2011 *New Year* Challenge

[Athene]

Okay, so it took me two weeks to mess up. I didn't even want to post this - but what's the point if I start to lie here, or if I don't post at all when I drop the ball? I was running errands all day, then I was at a party in the evening, and then..... well you'll see what happened.

amatlack - Totally with you on the BM thing. But weight still seems to go down and stay down the less I eat in the evening.
Nokie - I'm going to try adding protein in the evening to see how it goes this week. Thanks for your help ladies, I really appreciate it.

Nutrition (if it can be called that for today)
Breakfast - 1 cup homemade granola, 1/2 cup skim milk.
Snack - 500 ml chocolate milk.
Lunch - 3/4 of a big bag of blue corn tortilla chips, 1/4 cup guacamole. Nice, Karrie.
Snack - Finished the chips....
Dinner - At a party, ate chocolate fondue with fruit, crackers and cheese, shrimp cocktail, biscotti and coffee with cream.
"Snack" - 2 McChicken sandwiches and 4 pieces of Dove milk chocolate.

husband wanted McDonald's for his cheat meal when I was on way home from the party, so I stopped to pick it up, and I guess because I was riding a shit-storm of an eating day I made the decision to do this. I need to stop using partner's eating habits to excuse slip-ups. I always do that when I think a day of eating is "ruined", I go all out and make it worse since it seems like a write-off anyway. I feel terrible physically, I was so dehydrated because I didn't drink water like I usually do and was drinking coffee and eating a lot of salt.... what a horrible day.

Workout
Nope! Nothing.

[fitoverforty]

I always do that when I think a day of eating is "ruined", I go all out and make it worse since it seems like a write-off anyway.

It happens to all of us. (Well, maybe not Bonnie anymore!) But I'm the same...especially on days I don't workout, for some reason I always eat more, and I'll eat a bigger breakfast, then be like, screw it, and eat a bigger lunch and dinner.

and here I thought I was the only one. There must be some reason for this...because if you think about it, we should react just the opposite...if we eat a bad meal - we should say "oh...I better eat healthy the rest of the day" and then do...but noooooooooo......for me it seems to completely derail me and I think I have a free ticket the rest of the day to just go crazy! Which of course makes no sense at all....but still I do it.....like "oh well, I blew it with the burger and fries..so it makes perfect sense now to have that triple chocolate layered cake for desert" - gahhhh!!!! Then just feel absolutely crappy the next day, not just physcially, but mentally pissed off at self too.
So, definitely don't feel alone - you are not. I appreciate you talking about it...as you can see, it is a pretty common occurrence, and maybe if we just get it out there and discuss it, we can figure out how to become stronger and choose not to anymore.
Or we could all just go and live for a week with Bonnie.... she'd whip us all into shape in no time!!

[fit-fanatic-2025]

I'm definitely right there with you guys. Sometimes i go for more than a day actually, try a couple days. I know weight loss or lack of is really connected to diet more than anything. Its a struggle definitely.

[Athene]

Okay: you guys are the best. Thank you for your support on this one, it's ultimate issue with eating. Knowing that other people go through it too and think the same screwed-up thoughts is comforting and makes me feel stronger about stopping it.

"oh well, I blew it with the burger and fries..so it makes perfect sense now to have that triple chocolate layered cake for desert" - gahhhh!!!!

Exactly! It sounds crazy when I see it written down, but that's exactly how I think!

just don't keep stuff like a giant bag of corn chips in the house. If I open one of those things and get started, I'll finish it...so I just don't buy them anymore. husband and I buy our own food, so even when he has crap, it's not mine to eat. It works out well.

Very good point. Of course you're right. That's how he tries to keep it, but sometimes when I slip-up I go after his food, and he has a hard time saying no to me because I get really moody, tell him I'll go to the store the next day and replace it, etc. It's a whole minefield. You're completely right though - those tortilla chips were pick at the grocery store and I shouldn't have bought them. It's just asking for trouble to have them in the house in the first place.

Sometimes i go for more than a day actually, try a couple days. I know weight loss or lack of is really connected to diet more than anything. Its a struggle definitely.

Me too, I'm exactly the same. It's 80% diet for me. I have an active lifestyle and workout most days, but diet kills me because I am either on the wagon or completely thrown off, it seems like there's no middle-ground for me. I've got to work on it. I'm going to try not let minor mistakes dictate food choices for whole days at a time for the rest of the month... if I can get on top of this now it will make a huge difference for the rest of the year.

Thank again for your responses guys, this means a lot to me.

[Boss Man]

You just need to recognise the triggers for this behaviour, then it makes it easier to overcome them, as you can have a better emotional and mental strategy in place.

[Athene]

Feel much better tonight than last night. Ate alright and remembered to email friend about that protein powder. I hate whey, it always makes me gag, but she said this new one she has is a good and is really low in sugar, so hopefully it works out.

Nutrition
Breakfast - 1 cup oatmeal, 6 almonds, 4 prunes, dash cinnamon, 1/4 cup skim milk, green tea with 1 tsp honey.
Lunch - 1 serving whole grain crackers (160 cals), 1/4 cup cottage cheese.
Dinner - Turkey pita (1 whole wheat pita, 2 tbsp guacamole, 1/2 cup baby spinach, 1/2 cup cucumber, 55 grams sliced turkey breast)
Snack - green tea with 1 tsp honey, 1 cup fresh cherries.

Workout
HIIT session - 24 rounds, 35 second intervals with a 10 second rest. Exercises in sequence: squats holding 20 lbs sand bag, stationary lunges, prisoner get-ups, Thai sit-ups.

[Athene]

Okay so in a weird twist of dieting fate, the gods of nutrition punished friend and I for eating poorly at that party on Friday and both got FOOD POISONING! Oh god! I have never had food poisoning before and am only just starting to recover. I have never been so nauseated and so sick.... I'm telling you it is a tale of biology gone wrong and I wouldn't wish it on worst enemy, not after last night! Obviously I haven't eaten anything substantial - still wwwaaayyy to sick - and I'm not working out. I'm almost too weak to stand and walk around for more than a few moments. I also weighed myself this morning, because it's the end of the week for me, and I weighed 154.6 lbs, but I'm not adding it to chart because I was so dehydrated, I have already gained two pounds of water back since this morning.

Nutrition
Breakfast - water
Snack - water
Lunch - 591 ml G2
Snack - 1 piece sprouted grain toast, ginger ale.
Dinner - orange juice and Campbell's vegetable soup.

Workout
Dry heaving? lol Sorry that's gross.

[Athene]

Thanks, Les : )

It turns out I have the flu, not food poisoning. The weekend was extreme with all the "stuff happening", and now I'm just weak with no appetite. I'll log the last couple of days to show you what's been happening, but it's not really "nutrition", it's just ginger ale, water, and soda crackers on a rotation with the odd bit of soup thrown in.

Nutrition
Breakfast - Ginger ale
Snack - water
Lunch - water
Snack - 1 cup consomme soup
Dinner - 8 unsalted soda crackers

[Athene]

Feeling better, but still no appetite and lots of nausea.

Nutrition
Breakfast - 4 unsalted soda crackers, 250 ml orange juice.
Snack - water
Lunch - 1.5 cups consomme soup, 8 unsalted soda crackers.
Snack - 250 ml ginger ale
Dinner - 2 lipton chicken noodle cup-a-soups, 4 unsalted soda crackers, water, ginger ale.

[Athene]

Thanks ladies! Okay here is the annoying thing - I'm back up to 159 lbs. That takes away the loss I had from 161 down to 156 from before the flu! What's happening? Not to stay too rooted to the biological comings-and-goings of virus, but I have a BM theory: since I'm not eating, I'm not - you know - and so it's all.... in there. Or something?!

Nutrition
Breakfast - 250 ml ginger ale
Snack - 300 ml watered down ginger ale (amazing!)
Lunch - water
Snack - lipton's chicken noodle cup-a-soup, 8 soda crackers.
Dinner - 8 soda crackers with some cheese
Snack - TBA

[Athene]

If you're not eating there's nothing... to be in there though. Hmm...

Soda crackers must make SOME waste? (<- Sorry!) Or maybe it's just the high salt of the consomme and packaged cup-a-soups. I'm probably retaining more water than usual. I ate some solid foods today, woot. I think I'm officially better, and I was starving all day! I hope you guys don't lose too much respect for me but after days of starvation and nausea, somehow all I wanted was a cheeseburger, and not just any cheeseburger! Certain things appeal to me and certain things still don't... the idea of eating chicken or drinking milk.... cottage cheese may not ever be touched by me again. But some things just work, and certain things don't. I'm hoping some exercise will make me feel better tomorrow, and I will try eating some better things.

I'm working out for the first time this week tomorrow, and should be back on track. I'll weigh myself on Sunday, but if it's weird I'm waiting until next week to update everything. 2011 has been really strange so far.... high highs and low lows.

Nutrition
Breakfast - 1 cup fresh cherries, 250 ml ginger ale, water.
Snack - 1 whole wheat pita, 2 tbsp hummus, water.
Lunch - 1 A&W Teen Burger (YES!), bottle of water, 250 ml coffee with double cream and double sugar - amazing.
Snack - ginger ale, water.
Dinner - 1 whole wheat pita, chopped tomato and green pepper, sprinkled shredded extra old cheddar.

[Athene]

WELCOME BACK!!!

YAY! Thanks, Les.

Today I renewed gym membership for 3 months so friend and I can resume our sprint triathlon training together, and I ate almost like a normal person today, with solid food and the like. I still just want smaller, lighter things. I am determined to get back on track quickly. It was just one week on the outs with the flu, but the last year was a weird one for me, I wasn't really a fan of it, and I'm so done with not being in control of body... or with not taking the responsibility as seriously as I could have. I think I expect myself to fail and so when things happen that get in the way of success it's almost like I've been expecting them to come and derail me all along. Well I'm not letting it this time... at the end of March I will hit fight weight, I am determined.

Nutrition
Breakfast - ginger ale, 8 soda crackers.
Snack - water, 250 ml coffee with splash milk.
Lunch - 1 granola bar (180 calories, 18 grams sugar), water
Snack - 2 cups green salad with 1 serving shrimp and light ginger dressing
Dinner - sushi bento box from the grocery store: 3 pieces inari, 6 small pieces california roll.
Snack - water and tea

Workout
Started out strong with the idea of jogging outside, but it was a little too much too soon - ended up with a brisk 30 minute walk. It was colder than usual, -34ºC, but a refreshing change of scene. I'm meeting friends at the pool tomorrow morning first thing for a swim.

[Athene]

I will hit fight weight

Yeah you will!!

HELL YES I WILL!!

Speaking of which, I had an idea about motivation that I got from Zuzanna Light on Bodyrock.tv that I wanted to write about. The idea is to set a goal and buy something for yourself, a "prize" or gift, and once you buy it you have to put it away somewhere safe until you meet your goal. Once you meet the goal, you reward yourself with the gift and it becomes a reminder of your ability to achieve your goals from then on. Zuzanna chose a really striking thick-band silver bracelet with some nice engravings because she said it reminded her that she was strong both mentally and physically. I found something in a shop today that I was looking at over a year ago and walked away from because I thought it was overpriced, but I think I'm going to go pick it up tomorrow afternoon and put it away some place safe.

What do you guys think about this type of motivation? Of course it's not only motivation, it's just something new and it seemed like a nice symbolic gesture and an anchor of sorts. There are a lot of important reasons not to let yourself down and to commit to your goals, but I have found physical reminders really useful in the past (photos, quotes, equipment out, etc.)

[feelin-great]

I think I expect myself to fail and so when things happen that get in the way of success it's almost like I've been expecting them to come and derail me all along. Well I'm not letting it this time...

I think that is exactly what problem always was as well - realizing that made a huge difference because once I decided that was the problem I could work on it - good job

[Athene]

It sounds like a good idea. What if you miss? Then you have to take it back or put it away?

Oh, I hadn't thought about that.... let's say that if I don't hit the goal weight on March 31st, I have to wait until I do to cash in. That's not bad, hey?

I do this (kinda) I don't buy it until I reach the goal because 1) I have zero willpower to actually hide it and 2) I change mind so much that in a month or 2 or 3 I may lose interested in it. Also, most of mine are workout equipment or clothes which you really shouldn't get until you are gonna use (so you can return if the item is defective OR make sure it fits right and really does make your booty look that good!!)

With clothing and equipment I completely agree! Clothing is a good choice too because if the goal is physical, you can't go back and keep wearing the item. The prize I'm looking at is a silver pendant on a chain that I've been eyeballing for well over a year. The pendant is a 19th century wax seal pressed into a piece of silver, so it's kind of museum-replica looking... they have a lot of different ones, but the one I like features an owl sitting on a branch.

I think I expect myself to fail and so when things happen that get in the way of success it's almost like I've been expecting them to come and derail me all along. Well I'm not letting it this time...

I think that is exactly what problem always was as well - realizing that made a huge difference because once I decided that was the problem I could work on it - good job

I really appreciate that. It's easy to make a mistake and give up, but I don't want to do that anymore. I make mistakes, I move on. The goal does not change. It seems so simple when I write it down!