I lost another pound at weigh-in, but managed to undo any good I did last night.
*sigh* Sometimes it happens that way.
But I have the tools: tracking, portion control, knowledge and support to get back in control. Shoot, let's get real, even those people who aren't on Weight Watchers have the 'tools'. You know what you have to do, the key is to actually doing it!
So, what do I mean by tracking trends?
When I track, I provide more information than is technically necessary--if I do a quick add, I will add the time of the add. This gives me an idea of how often I eat along with the quantity.
Here are a few of my observations:
Portions--This is a biggie since our eyes tend to see things differently from reality. Weighing and measuring is the only way to figure this one out. Weighing in grams is more accurate than weighing in ounces. Another problem with portion control is plate size. The smaller the plate makes the smaller amounts of food look like more than it really is, which is better for those of us who enjoy quantity over quality. The fact is that if you eat out, the plates are HUGE, which means you receive more than an appropriate portion, therefore 2-3 servings on your plate instead of one. You have to weigh and measure at home to keep yourself in the right mindset when you eat out.
Tracking--writing everything down is pinnacle to succeeding. When I was at goal, I became lazy. I knew the program. I knew what a portion was. I knew how to lose weight. What I didn't know was how to keep it off. Tracking even at goal, keeps you on the straight and narrow path. If you don't write it down, then you tend to convienently forget that you ate it. True, sometimes we have a bad day and don't track because we don't want to know what we did, but it helps to jot down a note about what happened.
Notes--are important. If you happen to have a busy day: meetings, errands, children, whatever. It helps to jot down what was going on, especially if it causes a non-tracking, overeating type of day. This is especially important in the future if you have another one of those days. Hopefully, a bad day will cause you how to plan NOT to have that type of day in the future.
Hoarding points--I am so guilty of this that it isn't even funny. Having only 26 points is a huge problem especially if your significant other has 43 points. He can eat a 7-10 point breakfast and lunch and still have more points for dinner than I do in ONE DAY! It's frustrating. So I tend to hoard points to allow for more points during dinner. What I need to start doing is figuring out my dinner points and then spread the rest evenly throughout the day.
Not eating until hungry--I also do this, but the problem that I noticed is that while I might not eat until I feel a twinge, I tend to keep eating even when I'm full . . . er, overfull.
What you eat and when you eat--we're told that we need to eat every four hours to keep our blood sugar at a steady rate. This doesn't mean a full meal every four hours, it just means something. One thing I learned is that while a banana might satisfy my hunger in the morning, it doesn't last. Fruits are carbs--good carbs, but still carbs--they are digested quickly, which means they don't hold you as long. I need protein to keep me, and my stomach, from grazing. Protein takes longer to digest, which means it sits in your stomach longer, thus keeping you from hunger.
So as I settle into weight loss mode, I'm analyzing my food choices more than when I wasn't trying to lose weight.
I make good choices, and I also make poor choices, but they are my choices. I'm the one who has to be accountable.
How accountable are you? Document everything and you will notice patterns and trends in your food choices. Sometimes it has to do with the monthly cycle, sometimes the lunar cycle, but the more you are aware of your personal trends, the better you are at making better food choices.
Later, Peeps!
Showing posts with label tracking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tracking. Show all posts
4/10/13
Weighty Wednesday -- Back to Square One
Sort of, but not really. Mentally, yes, I was back to square one.
Weight-wise, it isn't as bad as it was when I joined WW, but I have managed to lazy my way back into poor habits.
And how do we nip those naughty habits?
By going back to what works, and what worked for me in the beginning of this journey was focused tracking, measuring and weighing.
I knew I was heading down this slippery slope for about a couple of months now, but I hadn't reached the point of no return. . . until I binged on my Easter candy. Last Sunday, was the last straw when I managed to eat two monstrous bagels from Panera Bread, not just bagels, but cinnamon crunch ones with lots of honey-walnut cream cheese. And then, I topped it off by enjoying my homemade heart attack pizza, which is loaded with all sorts of processed meats and cheeses.
No, none of this was 'fat-free'.
And I enjoyed every single bite of it . . . until I weighted myself before going to bed.
If you want to scare yourself straight weigh yourself prior to going to bed, AFTER a sodium-, carbo-loading day. Talk about a weight gain! Oy!
I managed to gain 7 pounds over my goal weight!
Wowzers!
On Monday, I weighted, measured, and tracked.
And discovered that I wasn't eating ENOUGH food.
Yes, you read that right. I wasn't eating enough . . . of the right kinds of food. I had to scramble at 8 PM to eat the last 8 points of my allotted 26 WW points (I changed my tracking option to weight loss mode).
On, Tuesday, I had to scramble to eat 4 extra points.
Which means, I was getting a handle again on spreading my points throughout the day AND marking my healthy check boxes.
And yes, I was stuffed both days.
And yes, I amped up my walking pace for both days (cold days had made me slower).
And I weighed myself this morning.
I was only 1.8 pounds over my goal weight of 132 pounds, instead of 7 pounds. Yes, I know most of what I gained was water weight due to elevated sodium and the bread carbs, but it's too easy to get into bad habits and I had to do something about it. This week, I'll continue tracking, weighing and measuring my food and go to my Tuesday meeting to weigh-in.
Oh, and I didn't NOT eat carbs or 'bad' food on Monday or Tuesday. On Monday, I had a hotdog {8 points--Hebrew National bun length hotdog (5) and bun (3)}, and on Tuesday, I ate a cheeseburger {13 points--cheese slice (2), frozen hamburger (8), and bun (3)}. These points were calculated directly off the nutritional information provided on the packages.
It can be done.
In just two days, I also realized that I tend to have 'binge' days along with 'not enough food' days. This was an interesting discovery. When I 'binged', it usually was a carb-loaded day, not a food-loaded day.
Does that make sense?
Carbs, in general, calculate out to huge amounts of points. It's very, very easy to go over your daily points and into your weekly points without eating, and enjoying, anything 'bad'.
Everything you put into your mouth is a CHOICE. Sometimes we choose to eat unhealthy, but we have to face the consequences of our actions, usually in the form of a weight gain.
It's okay to have a day like that, but the key is to face up to what happened and focus on the now. Odds are you won't suffer any lasting damage from the one day.
Food for thought.
Later, Peeps!
Weight-wise, it isn't as bad as it was when I joined WW, but I have managed to lazy my way back into poor habits.
And how do we nip those naughty habits?
By going back to what works, and what worked for me in the beginning of this journey was focused tracking, measuring and weighing.
I knew I was heading down this slippery slope for about a couple of months now, but I hadn't reached the point of no return. . . until I binged on my Easter candy. Last Sunday, was the last straw when I managed to eat two monstrous bagels from Panera Bread, not just bagels, but cinnamon crunch ones with lots of honey-walnut cream cheese. And then, I topped it off by enjoying my homemade heart attack pizza, which is loaded with all sorts of processed meats and cheeses.
No, none of this was 'fat-free'.
And I enjoyed every single bite of it . . . until I weighted myself before going to bed.
If you want to scare yourself straight weigh yourself prior to going to bed, AFTER a sodium-, carbo-loading day. Talk about a weight gain! Oy!
I managed to gain 7 pounds over my goal weight!
Wowzers!
On Monday, I weighted, measured, and tracked.
And discovered that I wasn't eating ENOUGH food.
Yes, you read that right. I wasn't eating enough . . . of the right kinds of food. I had to scramble at 8 PM to eat the last 8 points of my allotted 26 WW points (I changed my tracking option to weight loss mode).
On, Tuesday, I had to scramble to eat 4 extra points.
Which means, I was getting a handle again on spreading my points throughout the day AND marking my healthy check boxes.
And yes, I was stuffed both days.
And yes, I amped up my walking pace for both days (cold days had made me slower).
And I weighed myself this morning.
I was only 1.8 pounds over my goal weight of 132 pounds, instead of 7 pounds. Yes, I know most of what I gained was water weight due to elevated sodium and the bread carbs, but it's too easy to get into bad habits and I had to do something about it. This week, I'll continue tracking, weighing and measuring my food and go to my Tuesday meeting to weigh-in.
Oh, and I didn't NOT eat carbs or 'bad' food on Monday or Tuesday. On Monday, I had a hotdog {8 points--Hebrew National bun length hotdog (5) and bun (3)}, and on Tuesday, I ate a cheeseburger {13 points--cheese slice (2), frozen hamburger (8), and bun (3)}. These points were calculated directly off the nutritional information provided on the packages.
It can be done.
In just two days, I also realized that I tend to have 'binge' days along with 'not enough food' days. This was an interesting discovery. When I 'binged', it usually was a carb-loaded day, not a food-loaded day.
Does that make sense?
Carbs, in general, calculate out to huge amounts of points. It's very, very easy to go over your daily points and into your weekly points without eating, and enjoying, anything 'bad'.
Everything you put into your mouth is a CHOICE. Sometimes we choose to eat unhealthy, but we have to face the consequences of our actions, usually in the form of a weight gain.
It's okay to have a day like that, but the key is to face up to what happened and focus on the now. Odds are you won't suffer any lasting damage from the one day.
Food for thought.
Later, Peeps!
4/10/12
Weighty Wednesday (on Tuesday) --Guilt
I already wrote a post to go up on Wednesday, but I felt this post is pertinent;
therefore, I must share it with you.
When I started on this weight-loss journey, I felt that I had it all figured out. I knew how to focus. I had strong motivation to do it right this time. I was very successful with my weight loss until last November when I fell off the wagon and my weight loss slowed to a trickle.
I had that figured out, too.
I had an answer for everything
But last night--well, actually, it wasn’t last night, but 4:30 this morning--I finally figured out what got me into this overweight mess to start with.
It was guilt eating.
Not guilt over what I ate--that came later--it was the guilt of letting someone I love eat alone.
Last night I ate dinner, not because I was hungry, but because I didn’t want my hubby to eat alone. If I felt this way, I should have simply eaten a salad, but I didn’t. He had gone to the trouble of making enchiladas (I had made the filling and sauce last week for his sister and kids, but it didn’t get eaten), and I didn’t want to disappoint him . . . so I ate two beef enchiladas. Ugh.
We also ate after 6 PM.
Again, another bad thing for me.
What am I going to do about it?
Over the next couple of weeks, I am seriously tracking again, writing down everything that is put into my mouth. This is the only way I’ll reach my elusive goal weight.
And I’ll have to learn to say, “No, thanks, I’m not hungry. But I’ll keep you company while you eat.”
Thanks for letting me share.
Later, Peeps!
When I started on this weight-loss journey, I felt that I had it all figured out. I knew how to focus. I had strong motivation to do it right this time. I was very successful with my weight loss until last November when I fell off the wagon and my weight loss slowed to a trickle.
I had that figured out, too.
I had an answer for everything
But last night--well, actually, it wasn’t last night, but 4:30 this morning--I finally figured out what got me into this overweight mess to start with.
It was guilt eating.
Not guilt over what I ate--that came later--it was the guilt of letting someone I love eat alone.
Last night I ate dinner, not because I was hungry, but because I didn’t want my hubby to eat alone. If I felt this way, I should have simply eaten a salad, but I didn’t. He had gone to the trouble of making enchiladas (I had made the filling and sauce last week for his sister and kids, but it didn’t get eaten), and I didn’t want to disappoint him . . . so I ate two beef enchiladas. Ugh.
We also ate after 6 PM.
Again, another bad thing for me.
What am I going to do about it?
Over the next couple of weeks, I am seriously tracking again, writing down everything that is put into my mouth. This is the only way I’ll reach my elusive goal weight.
And I’ll have to learn to say, “No, thanks, I’m not hungry. But I’ll keep you company while you eat.”
Thanks for letting me share.
Later, Peeps!
3/7/12
Weighty Wednesday--True Confessions
It's time for me to 'fess up about last week. I reported that I had dropped some weight. I was at 135 lbs and was basically closing in on my goal weight.
. . . but that was before the feeding frenzy began--think killer whales attacking a pod of seals, or piranhas going after some poor schlub who had a cut on his leg and wandered into the Amazon River, or a pack of lions, wolves (insert your preferred predator here) ripping apart the weak and old antelope. Yeah, it was like that.
. . . and the frenzy continued through Sunday night.
It wasn't pretty. And the aftermath of such a disaster was exponential.
By Monday morning, I had GAINED 6 pounds!!
Talk about scaring myself straight! I don't think this is 'real' weight gain in the span of only five days, but I'm treating it as such! I'd been playing with fire since last November, and now it has seriously bitten me in the butt! And yes, it's almost as if my fat cells have been aerated to double their normal size!
There were numerous contributing factors to this, but ultimately it was me recklessly shoveling food into my mouth.
Remember, you have to take responsibility for your own actions--I sabotaged myself.
I'd love to pass the blame onto my hormones--because they were the ones who started this mess!--but in the end it was me, all me . . . and the beef nachos from Taco Bueno, the 1/2 package of heath toffee bits (to be used in baking--yeah, right!), the uncounted scoops of peanut butter straight from the jar, the calorie packed pizza, the pitcher of frozen full-calorie margaritas, the ooey-gooey brownies with added toffee bits and chocolate icing . . . I could go on, but I don't want to make myself hungry again.
And now I'm paying for my rash decisions.
Remember--It's okayto screw up. Don't beat yourself up about it. This happens to the best of us--even those of us with the best of intentions. It's just a minor blip on the radar of life.
And personally, I think this is one of the hardest things for us to do--forgive yourself. Yes, you screwed up. But so did I. The key is to make a plan and dig down deep. You've made it this far, you can go the distance.
So how do I fix this?
We go back to the beginning. What worked before will work again.
Later, Peeps!
. . . but that was before the feeding frenzy began--think killer whales attacking a pod of seals, or piranhas going after some poor schlub who had a cut on his leg and wandered into the Amazon River, or a pack of lions, wolves (insert your preferred predator here) ripping apart the weak and old antelope. Yeah, it was like that.
. . . and the frenzy continued through Sunday night.
It wasn't pretty. And the aftermath of such a disaster was exponential.
By Monday morning, I had GAINED 6 pounds!!
Talk about scaring myself straight! I don't think this is 'real' weight gain in the span of only five days, but I'm treating it as such! I'd been playing with fire since last November, and now it has seriously bitten me in the butt! And yes, it's almost as if my fat cells have been aerated to double their normal size!
There were numerous contributing factors to this, but ultimately it was me recklessly shoveling food into my mouth.
Remember, you have to take responsibility for your own actions--I sabotaged myself.
I'd love to pass the blame onto my hormones--because they were the ones who started this mess!--but in the end it was me, all me . . . and the beef nachos from Taco Bueno, the 1/2 package of heath toffee bits (to be used in baking--yeah, right!), the uncounted scoops of peanut butter straight from the jar, the calorie packed pizza, the pitcher of frozen full-calorie margaritas, the ooey-gooey brownies with added toffee bits and chocolate icing . . . I could go on, but I don't want to make myself hungry again.
And now I'm paying for my rash decisions.
Remember--It's okayto screw up. Don't beat yourself up about it. This happens to the best of us--even those of us with the best of intentions. It's just a minor blip on the radar of life.
And personally, I think this is one of the hardest things for us to do--forgive yourself. Yes, you screwed up. But so did I. The key is to make a plan and dig down deep. You've made it this far, you can go the distance.
So how do I fix this?
We go back to the beginning. What worked before will work again.
- Start tracking again--This is a biggie. Document everything that goes into that gaping maw you call a mouth. Keep track of your daily healthy checks! This is very important! If you eat all your fruits and veg, and drink your water, then you really won't be hungry for much of anything else.
- Walk/exercise twice a day if possible--I still walk every morning, but I need to do something to jump start my weight loss again. So, if the weather is nice, then I'll be working in the yard or walking in the afternoons. Any kind of extra movement is good, dance to the music while cooking dinner!
- Gauge your hunger--There is a new gauge under your plan where you log your points on your etools tracker, called "track hunger". It has a before eating and after eating place to mark your hunger strength. In one day, I realized I was eating because everyone else was eating, and NOT because I was hungry! If you're 'satisfied' before food even touches your lips, then why eat?
- Drink six cups of WATER, not other stuff, even diet drinks--checking them off the healthy checks guideline, keeps you honest about it. On a side note: I'm cold all the time and I don't necessarily want to drink tea or coffee, so I heat up a mug of water. Yep, I use it to warm my hands and I drink it down to add to my daily count.
- Measure and weigh--When you first start watching your portions, you will weigh and measure everything . . . and then you will get complacent. The portions will start getting larger and you will start 'mis-calculating' your points. Again, go back to the basics. It's okay to keep yourself honest.
- Tape the peanut butter jar closed--this one's for me. My sis suggested that I stop buying peanut butter, but that's not realistic as I have a kid who lives on the stuff. I have to do something to keep myself out of it, OR being fully aware of what I am doing when I untape the lid and grab that spoon. I basically used painter's blue masking tape and made an X over the lid and down the sides. If you have trigger foods, either remove the item from your household or find some way to make it hard for you to get into without thinking about it.
Later, Peeps!
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