Discussion Board

Lexus - Thank you for the support!

I am having a very rough day today. I am in a bad mood (my laptop is having issues, and the fix is not going to be cheap), I just found out that a job I really wanted I am not even going to get an interview for, and now my work computer is having some issues too. I just want to eat to make myself feel better. So far the only "bad" thing I have had is a few crackers, so not the worst thing in the world. What I WANT is a big bowl of mashed potatoes and noodles. However, I can't get that today at work without having it from a restaurant, and I can't control how they are made. Grr... I hate this about myself - the fact that I think I have to have food to make me feel better. I have been sitting here drinking my water and trying to put it all out of my head and relax. It doesn't seem to be working though, and it is now lunchtime. I am going to go see what I can get close by that isn't horrible for me. I do not have a lot of confidence in how well I am going to do though.

Awww ((((hugs)))) Carolyn:

What a wretched day! I completely empathize with the computer issues. My laptop went crazed on me and ultimately it turned out to be a $300 hard drive fix. At least I imagine IT folks at your office can get the work one fixed in good order, well, I can hope for you!!!

I'll say this about jobs, there were one or two I really was interested in that weren't available to me. One of them turned out to be a bear of a job after the original supervisor promoted from it. So you just never know - other times the Universe has saved me from my wish list.

Potatoes and noodles - all at once!!! That has got to be some weird emotional eating I never indulged in yet. Weird things I crave - hmm, I think I tend to the usual culprits. Given that your list sounds almost McDougall. Be careful - breathe deep and maybe do a good long de-stressing walk with your DH or someone tonight.

Michelle - Thank you for the encouragement. I gained another .2 lbs on the scale yesterday, which puts me up a total of 1.6 since Friday. I know I had "bad" stuff over the weekend, and yesterday was really rough for me. I had a snack of oatmeal with banana the last 2 evenings, and evidently I am not going to be able to do that. I am doing better today - oatmeal w/banana for breakfast, celery for a snack with a cup of herbal tea, and I am working on my water. I did not sleep well at all last night, and so now I have a headache and feel really tired. Hopefully we can walk tonight after work (hubby & I), and maybe that will help to bring me out of my funk. I had wanted to lose enough to put me at my 10 lb. loss by Friday, but that isn't going to happen now. At this point I would be thrilled just to re-lose the 1.6 that I have put on this week!

I have to find some motivation somewhere, and stop the emotional eating. It really isn't worth it to eat off-plan (or too much on-plan food either), as I just feel miserable (either physically or emotionally) afterwards.

Okay, enough whining. I must focus on the positive. One thing I am looking forward to - getting my hair cut next Wednesday. If I don't chicken out.

Carolyn , oh no -- you aren't getting the sleep either, drat. I am up too - 3 pounds - I have no idea why. I swam yesterday and I usually loose a ton of water weight from doing that. Last night I put on as much as I usually loose! I bumped up same time last week and lost it all by the end of the week. So it's possible - you may be able to loose more than you think!!!!

I am not going to worry about it this time - I think I am just not going to worry at all. I have taken control over as much of it as I can by eating on plan and my body is just doing whatever it feels like - so oh well!

Let's just cop the attitude that we don't care and see what happens

At this point I am seriously irritated. I ate on plan all day yesterday, and still gained another .2 lbs. Less than 1400 calories for the day, and I gained .2! So...back to logging my food. Today:

B: Oatmeal w/banana, hash browns, 1 cup coffee with soymilk
L: Baked potato and steamed peas
Planned snack: apple
Planned dinner: Vegetable kabobs (grilled), baked potato

I am also trying to get lots of water in - maybe that is the key.

I am feeling better, but not losing (and gaining in fact) is really discouraging to me. I am going to need a lot of support please!!

You got it Carolyn - support-wise.

Also, I think you're right on it with the water part of the equation. You're worried about .2 but I went up pounds - whole pounds this week - and I just am not going to bother analyzing it now. Still, yesterday I watched my water intake and made sure I got a couple of glasses in before meals and sipped through the day as needed. I also added back in my huge salad before the dinner meal.

I dropped 1.5 pounds over night. So, we'll see if the water works the second day. Having done my "experimenting" when my towns water quality went undrinkable last week - I think I gained an idea of how importatant it is - I am sure you'll see good results too

Don't be discouraged in any case - your numbers so far have been fantastic - and there will be periods where the body plateaus. It's as important, as far as I am concerned, to learn about PATIENCE, as it is to tweak the diet parameters to make our losses. Actually, learning patience is bigger for me - because this diet doesn't fail me -- as long as I have the tenacity to stick with it.

Not having that strength before is what has ended up being the real issue for me. But now with all the support here - one can't help but weather the little bumps - when the weight loss slows.

I am betting on you and the water though this week - but not to worry if you don't get your huge numbers every single time, okey dokey! Just stay strong!!!!

I agree with lmggallagher!

Everyone hits plateaus. Those are the most important times to just stick with the plan. I found that putting the scale away and only weighing once a week (or even less) really helped me stay focused on what I was eating and how I felt. When I weighed myself every day I was just getting frustrated with how slow things were moving.

Are you hungry during the day? Just asked because I would be eating what you have listed. You might try filling up more earlier in the day. I find when I don't give myself enough before lunch I seem to be hungry all evening.

Be good to yourself, you are doing a great job. Just stay focused on the goal of health, and the weight loss will follow (just not always at the pace we want)

Well, I got 64 ounces of water in yesterday, and guess what: I lost 1.8 lbs overnight! Lol. I guess I know now what I was doing wrong - not drinking enough. I am hoping that I will be down a little more tomorrow, but even though I have been VERY good as far as food and water today, I did have a Starbucks soy white mocha this afternoon (my boss was buying, and I was having a very stressful day). So...if I don't lose anything I will know why.

Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day, and I am not going to have a lot of control over lunch and dinner. However, I will make the best choices I possibly can, and will drink lots of water, so hopefully the day won't hurt me too bad.

I am going to weigh in tomorrow morning, and then post my weight on the MWL forum. Hopefully I can post a loss instead of a gain!

We had a really busy weekend - spent the day Saturday working a booth at Pridefest, and I got a little sunburnt. It was a really fun day though, and we got to spend a little time with some friends as well. Anyway, it was 7:30 before we got out of there, and we were both starving (DH & I). So, we went to a restaurant called American Harvest, which uses only locally grown produce, etc. It is not a vegan restaurant, and, in fact, nothing on the menu is vegan. However, we had eaten there before and the chef made a vegan risotto for me, so we asked for that again. OMG! Our waiter was vegetarian, and he took such good care of us. The sous chef felt bad because we were having to wait so long for our food, so she made us vegan tacos - greens, asparagus, peas, portabello mushrooms, sauteed and served with a couple of corn tortillas (and free, might I add). Then the risotto came, and it had mushrooms, peas, and green beans in it. The food wasn't exacly McDougall, but they really did a nice job and the meal was heavenly.

Sunday was a laundry day, and we stayed home with the exception of a ride in the afternoon (in the convertible, with the top down). We had a relaxing day, and it was really nice.

This morning, I got up, and had actually lost weight! So, as of right now, I am down a total of 9 lbs. (down 1.2 since Friday). So...I feel pretty good about things right now.

I don't think I have mentioned it in my Journal, but my hubby is doing this with me. He has lost 13 lbs. so far. He has struggled with staying on plan, but overall he is doing really well and I am very proud of him. It makes things easier for sure.

Tonight we had a really nice meal - we sliced potatoes and cooked them in the microwave in a bowl for a few minutes, and then combined the potatoes with onions, mushrooms, green beans, squash and zucchini, as well as some garlic and black pepper, and wrapped it all into aluminum foil (in seperate packets for each of us), and cooked it on the grill for around 20-30 minutes. It was SO yummy!

So anyway, my point of all of this is to say that I am sticking with it, and figuring things out, and doing okay. I hope this continues to be a good week!!

Isn't it great having your hubby on board. My hubby isn't 100% but close enough that it feels like it. for about a month now only thing he's had off plan is cheese and only when we are out to eat. I call him a 99.9%'er laugh. He didn't need to lose weight but says he knows it's healthier to eat this way.

Yes, it is great. He is doing pretty well, and is pleased that in addition to the weight loss, his blood sugars have been very good. I am not sure that he will stick with it for the long haul, but we will see. I am hopeful that once he gets used to eating this way, he won't miss the other "junk".

I will be hoping that with you. HUGS!!!

I have gotten off plan and am having trouble getting back on. I am very discouraged with myself right now.

Why is it so easy to fall off the wagon and so hard to climb back on? Sometimes I have days that I just don't care. Then when that passes I get so frustrated with myself! I find hope in reading some of he Star McDougallers.

I think a lot of why we feel we can't get back on is because we punish ourselves instead of just picking up dusting off and getting back on the wagon with the next bite the next step the next comment so on and so forth. Pick up from the mistake/mistakes and move on right then and there. This mind set is the only thing that is helping me get my health back.