100% Compliant September Challenge

[StarchBeet]

I can join you in that challenge Chile . I just organized the shelf with cans of beans and my grains. I have many frozen bags ready for SNAP meals and with these supplies I should get good at doing them soon. I am like you though, Chile, in that I enjoy learning and thinking about, as well as tinkering over food. I may get that Neal Barnard book about breaking addictions, or something like that.

I hope to continue to slowly march (or quickly if I could ever stay focused and not be pulled in a thousand different directions from everything)towards ideal weight, chile, and to find much inspiration from you along the way!

[Chile]

Glad to hear it, StarchBeet. Be advised, though, that I will not be posting here nearly as much this month. I'm doing a pantry challenge elsewhere and posting there instead.

[StarchBeet]

I suppose its best not to post here for some strange reason. Maybe I'll join you in that one.

[to_our_health]

Just coming up for air and checking in quickly! This has been a really bad week in terms of my both schedule and also some unexpected stressful news about my hubby's job.

I have been doing well with my meals but due to the stress in my life I find myself tempted to eat sweets and snacks after and between meals. I don't have any out-and-out junk food in the house and I won't buy any, but there are nuts and dried fruit which I have dipped into a couple of times. And bread (plan-approved oil-free bread, but still....). Also popcorn which I guess is okay. I have learned a lot from this about what my Achilles heel is. It isn't failure to plan. It's wanting to eat other things in addition to my healthy meals, for the pleasure and comfort of it. At the moment I am trying to manage it by choosing fresh fruit, popcorn, leftovers, etc. when I can't resist the urge to snack or have a treat. I need to work on this some more. I have been doing really well for several months; it's just that the urges are stronger right now. I am seeing it as a learning experience.

I will be away from my computer for most of the weekend, organizing a charity event. I plan to check in here tomorrow, but if I can't, I will visit on Sunday to read all the end-of-challenge comments and results and add my own.

Be well everybody!

Unless I missed it somewhere I don't think I've seen you online since this post? Sounds like you had your hands full between the charity event and your hubby's job news. I hope things are working out and we'll see you here soon...miss hearing "seeing" you here!

[Marla]

Unless I missed it somewhere I don't think I've seen you online since this post? Sounds like you had your hands full between the charity event and your hubby's job news. I hope things are working out and we'll see you here soon...miss hearing "seeing" you here!

Hi TOH! How nice of you to ask about me. I never came back and posted my results from this challenge, because a few days passed and it seemed like it was too late to bump the thread back up. But since it's up now....

August 31: 149 pounds
September 30: 142 pounds

So I managed to lose 7 pounds for the month, which I am pleased with. That brought me into the "normal" BMI range. I still need to lose another 22 pounds or so to be at an optimal weight (120 is a weight I haven't seen since 7th grade, so I'm not sure how easy it's going to be to get there!)

For the first 10 days of the challenge I used the CRON-o-meter to get an accurate picture of how my food choices were affecting the calorie density and nutrient density of my diet. I learned that eating a lot (50% by volume) of green and yellow vegetables, raw and cooked, along with my starches, helps me feel full and ensures that I get all the vitamins and minerals I need. So that is a habit I will stick with.

I also learned that going off plan, or even having a feast day with richer on-plan foods, can make me more susceptible to craving those foods for several days afterwards. I am not saying that I will never have another feast day, but I will be keeping them to a minimum because the struggle afterwards just isn't worth it.

So far in October I have only lost one more pound and am at 141 today. Life has become really hectic, mainly because I am now driving 120 miles a day, and this commute is happening at times that are disruptive to my exercise schedule. But I will persevere. I am still on track and will happy with slow and steady progress.

I did enjoy the challenge and got a lot out of it!

[StarchBeet]

I see a similar pattern in eating when I make something special or rich. I even felt that way when I was gorging on these most perfect summer time peaches, nectarines and tomatoes, etc. I can't wait till next years Civil War Century so I can find those fantastic summer bounties again, though.

See how easy it is to sabotage oneself? I am going up and down with about 5 pounds in the 150's. I'm sure if I were doing what so many on here are (which is daily exercise) that it wouldn't be so noticeable. I've been seeing that more raw veggie combinations and that "never-ending" salad bowl that you make, Marla, is how one can maintain. I dunno how to not make any excuses about exercise, but I always seem to have them. I'm juggling as fast as I can at the moment.

I'm trying not to take the upcoming ride too seriously and not get caught up in the numbers game, again. I'll just have to push myself as fast as I can go and plug along like a good tortoise.