The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[bikipatra]

Sounds like a great day! Congrats on the running fortutude!

[Karli]

Seems like my eating habits and preferences have permanently changed for the better. As long as I don't force myself to eat junk food and relearn bad habits, I think I'll be okay.

hee hee... the only reason you would ever need to "relearn" any kind of habits is if you didn't learn enough about them the first time around, but I think you have .

It sounds like you are doing really well. Thanks for posting in and I love that you just decided to DO IT when you were running and ended up surprising yourself. You raised the bar . It really shows how much our mental activity can affect our physical activity ! And, that we can *change* what's going on with us mentally, too, and get a great result in our lives because of it.


Cheers to you, Nova .

Karli

[Nova]

Thanks, Karli. I keep posting because I need to know that other people are watching what I'm doing and cheering me on. It helps, and I don't feel so alone in my struggles.

The in-laws are still here and we're having fun. I had previously given myself permission to eat what I want, and today I really took advantage of that. Sensible breakfast, but lunch was a bacon cheeseburger with 3 fried mozzarella sticks. Yummy. (I only ate half the bun, though. How silly. But I didn't enjoy it, so why eat it?) Then we had to stop at a donut shop because we had been joking about the multitude of local donut shops in Houston. So I ate my first donut in over a year. It was good, but I don't need another one.

But when we got back, my MIL got out some cheese snack crackers and I had some. Then some more. THen for dinner, I had steamed chicken and veggies. And more cheese crackers. ARRRGH! The fifth time I found my hand in my mouth, I took the box and threw it in the trash. Then I went and exercised for 55 minutes. Erk. Okay, deep breath. Calm down. The mindless snacking monster still lurks. Damn it.

That's okay. I have one more day where I'll be liberal in my eating, but we don't have any more junk food in the house that I'll eat, so I'm not too worried. After they leave, I'll start a de-tox diet for a few days to get back on track.

[DogMa]

I wouldn't worry about the snacking too much, Nova. I've had my share of bad-food-choice days, but the difference now is they're isolated incidents.

And I'm finding that the less I stress about it, the more isolated and controlled they become, like the other night when I brought Cool Whip instead of dinner to work because I'm a twit. I had pizza, but that was ALL I had. I didn't snack the rest of the night, and I even skipped my apple and peanut butter because I just wasn't hungry for them. And the next morning I ran and was right back on track. I'd like to think that's how normal, healthy people eat: healthy food most of the time, with occasional "adventures."

[Nova]

Yeah, that's how I'm trying to deal with it. Today was what I think of as 'normal-healthy'. Steel cut oats for breakfast. So yummy that I actually put a second helping in my bowl as I was chatting with the inlaws over breakfast, but I just toyed with it, because I was so full. From one serving of oatmeal. I love that stuff. So the second bowl went into the frig for tomorrow. See, I'm learning to listen to my stomach and my body, not my taste buds.

Lunch was some sort of grilled bistro chicken and broccoli salad at the food court. I seriously looked at the Hagan Daaz ice cream, and the Cheesecake factory cheesecakes, but I just didn't want any. I wasn't hungry. So home we went. Dinner, I sort of grazed on leftovers and probably went a little overboard, but not too bad. One small slice of super thin pizza, 1 cup brown rice and 1l2 cup chicken and broccoli, plus an afternoon bar. No exercise tonight.

My biggest problem is that I mentally want to keep eating. I have to constantly remind myself that I'm full. Almost uncomfortably so. I haven't changed out of my tight jeans into my sweats because I don't want to give myself an excuse to forget and eat some more. I feel like I'm an adult warring with a kid inside. The kid keeps reaching for a cookie and the adult keeps smacking her hand. *sigh* It gets tedious. I should go read a book. And drink another glass of water.

I'm looking forward to getting back on my normal schedule of 5-6 meals instead of 3 though.

[dede4wd]

Nova,
I've been watching your progress with great interest. The thing that gives me the most hope is you can have one of those willy nilly days...and get back to business. I'm just glad you're doing so well!

DeDe

[DogMa]

I know what you mean about head vs. stomach. But at least we're able to HEAR our stomachs at this point. My emotional/mental hunger usually drowned out the physical hunger.

I'm hoping eventually with enough practice, we get used to that, too. I think the mindless eating is pretty ingrained, so it just takes longer to overcome that habit. At some point it'll probably become more natural to not do it. (I do have some hope. Like the other night when I had pizza and realized later that ALL I had was pizza. No sweets, not even my apple and peanut butter. And I didn't STOP myself from eating it. It just never even occurred to me to have it.)

[Sojourner]

I haven't changed out of my tight jeans into my sweats because I don't want to give myself an excuse to forget and eat some more.

LOL, Nova. I'm trying to decide which of two dresses to wear to my niece's wedding this weekend, and the only reason one of them is still in the running (even though it is NOT seasonally appropriate) is because it is fairly tight around the midsection and will keep me away from the wedding cake!

You are doing really well, thanks for keeping us in the loop! By the time I get to MaintenanceLand you guys will have it all figured out for me!

[Nova]

It is such a relief to get back on track and off of vacation. I said that yesterday would be a 'vacation' day too, and I snacked a lot. Even had some ice cream with hubby. It was good, but I almost felt obligated to try all the 'forbidden' food because it was my 'vacation.' Today, I feel like I've eaten twice as much for less calories, and I feel healthier. Six months ago, I never would have imagined that I'd be happy to get back on my 'diet.' It's truly a lifestyle now.

Did really well on my lifting today. Lifted very hard for 60 minutes, and at the end, I was drained. Tried a new protein shake, Muscle Milk. I was worried it would taste bad, so I brought a straw. Yum, it was great. Lots of calories (350) but it was just what I needed. Time to finish prepping my meals for tomorrow.

[dede4wd]

Glad you had fun and got back on your program.

You don't know how comforting your words are to someone like me, who can almost see the light at the end of the weight-loss tunnel that it has become a lifestyle for you! I'm so glad you're still posting and love reading your updates!

DeDe

[Nova]

Thanks, DeDe. This board, and this journal, are new to me in terms of weight loss, and I sincerely believe that they were one of the keys to being successful this time. Having other people to share ups and downs with, to be accountable to and to learn and share with has made all the difference.

I've been studying a lot about nutrition lately. I'm mapping out a new eating strategy, and this week, I'm half doing it. I'm leaving room for my evening snacks, which were part of MF and my transition plans, but they aren't part of the new one. I'm still going to eat 6 times a day, but it's going to be extremely clean, no sugar and very few non-veg and non-fruit carbs. Spent an hour tonight chopping veggies, making salads and planning my meals for tomorrow from 7 am to 7 pm. I have so much stuff I have to take 2 small coolers for 5 meals plus a couple bottles of water, and it's still only 1390 calories. I plan to eat twice more when I get home to get the calories up to 1700-1800. Here's what I'm taking.

7am 2 oz tofu sausage and 1 cup steamed mixed veggies, 1 cup steel cut oats
10 am spinach salad with 1 diced apple and 2 oz chedder cheese and 1 T raspberry dressing
11-12 lift 60 min (calorie cost ~450)
12pm MF RTD (for recovery)
1pm 3.5 oz tuna with 1 TB lite mayo and 1/2 TB mango chutney and 1 sliced, roasted turnip seasoned with chili powder and garlic, SF rice pudding
4 pm Pure Protein Bar (170 cal)
6 pm MF blueberry oatmeal muffins with 1/2 TB peanut butter

Breakdown thus far:
Cal: 1390
Carb: 153 g (44%)
Prot: 110 g (32%)
Fiber: 31 g
Fat: 49 g (32%)

It's a little high in carbs at that point, but I'll be eating pure protein and veggies later. After I get home, I'm planning on 4 oz steak and a spinach salad at 8 pm, and at 10pm a protein pudding to get up to about 1900 calories, I guess. I may pull a hundred calories out tomorrow depending on how hungry I am.

The basic rules I'm following are:
Eat every 2-3 hours
Have complete lean protein at every meal
Eat a veggie at every meal
Have fruit at any meal
Eat carbs (non-veggie/non-fruit) only at breakfast and after lifting

I know not everyone will be willing to put this amount of work into planning and prepping meals, but I feel like I'm planning an experiment on myself. This meal plan is supposed to be very effective at stripping off body fat and retaining muscle, and since I feel very flabby now, it's exactly what I'm looking for. I plan to start in earnest next Monday, and I'll be tracking meals, measurements and taking pictures to see if it works.

In another 6 months, I'd love to be able to post a pic of me with a 6-pack. (and that's abs, not beer ;P)

[bikipatra]

You really are amazing with your planning and dedication. 7 or so months from now I will definitely be referring back to your journal entries!

[Serendipity]

Nova, what are steel cut oats?

[bikipatra]

Nova, what are steel cut oats?

My husband eats them. They are like whole grain oatmeal that has not been processed like rolled oats. They are supposed to be higher in nutritional value than run of the mill oatmeal...I am sure Nova can tell you more.

[Nova]

Nova, what are steel cut oats?

Oats in their natural state look like pointed rice grains, sorta. Steel cut means they've been run through some cutters to chop them in half or thirds, making them easier to cook and chew. "Normal" oatmeal is rolled, meaning the oats have been run through huge steel presses to flatten them out. It makes them cook even faster, but it also allows more starch to come out in cooking, making them somewhat pasty and gooey. It takes 25-35 min to cook steel cut oats, but they have a nutty taste and a delightful chewy texture that's completely missing from rolled oats. Well worth the extra cooking time.

Also...ow. I pulled my neck either sleeping wrong or when I got up this morning. Can barely turn my head. Don't know if lifting will happen today.