Good Morning all.  How are you today?  Good here.  Enjoyed some window shopping yesterday evening all by myself, then it was home for dinner & afterwards I did 1.5 - 2 miles on my bike while hubby walked the dog.  I do admit my tushy is a bit sore this a.m., I need a nice padded seat for my bike.  Hoping to do the same tonight.

Yesterday's results:
cuppas & protein in
48 oz
B - yogurt & whole grain english muffin
S - carrots
L - kids size burger w/tomato, onion minus 1/2 bun & a few french fries
S - crackers
D - london broil & mixed veggies

Today's plan:
cuppas & protein in
B - yogurt & whole grain english muffin
S - crackers or carrots
L - leftovers
S - whatever I don't eat in the a.m.
D - not sure yet

Have a great one!

Since there are a few of us trying to stay on track (get on track) we are wondering at 4+ years out, what should out calorie intake vs. calorie burning be?

And for water we should aim for 60+ oz a day, trying to hold off about 1 hour after eating before beginning to drink again, correct?

Anyone else have a question, add it on.? :)

thought this was an eye opener.  brought tears to my eyes because i can so relate!  hope it helps you in some way too!

Are you tired of always obsessing about food?
by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Wellness Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com   I am working with a coaching client who had put on
about 30 extra pounds since reaching her weight-loss-
surgery goal. One of the actions she chose to take
to begin to work on her problem was recording what
she was eating.   After two weeks of setting that goal and not meeting
it, I suggested she explore what else might work for
her.   "But I want to record what I eat!" she said. "I'm
just too embarrassed to write it down and share it
with you."   I assured her she was going to be sharing this
information with someone who well understood her
problem, someone who had been battling the food
demon her whole life, as well.   "Okay, so if I take my embarrassment out of the
equation," she reasoned, "I'm still left with not
wanting to admit what I'm eating. I don't want to
give up the foods I love. I want to eat them anytime
I want!"   In the next breath she blurted out, "Why is it so
hard to stop eating? I want to be thin. I don't want
to go back to not being able to get out of a chair!"   Eating anything you want, whenever you want, is
not freedom.   If you really think about it, eating with free
abandon does not feel like freedom for people who
struggle with compulsive eating. In fact, being a
prisoner to food thoughts and mindless eating 24/7
can be miserable.   Trapped by cravings and food thoughts, a person
will conduct their daily business and make their
daily decisions based on the eating they want to do.   "I can't go to the play tonight," you might say.
"I am not feeling well. I think I'm coming down with
something."   But, what you are thinking may be, "I want to eat
the rest of the bread I bought today. With butter!
But, I'll have to pace myself. It will take me all
evening to eat it."   Does this scenario paint a picture of a person who
is experiencing freedom? Or does the bread have then
trapped?   After weight loss surgery, many people get into the
habit of grazing, or eating small amounts frequently. That's what my client was doing.   She mistakenly believed grazing was a way to be free
from the shackles of dieting and food plans. And she
hated diets and food plans!   Unstructured eating, however, can quickly lead to
eating unhealthy foods in unhealthy portions. (Yes,
even if you tell yourself you'll never go back to the
unhealthy foods you used to eat.)   A rebelliousness exists inside most overeaters, and
they don't want to give up their freedom to choose
what to eat and when. Step back, though and give
yourself the "Dr. Phil" treatment. Ask yourself,
"And how well is my rebellious attitude working for
me?"   It's time to live in the solution.   Many people who struggle with their weight never
lose obsessive thoughts about food, but that's partly
because they are not living in the solution.   The people who are the most successful at breaking
free from the burden of unhealthy eating, have
transitioned from being rebellious (reactive) to
responsible (proactive).   They spend some time planning. They establish a
routine with boundaries around their eating, so that
they don't get carried away.   Ironically, when you add some structure to your
eating by making a food plan for the day, an amazing
sense of freedom can set in - freedom FROM compulsive
eating.   So, if you're struggling with obsessive food thoughts
and overeating, make a food plan today. Write it down
and refer to it often. Give yourself the gift of one
day of freedom from overeating.   Oh, and the "rebellious" client I've been working
with has lost 6 pounds already.   She told me, "I'm amazed at how much less I obsess
about food now that I make my plan every morning. I
just write down what I'm going to eat for the day,
and then I go live my life."

good evening ladies!

i worked a double today (12 hour shift) so this is the only time ive had to get online.  i am down to 187# again today lol ..ugh..the 2# up and down thing is killing me, but atleast i am out of carb cravings, mainly take in protein throughout the day, getting more veggies in and small amounts of whole grains, been getting more fiber as well..that has helped in the bm department lol

i actually felt skinny today.  i had two compliments at work, one from a coworker and another from a client i havent seen in awhile, so that was awesome.

i think its come down to a combination of not enough calories and drinking too soon after because im tellin' yas, i HAVE NOT had any slider foods  (chips, crackers, etc)  my meals consist of mainly protein, then veggies and usually some sort of fruit.

today:

vitamins w/ 16.9oz water..24 oz Coffee
more water  -   this usually gets me to 9:30-10am before real hunger sets in and i NEED to eat something.
B- Quaker Cinnamon Swirl High Fiber Oatmeal (2 pks) and Medium Banana
S- Fiber One Bar
L- 2 Tbs Tuna on Whole Grain Sandwich Thins w/ 10 Tortilla Chips and 1 oz Cheese
S- Watermelon Slices (about 3/4 cup)
D- 4 Meatballs with Marinara topped with Mozzarella Cheese+ 1 pk Chocolatey Mint Rice Cakes (90 calories, 2g Fiber, 2g Protein, 7g Sugar)  YUM.
S- 8 oz Skim Milk, then Cinnamon Spice Herbal Tea

i guess i will try waiting atleast an hour after eating to start drinking again, but i feel like that will slow my water intake ...we'll see

have a good evening all, im off tomorrow, so will check in then

-hugs-
dawn

I do remember my nut saying that after a year or so to change the drinking to 15/60, stop drinking at 15 minutes before eating and then retart after an hour or longer.

As for the calorie thing, I wonder, as I mentioned to Beth, if you & she both are getting in enough calories now based on the amount you are burning each day.  Definitely something to look into.