Annette's Journal

[Joanne_elon]

Annette..Hi I have enjoyed reading your journal. I have been following the Starch solution for about 3 years now. I can relate to many things that you say

I feel the same way about coffee as you do about drinking wine.
It feels so enjoyable in the moment, but dont like the side effects.

I also want to be that fit 80 year old woman you described. I was always an avid walker
and did quite well staying in shape despite my dietary indulgences. Unfortunately I have had plantar fascitis...on and off and can't walk the hour a day I use to do.
I have a petite build. 5'3 right now since the covid shut down I have gained alot of weight,
I am 131.....doesn't sound that bad but anything over 120 makes me feel fat,
It goes to the stomach.....not attractive.
I also wish people would keep their comments to themselves. Everytime i would get down near
target weight i would hear from my mother your too thin.. Which was not true.
I was around 100 pounds..at age 20. Now I am 62 and weigh 30 pounds more.
My husband weighs the same as high school. He weighs 140!
Thanks for sharing.,....Joanne.




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[AnnetteW]

It sounds like you have a good plan with your company around this month. You are doing a great job Annette !

Just wanted you to know I made polenta today. It was so easy, just the polenta-type cornmeal and water. I made it in my instant pot. I had a serving this morning with strawberries.

I understand your feeling of wanting to just get it all done. My journey has been a slow one and that has been my fault. I just have to realize that I have learned so much on the way and once I get there I will stay there because of all i learned.

Have a great 4th !

-squealcat

I've already faltered and need to rein it back in ASAP. Everyone wanted to order out Chinese food and yes, I ate it. I didn't eat a lot, and my weight didn't go up, which tells you I didn't eat a lot because usually I blow up from the sodium, but it sure wasn't necessary.

Company round 1 is gone and company round 2 is here now till the 17th. I just need to plan on eating lots of salads and fruit and my basic starches. I won't be perfect though.

I haven't made polenta in the instant pot, I'll have to check that out. Now that it's so hot out, I use my instant pot almost daily.

[AnnetteW]

Annette..Hi I have enjoyed reading your journal. I have been following the Starch solution for about 3 years now. I can relate to many things that you say.

I also wish people would keep their comments to themselves. Everytime i would get down near
target weight i would hear from my mother your too thin.. Which was not true.

Glad you stopped by. I'm always surprised how many people I relate to, and then there are others that are total opposites from me. Most the time I think I'm a bit of a space case when it comes to diet and nutrition. I'm the one who is always looking for the next shiny ball (someone told me that's what I do) and I bop around a lot. McDougall has pulled me in to a more simple plan to focus on, but I still read and explore all the other information, then I have to tell myself to stop....and once again, pull back in.

And I know I'll get there eventually. It might take me a bit longer than I'd like though.

I was out with my friends for lunch the other day and someone commented about meeting at a restaurant instead of a coffee shop (for our other weekly meetup) and I said no, coffee/tea is fine. She then said I just didn't want to go to a restaurant because I didn't want to get fat. Like, what kind of stupid comment is that. Duh...I don't want to get fat, I am fat, and I want to be slim, and eating out all the time is so unhealthy. I just kept my mouth shut...I also don't want to spend the money. But yes, I hate snarky comments.

And truth be told, I want to be the slim and gorgeous one. Well...one can always dream.

[AnnetteW]

I easily avoided the alcohol that flowed in my house, thank goodness, but I did succumb a bit more than I'd like. Now with my 2nd round of company I think I'll just try sticking to my guns a bit more. I already need to go stock up on more salad fixins. Being hot and summer, salad just sounds good.

I really need dinner ideas, and I'm not sure what. I need to start a list of ideas.

Plan for today:

Breakfast - canteloupe, oatmeal, berries of some sort, splash of almond milk (it's in the house and I like it on oats)
Lunch -rice, dal, salad
Snack - cherries, and more cherries
Dinner - lentil bolognese, pasta, salad
Exercise - walk, weights, yoga

[AnnetteW]

Today turned out really good. I already updated what I had planned, and it was just a positive day.

Plus I had great news with my recent blood work.

MY CHOLESTEROL IS 127!!!

I had a high of 222 back before I started this plan, when I was trying the stupid keto thing. My doctor wanted to put me on statins and I said no, I'll work on it. I started dropping some weight, then later started WFPB.

So this was highly encouraging to me, it shows me that it works for real.

Onward to tomorrow.

[Ltldogg]

Today turned out really good. I already updated what I had planned, and it was just a positive day.

Plus I had great news with my recent blood work.

MY CHOLESTEROL IS 127!!!

I had a high of 222 back before I started this plan, when I was trying the stupid keto thing. My doctor wanted to put me on statins and I said no, I'll work on it. I started dropping some weight, then later started WFPB.

So this was highly encouraging to me, it shows me that it works for real.

Onward to tomorrow.

Congrats Annette,

Keep it up and stay with it! The best thing is, when you do get to your goals, whatever they may be, you don't have to change anything. Just keep on doing the same thing!

Best wishes,
Scott

[AnnetteW]

Thanks, Scott...I'm still kinda "tickled" about the nice low number. It's almost like it took a load off my shoulders, one less thing to fret about. I'll just keep on keepin' on, as the saying goes.

My current goal is still the same, to get under 130 lbs, so 20 lbs to go. I'll be quite slim at that point. And then let my body settle where it may. Where that is, I don't really know. As a teenager I was in the 115-120 range, but I'm much more muscular now than then, and I don't want to be skinny.

Plan for today:

Breakfast - strawberries, oats
Lunch - salad, beans, some leftovers from fridge
Snack - fruit, fruit and more fruit
Dinner - brown rice, veggie stirfry
Exercise - walked, who knows what else, it's super hot

[CarolReb]

Hi Annette,
I’m new to this site as well and have struggled with my weight too. You are an inspiration in your weight loss journey. I find it difficult to stay on plan when I’m away from my home turf, so kudos to you for losing while helping family members. That’s awesome! I love eating plant based, my problem is snacking on all things chocolate . I’ll have to do better with no nuts and very limited chocolate. All the best to you. Carol

[AnnetteW]

Hi Annette,
I’m new to this site as well and have struggled with my weight too. You are an inspiration in your weight loss journey. I find it difficult to stay on plan when I’m away from my home turf, so kudos to you for losing while helping family members. That’s awesome! I love eating plant based, my problem is snacking on all things chocolate . I’ll have to do better with no nuts and very limited chocolate. All the best to you. Carol

I have a funny about chocolate....Lucky for me, though I like chocolate, it's not a craving or binge item. There is no chocolate in my house currently, or so I thought. My sister was visiting a few days ago and asked where I hid the chocolate, and she was looking everywhere. I said I had no chocolate. Then my daughter who is here now made up a bowl of nuts (hers) and had some chocolate chips. She said she took the last of my chocolate chips...lol...now I wonder how old there were and where she found them. So NOW I have no chocolate in the house.

Get the chocolate out if it's a problem, same with the nuts. I do have nuts in the house, stick them in the freezer, that helps at least.

I don't see how I'm much of an inspiration as I'm always struggling, but I vow to get there. Take care.

[AnnetteW]

Weight down a smidgeon this morning....I'll take it!

Walking still is so difficult, my legs are so tired and my feet hurt. Going just under 3 miles, sometimes 2.5. It's still just so hard and it's been over a month of regular daily walks, including most nights another 1 mile dog meander walk. The heat is draining.

I'll keep at it though.

Plan today:
Breakfast - oats, blueberries, strawberries
Lunch - I forgot to eat it
Snack - watermelon, chunk of sourdough bread
Dinner - rice pilaf, beans, coleslaw
Exercise - walk only

[AnnetteW]

Had a first today, I kind of forgot to eat lunch. Then I was out and boom, I was so hungry. I NEVER forget to eat. This summer heat is getting to me.

Decided to try a "ticker" in my signature, we'll see how long it takes before I get bored of it...lol.

Decent day, though I ate the bread. My neighbor came over with fresh baked oatmeal cookies, which smelled divine, but I didn't eat any. Luckily I have others in the house that will eat them.

I'm thinking I might skip walking tomorrow, just do some weights and yoga. I've also been trying to drink lots of water.

Oh, and one week ago today I decided to drop the coffee, but do it slowly, so today was the first day without coffee. My blood pressure was still a bit higher this evening than I'd like. I probably need to find a consistent time to try taking it, I don't think about it unless I sit at my desk. I don't see the doctor for 2 weeks, so maybe it will settle down with the coffee out of my system. That's my plan at least.

[jan_npr]

Do you find coffee affects your blood pressure? I've been playing with that and trying to figure it out.

Forgetting lunch? Well done!!! and resisting cookies! If they were vegan I don't know if I could have resisted. No trouble resisting anything not plant-based.

And your ticker shows your big picture - you are doing so well. I find the ticker fun to update, just do that once a week on weigh in day (that's with the MWL group). Someday mine will show as much progress as yours!

[AnnetteW]

Do you find coffee affects your blood pressure? I've been playing with that and trying to figure it out.

It's been proven to raise blood pressure and mine is lately too high again, and I went back onto coffee a few months back after being off a good long time. I went off coffee last year around the same time after being sick and I lost a taste for it after a few days and decided it was a good time to take the leap, but I did it cold turkey. I figured there was no reason to suffer so I went 3 cups to 2 to 1 to 1/2...over a week, then I was done. I'm drinking green tea.

When I went to my doctor appt last Tues it was 150/90, and it did take it about 15 min into the appointment when I was rested (smart man), then he took it again shortly later and though a bit lower it was still elevated. Driving home I realized I actually had a bad headache and when I took it at home it was still 135/80something. I realized I had had 3 cups of coffee that morning, and my appointment was also a morning appointment.

I do know I am salt sensitive, but at the same time I don't restrict salt, it naturally drops quite low on this diet. I add less and less to meals and dishes all the time.

Ah...and weight was down to 149 even this morning. I'm dropping better with company around than not, how interesting is that.

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I'm going to take it easy today. I'm just going to do some yoga and weights, no walking, let my ankles take a break, they need it. I haven't really thought about food yet.

Tentative Plan for today:

Breakfast - oats, fruit
Lunch - I really could use a large salad and beans
Snack - frozen watermelon, what else
Dinner - we are planning Indian, so dal, poho, steamed brocolli
Exercise - yoga, weights

[squealcat]

Annette !! Just read over your last page of posts and congratulations on you cholesterol numbers !! YAY !
Thank you for your honesty ! I just want you to know you are making a difference.

-squealcat

[AnnetteW]

Annette !! Just read over your last page of posts and congratulations on you cholesterol numbers !! YAY !
Thank you for your honesty ! I just want you to know you are making a difference.

-squealcat

Ah that's sweet. I'm personally always amazed to know someone might actually read my rambling thoughts on food, lol.

So today was a lunch out day with my gal pals and it totally sucked. I asked for the house salad made into a large salad, they brought the house salad size. Fine, whatever. I had made a potato at home to bring along and then forgot it. The salad was lettuce, a cherry tomato cut in half and a few pieces of cucumber. I asked for vinegar, they brought a vinegrette. Asked again, they seriously bought a small pot of oil. Asked again, I got vinegar, then another person brought more oil and vinegar. Oh my...just get it right already. $6 for this small quantity of lettuce.

I really have to get strong and just order a drink of iced tea....I rather have water. This kills me, I don't know what to do. I never know if I'll get a good salad or not. I guess I have to remind myself that it's the company I'm spending time with, not the food.

Came home and ate my potato with dal, then had mangos. Dinner was a Mexican fiesta, I made a salad and topped it with spanish rice and my potato/mushroom taco filling.

Oh, and my friends were saying how good I was, for not having the wine, and watching what I eat. I'm so sick of anyone commenting on my food. Just stop already.

Rant over.