Fed Up, Refreshed, Bloated, and Accountable?

I am fed up with going up and down. It's the food, not the exercise, for sure. I just dawdle around and then cut loose in the evening. I keep track all day and then act as if nothing counts at night. I am not crazy horrible with food but certainly not doing enough to lose anything, or keep from fluctuating up and down 3 pounds here and there. I must get serious, dedicated and enjoy making a REAL change.

So, I want to be accountable. Even if no one reads. I am going to track online. I will make it easy, I will track calories per meal. Breakfast was 250. I will check in soon with the lunch tally. Or later with a daily tally. And blog in the evening.

I had a wonderful trip over the weekend, with my grandson and one of his friends for his birthday. We went to stay at my friend's house in the country, near a park with waterfalls. The river runs through large rocks and forms a wonderful natural water park. We also visited another state park with huge rocks. They played like kids, even though they are teenagers! We spent two nights, and they played board games and watched kid movies. My friend baked a birthday cake and made a special dinner. It was very nice especially because both of grandson's parents are in jail now and we seem to be short on family members. I got exercise in the water at the park and in my friend's lap/wave exercise pool.

Now to get serious on the whole food deal. Really, honestly, I MUST.

Update, after reading Vickie's post (wish I could link) I now realize I need to adjust the WHAT I eat drastically. I am out of touch with the whole and clean eating. I think I am eating ok but usually it involves some level of processed food. So I am going natural and pulling out the books to refresh my memory!

In keeping with the accountability - I had a high protien 210 calorie lunch. I will supplement with a boiled egg in a couple of hours. I am very bloated today after a fruit/sugar/carb fest last night. Daughter had a car accident while we were on our wonderful trip. I dealt with it very well but there were many post accident things to do yesterday. She got a ticket, on top of the whole ordeal. And we need to replace the car. She was not hurt, and that's the most important thing of all. No one was, and the car that hit her left the scene. Anyhow, eating mega-carbs does not make it better. It only inflates my body. I am flushing the toxins today with water.

Stalling but not too bad

Okay, I don't have huge momentum, but I do have stability. I also have poison ivy! My food has improved but not much more than required for maintenance. I have the evening struggle and it seems the evening workout sometimes ups the appetite. I need strategies for that. I do feel upbeat most of the time with the exception of a slight dip while taking the benedryl for the ivy itching. My dating the ex is not a positive, either so I am trying to give that up, always reminds me of why he is my ex! The new date is a fizzle cuz I am not attracted to him, but he is to me and that doesn't feel right at all. I do like him, though, but no attraction in the romantic way.

So, tonight is gym night and I look forward to my workouts. I do pushups now and a little yoga in the private room around the corner from my office. No big weight loss to speak of so I know that means I eat too much or not the right stuff. But my body feels good and I see muscle tone where it was not so good before. I am even liking my arms better. So improvement is positive.

Okay, I got an itch and I need to go use the ivy cream/spray quick. Scratching is not allowed!!

Day 3

It is the morning of day three and I have lost back two pounds. I was not doing as well as I wanted with my food but apparently I am doing well enough. I struggle with the evening, but I find if I keep busy and have exercise in the evening I do better. I took some allergy medicine at night that made me drowsy, and made me do that weird night eating. But I had strawberries instead of cereal, which used to be my night eating food. I cannot take sleep meds, or anything that makes me drowsy, without having night eating. It is as if it lowers my inhibitions and I succumb to cravings that may even be produced by the meds. I can take melatonin, which helps aid sleep, without that effect.

My exercise has been wonderful. Monday I walked at lunch, had a gym workout after work, and then a brisk walk in the night after the heat cooled down. Yesterday I had a short walk at lunch, and then dance class - an hour of learning to waltz - in the evening. Learning to waltz used far more muscle than I thought, and had an aerobic impact, too! Plus it was fun! I work my abs every morning and sometimes in the evening. I did an upper body workout this morning. My upper arms are very challenging right now. So I am targeting them. The muscle response is not what it used to be when I was even just a few years younger. So I will work harder!!

I am enjoying ways to add exercise while having fun. Tonight I may go to the botanical garden for walking after work. If not, it will be a gym night. In fact, it could be both. I'll see how I feel. There is music at the garden at 7:30.

Food has improved because I am planning. I sketch my food intake every morning. I have some flexibility. I need to make sure I do not under plan and shoot for too little food because it sets me up for off plan snacking and last minute choices. I like to have my stomach empty before the next meal. Some stomach growling is a sign I am actually hungry, and not just wanting to eat. It takes time to adjust to eating less, I recall from past successful weight loss, and the urge to supplement the day's food will leave me if I hang in there and don't give in. But I need to make sure I am eating enough and at steady intervals. This will lesson the impact and keep the craving down.

So, I am off on an adventure of new activity. The dance class went better than I though. Being coached by my Saturday night date was helpful. The teacher was very sweet. I was the only true beginner so she let me pick whether we started with waltz or cha cha. I picked waltz because I had more practice. This weekend my "coach" will prep me for cha cha, I hope! We plan to see each other on Saturday or some time over the weekend. I am taking this Summer dating scenario slow. Much, much slower than my Spring romance.

Today's menu includes salmon, fresh greens, Greek yogurt, scrambled eggs with hot sauce, chicken breast and veggies.

More will be revealed....

Day One

I have not counted days, or had a Day One in a very long time. Mostly because I would not get past Day Two or Three. I decided to start a program today. And have a plan each day. A measured and calculated, balanced plan, writing down everything I eat. I need some structure and accountability or I will not lose the lingering ten pounds I gained back after I got to my goal weight.

Inspiration and New Activities

My Art Museum date was far more fun than I expected. He was energetic, interesting, and funny, too. He has a degree in fine arts so he made an excellent guide! He dances, and referred me to a ballroom near where I work where they have beginner classes. I have been wanting to learn salsa, but I am signing on for the available beginner course starting next week which is Waltz and the Cha-Cha-Cha. I like the idea. Salsa would probably work better if I actually learn how to do some less complicated dancing first. So a second date is tentatively scheduled for this coming Saturday.

Anyway, the ballroom is so interesting to me. It's an old building, recently purchased by a dancer, and renovated. The instructors are older. It has a romantic and nostalgic mystique to it. I could literally live there, lost upstairs somewhere...they have a couple of apartments. So, I may like the idea of learning to dance, but some of it is I am attracted/drawn to that atmosphere. I must confess I am a bit nervous that I may not have the coordination/skill to learn. But I am going to give it my best shot, stretch myself, and have some fun.

I think I like dating. I am not taking it too seriously, looking to do fun things with people who have mutual interests. If anything else develops, I will take it slower than past whirlwind romances that seem to be based more on the physical chemistry than anything else. I also had a spur of the moment date Saturday night with my recent ex. I wanted to go hear live music, and needed an escort, which he gladly obliged. I had a nice time, but do not want to get serious with him again. He was going out of town for a week. We did not discuss the past or the future, just had a good time. We did not discuss relationship status, etc. Hopefully there will be no negative fall out from that. I know on my end, if I have no expectations, I won't be disappointed. Plus, I want to date Art/Dance guy now.


I am doing OK with food, better. And my exercise is regular and good. I am feeling inspired to try new things and have adventures!

Hope to have exciting weight loss updates in the near future!

All is Forgiven - MOVE ON

I am using the Our Lady of Weight Loss mantra today. Monday and Tuesday were near perfect food days, but I was a pound up on Wednesday and it really ticked me off. I went to the gym, had a great workout and then went to the grocery. I set myself up by buying a box of weight loss brand ice cream bars. I NEVER do this. And here is why, by midnight I had consumed them all. I hate to admit this. It is the first time I have done this type of thing in ages. So, I have no option but to forgive myself and move on. I will drink lots of water and have a prudish eating day today.

I have an art museum date tomorrow night and I want to feel good about myself. Comfortable in my clothes and dressed for the heat because we may picnic outside afterward. I am a little nervous, it is a facebook contact who went to high school with my sister. Not sure if it is a real date, but we have not met in person. Have been communicating for months on fb. He seems fun and I was more interested in a buddy to do stuff with so it should be low key and I need to get over my feelings of not being good enough!! Good enough for what? A walk in a museum?

So, all is forgiven, move on!!

Time for Commitment, and Adventure!!

OK, I have enjoyed a phase of eating basically what I want and not going over a certain ceiling weight. But I no longer want to be at this ceiling because it is too heavy for how I want to feel, and dress. I am ready for a commitment to positive change. And disciplined, mindful eating. I don't know if anyone reads this blog anymore, but I will keep on writing because it has been the catalyst of positive change for me since 2006!
My workouts are going well. I now have a weekly workout date with a friend who showed me new things to do at the gym compliments of her personal trainer. I am working out more often. I am walking on lunch hours and getting busy after work as well.


It's the food now. I have not even had a plan for a long time. So I am going back to lean protein, no whites, and fresh veggies. I will sketch my day's food each morning or the night before.


I am exploring more now that I work in an interesting part of the city. I am getting brave about going out and doing new things. Saturday night I went to a Brazilian club for live entertainment which included dancing lessons. It was a good workout and fun. Last night I walked in the botanical gardens with a friend. There are things to do most nights of the week, that are free and involve moving my body!! And enriching my mind, too.

So, here is my commitment to taking care of myself by planning my food, eating less and eating better. And, to new adventures!!

More will be revealed...