Disclaimer

This blog is an accounting of my personal journey to find fitness. All the content on this blog should be read as a biographical piece of literature, not a medical resource. I am a physician, but I am in no way giving medical advice or establishing doctor patient relationships with my readers. I am simply keeping a diary. If you are starting a diet or exercise program or require medical evaluation or advice, please see your own family physician.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Changes

Here we are and it is already Wednesday!  This week has been so hectic that I can't believe it. We've had computer problems at the office which is a nightmare, especially on the cusp of flu season. Monday we had parent-teacher conferences and with 3 kids I spent a lot of time running from the office to their schools. I don't know how parents that have jobs that aren't flexible do it or with more than 3 kids! You'd have to take the whole day off.

I'm still struggling with my breathing. I am having a terrible time with my allergies and that has pretty much precluded me from being outside much. We certainly cannot sleep with the windows open, even with this nice fall weather.  Overall I feel better.  I have to admit that I am still in somewhat of a funk, but I am battling it.

I made it through my whirlwind weekend with good effort on my diet. I weighed in on Monday and I hadn't gained any weight. Today I'm down a pound. I feel like I'm back on track. I realized yesterday that I still have a lot of work to do with being consistent. I know, no news flash there. But, I found myself really amused with myself. Always in the past when I'd start a diet I'd be all about the food. I would count points or calories or whatever perfectly, but I couldn't get it together with the exercise. I hated to workout then. NOW. Totally opposite. Now I focus on working out. I love the exercise. I have not blown the eating, no way. But, my focus is so much less on the food.

This realization for me is both good and bad. The good news is that I don't sit around thinking about food. Obsessing about what I can eat. Eating all day trying to satisfy SOMETHING inside myself.   I still enjoy food. I still eat more than I should at times. But it is different now. It doesn't last nearly as long when I veer from the correct path. I don't spend days or weeks binging on fast food, buying sweets or drinking sodas. Now it's ONE soda, ONE bad meal and generally I'm back on track. That's great! And such a new thing for me.

On the other hand, I cannot lose my focus on healthy eating either. I've got to find the "sweet spot" where I can balance the two. I think I give myself too much wiggle room on my eating when I work out. I've got to focus on keeping my calories where they need to be so I can keep losing. I have to continue to be consistent for longer periods of time so I can stop this jagged weight graph I've got going here. Up, down, down, Up Up down down. Three steps forward and two steps back takes MUCH longer to get where you're trying to go.

I've been really trying to pay attention to how I feel after I eat, both physically and emotionally. It isn't news to me that when I eat carbs, I'm hungrier. But, lately I've noticed that I'm so emotionally sensitive to carbs. I feel great for a short time and then I crash into "moody me".  I've started reading the book Wheat Belly. I don't know yet how far I'll go with eliminating grains, although I've pretty much done that albeit not consistently. It's an interesting theory anyway.

One thing that I have trouble with is snacks for low carb. Other than nuts, which I love but can be higher calorie, what do you eat for snacks on low/no carb diets? Meals are no problem, but snacks are harder. I eat fruit for snack often which is fine. I try to stick to lower glycemic index fruits. But, I'm wondering what low cal, low carb snacks you all eat. 

I hope you all are focused as we speed into the holidays. I realized this morning that my husband bought several bags of candy last week. I haven't even looked to see how many or what kind. A couple of years ago I would be going to buy more candy this week after having eaten the first batch. Times change. People change. I'M CHANGING. All for the better is my goal.

9 comments:

  1. When I want to snack, I eat grapes. If I'm low on my calories, I will fix a protein-berry shake, which takes some time (that alone might deter me) and fills me with protein - guaranteed to cut the snack need. Most importantly I check why I'm feeling the urge to snack. Is my daily calorie count running low? Am I bored? Am I simply responding to everyone else around me snacking? Sometimes just a pause is all it takes. And, sometimes I just gotta eat a cup of grapes (or more).

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  2. String cheese is a good snack. I eat a lot of nuts as well. Those 100 calorie microwave popcorn packs are very filling. Atkins has some very good products that make a good snack as well.

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  3. I like a low-carb tortilla (Tortilla Factory Brand) spread with some hummus. I'll fill it with roasted veggies if I have any on hand. This makes a good lunch "sandwich", too. Actually, I just love roasted veggies on their own, (especially roasted brussels sprouts), string cheese, and hardboiled eggs for snacks. I also love red, yellow, and orange bell peppers (not green, though, can't stand those!) cut into strips and eaten raw (best evertdat price for those is usually Sam's Club). Oh, and I buy the big box of pre-packaged 1 0z servings of Planter's Peanuts at Sam's Club for snacks. Those are really convenient to put in my purse when I'm out and about. String cheese is a good purse snack, too.

    I follow the South Beach lifestyle, which has enabled me to lose (and KEEP OFF!) 50 lbs since August 2010.

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  4. Pretty soon those little side trips of distraction get shorter and shorter.... then maybe one day, we lose them altogether!
    Good on ya!

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  5. You are the second person to mention that book lately. I have it reserved at the library. I think I do best when I limit the grain kind of carbs. I eat a lot of low-fat and fat-free cheese, hardboiled eggs, grape tomatoes, sliced peppers, and my daily afternoon snack is "green bean fries."

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  6. Hard boiled eggs - good protein and low carb. My big snack the last month has been apples - lately I cannot go a day without eating at least one. Not sure what the carb content is on them, though.

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  7. There have been many shifts in your own mindset over the past year and a half. Your resolve to exercise and thinking less about food are two important milestones (and NO Halloween candy!!, right??). I did find when I really focused on documenting my cals, I started losing. I also overcompensated for some more cals after heavy exercise. Slow, but still losing.

    Snacks: I go for 1/2 of a Cliff bar. High protein and dense in cals. I also love a cut up apple. I stay away from too many eggs, but once in a while a hard boiled is great.

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  8. Apples and peanut butter. If you nuke the pnb for a few seconds, it will be thinner and go farther. Also cheese sticks (I like the sing serve packaging which keeps me from taking another so mindlessly). And I love toasted almonds and dried apricots as a special treat. High fiber, good protein and it feels "special." Hope your breathing eases up soon. No fun not being able to enjoy the crisp fall weather.

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  9. Finding healthy snacks is challenging.
    My go-to snacks are: grapes, pear slices, 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese with raw cashews, and 1/2 cup of hummus with sliced bell peppers or cucumbers. When I'm REALLY hungry, I'll make an egg white omelette and throw in some mushrooms and bell peppers to make it more substantial.

    I wish I could just exercise and lose weight, but unfortunately every morsel of food still counts. I can be a bit more relaxed (that doesn't mean unhealthy food) because I know that I work it off at the gym, but still, I need to be careful - otherwise the pounds will just pile back on.

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