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JLITT62's Recent Blog Entries
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I had a frittata for breakfast this morning; I had the same thing yesterday. If you don't know what a frittata is, basically it's an unfolded omelette that you finish off cooking in the oven. So I get my protein and some veggies first thing in the morning.
I confess, tho: it's not what I wanted, either day. In fact, I have one last waffle to eat -- I'm gonna have that tomorrow. And after that, I'll probably indulge in some sweet breakfasts, but in a controlled manner. I bought a couple of scones at the farmer's market a couple of weeks ago and froze them. The British might roll over in their beds, but I put some peanut butter on my scones (even better -- these are chocolate scones); I find the protein takes the edge off the sugar crash.
I had my frittatas, tho, because I know I needed a healthy breakfast to power me through these busy days, and to stave off sugar cravings.
And did you see today's DailySpark? It's about whether or not you should have a cheat day. Most people say they don't, and I'm with them -- cheat days imply that you're on a diet. If it works for you, great; we all have to find what works for us.
Altho one responder seemed way to restrictive -- a slice of pizza every other month, or a bowl of ice cream every other week? That wouldn't work for me. I have pizza pretty much weekly. I usually make it myself these days, so I have control over it. Before that, I was using a healthy frozen pizza. It will be interesting after the move, tho, because there's a large Italian population in Albany, and there are plenty of good Italian places. I will be trying them out, but I'm also going to have to reign in my husband. Good thing I like pizza better than he does!
Yesterday was hard. I was tired and had way too much to do, and it didn't all get done. I'm sure today will be a repeat. I was soooo hungry at the end of the day. Was it real hunger? I think it was, although I certainly have a whole soup of emotions swirling through me right now. I only ate one extra thing that I hadn't planned: a Kashi granola bar, so no biggie there; it's just that it was already a pretty full eating day.
Anyway, there are times to indulge, and times when you just have to be strong.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Don't get me wrong, I'm in this for myself. But every once in a while, everyone enjoys a little validation from outside sources -- aside from my husband, there's really been almost nothing.
If anyone has even noticed my weight loss, they haven't mentioned it (other than slimy neighbor guy who I blogged about a long time ago) -- until today.
We've had a few interactions with the neighbor down the street. She's a single mom, but she loves dogs & she owns a grooming business. So she's stopped to say hi to Chester & Lola a few times.
She has a young daugher, who's petted Chester & Lola a few times. Nothing more than that. However, she happened to talk with my husband the other day, so she learned that we were moving. And apparently her daughter was just devastated, and has been crying about it (I'm sure she'll get over it quickly the way young kids do; she has her own dogs & the dogs at her mom's grooming shop).
She came over today so that her daughter could say goodbye to the dogs. Mind you, they've never even been here before -- which was really too bad, because Lola had a blast playing with her, and she had a blast carrying the dogs around like stuffed toys.
But the mother, who has a lot of health problems & is in so much pain, had still noticed my weight loss & complimented me on it. I'd always meant to bring her some food, because I knew she was having problems, and I never got around to it. I feel badly now, because I know it would have helped her out.
We really never know how our actions will touch other people's lives. We didn't even know each other very well, didn't know each other at all before I got dogs -- despite living on the same block for over a decade -- and yet obviously our few interactions had touched them.
I pray that her health problems resolve themselves. She is a very nice person with a very big heart, and no one should have to go through what she's been going through.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Sorry for the long title!
People often seem to comment that I have a lot of discipline and self-control. It isn't really quite that simple, tho. I got to thinking about this after lunch with my WW buddies, yesterday. They've both been struggling for a while.
It isn't so much that I'm so disciplined; it's more that most of the time I'm satisfied with what I'm doing. That's what makes this a lifestyle, and not a diet.
When you start diets, all you can think of is the things you can't have: chips, cookies, chocolate, ice cream -- whatever your food of choice might be. When you start to make lifestyle changes, you begin to think of the things you DO like: how can I work chocolate into my day, my week, my month? How often can I enjoy my favorite meal? How do I need to modify my favorite foods so that I can have them when I want them?
It's the same with exercise. Find something you love to do, and it won't be a chore. Maybe it's playing a sport -- or trying something new for the first time. Maybe it's running. Maybe it's swimming. Maybe it's playing with your kids or your dogs. Maybe it's dancing. There are a million ways to exercise, so if you find yourself skimping on exercise because you really hate it, try something new. Find out what you DO like.
I don't do cheat days or cheat meals. Because I don't view any food as out of bounds. I've mostly made my peace with food, but I still have my moments. There are times I don't choose what I really want, because I consider it to be too fattening (fettucine alfredo, for instance): but it's still just that -- it's my choice. And there are days if that's what I really want, that's what I'm going to have.
It comes down to balancing things out. For instance, tonight we'll have the last of our leftover prime rib (some of this was made a couple of years ago, and vacuum packed). I'll still have "dessert": yogurt with a banana and a few chocolate chips. But I wouldn't have a real dessert -- cookies or a cupcake, for instance, when I'm having prime rib. And if I'm having a real dessert, than I'll probably choose something lighter for dinner and most likely have a lighter lunch as well (but I will not starve myself to save up for my "splurge").
There are places in my life that definitely still need work. I could have something higher fat more often if I could just eat a little bit of it -- but I still have trouble with that. I like large portions. 3 bites of a great piece of cake won't do it for me -- I can leave 3 bites, I can share the piece of cake, but I can't just eat 3 bites.
So if you find yourself really frustrated with your food choices or with exercise (or lack of exercise), it's time to start thinking about what you DO enjoy. And then figure out how to add that into your life.
Friday, April 17, 2009
It is a cool, rainy day -- with thunderstorms on & off, some rather severe. It's unfortunate that it's also the night my husband is supposed to come home. I never sleep well when he comes home late, because he wakes me up and I end up tossing & turning while he snoozes away next to me.
I didn't sleep well last night. My period started, and the cramps really decided to take it up a notch at 2 am. However, as I have told several people already, I'm glad. Because that means it will be over and done with in just a few days, and I won't have to deal with it while we're actually moving (or while the movers are here, which could have been a tad embarrassing).
I was going to meet up with friends for a final sushi lunch after my WI. One of my friends wussed out of our meeting, because we were having severe weather & there were reports of 1" hail. I dithered a bit, but I'd managed to get the dogs out in a lull, and it looked like the worst parts of the storm would hit north of us.
It sure did pour, but thankfully my car is unscathed by hail. And my wussy-friend did manage to meet up with us for lunch, since we were having a bit of a lull then, too. I do wish we'd get another lull so I could get the dogs back out.
Which is where my shadow comes in. Lola is afraid of thunderstorms. She's not terrible, but she does try to velcro herself to me during them. It's unfortunate that we're having them on & off all day. Even if I took her out now, she'd probably just sit on the wet grass & look at me. She will be such a happy girl if Daddy actually makes it home tonight. Little does she know what's in store for her!
I had a small gain this week, so my weight loss streak is broken. Oh, there are all sorts of excuses, of course: it's water weight because my period started (probably some truth to that, but of course I did manage to lose some during my last period); I had one extra glass of water before heading out today; I weighed in on the "fat" scale.
I kid you not, no one wants to weight in on that scale. In fact, the next person in line refused to. It's true that I do seem to gain weight when I use that scale, but I know that in the end it all evens out. Of course I'd rather have lost, but considering my 2.2 lb loss last week, I'm pretty happy with a small gain -- could always have been worse.
I'm not sure I'll be able to WI next week. There will probably be a lot of eating out over the next week or so. I need to move more today, and I am so unmotivated. Tired, and it's so rainy -- such a good day to curl up & watch a movie. I got a lot of walking in yesterday, but not as much actual exercise as I'd like, and today I didn't even get all that much walking in. I really do need to move, because I know my husband will be sucking up my time over the next week.
I promise I will do my YBB exercise DVD soon, even if all I really want is a nap (must be a sushi coma).
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I had a couple of other titles in mind:
Shock & awe -- okay, that one's been overused.
The Moving Diet -- might be appropriate; read on.
Last week's WI was good; very good for me -- over 2 pounds. I'm hoping it was right. There was one time they weighed me & were going to report an over 3 pound loss -- pretty much impossible for me, and I would've felt it -- til I said something and they redid it.
I chalk up a lot of it to stress, most likely. Who knew moving could be so good for your waistline?
Other elements of the perfect storm:
1. As I mentioned yesterday, I've been busier in general (even though I don't have to pack), and that has translated into higher than normal activity, but not higher than normal eating.
2. I decided to give kettlebells a retry. And after giving them a second chance, I've incorporated them into my fitness routine twice a week. I wanted/needed to shake things up a bit.
3. Funny how stress can sometimes drive you to eat, and at other times you lose your appetite. I'm still eating well, but I find I'm veering more towards being less hungry -- altho it's pre-TOM time, which usually brings on the hungries.
4. Passover started, and your eating is somewhat restricted during Passover -- but that couldn't be the answer, considering it started last Wednesday night and my WI is Friday mornings.
5. I started taking a few new supplements. Don't get too excited, I very much doubt they're the magic bullet -- but they just might be the tipping point. Or not. Anyway, I added CoEnzyme Q10 -- which is supposed to be good for your heart (and help lower both cholesterol & BP -- I don't have a BP problem, but I do have a cholesterol problem) & Acetyl-L-Carnitine + ALA (alpha lipoic acid).
The L-Carnitine is interesting. It's touted as a weight loss aid. Now, Acetyl-L-Carnitine is supposed to help with cognitive function -- it does convert to L-Carnitine, but whether or not it has the same fat burning properties was unclear to me. It's supposed to be absorbed better with the ALA.
Both supplements are supposed to help boost your energy, and that was the primary reason I decided to give them a try. I need all the energy I can get right now. Whether or not they're helping is anybody's guess, frankly, because I am tired at night and I tend to wake up tired, too. But from what I've read, there doesn't really appear to be much downside to them.
I am not a doctor. I don't play one on tv. Do your own research, or better yet talk to a doctor if you're interested in these.
So there you have it. Is it a combination of all of the above? Was it just my time? I don't know, I just know that it puts me within 9 lbs of not having to pay for WW -- of course, depending on what tomorrow's WI says. Stay tuned.
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