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FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:23 am
by frowsyowl
...that's a bold statement! Really, after all this time, and failed promises? Maybe.

Have recently recommitted to this, and have become rather obsessed with making it work. Doing a 21 day challenge in the lounge, a 30 day commitment overlapping with that (ending 7/8 at a doctor's apt), and am formulating my plan for making a real change, long-term by taking things a chunk at a time.

I planned to start this new journal today, and realized that when I signed in last week, I had used an old, previously forgotten username. I don't understand my brain lately! My most recent attempts were under "Arewethereyet". (Maybe there are more versions of me lost in the forums?) Here's to hoping that I'm older and wiser now, and can remember my identity going forward.

Jeff's simple plan based off four cup plates, has helped a lot in the last few days. "Clarifying the 50/50 guidelines": viewtopic.php?f=22&t=48835 I've added walking and possibly yoga. Doing 'cross training' with yard/house work.

Hoping for improvements in:
Sleep, skin, weight, energy, binging (cramming), periods, health fears, and guilt!


edit:
2021 (May)
Update--Guess what, I'm starting over. :!:
Current goal: MWL checklist--over and over and over again.
Just see where consistency brings me?

___________________________________________________________________________
Adding some goals I want to reach and will add dates or update as I complete them:

End of June: Have a consistent walking schedule (M, W, S), and good pattern of eating. :mrgreen: Achieved 1st week July

End of July: Have lost 10 lbs (back to 200). I almost made it by restricting too much, now back up (8/28/19) and again about 11/20/19

End of August: Have completed a 10-week 5K walking plan including strength exercise of some sort. :?: Gave up on the structure, now just walking as much as possible.

Significant change in skin (breakouts mainly). Adjust program if needed.

Hopeful for a significant change in periods. Adjust program or medication if needed. out of time 11/6/19

October: Go to "Healthy for a Lifetime" conference. Dr. Esselstyne should be there, and it's actually local! Went! It was great!
Possibly could also be 20lbs down by mid-month. Failed...could achieve by Christmas 2019

End of November: Complete 8K walking program, choose next goal. changed mind

Holidays: Be down 30lbs (or more, at least 180lb). This means that I will not have binged over Thanksgiving, Christmas or New
Years. (180 is also my doctor's recommended weight when I pressed her for an answer. This is my lowest weight since I met my husband, and the weight I graduated high school. 150 is my lowest weight as an adult). More likely now that I would be 20 lbs down by New Years and 30 lbs down by end of February?

New clothes size for Christmas? Fingers crossed! 11/21/19


2020 goals:

A rehash of most items above, since I couldn't stay on track...

As of 1/30/20
--still need to lose between 50 and 80 lbs
--plan to break weight goals into 5 lb increments
1) 5 lbs/Date:
2) 5 lbs/Date:
3) 5 lbs/Date:
...
--my skin is still not great
--would like to consistently increase my exercise from a baseline of 10 minutes 5-6 days/week (sometimes more), to 40 minutes 5-6 days/week or more
--Food goals: continue working around a structure of about 3 meals and 1 snack/day without being too rigid.

Hypothetically, IF I lose an average of 1 lb/week, I can be 25 lbs less by my "thread" anniversary. I could be 50 lbs down by this time next year. It's probably dangerous to make any predictions, but I like the thought of this.

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:55 am
by bunsofaluminum
I remember arewethereyet! LOL welcome back :)

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 8:41 am
by Daydream
frowsyowl wrote:
Current plan: Jeff's simple plan based off four cup plates, has helped a lot in the last few days....will add a link later.


Hi FrowsyOwl, I'm interested in seeing that link to "Jeff's 4 cup plates". I did a forum search and could not find it. Thanks in advance!

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:21 am
by frowsyowl
Hi Folks! I think this is the link I was referring to: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=48835

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:24 am
by frowsyowl
Hi Buns,

Thanks for the welcome...I was just thinking to myself the other day, "I heart my endothelial lining". I couldn't remember where I'd seen it. :lol:

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Thu Jun 20, 2019 7:04 am
by frowsyowl
Trying to decide what the most effective way for me to use this journal. I like the ones with food photos, but I'm not sure how consistent I can be with that.

Have not slept well the last two days. This always throws me off course, so I'm trying hard to keep it together until I can get back in the groove again that I had just started. I avoided convenience store purchases yesterday, but ate cereal and granola bars at home. Today, I didn't have time to pack a lunch, so will have to be careful not to steer my car anywhere but home on my break.

I'm using a 5K plan to give myself walking goals. Don't want to run yet (?), but it feels good checking off the "workouts". I've also got a 2019/20 mini calendar so that I can see all the months it will take to lose weight at one time, and check off my progress there.

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Fri Jun 21, 2019 6:58 am
by frowsyowl
Still Tired....boy this is going to be exciting reading. Up with storms in the middle of the night. Ate well this morning though, and have a good plan for the rest of the day.

I'm enjoying making meals from any starch plus any vegetable, feels hard to go too wrong...and it's a pile of food. I checked Chronometer for a few days, but seeing the calories, either makes me feel disappointed or free to eat after I'm done, so taking a break from that.

Today's plan:
Get a ton done at work, so that I can forget about it over the weekend.
Plan groceries for next week
Attempt an old yoga video (haven't been able to complete it since 1997). May not be able to walk tomorrow!

Weekend:
Yard work of some sort, walk.
Free water-aerobics with my MIL

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 6:51 am
by frowsyowl
9 good days out of 14 so far. I think I'm down two lbs.

Weekend didn't go quite to my ideal plans, I did walk, and I did try the yoga tape--just not on the days that I outlined. I re-read the MWL book and think I want to work toward that, and of course, as soon as I decide to give up bread and crackers, I want them doubly bad!

Plan:

M:
Oats, fruit; Bean soup cup, veg, fruit; left over cabbage, potatoes :thumbsup: had curry instead, and too much fruit today.
24 min walk :thumbsup:

T:
Oats/fruit; Left over potatoes/veg; Chickpea curry over rice/veg :thumbsup:
30-40 min yoga (Or other) :thumbsdown:

W:
Oats/fruit; left-over curry Lunch and dinner * went well until dinner, at which I crammed high-calorie oatmeal concoction, and then got candy while away from the house.
24 min walk--wandered a store, but did not exercise.

Th:
Oats/fruit; soup cup/fruit & veg; whole wheat pasta w/ratatouille, veg
House or yard work

F:
Oats/fruit; left overs
Yoga, plan groceries

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 10:30 am
by bunsofaluminum
Down two lbs is good. The secret really is to just keep doing it. Consistency over the long term. You got this!

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 7:26 am
by frowsyowl
Thanks! Here's to consistency!

Needing to vent...I work in the open, which is sometimes fine, and other times (like today) someone thinks that's an invitation to speak to me every time they pass by. I've given up trying to concentrate. Lucky, we have no vending machines or candy dishes here!!! :shock:

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:51 pm
by Willijan
Just started reading your journal. It sounds like you're doing well.

On your first post, you said, "...that's a bold statement! Really, after all this time, and failed promises? Maybe."

Failed promises can be seen as times you tried to do the right thing, and succeeded for a while. Just keep going back to the correct plan, and you will succeed. It's the people who stop trying who might fail in the end.

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 9:14 am
by frowsyowl
Thank you so much Willijan! I will keep on trying. I have some mental hurdles to get over, and I'm trying to keep things as simple as possible.

One different thing, is my husband is now cooking and planning his own meals. He would do this before, but then I would start again trying to plan things to make both of us happy--doesn't work for us. He needs lots of processed calories, and hates eating "healthy" left overs. So, I'd make a stirfry that we both like, but I would be the only one eating it after the first night. So far this has worked well. He picks his favorite easy prep meals, and I eat simple component foods, cooking a recipe if I get too bored. We also like to eat at completely different times.

I meant to exercise more this week, but I'm feeling really lazy (or something?). I think I'm going to simplify that down to walking, and save the more difficult things for when I'm feeling more motivated or a little slimmer. Still struggling with sleeping and keeping myself active throughout the evening. there are times I want to go to bed by 7:30 or 8:00, but then I wake in the middle of the night. Last night I kept busy and was up til about 10:00. Slept most of the way through, but still pretty tired. Hoping that more exercise will help this too.

more later...

Thanks again!

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 8:44 pm
by Willijan
frowsyowl wrote:Thank you so much Willijan! I will keep on trying. I have some mental hurdles to get over, and I'm trying to keep things as simple as possible.

One different thing, is my husband is now cooking and planning his own meals. He would do this before, but then I would start again trying to plan things to make both of us happy--doesn't work for us. He needs lots of processed calories, and hates eating "healthy" left overs. So, I'd make a stirfry that we both like, but I would be the only one eating it after the first night. So far this has worked well. He picks his favorite easy prep meals, and I eat simple component foods, cooking a recipe if I get too bored. We also like to eat at completely different times.

I meant to exercise more this week, but I'm feeling really lazy (or something?). I think I'm going to simplify that down to walking, and save the more difficult things for when I'm feeling more motivated or a little slimmer. Still struggling with sleeping and keeping myself active throughout the evening. there are times I want to go to bed by 7:30 or 8:00, but then I wake in the middle of the night. Last night I kept busy and was up til about 10:00. Slept most of the way through, but still pretty tired. Hoping that more exercise will help this too.

more later...

Thanks again!



Yes, I have found that if I go to bed too early my body interprets it as a nap: I wake up an hour and a half later and can't go back to sleep. So I stay up later than I would like. It often helps, but not always. I also have trouble sleeping on nights when I am worried about something, regardless of how late I stay up, or how sleepy I felt before I got into bed.

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:43 am
by frowsyowl
Still here!

Didn't bother getting on the computer during my week off of work. Last week was good, except for Wednesday. I've lost track of my counting, but doing well on eating and have increased exercise. Some days my skin seems better, and then other days about the same. My health issue has not improved yet--probably won't until I get most of the weight off.

Down nearly 10 lbs since the beginning of June. Most of the progress has been recent--finally got the salt down enough to lose the water weight.

Had a lot of wonderful walks this past week:
M-Sun, I've walked nearly 28 miles! :cool:
Local perennial and rose garden
"Lake" with path
Nature center (Prairie) paths
Arbor Lodge State park (Nebraska City)

Husband is still fending for himself. I feel a bit guilty b/c he's planned nearly an "all-cheese" week. I don't know if he'll come around.

Goals this week:
*Keep up the walking. May need to walk to and from work some days to get in the time that I'm aiming for.
*As much as possible, don't eat between or after meals (this is helping a lot). If I'm eating between meals, it usually b/c I'm circling back to the kitchen to entertain myself, and not because I really need to eat.
*As much as possible, stick with MWL, no recipes.

Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

PostPosted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 2:56 pm
by frowsyowl
Maybe I shouldn't make goals anymore, because I choose things that I'm not realistically going to do. Walking like I did on vacation is not practical, and I tend not to be the type of person who does the same things, in the same way everyday. I'm probably going to have to say that I will do MWL, until I don't, and then it will be Regular. I guess it bother's me not to do what I said I was going to do (even if that was improbable). :duh:

I'm really trying to trust my appetite, just eat the food, and see where it goes...but, I really want to see significant change.

Yesterday:
I planned to walk to work (about .75 miles), got nearly there, and remembered I hadn't taken my medication. Walked home...I think it was already a bazillion degrees humidity outside. Returned to work in the car (a sweating mess). After eating, and chatting with DH, I ended up shopping for something instead of doing a walk...it was still a bazillion degrees anyway.

Food:
B: 1/2c oats, banana, L: 1c brown rice, 1c green beans, 1c (?) fiesta mix, frozen peaches and raspberries, D: Spring mix, FF dressing, 3/4c brown rice w/Onions and summer squash, S: 1/2c oats w/1 tsp sunflower seeds, 1 tsp sugar :twisted: about 1/2c oyster crackers.

Today:
Overslept, drove to work. If I do any exercise it will be short. Ended up walking about 45 minutes (s-l-o-w-l-y) so tired.

Food:
B: 3/4c oats, banana, L: 1 c brown rice, 1-1/2c split pea soup, D: Spring mix w/dressing, Brown rice and summer squash, black beans (too many legumes?). Was hungry later in the evening, but I'm pretty sure I didn't eat anything else.

I'm not purposely measuring everything, except the oats. The rice and soup are estimated based on the size of container I packed them in.

Mondays are my official weigh in, and I forgot to note that I was about 202-3. I may start tracking either the 10-point MWL checklist or the "Starch Targets" (six items), but then again maybe not. :mrgreen:

*edited on 7/11 to update evening.