To Well-Being and Beyond

[sksamboots]

Keep going!

[Greg63]

Thanks, again, for the encouragement sksamboots! Much appreciated when I seem to be going backwards.


Friday, Day 18:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup dry oatmeal, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp flax seeds, 1 cup cooked quinoa, cinnamon/nutmeg
Lunch and dinner definitely off plan. Work super frustrating, but at least a three day weekend to help rest and get out of mental mind mode.
fitbit steps: 9984, did not weigh myself.

Yesterday, Day 19:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup dry oatmeal, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp flax seeds, 1 cup cooked quinoa, cinnamon/nutmeg
Lunch: none
Dinner: 3/4's of a veggie pizza, which if had been without cheese would have closer to a better choice. No matter, we'll pick it up on Sunday.
fit bit steps 14,664, 243.2, finally some movement on the scale, and in the right general direction. Went to my favourite cooking supply store to have a look at line of upscale non-stick cookware and indulged in a 10 inch saute pan, a new set of kitchen knives, and a few other bits and pieces. The new knives are wonderful and the saute pan is just fabulous. I may actually upgrade my all of my pots and pans to this line.

[Greg63]

Yesterday, Day 20:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup dry oatmeal, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp flax seeds, 1 cup cooked quinoa, cinnamon/nutmeg
Lunch: brown rice, quinoa, carrots, chick peas, and thai style sliced veggies
Dinner: Off plan, 3 large plain cupcakes, homemade, the rest went into the lower bin of the freezer, although I think I am going to chuck them now. There weren't as good as I expected, so maybe that is indicating a preferece change. Three glasses of wine.

fit bit steps 12,427, 242.4, again, movement in the right direction. Next Monday's goal challenge: Loss of 3.4 pounds to bring me to 239.

Since starting this journal three weeks ago I have lost a total of 2 pounds, net. It's a little too slow and, to be honest, a little bit frustrating, when in the very least I was expecting a loss of 6 pounds or more by now. However, all is not lost as I'm the one deciding what I eat or drink in the moment, and I can change some of the choices I have been making. And this may be as simple as making a few more choices for health and well-being, which is what I have been doing, just not enough "right" choices yet being made to tip things more in my favour of (faster) fat release. I am also going to set myself weekly goals to see if that helps me, without becoming obsessive. I'm also going to add in a piece or two of fruit a day to see if will satisfy any sweetness urges (instead of having a small bit of chocoate). Which bring me to the next part, of needing to log everything I eat or drink, I have not been honest with myself here, and it's not helpful. Next Monday's goal: Loss of 3.4 pounds to bring me to 239.

[Greg63]

Yesterday, Day 21:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup dry oatmeal, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp flax seeds, 1 cup cooked quinoa, cinnamon/nutmeg
Lunch: brown rice, quinoa, carrots, chick peas, and thai style sliced veggies
Dinner: Off plan, 3 large plain cupcakes, homemade. I should have thrown these out, lesson learned.

fit bit steps 8651, 243.0, again, movement in the "wrong" direction LOL. Next Monday's goal challenge: Loss of 4 pounds to bring me to 239--I seem to have wanted a bigger challenge.

[rhubarbtriangle]

Keep going, Greg.
Even though weight loss is not as fast as you hoped, you are still doing wonders for your health.

[Greg63]

Yesterday, Day 22:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup dry oatmeal, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp flax seeds, 1 cup cooked quinoa, cinnamon/nutmeg
Lunch: romaine and tomato salad with basalmic, brown rice, quinoa, carrots, chick peas
Snack: Popcorn
Dinner: brown rice, quinoa, carrots, chick peas

fit bit steps 8413, 243.6, again, movement in the "wrong" direction LOL. Next Monday's goal challenge: Loss of 4.4 pounds to bring me to 239--I seem to have wanted a bigger challenge. Sigh.

[lmggallagher]

Hi Greg:

I just read your journal from beginning to end and I think your resolve is fantastic. Please, don't be hard on yourself about lack of weight loss at this stage - I honestly know from my experiences that my clothes start getting loose before the scale catches up!

I think I read that you had two different scale reading right in a row one day - so I will tell you my story about my old digital scale, my current digital scale and the one I used just last week on vacation. So when I first started this WOE the weight loss went fairly well, then it did exactly as you are experiencing up one day, down the next and then a bounce back up. Just like you I was then exercising daily getting both aerobic and strength training at the right levels for weight loss. But the weight just was a roller coaster according to the scale.

Did it ever occur to me that my scale had bit the dust - nope - not once but it had. I got so discouraged I bought a new scale and a more expensive one to boot. Well, it showed me gaining, every day I was up some. Sometimes it's because of my insomnia not what I am eating and then that was what I thought. BUT the truth is this new scale is never accurate on the first reading it tries to tell you what you weighed the day before but it messes up - the second one is the actual daily reading. Who knew you had to read the scale manual to know this. Now I always weigh 3 times in a row to get the accurate reading. Last on vacation a scale away from home showed me gaining pounds everyday. During vacation I ate MWL breakfast and lunch at the house and did a dinner salad with some fish when eating out. Then there were desserts as my Aunt lead me astray on various "Mud Pies" at every restaurant. Still I was getting more exercise with beach walks every day - the scale went up and up. When I got home I found as bad as I'd been I actually lost two pounds during that week as SAD as I had been! Then my Aunt told me the only reliable scale in the house is NOT in the guest room!

Anyway, my point being I was really deflated by the ups and downs, as you might be too. So, I now have a scale that works and that I true with the professional one at the gym or my doctor's office. Seriously, it could be the scale not you.

Your enumerated list of changes is great and inspiring too. I wonder too if you have had blood work during a medical physical - like HDL, LDL, blood sugar levels and etc. When the scale isn't giving me the reports I'd like - comparing my pre-MWL tests to the present is a huge high for me.

Also, I just learned this today, so I'll pass it along. I don't know if you cook your morning oatmeal with the flax meal in or add it. If it's cooked the omegas turn into free-radicals, just as they would had the meal gone rancid. Now I will add mine to oatmeal afterwards for the benefits v. the dis-benefits.

I know I will be visiting your journal often to see the progress you're making - you're doing fantastic! The diligence at adding in exercise is really fabulous too. I promise not to be so wordy next time - I just wanted to make sure your scale isn't giving you bogus information, as mine did for so many weeks!

[Greg63]

Thanks, lmggallagher, for your post, and please, no worries on being wordy, your support is very much appreciated! I have an older digital scale that is accurate within .2 pounds (I have "tested" it with weights) and I always weigh myself at least twice in the morning to check and sometimes three times in succession if I am not very awake, and have been known to forget the number completely by the time I get downstairs .

I've decided to take a long weekend as a break from all things, especially work, and diet and recording and what not. Will pop back in a day or two. However, did a quick jump on the scale this morning and see 241.4, so that is encouraging, very encouraging!

[lmggallagher]

Aw shucks - I hoped the scale was the culprit on your ups and downs - as mine have been.

I know what you are saying on the forgetting the weight reading - I typically for get it by the time I am updating my tickers here and have to reweigh. I think mostly it's because I am not happy with the numbers though

Hope you are having progress still

[Greg63]

I'm back...and a bit lighter in both weight and spirit

Will do a proper journal update tomorrow morning. Some good stuff in the meantime. Had few slip ups in the last week and indulged here and there, but kept things sane and "normal", mostly, and was really happy in noticing some of those behavioural changes, like only eating one cookie, a large one, but breaking it into pieces and savouring each little bit rather than wolfing down a bunch. Stopping after a glass of wine and noticing that I need not drink the whole bottle. I also really needed some time off of work and to some time to do what I wanted to do, rather than what I felt I needed to do or should do or must do. And the time off has now helped me to get a more relaxed approach to this plan, which was needed.

I discovered some of Chef AJ's teleseminars on youtube and have been listening to those--super helpful and supportive. I am finding that it's very helpful to keep listening in to these types of informational/educational videos or recordings as I have the time to continue to strengthen what I know and occassionally pick up some new bits of information that are helfpul. I have been experimenting with starting two of my meals with a pound of non-starch veggies only or or non-starch veggie heavy salads, and then eating my starch afterwards. A big bump to satiety and fullness which is just fabulous. I'm just trying to think, it that a pound uncooked or cooked? I think uncooked? Probably it does not matter much at this stage. I also invested in an Instant Pot which should arrive on Wednesday, so hoping that will speed up cooking time on the weekends/working from home days.

[lmggallagher]

Hi Greg:

Glad you have made all these discoveries- including Chef AJ and the Instant Pot (IP). You will love your IP - it is my favorite all time appliance and it sure makes veggies taste incredible. I barely could stand the taste of millet ( I have to eat it it's one of my few safe "grains") and now with the IP I can barely help myself from eating it all up right out of the IP bowl.

Here's another video source that you might like - Nutrition Facts with Doctor Greiger. He is a constant at McDougall seminars and extremely informative and often funny too. I watch these while I eat lunch. It hopefully helps me stay straight at dinner time

http://nutritionfacts.org/?utm_source=N ... 3-23330797

Best - Michelle

[Greg63]

Yesterday, Day 32:
Breakfast: Rewarmed steam carrots and quinoa
Lunch: Wild and white rice mix, steamed broccoli, salad
Dinner: 1 macadamia and white chocolate chip cookie, 2 glasses wine.

fitbit steps: ?, Weight: 240.2.

Dinner, if you can call it that, generously, was clearly not on plan. However, what I am just connecting the dots on is I was craving sweet food, so fruit would have been a much healthier choice, of which I have plenty in the fridge, and would have been, I expect, more satisfying. Need to keep the off plan food out of the house, plain and simple.

[Greg63]

Thanks, Michelle, for the link to Dr Greiger, I have heard/watched some of his talks before! So thank you for that. I was surprised to see that the Instant Pot was available in Europe via their website in the UK and through Amazon, and I love kitchen gadgets, but really looking forward to increased time saved and more delicious food!

[Greg63]

Yesterday, Day 33:
Breakfast: Rewarmed steam carrots and quinoa
Lunch: salad, steamed broccoli with quinoa and brown basmati rice and chick peas
Snack: sliced mango
Dinner: brown basmati rice, quinoa, chick peas, and tomato sauce

fitbit steps: 8.2k, Weight: 241.4.

Much better eating day, workday was reallllllllllllllllllllllllllly long, but I survived. Hope today will be a bit easier.

[Greg63]

I've been absent from here, posting and updating, but working the plan. Made a few tweaks to the diet, and mostly all is pretty well. I seem to have discovered that the daily weighing and recording is not helpful, it actually seems to keep me where I don't want to be. So, I was delighted when I was inspired to jump on the scale this morning and see that I am under 240! Woooooooo-hoooooooooooo! 238.6! Next stop, under 230!