First Step Program

[JOHIO2]

OK, all. Doggygirl thinks we should have a weekly thread for our own little GS weight loss support group. I think she is right. We can take "turns" (I'm taking one now. Take "your turn" whenever you want! )

Anyhooooo...I found this link to First Step Program. Let's all get out our pedometers and see if we are having any exercise - I won't ask if we are having any fun yet.


http://www.firststepprogram.com/

 

[Doggygirl]

Hi JO!

Thanks for starting the weekly thread. The "first step" link was a great reminder for me to get OUT in the yard and PLAY with the dogs a short while ago rather than supervise them from the porch LOL!

OK. I'm gonna lay down some goals here. I used to be one of those people who stayed at a reasonable weight no matter what I ate. I would go up and down by 5 pounds or so depending on physical activity levels, but never really had to "watch it" much. Then I turned 40. (I'm 45 now with 46 right around the corner) I'm 5'9". I feel my best when I'm around 145. 150 tops. I "grew" to around 200 pounds in that 40th year (well, a bit more than a year). In January 2002 I started eating low carb (ask me what I eat every day before you tell me it's dangerous) and dropped 50 pounds. Over the past 6 months I have strayed from my plan - a bit at a time - until by the holidays I just wasn't low carb anymore. Especially empty processed flour and sugar absolutely make me gain weight.

I finally braved a weigh in yesterday. 164 pounds. YIKES!!! So...

It's back to low carb for me.

Meal plan for today:

B-fast: (I know this sounds weird) Leftovers from dinner - grilled pork chop and sauteed zuchinni (sp).

Lunch: Home made chicken soup that DH (dear hubby) made from scratch last night while I was watching figure skating. (I LOVE it, I LOVE it, I LOVE it!)

Dinner: Roast Beef, cauliflower, salad

100 oz of water today.

Take supplements. (done)

MOVE. (I know it ain't much, but I'm counting about 30 minutes of doggy yard play time as "movement" for now)

Anyone else want to lay some specific goals down?

I intend to get back to around 145. I'm not setting a specific time frame as a "goal" because I know if I eat right and start moving it will happen.

DG

 

[show 42]

Well, I totally blew it this weekend........Nationals got me so nervous, I headed right to the peanut butter jar.....sigh, well, in the immortal words of Scarlet........"Tomorrow is another day"...42

 

[Doggygirl]

Sunday results...

I will give myself a "B" for sticking to my plan yesterday. I ate the right foods, but went a bit overboard on the portions. I guess that's a step in the right direction though. I get really bloated (water) from eating high carb junk food, so two days of eating the right stuff has been rewarded by Mr. Evil (my scale) with 162 down from 164.

So today is basically this same plan as yesterday, but with portions (calories) in check.

Hope everyone else is getting on your respective wagons!

DG

 

[Grgranny]

I already blew it. They had choc cov cherries at Walmart for 52 cents for the big box at Walmart. YUM

 

[Doggygirl]

Hi again Grgranny...

Now. If what you want is a BIG HUGE HUG to go with those chocolate covered cherries, I have long arms and a more generous ta ta area than Michelle to accomodate that. I know you cannot be having the best day of your life based on your other post about your daughter and her health issues...which I truly hope work out for the best.

BUT...I know I don't have to tell you that chocolate doesn't change any other of life's problems, so if a kick in the seat of the britches is what you need, then I can deliver that too. (size 9 boots to go with that generous chest LOL)

I'm personally trying to adopt a philosophy that food is really NOT where my comfort needs to come from. I know we're all just starting to get to know each other here, so I sure don't want to push that idea in your direction if it's not what you want or need.

As a Doggygirl, a trick I learned awhile back is to view all food that I shouldn't be eating just like I view dog food. Let's face it...if my cupboards were empty of any "human" food, and the only thing in there was a big bag (or can) of dog food, I would NOT eat that. Dog food is just not MY food. I try to look at things that are not good for me as though they are dog food.

So Grgranny, why are you eating that dog food?????

Hugs,

DG

 

[JOHIO2]

DG,

Life would be so tasteless and boring without chocolate!

My goals this week are: to actually workout with one of my many tapes, at least 3 times. (2 more to go before Sat.); get rid of the holiday junk food (OK, so that involved EATING the stuff. At least it isn't here to tempt me anymore); stock up on veggies and more whole grains; actually EAT more veggies and whole grains (making progress there. On with the barley pilaf!)

I am keeping track of what I am eating and closer track of my blood glucose levels. I hope to lose 10 pounds by the end of the Discovery Health Channel Body Challenge 12 week program. Doable. Especially if I get back into the exercise routine. Funny how the exercise helps cut down on those sweet-salty-chocolate cravings. Or maybe it just focuses the mind on eating right too. Whatever.

Starting to read up on the Glycemic Index. I expect to try to follow at least some of the recommendations.

 

[Doggygirl]

Got an "F" yesterday...

LOL JO on the chocolate.

My weakness is salty snacks. I took a deep dive into a bag of crackers last night. AGGGHHH!!! Not good. I'm planning to go through my cupboards today and get rid of leftover holiday junk food type stuff. Anything hubby won't eat is going in the trash, and anything he wants to keep he will need to hide. Normally my will power is better than this, but for whatever reason right now it's low, so "out of sight, out of mind" needs to be an active strategy.

I am also saying it right here - there is 20 minutes on the treadmill in my future for today. Someone kick my rear if I don't report back that I did it.

Jo, sounds like you're really motivated on the Discovery challenge!! Good luck with your research on the Glycemic Index. I have a weight loss pal that is a MASTER of research so if you have any trouble finding info, let me know and I'll ask her for some additional sources.

DG

 

[Ladskater]

I am trying to reach for more nutrional snacks when I want chips or pop. Instead of a bag of chips, I buy a banana and juice instead of Coke. It takes some self discipline at times!!! But I feel better when I do.

 

[show 42]

Well, after a very nutritional ( I must say) day yesterday, I got an "F-" today. Breakfast and lunch were a breeze, with low-fat this and low-fat that, apples and bananas for snacks........when I got home, I grabbed hubby and said..."Let's get the heck out of Dodge and grab a burger and fries"..........Well, tomorrow IS another day ( wait, I said that already........it didn't work......) 42

 

[JOHIO2]

Well, 42, at least I didn't have the fries! And black coffee has no cals. But you don't want to know the calories in a Wendy's Jr.delux w/cheese!

The salad was good, but even their low fat dressing has way too many calories and I couldn't pass up those pecans. At least I should have my magnesium and calcium covered for Tuesday!

This frigid cold is getting to me. I thought we were expected to have a warmer than normal winter. Can't tell it by this week. Or the forecast for next. If it wasn't for choir rehersal, I wouldn't have bothered to go outdoors. After I get off-line I am going to have a cup of hot chocolate (the good part is it is low cal) and curl up in bed. Unfortunately, my kitty is not doing her job......her job description calls for sleeping at the foot of my bed so I have a warm spot for my feet. Instead, she is currently curled up on my rocking chair. Maybe I should drink that hot choc in my rocker. Maybe she will get the hint and head off to bed. On the other hand, she'll probably just yawn at me and crawl in my lap!

Let's all repeat our Scarlet O'Hara motto: Tomorrow is another day....

 

[show 42]

That's it Jo, it's the cold weather.......yeah, I like that.......it wasn't me after all....... Anyway, Tuesdays are my meeting days at work, so I tend to head for the comfort food. Wednesdays are "Early Release", so, back to my yummy thinly sliced turkey and rye crackers for lunch...........:\ 42

 

[Doggygirl]

Put me in the "tomorrow is another day" category too...

When I first decided to do something about my weight a couple years ago, I really dedicated myself to my plan. I actually went for over SIX MONTHS not putting a single forbidden food in my mouth. I am really struggling to find that place in my pea brain again.

Today is a new chance to get my act together. I think I'm going to start counting "clean eating days." So...today needs to be day 1.

Hopefully once I get that number up high enough, it won't be worth it to blow it and start over.

NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THINNER FEELS!

DG

 

[Ladskater]

I fell off the nutrition wagon today and had a coke at work; also last night I had a burger. ew..............

 

[Doggygirl]

Day 1 down and counting...

I stuck to my eating plan yesterday, so that's clean day 1. My goal today is to make it day 2 in a row. Moving forward to the double digits!

DG

 

[JOHIO2]

DG, here's to double digits!

 

[Dee4707]

Re: Day 1 down and counting...

I stuck to my eating plan yesterday, so that's clean day 1. My goal today is to make it day 2 in a row. Moving forward to the double digits!DG

So Doggygirl, does that mean you can have a big candy bar on the weekend?

Anyhow, on one of my many diets, I went to a weight loss clinic and some of the thought concepts I learned were, food doesn't make me fat, I do..........and eat to live, not live to eat.

My biggest and hardest temptation is sweets, especially at work. When anyone has a meeting, they normally bring donuts and the office staff gets the leftovers. We have a lot of meeting at work. I have tried using the concept that there are big green jucy worms crawling all over the donuts and that has helped me with my middle age spread. Speaking of spread.....I wonder if I have any crackers??

Dee

 

[Doggygirl]

Hi Dee and Jo!

Dee, I'm definitely an "addict" to certain types of foods. I'm LOL on the office donut story! I'm glad I work from home now so I no longer have to face that one. I like your little green worm analogy! My issue with sweets and to a greater degree, "salty snack" is that once I get started I can't stop. My old college room mate who is now 45 like me is thin as a rail. You could say she "can eat whatever she wants" BUT....she will eat one cookie then stop. I a few chips and then stop. Her metabolism clearly works correctly and her internal signals about when she is "full" work correctly. LOL - mine don't.

Once I get the sweets and salty snacks out of my system for a couple weeks, I don't miss them as much. So I really just need to buckle down hard for a couple weeks and then this should seem easier!

We can do it!

DG

 

[Pookie]

I know I don't have to tell you that chocolate doesn't change any other of life's problems . .

I don't know, it's amazing how comforting a bag of M&M's can be.

get rid of the holiday junk food (OK, so that involved EATING the stuff. At least it isn't here to tempt me anymore)

I've got the same problem. Anybody want some fudge?

 

[Dee4707]

I just love the Maxin greeting cards and here are some of Maxine's thoughts on shall we say the naughty foods?

The only way I'll drop 10 pounds is if I go shopping in England.

Chocolate reduces stress. And it's so much quieter than throwing a screaming fit.

Dee