Spin off: eating and working out accountability thread

[basil]

I am finding that I'm HUNGRY in the morning, after I break my fast or even when I start eating around the time I work out. By contrast I'm hardly hungry at all in the afternoon. I think I'm going to load up in the mornings. I also feel like I need a little something sweet to eat each evening. I normally have a protein and veggie heavy dinner and I would not say I'm hungry at all after eating it. I just want a taste of something sweet. I need to find something small that satisfies that craving. But I am short on willpower with sweet stuff! I need something individually wrapped. Any suggestions?

One thing that helps me with sweets is making sure it's hard to get...i.e. expensive, limited availability, etc. Then I will want to stretch it out to "save" it. So I'm going through these chocolates I was lucky enough to be given for Xmas from Europe, but I only eat one a night or every other night, cause I know I won't get more anytime soon. But put me around peanut butter cups or Oreos or M&Ms and all bets are off Also, I always have fruit before I have sugar. Sometimes a bowl of raspberries is enough, and if not, they are still healthy.

Today did 75 min Peloton. Maybe some stretching later.
Breakfast: coffee, protein shake
Lunch: leftover turkey burger, roasted eggplant, zucchini
Dinner: roasted Brussels sprouts/chicken sausage/red onion with a bit of pasta. Will try to keep it heavy veg, low pasta proportions.

[jgenie]

THURSDAY

yoga
30 minute HIIT
1 mile walk

SNACKS -

DINNER - roasted sweet potatoes and green beans, chili Mac

WATER - 44 oz

SLEEP - 5.5 hrs

[gatorsmom]

Thursday-
breakfast- apple yogurt lots of hot tea
lunch- 3 raisin/ cinnamon swirl muffins, cup milk, lots of tea,
Dinner- hummus veggie wraps, cup milk, tea, 2 pieces oatmeal bake for dessert
7-day calorie average 1228
weight- 144.6lbs

[Melaine]

I posted about my discouragement with Covid and knowing I probably wouldn't stick with my goals while sick. I actually thought I did pretty well but today I got on the scale and am right back to where I was at Christmas. I am honestly really bummed. I also had a facebook post come up where I was trying to decide what size of a dress to purchase and I see that I was literally 25 lbs lighter at this precise time one year ago. That is a LOT of weight gain. I am so unhappy with my body and feel like even when dieting and exercising I am only able to prevent more gain, never actually lose. I think it's because I am on Zoloft which has been wonderful for my anxiety. But in the past when I have gained from meds I can't seem to lose it. If I go off, I will not lose weight. I will probably go about 6 months without having to have it, then I'll have a mental health crisis and have to go back on. At that point I will gain more weight. It's been happening my entire adult life. Also with my adrenal thyroid and autoimmune issues I can't fast the way I did when I was younger. And I really feel like I need to eat more frequently or I get light headed and dizzy. With my asthma, I can't do that much cardio either. I just feel super sorry for myself right now ya'll!

[gatorsmom]

I posted about my discouragement with Covid and knowing I probably wouldn't stick with my goals while sick. I actually thought I did pretty well but today I got on the scale and am right back to where I was at Christmas. I am honestly really bummed. I also had a facebook post come up where I was trying to decide what size of a dress to purchase and I see that I was literally 25 lbs lighter at this precise time one year ago. That is a LOT of weight gain. I am so unhappy with my body and feel like even when dieting and exercising I am only able to prevent more gain, never actually lose. I think it's because I am on Zoloft which has been wonderful for my anxiety. But in the past when I have gained from meds I can't seem to lose it. If I go off, I will not lose weight. I will probably go about 6 months without having to have it, then I'll have a mental health crisis and have to go back on. At that point I will gain more weight. It's been happening my entire adult life. Also with my adrenal thyroid and autoimmune issues I can't fast the way I did when I was younger. And I really feel like I need to eat more frequently or I get light headed and dizzy. With my asthma, I can't do that much cardio either. I just feel super sorry for myself right now ya'll!

I’m so sorry you are feeling down. I can hear it in your post. It’s been a difficult January for so many reasons. Dont lose hope! And don’t feel desperate enough to go off your meds. It’s hard work to lose weight but you CAN do it. You can lose the weight but you need to do it slowly to keep the weight off and to not yo-yo. I think to kick start the process, you really should see a dietician. All those factors you mention- the Zoloft, your asthma, your thyroid, all of those are going to affect your ability to control calories and lose weight. Add to that the fact that our metabolisms slow down a little bit more each year. All of those are medical issues which should be taken seriously and considered in your fitness/weight loss plan. A professional dietician will help you come up with an achievable goal and safe methods to get there.

[bisous]

I posted about my discouragement with Covid and knowing I probably wouldn't stick with my goals while sick. I actually thought I did pretty well but today I got on the scale and am right back to where I was at Christmas. I am honestly really bummed. I also had a facebook post come up where I was trying to decide what size of a dress to purchase and I see that I was literally 25 lbs lighter at this precise time one year ago. That is a LOT of weight gain. I am so unhappy with my body and feel like even when dieting and exercising I am only able to prevent more gain, never actually lose. I think it's because I am on Zoloft which has been wonderful for my anxiety. But in the past when I have gained from meds I can't seem to lose it. If I go off, I will not lose weight. I will probably go about 6 months without having to have it, then I'll have a mental health crisis and have to go back on. At that point I will gain more weight. It's been happening my entire adult life. Also with my adrenal thyroid and autoimmune issues I can't fast the way I did when I was younger. And I really feel like I need to eat more frequently or I get light headed and dizzy. With my asthma, I can't do that much cardio either. I just feel super sorry for myself right now ya'll!

I'm so sorry you feel down. DS1 is a beanpole and has been on Zoloft for the past year and he's gained 30 pounds. It can definitely affect weight gain. But I don't think it is an entirely unavoidable side effect. Meaning, I think with some tweaking you can have "both" and feel good about your life and your body. I really do think that. Also, this may sound dumb but I remember you posting a pic of a bag that you like and you have always been slim. I think it is entirely possible to have put 25 pounds on your body and still be really healthy! Only you personally can know what you're "supposed" to weigh, according to looking and feeling your best, I'm just saying you were pretty small to start.

The scale kind of bums me out. I've decided I'm ditching checking my weight. I know it is a great tool for many people but I'm too caught up in what it says and not enough in how I feel about myself. Since I want to fit and healthy my whole life, I feel like it is better to make incremental changes to my life that I'll stick with til the end (lol) than to meet quick goals so what does my weight actually matter if I can make observations based on the fit of my clothes but also my energy level and my ability to keep up with things in my life?

Also, I always do better when I'm coming from a position of strength rather than scarcity. Meaning, I know people who post ugly pictures of themselves to get motivated but that does the opposite for me. When I want to make a change I buy cute something cute to wear (exercise clothes maybe?), go somewhere beautiful, get my hair done and eat something delicious. Then I feel like I can make my goals happen. And bonus is that I feel great when I'm doing it instead of crummy. Start with the idea that you're beautiful and deserve to feel good and then make the little changes that just make you feel even better!

[hillview]

Basil great meals! And Bisous and Basil I am right there with the sweet tooth. I have found grapes and raspberries are good options (not the same but good).

JGenie you are rocking it! HIIT and walking!

Gator strong work there do you have an oatmeal bake recipe you like?

Melanie HUGS .... I think I might step away from the scale and focus on mental health and getting some exercise can you do walks? (this always helps me with mental health troubles). Try to do some self care.

Yesterday was good I met my goals (and did the peloton). Today is a little bit of a toss up as we don't have a dinner plan.

Breakfast -- oatmilk, coffee, grapes
Lunch -- might try something different like a frozen option or an omelet (actually an egg white omelet sounds good!)
Dinner is tbd

I am doing peloton every other day so today is an off day. Unfortunately walking makes my hip hurt a lot so rest it is!

[basil]

Melanie - sorry you're feeling down. I know the feeling. A few things that sometimes help me:
1) Remind myself that no one cares about my weight except me. Not DH, not my kids, not my friends, my doctor, my colleagues, my patients. No one else cares if the scale is 10 lbs less or not! No one values me for that number (and if they did, that would be hella weird and representative of their own issues rather than me).
2) Add in positive things rather than taking things away. Instead of "not going to eat sweets this week", make a plan to eat more veggies or protein. One thing that has helped me this month is making a few big trays of roasted veg. My favorites are squash, eggplant, zucchini, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, but whatever works for you. Or cook up a big batch of green beans or greens. Put them in the fridge and the goal is to eat all of them by the end of the week. In summer I may go for more raw veggies like carrots/tomatoes/peppers/cucumbers. Filling up on low calories density foods ends up reducing my total calories (and even if it doesn't, it's good for your health), and doesn't make me feel like I'm depriving myself. Same thing with exercise - exercise to get strong or improve your performance, not to make the numbers move.

Bisous, I'm with you on the scale. I can get myself caught up in it where I feel bad at the start of the day because of the number, and it's just not worth it! I check it every once in a while, but I'm not going to graph a trend these days.

Hillview - sorry you are having problems with your hip!

Yesterday I did 45 min Peloton but low intensity, because we were supposed to leave in the afternoon to go up skiing. Well, there is a blizzard hitting the east coast and DH was getting antsy about the whole thing and skiing in the snow with projected 40 mph wind gusts probably wouldn't be that great anyway, so we called off the trip. I'm bummed.
Breakfast: coffee, protein shake
Lunch: leftover brussel sprouts and sausage
Dinner: too much Chinese food, mainly fried peking ravioli

Today I finally made myself do some strength training (I always want to bike instead of lift). So did that for 40 min, then 60 min Peloton, then 10 min stretch.
Breakfast: same coffee, protein shake
Lunch: leftover Chinese?
Dinner: DS's request American chop suey and salad

After I did my almost 2 hour workout, DH was like "uh, you probably could have gotten the same workout just helping shovel snow instead of wearing yourself out with weights and a bike that goes nowhere"

[gatorsmom]

Everyone is doing so well! Keep up the good efforts! It’s fun reading what everyone is eating. They sound so good and many times they aren’t things we can get here in rural Wisconsin. It’s giving me a little cabin fever and itching to travel again…

Friday-
breakfast- piece of oatmeal bake
lunch- walleye tacos, corn chips, fried potato dish
dinner- popcorn
Calorie average- 1200
weight today (Saturday)- 145lbs

Oh, here’s the oatmeal bake recipe I use. It’s easy to remember and very flexible. I put our favorite ingredients below with the calorie counts. Sometimes I throw in the fresh fruit that no one is touching or is getting past its prime (meaning brown and fuzzy) it bakes up beautifully in an oatmeal bake and no one is the wiser. . If someone in the family thinks it tastes bland, they can add a dollop of jam to their piece. Some flavor combinations don’t turn out the as good as I imagined.

1 part fruit layer- frozen, fresh or canned
1 part dry layer- rolled oats work best, dried coconut, seeds, nuts, etc
1 part wet layer- applesauce, juice, melted butter, flavoring like butter or almond, etc
1/4 part sweetener- honey, sugar, maple syrup, or other
1 egg

4cups=1 part for 9x13 dish
2cups=1 part for 8x8 dish

Butter the bottom of the dish. Add fruit layer on bottom, then dry mixture. Combine the wet ingredients with the egg & sweetener & pour over other layers. Don’t mix, just layer.

Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.


An easy good combo is 4c fresh blueberries, 3c orange juice, 1c cranberry juice, 1c honey, & rolled oats.

For the blueberry/juice/honey recipe above:
3222 calories per 9x13” pan
3222 divided by 16 pieces= 201calories per piece
3222 divided by 24 pieces= 135 cal per piece

[gatorsmom]

Hey, it’s almost been a month. Who’s still hanging in there? I’m still counting calories and finding excuses not to exercise.
But I’m keeping my calorie average down so I’m happy with that. I’m dying for that scale to get down to 144 and stay there and quit hovering around 145. Here’s what I ate today:
breakfast- cinnamon tea, yogurt and Granny Smith apple
lunch- deli ham wrapped with veggies in a big lettuce leaf, oatmeal bake, hot tea
Dinner- breaded chicken strips on large salad of raw veggies, hot tea, milk and nesquik
7 day calorie average today 1200
weight yesterday 145.2lbs