Is this realistic?

[StayCool]

Congrats on passing up those 4 pounds! It's nice to pass a plateau.

You've gotten more regular with Zumba again, and I find that in some cases, the more I exercise, the less I eat. Not so much with marathon training, when I could eat a horse pretty much every day (hence the mac and cheese Tuesday night - pro tip: don't eat mac and cheese before hanging upside down for an hour. .) But amping up regular cardio work that's less than a 2-3 hour run seems to suppress my appetite. Combined with the new diet, you may have to figure out a new routine or new foods. How are things going with dinner?

There's a big barrel of Jelly Bellys in our common area, right next to the water cooler. I'm hoping the guys eat them all before I do!

I love running outside, even in the cold. I'd rather do that than run on the treadmill, even in the low 30s. I admit, rain and 30s might have thrown me off. Guess we'll see on Sunday...5k Jingle Bell run that I'm going to try and turn into part of a longer run. (Running buddies who brunch may cut that short, but I'll roll with it.) Snow is awesome to run in, too.

If I could hang upside down for an hour, I would give up mac and cheese! lol I am having a hard time getting into a new routine as far as food goes, but I am working on it. Dinner is generally the most difficult meal of the day for me simply because I eat the same things consistently for breakfast and lunch, but dinner has to work for all of us. I would have a hard time with Jelly Bellys that close. lol

Good luck with the Jingle Bell run. I'm not so sure about the whole running in the winter thing. I'm afraid I will slip and hurt myself.

Its time to change the way you think. Instead of seeing it as a weakness make it into a strength, meaning by avoiding them you are showing how strong you are.

Mmm, for now I think it is a weakness. It is my biggest struggle. I work out, I eat pretty well. But I'm addicted to sugar. However, I do think I am making progress. Yesterday I had a snack size Whopper candy. 3 whole Whoppers. And I didn't feel any different, meaning I didn't have any cravings and it didn't feel good. Soo... progress. And it has helped me realize that I can do this long term. It kind of helped me change my mindset. I am going to avoid sugar for the next couple of weeks, but when my 30 days are up I am going to relax a little bit.

I did get up and get a good workout in this morning. It is rough getting up that early, but definitely worth it. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[Waiting2goback]

If I could hang upside down for an hour, I would give up mac and cheese! lol I am having a hard time getting into a new routine as far as food goes, but I am working on it. Dinner is generally the most difficult meal of the day for me simply because I eat the same things consistently for breakfast and lunch, but dinner has to work for all of us. I would have a hard time with Jelly Bellys that close. lol

Good luck with the Jingle Bell run. I'm not so sure about the whole running in the winter thing. I'm afraid I will slip and hurt myself.



Mmm, for now I think it is a weakness. It is my biggest struggle. I work out, I eat pretty well. But I'm addicted to sugar. However, I do think I am making progress. Yesterday I had a snack size Whopper candy. 3 whole Whoppers. And I didn't feel any different, meaning I didn't have any cravings and it didn't feel good. Soo... progress. And it has helped me realize that I can do this long term. It kind of helped me change my mindset. I am going to avoid sugar for the next couple of weeks, but when my 30 days are up I am going to relax a little bit.

I did get up and get a good workout in this morning. It is rough getting up that early, but definitely worth it. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Millions of people are addicted to sugar, don't feel bad. The key is to beat it and overcome it. Then you will be able to enjoy a piece of candy when you do have it because you won't feel guilty.

No workout last night. My back and knee were hurting after work so I came home. I brought my running stuff to work but I used my best judgment and decided not to go. No workout today either as I had to be to work early.

I have tomorrow off so I am hoping to get back to it tomorrow. I am also getting closer and closer to buying P90X3. After listening to Tony in some videos I have been watching I am more focused again. I just don't want to part with the money.

OK, I hope everyone is having a good weekend. Hopefully I have better news tomorrow.

 

[dizzyr]

And congrats to both of you on the loss! Does that get you guys past the same 5 lbs you've been gaining and losing?

Not for me - I just can`t seem to break the barrier. I know I haven`t been putting in the effort and as soon as I do it will come off. October, November and December are the hardest months for me because of all our birthdays, the rain and the holidays so the fact that I am doing this much during a period I normally don`t is great. If I can break through this hurdle before the weather turns I`m that much further ahead!

Good for you!!! If I forget to weigh in I wait until the next morning. Lol. Can't have any food in my stomach!

I`m the same way! LOL

I am not excluding you Dizzy, I just don't think you gave us a total yet, right? But you are still losing. That is excellent as well. And I hope you pick something and commit to it soon. It doesn't have to be running. You just need to find something you find fun because you are more likely to stick to it if you enjoy it.

I`m down 12.6 total from my highest weight but it`s still just under 20lbs over what my Disney weight was from last year because as soon as I came home I gained it back

Its time to change the way you think. Instead of seeing it as a weakness make it into a strength, meaning by avoiding them you are showing how strong you are. For example, on Black Friday my boss bought pizza for the office because it was so busy. Pizza is one of my favorite foods. I used to say it was my weakness. I didn't even consider having any and I felt good as I walked away.

That`s a great way to think about it - I`m going to do that next time.

Our alumni and client Christmas party was on Thursday and I worked a 16 hour day. We had over 100 people show up so that was great. I was back at work at 8 the next day and was exhausted. I was supposed to do the Jingle Bell Ron Saturday but it was pouring rain, I was tired and I haven`t done any running so I bailed on it. I fell bad about it but I would have been miserable and that might have prevented me from ever signing up again. At least now I want to make up for missing it.

At the Christmas party one of our past clients donated a bunch of gym memberships and training sessions and I won a two week trail membership to the seal boot camp and 3 personal training sessions. I`m really excited about that. I don`t know the schedule yet of the boot camp so I don`t know if I can make it but I hope I can - I`ve always thought I would love it.

I`m cleaning and organizing all day - I want to try and get our Christmas decorations up either today or early this week. Our annual friends turkey dinner is on Saturday and it all has to be done by then!

 

[Chiomaca]

I didn't mean to run that fast on my first mile. I just began running and then my RunKeeper gave me my update and I said, "Whoa, how'd I do that?" Then I slowed things down because I wasn't there to run that fast.

I am doing no kind of speed work right now. I did go to the track over the summer and do intervals. I would run top speed for 30 seconds and then jog or walk for 30 seconds. I did that for about 30 minutes and finished up with a 15 minute cool down jog.

I still have a lot to learn. I did no hill work last year, just the hills I came across as I ran. But I have tons of hills around me that I will work into my runs next year.

I have been looking for running groups. I found a few on Meetup but the closest ones don't run at times I can make it. I will keep looking or I will start my own and hopefully some people will join.

You can share your program with me. You can PM me if you don't want to put it here. I appreciate it.

Had a busy day with appointments today and I needed a rest day so I took the day off. I have work tomorrow and am planning to go to the gym after work again. Although my gym will be closed so I have to go further to the 24 hour gym.

You should do a few runs where you don't keep track of your pace. I watch myself on long runs, but on shorter runs, I sometimes don't even wear my watch. I track myself with the phone and put it in a pocket or belt and don't look at my stats until I'm done. I've run some of my fastest miles that way, because I'm not second-guessing myself when the pace is faster or slower than I think I should be running. You might be surprised at how long you could maintain the 8:03 pace, or even improve on it if you give yourself the change.

Managed my best consistent pace ever last week on a six mile run. I decided I wasn't going to walk, and that was my only goal. I ended up running well under 10 min/mile the whole way except the first and last mile, which get interrupted by security gates on the way in and out of the base. I was surprised at my pace because I felt a bit sluggish the last half of the run. This morning's Jingle Bell run was much slower because I ran with some friends who are slower than me. One day I will run a 5k alone and see just how fast I can go now.

Hope you got in a workout today!

Good luck with the Jingle Bell run. I'm not so sure about the whole running in the winter thing. I'm afraid I will slip and hurt myself.

I run in the snow and the rain, but NOT on ice. There are tutorials for making ice spike of your own with a pair of running shoes and screws, or you could just buy ice spikes from REI or other places. Honestly though, in the ice, I'll just opt for a hard core treadmill workout.

Not for me - I just can`t seem to break the barrier. I know I haven`t been putting in the effort and as soon as I do it will come off. October, November and December are the hardest months for me because of all our birthdays, the rain and the holidays so the fact that I am doing this much during a period I normally don`t is great. If I can break through this hurdle before the weather turns I`m that much further ahead!
...
At the Christmas party one of our past clients donated a bunch of gym memberships and training sessions and I won a two week trail membership to the seal boot camp and 3 personal training sessions. I`m really excited about that. I don`t know the schedule yet of the boot camp so I don`t know if I can make it but I hope I can - I`ve always thought I would love it.

Keep exercising! Seal boot camp could be quite a challenge! I'd do the personal training sessions first, they'll give you a really good idea of what you can do to help kick start things again. And ask them for things you can do at home with whatever equipment you have (or don't have) at home. That might help on the mornings your friend doesn't make it to work out.

My next week is going to be spotty. I'm traveling for work, leave on Tuesday and will return home sometime the next week, my ticket is for the week following, but I'm hoping it will be sooner. Since I didn't get my long run in today, I'm going to try to do it after I get to TN on Tuesday afternoon since I don't have to be into the other office until Weds morning. After that, it's early mornings and late nights until the project is done. I think we do get Saturday off, but only because it's the Army-Navy football game

 

[StayCool]

Millions of people are addicted to sugar, don't feel bad. The key is to beat it and overcome it. Then you will be able to enjoy a piece of candy when you do have it because you won't feel guilty.

I have tomorrow off so I am hoping to get back to it tomorrow. I am also getting closer and closer to buying P90X3. After listening to Tony in some videos I have been watching I am more focused again. I just don't want to part with the money.

Yeah, I 've looked into P90X- and I just can't justify the money right now either. Maybe eventually.

I`m down 12.6 total from my highest weight but it`s still just under 20lbs over what my Disney weight was from last year because as soon as I came home I gained it back

At the Christmas party one of our past clients donated a bunch of gym memberships and training sessions and I won a two week trail membership to the seal boot camp and 3 personal training sessions. I`m really excited about that. I don`t know the schedule yet of the boot camp so I don`t know if I can make it but I hope I can - I`ve always thought I would love it.

Since this is the most difficult part of the year for you, why don't you make a goal of maintaining your weight until January vs trying to actively lose. It might help you not lose motivation if you know you can relax some.

That is really cool about the boot camp! That would definitely kick your butt. I would think about putting that off until January too though so that you are ready and focused. Just my opinion though.

Managed my best consistent pace ever last week on a six mile run. I decided I wasn't going to walk, and that was my only goal. I ended up running well under 10 min/mile the whole way except the first and last mile, which get interrupted by security gates on the way in and out of the base. I was surprised at my pace because I felt a bit sluggish the last half of the run. This morning's Jingle Bell run was much slower because I ran with some friends who are slower than me. One day I will run a 5k alone and see just how fast I can go now.

I run in the snow and the rain, but NOT on ice. There are tutorials for making ice spike of your own with a pair of running shoes and screws, or you could just buy ice spikes from REI or other places. Honestly though, in the ice, I'll just opt for a hard core treadmill workout.

My next week is going to be spotty. I'm traveling for work, leave on Tuesday and will return home sometime the next week, my ticket is for the week following, but I'm hoping it will be sooner. Since I didn't get my long run in today, I'm going to try to do it after I get to TN on Tuesday afternoon since I don't have to be into the other office until Weds morning. After that, it's early mornings and late nights until the project is done. I think we do get Saturday off, but only because it's the Army-Navy football game

Awesome on your run. And you should definitely try a 5k alone. I won't run with others, one because I'm the one slowing everything down and two, that puts a lot of pressure on me to go faster and it ends up not being fun. I think I'd always opt for the treadmill vs running in the snow anyway. I'm the girl that hurt her foot and doesn't know what she did. I can't imagine purposely running in the snow and hurting myself. lol

Have a good and safe trip!


All week long I have not been eating enough. So I have decided to add greek yogurt back into my diet. It is not paleo but it is good for you and has a lot of protein. Yesterday I ended up trying a new smoothie and I liked it, but it didn't like me. I think the spinach I used was bad despite smelling good and tasting fine. I ended up getting sick a couple of hours after I drank it. So today I am celebrating a coworker's upcoming wedding this weekend and am going to eat a burger and fries. Weigh in is tomorrow and I don't know what to expect. Sometimes when I don't eat enough my weight goes up. So whatever happens, I will roll with it and start fresh tomorrow! If my stomach can handle it, I may go to Zumba tonight. It will just depend. The weather is supposed to get crappy starting tomorrow through Thursday and we are looking at up to 11 inches of snow. So Zumba on Wednesday will likely be cancelled.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Dizzy- 12.6 pounds is good. It may not be back to your Disney weight but you're going in the right direction. It's better than being 12.6 more than your Disney weight.

SC- Sorry to hear you got sick. You sure it wasn't stomach bug as opposed to the spinach?

Chiomaca- I got your PM and will be emailing you before I go to bed. I appreciate the help.


No workout for me in a couple days. I was going to go to the gym tonight but the wife went out instead. I guess I should just accept I won't be able to go to the gym unless I go on a day I work only because I am already out.

I had today off. I went to lunch with an old boss of mine from years ago. Hadn't seen her in years so it was good. I met her at an outlet mall about 45 minutes from my house and went shopping as I was early. I got some new clothes that actually fit me. Nothing major, just a pair of jeans and a couple shirts. I don't need much now that I am working. But, it felt good to buy clothes that aren't too big. I also looked in all the stores that sell running stuff. I really wanted to buy some stuff. I was hoping it might spark my motivation. But when I saw a Nike running jacket was $120 I threw up in my mouth a little bit. So, I didn't buy any fun stuff. But, I will buy some in the spring.

I broke down and bought my P90X3 last night. It shipped this morning. Hopefully I have it by the end of the week and I can start it next week. I'm excited.

Back to work tomorrow and hopefully to the gym after. My knee is still hurting and my feet and ankles have been hurting too. It's discouraging.

OK, enough complaining.

 

[Chiomaca]

Awesome on your run. And you should definitely try a 5k alone. I won't run with others, one because I'm the one slowing everything down and two, that puts a lot of pressure on me to go faster and it ends up not being fun. I think I'd always opt for the treadmill vs running in the snow anyway. I'm the girl that hurt her foot and doesn't know what she did. I can't imagine purposely running in the snow and hurting myself. lol

Have a good and safe trip!

Running with them is part of the plan! I push them to do better than they think they can do - on Sunday neither one of them walked any of the run. I'm very proud of them both. They know I don't mind staying with them, and that if I push too hard, they can tell me to go on and none of us will be offended. We don't do it a lot, but once in a while running with someone faster than you is good. (For me, that was every Thursday and Sunday with my running group )

All week long I have not been eating enough. So I have decided to add greek yogurt back into my diet. It is not paleo but it is good for you and has a lot of protein. Yesterday I ended up trying a new smoothie and I liked it, but it didn't like me. I think the spinach I used was bad despite smelling good and tasting fine. I ended up getting sick a couple of hours after I drank it. So today I am celebrating a coworker's upcoming wedding this weekend and am going to eat a burger and fries. Weigh in is tomorrow and I don't know what to expect. Sometimes when I don't eat enough my weight goes up. So whatever happens, I will roll with it and start fresh tomorrow! If my stomach can handle it, I may go to Zumba tonight. It will just depend. The weather is supposed to get crappy starting tomorrow through Thursday and we are looking at up to 11 inches of snow. So Zumba on Wednesday will likely be cancelled.

Ugh, tummy troubles. I hope you're feeling better! Why aren't you eating enough - can't find Paleo snacks that you find appealing or just less of an appetite?

 

[StayCool]

SC- Sorry to hear you got sick. You sure it wasn't stomach bug as opposed to the spinach?

No workout for me in a couple days. I was going to go to the gym tonight but the wife went out instead. I guess I should just accept I won't be able to go to the gym unless I go on a day I work only because I am already out.

I broke down and bought my P90X3 last night. It shipped this morning. Hopefully I have it by the end of the week and I can start it next week. I'm excited.

I'm pretty sure it was the spinach but I could be wrong. It only lasted until I got sick and shortly after that I started feeling better. Plus despite what I do for work, I rarely get sick! Either way, I threw the spinach out.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your P90X3 journey. At least you can do it at home.

Running with them is part of the plan! I push them to do better than they think they can do - on Sunday neither one of them walked any of the run. I'm very proud of them both. They know I don't mind staying with them, and that if I push too hard, they can tell me to go on and none of us will be offended. We don't do it a lot, but once in a while running with someone faster than you is good. (For me, that was every Thursday and Sunday with my running group )

Ugh, tummy troubles. I hope you're feeling better! Why aren't you eating enough - can't find Paleo snacks that you find appealing or just less of an appetite?

Good for you for helping your friends. Everyone needs that person that pushes them to do better.

I am fine now, thankfully. It is difficult to explain why I'm not eating enough. Like I said, I still track points as well as do the paleo thing. I will be hungry, and it is true hunger, and look around and see nothing that I want to eat. So I don't eat. It's almost like I have lost interest in eating. I don't know. That's why I decided to add yogurt back in. It is a healthy snack and since it is high in protein it helps keep me full between meals. My appetite has decreased as well though too.

So today was weight in day and I was down 0.2 lbs. I kind of knew this was coming. I didn't eat enough all week. Then yesterday I ate poorly. I had a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a cupcake. And then I had a stomach ache from eating crap. Then I went to Zumba last night after work. The whole time I felt like I had a rock in my stomach because my body was unhappy with the lunch. After I finished working out I felt much better though. I'm glad I got it in yesterday because Wednesday is my normal day and that storm is already starting so who knows if Zumba will be cancelled or not. I went home and drank a bunch of water and ate 2 oranges. Erf. So who knows? I plan to get back on track this week, eat more, eat consistently and continue exercising. After January 1 I need to start getting back on the treadmill so I am ready for the 5k's I have coming up in April and May. Hopefully I am down more weight-wise so I can increase my speed some.

 

[Waiting2goback]

I am excited for my P90X3 journey. I am hoping to see some major changes. I have my doubts though. I see it in my legs and arms but I can't get rid of the belly fat no matter what I do. It is frustrating. I took a break from tracking my food beginning this week. I'm not losing weight so why not take a break. It was stressing me out. I'm still eating healthy but if I am hungry I eat something and not worry about it. It feels good. I may need to begin tracking when I start P90X again.

Made it to the gym tonight. My ankles have been killing me because the tendinitis is acting up from inconsistent exercise. I did close to 4 miles today. Not sure exactly how much because about 20 minutes in the treadmill just began a cool down period and stopped, when I wasn't ready for it. So I switched machines.

And I thought working out in the winter was going to be easy. What was I thinking? Only about 4 more months before I can run back outside.

 

[StayCool]

I am excited for my P90X3 journey. I am hoping to see some major changes. I have my doubts though. I see it in my legs and arms but I can't get rid of the belly fat no matter what I do. It is frustrating.

Made it to the gym tonight. My ankles have been killing me because the tendinitis is acting up from inconsistent exercise. I did close to 4 miles today. Not sure exactly how much because about 20 minutes in the treadmill just began a cool down period and stopped, when I wasn't ready for it. So I switched machines.

And I thought working out in the winter was going to be easy. What was I thinking? Only about 4 more months before I can run back outside.

Belly fat is not easy to get rid of. Especially when you have higher stress levels. Between starting a new job and home issues. Just stick with the plan and you will see a change. Everyone plateaus at some point, this may be yours. Hold your own and I'm sure you will see improvements as long as you don't give up.

Good luck with P90X and let us know how it's going.

 

[StayCool]

Ok, I am struggling some with the holidays. I always bake lots of cookies and for me Christmas is being warm in my house with lots of snow outside and having a cookie factory in my kitchen. We have snow, it is warm and now I want to bake. I enjoy the process, a lot! I haven't made anything yet because I don't want to derail myself. BUT it is kind of messing up my Christmas spirit to not bake. I do give them away, the majority of them anyway. Of course I eat some too. I'm not sure if this is something I need to change or what? I've always baked since I was a little kid and it is something I do with my kids. I am thinking that I will make up some batters today and put them in the freezer. Then give myself a pass on Christmas eve and Christmas Day to do whatever as long as I get back on track.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Ok, I am struggling some with the holidays. I always bake lots of cookies and for me Christmas is being warm in my house with lots of snow outside and having a cookie factory in my kitchen. We have snow, it is warm and now I want to bake. I enjoy the process, a lot! I haven't made anything yet because I don't want to derail myself. BUT it is kind of messing up my Christmas spirit to not bake. I do give them away, the majority of them anyway. Of course I eat some too. I'm not sure if this is something I need to change or what? I've always baked since I was a little kid and it is something I do with my kids. I am thinking that I will make up some batters today and put them in the freezer. Then give myself a pass on Christmas eve and Christmas Day to do whatever as long as I get back on track.

I thought about this all day. Unfortunately it probably means a long post so be prepared.

I know what the "right" thing to say is, or should I say the easy thing to say. It is easy to say just do the right thing and don't eat the cookies. I realize it is easier said than done. I also feel like a bit of a hypocrite because I have been struggling myself trying to be consistent. All I can do is offer up a couple of things I think about when I struggle and hope they provide you with the boost you need to make the decision you feel is best.


The things I think about when I go through the same thing are:

1. "If you do the same thing you have always done you will get the same results you have always gotten!" I say this to myself all the time. I don't want to get back to being 70-80 lbs overweight. I just don't. So, I do allow for minor setbacks, that is normal. Nobody is perfect. But, I don't allow them to keep happening day after day.

2. "Do you really want to make this lifestyle change?" I always remind myself this isn't just a diet. I want to be healthy. I want to accomplish a lot of stuff physically. I can't do that by doing things I used to do. Those things got me fat and unhealthy. It is time to make some difficult decisions and form new habits.

3. "Will it really make you feel good?" If you are anything like me you will torture yourself over eating this stuff. I went through it with the Halloween candy. I saw it sitting there. I told myself it would be OK to have a piece but I fought with myself the whole time leading up to it. Then I ate it and after I did I felt guilty. And, it didn't even taste good enough to make it worth it. The 10 seconds of "happiness" I got from inhaling it was not worth it for all the mental torture I put myself through because I ate it. I finally stopped eating it when I had a bowl of grapes and not only did they taste better to me but I didn't feel guilty. Then I said, "What are you eating the candy for if you have a better tasting and healthier choice. I haven't had a piece since.


The only thing I would say to you is, you wanted to give this paleo challenge your full effort for 30 days. Don't you owe it to yourself to do that? If you took a break for Thanksgiving and then for the cookies, will you be happy with the effort you gave for the challenge? If so, then have some cookies. If not, then you need to make a tough decision and be proud of yourself for sticking to it because it is not easy.

Are there any options to make the cookies paleo? I don't know enough about paleo to know if there are other "flours" to use, etc... If so, you get the joy of baking without the guilt.

Hopefully I helped a little. And it wound up being shorter than I expected so that's good.

 

[StayCool]

The things I think about when I go through the same thing are:

1. "If you do the same thing you have always done you will get the same results you have always gotten!" I say this to myself all the time. I don't want to get back to being 70-80 lbs overweight. I just don't. So, I do allow for minor setbacks, that is normal. Nobody is perfect. But, I don't allow them to keep happening day after day.

2. "Do you really want to make this lifestyle change?" I always remind myself this isn't just a diet. I want to be healthy. I want to accomplish a lot of stuff physically. I can't do that by doing things I used to do. Those things got me fat and unhealthy. It is time to make some difficult decisions and form new habits.

3. "Will it really make you feel good?" If you are anything like me you will torture yourself over eating this stuff. I went through it with the Halloween candy. I saw it sitting there. I told myself it would be OK to have a piece but I fought with myself the whole time leading up to it. Then I ate it and after I did I felt guilty. And, it didn't even taste good enough to make it worth it. The 10 seconds of "happiness" I got from inhaling it was not worth it for all the mental torture I put myself through because I ate it. I finally stopped eating it when I had a bowl of grapes and not only did they taste better to me but I didn't feel guilty. Then I said, "What are you eating the candy for if you have a better tasting and healthier choice. I haven't had a piece since.


The only thing I would say to you is, you wanted to give this paleo challenge your full effort for 30 days. Don't you owe it to yourself to do that? If you took a break for Thanksgiving and then for the cookies, will you be happy with the effort you gave for the challenge? If so, then have some cookies. If not, then you need to make a tough decision and be proud of yourself for sticking to it because it is not easy.

Are there any options to make the cookies paleo? I don't know enough about paleo to know if there are other "flours" to use, etc... If so, you get the joy of baking without the guilt.

Not making the cookies/not eating the cookies is really not an option. It is a part of the tradition in my home and I need to work on my control. I just need to make it a manageable part of my life. Honestly at this point and until after the holidays, I will be ok with just maintaining my weight. I always gain about 10 lbs this time of year and so far I have lost about 5 lbs. I know I will be disappointed if I don't continue to lose, but for me personally, maintaining is a win.

You are right that it does not make me feel good like it used to. I think that is because I have detoxed from all the sugar. That being said, I have not been 100% faithful to paleo recently. Or I guess I should say I have been halfway faithful. I am not eating bread, and I am not eating candy. I haven't been having flour. But if push comes to shove, I have had a bowl of cereal or indulged for a celebration. I will say that my thinking about food has changed and I am still continuing to incorporate paleo eating into my life. So I guess you could say I am using it as a tool to continue to make better choices. And I am using it to not eat candy. I know that doesn't matter to anyone but me, but I guess it is a mental crutch. Plus the paleo challenge is over on Dec. 23. I was thinking of saving my indulging on Christmas eve and Christmas day.

Paleo cookies are fine, but it is not the same. I did make some one night and it helped me get through some of the intense cravings. It would be very overwhelming for me to modify all my recipes at once. I do appreciate your thought. I hope that I get to the point someday where stuff like this is not such a big issue.

Today I had Zumba in the morning and it was rough. DD had a concert last night and DS had wrestling practice. The concert ran late so I did not get to bed as early as I would have liked. I almost didn't go to Zumba because I was just so tired. I went though and got a good workout in. I came home and got the kids on the bus and promptly went back to bed for another 2 hours! Getting up that early really kicks my butt. Thankfully I enjoy it or I just wouldn't go.

Completely random thought: I am watching the house hunters international and man would I love to live in the Caribbean right about now!! I could totally handle living in a warmer climate!

 

[StayCool]

Tonight I have a wedding to go to and I have no clue what kinds of food are going to be served. So I'm eating lightly today so I don't overdo it.

Today I asked my hubby about going back to Disney in two years and he said no. Lol. He thinks it is too expensive and is holding me to a cruise for our next big vacation. Hmmm, maybe I can get him to agree to both. Lol.

 

[dizzyr]

We had our big pre Christmas turkey dinner yesterday - 23 people! It was loud, crowded and fun! I have lots of leftover deserts that people brought so I'm going to bring them to work tomorrow so they aren't in the house. We'll have snacks and appies on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but after that we should be good. We are leaving for great wolf lodge on Boxing Day so I'll get a good workout in the pool and walking up and down all the stairs playing the magic quest game!

 

[Waiting2goback]

Not making the cookies/not eating the cookies is really not an option. It is a part of the tradition in my home and I need to work on my control. I just need to make it a manageable part of my life. Honestly at this point and until after the holidays, I will be ok with just maintaining my weight. I always gain about 10 lbs this time of year and so far I have lost about 5 lbs. I know I will be disappointed if I don't continue to lose, but for me personally, maintaining is a win.

You are right that it does not make me feel good like it used to. I think that is because I have detoxed from all the sugar. That being said, I have not been 100% faithful to paleo recently. Or I guess I should say I have been halfway faithful. I am not eating bread, and I am not eating candy. I haven't been having flour. But if push comes to shove, I have had a bowl of cereal or indulged for a celebration. I will say that my thinking about food has changed and I am still continuing to incorporate paleo eating into my life. So I guess you could say I am using it as a tool to continue to make better choices. And I am using it to not eat candy. I know that doesn't matter to anyone but me, but I guess it is a mental crutch. Plus the paleo challenge is over on Dec. 23. I was thinking of saving my indulging on Christmas eve and Christmas day.

Paleo cookies are fine, but it is not the same. I did make some one night and it helped me get through some of the intense cravings. It would be very overwhelming for me to modify all my recipes at once. I do appreciate your thought. I hope that I get to the point someday where stuff like this is not such a big issue.

Today I had Zumba in the morning and it was rough. DD had a concert last night and DS had wrestling practice. The concert ran late so I did not get to bed as early as I would have liked. I almost didn't go to Zumba because I was just so tired. I went though and got a good workout in. I came home and got the kids on the bus and promptly went back to bed for another 2 hours! Getting up that early really kicks my butt. Thankfully I enjoy it or I just wouldn't go.

Completely random thought: I am watching the house hunters international and man would I love to live in the Caribbean right about now!! I could totally handle living in a warmer climate!

If I am being honest I really don't think it matters if you are 100% paleo. It would have been nice to see you do it just because you wanted to and I was curious what kind of results you would have gotten. But, after re-listening to Tony when I was watching a lot of his videos he reminded me that you don't need to do a specific diet to live healthy. He even says you are allowed to have a piece of candy or a cookie on occasion. I have been stressing out for months over every calorie I put in my body. I feel so relaxed the last couple weeks I haven't been tracking everything. I'll start tracking again soon because I am realizing 2 months have passed since I set my goals and I am no closer than I was 2 months ago. My point is, don't worry about it. As long as you are living a healthier lifestyle you will reach your goals.

Only you knows the line between snacking and becoming addicted again to the sugar. As long as you are comfortable with what you are doing you will be fine.

Tonight I have a wedding to go to and I have no clue what kinds of food are going to be served. So I'm eating lightly today so I don't overdo it.

Today I asked my hubby about going back to Disney in two years and he said no. Lol. He thinks it is too expensive and is holding me to a cruise for our next big vacation. Hmmm, maybe I can get him to agree to both. Lol.

I can solve your problem in 2 words: Disney Cruise!!!

We had our big pre Christmas turkey dinner yesterday - 23 people! It was loud, crowded and fun! I have lots of leftover deserts that people brought so I'm going to bring them to work tomorrow so they aren't in the house. We'll have snacks and appies on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but after that we should be good. We are leaving for great wolf lodge on Boxing Day so I'll get a good workout in the pool and walking up and down all the stairs playing the magic quest game!

Boxing Day? Is that a Canadian holiday?


I have had a busy weekend. Today was my 6th day of work in a row. I am getting over yet another cold. P90X3 should be here tomorrow. I am hoping. I will hopefully get back to the gym tomorrow after work. I am also hoping that with P90X and my gym days I can get back to more consistent workouts.
Once again, I am 2 months closer to my deadline and no closer than I was when I set the goals 2 months ago. I am a bit aggravated but realize lots of stuff has been happening lately to make it harder to workout.

Not much else to say for me. I didn't even feel like getting on the computer tonight but figured I'd check in.

Hope you all had a nice weekend.

 

[Chiomaca]

I'm back home - actually got home yesterday thanks to a really, really long workday on Thursday. There was a chance the gov't was going to shut down at midnight, so we worked from 7am - midnight to get as much done as we possibly could, just in case. Of course, they finished up just as we were, so we didn't actually need to work that late. Add that to a 3/4 work day on Saturday (finished up 20 minutes into the Army-Navy game, so we got to enjoy the evening,) and I got to fly home on Sunday.

Needless to say, I didn't get much working out done during the week. I did a 6 mile run on Tuesday when I arrived, and that's about it. I think it's just as well since my IT band has been cranky for the last couple of weeks, so I'll run during the week and decide how I'm going to do my long run later.

Staycool - I will continue to bake and make candy, if only because it's easy to give away. But I also don't deny myself. I limit intake and try to stick within some simple guidelines - whole foods, humanely raised meat and eggs, limited processing and added sugar/salt/fat, and high quality sweets because if they're expensive I won't eat as much.

As far as your Paleo challenge, your heart never seemed much into it, especially once your husband quit. So maybe it's time to take the opportunity to make the changes you think will stick and move on.

Dizzyr - glad your party was fun!

Waiting2goback - I hope this week is better. Sometimes you have to make yourself workout even though you'd rather not, and you find you feel better afterwards.

 

[StayCool]

We had our big pre Christmas turkey dinner yesterday - 23 people! It was loud, crowded and fun! I have lots of leftover deserts that people brought so I'm going to bring them to work tomorrow so they aren't in the house. We'll have snacks and appies on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but after that we should be good. We are leaving for great wolf lodge on Boxing Day so I'll get a good workout in the pool and walking up and down all the stairs playing the magic quest game!

Sounds like a blast!! I am definitely jealous of your trip to the Great Wolf Lodge. That is some place that I would love to take my kids.

My point is, don't worry about it. As long as you are living a healthier lifestyle you will reach your goals. Only you knows the line between snacking and becoming addicted again to the sugar. As long as you are comfortable with what you are doing you will be fine.

I can solve your problem in 2 words: Disney Cruise!!!

I have had a busy weekend. Today was my 6th day of work in a row. I am getting over yet another cold. P90X3 should be here tomorrow. I am hoping. I will hopefully get back to the gym tomorrow after work. I am also hoping that with P90X and my gym days I can get back to more consistent workouts.
Once again, I am 2 months closer to my deadline and no closer than I was when I set the goals 2 months ago. I am a bit aggravated but realize lots of stuff has been happening lately to make it harder to workout.

I'm working on the sugar thing. I think that now that I am more aware of it I will be able to catch myself and reset. At least that it is the hope. Unfortunately the hubby wouldn't go for a Disney cruise and I kind of think my kids are a little too old to really enjoy it. I do like the Royal Caribbean ships so that may be an option.

You seem to be getting sick quite a bit. Is it possible that your body is trying to tell you something? I think maybe you need to slow down although it is frustrating. You are steamrolling ahead with a lot of positive changes but it may be a lot for your body to handle all at once.

I'm back home - actually got home yesterday thanks to a really, really long workday on Thursday. There was a chance the gov't was going to shut down at midnight, so we worked from 7am - midnight to get as much done as we possibly could, just in case. Of course, they finished up just as we were, so we didn't actually need to work that late. Add that to a 3/4 work day on Saturday (finished up 20 minutes into the Army-Navy game, so we got to enjoy the evening,) and I got to fly home on Sunday.

Needless to say, I didn't get much working out done during the week. I did a 6 mile run on Tuesday when I arrived, and that's about it. I think it's just as well since my IT band has been cranky for the last couple of weeks, so I'll run during the week and decide how I'm going to do my long run later.

Staycool - I will continue to bake and make candy, if only because it's easy to give away. But I also don't deny myself. I limit intake and try to stick within some simple guidelines - whole foods, humanely raised meat and eggs, limited processing and added sugar/salt/fat, and high quality sweets because if they're expensive I won't eat as much.

As far as your Paleo challenge, your heart never seemed much into it, especially once your husband quit. So maybe it's time to take the opportunity to make the changes you think will stick and move on.

Wow. That is one long work day. At least it is over (for now) and you are back home. I hope that your IT band is on the mend.

I am working on setting limits for my sweets. I did bake a lot on Sunday and Monday I brought a bunch to work to share and my husband took some too. I think I was excited about the Paleo challenge for 2 weeks but you are right, once my husband quit I just didn't have the drive to keep going.

Today I weighed in and was up 0.2 lbs. That is exactly what I lost last week. And I am perfectly ok with that. I ate a ton of chocolate chip cookies yesterday and the day before. Oh well. I really just want to maintain my weight until after January 1. I am not going to limit myself and I have decided that I will just enjoy the holidays. I will not be going crazy and eating crap constantly, however if I feel it is worth it I am going to eat it. I have tried to be a little more aware of how something tastes. If it is not great, then it is not worth the calories. So that is one type of self control I guess.

 

[Chiomaca]

Wow. That is one long work day. At least it is over (for now) and you are back home. I hope that your IT band is on the mend.

I am working on setting limits for my sweets. I did bake a lot on Sunday and Monday I brought a bunch to work to share and my husband took some too. I think I was excited about the Paleo challenge for 2 weeks but you are right, once my husband quit I just didn't have the drive to keep going.

Today I weighed in and was up 0.2 lbs. That is exactly what I lost last week. And I am perfectly ok with that. I ate a ton of chocolate chip cookies yesterday and the day before. Oh well. I really just want to maintain my weight until after January 1. I am not going to limit myself and I have decided that I will just enjoy the holidays. I will not be going crazy and eating crap constantly, however if I feel it is worth it I am going to eat it. I have tried to be a little more aware of how something tastes. If it is not great, then it is not worth the calories. So that is one type of self control I guess.

My week of being sedentary and eating way too much bad food has caught up to me (why yes, I will have some of that mac and cheese with the fried chicken...BBQ ribs, pulled pork AND smoked chicken? Yes please! And so on..) I was up several pounds from the last time I weighed myself a month or so ago, when I checked in the gym yesterday. The good news is that I was checking after a four mile run and 20 minute TRX workout. And I'm going predominantly vegetarian until I get home for the holidays on the 27th.

What you described above is exactly how I quit drinking most sodas - I had a daily habit until one day when I popped a can of soda, took a sip and realized I didn't like it. I've since discovered some good sodas that I really like, but they tend to be the expensive craft-type sodas that you find in singles or tiny over-priced four packs, and I can't bring myself to spend $3 for a 12 ounce bottle of fizzy water very often. So far the same theory has worked on milk chocolate and a few other sweets.

 

[dizzyr]

I can solve your problem in 2 words: Disney Cruise!!!

Boxing Day? Is that a Canadian holiday?

I keep forgetting that Boxing Day is not known in the US. It's the day after Christmas and when I was younger it used to be like your Black Friday. It wasn't officially a stat and it was a HUGE shopping day. You could get some smoking deals. I knew people who would wait until then to do their Christmas shopping because they could get people better presents then they would normally have been able to afford. Now it's become a stat in Ontario and for any Federal government employee. Many offices are closed and any provincial government or union job recognizes it as a stat as well. There is still good shopping to be had but as Black Friday started to attract cross border shoppers Canadian retails started Black Friday sales and that's taken away from the Boxing Day ones. It's been a day off in every job I've had except one (which I hated and quit after one year!)