This is one of those rare times when the excuse is not an excuse, but is actually a legitimate reason.
My part of the world has been in the throes of the weather phenomenon known as a SantaAna condition. For more info - google it. Since I suffer from weather-related migraines, when the Santa Ana Winds blow, I start sucking down migraine meds like candy.
Such was this weekend last. Add to that this achy--am I getting a cold--kind of feeling. Monday - feeling not too good, but did my Nordic Trak routine anyway. Could only get through 20 minutes of it before feeling REALLY sick. Go to work, cuz ya know, that's what we women do, we carry on even tho' we may be dying and/or highly contagious. Mid-morning -- definitely sick. Fever, cold, sore throat, everything but tummy problems. Took the rest of Monday and all of Tuesday off.
Now, I don't know if it's feed a cold and starve a fever, or the other 'way round, but since I had both, I fed each of them, just to be on the safe side. Apparently it has something to do with the women in my family because my mom and her mom were the same way. Being sick = being hungry. Or so my father informs me, adding that when he's sick, he has no interest in food. I should be so lucky.
So after stew on Sunday, pizza on Monday and my daughter's favorite rice dish last night, I'm thankful to have such a SMALL weight gain.
I'm also thankful the blasted SantaAna is dying down, so my head can get back to normal. Do NOT like this five-day-straight migraine nonsense.
Not sure when the morning Nordic Trak is going to resume. Probably not till Friday.
And how did I celebrate my weight loss? Yup, with food.
Today was Potluck Salad Bar Day at work. I was doing well, making smart choices and taking small helpings. Until I went back for seconds of the carrot salad (must get the recipe, she added cinnamon/nutmeg and it was heavenly). I also got a second roll and a piece of pumpkin pie. The roll was yummy, the pie was disappointing. I made Pink Salad Jello (the coolwhip/cottage cheese/jello/pineapple thing) and had a spoonful at work. Unfortunately, I brought home the leftovers and had the last 2 cups after dinner. Double exercise for me tomorrow.
In the good news department. I bought bodices from a woman on the forum and they arrived today. AND THEY FIT! Huzzah. I do NOT have to make a bodice before going to Faire at the end of the month. I am soooo thrilled. If I lose 10 pounds they probably will be too big, but I'm cool with that. I think they will make a much better pattern template than the first bodice I got and is now way too small. I can't wait - Faire is 3 weeks from Sat.
I never thought I'd be happy about 151.5, but I am. Huzzah. Unlike last time, I will NOT fall completely off the wagon after posting a good weight loss. This time I am noticing that I am not a snackie in between meals. Tho' I am still looking for some high fiber/protein, low calorie breakfast foods that are quick and easy.
Not going to dwell on what I don't have, unless it is 4.5 pounds less of me than last week.
One site that has been enormously helpful with my food journalling is http://www.fitday.com/
But I also need to do this type of journalling. It has been incredibly helpful to write here, and to search around and read other blogs and learn from them. I know I have 30 pounds to lose, but this time I know I'm going to do it, one little pound at a time.
I've finally come to my senses and crawled out of the food fog I've been in for over a month. I still have 8 boxes of Opti-fast, so why not use them? Today I had a shake for breakfast, an apple for snack, a shake for lunch, a plum for a snack, and I'm just about to make a "healthy" dinner of less than 400 calories. That will put me right around 1,000 Kcal for the day. I hope that isn't too low. It's nowhere near the 440 calories I was intaking while on the Optifast program, but I'm not under doctor supervision now and I would NOT try doing it on my own. I just need some help getting my eating habits under control while I make a concerted effort to establish an exercise routine.
I have been waiting to return to work to start all this because summer is just a killer. I'm home all-day/everyday during summer and food is right there and I eat when I get bored. And I discovered that it is physically impossible to keep so busy you never think about food. Oh, sure, you could do one or two days in a row, but that is not a practical lifestyle. Being back at work today and only taking what I should be eating, I really felt empowered, dietarily. (is that a word? it is for me! )
Food is only one part. The second part is exercise. So this morning I got up at - gulp - 5.15 and did 30 minutes on my Nordic Trak. Hubby and I have thought up a system to get me some exercise while he showers and he takes daughter #3 to school while I shower. It's worked for one day, so far. Haha I may do the NT every other day and the off days, do some free weights after a short evening walk.
Writing all this down should stand as a reminder to me and help keep me on track. Will I goof up? Oh, you can bet the farm on that one, baby! Am I going to give up? NO WAY. I want to fit easier into the new clothes I've been buying over the past ten months. I won't buy bigger sizes, even if I could afford it.
Oh, and I looked up the booster classes at Positive Choice and selected two a month to attend. Hopefully some outside accountability will help!
Three weeks of just hiding out. And snacking. It started with one bad day and then simply steamrolled. Little to no exercise, other than the routine housework and grocery shopping. LOTS of unconscious and routine eating. But I've learned a few things:
1 - Meal Planning is essential 2 - MUST drink my water 3 - Exercise makes me feel good 4 - I am not a bad person, or a failure, because I had a few rough days
The last one is the most important. So I've fallen down, big deal. Failure is not getting back up. My sister thinks I could use some dietary counselling and maybe she's right. (oh wow - stop the world. Is it possible my sister is giving me sound advice?) The worst part is I've regained the five pounds I lost. And two extra. Scary to realize I'm puting on about 2 pounds per week. Not surprising, cuz certain items of clothing are definitely tight. Like my bra. I'm really thinking of wearing my RenFaire bodice instead. Except, I may have put too much on for even THAT to fit. Good thing is today I exercised and drank my water. I'm going to focus on the good things, and hope that leads to more good things.
First off, let me say yesterday was a day to remember. Not in a good way, diet-wise. I didn't just "fall off the wagon", I jumped off, running and laughing. And chompin' down junk food like there was no tomorrow. TWO cups of hot chocolate, loaded with honey. I could take honey intraveneously, but I prefer to just suck straight out of the jar. That chocolate muffin was tasty, too. And that's just the food I'm admitting to.
But that was yesterday.
Breakfast today was 1/2 cup of BetterNEggs with some red onion and it was yummy. So was toast - no to butter, yes to raspberry jam. This was a meal I am definitely repeating. Good protein AND fiber, AND it's filling.
I plan on being more active today, as well. I have errands this morning and I park as far away from the entrance as I safely can. Gotta pick up some KILZ primer at Lowes (checking out the garden section, too) then stopping at Henrys and Vons. I heard on the news last night that the grocery workers are preparing to strike, possibly by the end of the weekend. If they do go out, it means I won't be shopping in Vons for a while. Henrys is non-union and I LOVE that. I am definitely NOT a union person (tho' I belong to one - required for work). During the last strike a few years ago, I shopped mostly at Henrys, and a little bit at Ralphs next door, when they stopped picketing there. Bread and produce at Henrys is only so-so. I will be at Trader Joes more, too, except it isn't nearby, and at $3.259 a gallon, it's not worth going frequently.
It's been one of those kind of days. Woke up with all sorts of good intentions for cleaning, organising, etc. but unfortunately I also woke up with very little energy. I should've taken a nap instead of continuing, because I've been snackie-hungry all day and gave in twice. Raspberry jam on toast=yum; hummus on a tortilla=yuck. And I'm an entire litre behind in water consumption. I think I'm just going to do my best with dinner and go to bed early. Start tomorrow well-rested.
Oh wait. That's right. Gotta paint a bedroom ceiling with DH tonight. Ok - definitely napping tomorrow.
