dreamdancer

I’ve been concentrating on living, being grateful for what I have, and enjoying the moments. The scale continues to move downward…slowly. The weight crept on that way, so I guess I really shouldn’t have been expecting a quick fix in any case.

One of the nice things I’ve noticed is that when I am eating every couple of hours, I don’t have the urges to eat like I did before. And, with not counting calories, carbs or whatever, I am not constantly thinking about what I can eat next. …So, for now, this is just fine.

I am still food journaling at the end of the day, along with making any notes about the day’s activities. Still stepping on the scale and taking measurements. Still staying mindful of where I am. But, I feel good about what I’m doing. I have quit feeling guilty about eating  any little morsel of something that I wanted. Done with that.  

Oh, yeah…I’ve started doing a few more of the yoga moves (INHALE on Oxygen). I’ve been doing what I can…and it seems that I’ve increased my flexibility enough to add a few new moves. Way to go, me!

Woo-Hoo! Scale magic… down a pound. It’s water weight. You know it and I know it…but it still looks good on the scale.  This was for day one… and I’ll take it, gladly.

I had a good day yesterday…met my brothers for breakfast at CrackerBarrel, then went grocery shopping for some fresh fruit and dairy. I knew that I wouldn’t be hungry for a while after picking my way through the SunRise Sampler…whoo. But, I needed some bright colors and smells for dinner…and, of course, I needed some creamer for my comfort item. …Hot flavored tea with half&half and splenda. That’s my go-to comfort item for when I’m feelin’ the munchie urge. I can manage quite happily in front of the computer or while leafing through a magazine with a cuppa at hand. …and then there was the dancing… also good as a distraction. I cranked up the music and alternated the dancin’ with the cookin’… glad no one was home to watch. It was fun. felt good. …but not really a group activity…yet.

Yesterday’s food: Not as many fresh fruits and veggies on the first day. That craving usually kicks in on day two. I was mainly interested in feeling comfortable and keeping my carbs under 120 for the day. Mission accomplished.

Breakfast–Eggs over easy, bacon, hashbrown casserole, spiced apples, 1/2 biscuit with gravy, hot tea.

Snack–Navel orange.

Snack–Cream of shrimp soup w/ cheese.

Dinner–Baked chicken breast, sauteed asparagus, fresh peach slices.

Snack–2 cookies, milk.

…and about three cups of tea throughout the day…

I haven’t told anyone that I’m losing weight, although I think my mom has noticed. She mentioned that I was “sparkling” one morning. …I’m not too sure what she saw, but it sounded positive anyway.  LOL

 I would have started losing weight sooner. …When my older brother was diagnosed with diabetes, I modified my own diet in a show of support–and lost 20 pounds in 6 weeks–without even trying.  I found that by making healthier carb choices, adding in more protein and fat, and keeping my daily carb intake between 120 and 150 grams, I feel better, I’m not hungry all the time, and I lose weight. 

Then, when the weight loss plateaus–as we all know it will, I boost the carb intake back up to around 200 grams daily for a few days–the “resting” phase. This part of my new lifestyle is actually harder for me than eating in the lower carb ranges.   It’s tougher because, to add back those carbs, I usually loosen up a bit with the kinds of foods that I’m eating and start getting cravings again. …But, I’m still learning, and with the help of my food diary and weight chart, I pretty much am getting to know those foods in which I should not be indulging and when to shift back to the lower carb ranges again.

During the resting phase, the graph line on the weight chart usually goes up just a pound or two and bounces around for a few days, but will eventually level off. Then, I lower the carb range and get started again. For me, this cycle usually means about 10-12 days of solid losses, then 5-7 days of “resting.”

This last weight “loss” phase was 8 pounds in 10 days. My weight bounced up two pounds and leveled out, and then came back down. …So, I’m ready to start a losing again. Check back in with me to see how I’m doing.