Ava's Diary-Journey to the other side

Hey Avatea,

Great choices on the food shopping...and you're so right...when you put the money to it that was an expensive 80 calories! I find that when I eat non processed food, it's much less expensive and I can eat more of it and it keeps me fuller longer! Triple winner!!

Even better was to hear you had a great time swimming...and you didn't feel judged! Awesome!!

Keep making the great choices and the number on the scales will come down (she says trying to make herself believe that tonight!!)


Sarah
 
AThanks Sarah! Yeah, hopefully $ will not be as much of a concern when I graduate in December. What stresses me out is that I have no idea if they want to hire me on full time afterwards or not! At this point there have been...murmurings that they might want to. Eep!

So weighed in today at 157 again which is totally fine with me. I won't lie, after the 4th I sort of gave up! I am confident I can get that scale moving again this week. Plus, it is not as ridiculously hot anymore so that should make moving around easier...hopefully!

Next weekend is a pretty big weekend. A big party on Friday and a wedding on Saturday! Should be fun but lots of temptations! I have one goal: to be excited to hop on the scale Sunday morning when I get back!

Have a great week everyone! :)
 
So, I am a rather visually-motivated person. If I can find a way to visually track my success, I think that I would stay more motivated. I have already taken "before" picture and plan to take update picture at various points through this journey, but this is less immediate. I was thinking that I need something more immediate.


This morning, I created a chart that started at 163 lbs and ends at 120 lbs. I have crossed out up to 157 and plan to cross out every pound as I pass it. Looking at it each day will help me realize how far I have come and keep me motivated to continue on the right path.


Anyways, just thought I'd share! :)


Nutrition:

-Two pieces of toast

-Low fat cottage cheese

-4 cups black coffee

-6 cups water

-1 bowl plain oatmeal

-A handful of wasabi peas (oh these are soo yummy and a lot of fun to eat lol)

-A few slices of cantaloupe

-A few slices of cucumber

-Piece of toasted bread with a small amount of avocado spread over it, topped with a hard-boiled egg...! (This is my new favorite thing to eat. Holy moly, it is delicious!!!!! Honestly, it felt like I was eat brunch at a fancy restaurant when I bit into it. Everything fit together so perfectly. Haha ok I am done!)


*Okay...I know. That much black coffee is probably not good. However, I just started a summer class and that is what kind of gets me through studying. It could be worse calorically, so I am not beating myself up over it...yet. :)


Fitness:

60 minute walk

(I also did a lot of running around today...hopefully that can count a bit. Maybe I will try to do some Pilates before bedtime :-/. Either way I definitely need to increase my fitness level!)


Update


So i bought some yummy lettuce from the farmer's market this weekend (I am so lucky...there is a huge, wonderful one just blocks from me!) and realized I needed some stuff to make a good salad for lunch.


So I spent about $20 and got....

-apples

-green pepper

-carrots

-blueberries

-nectarines

-avocados

-cantaloupe

-cucumber

-grape tomatoes

-wasabi peas

-protein bars

-beans


My challenge to myself to to make meals consisting mainly of the produce I've gotten. You might notice that I am not such a big meat eater...this is not on purpose really, just seems to work out that way! If I had the money I would be eating salmon and sushi every night, but as it is, I try to eat food that is high in protein to supplement my lack of meat.


Yum! I have a feeling that this week will turn out to be quite delicious AND healthy!


Ok, done rambling ;-)
 
A Ahh Monday morning. Another crazy week! Nutrition: Piece of toast with avocado spread and a hard-boiled egg x 2 2 cups of coffee 8+ cups of water A few slices of cantaloupe A fiber bar /p>Wasabi peas! Some red potatoes /p> Salad with lettuce, cucumber, green pepper, cottage cheese, avocado, hard-boiled egg, some light shredded cheese, grape tomatoes, and a honey mustard dressing!....SO delicious... Have a great week everyone!
 
AGood job on the chart Ava!! I am also motivated by charts and tables... Anything that shows me where I've come from and where I'm going in the same picture helps me! That chart you have put together sound like it could add some dates, and there you have set some measurable goals! Then add a few "how's" as descriptions along the way and you have a lot of motivation!!
Your shopping list looks awesome! All of that for 20$!! Wow, you are a great shopper...eating non processed foods are really a double winner..less calories for more food, and costs less!

Thanks for stopping by my diary a lot Ava, you help me more than you know! This forum really has helped me stay on track, and I'm sure it will for you too!
You are a great example for "great food choices"... Much better than me! Let's make it a great week!!

sarah
 
Sarah, I love those ideas for additions to my chart! I am totally going to make a new one with those ideas incorporated into it. :) Eee, I can't wait! I appreciate you stopping by too! Support from others is so, so helpful along this journey. So thank you too!


Today has been going really well. I had a great day at work, and have been eating pretty well. I am so excited because right now I have some freshly dug red potatoes cooking in my oven. I got them with my lettuce at the farmer's market this past weekend and am making them to go along with my yummy salad. :) I mixed them with a bit of oil and onion soup mix...hopefully they turn out well! I love red potatoes and haven't had them in a long time, so when I saw them I had to get them. A few pounds of beautiful, locally grown, organic red potatoes for only $3. Can't be beat!


I am getting pretty decent with my cooking, I must say. At least, I have come a very long way from burnt toast for dinner! :eek:


Oh and also....I drank tons of water today! Way more than 8 glasses and it is not even supper. Yay!!


~Ava
 
Ava, It sounds like you are making really good changes to your lifestyle. Eating fresh fruit & vegetables & staying away from processed food will benefit you in more ways than one. It is so much better for you! I love avocado with egg on oat toast! That's one of my favourite breakfasts. Yum! I use a little fat-free mayo instead of spread & a touch of our home-made rhubarb chutney. Thanks so much for visiting my dairy & showing me support xo Cate.
 
AThanks cate! I appreciate the encouragement :) and so happy to find another avocado toast lover haha So yummy

Sorry I was MIA yesterday! I had to go furniture shopping and it eded up taking forever! And now I am at work all day but I will be back to update here and catch up on all of your diaries this evening! Har a great day everyone!
 
Hey Ava,

I just noticed you are 2 pounds away from your current goal...wow!! I can't imagine...I''ll be pumped when I get to within 30 pounds of mine!! I'm really encouraged by your enthusiasm being that close and not just caving...I'm assuming you have another "current goal" when you reach this one? I sometimes think about "maintenance" and how I'm going to do it...but that seems so far away now that I can't focus on it for fear of slipping into that mode too soon! You keep it up girl and hope you don't disappear when you reach your goal...current or future!


Sarah
 
Thanks Sarah! Blah yes, that is just my "first" goal...for psychological reasons, lol. My overall goal will be somewhere between 120-130 I think. (I am super short so this is actually on the high end of my healthy BMI range..blah!)


Okay...this week has sort of been a disaster. But in a way, it is sort of encouraging. This might be TMI but it seems only ladies have been reading my journal so far and we are all mature adults so whatever. I have extremely bad PMDD to the point that might life get significantly thrown off for about a week and a half before my "time." It has been extremely discouraging for me because it feels like just as I start to get back on track, everything is all thrown out of whack again. It is just awful, I don't want to be by anyone, even my wonderful boyfriend. I get so down and depressed. And then I start eating more/exercising less. And then when it finally comes the cramps are so bad I cannot even move. Anyways, I used to be on medication for it, but I honestly hated the way it made me feel and felt that there had to be a more natural cure. I also suspect it has a lot to do with my inability to lose weight. Just kind of a bad repetitious cycle.


So when I came back here, I was dedicated to really trying to change my diet. exercise more, etc, to see if the symptoms might be at least a little alleviated. I did really well for the first few weeks, was optimistic, saw the scale going down. Yay! Blah, then this past week happened. I definitely started noticing my mood getting worse, and my cravings getting uncontrollable. Honestly, I have done a lot better resisting my cravings, trying to continue to eat well. But I know I've put weight back on and and feel so bloated. It is hard not to fall apart right now.


On top of all that, this week has been crazy in itself. I got assigned to a huge project for work which has been eating up all of my time, my summer class, had to run shopping right after work today to get something for the wedding on Saturday, had to run to my boyfriend's game, now home, have to do homework, go to sleep, get up go to work, go to our friend's celebration tomorrow, come home study, sleep, wake up, go to the wedding, stay over, come home Sunday. What's even better is that "my time" is supposed to show up on Saturday just in time for the wedding. :banghead: Oh and yesterday, I got brand new furniture dropped off which took up a good chunk of my afternoon. Ok, now I am just complaining, because I truly do love my new couch, I love my job, and I love that I had the opportunity to do these things. But still...I just want to sleep.


I think what needs to happen is this: I have to adjust my priorities about this weight loss. Everything else in my life is so fast-paced and I think this has to be a slower process. Maybe it will take a year or longer. But I do need to be more aware of how various times of the month affect me and try to find that willpower that I know I have somewhere in there to get through it. No more "goal dates" for me. I am just going to try to make positive choices, eat healthy, exercise more, and hope that weight loss comes.


I am not going to pressure myself to weigh everyday or every week. I will weight myself when I want to. This process should be fun and exciting, not another stressful part of life. I want to rediscover the healthy part of life.


Okay sorry for my dribbling rant, lol. I promise that I will try to be better. All I can do is pick back up from where I am now and keep pushing through. Life goes on.


~Ava
 
AHey Ava, wow, you have had a big week! Remember this is a lifestyle change, not a "diet"...diets are always geared to "go on and go off "...so I've made the choice to change my lifestyle, which includes what I eat and how I exercise. I'm not in a race to get to my goal weight...I will get there when I get there...I'd like to get there in 6 months, but it's not the end of the journey if I don't...it's my lifestyle! I know how many calories it takes for me to maintain my weight at my goal weight and at my exercise routine I plan to have...and I'm maintaining a calorie deficit to my goal weight maintenance level...so that eventually I will get to my goal weight, and when I do, it won't be a big shock to go "off my diet". You might want to try the same approach. It takes longer to lose it, but it's much easier to maintain...or I hope it will be...not there yet! Some weeks, I have a bigger calorie deficit than others, and definitely, the week before my period is the worst! So hang in there girl and keep on th
E journey...and know that all the women reading your diary can relate!!

Good choices my friend!

Sarah
 
AHi Ava :)

1. Just been having a snoop through your diary, and I love your positive mental attitude.

2. I am going to try that frozen banana and peanut butter, it sounds delicious.

3. Well done on the internship, I reckon you will be the perfect employee- No lunch! They'll get an extra hour outta you every day ;) Ps.. What field are you working in?

4. Really glad you bought that bathing suit and had fun at the pool. I know your main motivation for losing weight is to feel like you can put yourself out there more and have fun... But honestly, don't wait! Don't miss out! You haven't got very much to lose. I so wish I only had to lose a small amount.

5. I think you should go to your doctor and talk about other options for controlling your period woes. A week and a half of stress every month is too much... Its a third of your life that's being over shadowed by your period. Maybe you can experiment with different types of birth control to see if that helps. I do have a lot of sympathy for you x

6. Oh my gaaaawd, you are SO BUSY! I don't know how you do all that.

7. Hope you have a great time at the wedding :D
 
Oh, AvaTea!! (I'm here catching up on all the news (that's fit to print? noooooo :biggrin: ) all the news of how everybody's fitness and so on is going! These are comments as I read through:


And I've just read about your challenge to yourself, to shop for healthy food, that wouldn't break the bank... great challenge! (and by the way, congratulations!!! on the jump up the ladder at work, in respect, if not in actual money yet)....


Oh! I'm reading about the toasted bread with avocado and hard-boiled egg -- it does sound very posh-brunchy -- delicious! And all the wonderful food from the farmers' market... oh, sounds like a great week coming up (off to read further)


Yes!! re charts and graphs. :) I don't dare the photos, though.


And yes, it sound slike you're turning into a great cook!!! How's about we all come round your place for a celebration dinner sometime after we've all decided we're as slim and beautiful as we want to be? (this is a joke -- I live umpteen thousand miles away)


Oh... I've just got to the down part -- the bad week, and time of the month. :) and :hug2:


This process should be fun and exciting,


yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!! a million times yes!!! We're doing this to enjoy life more, and life is given us to enjoy (and true enjoyment -- well, that's a whole nother philosophical question! -- :biggrin:)


Your busy weekend has started... thinking of you, and hoping like mad that you're going easy on yourself. :hug2:
 
AHi Ava :)

I've just read thorugh your diary and i loved it :) You are really funny and witty. Also really focused, which is something i really need to read right now. It really reminded me about the beginning of my diary and how excited i was. The bit where you said that you were so excited you didn't know what to do next made me giggle. I felt like that and i miss it. I have been on my journey for over a year now and i have to be honest i am struggling but enough about me.......

You're enthusiasm is realy infectious :) I love it. Hopefully reading your diary with help me on my journey. Also i can relate to your 'stress, worry, punishment, etc = eating' issues, that is soooooooo me too.

Your frozen banana & peanut butter things made me realise that i have frozen banan chunks in the freezer!!!! I can't have any this evening but i will try them tomorrow :) exciting.

Anyway, i just wanted to say hi :seeya: and i look forward to following your journey :)

P.S :hurray: :hurray: Yay!!! well done on going swimming, that's awesome and i can totally understand how scared you were. Well done sweetie :)
 
You guys!!! Ahh! This is all just what I needed to read this morning! Thank you so so much for the amazing support. Seriously.


I am back though must rush off to work this morning. I promise that I will be back tonight to respond to all of your wonderful, amazing comments. :) You all really helped me start my Monday off on a very high note. Thank you!!


~Ava
 
Okay, here I am!


Sarah - I read your diary because I see the results of your hard work, dedication, and lifestyle change. It is amazing and I could only hope to be half as successful as you have been! Please never leave here! :) Not only would I be sad but I would lose a source of amazing inspiration.


overtherainbow - Thank you for stopping by! I try to stay as positive as possible...I find that it helps when things don't go as planned. I currently work on the business side of software development. Haha, really it is never something I imagined that I would be doing, but that is how life works sometimes and I do love it! And thank you for the reminder...the number might be small but it feels huge to me! I sometimes forget to keep it all in perspective! I have thought about finding a new doctor. I want to give this lifestyle change a real. This time it honestly seemed a bit better...actually I am just thinking about it and I had very few bad cramps. I plan to give it a few months to see if things continue to improve...cross my fingers!


noparsnips - Welcome back!!!!! I am so happy to see that you are back!!! :-D yay! Yes...avocado, toast, and boiled egg...delicious! It is my new favorite breakfast. I would love to host a celebration dinner haha. In spirit, I will! I am trying to remember that this journey should be fun and exciting. But you know, some days are better than others. That's life!


kate - Thank you for stopping by! I am glad that you see those nice things though my writing. I hope that I can totally infect all of you with enthusiasm. I am also glad that you feel you can relate to some of what I experience...but I know that we can get past all of those negative behavior cycles. Let's both commit to creating new, positive habits and behaviors! Perspective really is everything.


Gosh, when I logged in here this morning I just felt so much support and happiness from you guys. Seriously...it affected me throughout the whole day. Work absolutely flew by. So thank you so much and I plan on stopping by all of your journals, catching up, returning to support. You are all incredible people!!


Wow, my weekend was full. It was all very fun but it made me realize that I have not been totally dedicated to this change. It that sense it was completely motivating to hop back on and keep going. The days lead up to my TOM were no fun but as I said earlier, it seemed improved from the past few months. I am confident and optimistic that a complete lifestyle overhaul can help alleviate this. Time will tell. I am hoping that it is only up from here!


Today has been great. Work was great and I have made some good choices.


Choice of the day: The best choice I made today was when I got home from work. Usually, because I don't eat lunch, I come home and eat a lot in a short amount of time. Today, I came home and instead started doing some chores. My mind was telling me to eat, eat, eat. But once I started doing something else, that "panic" feeling went away! Yay, so that was a very good moment for me. I had two hard-boiled eggs and am good for now. I am proud of myself for that small but significant change.


Nutrition:

8+ glasses of water

Protein bar

2 hard-boiled eggs

2 cups of black coffee

Wasabi peas

Chunks of cantaloupe

Baby carrots

Healthy Choice Chicken Alfredo Florentine (220 cals) ---OK not the best, but I am a bit strapped for cash until payday so that is why I have some safe backup meals on hand in the freezer. It was actually pretty good too, with yummy bits of spinach and peppers.

1 small hundred cal mini cupcake treat for being good today.


I still think I ate too few calories today. Will have to do some better planning during the next pay period. But I am oddly not hungry whatsoever. Maybe it is because it is so darn hot here again :(



Exercise:

20 minute walk

**Needs improvement :(
 
AFunnily enough I know some one who works in software development for businesses haha.

Still doing good :) I think you should definitely up the calories tho- Maybe you could eat some nuts if your not that hungry. I don't want your body to eat its own muscle for food... That's bad, very bad.

How much have you lost so far altogether, and in how much time?
 
Funny you should ask, overtherainbow...


I have big news today...! I was dreading facing the scale at some point. But I told myself to just do it and get it over with. I was sure that I had gone up right back where I started after my lack of exercise/questionable choices this weekend/TOM.


Well you can imagine my shock and awe when I stepped on the scale and it registered me in at 155.5lbs!!!!! :party:



That means...I am half a pound away from my first goal!!!! It has only been a 2 and a half weeks since I started this journey and I have lost 7 pounds so far. I am actually extremely happy with that. Oh my goodness, that was just what I needed this morning, seriously. Oh, and today is pay day so I can eat like a normal human being again hah!


Yesterday was pretty iffy on calories. I had a huge row with my mother (we don't get along...at all. It's sad) and couldn't eat much. Plus I had a lot of studying to do for a test. I ended up having some tortilla with bean and boiled egg, a protein bar, and 2 mini cupcake treats because I really felt I might over-indulge if I didn't eat something sweet. Still probably too low. But I wasn't hungry. I should definitely incorporate some higher-calorie snacks during the week. I just get so busy.


And I was thinking...I have not worked out much lately, that is a given. However, I have been pretty active. I am sort of obsessive about cleaning and spend at least an hour a day keeping my apartment up. It is an old apartment and I have two naughty :)beating:) kitties running around so it really does need a lot of maintenance. It makes me feel better to think like that even though I know that I need to exercise more. Today I will try to get my boyfriend to go on a walk with me. It has honestly been so darn hot here lately, unsafe to do too much rigorous work outside. I think we are under our 3rd heat advisory this summer which is unheard of for this part of the country.


Anyways, positive choices to all today! I'll be back to update later.


~Ava
 
Yesterday was okay for food. I think I ate enough calories so that is good. Either way I was not hungry when I went to bed! The best part was getting to go grocery shopping again and getting fresh fruits and vegetables. I think my dinner tonight may be a spinach salad with egg, green pepper, and avocado...with a small side of soup and cantaloupe. Yum :)


Will probably be back later to update/ramble some more... :)


Nutrition:

2 cups of black coffee

Bowl of oatmeal

(will update)
 
Hey Avatea,

That spinach salad sounds great! You are doing so well...so proud of you! As you know, I'll be in the US for a week (that will be a challenge in the nutrition department for me!) then in Korea, so I won't be around much. Did want you to know I'll be thinking of you and looking forward to catching up when I get back! keep up those good choices!


Sarah
 
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