This is the time

[felici]

I cant imagine you ever looking in the mirror and getting a scary reflection back bah I say to that...

Well I will probably never become brave enough to put an unsmiling photo of myself on here, or a close up my wrinkles! So perhaps you will keep this illusion.

Cetaphil made your skin sting? wow and I thought I had sensitive skin... Clinique stuff I can't use anymore - it's supposed to be gentle but I wasn't getting that gentleness...

It didn't sting so badly that I couldn't stand it. I just figured that meant it probably wasn't going to be the magic fix it product I'd hoped for. Actually maybe it was because the skin was already irritated, even though I'd been thinking it was just dry. Probably in another couple of weeks it will have fixed itself and I will have forgotten that I wondered about it all. *wishes*

 

[felici]

Wednesday

Breakfast 10:00 2 weetbix, 1/3 C diced peaches , 1C low fat soy milk. 1 slice wholemeal toast with plum and cinnamon jam. Boiled egg . Coffee with 40 ml Hilo milk.

Snack: 10:15 Pear. Coffee with milk.
OMG this took some doing. Today's school didn't just have easily passed up cupcakes for one child's birthday. They had 4 different kinds of sweet treats at morning tea time, and someone actually tried to pass me a plate of it. There's something about having an excessive amount and range of indulgent food available that sparks my evil twin's interest.

Lunch: 12:15 Slice of omelette/frittata thing leftover from what I made my husband last night: 2 egg whites, ~ 20 gm parmesan, ~ 60 gm potato, eggplant, green olives, onion, garlic, celery, capsicum, zucchini, broccoli, carrot. Slice of wholemeal bread. Orange. Coffee with milk.
That omelette thing was pretty good. A nice change.

3:45 Slice wholemeal bread toasted, with jam. Pumpkin and leek soup (145 cal).

5:00 ½ fruit scone.

I'm giving myself credit for only eating a half this scone the way I told myself I would last time I found out the calories. And for throwing the rest in the bin, so that it was far out of temptation's way. However, this is still another blow out afternoon snack day. Which isn't good because of the word there “another”. Which I suppose is why I threw the rest of the scone away. No, actually I remember now I threw it out because I kept it while I was shopping, in case the girl wanted it when I got home, and then the snack food in the shop started tormenting me and I decided that I was going to push back a bit. It seems to me that I was hungry, but also, that there are too many slightly exceptional inclusions in my food lately. It would be ok, if I could exercise properly, and was still losing weight, but that's not the case, and I really do have to keep remembering the patience thing. And drinking the coffee. Both those things really work for me. The hot drink that signifies the end of my meal or snack is very useful, but this afternoon it was crowded out.

I'm not too worried about not losing right now. I know the ankle will get better and I anticipate a major change in routine with the holiday in 4 weeks and some other changes once I return. If I can't finish this thing off then I'll be bothered. Now I'm not really. I would strongly prefer to lose weight now! However, I'm not going to stress about that. What I want now is to know that my attitude is right – that my food control is ok, and I'm taking what exercise I can get, so that I can keep counting on myself to make this change ongoing. Today it was starting to feel a bit too much like a slide could have been starting. But I was thinking that if it takes a fight just to maintain, then I will have to have that fight, because no way am I going back to the way I was.

Dinner 8:15 130 gm lean grilled lamb . 100 gm microwaved potato. 1 slice lightly oiled, grilled eggplant. Grilled tomato, mushrooms, capsicum and baby squash. Microwaved carrots and broccoli. Instant gravy (~ 1/3 C) Tub apricot yoghurt. Cup of coffee with milk.

Exercise: No. It was a bit too stormy to walk this afternoon.
I think today will be my last physio. However I did get a strong warning about keeping my increase slow (really slow – 5 minutes increase a day and an explicit warning not to make it 15!!)

 

[maleficent]

5 minutes means 5 minutes - do listen to them... we don't want you injuring yourself...

I amso craving lamb now...

 

[Miss Ladybug]

You have the right frame of mind. Even if you can't focus a lot of your time on weight loss, just eating good and watching that, and walking every now and again, you will maintain, and that's the key. Don't hurt yourself or try to heal to fast, take your time and heal correctly, that way when your all good to go, you'll be able to go at it again full force. I really like your attitude and you eat so well, you should be really proud of that. Eating is usually the hardest part to change. Great job!
Kim

 

[TomO]

Good for you, Felici. At least you're conscious of all the stuff out there that can trip you up, and take steps to deal with it. That's half the battle right there.

 

[lena410]

hey you
well i do have several solutions for bark skin as you call it. first of all try staying away from dry skin moisturizers for a few days. give your skin time to regenerate just a bit. for protecting your skin it would be best if you put sun screen lotion on your face, and just a small amount to filter the bad influences from the outside. as for which cream to use sometimes it is best to use creamsyou would normally put on a baby or products for normal skin.
i find best facial products to be vichy, avene (because they're based on thermal waters) and make up removals (yes you read right).
i tried Chanel creams and god knows what, but those who have best make up don't necessarily have best skin products.
and remember not using too much creams and lotions...it only makes matters worse in the long run. oh and i wash my face with one soap lush makes, it actually has active carbon as ingredient so it cleans the skin wonderfully and its not invasive because its completely natural.

 

[Cannon 2006]

Keep that evil twin under control Felici . If the attitude is right, the weight loss will follow.

 

[felici]

5 minutes means 5 minutes - do listen to them... we don't want you injuring yourself...

I amso craving lamb now...

It's ok to crave lamb. I hope you got a fix - or have one coming soon.

I have great intentions to be obedient, though when I feel good it's hard to remember - I was in such a rush this morning I jogged into a shopping centre before I thought about it. I'm still ok though, I think.

You have the right frame of mind. Even if you can't focus a lot of your time on weight loss, just eating good and watching that, and walking every now and again, you will maintain, and that's the key. Don't hurt yourself or try to heal to fast, take your time and heal correctly, that way when your all good to go, you'll be able to go at it again full force. I really like your attitude and you eat so well, you should be really proud of that. Eating is usually the hardest part to change. Great job!
Kim

Thanks Kim. I feel like I'm starting to get there with tightening up the food again. I don't plan for it be super tight forever, but for now I think that's a good option for me. I don't want to go into the extra calories of my holiday feeling that I've already been a bit sloppy.

Good for you, Felici. At least you're conscious of all the stuff out there that can trip you up, and take steps to deal with it. That's half the battle right there.

It is for me!! Thanks, Tom.

hey you
well i do have several solutions for bark skin as you call it. first of all try staying away from dry skin moisturizers for a few days. give your skin time to regenerate just a bit. for protecting your skin it would be best if you put sun screen lotion on your face, and just a small amount to filter the bad influences from the outside. as for which cream to use sometimes it is best to use creamsyou would normally put on a baby or products for normal skin.
i find best facial products to be vichy, avene (because they're based on thermal waters) and make up removals (yes you read right).
i tried Chanel creams and god knows what, but those who have best make up don't necessarily have best skin products.
and remember not using too much creams and lotions...it only makes matters worse in the long run. oh and i wash my face with one soap lush makes, it actually has active carbon as ingredient so it cleans the skin wonderfully and its not invasive because its completely natural.

Thanks for all these ideas, Lena. I'm trying the route of not putting much on there for now and my cleanser has run out, so I will keep your recommendations in mind when I look for another option.

Mind you today I was outside all day and may have copped a bit too much sun. Luckily my suncream was still in my handbag from when I put it there at the end of last summer. I am just not that good at remembering all the little things that might matter every day. All the little strategies that help care for me without me having to keep thinking about them eventually help. I have been sunburnt at these carnivals most years since the ones I went to when I was at school! They sneak up and pop us back outside while I'm still thinking about winter and the sun is starting to think about summer!

Keep that evil twin under control Felici . If the attitude is right, the weight loss will follow.

That sounds spot on to me. The evil one seems to have slunk off this evening.

 

[felici]

Thursday

Breakfast 7:30 2 weetbix, 1/3 C diced peaches , 1C low fat soy milk. 1 slice wholemeal toast with plum and cinnamon jam. Boiled egg . Coffee with 40 ml Hilo milk.

Lunch: 12:15 Sandwich with 2 slices wholemeal Vienna tin loaf (ie the tall slices), 2 slices double smoked leg ham, “gourmet” salad (ie mixed lettuce leaves, slice of cucumber) from stall at girl's school athletics carnival, minus the potato salad, plus the lettuce, tomato and beetroot out of the girl's hamburger. Apple. Slice of orange. Coffee with milk.

And I threw away the piece of hamburger the girl didn't eat, which wasn't much, though my friend was saying to just eat the meat and throw away the bread. Either way, it really isn't the calories on any one single item like that that counts. I found today that sticking to my exact intentions in one situation seems to be helping with the next one.

Snack 5:45 Slice wholemeal bread toasted, with jam. 4 fresh dates. 1 nice coffee with milk. I didn't have much time for this, and it was not low cal, but was within my intentions and satisfying. I really slowed down my eating as much as I could, and savoured it all. I reckon the 4 dates were more enjoyable than the 16 eek, I had the other day. I've decided that in future I'm only going to buy them sometimes and then only 4 at once, because it is just to easy to keep eating them.

Dinner 7:45 100 gm saddleback snapper with coriander, chilli and lime. EVO oil. Slice of wholemeal Vienna tin bread. Veges and low fat French onion dip. Small star fruit.
9:20 Big chopped salad with lots of mixed lettuce leaves and tomatoes, and many other things! A very little balsimic vinegar.

Exercise: 30 minutes walk – Warwick. The donkey orchids are prolific!

 

[bmohearn]

You're food looks SOO good today. Great job. And you are ALMOST at your goal. You've lost so much!

 

[TomO]

Hi Felici. Have a great weekend!

 

[felici]

Brandy: Thanks. I have a way to go, but the time is passing pretty fast. I figure if I just keep pushing the weight in the right direction it has to happen eventually.

My weight hasn't changed enough lately to warrant changing my signature, but at least it is ever so slowly going the right way.

Tom: I hope you have a great weekend too and keep enjoying your wonderful exercise.



Friday
Breakfast 7:30 2 weetbix, 1/3 C diced peaches , 1C low fat soy milk. 1 slice wholemeal toast with plum and cinnamon jam. Boiled egg . Coffee with 40 ml Hilo milk.

Snack 11:00 Watermelon. Coffee with milk.

Lunch: 1:00 Toasted sandwich with 2 slices wholemeal bread, 1 slices double smoked leg ham, 1 slice grilled eggplant, tomato, mushrooms, olives, ~ 15 gm parmesan. Diet apricot yoghurt Coffee with milk.

Snack 4:00 25 gm pack beef jerky.

Dinner 7:45 Grilled veal (100 gm) with ratatouille (eggplant, tomato, zucchini, capsicum, onion), 100 gm roast potato, asparagus, 15 gm parmesan grilled on top of veges. 4 dates. Coffee with milk.

Exercise: 32 minute walk – Warwick.

 

[Miss Ladybug]

Hey Feli!! Have a great weekend and enjoy your time!! I know what you mean about not moving the ticker, mine is moving at one pace. SLOW AS SNAILS!!! But, we will fight to the bitter end won't we?? I'm not giving in anytime soon. I'm going to keep fighting it and eventually somethings got to give, RIGHT? hehehhehehe I hope you have a great time with the family.
HUGS!
Kim

 

[bmohearn]

I love ratatouille. I've never had veal. Is it any good? what does it taste like? I have a town in massachusetts called warwick. haha. I'm glad your weight is moving in the right direction. You are so strong willed. You never seem to eat anything you shouldn't, and you always do exercise.

 

[Tomble]

Brandy: Thanks. I have a way to go, but the time is passing pretty fast. I figure if I just keep pushing the weight in the right direction it has to happen eventually.

My weight hasn't changed enough lately to warrant changing my signature, but at least it is ever so slowly going the right way.

No change is almost as good as loss, as long as the scales stay still you're at least not putting on weight!

Your list of foods made me hungry

 

[Curvie Girlie]

Hi there!
I was reading about your contemplations regarding your appearance after weight loss. I may be younger than you, but I understand where you're coming from because I noticed that my breasts have suffered from my yo-yo weight over the past 6 or so years. I have seen the ravages of weight loss on skin. But the important thing is great health. I'm glad you look 10 years younger--I hope to retain a somewhat youthful appearance and I hope not smoking cigarettes will pay off! Either way, I hope your ankle feels better soon and I hope you get your exercise in and continue to your goal!!!!!!!
Have a great weekend!

 

[felici]

Hey Feli!! Have a great weekend and enjoy your time!! I know what you mean about not moving the ticker, mine is moving at one pace. SLOW AS SNAILS!!! But, we will fight to the bitter end won't we?? I'm not giving in anytime soon. I'm going to keep fighting it and eventually somethings got to give, RIGHT? hehehhehehe I hope you have a great time with the family.
HUGS!
Kim

I think your machine just gets stuck! In my case the way the scales have slowed down fits with me having a few more calories and exercising less. However, I have upped the ante and it's starting to happen again. I'm a little unsure still what will happen with my weight over the next month and a half as it's only 3 weeks now till we start this holiday and then that will last for over three weeks and be an unpredictable time. I certainly don't want to have any scale creep before then though. Also, as you say, I am fighting this to the end. I can't make this happen at a steady speed all the way to my goal but I absolutely will not stop till I get there and then I will make sure I maintain. I feel like I've wished I was able to do this my whole life. It's been too long already. I recognize the old mindset I had, that made me fat and I see it come trying to creep back in at times but I will persist in chasing it off.

I love ratatouille. I've never had veal. Is it any good? what does it taste like? I have a town in massachusetts called warwick. haha. I'm glad your weight is moving in the right direction. You are so strong willed. You never seem to eat anything you shouldn't, and you always do exercise.

Thanks for the kind words Brandy. Veal is good – similar to beef, but milder, and with less fat.

I have eaten high fat high sugar foods since I started this thing, but very rarely. That was quite a change for me. I did have them every day and more than once a day. I 'm not over the inclination but I'm over that habit. Having the sense that “that's not what I eat”, has been critical for me.

Lately though I've had a lot of weeks where there's been one or two special events that have meant I've included something I see as marginal – a bit high in fat or a bit high in sugar, though I don't go overboard with it. Also, most days I've eaten at least one extra item that I wouldn't have done when I was being very strict with myself - not an unhealthy type of food – just a bit more of it. [edit: For example, looking at the food below, Saturday looks fine to me, but Sunday the Chinese food wasn't really that satisfying. I had a bunch of leftover salad veges I could easily have eaten and which might have added enough bulk to satisfy me, or if not, I could have added a little low fat protein. Staying a bit hungry after my evening meal wouldn't be an option for me. However, although I managed to pass up the indulgent nuts I bought for the picnic during the day, that's what I ended up eating to round out the meal - a very fast extra 150-200 cals. It's not a big thing by itself, but it doesn't quite fit the idea of me pushing full bore with the weight loss.] I am managing to exercise almost every day again now, but it is always mild exercise. These are the things that I think have slowed me down.

So I don't see myself as doing as well with food and exercise as I was before the winter and before my life became more stressful. I suppose there are lots of times still when my impulse is eat something that I see as very unhealthy and my habit is to either ignore that, or to eat a better alternative even if it isn't the absolute best.

No change is almost as good as loss, as long as the scales stay still you're at least not putting on weight!

Your list of foods made me hungry

No change is almost as good as a loss – as long as it's not every week forever!!

I do think that being able to access and enjoy really wonderful food (in generally healthy ways), has been really important to me in being able to change the way I eat into something which will let me be a normal healthy weight.

Hi there!
I was reading about your contemplations regarding your appearance after weight loss. I may be younger than you, but I understand where you're coming from because I noticed that my breasts have suffered from my yo-yo weight over the past 6 or so years. I have seen the ravages of weight loss on skin. But the important thing is great health. I'm glad you look 10 years younger--I hope to retain a somewhat youthful appearance and I hope not smoking cigarettes will pay off! Either way, I hope your ankle feels better soon and I hope you get your exercise in and continue to your goal!!!!!!!
Have a great weekend!

Thank you! It has been a good weekend, with a lot more relaxed time than I've had lately.

Yes. Bouncing our weight around definitely has a negative pay off!! At least you are moving to control yours now and the younger the better as far as skin and healthy goes that's for sure!! I agree with you, health is still the most important thing by far. Not smoking is guaranteed to pay off for both health and skin - so keep going!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[felici]

Saturday

Breakfast 9:00 2 weetbix, 1/3 C diced peaches , 1C low fat soy milk. 1 slice fresh wholemeal bread (Vienna tin – tall) folded over a boiled egg and the lean portion of a piece of shortcut bacon. Coffee with 40 ml Hilo milk.
I had to go out early and stopped to buy the bread on the way home. It was still a little warm. I do not recommend stopping by a bakery before breakfast!!

Lunch: 2:00 1 slice wholemeal toast with leftover ratatouille, grilled mushrooms and topped with ~ 15 gm parmesan, grilled. 1 slice fresh wholemeal bread with plum and cinnamon jam. Watermelon. Coffee with milk.

Dinner 8:00 1 C Tinned white bean and autumn vegetable soup. 80 gm grilled pork. Salad veges and french onion dip: carrot, broccoli, mushroom, red and yellow capsicum. 4 dates. Coffee with milk.

Exercise: ~ 30 minute walk – Warwick.

Sunday

Breakfast 9:00 1 slice wholemeal toast with plum and cinnamon jam. 1 boiled egg. 2 weetbix, 1/3 C diced peaches , 1C low fat soy milk. Coffee with 40 ml Hilo milk.

Lunch 1:00 Wholemeal bread roll. Slice of low fat Jarlsberg cheese, slice of double smoked ham, a little grilled chicken, capsicum, Kalamata olives, tomato, lettuce. Diet ginger beer.

Dinner 7:00 Take away chinese. 1/3 C steamed rice. 1/3 C fine rice noodles. Stir fried combination seafood and meat and vegetables. ~ 15 nuts - cashews and macadamia. Tub of diet apricot yoghurt. Coffee with milk.

12:00 Diet coke.

Exercise: 2:40 40 minute walk.

I went for a picnic today because it's our Father's Day. We went to Bell's Rapids. It's on the Avon River (which is pretty much a big creek at the moment), just at the base of the hills we have outside our city. There were quite a lot of people there so we crossed the river to the less busy side and had a really lovely time near some little pools. The children caught tadpoles and little fish. It was sunny and mild. The grass was green. And the company was very pleasant. We went for a walk along a dirt path at the edge of the river. I thought I had the timing right, but it wasn't quite and I will have to drop back five minutes tomorrow.

 

[felici]

Monday

Breakfast 9:00 1 slice wholemeal toast with plum and cinnamon jam. 1 boiled egg. 2 weetbix, 1/3 C diced peaches , 1C low fat soy milk. Coffee with 40 ml Hilo milk.

Snack 10:40 Gold Rust pear. Coffee with milk.

That pear surprised me. I don't think I've had that variety before. It tasted very sweet and rather like honey. It was almost too sweet!

Lunch 1:00 1 carrot. Toasted sandwich: 2 slices wholemeal bread with 2 slices of low fat Jarlsberg cheese, slice of double smoked ham, capsicum, zucchini, tomato, mushroom. Coffee with milk

Snack 3:30 1 slice wholemeal toast with vegemite. 1 slice ham. 1 Pink Lady apple. 1 cup coffee with milk.

This is more than I used to have, but a deliberate choice today. I was thinking today that after school, until it gets consistently warmer, or until my appetite disappears I'm best off establishing a routine snack, or set of snacks something like this. I think it has been a problem time for me because I would arrive home thinking that just fruit, or just veges couldn't be enough and yet not feel sure what was appropriate. Staying hungry at this time of the day isn't all that great just now either because I usually have shopping and meal planning and preparation to do. It's like an invitation to the evil twin to come visiting with her cattle prod. I'd rather keep my fights for the times they can't be avoided.

Dinner 8:00 120 gm lean grilled lamb. Grilled mushrooms, tomato and zucchini. 60 gm microwaved potato. Salad with 2 teaspoons low fat French onion dip: broccoli, snow peas, celery, capsicum, lettuce. 4 fresh dates. Coffee with milk.

Exercise: 6:10 30 minute walk. Warwick bush. Supposed to 35 minutes, but I'm not good at judging these things. I figured I'd best get back to the car, then walk on the verge to get my time right, but when I got back to my car I remembered about not lingering near your car, and forgot about checking my time.

The weather is changing. Today I started with a long sleeve t-shirt, then at school, kept adding clothes until I was rugged up as for midwinter by 10:00, and then by 12, I'd started back removing them until I drove home in the t-shirt after school thinking that I don't have enough summer clothes and don't have any summer trousers. Well I couldn't find any I wanted to buy anyway. I only like to wear cotton in summer and they don't have any in the shop I went to. It was mucho fun shopping though!! I love shopping at this lower weight. Though I can sit here and look down and see too much tummy (and other spots that are too much!), it is still amazing to think I can easily find sizes to fit me and that the version I see in the mirror isn't all that different to the version I imagined in my head! I lay-byed a size 10 top. It is soooo tight that it is not respectable, but I am quite convinced it will be ok once summer is really here. Actually the size 12 top that I bought last month and which I remembered as looking disreputably tight has some space around the middle now. I don't know if I've forgotten what it looked like, stretched it, or altered my standards. I haven't lost any weight to speak of.

 

[Qjay]

That "Buying clothes anywhere you want" thing is the thing I really want out of my wieght loss. I still have a long way to go, but it helps being able to come here and see other people doing it just like I am going to do it.
I really need to do some catching up on these diaries!