BambiS - Definitely seems like a good week! That's almost always the case when we are feeling good about our choices and behaviors, right? I can imagine that finding the time to stay physically active, within the constraints from all your other responsibilities, must feel challenging. Keep doing the best you can.
Wishing the very best for you and your husband!
Rebecka22 - Woo-hoo! Great effort closing out March!
Your focus on how you feel when eating the recommended foods seems like a useful perspective. Do you have any intuition into whether the pull toward off plan things is spurred by a particular trigger or situation? Kudos to you for holding true to your intended pattern of behavior!
Ejg - So sorry you've been feeling sick, Eric! That never makes anything easier, right? In spite of that, it sounds like your trip went pretty well, and you have a lot to feel happy about.
All we can reasonably expect of ourselves is to make our best effort, within the context of a given situation, and manage the constraints of that situation to the best of our ability. That seems to be what you did. Wishing you an easy recovery to full health!
VegSeekingFit - I am so very sorry for your loss, Stephanie; you are in my thoughts.
Thank you for being so open and generous in sharing the actions and perspective that helped you remain adherent during a tough week. I think keeping meal prep as simple, basic and easy as possible makes so much sense when our reserves are depleted by the vagaries and trauma of life. I really appreciate and relate to what you observed about many things not being so urgent or important that they should supplant self-care, and the unlikelihood of regretting holding things in their proper regard. Like you, I find a walk in the sun to be a pretty powerful salve. Wishing you all the best with the crazy weather, and an uneventful path to those warm pleasant days in the forecast!
Greens - Solid progress, Marilyn! Stuffed pepper soup sounds quite interesting. That no "babysitting" quality of the Instant Pot really makes it an essential part of my daily routine, too.
Cheers for a great April!
Gimmelean - Wow! Two years already! Congratulations! Totally agree with your observations about the chain of awareness
accountability
behavior
health outcomes
feeling good. A great measure for success.
Do you have any insight into what spurred reaching toward cookies and chips this week? Any particular environmental or situational trigger? This challenging time can and will recede. Take aim at any underlying causes driving incongruent actions, and do what seems feasible to set yourself up for what you want to happen. Onward!
Hjklost55 - Really great efforts, Holly! When you found yourself feeling the temptation for non adherent foods, what was the context for that? Were there changes or triggers in the environment? Something different in your routine? Were you feeling drawn to specific foods, or was the impulse just toward a general desire for indulgence or a "treat"? A couple of things that make a difference for me, as a definite volume eater: making a conscious effort to really SLOW DOWN when eating, being mindful about chewing each bite, appreciating and savoring the flavors, textures and sensations. Something else that occurs to me, particularly if the "stuffing" usually happens during the last meal of the day, is to be sure about including an adequate volume of starch in each meal. It might be worth experimenting with slightly upping the volume of starch in the 2 earlier meals, to see if that makes a difference. If you are experiencing any feelings of deprivation, it is worthwhile to quell them with your favorite adherent foods, with a focus on the starches. You'll get things dialed in with time. Welcome to April!