Donna's Journal

D

Donna23

New member
After reading through several of the diaries, I've decided to go ahead and start a journal of my own weight loss journey. It seems that I have spent my entire adult life in some type of diet mode - either getting ready to start a diet (therefore OK to binge eat since I'm going on a diet anyway), on a diet, breaking my diet, feeling guilty about what I've eaten, feeling like a failure, and giving up. I'll hybernate for a bit and then start the cycle over again. 3 years ago I was about 50 lbs overweight and then I came up with the bright idea to quit smoking - I know, it's much healthier not to smoke, but still.... Since that time I've gained an additional 50 lbs. I had some serious health problems this past year, (not weight related), but I realize the recovery was a lot more difficult with all the extra weight on, so it's time to get serious about getting healthy.
On the plus side - Due to the medical problems I've had it's important for me to drink lots of water, my Dr. recommends a minimum of a gallon a day, so over the past few months I've gotten into that habit. Usually what I do is drink one of the sports bottles (24 oz) before breakfast, another before lunch, another before dinner, another before a snack and so on. Where I've had a tough time is in my food choices & portions so I'm focusing my energies on that now. My current game plan is to make all my meals fruit or vegetable based, with some protein added. This is what I've been doing for the past week:

Breakfast:Bottle of water, a full grapefruit

Lunch: Bottle of water, Huge Salad (about 4 cups of the lettuce mix base) with several different veggies chopped up in it, and 2 servings of some type of protein food (hard boiled egg, tuna fish, shredded chicken etc...) for a topping I've been using balsamic vinegar.

Dinner: Bottle of water, 6 oz of broiled lean meat, a cup each of 2 different green vegtables, a sugar free jello.

For snacks in between I've been mostly eating a variety of fruits, but usually drink a bottle of water before hand. I do this to slow down how much fruit I eat. Example, I'll drink a bottle of water, and then eat a cup full of grapes. If I want to eat more grapes (or another apple, or nectarine or whatever) I make myself drink another bottle of water. This way I know that I'm actually really hungry, because it's not worth drinking the entire bottle of water if I want to eat more because I'm bored. Make sense?
This is what I'm using for my "base diet". I realize there will be some variation. For work, I do have to go out to eat once or twice a week, and during those times I'm going to focus on eating off the healthy side of the menu for a change of pace.


Anyway, I want to thank everyone who has welcomed me to this forum - it seems like a wonderful, supportive group of people here; and I encourage any input for all the experts out there
 
Goodluck! It looks like your off to a great start and you'll find plenty of support here :)
 
I really like the more water before another snack idea... I may just have to steal that from you!
 
Welcome Donna. I am in the process of quitting smoking so I have come to terms with myself that if I'm going to "put on" a few pounds, that is so alright with me. I think that smoking is way worse then a few extra pounds around my belly right now. I am still so very tired from quitting but I know that once I get over that, I will succeed. You are doing a great job with your quit and weight loss goals also. You will succeed. Just remember to keep drinking your water. You are doing very good with that and I too may have to follow some of your regimines. :D
 
So far, I'm chugging along with my plan and keeping it in focus. I'm heading towards the end of my first week so I'm still feeling empowered and self righteous like I always do at the beginning of a diet. The better I feel about it during the first few weeks, the worse I feel when I fall off the plan. I just become so disappointed in myself. I'm trying to come up with ideas now, while I'm still strong, of strategies to use when I'm about to cave in, as well as what to do to get back on track once I do fall. In the past I've always taken a small slip to mean no self control - so it ends up turning into a major binge; and then taking the major binge and turning it into failure. I need to find a diversion before self destructing, and if I do self destruct - I need a way to recoup before all is lost and I give up.


Kino, Manaloa, & Dariqueen: Thanks for the kind words of support :)

Alexia: You're more than welcome to the water idea. What's great about it, is since it takes a bit of time to drink down the bottle of water (even if you're chugging it) it gives you time to think, do you really want the snack and gives your stomach time to say it's full. The best part is, by the end of the day you've got your water quota in.

Jodee: I think quitting smoking was the hardest thing I ever did, I just enjoyed it sooo much. I know I'm much healthier for quitting, and I love the fact that I no longer smell like a smoker - I can sniff at my hair and smell shampoo, my clothes smell like laundry soap, and my hands smell like hand lotion - but every once in a while, oh boy - you'd never know I've been smoke free for 3 years because it feels like just yesterday <sigh>
 
Looks like you are doing good so far. Stay Positive and Don't get discourged. you should try to make mini goals when it come s to food or exercises. Like try to take out a type of food that tyou know is bad and replace it for a healthier food. do that for a week and reward yourself. Same as exercise.

It does get boring doing the same thing everyday. good luck to you and keep yout Head up and your legs moving:D Don't forget your WATER;)
 
I don't think of the slips as a mistake. I take that high calorie food that I consumed and do damage control.

If I want, let's say, a chocolate chip cookie. I'll have one, but I'll budget it into my calories for the day (or week). I'll have a lighter supper or keep my calories a little lower for the next day or two to make up for it.

Or better yet, I schedule those little extra goodies in, even if I don't think I want it. And then if I decide to have it, then no worries. And if I don't, then I'm just a little low on my calories or I can eat something else healthier.

For instance, I knew that I'd be wanting chocolate this week as TOM is upon me. So I went ahead and scheduled myself for several cholocate snacks. I didn't end up eating them. But it was nice knowing that I could and not feel guilty.
 
Today I did really well with fruit for breakfast and a big salad with tuna at lunch. Tonight I had a job to go bowling and I had to order a combo meal from the snack bar (I do mystery shopping) Needless to say, they didn't have much for healthy eating at a bowling alley. I ended up ordering a plain burger with fries and a diet soda. I ate the burger with some lettuce and tomato, but not condiments and only ate one french fry and a few sips from the diet soda. I didn't eat any snacks earlier in the day since I wasn't sure how dinner was going to go, so I ended up doing fine on total calories for the day.
I haven't started any formal exercise yet, because of health issues. I currently have a stent in, which leaves me with a lot of discomfort. I'm able to get some walking in, and I do that as much as possible, but I can't do power walking or anything that will break a sweat without serious pain. Hopefully (fingers crossed) I'll have it removed sometime this next week and then that will be a different story.
It's a good idea about the mini-goals. I put myself on the list for the 6 week challenge starting Monday, with a goal of 15 lb lost. I'll focus on surviving the 6 weeks and 15lbs before looking at the "big picture" again. Maybe then, it won't be so overwelming.
 
Welcome, Donna. I think it would be helpful for you to take "diet" out of your vocabulary. If you look at it as this is just how you are going to eat from now on, it might be easier for you. You can incorporate things you love into your weekly intake and maybe you wont feel like you are depriving yourself. Your meals are looking good. Good Luck with all your goals.....mini and maxi!
 
Last edited:
I don't think it's the word "diet" that does me in - a rose by any other name is still a rose - it's the problem with wanting to do things "perfect", I guess. The "all or nothing" mentality. Take ice cream for example - I'm better off never eating ice cream because if I buy a container, I eat the entire container - and once I've eaten the entire container, I feel I've failed what ever eating plan I'm currently working with - so I give up. And it's not just ice cream, consider that word as a fill in the blank and there are 100's of different foods I could fill into that blank and unfortunately none of them is broccoli.
Today I did well eating on plan and guzzling my water. For the past week I average between 1300-1400 calories a day with a bulk of my food coming from fruit and veggies, and drinking 4-5 sports bottles (24 oz each) of water. I'm feeling satisfied with the amount of food I'm eating, and for the most part always have a "full" feeling, so I'm not depriving myself. As long as I'm not feeling deprived this way of eating should work for me; I've just got to keep reminding myself this.
 
I was never one to get used to the feeling of being deprived. I like to eat ..... a lot. And if you check out my food diary, you'll see that I do eat, quite a lot and I've averaged about 2.3 lbs per week weight loss. But the only way I'm able to eat that much is because of how much I weigh and how much I work out.

You already know what your trigger is. You don't like being on a "diet" because you feel you have to deprive yourself. Well, don't deprive yourself. If you want that ice cream, then have a serving of ice cream. (Admittedly, if you get a low fat one, all the better) And tell yourself, yes, you're going to finish the whole carton, but not tonight. Have a scoop every night if you want. As long as you're budgeting it into your calories.

Heaven knows, I have desert every single day. And sometimes a couple times a day. Because I don't like feeling deprived either. But my desert ends up being 1 square of really really good chocolate, or a scoop of really good ice cream. And I don't feel like I have to eat all of it, because I know that I can have some more tomorrow.
 
Another day down, staying the course. I ended up a little high on calories yesterday, about 1500, but the previous day I was a little low - only around 1000 so I guess it averages out. I was doing pretty good, but then my 6 year old wanted to bake cookies which of course I then helped him eat. I think I did ok, in that I limited it to 2 cookies. We're going out to dinner tonight. My son and his girlfriend are visiting for his birthday. He hasn't decided where he wants to go for dinner yet so I'm not sure how to plan out my eating for the day. I figure I'll eat lots of veggies for the day, so that I'm full but low cal, and before going out to dinner tonight I'll make a large cup of broth to extend that full feeling. I want to save the calories so that I can enjoy birthday cake tonight.
 
I survived the birthday, which I was worried about. I had an apple for breakfast, and a baked potato with some salsa for lunch and saved all my calories for dinner. I ended up ordering Mussels steamed in a white wine and garlic sauce, and had a couple of bites of a steak. I had one glass of white wine, which I nursed through out the dinner and when the birthday cake was served I had a few bites and then pushed the rest away. Lots of yummy bread was served but I was good and didn't eat any. Overall I say it was a success.
I go to the Dr.'s today and have my stent removed so hopefully I'll be able to start in on exercise within the next few days.
 
Way to go with the birthday supper Donna! If it had been me, after just an apple and baked potato I probably would have pigged out:eek: :)
 
Yesterday I had a nectarine for breakfast,a large salad and rice cakes for lunch and a large greek salad and another nectarine for dinner. I had the stent removed from my kidney yesterday and I was feeling discomfort last night (feels like my kidney is bruised, which I guess it is) so I drank a large glass of cranberry juice. For the most part, I've given up drinking juice being that it's a lot of calories without feeling full and it distracts me from drinking my water but it sure hit the spot last night.
Today I've been taking it easy, mostly just laying around and nursing my kidney but I'm hoping to get in a small walk tomorrow morning and if I survive that then I plan on starting daily power walks in the morning. I usually do better getting my exercise in the morning because it's a lot cooler that time of day (the joys of living in FLA) and also, I usually do a better job of keeping on track with my food consumption if I've already exercised. I guess after putting in the effort of a power walk I don't want to undo all the good I've done.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top