The Tipping Point

[SBMike]

I read somewhere that when you lose weight on this diet you might find that you look better at your new weight than at previous times in your life when you were at this weight, supposedly due to the fact that you're not getting there by starving your muscles to death. I have to say that I am rather compelled by this. I don't think the jeans I am wearing fit this well the last time I was this weight, nor was my belly as flat, and I could swear my arms were bigger.

Or maybe I just took how great I looked for granted back then. Entirely possible.

Does this mean my thin hair will fill back in?

[thisteensy]

Only if you get there by eating a lot of pizza and almonds.

[thisteensy]

Starting my first class tomorrow to make up for deficiencies in my education so I can get my PT license in Oregon. So 20 hours of class plus 40+ hours of work per week. It sounds a little terrifying, but the terror only lasts 10 weeks. By August 3rd these classes will not be haunting me anymore, and I'll be that much closer to getting out of Baltimore.

When I first started this diet, and I was looking ahead to this moment when these classes would start, I thought this would be the moment I would fall off the wagon. I'm not really worried about that anymore. It's going to be just as difficult whether I'm eating veggies and a HB egg for lunch, or a sandwich. In fact this will be even better, because I won't be getting cravings and eating sugar to keep me going. AND I'll be closer to my goal weight, and probably within the clinically normal weight range, at the end of it all. Two victories for the price of one!

I went to the farmer's market, and then the grocery store yesterday. Got some things I can stash in the fridge at work for emergencies: low-fat string cheese, tomato juice, eggs (for hard boiling). I've got my breakfasts worked out. The dude will make dinner most nights, or if he can't manage, we can eat at our local restaurant, which has a very SB friendly salad on their menu currently. I think I can do this. I can remember being this busy at another moment in my life, and having this experience I like to call the "efficiency high." You get so focused that you have a hard time unfocusing, and can take on more than you ever dreamed at those times. Last time this happened for a prolonged duration was when I had two jobs, was in school 10-40 hours per week, and was maintaining a long distance relationship by phone. I only got one B in that entire year-long course. The rest were A's. Also, my car got stolen that year, so I had to deal with that, and taking the bus for a minute, then buying a new car. This isn't going to be nearly as long. Equal chance that my car might get stolen again, though. It is Baltimore, afterall. But I have much better car insurance these days.

Wish me luck!

[thisteensy]

Yesterday I ate fresh peas from the farmer's market with my bison meatballs in tomato sauce. They were delicious, but there were way too many on the plate for SB. I only ate a few forks full. Somehow I was able to stop there. Unlike with other starchy carbs like pasta. Then I ate a little too much dark chocolate. All in all I think it was a good SB day.

[Chris55]

I know what you mean about efficiency mode - I find that the more I have to do, the easier it is to organize things and actually get things done. You know the old saying, if you want something done, ask a busy person! Best of luck getting through your class/work crunch. Keeping food simple and having good things to grab and go will be really helpful. Having a dude who cooks is also a huge plus!!

[bethy]

Here's to August 3 and no car thieves! You can do it. Baldymore's so humiserable in summer anyway, might as well just stay in the a/c and do homework.

[thisteensy]

Well, thanks, ladies. I really can use the cheering on.

Today I got out of class early, and went to the Fresh Market to see if they had anything I might want to throw into my lunch rotation. I ended up having buffalo jerky and those "green bean chips" for lunch with some tomato juice, and I was very thirsty for the rest of the day. Anyone know what Dextrin is? Well, I knew there would be some weird eating in these trying times. Now I'm off to get myself a Mediterranean Chicken salad from the corner "Bistro."

[thisteensy]

Wow. I really need ideas for purse-sized snacks for during class. I am starving by the time I get out of there. Is there anything like a SB legal snack bar? Any other ideas for things that need no refrigeration?

[Chris55]

Some of the lower sugar Kashi bars, like the trail mix one, are almost in line with SB cereal guidelines, so I eat them in a pinch. Also Larabars are made just from nuts and dried fruits. A handful of whole grain crackers, like lf triscuits, would be OK, too. And there are always nuts.

By the end of the day you probably need a protein hit and some caffeine to get you through class. A skim latte might help if you can grab one somewhere on the way to class.

If you had time to cook, I'd suggest black bean brownies or roasted chic peas/garbanzos. I'm not into either of them, but a lot of people on the boards seem to like them.

[thisteensy]

Thanks for your advice. I'm already doing quite a lot of cooking on the weekend. What I have resolved to do, is go with the lowest sugar granola bars I could find. It's going fine so far. It's been my only grain of the day, and I'm watching my nuts closely, so I don't over nut (we know where that leads...)

[thisteensy]

So kind of a great diet week. All of my hard work over the weekend paid off, and I ended up eating really healthy, with very little effort during the week, and I saw that scale budge very gratifyingly.

In case you're interested there was an interesting article about weight loss and behaviorism, and why this message board has been so helpful.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc ... self/8970/

[thisteensy]

So I haven't met my mini-goal, yet. But I'm close. I have a feeling it will happen this week. I had a brief flirt with 151 last week, and the way things have been going, this means I will at least see 150 winking at me by Thursday.

[thisteensy]

Wow, not a great diet week, I have to say. I can't say that I really went off the rails until Friday (burger and fries AND beers...unHEARDof!), but I just feel bloaty and not very good for the first time in a looooooong time. Other than a couple of beers (which is a couple more than I usually have) in the last two days, I haven't committed any real SBD sins, but I think the beer is actually enough to keep me feeling puffy. Back on the wagon as soon as this beer is empty!

7/10 weeks of school/work madness to go!

[Chris55]

UGH! I know that bloated feeling. I get it from eating bread, not just having beer! Back to P1 for a few days for me.

[thisteensy]

My prior prediction was that I would lose a lot more during this difficult phase. At this point I will be happy if I just don't gain any. Not that I'm eating really badly, but not exactly perfect (mostly because of the beer which I cannot seem to avoid, since there is no wine in the house), but I'm also not getting ANY exercise, except for my job, which is active, but not exactly waitress active. Haven't lost a single pound this week.

Next week are the exams. It should be pretty easy. So far I am acing this one, it's all just very time consuming and tiring. I almost fell asleep while giving a patient cervical traction today.