WIW: 03.05

Joining the weigh-in with
Heather & Ash

No change this week.  Which is to be expected.  We had company from Friday afternoon to Monday mid-morning, so instead of three fasting days, two half days, and two normal days, my week consisted of only two fasting days, maybe one half-day (I don't remember how well I did with it ~ if it was actually a half-day or if it kinda morphed into a normal day!), and four normal-ish days.

I've had to rearrange the sequence of my days this week as a result of the interruption in my eating schedule, but by next weigh-in, I will have had a "normal" week.  Which is good.

I also FINALLY got to go for a walk today!  Our winter has been so exceptionally cold this year that I really haven't walked since mid-November when I first wrecked my heels by wearing my old, broken winter boots. Then I couldn't walk comfortably in anything for another two weeks.  By then, the polar vortex had engulfed us.  The one nice 10-day stretch we had in January provided opportunity for me to walk for a week straight, but then it was right back into the deep-freeze and my seasonal job started and I just didn't have opportunity.

But now the pace at work has slowed.  Today is a day off and it was only -15 (5F) first thing this morning with barely a whiff of breeze, the snow gently falling... it was wonderful!  It looks like temperatures are supposed to be much more seasonal and bearable from here on out, and with Daylight Saving Time starting on Sunday and extending our evenings, I won't be able to use darkness as an excuse not to walk anymore.

I'm not losing actual weight as fast as I'd like, but I sure do like how my jeans fit these days ~ even freshly-washed!!

Shocker

Joining the weigh-in with
Heather & Ash

Well, the good news is I'm down 2.2 lbs from last week.

Unfortunately, the bad news is that last week I was UP 3.4 lbs from the week before!

I have NO idea how that happened.  I'm serious, I really don't.

I mean, I know I wasn't particularly strict about evening snacking that week, and my half days I don't think were very disciplined either, but I certainly didn't eat more than I would have on a normal day.  And I had all three of my fasting days.  Somehow, the math just doesn't add up.  I could see (and admittedly, was somewhat expecting) a small gain ~ like, maybe up to a pound ~ but almost THREE AND A HALF??!  Yeah, that hit me pretty hard.

But whatever the case, we move forward and don't get allow ourselves to be discouraged.  This is a lifelong habit-forming goal more than it is a quest for a particular number on the scale.  (At least, that's what I keep telling myself.  Some days I'm just not as convincing as others.)

How did you do this week?

Weigh-in Wednesday

Joining the weigh-in with
Heather & Ash

I'm gettin' lighter!

Not by much this week ~ only 0.6# ~ but it's still the right direction.  My efforts this week are hampered again by that good ol' monthly cycle.

And maybe some snacking...

I tell ya, that's my biggest struggle.  On evenings when I am technically not "forbidden" to do so, I often still snack.  It's usually not excessive, like it used to be, but I'm having very hard time eliminating habitual "recreational eating" from my evening routine.  Out with friends or special occasions is one thing, but I'd really like to break the habit.

Another thing I think is working against me is that now that I'm working between 25-30 hours a week, I'm not getting my daily walks anymore either.  In a month or so, my weekly hours will be considerably less and with the days getting longer and making after-supper walks a possibility, I shouldn't have much excuse for not getting back to walking my usual 2 miles at least 4 times a week.  I'm so looking forward to that!  I've really missed my walks.

I guess I can't just blame work for that this winter though.  With how beastly cold and windy this winter has been, I'm not sure how often it would have happened even if I wasn't working!!  When the windchill is consistently hovering around the -40 mark, I tend to stay indoors if at all possible.

The forecasters say things are supposed to improve over the weekend and stay around or above normal for at least the next week and a half after that, so hopefully the really wicked cold stuff will be behind us for another year.

Hopefully.

How did you do this week?

Two Things

You know what's great?  Being able to enjoy the feeling of hunger pangs and learning to envision they're the feeling of fat melting away.  (instead of my gastric juices beginning to dissolve my stomach lining...)  I know there are those in this world for whom it's a desperate reality, but for me, it's been a good thing to get used to over the last month and a bit.  I know it won't always feel this way and I can already tell I'm getting used to eating much less than I customarily would have not that long ago.  Those "normal" days when I can eat kinda however I feel like eating?  It's amazing how much sooner I feel full now.

You what what else is great?  Feeling bloated and surely heavier than you were a month ago and having the scale reveal you've actually lost weight since you last weighed in four days ago.

WIW: trending

Joining the weigh-in with
Heather & Ash

Woot!  Down another 1.6 lbs!!

Maybe two weeks of losing weight is a little early to be calling it a TREND, but I'm going with it anyway!

I'm particularly happy about the loss this week because again, one of my three fasting days and one of the half days turned into "normal" days when our family went on a little overnight get-away to a small city two hours away.

I mean, you can't stay in a hotel and NOT order extra large pizzas to eat on the beds, right??  ;)

How did you do this week?

WIW: That's more like it!!

Joining the weigh-in with
Heather & Ash

Woo-hoo, after three weeks of effort, I'm finally down a bit! 1.8 pounds!!

I've persevered, despite being {this close} to giving up a week ago.  The Man and I are both kinda working at this weight loss thing and he's had more success since Christmas than I have, despite the fact that I've been fairly well disciplined.  I was angry and frustrated.

It didn't help that The Man spouted weight-loss platitudes at me over breakfast either...

I ALMOST binged.

But I didn't.  Even though I was home alone all day that day.

Instead, I determined to use the frustration and discouragement to fuel my resolve to work harder.  And despite having company on the weekend, I stuck to my eating plan.  It's tough having a half day when you've got company and there's more food than usual, but I did it.  It's even tougher to have a fasting day when you've got company... but I did it!!  Fortunately, it only involved one breakfast and that was on Monday when we were all getting ready to head off to work and to school and our guests were heading home, so it was easy to just appear too busy to eat!

And then on Monday night, when packing yesterday's lunch, I forgot I was supposed to be planning for a half day.  As I opened up my lunch, I came close to deciding just to eat everything I packed ~ which wasn't excessive by any means, but still more than a half meal ~ but resolutely put it back in my lunchbag half eaten.  And you know what?  That was a very satisfying feeling.  I look forward to feeling it more often.

How did you do this week?

Tough Week

Joining the weigh-in with
Heather & Ash

Ugh, last week I had a hard day.  This week the whole week was rough!!

I had counted on having three fasting days, like my plan dictates ~ Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Monday went according to plan, but Wednesday began with a friend and a long overdue BREAKFAST date. It was the only day that suited, and since what used to be a monthly thing hadn't happened since last May, we decided now was the time.  So my eating plan for the week was a little messed up.

I'd thought I'd maybe have my fasting day on Thursday then and just have two, but my seasonal tax-time job has begun and that was my first day of work.  Like I mentioned not that long ago here, I have a really hard time fasting on work days, so I didn't bother.  I counted on my usual Friday fast, but that didn't end up happening either...

It would have been fine ~ I was at home alone basically all day ~ but working with food for my daughter's birthday party all day just made not eating impossible.  I made it through breakfast and the morning munchies, but caved slightly after noon, at which point I indulged in some leftovers from the fridge and FOUR eggnog cookies.  (Believe it or not, we still had some leftovers from Christmas!)

I tend to go a little overboard when I cave.  It would have been far smarter to realize I wouldn't be able to work with food all day without eating and just planned for a half day.  Oh well.  I guess I'll know better for next time!

So there you go.  Wednesday was a normal day instead of a fasting day, Thursday was a half-to-normal day like it should have been, but then Friday was also a half-to-normal day instead of a fasting day.  Saturday was "normal" like it's supposed to be, but Sunday was a little closer to "normal" than "half" and my first Monday at work was definitely NOT a fasting day again...

It's really no wonder there was again no movement on the scale.  I am a little surprised there wasn't at least a couple of ounces since feeling hunger pangs is something I've experienced on a daily basis for the last two weeks and it's something I generally don't when I'm eating the way I feel like eating.  So I'm not sure why I'm hanging on to my beginning weight, but I'm surprisingly unphased by the lack of change.  I feel better in my clothing and about how I'm eating.  The weight will come off sooner or later.  Not anywhere close enough weight- or time-wise to reach that little month-end goal I'd kinda set for myself, but I'm still making forward progress even though the scale hasn't caught on.

Weighing In

Well, I have no change to report today, my first "official" weigh-in since I began concentrated efforts to shed some pounds just over a week ago.  Given my little unwritten, unspoken goal for the month, I might be tempted to get discouraged, but it's early.  And it's also that special time of the month when history has proven I always retain ~ and even sometimes gain ~ weight despite my best efforts, so holding steady is fine with me.

It will take some serious self-discipline if I'm to at least get close to attaining that month-end goal, but I'm relatively happy with the way my week has gone eating-wise, so I'm on the right track.  I certainly feel better already than I did two weeks ago.

As to the eating plan and sticking with it, I think I've come up with a strategy for those pesky "half days" so I'm looking forward trying that out this week.  I think instead of attempting to halve all my meals that day, I'm going to stick with my usual breakfast (a slice of toast and a cup of milk), but restrict my lunch to basically just fruits and/or veggies, and then enjoy a closer-to-normal supper.

Evenings are still a bit of a problem though.  Falling asleep with that gnawing feeling in my stomach is virtually impossible!  I need to get better at handling that, especially on the evenings before fasting days, when technically, I'm not supposed to consume anything but liquids until supper the next day. I have been breaking that rule every time that situation has arisen so far, and that's likely another contributing factor to my unchanged weight this week.  For next week, I will try just having a piece of fruit shortly before heading to bed and if that works, I think I will stick to that.

A Hard Day

Fasting is hard.

Not in the same way half days are, but more in the stomach-growling way.  And a "don't mess with me ~ mama's starving" life-threatening kind of way towards suppertime.

Cooking supper is tough, but the smell of baking bread is killer.  I really need to plan my bread-baking days more wisely!

I almost caved after my walk this afternoon.  But then I told myself that I've done this before and I can do it again.  So suck it up, Buttercup.

Fasting IS hard.  But teaching my stomach that I can live with less ~ and even more importantly, teaching my mind that I can be content without indulging every desire and appetite ~ is really the goal here.  That's so much more important than just seeing the numbers change on the scale.

(although let's face it, that's the most satisfying way of knowing I'm on the right track!)

I find it's tougher to fast when I'm not alone at home.  Today hubby was around all day, so I can't just do whatever I want whenever I want.  That's why I went for a walk at 12:30 instead of right after the girls get on the school bus.  That way he could eat without feeling guilty and I didn't have to see and smell it.

I also find it tougher to fast when I'm working, which I find weird because it's obviously easier to stay away from food.  Not bringing any with me pretty much fixes that!  But mentally I find it harder.  I believe it's a bit of a monotony-buster at work.  I only work seasonally around tax time at a local accounting firm, but that's right around the corner, so I will need to come up with a strategy of sorts to fight through the fasting days I'll be spending there.

I'm just thankful that fasting is easier than figuring out what "half" is...

...because there are more fasting days than half days in this eating plan.

Okay, but half of WHAT??

I mentioned in my previous post that I wasn't sure exactly what my plan was, but since then, I've decided to commit myself to following the eating plan that inspired this blog for the next 24 weeks.  That will bring me to the end of the school year and HOPEFULLY to my goal weight, which is just under 30 lbs away.

In following the plan now for a few days, I remembered how much I hated "half" days and why.  The following is a re-post from my first go at this plan.

I have come to really dislike these "half" days. What is HALF of what I would normally eat? I dare you to try it sometime ~ it's WAY harder than it sounds.

And to complicate things further, my "normal" has obviously changed somewhat over the last two weeks because I often think I've stopped at half and yet I'll feel like I've eaten too much.

Interestingly, I don't usually have that problem on the two "normal" days of this eating plan.

I don't usually have problems with over-eating or excessive snacking on "normal" OR "liquids" days either.

But on "half" days? Much more likely to be an issue. Isn't that weird?

I think it's interesting that I find "liquid" days easier to handle than "half" days. It's easier for me to just not eat, PERIOD, than to try and figure out and limit myself to what I believe would be half of what I would normally eat. I'm tellin' ya, it's harder than it sounds!!

I'm sure the point of having these "half" days in the eating plan is to really force me to examine in great detail how much I've eaten in the past compared to how little I can actually survive just fine on. But it's SO hard to determine what HALF is!!!

One thing I've discovered is that I can't allow myself to eat anything beyond what is on my plate at the beginning of the meal. My lunch today is a perfect example of why:

I began the meal with a half-bun and two thin slices of cheese on my plate, a half-cup of homemade beef barley soup in my bowl, and a cup of homemade ice tea.

What I also put on the table were containers of my mom's best pickles, raw cucumber slices, and carrot sticks, and a plate with more cheese slices.

After finishing half my open-faced cheese sandwich and some soup, I grabbed a few carrots, pickles, and cucumbers. Hubby and I were deep in conversation; the girls already playing in the living room.

And then I grabbed a piece of cheese.

And then more carrots and cucumbers.

Now, I KNOW carrots and cucumbers have next to no calories and no fat at all, so likely, as far as that goes, I probably still ate only about half what I normally would have ~ half the more fattening stuff, that is. But if the point is to really examine the quantities we eat, even replacing the other half of my bun and bowl of soup with extra carrots and cucumbers is still missing the point.

See what I mean? The line between half the quantity and half the quality can be kinda hazy sometimes. You understanding yet why I find these days a little aggravating?!

What do YOU think is more important?

Can I substitute quality for quantity and still count it as a "half" meal or does it literally have to be HALF of everything I WOULD eat, regardless of nutritional value? ARGH!

Reps.

Repetition.  Repetitiveness.  Repetitious...

With exercise and good habits, it's a good thing.

With failure, not so much.

I looked over my post from last January 1st and debated just copying and pasting it here today.  Even the numbers are virtually identical.

(Well, except that mention of my 40th birthday.)

((THAT came and went a year and a half ago...))

My self-discipline and motivation HAVE improved in some areas of my life over the last several months, but unfortunately, not in the eating/exercise category.

And I'm so tired of this.  Tired of trying, succeeding for a while, and then falling back into old eating and lack-of-exercise habits and finding myself having gained a fair portion of the weight back again in FAR too short a time.  I'm so tired of this cycle and I can't even imagine how tired everyone around me is of hearing about it while seeing I'm not really doing anything about it.

The Man and I decided over Christmas that both of us really need to lose some weight and that we need to somehow figure out a way to work together at it.  We went to bed two nights in a row with growling stomachs and struggled to fall asleep despite the gnawing feeling.

The next day, he came home from town with a package of four Oh Henry chocolate bars.  ::sigh::  While there are still three of those bars sitting in the freezer a week later, I don't think I've managed to achieve that empty feeling again since then.

The reality is, for those of us not blessed with high metabolisms, controlling our weight will always be a struggle.  There will never come a time when we can quit thinking about it.  There's no "set it and forget it" switch on this thing.  And I guess that's what I find so discouraging ~ knowing this is something I will forever HAVE to work at, no matter if and when I achieve my goal weight.

I have tried and succeeded with several diets and eating plans in the past, the most effective being the "Woman of Moderation" study that inspired this blog in the first place.  There were no dietary restrictions, per sé, and no exercise requirements, and I lost a significant amount of weight.  Of course, you have three 24-hr periods per week where you eat NOTHING...

I have tried to go back to that plan, modifying it slightly to be a little less daunting.  I swapped the numbers of "normal" and fasting days, but even doing that, I struggled to maintain two fasting days a week.  Maybe I just didn't try hard enough.  I have a hard time not having lunch when I'm working.  When I'm at home all day, it's not so bad, but I just couldn't do it while I was working last tax season.  And since that seasonal job will begin again within the next two weeks, I'm tempted not to bother trying to re-start that eating plan again.

I just want to simply train myself to eat less, but I am really not sure how to do that, exactly.  When there's no written plan or checklist to follow or calculations to make, I find it's just a little too nebulous a concept.  And yet recording everything, weighing and measuring everything, counting points... there's no way I'm sticking to that kind of a plan for the rest of my life either.  That's unrealistic.

MODERATION really is the key, even in coming up with a plan.  Wish me luck.