I've lost count of how many times I have restarted....

[bunsofaluminum]

I'm trying to keep this lighter than I'm actually feeling about all of this. Kind of a fake it until you make it type situation.


PS. Non-food related things I did that I think I am going to regret....dying my hair blue (not all of it, just the tips). LOL, possibly not my best look. Thankfully it's an easy fix.

Do I ever know how that feels! I was absent here when you were active in 2013, but I could title my journal very similarly to yours. This time around, I'm journaling even though my head isn't in the game at all. It has done me worlds of good to keep track of my menus, and yes the support here is terrific, as always!

welcome back, Amandamechele

PS cool! blue tips!

[Mark Cooper]

My heart goes out to you, Amy! You have provided such great support to all of us in the MWL group, if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. Sending you best wishes and support!

[amandamechele]

Kathy, Lindsey, Qwerty, Idgie, Buns and Mark, Thank you for extending your hands to me, after this fall. I appreciate it.


Idgie, I hear you. It can feel very discouraging. Thankfully, over time, I have found that sticking my head in the sand for too long (meaning procrastinating) when I am off track actually feels worse, so I eventually I get back up and give it another real go. If people give this plan and all of the accompanying suggestions a real chance I think they will see it just works better. Not always easily, but on average much better and thus it makes sense to just keep trying. I've gotten good at not eating eggs, but I'm still work on keeping it off of my face. Hee hee.
I missed your post about feeling discouraged, I hope you are doing okay. XO.

Buns - It's encouraging to hear how much journalling has been helping you. We can fake it 'til we make it together; maybe even try a few of Amy Cuddy's power poses. I'm still unsure about the blue tips, they are not my regular style. I kind of look like a Steller's Jay.

Here is what I ate today:




Extras: Decaf green tea - 2 pots

Today I am grateful to be finished that rice dish... 4 days in a row is enough! LOL

[moonlight]

Hi Amy,

I wanted to express my support to you. I'm sorry to hear about the tragic situation. I hope things have improved and you've been able to get to a better place. Slip ups happen. Your dedication to your own happiness and well-being will get you back on track. Try not to look back but take each day as the day you want to be healthy. I've been re-reading Eckhart Tolle's book The Power of Now. One of the things that struck me was his comment that he rarely thinks about the past or the future. I think we can self-sabotage ourselves if we dwell on past mistakes about eating.

Here are some activities that I've used to distract myself from those cravings (that always come after indulging off plan) we know and love for their ability to build strong resolve!
Go brush your teeth (this one really works!)
Manicure your nails
Watch healthy videos
Reread inspiring books
Brush the dog's coat
Take a shower (this one really works!)
Zentangle
Exercise - walk, row, do sit-ups, jumping jacks
Play loud music and dance (this one really works)

Those are my favorites... I keep an index card next to my 'spot' on the couch.

BTW, I love your pictures. I think another strategy when tempted to eat off plan, is to take a picture of the tempting food then look at it from the picture. I'm going to try this.

[amandamechele]

Hi Moonlight - XO. I think you are right: it's all about good attitude and good gratitude. I think I have that Eckart Tolle book laying around here somewhere; my husband has read it. Maybe I'll check it out. How are you finding it? I love your list of distracting-activities...my favourite, from your list, is to dance around the house when I'm doing the cleaning and cooking, and a close second is to listen to podcasts and watch lectures. I have not heard of zentangles before...that looks fun (I am, very much, not artistically adept. Maybe I'll try to do a Mandelbrot zentangle...LOL). Oh and the brushing your teeth thing is a good one too! I have done that too, and sometimes it does the trick. Thank you.

Here is what I ate today:




Extras: 2 pots decaf green tea.
The soup is lentil-barley (it's hard to tell because all of the good stuff sunk to the bottom).

Exercise: 10 flights of stairs (because every little bit counts )

[Suey51]

Sending you big hugs and lots of love xx

[bunsofaluminum]

Ooh that pomegranate looks SO GOOD and they're only $1.00 at the closest store...

but all your food pics are terrific...actually quite inspiring as well.

Now let's talk about zentangle my favorite/only hobby. Google it and find the original zentangle.com for a glimpse into the method. It was developed specifically for people who feel like they have no artistic talent. I started out with none myself, and have developed into quite the creative Non-genius

It's an amazing, rather life changing stress relief practice that I have done almost every single day for over four years. Their motto "Anything is possible, one stroke at a time" is so true.

anyway. Don't let me get started. It's currently my favorite activity and I could go on about it for a long, long time.

My blog TangleOoh

[amandamechele]

Thanks Sue. I hope you are doing well.

Buns - Thanks. When I googled zentangles I came across the site that you mentioned. I'll take a better look at it, as it sounds interesting. But, truly, even my hand writing is a shambles, LOL. As a lefty, I've always managed to smear the pen ink or smudge the pencil or chalk when writing. There may be no hope for me. What kinds of patterns do you draw? Is it limited to repeating patterns? Have you kept all 4 years worth? You could wallpaper a room with your own drawings, how amazing that would be! With regards to the pomegranates... I love them and they are on sale where I am too, so I foresee many more in the near future.

Here is what I ate today:






Extras: 1 pot decaf green tea

Exercise: 13 flights of stairs

[amandamechele]

Here is what I ate today:







Additionally: 1 pot decaf green tea, some sparkling water

[moonlight]

Yum! Thanks for posting! BTW, what is the sauce with your apple?

[amandamechele]

Hi Moonlight - I hope you are having a good week! That sauce is actually mixed-berry sorbet. We were visiting my husband's cousins and they were kind enough to create an all compliant dessert spread for us all to enjoy (which consisted of cut apples and the sorbet). So super nice of them. It is just a bag of mixed berries blended in a blender (when I am at home I tend to add a banana to make it creamier...but the tart cold berries complimented the sweet apples in a very lovely way).

Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast: Oatmeal, cinnamon and 1 tsp of brown sugar

Lunch: Baked potatoes with dried chives, low sodium BBQ sauce, romaine lettuce, carrots and cherry tomatoes, 1 pomegranate

Dinner: Lentil-barley soup, chana masala, brown rice, sprout/bok choy/onion stir fry (seasoned with soy sauce/hot sauce) and cantaloupe

And a little more soup...

Additionally: 2 pots decaf green tea

Exercise: I don't know if this counts, but I played Just Dance with the kids. Heck, I'm counting it.

[bunsofaluminum]

Thanks Sue. I hope you are doing well.

Buns - Thanks. When I googled zentangles I came across the site that you mentioned. I'll take a better look at it, as it sounds interesting. But, truly, even my hand writing is a shambles, LOL. As a lefty, I've always managed to smear the pen ink or smudge the pencil or chalk when writing. There may be no hope for me. What kinds of patterns do you draw? Is it limited to repeating patterns? Have you kept all 4 years worth? You could wallpaper a room with your own drawings, how amazing that would be! With regards to the pomegranates... I love them and they are on sale where I am too, so I foresee many more in the near future.

Truly, the cool thing about it is there are no mistakes. In fact, the starter kit that Zentangle.com sells doesn't even come with an eraser. (I use one, though. Because...mistakes!) Some people have really fine straight linework, some people create rougher images. Across the board people's style improves over time. I look at some of my first pieces and just but of course, I also look at some current stuff and go One of the weirdest aspects of zentangle is that you use smaller pieces of paper called tiles, that are 3.5x3.5. To store them, I have a three ring binder with protective sleeves that take nine cards that size. But I also have sketchbook after sketchbook of larger works, practice time, and notes. Yeah, I could paper my bedroom with zentangle art LOL

But it's pretty cool to get that three ring binder out and look at stuff from years ago. The sketchbooks too. I'll do a piece and not like it at all. Give it a couple of weeks and WOW! did I do THAT! It's funny, I've always been a word person. Journals and typewriters and letters. But anymore, it's very taken up with paper and ink images. Right brain activity. As for repetitive patterns...it depends. A pattern that is on a grid, you could just take the elements within ONE square of the grid. Or, a more random pattern, you could put it on a grid and repeat it.

It's relaxing and stress-relieving. Addictive, really. Some days I feel literally like I need a fix. A really good place to find lots of blogs is http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com It is a weekly challenge that lots of people participate in, and you can click into their blogs or their flickr or pinterest accounts and see so much inspirational stuff.

K that's enough now! ha! told you I could go on forever. And yes, I will be buying pomegranates today. The looks too scrumptious.

[amandamechele]

Buns - You weren't kidding...LOL...I can feel the zentangle love! It's a bit late, so I'll chat tomorrow some more.

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, cinnamon, 1 tsp brown sugar


Snack: Cherry and grape tomatoes, carrots


Lunch: Dinner leftovers including lentil-barley soup, bok-choy/sprout stir fry, chana and white rice (because someone ate the brown rice!!! I'm not complaining, it's just that that never happens) and grapes.


Dinner: Potatoes, mustard and raspberries



Not on plan:

This juice is what I drink when I have a UTI - I apologize, I know that's probably too much sharing, but I made an agreement with myself that I would post everything I ate or drank, and felt this needed a bit of an explanation. I will be drinking the whole litre diluted twice over, over the next day or so.
Additionally: 1 pot decaf green tea
Exercise: 23 flights of stairs

[amandamechele]

Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, 1 tsp brown sugar, cranberry juice and decaf tea


Snack: Yesterday's leftover carrots


Lunch: Old crunchy/soggy white rice (YUM!), chana masala, sprout and bok choy stir fry, one gigantic pomelo.


Dinner: Chana masala, fresh brown rice, spinach, baby tomatoes, cucmber and snap peas


Snack: purple potatoes, salt


Additionally: 2 pots decaf green tea
Exercise: 23 flights of stairs

[f00die]

i like your journal
someone who keeps coming back
thanks for sharing