Routine

I started back to low carb eating on April 1st, today is April 26th and I'm down 17.5lbs.
Wahoo!!!

I was trying to figure out why it's working this time when I've tried to get back to low carb eating so darn many times.  And I think it's all based on having a set routine.

Routine is what keeps me on track on a daily basis, but even amidst chaos.  Just keep on doing what I was doing no matter the shit-storm going on around me.  Yes, routine.

My basic routine:

• I plan my meals on Sunday, then head to the grocery store. 
• While there I ONLY buy the foods I need, because if I get extra, I'll feel the need to eat it "before it goes rotten".  So yes, I'm there buying 2 oranges, a 1/3 bag of grapes, and 3 vine on tomatoes (not four because I don't need four). 
• Then I go home and start my food prep.  I've stopped cooking for the entire week because by the end of the week the food just wasn't as fresh, so I cook for half the week, .
• Last Sunday I cooked all my sausages but only 2 days of scrambled eggs.  Then on Wednesday I cooked two more servings (I went out for breakfast one day this week).
• For lunches I had cucumbers, olives, and either grilled chicken or turkey/cheese/salami roll ups.  Bought all the cucumbers and olives and put them in my work fridge.  Mon and Tues I ate the grilled chicken then on Tuesday night I stopped and got the deli meat for the rollups. 
• For suppers we had plans Monday and Tuesday, so on Wednesday I made a pork roast.  That roast will last me probably 6 meals, so I may end up throwing some out, but this weekend I'll chop some into an omelet then also have it for supper.  Next time I cut it in half and only cook half at a time.
• I go to work by 7am so I have time to go to the gym before going home. It's hard to sit in the gym and watch all the people out the windows leaving their offices to go home for the day. So I go early and therefore I'm leaving the gym when everyone else is finally heading home for the day. 
• And finally, I have a routine of stepping on the scale everyday. I am grateful I don't base my reaction to the day on the scale number, but I want to know if I'm on track. Recently the scale jumped up 3lbs, but I just kept following my routine and voila it fell back off and then some!

My point is that I plan, I prepare, then I just stick to my routine.  It gives me purpose when I don't know what else to do.  It keeps me on track when I'm wanting to veer.  It gives me peace when surrounded by chaos. 

For today, make a routine that is maintainable and stick to it! 
You can DO this!

Temptations

I've been back on the low carb track for 17 days now, and I'm down 15 pounds, not bad right??!!

However, right about now I start feeling the pull and temptation of what I call my "yellow" foods.  Yellow means foods I need to avoid on a consistant basis but that can be allowed in rare circumstances.
However, when I'm not eating fully on track, the yellow foods are not "rare" but a daily occurrence (argh).

I went to book club last night.  It's in a bar and everyone around me is getting mini burgers on delicious-looking buns and a basket of big honkin fries.  Neither are for me.
I always get a large salad with house made sausage on top.  However, I had just come from the gym having had a great, but tiring workout, and I. Was. Hungry!
BUT, I'm happy to report I just got my regular food and was done.

After book club, we went to a neighbors house who puts on a wine party every Tuesday (Wine at Nine).  LOTS of tempting goodies there, and many I typically partake in during my visit.  Oh, and a new goodie tonight?  Mini crescent rolls with cream cheese/jalapenos/bacon chopped in.  Y.U.M.
But thanks to HP, I was able to avoid those as well, phew!!

And because I was able to avoid my tempting foods, I was better able to focus on people and conversations and surroundings and pets and and and.

Today, I am grateful that I can close the food thoughts and desires out of my mind to focus on what is most important.

Scale jumping

Had I blogged yesterday, I would have come back saying I'd lost 14.5lbs!!

However, I got up this morning and it had jumped back up so I am currently down 12 lbs. 

Today I wanted to write about how we handle scale fluxuations.

I know many many people in program hide their scales because the number on the scale determines how they will feel or take-on the day at hand. 

• If the scale number is down, they'll be giddy and prance around like they have all the answers and sometimes think they can go back to old unhealthy eating behaviors.
• If the scale number is up, they'll punish themselves by doing crazy things with food (either under or over eating), their mood will be crabby and/or sullen. 

I am forever grateful to my Overeaters Anonymous program that reminds me that the number on the scale is just a tool to let me know how I'm progressing, and that the number fluxuates all throughout the day/week/month/ even year.  The only reason that number is important is in watching the trend of what it does over time. 
AND it is not the only thing we watch over time.

• We watch how our clothes fit
• We watch how our bodies are responding to the food (meaning a reduction in intestinal distress or heartburn)
• We watch our cravings.

So a suggestion.  If you are going to use the scale, please remember it's a tool to watch trends.  When the number controls you, please consider giving your scale away.  Only use it monthly or quarterly.  That way you won't see all the daily fluxuations.  Let go and let God be the handler of your weight.  It's in His hands.

For today, I'm very grateful I can see the importance of the numbers on the scale toward my ultimate goal of a healthy body weight, but that I am not letting the numbers control me.

REJUVENATED

I am feeling so great!

I went to a retreat this weekend for Overeaters Anonymous, and let me tell you...It. Was. FANTASTIC!! 
It was so positive and upbeat and oozing with recovery and hope and serenity! 
I caught the bug and am back to working HARD on what I want. 
It's a simple program, but at times it is not easy.  At those times we just keep on keeping on,right?! 

I finally tightened up my eating a week ago...and I've lost 10.5 lbs!!  Yes, I'm aware that most of that is water weight....but just seeing the scale go down is WONDERFUL! 

So I'm focusing on all the things that help me.  I checked in with my sponsor, I am sending my food every night to my food sponsor, I am checking in with the Protein Power people, I am going to the gym, I am going to OA meetings, and I am working the plan!

And yes, I am aware of the  early HIGH that I'm on right now, but what the heck, why not ride it, right???!!!