Nomikins is BACK

[nomikins]

Hey folks, I'm back. One heck of a slide since April (maybe even before). The good news is I didn't regain too much, but the bad is that I got rid of all my old summer clothes, and the new ones *just* fit when I bought them back in early April when I went shopping for a vacation. I was beginning to strut around in size 10s, but I'm back in a 14. There is no way I'm starting a path down this road again.

We took a two week vacation, and while we rented a house at the place we went (so I could cook some meals), there was a lot of vacation drinking, and that means poor food choices after the buzz kicks in. Unfortunately, that mindset remained after we returned. Then, lots of going out to eat (vegetarian always, but soooo not vegan nor McD compliant). And yummy IPA.

I also had some type of bronchitis thing for about three weeks (it's going around...), so I did not run/exercise. Up many nights coughing convulsively for hours made for a terrible morning most days. That's been gone for a while, thankfully.

So, I have my taters cooked up, pot of black beans/corn/tomatoes, spicy collard greens, soup, gorgeous summer squashes, cukes, tomatoes, etc., and a week's worth of steel cut oats all cooked up.

Hubby is back on board as well (he's getting a gut again). We are going all out for the next ten days, McD style.

I hesitated to post, because then I'm accountable! OMG! But, reading over my journal from last October, I really burned it up by posting daily, and sometimes multiple times per day. I received and gave support. It does make a difference.

Here I am, so let's rock and roll!

[nomikins]

Well, I just did some math and realized, whoa, I regained 14 pounds from my recent low. Yeah, that's why I'm up two sizes. Hello!

My hubby and I met for coffee on the way to work, and I'm happy that I did not get anything from the hot bar, pastry case, prepared foods, etc., at Whole Foods. Just a cup of coffee. I even surprised myself.

Got to work and ate my yummalicious steel cut oats. Off to a good restart.

[kittyadventures]

Hi Nomikins,
Welcome back.

i am shaking the pom poms for you!

And you will be back to a size ten in no time.


Alll so Yay for black beans... They are my all time favorite.

[Chile]

Welcome back, Nomikins! I've had trouble with that slippery slope, too. There simply are not shoes with enough traction to keep from sliding down it once started. It galls me to think I am still heavier now than I was years ago when I remember plateauing for months and being really unhappy about it.

However, once I truly committed to being back on track, it's amazing how well it's gone. The only setback I had to continuous weight loss was when I made an overly salty, really tasty dish that I ate (um, overate...) for several days. Even that, though, was a temporary setback (and gain) that I was able to overcome pretty quickly once I realized what was going on.

For you, dare I say it seems that alcohol would be a good thing to eliminate or at least set absolute rules about quantity? If it's the first step onto the slippery slope, it may have to be tossed over the side.

Your McDougall foods sound delicious! Hope you are back to your running routine and enjoying it. (I, unfortunately, am off the half-marathon training track as my heel is giving me fits.) It won't be long until you're strutting around in your size 10's again and looking at shopping for 8's.

[nomikins]

Chile, yes, limiting the brewskis is the way to go. I told hubby that it would be good to just take a break for a couple of weeks and reset the meter. We've been watching Ice Road Truckers on netflix for the past month or so and we have been drinking a couple of beers each night while watching. Then the salty snacking starts. Going to reassociate with NOT drinking/snacking.

It's soo easy to "justify" different actions and behaviours, really just to fall into a rut. As caregivers to my husband's dad with Alzheimer's Disease, our stress with that has us taking the easy way out more often than not. Then, I feel even more stress because I'm not caring for myself. Round and round the wheels go...

So, Chile, sorry you are having those heel issues. I am signed up for a marathon in November, so it would be good to get my mileage base built back up and then actually train properly!

[Loveskale]

Hello, Nomikins, welcome back! That dish sounds DELICIOUS!

[Mrs. Doodlepunk]

Hay, Nom! I think of you every time I walk past the collard greens. I still can't eat them unless they are finely chopped and hidden in something else. I do broccoli and spinach though. Sugar peas are my latest favorite car food.

[nomikins]

MMM, collard greens. I have three bags in my freezer.

[Chile]

I hear you on thinking food and drink will comfort you when totally stressed. I did that all last year, substituting frappuccinos for the beer. Guess what? Didn't really help. Felt worse physically and mentally which, of course, increased the stress ... which led to even worse food choices. *sigh* You'd think we'd learn, but I think this is conditioning we've gotten from the whole food-centric, instant gratification society we live in.

A November marathon gives you plenty of time to get your mileage up. Enjoy the journey!

[nomikins]

Today's Food Log:

Breakfast

• coffee with coconut milk creamer
• steel cut oats with rehydrated plum slices, tablespoon of strawberry jam, soymilk

Lunch

• cuke,tomato,bell pepper and onion salad with 3-2-1 dressing
• black bean/corn/tomato/pepper medley
• cold steamed potato

Snack

• cold steamed potato

Dinner

• cuke,tomato, and onion salad with 3-2-1 dressing
• summer rolls made with spirooli zucchini, shiitake mushrooms, ume noodles, basil
• cold steel cut oats with 1T. maple syrup and a splash of soymilk and a sprinkle of cinnamon (sounds strange, but a bit like rice pudding in consistency!)

Gonna lay out my clothes tonight and get my feet on the street for a couple of miles tomorrow!

[sagegirl]

Welcome back, Nomikins.

[bunsofaluminum]

hey chick

I guess I didn't notice your absence here, since I see you once in awhile on FB...glad you're back. KEEP GOING and I mean it <<< fierce determination face.

((HUG)))

[Rosey]

welcome back. I'm new but old myself I was on the McDougall boards back when they were on Vegsource in fact that is where I went looking first when I came back to the McDougall Plan. I was so much healthier when I was on it before and plan on getting there again. Already healthier then I was when I started back on it.

[nomikins]

Thanks for stopping by, friends old and new! Looking forward to sharing the journey as it continues.

Yesterday was great - I stuck with the program and ate all on plan food. Yay me.

I am going to be a busy lady today. LOTS to do at work (I'm in healthcare IT, working for a Fortune 16 company - good to have a nice job, let me tell you). FIL needs to be taken to the doctor again - 2nd time in about as many weeks. He is complaining of back pain, but then gets "macho" and says it's ok, but we see him wincing when he moves in certain ways. Doc said it may be related to other neck/spine issues, but this pain is where his left kidney appears to be. Yesterday, FIL had two bathroom accidents - urine only, but still.... I'm only 43, I didn't think I'd be doing this so early in my life. My FIL is 85 and has Alzheimer's. He attends adult daycare five days a week, and we have evening and weekend caregivers to assist as well. So far, FIL can stay in his home, and for that we are thankful. We were paying over $5000 a month for MIL's assisted living facility, and it was mediocre at best. She passed away last June. She had advanced dementia so bad that she could not safely stay in the home any longer.

OK... so I am NOT going to react to stress today with beer and fried, salty, cheesy stuff. All my meals are prepped and planned for today. I'm trying to make a rice cooker paella of sorts and will add tomatoes I've had slow roasting since I got up this morning. It's a play on the tomato paella recipe that Mark Bittman did in the NYT a few years ago. My gawd, it's crazy good. Now I'm modifying to make it McDougall compliant. It's still going to be crazy good - how could it not be with tomatoes in season!

Breakfast

• coffee with 1 T. coconut milk creamer
• steel cut oats, stewed dried plums, soymilk

Lunch

• beans and greens
• cold steamed spud

Snack

• cold steamed spud

Dinner

• Rice cooker paella with slow roasted tomatoes
• steamed baby pattypan squash (which is in the steamer basket on top of the rice)
• cuke and vidalia onion salad with 3-2-1 dressing

Snack

• homemade pineapple sorbet (google it on fatfree vegan kitchen blog - ridiculously easy to make

I'll try to check in with y'all later. Wish me luck today! I'm going to need it.

[Chile]

Good luck with your busy and stressful schedule today, Nomikins! Having all your food pre-prepared is really smart. I intend to do that but usually only get so far as trying to make sure there are leftovers. LOL