Play-doh's Journal

[play-doh]

So, after eating a brownie and a little potato salad last week, I committed and succeeded to total SBD perfection for the next days until...

... I made a big mistake. I got on the scale and saw that I GAINED two pounds, which means that in the two months that I've been on the SBD I have only lost a total of two pounds.

How discouraging! My clothes don't feel looser, so I can't treat myself to the thought that I've gained muscle. I really wanted to just quit the whole thing. I mean, eating this way is definitely not causing me to suffer. In fact, I like the way I eat less and am not hungry ever. I love not having to cater to my frivolous cravings.

But, while I'm not suffering, I'm definitely making huge sacrifices. I took my kids to Stone Cold Creamery the other day and I ate nothing. I peel the bread off my burger when we go to a cookout, which is kind of embarrassing and messy. Some kids were selling fresh squeezed lemonade and I was thirsty, but I just offered a donation instead.

See, a couple of months ago I would have said yes to all of those pleasures in life, but I'm choosing to say NO because I want the pleasure of being thin again. A well-worth-it sacrifice, for certain.

But for TWO pounds? Hardly a reward if you ask me.

Then yesterday I blew it big. It started at lunchtime when I served my kids fresh corn on the cob and there was a piece left. I ate it. Then I ate some toffee a friend sent me in the mail. Then I ate some organic brownies I had stashed away for my kids. Then I ate... well, you get the picture.

The morning I woke up and my entire insides were on Red Alert! My body knows I did something awful and it's in a panic. I crave cereal, and chips, and orange juice. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich!!! Must have NOW!!!!

But no. I made scrambled eggs with Canadian bacon and some steamed asperagus. I'm going to try returning to phase one to make the cravings stop. It may not take a whole week, but I may do it for a week anyway.

So, let's assume I get it together. Let's assume that my weight is 146 today and I stay loyal to the SBD for the next month. If on July 6 I am not feeling satisfied with the amount of work I've done for the amount of weight I've lost, then I'm going to reconsider this diet altogether.

But what other diet is there?

I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

[muffintop]

Hang in there, my dear! I've read that after a binge, the best thing to do is just get right back on the wagon. Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones who loses weight after a brief deviation from their eating plan. I'm feeling that I'm not losing weight fast enough, which is ridiculous, as I haven't even weighed myself. But, I understand your frustration, I think. I am trying to keep focused on the idea that the most important thing is to stay off the junk food.
Are you eating enough calories? you may need to add some food to rev up your metabolism.
Good luck, and keep in touch!

[play-doh]

I am! I'm hanging in there. I plan to get on the scale tomorrow or maybe the day after. I have a feeling I've lost a pound or two.

I talked to my sister on the phone the other day. I told her I was really enjoying this diet because it's easy and it's very do-able. There's no suffering and no hunger involved. But I also expressed my frustration at only losing two pounds in two months.

She responded by saying: "Well, just think, you'll weigh twelve pounds less this time next year."

THAT thought makes me very happy!

[muffintop]

Congratulations on toughing it out. Not letting a slip turn into a month long binge would be a major victory for me.

[play-doh]

You're exactly right, Muffintop. Not letting a slip turn into a serious binge is the key to success.

Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. That's my motto.

And it's paying off.

Today: 142.8

I started a little over two months ago and I've lost about 5.5 pounds.

Progress is happening, people!!!

[play-doh]

With summer here, and other unforeseen circumstances having popped up, I haven't managed to find a real routine. I really want to have a regular exercise plan that I do every day at a specific time. Right now, it's haphazard. Exercising happens when it happens. In the next few days I'll have a good look at my calendar and my upcoming schedule and see what I can do to fill in some time slots with exercise.

Meanwhile, I had a great eating day. We're celebrating Father's Day late and I've made lasagna for my family for dinner tonight. But I'm going to have a salad with spring greens, ff cottage cheese, half a pear chopped up, and walnuts. With a balsamic and evoo dressing. Mmmm, it's one of my favorite salads. I might have a sf popcicle for dessert while they eat their ice cream.

I hope everyone else is having a great day!

[play-doh]

141.4 this morning! And I'm feeling the loss!

Okay, now that I'm encouraged and happy, I'm going to stay away from the scale for a week. Good news and bad news may start messing with my head. Besides, I don't want to be overly-focused on the numbers.

Still - I've lost 7 pounds in about 8 or 9 weeks!!!!

Dear Cookies, Chips, and Skittles,
I am sorry to say that our relationship has come to end. I'll still see you but only on special and rare occasions. You will no longer comfort me when I'm down. I now love Brussels Sprouts, Zucchini, and Almonds. Good bye Foods-That-Make-Me-Unhealthy! I won't miss you.
Without love and affection,
Play-doh

[muffintop]

Congratulations! Persistence pays off. BTW, the pear and cottage cheese sald sounds delish. I think I may try it.

[play-doh]

Well, gosh-darnit, I blew it over the weekend. Bah-looooo it!

Every summer our family goes to this really fun camp for three days and unfortunately, part of the lodging deal includes meals from the cafeteria. So, I went prepared with plenty of lf cheese sticks and a couple of thermoses of various salads. Well, it turned out that we had no access to a fridge and my food spoiled... so I had to eat - BLECH! - cafeteria food.

I tried hard to eat well. Really, I did. But on Sunday morning I just couldn't do the eggs, they tasted like jello! So I said "what the heck" and ate French Toast sticks.

All binges begin with "what the heck." Have you noticed?

We drove home later that day and stopped at a grocery for a little something for the kids in the car. The "what the heck" theme continued with a very sugary Starbucks double shot and I won't tell you what else.

I got on the scale yesterday and HOLY MOLY!!! 147!!! Puh-lease tell me it's water weight! I jumped right back onto the beach and beg the SBD gods to have mercy on me and make the weight come off fast. I was doing so well and had gotten down to 141 before the vacation.

I'm going to be very good, I promise. Then I'll get on the scale again around the weekend. I guess that will be the true test of the damage I've done, right? So, let's just forget the binge and the 147 for now.

[muffintop]

Of course it is only water weight!

[play-doh]

I think you're right again, Muffintop. It's mostly water weight.

I'm doing well again. Veggies at every meal, lean proteins or eggs, steel cut oats for my grains. I'm being very careful with the fruits though. I'm testing myself by just taking a sliver of pear, or two strawberries, or one bite of apple at a time.

My daughter is a fruitaholic. A vegeholic too, for that matter. It's not often that hear a mom say: No more veggies until you've eaten some of the other food on your plate. Both of my kids are pleasantly thin.

I'll hop on the scale on Saturday.

[play-doh]

I had a busy day and I'm not feeling real well. Just a sore throat and headache, no big deal. But typically when my throat hurts I crave Skittles and Diet Coke. Well, I haven't had either one. *pats self on the back*

In the middle of my busy day, I took some time out for lunch. I was really hungry but not in that awful uncomfortable, weak knee-ed way I used to get. And we're low on groceries - my fault - but instead of grabbing something quick and not-so-good for me, I took the time to make a tuna salad. *another pat on the back*

Then, later today, my friend let me raid her garden and I got an armful of chard and sauted it with some onions, garlic, white beans, and a splash of soy sauce. Yum! *a third pat on the back*

The only thing I'm doing wrong - and it's a big thing, I know - is that I'm not exercising. At least not in any kind of regular fashion. My daughter and I walk to the library and other places, but it's not like we're purposely walking for exercise. So, I am moving around, but I don't think it counts for much.

Must exercise.

[muffintop]

I have been walking to work instead of exercizing, but I think it is ok. I keep meaning to get back to pilates, but don't. Don't beat yourself up!

[play-doh]

Earlier today, I still hadn't been to the grocery, so I had a very strange lunch made up of all SBD approved scraps from the fridge. Two lf cheese sticks, some tuna, a couple spoonfuls of hummus, 1/3 of an apple, and some ff cottage cheese. The only veg I had was a celery stick. Five hours later and I am still not hungry AT ALL.

But, you know, when I don't have any veggies with my meals, I really miss them.

So, at last I went to the grocery this afternoon and I stocked up on tons of veggies. Tonight I'm having a simple salad of mixed greens with a hard boiled egg, and I'm having roasted Brussels sprouts with garlic and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. I'm looking forward to it. Love me some brussels sprouts. Oh, yeah!

Also, my husband is going to make me a martini. Mmmm. I guess I'll count it as my weekend splurge.

Muffintop, walking to work sounds like the ideal way to exercise. At least after you walk you've gotten somewhere you need to go. I have a hard time thinking of taking up walking because I will start out at my house and an hour later I'll end up at my house. All that walking and I'll have gone nowhere!

[play-doh]

142 this morning.

Rats.

I could blame it on the martini last night and water weight.

I don't know... maybe my body just doesn't want to give up the extra poundage. Maybe it's just going to take a whole year to lose 10 pounds.

I still say: If I'm not gaining, I'm winning. The weight will come off. It will.