141 by 41 Journal

[Joe927]

I have the same experience with potato chips. I can only eat baked chips not, the full fat version are like drinking salty oil. I think you have been doing a great job with all the stress. I'm looking forward to seeing your losses in February!

[Becky]

DD birthday was this weekend and anyone with a teenage daughter can understand the drama a group of teenage girls can create!

Oh can I ever! I have four daughters (all adults now). The first two are a year apart with birthdays one day apart. So, the year they turned 13 and 14, I decided to have a combined slumber party for them and they were allowed to invite every girl in their class (small school - one class each for 7th and 8th graders). Well, what was I thinking?!?!?! Talk about drama!!

[141 by 41]

Becky WHOA!! You are FAR MORE braver than I!!!! Can't even imagine that!! You definitely get SUPER MOM award!

Joe927 Isn't it just the oddest thing though??? I really don't remember fries tasting like that --- and I used to eat them enough to know too! When did *THAT* happen!?!?! Could it be they tasted like that all along and I was just oblivious????

[141 by 41]

Tired and heavy. Those are the two adjectives that apply for me today. My body seems to be really heavy (not fat) today as if the gravitational pull is just a little more for some reason. It takes just a little more effort to pull the feet off the ground to walk. I'm feeling healthy inside and mentally clear -- just too much gravity today!

Spring fever is growing every day. Today there is blue sky and sunshine which drives the fever up even more. I'd love to go out and have a long bike ride! Of course, I'm not going very far from my heater -- it's only 30 degrees outside and I GREATLY GREATLY dislike being cold. But the desire to go for a long walk or bike ride or hike and have a picnic is HUGE.

No stop at the grocery this weekend and so the cupboards are getting pretty skimpy. I haven't an idea what's for dinner tonight and lunch is just what's leftover from yesterday's snacks. Planning makes things run so much smoother!

[Letha]

I agree with you. Planning makes everything run so much smoother. Sounds like you need to hit the supermarket. How about a big pot of chili for a cold winter day?
Letha

[141 by 41]

That sounds wonderful !! Thank you!

[Becky]

Becky WHOA!! You are FAR MORE braver than I!!!! Can't even imagine that!! You definitely get SUPER MOM award!

Probably super crazy mom award, haha!!

[141 by 41]

Lots of thoughts going through this ol' head of mine today. There are times I must agree with DD - sometimes I just think too much!

So here's some of the thoughts and maybe you've had them too?

How thin would be too thin?
Every body is different. My friend wants to get down to 150 pounds and she's 5'2". Another wants to get down to 200 pounds and he's 5'10". I wonder if my expectation/desire to get down to (ultimately) 130 pounds is just unrealistic. Yes, I've weighed that much steadily for many years ... many years ago. But if everyone else's desired weights are 30-40 pounds of ideal - am I setting myself up for disappointment? But then again, why should I be fatter than I want to be just because everyone else is? If that's the point, then I might as well stay where I am and fit in with "average". UGH - I really hate "average" ... neither good nor bad, stuck on the fence.

Can I do the 10K in August? How many 5Ks should I do before then?
Now, I'm doing my treadmill almost every day and sticking with it. There are even moments that the playful kid in me desires to run and I unleash it for about a minute - then the fat adult starts sucking wind and has to stop. When I was a kid, I used to fly. If I was going somewhere, I was running to it. There were no other kids that could run as fast or as long as I could. Sadly, "COOL" teenage years snuffed that out and I'm just NOW beginning to administer CPR. So, I think I'm going to do the 10K in August and have invited my siblings to join in. As of yet, it's all quiet there.

Why is it when I don't do anything about my health, my loved ones are insistent that I do something and when I do something, my loved ones are so resistant?
Am I taking too much time away from them? I don't think so --- treadmill is done before anyone is awake and I'm back about 10 minutes after they get out of bed, lifting (evening stuff) is done with DF and I've tried to recruit DD but no success there yet. I keep doing what I'm doing 'cause I want to get to where I want to be.

And Biggest Loser last night! I'm SO DARN happy that Joelle is GONE!!! Shoulda done that weeks ago! But seeing the silver "team" and I made a comment that OUR (DF & me) "team" was just like that ... and it really is ... but oddly enough (:roll:) DF got offended. I probably could've applied a little more tack to the moment. But today, we're supposed to meet at the gym after work ... DF just sent an email bailing out AGAIN. Hmmmm .... reminds me of something I just watched .......

All of these (and MORE) are rumbling through my head. I'm not trying to get answers - just getting some room cleared inside. As for my food, water and exercise ... I'm right on target and it's getting easier every day!

[Becky]

So here's some of the thoughts and maybe you've had them too?

How thin would be too thin?
Every body is different. My friend wants to get down to 150 pounds and she's 5'2". Another wants to get down to 200 pounds and he's 5'10". I wonder if my expectation/desire to get down to (ultimately) 130 pounds is just unrealistic. Yes, I've weighed that much steadily for many years ... many years ago. But if everyone else's desired weights are 30-40 pounds of ideal - am I setting myself up for disappointment? But then again, why should I be fatter than I want to be just because everyone else is? If that's the point, then I might as well stay where I am and fit in with "average". UGH - I really hate "average" ... neither good nor bad, stuck on the fence.

Yes, I have had thoughts along these lines, too! Here's what I finally concluded for myself: Eating this way is not a temporary thing. I plan to eat like this for the rest of my life. I do not intend to deprive myself or go hungry. If I limit the richer foods that are okay on the regular McDougall plan, and eat to my fill with all the remaining foods there are to choose from, then at some point my body will be at the right weight for me. That might be different for somebody else, even if we are the same height and eat the same foods. When I changed my diet 3 months ago to improve my cholesterol, I ended up dropping 15 pounds (as of today). I expect that at some point in the very near future I will level off and my weight will become a constant.

Becky

[Letha]

I find journaling a great way to get my thoughts to settle down. Right now I’m obsessing about the inherent sodium content of various whole foods. Next week it will be something else. Regarding loved ones, Douglas Lisle, author of ‘The Pleasure Trap’ has some interesting suggestions for dealing with other people’s reactions to your healthy lifestyle. He divides them up into two groups. People who really don’t understand what you’re doing or why, and those who understand but for some reason are unable to do what they know is the healthy thing themselves. The second group of people will try to get you to ‘take just one bite’ and otherwise undermine you, because by making these healthy choices you change your status and their status and they feel threatened. The way to avoid conflict is to emphasize things that give them status and deemphasize things that give you status. He used the example of his brother-in-law and how he tried to give him status by asking him to tell stories about successful career experiences. I just watched this DVD yesterday which is probably why it came to my mind. Anyway, I hope you are having a good weekend.
Letha

[141 by 41]

Becky, Thank you for stopping by and sharing. Weigh ( ) to go on the weight loss! I want to believe that by eating healthy my weight will naturally come to rest where it should be -- would nice to get there sooner!

Letha, It's always nice to see your comments. My wannabe supporters definitely fall into the second group - they know EXACTLY why I'm doing this, completely support the IDEA of it but don't actually do it themselves and ... hey ... just a little won't really count! Oh but we all know "a little" isn't really so little.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read a book this weekend. It's called "Half-Assed" by Jennette Fulda. Ms. Fulda lost over half her body weight (from 372 to 180) and chronicles it in her book. It was a good weekend read and there were some sentences that rang particularly true for me but on the whole much vague (intentionally done) about the specifics. I could understand her reasoning (one size does not fit all) but at the same time, I think there should've been a little more of the "how" just to give others ideas to try. If you have some spare time, it's worthy a read but not much "diet" or "exercise" information to glean.

As for me ... well, things are going ... food is still real and healthy, water by liters going down ... exercise ... well, not so much this last week. Out of the 5 days, I did manage 2. This week will be better as soon as I can breathe - suffering through allergies at the moment.

[Becky]

Hope your allergies are settling down and you are breathing easier now!

Take care,
Becky

[141 by 41]

It's been quite the week for me. I've been sick. DD has been sick. DF & I are fighting like rabid wolverines. Big "issues" at work (I still have a job). And the cherry on top ... found out this week my Dad has cancer.

Now if THAT isn't enough for a run to the liquor store AND chocolates galore!!!!

But I can't even seem to manage to wallow in booze and chocolates. Those stores seem so far away and I just can't find the energy to go to them.

I can manage to nuke sweet potatoes ... have gone through about 12 of them already. Also am capable of sticking salad in a bowl. My breakfast oatmeal is made every day but so far we just stare at each other all morning.

Today's the first day this week that I've hauled my backside outside for some fresh air and a couple of walks. My ambition is to do that again later this afternoon and then a really long one after work. Walking clears my head and makes the world disappear --- absolutely adore walking. I seriously wonder how far I could go if I didn't have time limits. I think of Forrest Gump and his running from coast-to-coast. Yeah, I think I could do that.

Been able to stick with eating real food when I eat, drinking my water when I drink but for exercise that's really tanked this week. I'm managing the best I can --- "tomorrow" will be better, I'm sure.

And as for my mental health .... I've got "Pocketful of Sunshine" by Natasha Bedingfield running in a loop. Music soothes as much as walking.

[sksamboots]

I think all you can do, is the best you can: good job staying on track food wise!

[141 by 41]

Spent all day yesterday in Dad's hospital room. He got a blood infection from the biopsy procedure and was rushed into the emergency room/hospital with complications. We told the hospital he was VEGAN (as in NO animal products at all) and for breakfast they brought him french toast, scrambled eggs, yogurt and fat free milk. Hmmmmm .... WHAT part were we unclear for you?!?!?!?!!!

This week has really, REALLY tanked for exercise. I did manage 90 minutes of walking on Wednesday but with everything else going on, haven't done anything else. Food staple has been sweet potatoes -- such a lifesavers at times. I microwave about 6 of them in the morning (sliced like fries), pop them in a container and I know I have something to eat whenever I feel like eating. It isn't the most variety of eating but I'm so very happy I'm not wallowing in chocolate and I am functioning a bit better than when my beloved grandma passed away 4 months ago.

Seems like I was just getting out of that fog when this new round of things are happening. At least I'm eating better with this round of upset --- last time it was nothing but chocolate, pints of ice cream and all the beer I could afford. What a waste of money and what a mess I was. Trying not to do a repeat performance this time.

Focus for this week:

EXERCISE! Movin' the body to get those good hormones/chemicals rushing around my system. Planning to move a bunch today before going to the hospital.

Food, of course, will be more sweet potatoes today and maybe I can swing wildly and put some broccoli into the eating today as well!

And water, water, water, water -- doing pretty good with that. It makes for a good 'pause' .... something upsetting to deal with, drink a few swallows of water, breathing between the swallows and then deal with the upset. It seems to be a good thing to put as many 'pauses' as I can into the moments that seem to be going 1000000 mph.