Grit and Determination

[moonlight]

Thanks, Choufleur, for the encouraging words. I feel a little defeated today because yesterday did not go as planned. I started watching this TV show I've discovered and I watched way too many episodes! Another habit to binge on. Willpower is needed for way too many things these days - how do the youngsters do it?!? A whole TV series at your finger tips. OMG! I had plans to garden...

Enough ranting first thing in the morning! Onward! Today I plan to end my day planting broccoli and garlic, after I do some food prep and a little work sitting at my desk. Just finished reading the BDS Day 16 & 17 since I didn't read yesterday. My challenge today is to continue planning and recording my food intake. Yesterday was brutal for this task. Remember NO CHOICE when it comes to eating off plan. Remember my strategies to distract myself when cravings arise. I put my response cards in a plastic baggie so I can carry them around with me. Tonight I plan to try the challenge of having something on my plate that I don't plan to eat so I can strengthen my resistance muscle - exercise while eating!

Planned Eats:
B: spinach & mushroom sauté w/ corn grits
L: salad and 1/2 large sweet potato
D: chili w/ pumpkin and rice and salad
Snacks: carrots and celery, blueberries, apple

Actual Eats
B:
L: love those Japanese sweet potatoes!
D: rice and sautéed mushrooms and greens and red beans
Snacks: 1/2 sweet potato

Planned Exercise: gardening
Actual Exercise: gardening - got in broccoli and garlic before the rain

[bunsofaluminum]

I love this BDS you are following...training your brain for success in changing your dietary habits. I'm a bit familiar with cognitive behavioral therapy and have done a little bit of self-work using the principles, but it's been a LONG time. It makes sense that you'd be able to change your behaviors towards food, by changing your thinking. The "no choice" thing...brilliant!

Also, your brekkie sounds so yummy! So do the rest of your planned meals...enjoy!

[moonlight]

Hi Buns,
Thank you for the encouraging words! I'm just really hoping the BDS can help me change some bad habits. Such a slippery slope... I'm into it! I agree with the strategies Dr. Beck uses. NO CHOICE!!
This morning's saute' was so good I repeated it for dinner. I grew some awesome jalapenos. I've left them on the plant until they turn red - sweet and hot. I add the jalapeno in with the greens and mushrooms. Delicious!

[moonlight]

During the night I couldn't stay asleep. I ate canned corn, then about an hour later I had some grape nuts cereal, then about an hour later I had some canned mixed fruit. Sigh
This afternoon and tonight I kept craving something to eat. I wanted cheese or crackers or chocolate almond milk (my dearest brought some home yesterday...) I resisted all those things. I chose healthy food like the veggies w/ rice for dinner, then the potatoes as a snack. I don't think grape nuts cereal is MWL compliant but it is only whole wheat. It's a good crunchy snack for me.
I carried my BDS cards with me today. I kept remembering the NO CHOICE card I made and the "I want to be thin" card. I think it helped keep me on track today.
Planned Eats:
B:corn grits and veggies
L:beans, corn chowder, corn grits, and salad
D: chili w/ rice and salad
Snacks:

Actual Eats
B: did not eat any more this morning
L: cup of corn chowder and salad, beans and grits
D: rice, roasted tomatoes, greens & mushrooms
Snacks: potato, grape nuts cereal

Planned Exercise: 45 min on WaterRower
Actual Exercise:

[moonlight]

Friday - no meal planning - except to carry out plans from previous week. Finally made chili! Yay! For dinner I'll be having chili, rice, and coleslaw. Yum!

I went hiking this morning. Had a bowl of oatmeal before the hike. Then lunch out - grilled mushrooms and onions (oily) with plain baked potato and salad - no dressing . My friend ate the same thing, except she had butter and salad dressing. That was a first for her not to get hamburger and fries. I'd love to share this WOE with her but she really likes her animal products... Has several health issues. I think she feels like they are under control with medication, except for the weight issue...

Came home from hiking and did some gardening and sewing. Lots of energy today
Actual evening eats:
chili w/ rice, popcorn, banana, small serving of white pasta w/ white bean and basil pesto , & during the night 2 small fruit cups...

[bunsofaluminum]

those munchies sound like Aunt Flo is coming to visit...unless you're in menopause. But even then, it's still hormones that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Good on you, for choosing GrapeNuts though. I'm almost to the bottom of my current box. Time to go shopping! Love em. They are actually really good with apple juice, and that's non-fat so there is that.

[moonlight]

Buns, I'm past menopause but it was the munchies for sure! Thanks for the apple juice tip. They are a little dry on their own! I think grape nuts are not too bad, actually a lot better than chips or crackers for when I want that crunchy starchy munchie snack.

[moonlight]

Today's plan for meals:
B: Oatmeal
L: Potato salad
D: chili w/ rice & salad
Snacks: apple, red bell pepper, garbanzo beans
Exercise planned: 5 mile hike - REVISION due to hubby not feeling well - WaterRower 45 min

Actual Happenings:
B: corn grit cakes & sautéed veggies YUM!
L: made awesome potato salad. I haven't made it in a while because I ate it so much when I first started this WOE last October.
D: chili & 1/2 sweet potato & rice
Snacks: apples (2), popcorn, grape nuts cereal
Exercise: raking leaves

[moonlight]

From looking over my daily eats and exercise, I need to eat more salad and veggies, and exercise more. I feel like I've had low energy this past few days. I think I need to really concentrate on using food to ease anxiety... I think I'm overeating even though I'm doing that with MWL foods. The balance of starches to vegetables needs to change.
Planned Eats and Exercise:
B:greens and corn grits
L: salad and potato salad
D: salad, chili and rice
Snacks: apples and raw veggies
Planned Exercise: 45 min on WaterRower

Actual Eats and Exercise:
B: greens and corn grits YUM!
L: potato salad and lettuce salad YUM!
D:
Snacks: apple

Actual Exercise:

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Moonlight!
Sounds like you are doing great!!

That starch / veggie balance is so key... if you go too light on the starches, hunger... If you go too heavy on starches, less weight loss... Guessing a discovery of what works for each of us to keep high satiety. Do you still have any veggies left from your garden??? (If so, I am JEALOUS!!! )

Chuckled at your food title ... "Actual Happenings"...

Hope you have a great week! Keep on keeping on!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[moonlight]

Hi Stephine! Thanks for the encouragement! I'm down another pound so all is good in my world I think all the focus on writing down what I plan to eat and then what I actually eat is helping me stay on track. I really struggle with doing it... I'm more the type to wing it. It helps me stay focused on batch cooking and having a balanced meal each time. Also, I'm trying to curb my snacking. Trying to let go of the popcorn... It's been such a good thing for when I have the munchies. I'm transitioning to not eating for those types of cravings or trying for fruit and raw veggies. Baby steps with this for sure.

I am still eating from my summer garden! Not for long, I'm sure. The days are getting shorter and the temps are dropping. It think it will be in the 30's at night this week. I have plenty of bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, cayenne peppers, and basil. A few tomatoes are turning red. I've been thinking about what I can make with green tomatoes... My fall garden is beginning to thrive. I have kale, chard, and collards that are looking good. I have broccoli but will be very surprised if it makes heads before it gets too cold . I have two 8 ft rows of garlic planted. That is a real treat since I slipped up last year and didn't get it in. I wish I could send you some produce! I continue to feel blessed that I have space for a garden, that I can actually get things to grow, and that the weather has been good for gardening this year. I really appreciate growing my own food. I know it's organic!

Today's plans:
B: greens and corn grits
L: barley mushroom soup and salad
D: chili, lentils, and rice or sweet potatoes
Snacks: apples and raw veggies
Exercise: WaterRower 45 minutes

Reality:
B: greens and potato
L: barley mushroom soup and garbanzo beans
snack: raw peanuts, about 1/4 cup, more soup
D: chili and rice and salad (left out the lentils since I had peanuts today)
Snacks: grape nuts cereal and apple sauce
Exercise: 45min on WaterRower

[bunsofaluminum]

Gosh, your garden talk is making me excited about next year! Wylie loves having a garden, so I'm expecting great things! will you be able to harvest garlic over the winter? I've also heard that broccoli thrives in cooler temps...but maybe not hard freezes.

Your barley mushroom soup sounds way good... and I have mushrooms AND barley in the house!

[moonlight]

Hi Buns,
I LOVE gardening! I hope you and Wylie have the opportunity to have one. The garlic will be harvested next June. It should store well and last us all year. Yes, broccoli loves cool weather. Where I live it's not too easy to grow because we don't have a long cool season. It's too hot then it gets too cold and it won't grow. Every few years we get a long cool season and the broccoli makes. We had temps in the 80's just last week. If we don't get too many freezes I might get to eat fresh broccoli! When it's fresh it tastes so much better than what you buy in the store! I don't say that about all produce but broccoli does have a better taste when it's fresh from the garden. The northern states can grow cole crops better than we can in the south.

[moonlight]

I had to get up early and get a lot of work done this morning. I didn't plan my meals but I've got food ready to eat. I'm eating about the same thing every day. Tomorrow I leave for a business trip. I'll be staying in a hotel with a friend for a couple of nights. I'm planning to take a few things to eat but I think I'll mostly be eating in restaurants.

B: Oatmeal
L: rice bowl with pinto beans and veggies at Moe's
Planned D: chili with sweet potato and salad
Planned evening snacks: apples

[moonlight]

Ate planned dinner last night, but no apples. I just kept feeling hungry. I had some pasta w/ broccoli and sauce, and some grape nuts cereal. Then kept waking up during the night - bad night for me. I ended up eating a banana, cheese and bread, more grape nuts plus some kind of sugary cereal, and some chocolate almond milk. Each thing I ate I would try to go back to sleep and either sleep a little or just toss and turn then get up and eat something else. Not a good night... I'm not sure if the overeating is a result of Xanax or if the it's just when I have a sleepless night I also take Xanax.

I'm leaving today for a conference. Two nights in a motel. At least there I won't be able to eat during the night.