Annette's Journal

[AnnetteW]

Okay, so it's time for me to redirect and focus. I can do this. I really can.

[sirdle]

Okay, so it's time for me to redirect and focus. I can do this. I really can.

Of course you can!

[AnnetteW]

Consistency in ones life sure makes a difference as far as diet goes. My husband was out of town for a couple days, home, then gone again. I thought "how cool, I can eat whatever I want" but I just sort of mess up then, because I haven't planned. I basically was clearing out the fridge of leftovers.

I ate lunch yesterday, a very large lunch to try to avoid the munchies that follow when I'm at home, and it didn't work. I was scouring the house for food, and I found it, dates and nuts, and in a fairly large quantity. If I had had watermelon in the freezer I would have eaten that instead for barely any calories (comparatively.) So last night I went and bought a giant watermelon and it's all cut up into 7 quart sized ziplock bags.

Since it's something I think I feel in my stomach, I also bought a box of flavored sparkling water, no sugar or sweetners added. Before I start in on any watermelon, I will drink a bottle of that and see if the bubbles fill me up...and I can drink a second one if necessary.

Another plan is to get my butt out of the house at that time. I don't really have any errands I need to run today though.

A pot of beans is on the stove, and I also got my sourdough starter out of the fridge to work on. The weather is becoming cooler, so I want to bake some bread soon. I miss baking over the hot summer months. And actually, unless I put butter on the bread, it's not something I overeat. And adding butter wouldn't even cross my mind right now...almond butter would though, and thankfully I don't have any of that.

Plan for today:
Breakfast - oats, apple, soymilk, ground flax
Lunch - potatoes and beans
Snack - watermelon most likely
Dinner - salad (I've been a bit lazy about salad lately, and I really do love it.)
Exercise - none

[bunsofaluminum]

Mmmmm, watermelon! It's the best part of summer It's the perfect post-exercise food, but also perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert

It's exciting to be heading into cooler weather, isn't it? I haven't baked bread in ages, but I love making soup and can't wait for soup weather Yummmm!

[AnnetteW]

Mmmmm, watermelon! It's the best part of summer It's the perfect post-exercise food, but also perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert

It's exciting to be heading into cooler weather, isn't it? I haven't baked bread in ages, but I love making soup and can't wait for soup weather Yummmm!

I'm just excited to have a cooler kitchen. My bread turned out fine, but I need to go refresh my flour stash. I still prefer a more white loaf of bread, with less whole wheat. This loaf was 100% whole wheat. But it's still sourdough and tasty. I ate two chunks last night with a salad for dinner.

My weight seems to be popping up and down around the 150 mark. I've been down to 149 and back up to 151. I'm feeling comfortable I guess, and it's nice not to restrict my food. I'm going to not stress over it right now, and let my body be comfortable for a bit. Obviously I like the word "comfortable" and it's a word I use to describe how I like things to feel all the time. I'm not being as strict as I could, still ate out of the house yesterday, at Spin Pizza and though my salad was oil free and cheese free, I did eat the few oily croutons and the pine nuts, and I ate the piece of greasy flat bread that came with it. It sure was tasty. Sometimes I wish I'd get tummy aches when I eat crap food, but I don't. My stomach feels so good lately, and a little off plan food doesn't hurt to eat, physically, though I know it's not doing good things for my body.

Oh yea, and a glass of wine...eek.

My husband will be home again today and life will go back to normal. I won't be a slug around the house, and actually accomplish something. With him gone I let the cleaning slide, and the laundry and such. The poor dogs want to go on a walk so badly. I can't walk them both without being killed, they are too strong for me, plus I have a bit of a wonky knee lately. But tonight we'll walk them, and tomorrow they can run with dad.

And I'll get good and do laundry and tidy up before he's home. Make it look like I wasn't a slug...truthfully I'd rather knit and sew.

I have a pot of tomato navy beans I made a couple days ago in the fridge, that will be our dinner. Either I'll cook up potatoes or the sourdough bread, and a nice salad. Since I'd like to get my husband off the crappy store bought salad dressings, I might try to make one up for him, with nuts in it (rather than oil) and see what he thinks.

Enough for now, enjoy the weekend.

[sirdle]

And I'll get good and do laundry and tidy up before he's home. Make it look like I wasn't a slug...truthfully I'd rather knit and sew.

You're much for of a slug than I am... I'd rather lie on the couch and read!

Cheers,

[AnnetteW]

Time for my honest post and to clear the air with myself. I've been feeling the faltering, and it's even obvious in my previous posts. Part of it is due to feeling comfortable again. I don't feel as fat and uncomfortable with 30 lbs off. Plus I'm at a lower weight than I've been at for many years now. Though I'm still more than I want to be. 150 is just too much for me at 5'4".

The little cheats have been sneaking in, and I've been allowing them to. I feel frustrated that I can't enjoy my meals when going out. I definitely have to work that one issue out.

Went to a family birthday party the other day, for teenaged girls who I knew ate vegetarian. I guess they don't anymore. There wasn't even a salad on the menu. Who doesn't make a salad. I decided to just eat and see how the food felt in my stomach. Don't be shocked, but I ate my first real hamburger in 6 months. Actually, that was my first meat in 6 months. I even used mayo, and ate some of the other side dishes.

I felt totally fine...my stomach didn't rebel.

Now, that doesn't mean I want to start eating that way, heck no. I love this starchy plan. But I'm still new enough to this that I feel like I need a break at times.

And then we ate out yesterday at my favorite Indian buffet. So though I didn't eat any animal products, I did have the oils and salt. After this long weekend I was up to almost 154. Ugh.

So I had a discussion with myself this morning. Originally I had wanted to lighten up a bit during September, and let my body become comfortable at 150, just for the month...but now I see that I'm net ready for comfort.

I'm not good at 100%, it plays mind games with me, so I'm just going to be back on track. No more ground flax seeds in my oatmeal, and no more oatmilk or honey either. I don't need it.

Today I'll keep my food light, I'm not close to starving with all this extra food/calories/nutrients in my system. And tomorrow will be a bit lighter too, depending on my hunger levels.

I'm glad I was able to have this discussion with myself and turn my head around. I think my head does a lot of 180's at times, and I just have to bring it back around.

It also is helpful that I really truly love this plan. I do not like the MWL plan though, I like the regular SS which is a bit more lax, but I still see I need a bit of strictness.

Plan for today:

Breakfast - 1/2 c dry oat, 1 T oatbran (it's in the cupboard, let's use it up), 1 peach, cinnamon, dash of stevia

Lunch - cooked potatoes, cooked veggies

Snack - perhaps another peach, they need to be used up

Dinner - Nice tossed salad with potato chunks cooks in the air fryer (it's dance night and I need to eat early and light)

It looks pretty darn light to me, but like I said, I'm well fed right now, and the meals will be scrunched together, all eaten by 4:30 or so.

[deweyswakms]

[quote="AnnetteW"]Time for my honest post and to clear the air with myself. I've been feeling the faltering, and it's even obvious in my previous posts. Part of it is due to feeling comfortable again. I don't feel as fat and uncomfortable with 30 lbs off. Plus I'm at a lower weight than I've been at for many years now. Though I'm still more than I want to be. 150 is just too much for me at 5'4".

Good morning from the NW,
I admire your persistence in maintaining your journal and being honest about things. I hear you on the pitfalls of eating out. I am ultra-sodium sensitive so even a seemingly healthy meal out (think Chipotle's burrito bowl) will add 2-3 lbs because of water retention. And frankly, most of the food I pay good $ for just isn't that good. One of my friends has lost over 100#s on weight watchers. She takes her foods with her, which I think we have to do if we want to commit to the plan.

I just restarted MWL commitment about 6 weeks ago, and am now in the groove.

I also paint pictures, and have learned to set the finished one aside to let it rest, and for me to study it to see what things I might want to tweak. Good plan for you to have a reset. Good luck.

[squealcat]

Annette, I was just going to close up the computer because we are leaving town for a few days and I was reading your journal. I sense we have similar feelings about where we are in our weight loss journey and have to comment. I, too, have become pretty comfortable with were I am weight wise. I weigh more than you but I reached the 170's feeling pretty good, got lots of compliments, my aches and pains gone, clothes fit well and sizes decreasing. Well, I knew I was not done yet but this overall sense of comfort over took me and I stopped losing weight and have now gained about 20 back ! My thoughts were, at the time, to take a rest and just stay put where i was for a while but that didn't work for me. Don't get caught in that trap Annette.

I am joining the MWL group for September and plan to charge ahead. I want to continue to feel good and see just how good I can feel. See you there !

-squealcat

[AnnetteW]

Time for my honest post and to clear the air with myself. I've been feeling the faltering, and it's even obvious in my previous posts. Part of it is due to feeling comfortable again. I don't feel as fat and uncomfortable with 30 lbs off. Plus I'm at a lower weight than I've been at for many years now. Though I'm still more than I want to be. 150 is just too much for me at 5'4".

Good morning from the NW,
I admire your persistence in maintaining your journal and being honest about things. I hear you on the pitfalls of eating out. I am ultra-sodium sensitive so even a seemingly healthy meal out (think Chipotle's burrito bowl) will add 2-3 lbs because of water retention. And frankly, most of the food I pay good $ for just isn't that good. One of my friends has lost over 100#s on weight watchers. She takes her foods with her, which I think we have to do if we want to commit to the plan.

I just restarted MWL commitment about 6 weeks ago, and am now in the groove.

I also paint pictures, and have learned to set the finished one aside to let it rest, and for me to study it to see what things I might want to tweak. Good plan for you to have a reset. Good luck.

I'm always amazed at how similar people are. We have the same struggles with our diets and the same thoughts about food. I agree, the food when eating out is rarely that wonderful. But I have a standing lunch each week with wonderful friends and that's what's most important....and no, I don't want to not eat either. I am getting better at ordering what I am comfortable eating though. This coming friday it will be at a Thai restaurant, one I know does not have brown rice. I've asked in the past. Also they have a nice veggie stirfry, which in the past I asked them to be "light on the sauce." Ha ha...no such luck. This time I will just ask for the veggies with no sauce, no oil, just lightly steamed. Hopefully they do it right, or I send it back. They also have veggie spring rolls. We'll see how it goes

I feel like I reset every few days right now. I realize it just means I'm a bit off track and need to find myself again. I've been at this for 7 months, have lost 30 lbs, have 20+ more to go. A year from now, hopefully this will just be a past memory.

[AnnetteW]

Annette, I was just going to close up the computer because we are leaving town for a few days and I was reading your journal. I sense we have similar feelings about where we are in our weight loss journey and have to comment. I, too, have become pretty comfortable with were I am weight wise. I weigh more than you but I reached the 170's feeling pretty good, got lots of compliments, my aches and pains gone, clothes fit well and sizes decreasing. Well, I knew I was not done yet but this overall sense of comfort over took me and I stopped losing weight and have now gained about 20 back ! My thoughts were, at the time, to take a rest and just stay put where i was for a while but that didn't work for me. Don't get caught in that trap Annette.

I am joining the MWL group for September and plan to charge ahead. I want to continue to feel good and see just how good I can feel. See you there !

-squealcat

Once again, I'm so not alone. We think and feel so alike. Well actually my clothes don't fit well right now, I'm in need of new ones finally as most the smaller clothes I tossed in the past. I sew my own clothes, and it's hard to want to sew when I know they won't fit again. I need to go to the thrift shop and buy a few things, or just buy a few things at the regular store. It's more fun for me to buy fabric though.

Yes, I do not want to get comfortable at 150 lbs. Years ago when I did Weight Watchers, 148 was my original goal weight, which was the high weight for my height. Then I dropped it to 138. In my mind I know 130 is good. And I also know so many of the ladies following this diet seem to get really slim, so I figured I'd let my body decide after 130 where it should be (not higher though.) But I do know I'll get the negative comments at 130.

This is the first time following a eating plan that I don't want to go off of it. But I still don't like the restriction part. I don't like being told what to do (or not to do). Jeez, I'm just an arguing child, aren't I?

[AnnetteW]

Today's rambling thoughts....as if I haven't rambled enough already,

I released 2 lbs of water since yesterday morning. Two more lbs and I'll be good. Then it's just the real work again. But my head is back on straight, where it needs to be.

Yesterday when working on my projects, I was watching "Nutmeg Notebook" Youtubes and really enjoying them. What a pleasant couple Tami and Tom are, and they make the eating plan seem so simple. I got up from the potato video and baked the potatoes I had in the house. Not that many actually. Then for lunch I made two large ones as fries in my airfryer, which were delicious, with a salad.

Then for dinner, I cooked up corn on the cob, made more of the fries, and that was my dinner, my husband had something else with his, not sure what.

I did not eat an afternoon snack, so only had 1 piece of fruit for the day, which is so not me.

I really enjoy watching the videos on the giant salad prep, and today will do it on a much smaller scale, like 4 salads. I have been eating less salad than before, and I do love salad and know my body loves it too. I started off following Dr. Fuhrman, and the greens sure did good things to my body, the large smoothie with Kale in the mornings, the large salad at lunch, and more veggies at dinner. But it was not exactly what I wanted. I'm loving the starches, but still need to balance with more veggies.

I'll buy the storage containers today, and make up the salads too. I'd love to buy one of those chopping bowls, and might just click the link later today and splurge.

One thing I am is very indulgent, especially when it comes to myself and things I want, that I want now. I'm totally a Veruca Salt...I WANT IT NOW!

I've been working with the physical therapist first one my neck recently (from a past injury, which flares occasionally) and then onto my over stiff upper back and shoulders. I recently have had knee pain issues (totally new). The PT is going well, but my back still has tender spots, so I'm booked for a massage for tomorrow, and I will be booking a weekly massage for probably a couple of months...remember that indulgent comment I made?

I can't wait, and I know how well my body responds to massage.

My skin is feeling loose and saggy, drives me batty, but I guess that's life.

Plan for today:

Breakfast - Oats, peach, oatbran, oatmilk and stevia (tiny bit of each, makes my oatmeal so much more yummy)

Lunch - potatoes and salad (my new favorite)

Dinner - stirfry veggies with tofu and brown rice

[AnnetteW]

Feeling like my head is on straight again, it just takes a few days of good solid eating to turn things back around.

Weight this morning was 150.6, so close enough to 150 to make me pleased, just under a pound heavier than last week. That should help keep me focused as I really do want to drop down to 145 this month, which means I have to do the work. I was looking at my weight graph on the TrendWeight app, and I seem to level out for about 2 weeks, then drop, then level then drop. I've leveled recently, so now it's time to drop again...but like I said, I have to do the work.

I'm always amazed how much of diet is a mind game. Thinking through my day does help, though I rarely eat how I planned, things tend to change.

Like yesterday, I had a ripe avocado (no, they are only eaten rarely at this point, though I do have another one for tomorrow night). So instead of stirfry, I made a lentil taco filling. We had corn tortillas cooked over the gas stove, pear salsa and shredded cabbage. The tacos were great, and I didn't make a meat option. My husband is eating my dinners and occasionally makes a piece of chicken or eggs to add to it, but for the most part, he just eats the dinners.

Tonight will be the stirfry, which will have tofu (I had planned on lightening up this past weekend, remember...ha ha) with the veggies and brown rice.

I have my exercise class this morning and a massage scheduled for 2pm, which means a very light lunch prior to that.

Plan for today:

Breakfast - oats, peach, oatmilk, flax

Lunch - small salad and 1 potato (keep it light so stomach isn't full for massage)

Snack - frozen watermelon

Dinner - stirfry veggies, tofu and brown rice

Exercise - cardio/weight class at the gym

[bunsofaluminum]

Looking over this last page of your journal, seeing your honest assessment of your mindset, and then the responses from others who are in the same boat and thinking...me too! I just sat myself down for a good talking-to, after finding the scale up 2 lbs thanks to my indulging myself.

Maybe it's the month of September? Change of seasons, changes in life? It's in the air! LOL but it is GOOD to examine where we are, especially if we're not where we want to be, right?

Well done, and keep it up

[AnnetteW]

Looking over this last page of your journal, seeing your honest assessment of your mindset, and then the responses from others who are in the same boat and thinking...me too! I just sat myself down for a good talking-to, after finding the scale up 2 lbs thanks to my indulging myself.

Maybe it's the month of September? Change of seasons, changes in life? It's in the air! LOL but it is GOOD to examine where we are, especially if we're not where we want to be, right?

Well done, and keep it up

It might be a bit of a seasonal thing actually. I keep thinking about winter cooking and how I'm kind of tired of salads, though I adore salads and ate a large one both yesterday and today. McDougalling might be all about the starches, but I definitely need my veggies too.

No reason to be anything but honest. I'm just me, no one here I need to impress. I either lose weight and gain health, or gain weight and lose health. Staying the same isn't helping me right now.

My gym class was really good today, it's very much a toning type of class. Each of my classes during the week is a bit different which is really nice. Lately I've not been motivated to do regular weights or cardio...a bit of cardio I guess, but I need to hit the weight room again. But tomorrow a new class is starting and I will be excited to try it out, Hulahoop dance. Huh what?

I will report back.

The locker room also has the best mirrors. I'm not sure what it is about them, but to me they are skinny mirrors...or else I'm starting to look better than I think I'm looking. I think I've been fat for so long that being slimmer looks skinny, and I know I'm far from skinny. I think I look normal, yet I'm still in the "overweight" bmi category. Crazy how we truly are becoming more comfortable with the fatter body type.

Well, it ain't going to be me. Nope.