Tara's journal

[woods38]

weight: 185.2
Day 1
I'm going to do it this time. I'm going to stick to this starch based plan. I want to make a permanent change in my weight and my health. I don't quite know how I'm going to achieve this but one step at a time. Today I will just focus on getting through today. I'll deal with the obstacles as they arise. I'm going to avoid bread, crackers, popcorn and other dry foods. I will eat whole wheat pasta so this won't be quite MWL but I don't think that the pasta will be a problem. I'm not going to give up coffee or tea either. I'm feeling hopefull. I going to try to have faith in myself.

[f1jim]

I admire your resolve in making these changes. Resolve, however, won't usually get you on the right track. Your "deal with it one step at a time" method rarely works. You have to lay the groundwork for this program to be successful. Have you cleared out the non-plan food from the house? Have you stocked up on only healthy foods? Have you thought about and made plans for when you are not home?
When you have those answers you will be prepared for what comes along next. If you have the tools you can't help but succeed.
Good luck
f1jim

[woods38]

Thanks for giving me something to think about f1Jim.

I have cleared out the off plan foods except for the foods my dh and dd will eat. I am going to the grocery store today with a list in hand. I need to plan some easy meals that are delicious and quick. I also need to cook ahead so that there is always food ready for me to eat when I get hungry and am rushing about. As for going out, I rarely eat out due to some very serious food allergies so thats not much of a problem. I usually take along food for myself when I go out to family gatherings and when I go to work. The problem that I have is taking enough food with me. I will think that I'm taking enough only to be hungry later and tempted to eat off plan.

[woods38]

Day 2
182.8
I recovered very well from the beer and chip fest of the previous night. Day 1 I was tired, sluggish, and bloated. Day 2 I woke up feeling much better. I had a clear head and a positive outlook. Lots of water and sleep helped too.

Yesterday's food:
3 bowls oatmeal with blueberries
rice and mixed peppers
whole wheat pasta with broccoli
baked potato slices (had to share those with hungry family )
banana
pineapple slices

Today-so far:
Coffee
Oatmeal with strawberries
Roasted potatoes (again made enough to share)
Quinoa salad with chickpeas and veg over greens
Boiled taters for an afternoon snack
Apple
Tangerine
Not sure what I'm having for dinner but I have leftover rice at home.

I'm grateful for all of the wonderful support I'm getting here.

My dd looked at what I was cooking today and said "what's with all the potatoes?" I told her that I was on the McDougall plan and it's a starch based diet. She agreed that potatoes are our favorite starch. I know that by my making healthier foods and healthier choices it will affect my family in a positive way.

[woods38]

Day 3
182.8
Yesterday went well for the most part. I had good energy all day at work. My DD made muffins while I was at work. She took care to make them vegan but didn't realize that I don't want to eat oil either. I came home and she gave me a muffin. I quizzed her about what was in it, she glared at me and then my other dd stepped in and said lets split one. So I ate 1/2 a muffin. Not on plan but I didn't want to hurt my DD feelings. I think that I will talk more to her about what I am trying to do. Also, buy her non-stick muffin (silicone) muffin cups and find some acceptable recipes. She is a sweetheart that likes to bake. She was also trying to take a break from homework, get her mind off the guy who was saying that the world was going to end while she was home alone, and not think about her grandma in the hospital. We went to visit grandma and she is doing O.K. for now.

I did great at dinner. I made pizza for the family and potato pizzas for me. I liked the way they turned out. I will make them again. I found an easy recipe for fat free pizza sauce and made it in 5 mins. in the morning. Let it sit in the fridge until dinner and then used it. It was pretty good. A little too spicy for my DD but that's OK. It helps to have alternatives for what I'm used to eating. My older DD was interested in them. She asked if they were good. I know if I persevere I can be a good influence on my family.

[woods38]

Day 4
182.8
Yesterday was an emotional day. I had a stressfull morning. Things didn't go the way I wanted them to. I napped. I got through it.

On the positive side, I went to a Best Buddies function with my DD. It was a group walk. We all walked for 1 mile in a nice park. The speaker was great! She was an adult with downs syndrome and she had a great personality, a great speech, and she taught us a song in sign language. I wasn't very good at the signs. It's harder than I thought. It was a great day for a walk.

I made strawberry "ice cream" and it turned out great. Who knew that frozen strawberries and a banana could turn out like a great soft serve in minutes. I ate it in the sun, on the deck.

My food was good:
rice with apples and a shredded carrot
potato slices
whole wheat spagetti with mushrooms and fat free sauce
quinoa salad on a green salad
strawberry "ice cream"

I slept well last night. No weird dreams. The night before I was dreaming about cheese. Huge chunks of cheddar. LOL.

[woods38]

Day 5
180.8

I was helping my college dd move out of her apartment and into a new apartment yesterday. That involved hours of carrying boxes up and down flights of stairs. It was tiring but good exercise. I'm not even sore today.

I brought my lunch and shared with my dd. I made sweet and sour rice that turned out pretty good.

My other dd gave me a pretzel bagel yesterday and I was hungry so I mindlessly ate it. It was delicious but I am trying to stay away from bread because it's not really filling. Oh well, no biggie, it was low-fat anyway.

My dh and I have been having a difference of opinion and it feels crappy and stressful. I will not let it derail me. I will not eat chips or cheese or anything else of the sort. I need to take care of myself.

[woods38]

Day 6
181.8
I lied to myself. I did let that fight derail me. I did eat crackers and cheese after having a beer. Feeling king of angry at myself for drinking and eating off plan.
I did have some great potato pizzas for lunch yesterday though.
I'm up this morning having a big glass of water and a banana. Hopefully I will take better care of myself today.

[woods38]

Day 7
Struggling to stay on track. Breads are creeping back into my diet.
Busy at home rearranging furniture and getting ready for a party.

[woods38]

183.4

Got busy for a few days. My dd graduated from college! Yes!

I had a party for her at my home. I served no mayo, no fat, potato salad, watermelon, hummus and veggies, big salad and pizza for everyone who wouldn't be happy without it. The potato salad didn't disappear but people tried it and some liked it. I could have stayed on plan, I planned on staying on plan, but I did eat pizza. .

I need to tighten things up starting today. No more party mentality where anything goes. No more slowly killing myself. I'm putting a string bracelet on my wrist to remind me of the promises I made to myself. I will do better.

Today is off to a great start. I have a Jeff N. SNAP meal on the stove and some extra rice for later. Going shopping with my younger dd. We are going to have some fun!

[woods38]

So, i'm going to stop weighing myself daily and just focus on eating the right foods and moving a bit. I set a goal of losing 10 lbs. by July 4th for myself. I am going to stick really close to the plan and stop cheating myself of good results.I ate really well today and I exercised for 30 mins. this morning. I did a magazine workout. It was O.K. I made Mike Teehan's corn chowder today. I liked it. Yesterday I made the "fried" rice. I liked that too. I didn't care for broccoli mashed in my potatoes. It was worth trying. I ended up with green potatoes that smelled funny. LOL. My dd asked to take potato slices with her to school because she didn't have time for breakfast at home. I gladly provided them. My dh took fried rice in his lunch yesterday. I'm having a positive impact on my family and am really happy about it.

[woods38]

I'm sticking really close to the plan. I'm very happy about that.
Work has been busy! Barely time to eat. Thankfully, the meals I've been packing have been really filling and satisfying.
I haven't felt to tempted lately either. I found time to exercise and the will to do it yesterday and the day before that. Today I've just been doing lots of cleaning and laundry. It's moving and light exercise hauling laundry up and down stairs and vacuuming floors.

Home life has been kind of stressfull but I'm hanging in. My dad is sick again. I hope that he doesn't end up in the hospital. I wish that he would take better care of himself.

[woods38]

Had a stressfull week but made it through on plan.
I am going to the store today to find some different whole grains and starches. I've been living on corn, potatoes, and rice as my starches. I'm easily bored so today I made barley for a barley salad. I will pick up some quinoa, buckwheat, maybe squash to add some variety to my meals. It's working for me not to weigh myself and just focus on my new lifestyle rather than just weight loss. I have life to focus on, my weight will take care of itself. I'm feeling thinner, less bloated despite the fact that I use salt, soy sauce, ketchup and musturd as seasonings.
The chickpea/spinach burgers I made this week were great thanks to the recipe I found in the food/recipe section. My dh liked them too. He loves spinach and I love a good veggie burger.