headachy and sneezing....and, yikes, slept til 2:30 pm.....so, obviously not a high energy productive day!!! However, fewer hours to eat and fewer calories taken in!!!! That's definitely one advantage of sleeping 12 hours...
Today is "new food ad" day and who would have thought I'd be so excited about cherries and cantaloupes??? They are all on sale this week....I already have blueberries to start eating tomorrow but will be fun to get some other fruit next time I'm at the store....tomorrow will be my last egg breakfast in Phase One....my plan is to have 2-3 egg breakfasts a week in Phase Two which I think I can handle. My "favorite" way to make them is to cook up some asparagus/mushrooms and onions in the melted butter then scramble the eggs in the pan...dump them into a soup dish then sprinkle with cheese and into the mircrowave to melt....top with a good handful of nice cold chopped tomatoes and a scoop of sour cream...(must put enough sour cream on to share with Cookie who is interested in anything on my plate)....
I had a vivid dream last night. I was with friends at an amusement park type of place...but it was a candy factory...we sat in chairs and were fed a big plase of pizza...in the dream, I pulled off all the cheese and sent the bread away!! There was more in the dream but I thought it was interesting that I sent the pizza dough away.....
I was watching a program on PBS about "rewiring your brain" and it repeated something I've known for years.....it takes 21 days for the wiring in our brains to register a new habit and eliminate an old one. Not that it's "permanently" rewired, but after 21 days the new habit is in place and the old one is broken...which is one reason that I am committed to staying on the program....will never know if that 21 day rule is true unless I really TRY.....
My body isn't cooperating today, congested/headachy and sneezing....and, yikes, slept til 2:30 pm.....so, obviously not a high energy productive day!!! However, fewer hours to eat and fewer calories taken in!!!! That's definitely one advantage of sleeping 12 hours...
Today is "new food ad" day and who would have thought I'd be so excited about cherries and cantaloupes??? They are all on sale this week....I already have blueberries to start eating tomorrow but will be fun to get some other fruit next time I'm at the store....tomorrow will be my last egg breakfast in Phase One....my plan is to have 2-3 egg breakfasts a week in Phase Two which I think I can handle. My "favorite" way to make them is to cook up some asparagus/mushrooms and onions in the melted butter then scramble the eggs in the pan...dump them into a soup dish then sprinkle with cheese and into the mircrowave to melt....top with a good handful of nice cold chopped tomatoes and a scoop of sour cream...(must put enough sour cream on to share with Cookie who is interested in anything on my plate)....
I had a vivid dream last night. I was with friends at an amusement park type of place...but it was a candy factory...we sat in chairs and were fed a big plase of pizza...in the dream, I pulled off all the cheese and sent the bread away!! There was more in the dream but I thought it was interesting that I sent the pizza dough away.....
I was watching a program on PBS about "rewiring your brain" and it repeated something I've known for years.....it takes 21 days for the wiring in our brains to register a new habit and eliminate an old one. Not that it's "permanently" rewired, but after 21 days the new habit is in place and the old one is broken...which is one reason that I am committed to staying on the program....will never know if that 21 day rule is true unless I really TRY.....
Monday, May 27, 2013
May 27, 2013
Memorial Day.......unoffical beginning of summer....air conditioning and hibernation time when it starts getting hot out!!! I'm not a fan of hot weather...
Today was a little harder for me....I stayed up til my usual 3 am...binge watching "Longmire" on demand so I'd be up for the new season starting tonight...I was supposed to go out with a friend so set the alarm for 9....the plans ended up getting cancelled but I "only" slept about 6 hours instead of my usual 8-9...so have been sleepy and achy/tired all day. My neck is a bit stiff and sore...but I went out to two grocery stores....including Stater's which has the most tempting and wonderful bakery department...damn them!! Those $1.99 cake slices and cookie packages didn't really look that tempting and I pretty much stayed away from the bakery department....and got some amazingly gigantic artichokes instead....these babies are at least 6 inches across and look wonderful..They had big long stems on them which I've never seen before....so, those will be my splurge, they were $2 each which I wouldn't normally spend but only got two so that's OK.
Cherries are on sale this week and are only in season for a few weeks so I'll be happy to be able to have those next week. Today, when I called Mom, I did "cluck, cluck" in a chicken voice on the phone and told her I'm turning into a chicken after eating so many eggs.....3 eggs a day for 12 days as of today, yikes that's a lot of eggs!!! And yet I can't help but be thankful that I can eat normal, regular eggs....the "official" South Beach Diet says only egg substitutes or whites which would have been really gag-inducing.....I loaded up on my fav Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla yogurt for my breakfasts starting on Thursday....
I'm not really hungry but feel like eating...which I know is coming from my head and maybe from an overly tired body.....but I'll hang in there....I got a half pound of cooked shrimp to have for my salad meal tomorrow which will be a nice treat....will wait til Thursday to weigh in so I'll get a two week reading for Phase one....then back to Monday weigh day starting next week....
I know I haven't lost that much but I can tell just the slightest difference in my body...just a bit less of a pad around my backside...which I noticed when I was taking a shower....the belly will take longer to go down....and I know no one will notice I've lost anything til I'm down about 40 lbs.....can't wait for that!!!
Memorial Day.......unoffical beginning of summer....air conditioning and hibernation time when it starts getting hot out!!! I'm not a fan of hot weather...
Today was a little harder for me....I stayed up til my usual 3 am...binge watching "Longmire" on demand so I'd be up for the new season starting tonight...I was supposed to go out with a friend so set the alarm for 9....the plans ended up getting cancelled but I "only" slept about 6 hours instead of my usual 8-9...so have been sleepy and achy/tired all day. My neck is a bit stiff and sore...but I went out to two grocery stores....including Stater's which has the most tempting and wonderful bakery department...damn them!! Those $1.99 cake slices and cookie packages didn't really look that tempting and I pretty much stayed away from the bakery department....and got some amazingly gigantic artichokes instead....these babies are at least 6 inches across and look wonderful..They had big long stems on them which I've never seen before....so, those will be my splurge, they were $2 each which I wouldn't normally spend but only got two so that's OK.
Cherries are on sale this week and are only in season for a few weeks so I'll be happy to be able to have those next week. Today, when I called Mom, I did "cluck, cluck" in a chicken voice on the phone and told her I'm turning into a chicken after eating so many eggs.....3 eggs a day for 12 days as of today, yikes that's a lot of eggs!!! And yet I can't help but be thankful that I can eat normal, regular eggs....the "official" South Beach Diet says only egg substitutes or whites which would have been really gag-inducing.....I loaded up on my fav Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla yogurt for my breakfasts starting on Thursday....
I'm not really hungry but feel like eating...which I know is coming from my head and maybe from an overly tired body.....but I'll hang in there....I got a half pound of cooked shrimp to have for my salad meal tomorrow which will be a nice treat....will wait til Thursday to weigh in so I'll get a two week reading for Phase one....then back to Monday weigh day starting next week....
I know I haven't lost that much but I can tell just the slightest difference in my body...just a bit less of a pad around my backside...which I noticed when I was taking a shower....the belly will take longer to go down....and I know no one will notice I've lost anything til I'm down about 40 lbs.....can't wait for that!!!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
May 26, 2013
And a Happy Birthday to my Dad who is 82 today....smooch and hug!!!
I'm sailing through Phase One on South Beach Diet.....I had been unsure about whether to do 10 or 14 days on Phase One...so checked my book....and it's supposed to be 14 days on Phase One...it was the Sonoma Diet (which is a modified South Beach program) that had a 10 day Wave One....oh, well, guess I can gag down eggs a couple more mornings. Yesterday, I made a quiche with no crust and, oops, cooked it about 10 min too long so it was tough on top and crusty/dry....and WAY too salty...too much bacon....but was something different from the usual scrambled plus veges/sour cream....I don't think I'll keep the rest of it, too dry/salty...which means that only THREE more egg mornings.....just for kicks. I'll stick it out til Thursday but am so tempted to have yogurt/blueberries and Kashi Go Lean....ahhh, that will taste SOOOO good on Thursday morning...when I will be on day 14...I'll weigh in before eating and man, oh, man, will the blueberries and yogurt taste good on Thursday!! It will be interesting to see how much I lose in 2 weeks of being totally ON....
I'm making plans for Phase Two...I am not going to go nuts and start eating 5-6 servings of fruit/grains a day....I know that will slow down my loss and I'm on a roll now. I'm thinking of doing one or two phase one days a week with no fruit and no grains....then on the other days, I'll have berries and Kashi for breakfast and one serving of grains for dinner....like brown rice or a whole wheat tortilla or whole grain pasta....got a bunch of the Barilla Plus stuff for only 50 cents a box with coupons...then after a week will reasses...hopefully adding that much back in will still allow an ice 2-3 lb a week loss now in the beginning when I still have a lot to lose.
I'm making salsa chicken in the crockpot with black beans and salsa and tomatoes...I put in one ear of fresh corn on the cob...I know corn is on the "no" list for all phases but I think a little of it will be OK at this point....I can't see a little nice fresh corn sending me off into a sugar binging rampage!!! If anything, the starchy carb may cause a little hunger/craving but hopefully not...will see!! Yesterday I found a recipe for a sugar free frappaccino copy of the Starbuck's recipe...now I gotta dig out the blender and get milk next time I'm at the store...I should also get some nice decaf coffee so make as the base, that way I can have that brewed coffee flavor in a "shake" after my usual caffeine cut off time.....so far, I haven't had many cravings but I'm sure the Ice Cream Monster will come out at some point!!! I will be ready for him this time with my sugar free syrups and copy cat recipe!!!
And a Happy Birthday to my Dad who is 82 today....smooch and hug!!!
I'm sailing through Phase One on South Beach Diet.....I had been unsure about whether to do 10 or 14 days on Phase One...so checked my book....and it's supposed to be 14 days on Phase One...it was the Sonoma Diet (which is a modified South Beach program) that had a 10 day Wave One....oh, well, guess I can gag down eggs a couple more mornings. Yesterday, I made a quiche with no crust and, oops, cooked it about 10 min too long so it was tough on top and crusty/dry....and WAY too salty...too much bacon....but was something different from the usual scrambled plus veges/sour cream....I don't think I'll keep the rest of it, too dry/salty...which means that only THREE more egg mornings.....just for kicks. I'll stick it out til Thursday but am so tempted to have yogurt/blueberries and Kashi Go Lean....ahhh, that will taste SOOOO good on Thursday morning...when I will be on day 14...I'll weigh in before eating and man, oh, man, will the blueberries and yogurt taste good on Thursday!! It will be interesting to see how much I lose in 2 weeks of being totally ON....
I'm making plans for Phase Two...I am not going to go nuts and start eating 5-6 servings of fruit/grains a day....I know that will slow down my loss and I'm on a roll now. I'm thinking of doing one or two phase one days a week with no fruit and no grains....then on the other days, I'll have berries and Kashi for breakfast and one serving of grains for dinner....like brown rice or a whole wheat tortilla or whole grain pasta....got a bunch of the Barilla Plus stuff for only 50 cents a box with coupons...then after a week will reasses...hopefully adding that much back in will still allow an ice 2-3 lb a week loss now in the beginning when I still have a lot to lose.
I'm making salsa chicken in the crockpot with black beans and salsa and tomatoes...I put in one ear of fresh corn on the cob...I know corn is on the "no" list for all phases but I think a little of it will be OK at this point....I can't see a little nice fresh corn sending me off into a sugar binging rampage!!! If anything, the starchy carb may cause a little hunger/craving but hopefully not...will see!! Yesterday I found a recipe for a sugar free frappaccino copy of the Starbuck's recipe...now I gotta dig out the blender and get milk next time I'm at the store...I should also get some nice decaf coffee so make as the base, that way I can have that brewed coffee flavor in a "shake" after my usual caffeine cut off time.....so far, I haven't had many cravings but I'm sure the Ice Cream Monster will come out at some point!!! I will be ready for him this time with my sugar free syrups and copy cat recipe!!!
Friday, May 24, 2013
May 24, 2013
I had errands to run today and was thinking of going out to eat.....maybe Hometown Buffet?? Lots of protein and salad there...and.....vanilla ice cream....well, a little vanilla ice cream after a whole week of being "good" couldn't hurt, right???? I could just see the machine and the ice cream filling the little dish...and how creamy it would taste......then POW, hit the "RESET" button...decided not to tempt myself......and am happy for that.
While running around, I stopped at Del Taco and got two of their $1 double meat tacos, dumped them onto a dish and threw the shells away....paid 43 cents for a tiny little side cup of ranch dressing and so I had my do-it-yourself taco salad.....also got a cup of their beans and cheese...they make their beans from scratch using real dried pinto beans every day so they are yummy and filling....a perfectly good Phase One lunch for $3.....They have their big tostada salad for only $4 and they can make it without the fried flour tortilla shell so that's a good thing for when I want a bigger meal..today wasn't super hungry....
I wonder if I"ll ever stop wanting to use food for emotional reasons...probably not....once that pattern is so deeply ingrained it's hard to stop. But I can learn to be aware and make better choices....so it's kind of fun trying to figure out how to make Phase One work....and not feel deprived....
It's Memorial Day weekend starting today....I have no plans....so will continue to move forward making good choices. ....it's pretty easy for now but I know that will change as time passes and maybe boredon/depression/anxiety set it. That's why I am keeping this blog, writing while I'm feeling hopeful and upbeat leaves a record for myself to go back and read when times get tough. I've been keeping a food log also so that I can go back and recreate the meals that gave me such success this first week...at Costco today, they were sampling their sheet cakes and that spoonful of sugar and flour didn't even look tempting!!!
I had errands to run today and was thinking of going out to eat.....maybe Hometown Buffet?? Lots of protein and salad there...and.....vanilla ice cream....well, a little vanilla ice cream after a whole week of being "good" couldn't hurt, right???? I could just see the machine and the ice cream filling the little dish...and how creamy it would taste......then POW, hit the "RESET" button...decided not to tempt myself......and am happy for that.
While running around, I stopped at Del Taco and got two of their $1 double meat tacos, dumped them onto a dish and threw the shells away....paid 43 cents for a tiny little side cup of ranch dressing and so I had my do-it-yourself taco salad.....also got a cup of their beans and cheese...they make their beans from scratch using real dried pinto beans every day so they are yummy and filling....a perfectly good Phase One lunch for $3.....They have their big tostada salad for only $4 and they can make it without the fried flour tortilla shell so that's a good thing for when I want a bigger meal..today wasn't super hungry....
I wonder if I"ll ever stop wanting to use food for emotional reasons...probably not....once that pattern is so deeply ingrained it's hard to stop. But I can learn to be aware and make better choices....so it's kind of fun trying to figure out how to make Phase One work....and not feel deprived....
It's Memorial Day weekend starting today....I have no plans....so will continue to move forward making good choices. ....it's pretty easy for now but I know that will change as time passes and maybe boredon/depression/anxiety set it. That's why I am keeping this blog, writing while I'm feeling hopeful and upbeat leaves a record for myself to go back and read when times get tough. I've been keeping a food log also so that I can go back and recreate the meals that gave me such success this first week...at Costco today, they were sampling their sheet cakes and that spoonful of sugar and flour didn't even look tempting!!!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
May 23, 2013
Day 7 of Phase One......so I weighed today just for kicks to see what a solid week of being "ON" would translate to...and was amazed to see "303" which is 13 pounds less than last Thursday. Really amazing, although I know it isn't "real", a good part of it is...and I've proven to myself that if I stick to something 100% it will work. And, to be honest, that's really what I wanted to see happen..
Dr. Phil today popped out a couple of comments that were "Aha" moments. He was working with a mother/son and their dysfunctional relationship...at one point, he told them they have to hit the RESET button...which just hit a chord with me....It struck me that for too many years, I have been hitting the "REWIND" button. I have spent too much time beating myself up for my diet failures.....I lost 150 lbs on Optifast in my late twenties....but failed at keeping it off....then had gastric bypass and failed to lose as much as I should have....it's so easy for me to slip into the self blaming game....I always get myself out of by telling myself "the past it done" but it creeps in there anyway....so, I love the idea of hitting a "RESET" button whenever I find myself starting to slip into that "rewinding the past" mode....
Then, he told them "You will never solve today's problems by using the kind of thinking that got you into those problems"....Bingo on that....definitely need to change the thinking and believe that I can be successful instead of getting into a downward self critical spiral....
So. luckily, the first week for me has been easy. I haven't been hungry and have had a quiet week where I've been able to pretty much stay home and away from the temptations that are out in the world. It's been a good week for building a foundation and proving to myself that I can do it....now just gotta keep the momentum going....
Day 7 of Phase One......so I weighed today just for kicks to see what a solid week of being "ON" would translate to...and was amazed to see "303" which is 13 pounds less than last Thursday. Really amazing, although I know it isn't "real", a good part of it is...and I've proven to myself that if I stick to something 100% it will work. And, to be honest, that's really what I wanted to see happen..
Dr. Phil today popped out a couple of comments that were "Aha" moments. He was working with a mother/son and their dysfunctional relationship...at one point, he told them they have to hit the RESET button...which just hit a chord with me....It struck me that for too many years, I have been hitting the "REWIND" button. I have spent too much time beating myself up for my diet failures.....I lost 150 lbs on Optifast in my late twenties....but failed at keeping it off....then had gastric bypass and failed to lose as much as I should have....it's so easy for me to slip into the self blaming game....I always get myself out of by telling myself "the past it done" but it creeps in there anyway....so, I love the idea of hitting a "RESET" button whenever I find myself starting to slip into that "rewinding the past" mode....
Then, he told them "You will never solve today's problems by using the kind of thinking that got you into those problems"....Bingo on that....definitely need to change the thinking and believe that I can be successful instead of getting into a downward self critical spiral....
So. luckily, the first week for me has been easy. I haven't been hungry and have had a quiet week where I've been able to pretty much stay home and away from the temptations that are out in the world. It's been a good week for building a foundation and proving to myself that I can do it....now just gotta keep the momentum going....
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
May 22, 2013
Gotta love the honeymoon phase...I'm still feeling good, motivated, no problems, no real issues yet.....tomorrow will be a week since I started.
Did my usual Wednesday grocery shopping....I had eaten right before I left and normally would have driven through McD's for a $1 drink...and most of the time a $1 grilled onion cheeseburger "snack"....but made myself a drink here at home first....first errand was 99 cent store, said hello to the Rocky Road candy bars and Cup of Gold candy bars, they are fine without being in my basket!! Scored great veges/salad stuff, etc....then across the street to Vons...got Panda Express to bring home and reheat later and learned their fried rice is now made with brown rice....wonderful for Phase Two!!....bot for today, stuck with chicken and veges....
Next stop was Sprouts where I said hello to the Scotchmallows and California Brittle at Sees which is literally next door to Sprouts. The strawberries and blueberries looked WONDERFUL at Sprouts and are on sale this week...but they will look as good and taste even better next week when I go on phase two..so the berries were the only real temptation there.
On the way home, I drove past Wendy's and in the past would have driven through for a Crispy Chicken Caesar wrap and their wonderful salty crispy fries.....but stuck to the plan. I wasn't hungry and knew I could eat something when I got home. After I put groceries away, I still wasn't totally hungry so just had s bowl of cucumber salad with mozzarella,....so, I have proven it's possible to do my weekly errands without eating junk or sugar....yeah!!
I measured the food from Panda Express before putting it in the fridge....the side dish half of the container holds 2 cups...and each of the entree pockets hold about a cup...good to know. In the future, I could get half fried (brown) rice and half veges in the side dish half.....the veges look great, cabbage, broccoli, carrots and onions, which they wokked while I waited so nice and fresh and crispy...don't think they even put any sauce on it but if so, just a little soy sauce....Hard to feel deprived when I can get such a great Chinese food meal for only about $6......
Gotta love the honeymoon phase...I'm still feeling good, motivated, no problems, no real issues yet.....tomorrow will be a week since I started.
Did my usual Wednesday grocery shopping....I had eaten right before I left and normally would have driven through McD's for a $1 drink...and most of the time a $1 grilled onion cheeseburger "snack"....but made myself a drink here at home first....first errand was 99 cent store, said hello to the Rocky Road candy bars and Cup of Gold candy bars, they are fine without being in my basket!! Scored great veges/salad stuff, etc....then across the street to Vons...got Panda Express to bring home and reheat later and learned their fried rice is now made with brown rice....wonderful for Phase Two!!....bot for today, stuck with chicken and veges....
Next stop was Sprouts where I said hello to the Scotchmallows and California Brittle at Sees which is literally next door to Sprouts. The strawberries and blueberries looked WONDERFUL at Sprouts and are on sale this week...but they will look as good and taste even better next week when I go on phase two..so the berries were the only real temptation there.
On the way home, I drove past Wendy's and in the past would have driven through for a Crispy Chicken Caesar wrap and their wonderful salty crispy fries.....but stuck to the plan. I wasn't hungry and knew I could eat something when I got home. After I put groceries away, I still wasn't totally hungry so just had s bowl of cucumber salad with mozzarella,....so, I have proven it's possible to do my weekly errands without eating junk or sugar....yeah!!
I measured the food from Panda Express before putting it in the fridge....the side dish half of the container holds 2 cups...and each of the entree pockets hold about a cup...good to know. In the future, I could get half fried (brown) rice and half veges in the side dish half.....the veges look great, cabbage, broccoli, carrots and onions, which they wokked while I waited so nice and fresh and crispy...don't think they even put any sauce on it but if so, just a little soy sauce....Hard to feel deprived when I can get such a great Chinese food meal for only about $6......
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
May 21, 2014
For some reason, I feel like something has "clicked" in my brain and I feel more prepared and ready to lose this weight than I have in years. I told my sister about this feeling and she asked "Why do you feel that way?:.....hmmm, interesting question and one I've been thinking about since last night...
I am just tired of struggling....a lot of the things I struggle with I can't do much about but the weight I can definitely do something about....and, to be honest, I haven't really TRIED very hard to really apply myself and do it....my self esteem and confidence need the boost of feeling like I've accomplished something. I hope that setting a goal and really trying to achieve it will prove to myself that I can do it....and that feeling will transfer to other parts of my life that I need to work on..
And, obviously, the health related issues are becoming more important as I get older. I had told myself at age 50 and again at 55 that I would get the weight under control then didn't do it. But now, approaching 60, I feel like it's kind of the last change to get my act together. The physical effects of the excess weight are harder to deal with now than when I was younger. I want to get into better physical shape and need to get rid of some of the belly so I can move better!! The first thing I'll do once I've lost enough to be able to move better is to buy a bike....and rejoin the Silver Sneakers class I took years ago that I loved so much...I just want to move better and feel better about myself and my future.
It just feels like it's finally time to just quit messing around, apply myself and TRY...and get it done....then I can move on to work on other parts of my life. As long as I feel "stuck" in the rut with my weight limiting me, I just keep on with how things are now. And I don't want to be in this same place as I get into my sixties.......
I made Pam's broccoli soup last night and it was wonderful.....very healthy and yummy..and a nice change from eating raw veges when a snack attack hits...and since it's hot, it's very filling...so, I"m writing the recipe here, at least I will be able to find it again:
Pam's Healthy Broccoli Soup
Cook one medium onion, chopped, and 2 cloves garlic, minced, in 2 Tbsp butter or oil til translucent....and 1.5 lbs (about 6 cups) roughly chopped broccoli (I used fresh but frozen would work too), season with salt and pepper and bay leaf (which I didn't have so I used thyme which was great)....cook and stir for about 5 min then add 4 cups chikcen broth (which is 2 of the 14.5 oz cans)....and one can (14-15 oz) white canellini beans, drained and rinsed......bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 min til broccoli is tender....Take off heat and mix in 1.5 tsp dry mustard (I left it out)....using immersion blender, puree soup in pot ...I left mine a little chunky since that's how I like it....taste and adjust seasoning if needed, adding salt or pepper....then, if desired, mix in 4 oz or so of shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, stir to melt...If you don't have an immersion blender, use your potato masher and just smoosh it up in the pot...or just leave chunky, would taste fine...
This would be good with ham added to it....and I am going to make it with cauliflower and carrots....yum....makes about 6 cups or so and freezes beautifully, it's a really pretty bright green color and you'll say to yourself "how come this is so good?? There's "nothing" in it!!"////
For some reason, I feel like something has "clicked" in my brain and I feel more prepared and ready to lose this weight than I have in years. I told my sister about this feeling and she asked "Why do you feel that way?:.....hmmm, interesting question and one I've been thinking about since last night...
I am just tired of struggling....a lot of the things I struggle with I can't do much about but the weight I can definitely do something about....and, to be honest, I haven't really TRIED very hard to really apply myself and do it....my self esteem and confidence need the boost of feeling like I've accomplished something. I hope that setting a goal and really trying to achieve it will prove to myself that I can do it....and that feeling will transfer to other parts of my life that I need to work on..
And, obviously, the health related issues are becoming more important as I get older. I had told myself at age 50 and again at 55 that I would get the weight under control then didn't do it. But now, approaching 60, I feel like it's kind of the last change to get my act together. The physical effects of the excess weight are harder to deal with now than when I was younger. I want to get into better physical shape and need to get rid of some of the belly so I can move better!! The first thing I'll do once I've lost enough to be able to move better is to buy a bike....and rejoin the Silver Sneakers class I took years ago that I loved so much...I just want to move better and feel better about myself and my future.
It just feels like it's finally time to just quit messing around, apply myself and TRY...and get it done....then I can move on to work on other parts of my life. As long as I feel "stuck" in the rut with my weight limiting me, I just keep on with how things are now. And I don't want to be in this same place as I get into my sixties.......
I made Pam's broccoli soup last night and it was wonderful.....very healthy and yummy..and a nice change from eating raw veges when a snack attack hits...and since it's hot, it's very filling...so, I"m writing the recipe here, at least I will be able to find it again:
Pam's Healthy Broccoli Soup
Cook one medium onion, chopped, and 2 cloves garlic, minced, in 2 Tbsp butter or oil til translucent....and 1.5 lbs (about 6 cups) roughly chopped broccoli (I used fresh but frozen would work too), season with salt and pepper and bay leaf (which I didn't have so I used thyme which was great)....cook and stir for about 5 min then add 4 cups chikcen broth (which is 2 of the 14.5 oz cans)....and one can (14-15 oz) white canellini beans, drained and rinsed......bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 min til broccoli is tender....Take off heat and mix in 1.5 tsp dry mustard (I left it out)....using immersion blender, puree soup in pot ...I left mine a little chunky since that's how I like it....taste and adjust seasoning if needed, adding salt or pepper....then, if desired, mix in 4 oz or so of shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, stir to melt...If you don't have an immersion blender, use your potato masher and just smoosh it up in the pot...or just leave chunky, would taste fine...
This would be good with ham added to it....and I am going to make it with cauliflower and carrots....yum....makes about 6 cups or so and freezes beautifully, it's a really pretty bright green color and you'll say to yourself "how come this is so good?? There's "nothing" in it!!"////
Monday, May 20, 2013
May 20, 2014
I love Mondays when the scale starts off the week putting a BIG smile on my face....it said "306" today, a full 10 lbs less than just five days ago. Of course, my rational mind says that's not "real" weight loss, a lot of it is water, etc. but it definitely puts a shot of energy into the dieting efforts to see immediate success. And at least I know that sticking to something 100% actually works.....and the eggs this morning almost tasted GOOD....I have to confess, I don't really like eggs but the breakfast choices in phase one are pretty limited so it's eggs for the duration.
I am so lucky not to have to worry about fat....the gastric bypass surgery I had was a less common form called "bileopancreatic diversion"....unlike the more common "Roux en Y"....my surgery is more extreme and results in the enzymes necessary to digest fat being diverted from the intestines til the very end of the digestive process....which means that I only digest a small amount of the fat I eat. Since I don't absorb fat calories, I have very low cholesterol, my total is only about 70 which is where it's been for over 10 years....so, unlike regular South Beach Dieters, I am eating full fat cheese, regular eggs instead of egg substitutes, and full fat salad dressings. I know it's counter intuitive to dieters to be eating all the full fat stuff but my surgically altered intestines digest all the sugar and carbs I eat and only a small portion of the fat...so I'm better off eating full fat foods. The lower fat alternatives have more carbs and sugar so those are actually worse for me....
I also feel fortunate that I like vegetables and enjoy all the healthy foods that I'm supposed to eat. It would be so hard to diet if one didn't like veges...and being single/living alone, I have a great advantage in keeping the house "safe" with healthy foods.....of course, it's also hard being alone to not have support and encouragement but I can find support groups if I need that....the buck definitely stops here, food only gets in my house if I bring it in!!
I talked to friend Connie, also a weight loss surgery buddy.....she and Lulu have lost more than I have and so they are very supportive and encouraging. They are ready to go on bike rides with me when I get a bike and get into shape good enough to go on an outing with them...something to look forward to...
I hope to start posting a food diary or at least some fun recipes....my sister (thanks, Pam) gave me a great sounding recipe for broccoli soup that has all phase one ingredients so I'll be making that tonight, and if it's good will post the recipe.Yesterday, I made some yummy chicken salad with celery and sliced almonds. I seasoned it with dill which is how it was served at a restaurant I used to go to. They ate it on a HUGE salad made with a bunch of gourmet greens....yum...
Now I won't be weighing til next Monday. I am so happy with how it went this first five days....if I stay on phase one 10 days, I'm halfway through....yeah, a few days closer to not eating eggs in the morning....
I love Mondays when the scale starts off the week putting a BIG smile on my face....it said "306" today, a full 10 lbs less than just five days ago. Of course, my rational mind says that's not "real" weight loss, a lot of it is water, etc. but it definitely puts a shot of energy into the dieting efforts to see immediate success. And at least I know that sticking to something 100% actually works.....and the eggs this morning almost tasted GOOD....I have to confess, I don't really like eggs but the breakfast choices in phase one are pretty limited so it's eggs for the duration.
I am so lucky not to have to worry about fat....the gastric bypass surgery I had was a less common form called "bileopancreatic diversion"....unlike the more common "Roux en Y"....my surgery is more extreme and results in the enzymes necessary to digest fat being diverted from the intestines til the very end of the digestive process....which means that I only digest a small amount of the fat I eat. Since I don't absorb fat calories, I have very low cholesterol, my total is only about 70 which is where it's been for over 10 years....so, unlike regular South Beach Dieters, I am eating full fat cheese, regular eggs instead of egg substitutes, and full fat salad dressings. I know it's counter intuitive to dieters to be eating all the full fat stuff but my surgically altered intestines digest all the sugar and carbs I eat and only a small portion of the fat...so I'm better off eating full fat foods. The lower fat alternatives have more carbs and sugar so those are actually worse for me....
I also feel fortunate that I like vegetables and enjoy all the healthy foods that I'm supposed to eat. It would be so hard to diet if one didn't like veges...and being single/living alone, I have a great advantage in keeping the house "safe" with healthy foods.....of course, it's also hard being alone to not have support and encouragement but I can find support groups if I need that....the buck definitely stops here, food only gets in my house if I bring it in!!
I talked to friend Connie, also a weight loss surgery buddy.....she and Lulu have lost more than I have and so they are very supportive and encouraging. They are ready to go on bike rides with me when I get a bike and get into shape good enough to go on an outing with them...something to look forward to...
I hope to start posting a food diary or at least some fun recipes....my sister (thanks, Pam) gave me a great sounding recipe for broccoli soup that has all phase one ingredients so I'll be making that tonight, and if it's good will post the recipe.Yesterday, I made some yummy chicken salad with celery and sliced almonds. I seasoned it with dill which is how it was served at a restaurant I used to go to. They ate it on a HUGE salad made with a bunch of gourmet greens....yum...
Now I won't be weighing til next Monday. I am so happy with how it went this first five days....if I stay on phase one 10 days, I'm halfway through....yeah, a few days closer to not eating eggs in the morning....
Sunday, May 19, 2013
When I started this, it was going to be a private blog place for Mom (Dory), sister Pam and I to share diet tips and ideas/support...but for a variety of reasons, we decided not to do it so I changed the name and have opened the reader list to anyone...so if Pam and Mom want to write something on this,they can, if not I will just use this blog to write specifically about dieting and weight issues.
I started South Beach Diet Phase One last Thursday, May 16....so today is day five of phase one...really no problems so far other than wanting to reach for food all the time, just a bad habit....I have South Beach Diet proofed my kitchen which definitely makes it easier. And so far no big cravings and haven't really been hungry....
I weighed 316 on 5-16 and will weigh again tomorrow morning so I will be on a weigh every Monday schedule... I'm trying not to obsess over this whole diet thing and just take it one day at a time. Hard for me because obsessing is something I do really well!!
It's been many, many years since I dedicated myself to following a specific plan....and my 60th birthday is a bit over 6 months away which is making me feel a little frantic....it feels like I'm running out of time to deal with the weight issue that's always been such a big part of my life.
I was always the biggest and tallest in my class as a child....by 6th grade, I'd reached my full adult height of 5'8" and had started having periods at age 10 so was way ahead of my classmates on all of that.....but never really had a weight problem til high school. I weighed about 225 when I graduated from high school in 1971...Up and down through college, I weighed about 240 when I graduated college in 1976....Went up and down over the next few years until 1981, when I was 27 and went on Optifast (same liquid diet Oprah lost all the weight on back then),,,,I weighed 310 when I started Optifast and didn't eat solid food for a YEAR...and got down to 150 for about 5 minutes....when I started eating again, it was a disaster....that program didn't fix anything in my head and I went right back to bad habits, and even some new ones like bulemia....after a couple of years of that, I was back to 310 or so. Pretty much stayed around 320 or so through my 30s.....
I still don't have a lot of insight about what happened to make me gain another 100 lbs but by age 45 I weighed 420.....It's like I just woke up one day and weighed a lot more....I know I had a lot of problems with depression, etc. that I didn't deal with til my 40s....anyway, I had finally had enough and had gastric bypass surgery in 1999 when I was 45.....I weighed 420 before the surgery and over the next year or so lost almost 150 lbs. The lowest I got after the bypass was 267.....
So, in the almost 14 years since my bypass surgery, I have settled in at a weight of about 310 lbs...still 110 lbs lower than my all time high but hard to feel successful when I still weigh this much. So, my first goal is to get under the 267 I weighed at the lowest point I reached after the bypass.....that means losing about 60 lbs which might be WAY too ambitious for only 6 months but, what the heck, I have a built in tool/advantage with the bypass surgery I had....if I don't eat the sugar and flour carbs in excess, I should be able to lose pretty quickly...
I'm looking at this next 6 months as an experiment to see how my life works if I've lost weight and feel better and more active. The older I get, the more I will have problems with mobility and so it's time to do something about it....never too late to change for the better!!.
I started South Beach Diet Phase One last Thursday, May 16....so today is day five of phase one...really no problems so far other than wanting to reach for food all the time, just a bad habit....I have South Beach Diet proofed my kitchen which definitely makes it easier. And so far no big cravings and haven't really been hungry....
I weighed 316 on 5-16 and will weigh again tomorrow morning so I will be on a weigh every Monday schedule... I'm trying not to obsess over this whole diet thing and just take it one day at a time. Hard for me because obsessing is something I do really well!!
It's been many, many years since I dedicated myself to following a specific plan....and my 60th birthday is a bit over 6 months away which is making me feel a little frantic....it feels like I'm running out of time to deal with the weight issue that's always been such a big part of my life.
I was always the biggest and tallest in my class as a child....by 6th grade, I'd reached my full adult height of 5'8" and had started having periods at age 10 so was way ahead of my classmates on all of that.....but never really had a weight problem til high school. I weighed about 225 when I graduated from high school in 1971...Up and down through college, I weighed about 240 when I graduated college in 1976....Went up and down over the next few years until 1981, when I was 27 and went on Optifast (same liquid diet Oprah lost all the weight on back then),,,,I weighed 310 when I started Optifast and didn't eat solid food for a YEAR...and got down to 150 for about 5 minutes....when I started eating again, it was a disaster....that program didn't fix anything in my head and I went right back to bad habits, and even some new ones like bulemia....after a couple of years of that, I was back to 310 or so. Pretty much stayed around 320 or so through my 30s.....
I still don't have a lot of insight about what happened to make me gain another 100 lbs but by age 45 I weighed 420.....It's like I just woke up one day and weighed a lot more....I know I had a lot of problems with depression, etc. that I didn't deal with til my 40s....anyway, I had finally had enough and had gastric bypass surgery in 1999 when I was 45.....I weighed 420 before the surgery and over the next year or so lost almost 150 lbs. The lowest I got after the bypass was 267.....
So, in the almost 14 years since my bypass surgery, I have settled in at a weight of about 310 lbs...still 110 lbs lower than my all time high but hard to feel successful when I still weigh this much. So, my first goal is to get under the 267 I weighed at the lowest point I reached after the bypass.....that means losing about 60 lbs which might be WAY too ambitious for only 6 months but, what the heck, I have a built in tool/advantage with the bypass surgery I had....if I don't eat the sugar and flour carbs in excess, I should be able to lose pretty quickly...
I'm looking at this next 6 months as an experiment to see how my life works if I've lost weight and feel better and more active. The older I get, the more I will have problems with mobility and so it's time to do something about it....never too late to change for the better!!.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
May 16, 2013
I am the Laura in the group. Pam is my sister, 7.5 years younger than me and I'm turning 60 this year. Dory is our "elderly" mom, who is anything but that at 78 years young. We have all struggled with our weight for our entire lives and today Mom thought it would be fun to have a blog where we could post notes and share our dieting successes and challenges. Now all I have to do is figure out how to make this a private blog so just the 3 of us can post and read it!!
I am the Laura in the group. Pam is my sister, 7.5 years younger than me and I'm turning 60 this year. Dory is our "elderly" mom, who is anything but that at 78 years young. We have all struggled with our weight for our entire lives and today Mom thought it would be fun to have a blog where we could post notes and share our dieting successes and challenges. Now all I have to do is figure out how to make this a private blog so just the 3 of us can post and read it!!
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