Tuesday. Dec 22

morning everyone.

a better day.  Much.

calories 986.  Steps 10,899.

we can and will get through the upcoming and present food laden challenges.  Would it not be wonderful if all treats were broccoli based instead of sugar and flour.  Would we be as tempted?  

Enjoy this Tuesday troops.  We are soldiering ever onwards.

Morning!

Carbon, glad you had a better day!  

I'm an equal opportunity food abuser so I am tempted by what is ever available.  While it is harder to do much damage with broccoli, it isn't impossible! 

As the yoga crowd says, stay grounded this week.  

Scale down to 128.5 today

124.6 today. A new low (again) and below my red line for lower limit. I'm not going to feel guilty about the shrimp Alfredo planned for Christmas Eve! Looks like I will buying some nuts to increase my fats a bit. Not sure if I dare go to the full fat version of things like yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream. I have been doing "low fat" forever and preach it every day to my cardiac patients.

Hey Paula,

My maintenance-in-waiting vote is to add some full fat versions!

By the way, I am a pharmacist that works in out-patient.  While I take all comers, the majority of my patients see me for cardiac risk reduction so I do lots of med management in BP, lipids, etc.  Anyhoo, I have given the same dietary advise which is appropriate for that population.  Like you, I ate the reduced/no-fat versions absolutely forever myself. 

Several years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I became a bit weird about food additives, etc and personally switched to full fat versions of most everything but was mindful to watch portions, etc.   My weight ballooned up long before the switch to full fat, by the way. 

During my weight loss phase, I have watched my calorie intake so that limits those fatty foods.  But, I have noticed that my morning 1/2 and 1/2 in coffee gives me about as much satisfaction (and maybe more) than my morning breakfast of turkey.

Anyway, in your case, I don't see much downside to trying full fat.  You have the calories to spare (in fact, are LOOKING to spend calories) and will be eating simpler foods (not that I want you to embrace my food weirdness.)  You might even find more satiety which is always exciting. 

Enjoy!

It took a bit for me to get my head around extra fat too. As I look at the list of food I wrote in response to your post last night, remember we don't have to eat much more to maintain our weight so it's not that we have to eat the entire list every day. The listed foods are just suggestions. And the amounts I eat are small!!  Think about how much of these things and everything else before and compare it to what you eat now.  We're talking small amounts/indulgences now  

It's usually just a few calories here and there that we need to get to a healthy maintenance number. A couple hundred additional calories usually does the trick after we round up our carb intake a bit. 

My food is still quite healthy and my fat indulgences are small - especially compared to how how I ate prior. And if I choose sweets instead, I'm usually still adding fat calories (plus carbs which push my hunger).  So enjoy that full fat yogurt if you want it. And nice cut of full fat cheese is so satisfying but doesn't leave you looking for more like the fat/sugar combos stuff does. 

Christmas Eve dessert:  

chunk of really good Parmesan cheese

drizzle of really good honey

sprinkle of crushed fresh walnuts

Served at room temperature!

Thanks Linda - a piece of baked brie with pistachios and honey sounds heavenly! And I could stand to add some sour cream to my taco salad, chili, etc. I love it but had been avoiding it due to the extra calories before.

Paula

You've got it Paula!  So we lay the groundwork (base foods) while we're losing weight and then we add the toppings (literally) during maintenance.

This is how many of us who are successful enjoy every day living in maintenance. We're essentially eating the same way but with a broader, richer, more interesting approach. Food becomes even more delicious and totally satisfying without us losing control. 

Good, rainy morning all !  It does feel like we are in the throes of battle, doesn't it ?  When I look back to previous years, "high eating season" for me was Halloween through New Year's Day resolutions.  Sugar is my downfall for sure !!!  I can honestly say that last Thursday's office luncheon through Christmas Day (down to a one week "season")  have provided me with the most constant assault on my healthy plans I have encountered in almost a year. 

I am still below my red line, but by the skin of my teeth.  I considered simply putting the scale away until the 26th and just focusing on making the next, best choice.  However, weighing in every day is something that helps me make better choices. I'm focusing on the fact that I'm down five pounds for month 7 and that I will be grateful to hold on to that when I see my NUT the 28th.

So far, so good today.  I can't even begin to tell you what "stuff" is everywhere in this office !!  I get so much strength knowing that I'm not alone in this struggle and the hearing the validation that sugar and simple carbs do create such powerful cravings... as does white knuckling it.  Seeking balance and peace with food.

Diane

You have done great this month!  Be proud!  Take THAT cherry pie that is sitting in the (my) break room!

I don't know about you, but the beginning of the end of past weight loss attempts was putting away the scale, even tho I thought I had very reasonable reasons for doing it.  

Good morning everyone!

Still at 114 but my scale is carefully observing and recording what I'm doing over time. Living on the edge, so to speak. My carb monster has woken up so I need to be careful or risk a sugar blow out. Going to take my own advice today and get in some extra delicious fat rather than end up with leftover calories at end of day that I can use to justify eating sweets again.