Cruising Feb 2014 - losing 100 pounds in the next 13 months!!

[nyfarmgirl]

Hey Carla! Just wanting to check in with you. I want to encourage you. I don't understand the motivation for the previous post, but I know that reading something like that can feel very deflating. I hope that you have continued with your program. I don't see anything terribly unusual in your program, personally...I see a variety of veggies and fruits...healthy servings...planned meals...you taking control of your diet (that is, in the largest sense of the word...the food that you eat everyday)...and experiencing steady weight loss which I am guessing is mostly fat, especially since you are drinking so much water and eating such water rich food. I have enjoyed following along with you as I have been doing a similar anti-inflammatory type of diet. Hope all is going well...

 

Anita,

 

Thank you for the encouraging message. I really needed it just now. I haven't posted in several days due to a family emergency and my own medical crisis. I am have eaten several restaurant meals and not been drinking my water or controlling my sodium intake especially. I know the scale will be especially depressing tomorrow morning but yours and Member 123's messages have given me the courage I need to go ahead and post the bad news tomorrow. Thanks again.

 

Carla

[nyfarmgirl]

Member123,

 

Thanks for the encouragement! I have a hard time remembering that the numbers on the scale are strictly data. I have such a personal relationship with the scale :( I hope to get to the point where I can view it with more emotional detachment.

 

I exercised one day and the scale went up (no other variables) and I decided not to exercise anymore because of that. I have since decided that I really need to exercise no matter what it does to the scale. I am sure that if it goes up that it will only be temporarily. I know that it is impossible to completely improve my health just by losing weight, I need to incorporate a regular exercise routine.

 

Carla

[nyfarmgirl]

Just stumbled onto this thread - WOW is all I can say! Awesome menu, dedication, and focus. Just wanted to say how impressed we lurkers are. I'm 100% confident your goal will be reached. Way to go.

 

PS - Popcorn (or the salt I add to it - guarantees me a gain every time until I can shed the retained water after a few days. No biggee, that last 1.5lb loss proved that.

 

Shootr,

 

Thank you. I have decided to start adding some of my favorite plan recipes to my posts.

 

Regarding the popcorn: I really felt victorious last week, I went to the theater w/my daughter to see Identity Thief and did not have any popcorn. This is the first time in my life that I have gone to the movies and not had popcorn. (Yes, I love popcorn that much!!)

 

Carla

[nyfarmgirl]

Hello I was so excited when I seen the thread. I am planning a January 12, 2014 cruise for my boyfriends 40th birthday. I have set a goal to lose 100 pounds myself. I started on January 16, 2013 so far I have lost 21 pounds. I am eating completely gluten free do to allergy . I eat three meals a day with two snacks and exercise 5 to 6 days a week. It seems I will drop large amounts of weight on week then mabie gain a pound or two the next. I know I have a long road ahead of me but I just keep trying to keep my eyes on the prize CRUISE:D

 

Ashley,

 

21 lbs in just over a month is AMAZING!! That is awesome, I have a friend who was just diagnosed with Celiac and has gone gluten free (lost 15# in a month). I hate that you have an allergy that makes you have to avoid all gluten but I am sure that it is for the best. My friend says she feels much better since she has gone gluten free.

 

Eye on the prize is right!! Today is my 30th wedding anniversary and one year from now I will be on a fabulous cruise!

 

Carla

[susie8862]

Susie,

 

I saw Lyn-Genet on the Dr Oz show and what she said about people eating the "good" foods (salmon, asparagus, whole wheat, oatmeal, soy, almonds, etc) and not being able to lose weight due to inflammatory reactions. I downloaded her book and read the entire thing in 1 day. It made a lot of sense and I had never thought about how many illnesses and diseases are inflammation related.

 

I take no offense at your comment, but I am really curious as to why you think this is the wrong diet?

 

Carla

OMG Carla...how wonderful to hear from you. We have all been worried and I am so sorry to hear about your family emergency. I do hope all is well.....but I would also like to say...a VERY happy 30th wedding anniversary to you both.

 

As far as the "wrong" diet comment I made...I should not have said that. What I really meant is....there are sooo many great....easy....wonderful diets that would satisfy you much better than the one you are on. This one seems very, very difficult and not much room for variation. Usually when someone is 100lbs overweight, the first 20 should melt off very quickly and not really yo-yoing. (I do realize the past few days of your stress...so I am not talking about that).

 

I know that not every diet is for everyone....I am just concerned for you. I am pulling for you soooooooo much. :o:o:o

[barracudas_two_bee]

Ashley,

 

21 lbs in just over a month is AMAZING!! That is awesome, I have a friend who was just diagnosed with Celiac and has gone gluten free (lost 15# in a month). I hate that you have an allergy that makes you have to avoid all gluten but I am sure that it is for the best. My friend says she feels much better since she has gone gluten free.

 

Eye on the prize is right!! Today is my 30th wedding anniversary and one year from now I will be on a fabulous cruise!

 

Carla

 

Congratulations on you 30th wedding anniversary :D

 

This week has been a awful week for me Im stressed to the limit and that makes me hungry. the scale is not saying what i want it to and that makes me hungry. I have a food journal to keep track of everything and it does help . I need to seriously get on track with my portion control. everything I eat is very health I just think I am eating to much of it . I drink about gallon of lemon water a day so im all set there also. Im totally looking forward to this week being over and moving on to next week. Today im having a day that i feel i could just binge on everything in the house and it only 9:26AM NOT GOOD!!!!:mad:

[Anita Latte]

I haven't posted in several days due to a family emergency and my own medical crisis. I am have eaten several restaurant meals and not been drinking my water or controlling my sodium intake especially. I know the scale will be especially depressing tomorrow morning but yours and Member 123's messages have given me the courage I need to go ahead and post the bad news tomorrow.

 

I'm so sorry to read about troubles. I know first hand how this can temporarily derail our best efforts to eat well. It's completely understandable. And the fact of the matter is that it happens in one form or another throughout our lives...and it doesn't have to be crisis situations...it can be holidays, family visiting, going on vacation, traveling for work...anything and everything that takes us out of our normal routine. This can be especially difficult when we are in the beginning stages of trying to establish a new "normal" that is healthier than previous normals. When you have a long term view...then you can weather these "hiccoughs" in life and you can see the positive evidence as quickly on the scale as you saw the negative.

 

So just get back to your water drinking for sure. And as quickly as is possible, get back to eating food with less sodium.

 

I exercised one day and the scale went up (no other variables) and I decided not to exercise anymore because of that. I have since decided that I really need to exercise no matter what it does to the scale. I am sure that if it goes up that it will only be temporarily. I know that it is impossible to completely improve my health just by losing weight, I need to incorporate a regular exercise routine.

 

First...I did quite a bit of research regarding the whole gain weight when you first start exercising because this ALWAYS happens to both my Mom (Member123) and me. And I think it's beyond frustrating. But it turns out that it isn't as bad as it feels...the weight gain is a natural body response to increased demand on the body's muscles. Your body stores water and glycogen in your muscles based on what the body perceives it needs to meet the muscle's needs. When you increase the activity of your muscles through physical activity...you have increased the water and glycogen needs of your muscles. This makes total sense. And your body will respond by storing more water and glycogen.

 

Now, I'm not clear if the body overcompensates because it had found itself in a state of lack and therefore, will OVER store water and glycogen so that it won't be lacking in the future. I don't know if you have ever had an escrow account that was found to be short and then your mortgage company OVER compensated on that lack and increased your payment by WAY more than what was REALLY necessarily to cover the actual expense...those mortgage companies like a cushion, a minimum balance, in those escrow accounts...Mom will appreciate this analogy! LOL...anyway...I don't know if there is a time there where the body does store what could be too much water and glycogen until it learns what this new routine is and how much water and glycogen are required on a regular basis.

 

So don't be discouraged by this weight gain. It actually counts towards lean body weight...it isn't fat and this is what you need to learn to distinguish in your mind when you analyze your weight changes. There can be enormous daily fluctuations. And more often than not, this is due to changes in water weight for whatever reason. It is more important that the overall trend of weight loss be downward...so that this MONTH you weight less than LAST month.

 

And I believe that you couldn't make a truer statement than to say "it is impossible to completely improve my health just by losing weight, I need to incorporate a regular exercise routine." I've read that NOT exercising is WORSE than smoking for your health.

 

Your body wants to move...it is a very efficient body and it likes it systems to be in working order...these systems require movement in order to function properly. All kinds of various movement, from stretching movement to high intensity cardio. The body LOVES to move. Not to put too fine a point on it...but to paraphrase things I have read...and to share my "take away"...you NEED to use your body's system's in order for your body to maintain those systems. This is how your body keeps itself in a state of maintenance and repair, and in some cases building and growing. IF you stop using the systems of your body...then your body stops making the effort to keep these systems READY for use and then your body truly IS aging...growing old before it's time and preparing to stop living altogether because there is no point in continuing to exist because the systems aren't being worked and used.

 

The good news is that it doesn't take much movement to stimulate the body, especially when you haven't been moving and especially when your body has to work so much harder with extra weight to move. It's just that, too often, we try to do too much...starting where the "ideal" is and not letting our body "work up" to the ideal. Trying to start at ideal and not being able to keep up, how could we really? the body isn't prepared!, can be very frustrating. We have to start with where we are at...doing what the body is fully capable of doing with good form and gradually increasing the workload. This doesn't yield the most spectacular results in the short run...but in the long run...this is the best methodology for long term improved health and fitness.

 

Please excuse my dissertation.:o I have a tendency to talk a lot about things that I'm passionate about. As much as I struggle, I am passionate about health. I am encouraging myself in my writing as much as I hope I am encouraging you.

[Member123]

Happy 30th Anniversary! Carla, it's so good to have you back as the hostess of your own party!

 

Exercise and weight gain. This is the way that I think about this situation.

 

You go throughout your day, doing all the necessary things that need to get done; paying attention to all the details in order to accomplish your goals for the day.

 

Then, at night, you rest. You rest... while your brain gets kicked into high gear. This is the time when your brain isn't distracted by the youness of you being you. So, the brain sends you away to your own private la-la land and it's now time for it to get down to business.

 

An evaluation process begins. Let's see. What did Carla give me to work with today? This would be: the water you drank, the food you ate, the memories you made, the emotions you handled. The brain does an analysis of what you did today and what may need to be prepared for tomorrow. BTW, your sleeps are so important to your weight loss and to your overall emotional health as well. During sleep is when your body releases the hormones necessary for you to be able to heal from the stress that you endured that day.

 

Anyway, if the brain doesn't detect any form of activity from a muscle... moving on, no work to be done here. BUT, if there was some activity demanded from that particular muscle, then a few things actually happen. In the beginning, the brain will strengthen a neural response for that particular muscle because (maybe just maybe) you might put more demand on that muscle tomorrow. So, let's get prepared for that! And, as you do exercise that muscle more and more, then the body will evaluate whether the muscle needs to be strengthened and/or repaired.

 

In order to repair and/or strengthen muscle, the body will retain some water for that particular purpose. I don't remember how much water the body needs in order to do its processes, but I do know that it needs water to eliminate fat and water to repair muscle.

 

So, the body will retain water for those purposes. And, you might experience a slight hiccup or uptick on the scale the next day... if the body couldn't get everything done for you that night. Maybe for a number of reasons; not enough fuel to work with; not enough water to work with; other things that needed attention; not enough sleep time; on and on.

 

Which is why daily monitoring is enlightening, frustrating, educational... but not necessarily motivational.

 

Exercise is very, very important. Keep your mind in the data gathering "game" and don't let the scale metric push you off your path! It's really fascinating to see how what we do results in long term improvement, BUT don't let the short term (daily stepping on the scale) be the most meaningful part. And, also keep in mind that your body is an excellent, efficient tool (machine) and that you have taught it, over the years, how to respond to your habits.

 

Sharing with others is so helpful. Just expressing my thoughts to you is helpful to me. I have had a severe, severe cold that has sidelined me for days; I haven't been able to exercise in almost 2 weeks! I am feeling so lousy! And, right now, my body is starting to ache from its own non-use; I know I'll feel so much better when I can get back to the gym. I just need my lungs to improve to the point where I can get some oxygen when I exert myself... so looking forward to that, actually. Which I didn't use to be able to say, but I've retrained my body to expect exercise since I've been doing it for over 2 years.

[nyfarmgirl]

Daily weight change: +4.0

Total weight change: -8.0

 

OK so it wasn't quite as bad as I imagined. I know I have retained water and I probably should have gained 1-1.5 actual fat pounds for what I ate over the last 5 days. I've been really good today and resisted ice cream, chips and pizza that was consumed by those around me. I have also drank all of my water and went back to drinking my dandelion tea.

 

What I have learned: I love the convenience of restaurant and convenience foods but I don't like the way they make me feel. I have had headaches, a gallbladder attack, been bloated, constipated and extremely thirsty. With the exception of a couple of items, they also didn't taste as good as I remembered. I know that it sounds a little silly but I also like being able to say that I haven't had any processed or artificial stuff in X# of days.

 

So this is my reset day. Day 1 for many purposes. I have only eaten healthy real food items today. I am going to focus on adding physical activity to each day, getting all of my water in, limiting sodium and trying new healthy foods/recipes. I am going to try really hard not to get bogged down in the minutia of the daily scale changes.

 

Everything that you guys said about the body's reaction to exercise makes total sense. Thanks for taking the time to explain it so well. As an accountant and someone who was stunned by having to overcompensate on my mortgage escrow as well, I particularly loved the escrow analogy.

 

I am having gallbladder surgery on 3/12 and hopefully I will be able to exercise within a couple of weeks of that. In the meantime I am hoping that the weather will cooperate enough that I will be able to walk each day. I don't have a treadmill so it is either that or I have to try to find an exercise video that is easy enough for a beginner. Any suggestions??

[nyfarmgirl]

I absolutely love this stuff! It takes a bit of getting used to but I find it hard not to eat it everyday. I eat it with Vanilla Coconut Silk which gives it some sweetness.

 

Flax Granola

 

You can also double the recipe so that

you have more on hand.

• 1 cup whole flax seeds (brown or

golden both work well—a half and half

mix of the two is ideal for taste)

• ½ cup water

• cinnamon, nutmeg, clove to taste

• Optional pure vanilla extract

• raisins, cranberries, sunflower seeds,

etc to taste

Soak 1 cup of flax overnight in the fridge in

roughly 1/2 cup of water with cinnamon

Spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet and

bake at 275

Turn several times to dry out

Optional-add nuts/seeds of choice

last 10 minutes. Add dried fruit after removing

from oven.

Bakes in 50-60 min. Golden flax seeds and

the ½ and ½ mix may require less baking

time.

[Anita Latte]

Flax is a great thing for people who can eat it. Like soy, flax is a phytoestrogren as is therefore not recommended for certain peoples. Mom and I are one of those peoples. Mom had a thyroid goiter. My Great Aunt had a thyroid goiter. In doing the best that I can with my diet to do what I should do to lessen my own risk of a thyroid goiter...I avoid the strong phytoestrogens, soy and flax. Chia is still up for debate on whether or not it is a phytoestrogen...some studies say yes, some say no...so I avoid that also.

 

For your granola...have you ever tried making granola in your crock pot? You leave the lid off and stir it every now and again. It is very easy. I followed a recipe in the book "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook." I'm sure you could google the idea. It takes a bit longer than the oven, but you also don't have to watch it quite as closely...and it's much easier to just pass the open crock pot in the kitchen and stir it than to deal with the whole oven situation.

 

Four pounds is no big. I gained 8 or more on the cruise we took last March. It was off within a week. You are doing great...what kind of exercise do you enjoy? Personally, I LOVE Zumba! LOL. However, I don't have much experience with the DVDs, and doing Zumba at home on carpet may not be the best for a beginner.

 

The only other exercise video that I was able to regularly do and somewhat enjoy was put out by Step Reebok in the 1990s. I liked it because the music was live drum beats...you can't sing along, but I didn't get sick of it. The instructor has a great voice...nice alto with clear, precise instructions. There is no whooping or hollering. I could handle watching it over and over and over and not get sick of hearing what the instructor had to say. The video was shot with a kind of cinematic viewpoint that changed and focused on different people...the group, etc. So it was actually a decent thing to have to watch. And the people were attractive in a strong and lean and serious (not pretty) way. And after doing it so many times, I didn't actually have to watch it too much...I could just do it. So I searched...and crazy enough...someone uploaded the VHS onto YouTube. The entire thing:

 

 

As a beginner...I would do this without a step first. Then, if you wanted to add a step...I would hit a local Goodwill store. People buy steps all the time but don't use them, and give them to Goodwill. Just stepping with the first platform is enough if you can't find the risers. That's my recommendation.

[nyfarmgirl]

Anita,

 

I knew that there was a warning about too much flax because of the phytoestrogens. Apparently ground flax releases a great deal more than the whole flax seeds that I use. After the first week on this plan, it is recommended that it not be eaten more than 3-4 times per week. I also had my thyroid tested before I started the plan. I have been experimenting with other breakfast options just for the sake of variety. This is still my fave quick go to though. The crockpot is a great idea, I always worry about burning it. I am going to try that this week.

 

As for exercise that I like, I have found there is one type I truly enjoy. It is tourism, yep, take me to a new city and I will walk my butt off exploring. The problem seems to be my budget; I just can't afford trips as frequently as I need to exercise.:rolleyes: On the other had, I do enjoy hiking and the fingerlakes trail runs through my property so as soon as the weather breaks, I can take my dogs and do some of that. In the meantime, I have to stick to the road for safety. I will check out the you tube video, it sounds like something I can do. Thanks again, I really value your input.

[nyfarmgirl]

Daily weight change: -1.5

Total weight change: -9.5

 

I had another really good day. It was easier to get back into the swing of things than I thought. Thank goodness for frozen soups!!

 

Yesterday's Menu:

 

Breakfast

Flax granola

Vanilla Coconut Silk

 

Lunch

Carrot ginger soup

Salad greens w/sunflower seeds

 

Dinner

Salad greens w/tomato, cukes, onions, peppers & basalmic

steamed clams, mussels & shrimp

1 oz dark chocolate

 

Extras:

2 cups dandelion root tea, 2 cups coffee, 116 oz water

[nyfarmgirl]

Carrot Ginger Soup is the go to lunch for days when the body needs rest. This would be during times of inflammatory reactions, stress or illness. The ginger and spices are really good for digestion and give it much needed flavor. I usually add sunflower or pumpkin seeds for some crunch and protein if I am not having another protein at the meal. I freeze this soup in 2 cup containers so that I have it ready at a moments notice.

 

Carrot Ginger Soup

 

• 1.5 lbs carrots

• 1 zucchini

• 1 onion

• 1 quart water

• 2-3 cloves garlic

• Raw Ginger, Cinnamon, Cumin,

Onion powder to taste

• Black pepper to taste

Chop vegetables and simmer with spices in

water until soft. Add vegetables to blender

with half of soup stock and blend or use an

immersion blender.

[nyfarmgirl]

Daily weight change: -1.0

Total weight change: -10.5

 

I was really nervous about weigh in this morning because yesterday was a really busy day and I ate two meals in restaurants. Although chicken seems like an obvious healthy choice, I try to avoid it because it is usually loaded with extra sodium (and hides it well).

 

Yesterday's Menu

 

Breakfast

6 oz Pineapple Greek Yogurt

 

Lunch

Garden salad w/vinegarette

1 slice 3 cheese broccoli pizza

 

Snack:

Carrot ginger soup w/pumpkin seeds

 

Dinner

Cajun steak salad w/1 tbsp bleu cheese dressing

[nyfarmgirl]

Daily weight change: -1.0

Total weight change: -10.5

 

I was really nervous about weigh in this morning because yesterday was a really busy day and I ate two meals in restaurants. Although chicken seems like an obvious healthy choice, I try to avoid it because it is usually loaded with extra sodium (and hides it well).

 

Yesterday's Menu

 

Breakfast

6 oz Pineapple Greek Yogurt

 

Lunch

Garden salad w/vinegarette

1 slice 3 cheese broccoli pizza

 

Snack:

Carrot ginger soup w/pumpkin seeds

 

Dinner

Cajun steak salad w/1 tbsp bleu cheese dressing

 

Extras:

2 cups dandelion root tea, 1 cup coffee, 116 oz water

[nyfarmgirl]

Mango Carrot Smoothie

 

1 med carrot

1/2 fresh mango or 3/4 cup frozen mango

4 ice cubes (omit if using frozen mango)

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

 

Blend on high speed until smooth. You can add a little agave syrup or honey if you like it sweeter.

[nyfarmgirl]

Daily weight change: -1.5

Total weight change: -12.0

 

Yahoo!!!!! Back to my personal best! Goodbye extra 4 lbs from last week's ordeals. Thank you Anita, you were definitely right!

 

Yesterdays menu:

 

Breakfast

Carrot Mango smoothie

 

Lunch

Banana

Green salad w/ basalmic vinegar

Spicy vegetable soup

 

Dinner

4 oz brown sugar bourbon salmon

1 cup saffron parsley couscous

1 cup creamed spinach

1 oz dark chocolate

 

Extras:

2 cups dandelion root tea, 1 cup coffee, 115 oz water

[nyfarmgirl]

Brown Sugar Bourbon Salmon is my copycat version of a wonderful grilled salmon that I had at a steakhouse (either Outback or Longhorn's). I make it year round and it has become a family favorite - they don't know it is good for them:D

 

Brown Sugar Bourbon Salmon

 

1 lb wild salmon fillet (cut into 4 (4oz) portions)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1.5 oz bourbon (I have also used rum & tequila if out of bourbon)

1 T soy sauce

1 T extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

 

Mix brown sugar, bourbon, soy sauce, and garlic together. Brush marinade over salmon. Heat pan over medium heat, add evoo and salmon fillets. Cook approx 4-5 minutes on each side, basting with any leftover marinade. 4 servings.

 

I entered this recipe into "myfitnesspal" and it comes out at 170 calories for each of the 4 portions.

[Anita Latte]

Yahoo!!!!! Back to my personal best! Goodbye extra 4 lbs from last week's ordeals. Thank you Anita, you were definitely right!

 

Congratulations on getting back to your personal best!

 

Here is how I think about things. Our bodies really want to be like Goldilocks...that is, have things just right. Not too thin. Not too fat. Just enough water on board...you get the idea. If we give our bodies the tools it needs, it will get itself back into balance. Generally speaking, if our eating and physical activity is such that we have been gaining...then the more we can swing the pendulum toward the ideal for losing, (and again, we are talking just right, because we can go too far in our efforts to lose), anyway, the more toward the ideal for losing, the faster our bodies can get back into balance. How long it takes to get a well balanced body, not over fat, not under lean, is completely dependent on how out of balance we are when we change our path.

 

What has happened here is actually a great short term example of the long term situation. It took you 4 days to recover from a 5 day interruption. You can think about your desired 100 pound weight loss as a recovery period... It's not just a losing period...it's a RECOVERY period. It's a little like being in rehab...you are rehabilitating your body from excess calories, etc. If you lead your body down that path...it WILL follow.

 

It's just a matter of time passing and you continuing to do what you have been doing for as long as it continues to be successful.

 

I'm really happy for you.

 

I don't know where you purchase your salmon. Mom and I have been purchasing salmon from here for what feels like forever:

 

http://www.great-alaska-seafood.com/

 

Once you are on their email distribution, you get notices of some really great sales. We have found the quality to be top notch. And there's nothing quite like having a freezer full of salmon to encourage you to eat it on a regular basis. The last few times I've purchased salmon, I got 10 pounds of sockeye delivered for $151 and 10 pounds of sushi-grade white and red King salmon for $200. DS loves sushi and so we have started making it at home.

 

Can you eat lentils? I have a great salmon recipe with lentils...it really stretches the salmon because the salmon serving is smaller when you include the lentils in a seving. I love lentils...

[nyfarmgirl]

Anita,

 

I used to work for an Alaska native corporation and got to go to Anchorage at least 2 or 3 times per year. I really miss bringing back salmon. I even had a lady at the AK office whose son would catch it, smoke it and vacuum pack it for me to bring back with me - Talk about fresh! I will check out the company you mentioned, we love sushi and the salmon ones are our faves. I also love lentils.

 

By the way, I love thinking about it like rehab, I am on my road to recovery. Day 43 on my journey :)

 

 

Carla

[barracudas_two_bee]

:D Thought I would put a little update up. last week was and awful week for me. Im up +6pounds 236 but thats ok this week is a new week going to get back on track . Im not going to punish myself for one bad week just put it in the past and move forward. I also need to not let the scale control my thoughts and emotions. So here goes to a new week of healthy eating and exercise:D

[nyfarmgirl]

Ashley,

 

I know exactly what you mean. I was up by 4# in a 5 day period. I got back on track and lost it in just 4 days. I couldn't believe how quickly it fell off. Anita did a great job of helping me to understand why. I made sure to drink all of my water and really watch the sodium intake in addition to staying on plan with my food.

 

You can do this! Everyone slips now and again, the important thing is to not let it discourage you to just give up. The weight didn't accumulate overnight and it won't come off that way either. This is a journey not a sprint.

 

Carla

[barracudas_two_bee]

Ashley,

 

I know exactly what you mean. I was up by 4# in a 5 day period. I got back on track and lost it in just 4 days. I couldn't believe how quickly it fell off. Anita did a great job of helping me to understand why. I made sure to drink all of my water and really watch the sodium intake in addition to staying on plan with my food.

 

You can do this! Everyone slips now and again, the important thing is to not let it discourage you to just give up. The weight didn't accumulate overnight and it won't come off that way either. This is a journey not a sprint.

 

Carla

 

Carla,

thank you so much for the encouraging words and it is so true it did not come on over night and it most certainly is not going to come off over night. thanks so much. Hugs Ash

[nyfarmgirl]

Day 44

Daily weight change: -1.5

Total weight change: -12.5

 

I was pleasantly surprised at the scale today because although I stayed within my plan guidelines, I didn't have a salad or any veggies. I had an incredibly busy day and got some upsetting news. My sweet baby, Cricket (my 8 year old child disguised as a mini rat terrier) was diagnosed with diabetes yesterday. I spent most of the day at the vet's office with her while they were running tests to figure out why she was suddenly drinking 10X her normal amount of water. She has to have insulin shots twice a day so I had to learn about that as well.

 

Yesterday's menu

 

Breakfast

2 fried eggs

 

Lunch

Peanut butter banana smoothie

 

Snack

apple

 

Dinner

3 oz wild baked whitefish w/mango cucumber salsa

small baked potato

black cherry greek yogurt

 

Extras: 115 oz of water, 1 cup coffee