Tired of being Tired

[happymo4]

Hello all!
I have been trying to start south beach and to be a part of the slimseekers group for the past month and a half. Stressful events keep coming up which have been giving me an excuse to stop and decide to "start later". Well, I have gained a few pounds and realize that the stress is not going to go away and I am adding to it by not eating as well as I can. I drink way too much regular pepsi which is so horrible for the body. It also makes me tired and hungry. I used to be so proud because I prioritized going to the gym and right now I don't want to even put my gym clothes on because they are uncomfortable. I am so tired by the end of the day that I don't want to even decide what to cook for my four children. I need to plan ahead and hope that this diet will help me. I wake up every day feeling guilty about not eating healthy. I am going to change and start "for real" beginning now. I am jealous of everyone that has lost weight and they are so motivating. I am 5'2" and weigh 147.2lbs. My goal is 125 lbs. because I know that when I worked out and ate well, that is the weight that I maintained. I used to like to get dressed to go out. Everything seemed easier then when I felt good about myself. Hopefully I will get there again! Good luck everyone! Also, can anyone tell me how to make the graph which shows weight loss? I can not figure it out.

[psychstudent]

Hello HappyMO4 -

I hear ya on the planning-ahead front. It is so easy to rationalize cheating when you are hungry and not prepared ("oh, I'll just eat these baked lays today"). I think a reframing of your goals might help you stick with it (it does for me). Instead of saying I want to be XYZ lbs., I have started by making more immediate goals like, "I want to get in all my vegetable and dairy requirements this week", or "I'm going to do 30 mins of cardio this week". It takes the pressure off by focusing me on preparing and planning ahead for the next few days.

Another thing that has been helpful to me is to prepare meals and snacks on the weekend for the week ahead. Having them readily accessible for the coming week makes it so much easier to follow the plan. My favorite portable snacks are celery sticks and laughing cow cheese (which I portion out into 5 ziploc bags for M-F), prepackaged handfuls of almonds (keep a couple bags at work and in the car), and the mini V8 cans (also keep some at work).

Good luck, you can do it!

[happymo4]

Thank you phychstudent for the tips! Definitely need to cut up some celery and I love the garlic and herb laughing cow cheese. Need to get used to it without the wheat thins though! I felt very motivated when I woke up this morning then my daughters were all grumpy and fighting about clothes before school. So mad at myself because I ended up drinking a pepsi and I was going to try to get through the day without one ! I drank water and decided that I can do better for the rest of the day. The pepsi did not make me feel less stressed. It only made me feel more stressed, guilty and weak. Will drink more water today and have some green tea. It actually is soothing to me. Did Jillian Michael's 20 minute workout on demand yesterday afternoon and I am actually sore! Can't believe that little bit of exercise awakened my muscles! Going to take a walk now and have some water. Having grilled chk salad for dinner. Hopefully will get through tomorrow without a pepsi!

[renaissance]

Hi you are taking a step in the right direction. Eating well in spite of the stress around you may help you cope with it a lot better. Fuel yourself well with wholesome foods and you'll be well armed to take on the day!!! We can do it!!

[happymo4]

I drank pepsi again today! What is wrong with me? I would be doing ok if I could just get my horrible pepsi habit under control. Going to drink water right now. I really want to have more energy and the soda is dragging me down. I can't wait until the morning I wake up without thinking of having a pepsi! I really hope that I have a good week this week by planning ahead. My goals this week are to drink a lot of water and to exercise for at least 1/2 hour every day, possibly more if I have time. I am going to prioritize it this week because everything in my life will be easier if I feel good and have energy. Can't wait to have energy!

[inkbottle]

Hi happymo4--don't be too hard on yourself!
If you drank pepsi regularly before starting SB, then going cold turkey might be stressful for your body [on top of all the other stress in your life!], which is used to getting that amount of sugar. Maybe you can try splenda with tea or something flavorful that might keep the soda craving at bay? Or maybe if you drank a whole can today, tomorrow your goal can be to just stop at half a can. [easier than it sounds though, my weakness happens to be peanut butter~still working on my cravings!] And I find that having a variety of options helps me stay away from binging on one particular item!

Good luck!

[happymo4]

Thank you inkbottle for your comments! I have been drinking pepsi for 20 years since I used to work night shift as a nurse on a really busy cardiac floor. You would think that I would be smart enough to know better. I have tried everything! I am so disappointed in myself but I am trying again. Maybe one a day, then half, then maybe just on weekends for a treat. I have to do this now. Just exercised and drank a ton of water. Having flank steak and grilled peppers for dinner. Feel better just because of exercising and no bread! Hopeful for the first time in weeks!

[Beaching It]

Hey Happymo4. Thanks for posting in my journal area. I posted back to you there. Can you get the pepsi out of your house? Or replace it with diet pepsi (for now) so that at least you have something to 'replace' it until you can wean off? I know for me I have to have my 1 diet pepsi a day and although it's full of chemicals, it's something I can't give up. I can relate about having young kids and the stress that comes along with it. You will feel so great when you get on SB for good and start seeing results! You will feel like you have control of your life and you will feel so proud of yourself for making the change! Guaranteed!! Good luck on your journey and looking forward to hearing more about your success.

[happymo4]

Feeling good today! I did have a pepsi but I am not going to have any more today. Drinking water and green tea without sugar. I exercised yesterday and actually feel sore already. I did not wake up with a headache today either which is a change. I feel like I am coming out of a fog and have the strength to prioritize being healthy right now. Hope the feeling lasts! Enjoying watching my kids eat their vegetables with me! Also, they aren't having the sips of my pepsi that they usually beg for because I did not have it yesterday afternoon! Taking baby steps and feeling proud. Everyone seems a little happier and calmer these past couple of days. Maybe it is because I feel better?

[Beaching It]

So glad to hear you're doing better. I felt like I was in kind of a fog the first few days too. Good luck!!

[happymo4]

Thank you Beaching it! I am still feeling motivated. Doing well with the food but still had a pepsi. I got on the scale and I lost 2.4 lbs. This is motivating me even though I know that it could be back on tomorrow. I am going to try not to weigh myself though. There are 8 weeks until Thanksgiving and I want to feel good for the holidays. I have no choice but to continue to eat healthy. I actually have energy and feel more optimistic which I am grateful for. Going to try a new recipe from south beach cookbook today. If they have good fish, I will try that, if not, the chicken with spinach and goat cheese. Can't wait to be done the grocery shopping!

[happymo4]

I am feeling good now with more energy. Can't believe how bad I was feeling! I tried a codfish recipe and it was ok but I will not make it again. I just went out and bought ingredients for a bunch of different recipes and had a HUGE grocery bill, then realized that I spend more than that on a couple of dinners out. My goal is to not eat takeout for the next two weeks. I am also giving myself two weeks of having my 1 pepsi a day or less, then I am going to try to do two weeks without it. Overall, I have made several improvements and can feel the difference in my energy and productivity. Can't wait to feel a difference in my body! I know that I cannot go back to the way I was eating before. I was not caring at all what I put in my mouth. Actually, I was caring but ate anyway and felt guilty. I want to be proud of myself and I am heading in the right direction. Going to walk on the beach later and do some push ups and core work after I clean the house!

[Beaching It]

Sounds like you're doing great! Good for you. I wish I could go walk on a beach... where do you live? Keep up the great work!

[happymo4]

Hi Beaching it! Thank you for posting! You have motivated me so much! I live in Delaware by the beach and we love it but sometimes life gets in the way so we can't enjoy it like the vacationers can. We get jealous of all of the tourists! The fall is the most beautiful time here so that is when I love to go up to the beach. It is so peaceful. I am so excited! I know that we shouldn't be using the scales but I got on today and I was down again! I know it's water but it was fun to see the decrease because every day is long and tough. I love that I am not having guilt so that makes my days better which gives me more energy. Going to go try to run! Have a great day!

[happymo4]

Not very happy with myself right now! Drank more than 1 pepsi today and had 2 breaded chickenstrips with hot sauce! So bummed because I was doing well. I am still motivated but am disappointed in myself. I feel like I probably gained my weight back. Thankful that I ran 3 miles and did push ups with my husband this morning.