Posts by texmom52

MCG,

Also has happened to me.  Here is how I got back on track:

1.  Absolutely forgive yourself.  Put it behind you and start again.

2.  Pick a calorie target several hundred over your target goal.  Aim at that.  Allow yourself snacks between meals.  Don't go hungry.  When you are hungry your self-control falters.

3.  Now, slowly decrease your calorie total every day, knocking off little by little those extra calories.  And add better quality food, fresh food, less processed. and don't forget to drink your water and get plenty of sleep.

4.  Eventually, you will ease back into your routine and just keep going.

I'd like to know about the colon cleansing thing too.  I have seen some scientific evidence that people who are obese have a lot of old stuff built up in their colon, but won't it just come back when we eat?

I also know that the toxic foot bath and pads are not scientific and don't remove toxins (seen experiments done with those).

But am interested in what others have to say about the subject.

WHEN I reach my goal (still 103 lbs away) I will wear a pretty black dress with hose and black heel shoes.  I'll go to family reunion looking like a million bucks.

You know what might be really good?  Stir fried shrimp and the cooked noodles that have been drained.  Throw in a can of Chinese veggies and some soy sauce (watch your sodium).  Mmmm.

kb,

Can you afford individual therapy?  A therapist might help you with you body image issues.  I wouldn't bother with the scale if it terrifies you.  Until you can face the truth of the scale, what good would it do you.

When you can face the scale either for good or bad, then do it and you will know where you stand.  You can use it as a TOOL.  That is all it is.  The scale doesn't judge you.  It is not good or bad.  It is only a tool in your arsenal.

Then you can use the scale kind of like a speedometer on a car.  It lets you know whether to add more gas or use the brake....

So nice to meet you.

Demerara,

Hello, nice to meet you.

I have to measure most of my portion, still, after a couple of months.  If I don't, I tend to pile it on a little thick or slice the butter a little wider, etc.

I think this is why the food log is so very helpful.  Logging every single bite keeps me honest about those little treats and snacks. 

I have to remember that 5--100 cal snacks would be almost half a day's calorie target!!!

Chrissy,

I've never had to make that adjustment.  I'm about a year from having to worry about that one.  I would hope that I would go back to the food log and see where I have been messing up.  I'd adjust from there.

Now, I don't like squash of any kind except sliced thin, coated with egg and cornmeal and fried crispy...so taking that in mind:

I'd peel my zuccini's and slice them about 1/4 inch thick (so they cook fairly fast).  I'd put in their some sliced onion, minced garlic (or garlic powder), salt and pepper and boil til zuccini is tender.

Then I'd drain off most of the water and add in a little bit of lowfat Land of Lakes butter for taste and a bit of evaporated milk for texture and mash.

If you try it let me know how it tastes.   Hmmm Let's see what the calories might be in the MY RECIPES section:

1 pound peeled sliced zuccini, 1/4 cup sliced onion, 1 clove garlic, 2 tbsp light butter, 2 tbsp evaporated milk. salt and pepper.  Serve 4.  84 calories per serving.

I have no idea how much 1/4 pound of zuccini is.  If your servings are bigger then calories are more.  If you use skim milk calories are lower, but taste suffers.  

Good luck

Here is a good answer from Clare Josa in How to Feel Happier:

So how long does it take to break an old habit or start a new one?

My conclusion?

It’s instant.
Breaking an old habit or starting a new one is “done” as soon as you make a true commitment to yourself that it’s what you’re going to do.

Why didn’t giving up coffee work for me? Because I didn’t really want to. I was doing it because I felt it was “the right thing to do”. So my heart wasn’t really in it.

As for getting up early each day, that’s working well because I really want to do it. Those who know me will know how precious a commodity sleep is for me(!). But I know how much more centred and chilled out I feel when I’ve taken that time each morning. So some days I’ll get up to meditate and then go back to bed afterwards! It’s almost easy, because I’ve committed to myself to do it.

So you can break a habit in as little time as it takes you to make a decision.

Yes, after the decision, willpower and action is still needed. But it’s the strength of that decision - why it is important to you - that will make the difference between success and failure.

Doobie,

The reason guys lose faster than gals is they have higher muscle mass percentage.  So exercise will help increase your muscle mass while decreasing your fat.  As the writer said above, losing too fast will lose muscle mass as well as fat.

Then (God forbid) if you gain weight back, more of it will be fat and thus the horrid cycle begins.

Take your weight off sensibly 1-2 lbs a week.  You are in this for the long haul.  You have heard some of this before, I am sure....You didn't get overweight in a day and you won't get fit in a day.

Remember to take a multivitamin and drink water as well as exercise (depending on your fitness level right now...perhaps 30 minutes a day 5 days a week).

If you aren't losing 1-2 pounds a week on 2000 calories a day, then decrease it to 1800.  I think you may be surprised how fast those calories will add up.

Use the food log here and record EVERY MOUTHFUL OF FOOD.  Those few bites of chips, that cup of coffee with coffeemate, that stick of gum, one bite of birthday cake at a friend's party, etc. 

Two nights ago I woke with a craving and  ate first a can of tomato soup, one slice of garlic toast with one slice of cheese....still was craving.  So I added 32 fritos and 2 ounces of cream cheese dip.  All that added up to about 1000 calories.

Lastly, if you mess up, start again the next mouthful.  Be honest with yourself and log in that food.  Nothing is gained by cheating on yourself.  But don't beat yourself up...just start again.

Can you make chocolate chip cookies?  They are pretty much flour, sugar, butter and baking powder.  Recipe should be on the bag...or look it up online.

Serve it along with some nice slices of canteloupe.