I'm Starting to Like What I Feel

Drum roll, please!! 17 pounds in 38 days!! I'm totally pumped.

The thing about habits taking 21 days to take hold must be true because interestingly enough, after 38 days, I don't think about this diet as a diet any more. I know what I can and can't eat and how much I can have. Sometimes I follow the menu plan, other times I go with the flow, but I keep with the program. The best part is, I'm not even tempted to get off it—in fact, I cringe at some of the hit fat foods I used to love—good-by McDonalds.

Now this doesn't mean I don't sneak a bite of the occasional chip or cookie (our office couldn't survive without someone bringing in something to eat), or a slice or two of pizza. Okay, so last night I had three, but 1) I don’t gorge myself, and 2) I don't panic or feel defeated by these little detours.

For me, the big difference this time around has been the reason for losing weight. I’d hit rock bottom on the health meter. I was tired of feeling sluggish and out of breath, my joints hurt all the time and I knew I had to do something. I could clearly see myself headed straight into the emergency room with some life-threatening and irreversible condition that I’d pay for, for the rest of my life because I couldn’t keep food out of my mouth.

One reason other diets failed for me was boredom with the limited kinds of foods I could eat. I mean, who can really make a life-long commitment to existing without carbs or protein--not me, to say nothing of what it does to your health.

Another reason that hindered my success at weight loss was my outlook. Weight alone isn’t a strong enough motivator for me. You know the old, “My face I don’t mind it, because I’m behind it” syndrome. Frankly, as long as I didn’t see or feel a threat to my life, there was no reason to deny myself of the foods I loved.

Then there were those moments of weakness. You ladies know what I'm talking about. You starve yourself (which I haven't, but ... ), and then suddenly a cupcake dances before your eyes and you go into a feeding frenzy. Guilt sets in and you think, "What the hell? I'll comfort myself with another one and another one. Hmm need to wash it down with some milk." Then you move on to that bag of taco chips and salsa that’s been daring you for the past few days. Before you know it, you're right back where you were weeks before.

First of all, and this goes back to my mind set now, I haven’t had the impulse to gorge, but the important thing for me has been to consider those little temptations (emphasis on “little”) as small rewards—a bite of this or that for having been good all week. The important thing is to stop at that one cookie or whatever other temptation is out there and then get right back on eating well.

The bottom line for me is that I’m 55, my husband and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary this June, our children are in their early 20’s and I want to be there to watch them as they head on into their next several stages of life. I have wonderful plans for my life as I near retirement and damn it, I want to be there to make them happen. I CAN do this!!

Okay, this was a bit long-winded, but know that if I can do it, so can you!!!

Retaining water

I have forgotten to weigh in all week. K, that's only half-true. I have forgotten to weigh in on Sunday. On Monday, I didn't want to, and on Tuesday I knew why.

It's the doom of all womanhood to hold *retain* water. I think that has been my problem. I have been sort of bloated and rings have been tight.

Very happy when I finally broke down this AM to weigh, that it wasn't as devastating as I figured it would be. At least I am back to a manageable weight and can begin anew to attempt to get down below 160.

It's a good idea to set little goals. I have set that one. I hope to be down below 16o by Sunday's weigh in. Wish me luck!

Fabulous Friday

In case anyone out there wants to know, stress will kill you. It will also kill your diet. I mean come on, diet has the word DIE in it, right?

So here I was minding my own business when my eldest brother decides to turn up with a terrible malady (brain tumor) -- which of course, sounds pretty awful, and it is, only he is doing pretty good considering. I guess I am different from most folks, because I starve myself when I am stressed, so when I got on the scales and had lost all that weight I had gained, I was mildly surprised and minisculely elated. Wish it had come without such a heavy price.

I will keep you posted. As of this writing, he is going home to see a doc about the strength of his heart and if he can stand brain surgery, and then we will go forth. Needless to say, I hope I don't get too hungry in the next 48 hours cuz I would love to weigh in on Sunday with a good old five lb loss or something equally as outrageous.

Hope you are doing well, Maxine dear.

Sometimes It's Good To Be Bad

So I was going along, minding my own business and grazing on a bowl of leaf greens when my DH asks what’s for dinner. I tell him I’ll need to check my notes. And then he says, “Can we PLEAZZZZE have some spaghetti?” I look into those poor weepy eyes and know I’m doomed. Little did he know I was actually thinking of a big juicy hamburger. It was either that or eat my shoe because I was feeling a bit hungry myself.

I can always tell when my body is starting to get used to a certain weight and ready to drop more weight because I do start to feel a bit hungry. Now, I did a very bad thing though. I gave in. I made spaghetti and I didn’t serve myself a palm-size serving either.

I took one bite which I thoroughly enjoyed when the phone rang. It was our accountant needing to talk to me about our taxes. When he asked if I had time—that he had several questions, I thought of my spaghetti and wanted to cry.

By the time I hung up the phone, I was starved and ate it without thought or care. That night, I decided to skip the snack and the next day I got back on the diet saddle and got back on the road to thinville.

Yesterday, I weighed in at 239. I’d lost 14 pounds in three weeks in spite of my little detour.
So see? This makes the point I tried to share a few days ago. It’s okay to indulge once in a while as long as you satisfy your craving and then move on.

Friday!!

Yay! It's my favorite day of the week and I am taking a half day off work. Can it get better than that? Well, yes, if it wasn't raining, it would be perfect.

Okay so I am feeling bloated.

I have been working the receptionist position at my job all week because the girl who does it has been out with a bad tooth. Well, it started out as a bad tooth, then the dentist pulled it, so now it is a sore socket.

Anyway, I have been doing another job on top of the two I already do. Thanks to that, I haven't been able to do as much as I usually do, including walking, and believe it or not, going to the bathroom.

Now you may think that is funny. It isn't.

So anyway, keeping things pleasant, I am bloated. I cannot take laxatives, because I also have diverticulosis. This little disorder keeps me from eating popcorn too, which really bites because I LOOOOOOVE popcorn.

So. I got on the scales today. Just because. Well, and ... I am up. One lb. point two. That's almost a whole lb and a half!! OhMY G!!

And I am going to a big event this weekend. Just shoot me now.

E-e-e-k!

Gained two pounds. Okay, don't panic, don't panic!! Is this normal? I've followed the diet to the letter, started to do some walking yesterday (30 min walk outside), and I still gained two pounds? I know my scale is correct because it matched the weight I registered at the doctor's office a couple of weeks ago. Poo!

Okay, I'm not going to stuff my face in frustration. I'm not going to allow this little glitch to make me give up. My stomach has definitely gone down. So I'm going to concentrate on the revised energy I've gained, the fact that my legs and feet DON'T hurt any more, and how my clothes feel.

I keep telling myself it's not a diet, it's a change of life. Face it Maxine, you didn't get this way over night. Deep breath!

Okay ... all better--must have coffee!

Sunday Weigh IN

Lol. This has been an iffy week at best. I knew I wasn't being exactly "good" on my diet plan, but I wasn't totally bad either. I lost just under one pound. Well, on the one hand, it was a loss. On the other, I won't reach my goal acting like I don't have one.

This week, I resolve to lose TWO lbs. If I do that I will be under 160 which will be the first time I have done that since the 1980's. Wouldn't that be awesome???

I have begun getting up one half hour earlier and walking for ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes, depending on what I can do. Walking is making some interesting differences in my body shape.

For the first time last week, I could actually wear a blouse and it hung over my gargantuan buttocks without my tugging it down.

Now, THAT felt good!

Conclusion at Day 14

Today is the last day of my 14-day fast track meal plan. I started my day with a spinach, mushroom and one egg omelet, a slice of wheat toast with small amount of margarine and a cup of skim milk. Mighty tasty if I do say so myself.

So, what I have learned in these first 14 days?

1. That the fact that the word “die” is embedded in the word “diet” is a mere coincidence.
2. That changing my cooking/eating habits is as simple as desiring to improve.
3. That it isn’t going to be difficult to continue with this diet because it doesn’t feel like a diet. I haven’t felt hungry once.
4. Most of all, it’s not solely about losing weight (that will come), but it’s about how I feel inside. I'm not a diabetic, but I'm sure my sugar and I'll bet my blood pressure, and cholestoral have all made some remarkable improvements too. I haven't had a headache since I've started on this diet, no pulsing sounds in my ears either. I’m more energetic, my mind is SO clear of the clutter, I’m sleeping better, I don’t have (excuse me) gas and I’ve seem to have eliminated several of those pre-menopause symptoms I listed here last week.
5. And … YES! My slacks are feeling just a tad looser--very encouraging.

I’ll post my weekly weigh-in tomorrow. I can tell you right now, I didn’t lose as much as what I did in the first week, but I’m feeling so great I’d be nuts to give up now.

On to week three!

Stressors

You know, Em, as I mentioned to you yesterday, I had "one of those days" too.

I spent the morning working on a report and gathering up all the supporting documentation. Finally got that done and had to start filling out travel requisitions, registering for that conference in April, hotel, and finding a flight. I know hundreds do that sort of thing all the time, but I dont. Over 30 years at the place and I've never had to do that.

Like I said, on an anxiety scale from 1 to 10, I was definately a 16. To make matters worse, someone brought in Girl Scout Cookies--peanutbutter no less--my favoite. I stayed on track with the diet, but at around 4:30 I crack and bit into one of those wonderous round morsels of fat and sugar goo and boy, it was pure heaven.

On the bright side, I didn't snarf down the entire box. I mean, that's what I would have done few weeks ago. Instead, I had a taste and then I was "fine." LOL

So, this was day 12 of 14 on this fast track Diabetes Dtour Diet. I won't talk poundsd, just how I feel. My slacks are a bit looser, but the best news is that I have had no more headaches, my legs, feet, and ankles haven't hurt once, and over all, I think I have a bit more energy. Did I mention water? I'm drinking a lot more water than what I used to.

I was just reading through the section in this book that gives an overview of the goals for this 1400-calorie plan and thought you'd be interested.

Nutrition information for the fat-fighting 4 is in bold.

Nutrient Goals per meal:

• Calories: 300-350
• Protein: 15-25 grams
• Carbs: 30-40 grams
• Total fat: 10 grams
• Saturated fat: less than 3 grams
• Fiber: 5-10 grams
• Calcium: 300 Milligrams
• Vitamin D: 80 IU
• Omega-3s: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA: 0.22 gram & EPA/DHA: 0.15 gram

Nutgrition Goals per snack:

• Calories: 150-200
• Protein: 5-10 grams
• Carbs: 10-30 grams
• Total fat: 5 grams
• Saturated fat: less than 2 grams
• Fiber: 5 grams
• Calcium: 200 Milligrams
• Vitamin D: 80 IU
• Omega-3s: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA: 0.22 gram & EPA/DHA: 0.15 gram

To show you that I'm not going hungry, dinner on Day 13 is oven-fried chicken (just a light spray of canola oil spray) with a 3-green bean salad of 1/2 c. cooked green beans, 1/4 c. chickpeas, 1/4 c. red beans, xhoppws onions and light Italian dressing. And guess what?? Half a cup of light ice cream with chopped walnuts for a snack!! W-e-e-e-e! Can't wait!! :0

Tada! Tuesday

So... this week hasn't started off as badly as last week, and yet, I have done far worse with my diet. I felt so guilty, in fact, that I pulled out an exercise video this A.M. and worked out for about ten minutes or so. Now my legs feel like jelly and I am sure glad I have a fifteen minute walk planned.

Exercise is good for me... exercise is good for me...exercise is good for...exercise is goood....