Sebastian's STRONG and SVELTE Under the Sea September W.I.S.H. Weight Loss Challenge - All Welcome!

[DVCFan1994]

QOTD - September 9​

Let's share some tips for good eating! What's in your lunch box or on your menu plan for today? Do you plan ahead or fly by the seat of your pants? What is your favorite lunch? How about your ideal lunch?

I am currently a SAHM. So I am lucky in the sense I can make what I feel like for lunch. But, that does not always lead to the best choices. I hate wasting food, so often it will be leftovers. I am a salad fan, so I try to have salads a couple of times a week. But lately I have been on a taco kick. I have been using leftover veggies and proteins, reheating them, and then putting them in some low-cal soft tacos I found. It is generally a fairly healthy option, but it depends if I am careful of my oil use when sautéing, and not using much cheese.

My ideal lunch is easy: the "Insalate Pollo" at Via Napoli, minus the almonds (nut allergy). I love that darn salad. It has a delicious citrus vinaigrette, and protein and veggies. Plus, as others have said, I neither have to prepare it or clean up the mess

And as for my check-in, well that part is frustrating. No change over the last week. I had seen a change earlier (before Labor Day weekend festivities) but I am exactly where I was a week ago today. So, 0% change for me. I am frustrated, but know this weekend was a bit of anomaly. So, I will double down on my nutrition. I am exercising plenty (I ran over 7 miles yesterday for pete sake!), so I know that is not the culprit.

 

[Tara&Mike]

QOTD - September 9​

Let's share some tips for good eating! What's in your lunch box or on your menu plan for today? Do you plan ahead or fly by the seat of your pants? What is your favorite lunch? How about your ideal lunch?

Most of the time, I plan my entire day's worth of food the day before. I log everything in myfitnesspal and then try to stick to my plan. On Sunday I made a batch of 3-bean chili and portioned it out into small tupperwares for the week. That's what I've got for lunch today and it's delicious!

 

[courtneybeth]

QOTD - September 9​

Let's share some tips for good eating! What's in your lunch box or on your menu plan for today? Do you plan ahead or fly by the seat of your pants? What is your favorite lunch? How about your ideal lunch?

I tend to point out my meals in advance for breakfast and lunch so I know what I can have for dinner. Today's breakfast was a Thomas Bagel Thin with 3 oz of cottage cheese for 5 points, and then for lunch I've had a tuna sammich and a yoplait mixed berry greek yogurt cup. I have 10 points left for dinner so I am going to make them count. Oh, I also had a WW snack bar for 2 points.

In the 4 months between these photos, I've lost 26lbs, weighing in at 227 and change on May 4, and 201.4 on September 7.

You go girl! I see the difference. Isn't it amazing when you see the before and during photos? It's all over your body, from your face to your arms, and through your tummy and legs. Congrats. You'll be below 200 this week for sure!

 

[courtneybeth]

0% change for me. I am frustrated, but know this weekend was a bit of anomaly. So, I will double down on my nutrition. I am exercising plenty (I ran over 7 miles yesterday for pete sake!), so I know that is not the culprit.

I had this same problem this weekend too. Maybe there's something in the water, but often it is a slingshot approach where-in it takes a bit to show the results of your hardwork. Or, you could be turning fat into muscle and that's why. Don't feel discouraged and reach for that pint of ice cream just yet (even though it does sound tempting). You're going to stay on target and weigh in with great results on Sunday!

 

[ANforever1030]

Most of the time, I plan my entire day's worth of food the day before. I log everything in myfitnesspal and then try to stick to my plan. On Sunday I made a batch of 3-bean chili and portioned it out into small tupperwares for the week. That's what I've got for lunch today and it's delicious!

Mmmm...that does sound good. I wound up having leftovers today too. Sunday my DW2B made something similar to red beans & rice or jambalaya, but using quinoa instead of rice. It was rather delicious both the first time and re-heated.

 

[ThistleMae]

DEFINITELY fly by the seat of my pants, for sure. We have a rough plan in that we know what things we'll be eating that week when we grocery shop on Sundays, but we don't have a specific "This is lunch on Tuesday" kind of plan. We just throw something together on our way out the door. Lately we've been oversleeping every day and rushing out the door, so I haven't been able to stop and grab lunch on my way out, so for the past couple of weeks I've just been skipping it. I know, I know, totally not smart. It's unintentional, though! Plus I've either been running errands during my lunch hour or only taking a 30 minute lunch because I've been late to work and have to make up that time, so that hampers things, too. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to a semi-normal schedule soon. Lunch, when I do get it, is usually turkey and cheese, hardboiled eggs, plain tuna, or an almond butter & jelly sandwich. I make my own almond butter by running almonds, coconut oil, and cinnamon in the food processor, and it's SOOOOO gooooodddddd. Haha. I use the Welch's natural grape jelly (I think that's what it's called?) to keep the sugar count low.



I NEED this recipe! Potato soup is my all-time favorite food (that, and mashed potatoes... My Irish heritage totally shines through!) but it's so carby! You are the planner I set out every week to be, haha. I always try to make up a week's worth of meals on Sundays, but it never happens, or I end up not wanting what I did manage to prepare, so it just gets wasted.

WOOHOOO FOR YOUUUU!!! YAYYYY for getting into those pants! Remember that awesome feeling moving forward!

I have a woohoo, too! It's actually from Monday, but I was saving it for today, anticipating a Woohoo Wednesday! Haha. @DisPup75 had to go and mix it up on me!

I took this picture Monday morning. The top two are my before photos, taken May 4, 2015. The bottom two are my current photos, taken September 7, 2015, so roughly 4 months apart. This is exactly why I'm a big supporter of before/during/after photos and other visual motivation. I've got my LoseIt! app that keeps track both numerically and with a chart, but that graph doesn't hit me like these photos do.

In the 4 months between these photos, I've lost 26lbs, weighing in at 227 and change on May 4, and 201.4 on September 7. I KNOW I've lost 26lbs, but my clothes are frustratingly not fitting very differently (they're definitely loser and fit better, and I feel more confident in them, but I haven't actually changed sizes, which I expected to do after 26lbs... makes me wonder how bad my clothes looked before! Haha) and looking in the mirror every single day, I don't really see the change. But then I compared these photos, and oh my goodness. 1) I had no idea/completely forgot how big I had gotten 2) I completely didn't see how small (comparatively) I am now.

This is DEFINITELY positive reinforcement that all this frustratingly hard work is legitimately making a difference, even with as rough a month as August where I didn't lose any of my intended weight, and it really motivates me to keep going. I actually WANT to go try on my wedding dress now and see how it fits - I think I might like it a whole lot better! I'm really excited about that, because I was miserable in it before, and was dreading wearing it. BIG WOOHOO!

Also, WOOHOO just because it's Wednesday! I love short weeks.


View attachment 122857

Wow! You look incredible....like a whole different person! Great job. You will look beautiful for your wedding!

 

[ThistleMae]

In my lunch box: (yes I plan out my meals for each week) I eat the same breakfast and lunch everyday. Oatmeal with Blueberries for breakfast. Lettuce wraps for lunch. I've only just discovered the lettuce wraps and I love them! I use 6 to 8 pieces of Romaine lettuce. In each one I put a slice of thin deli lunch meat, hummus, onion and two drops of cranberry mustard. They are so yummy! For dinners I try and change things up, shop on the weekend and prepare something or buy something to make each night. I eat the same meal every night for a week. I guess I don't mind eating the same thing each night, it is just easier and I know what I'm having and I always make something I enjoy. This week was the rolled chicken, with cheese and broccoli stuffing. A big salad on the side. If I don't have planned food....it is really bad and I will be off track. Also, it makes it easier to track the foods in my fitness pal when I eat the same meal everyday. I just copy and paste. I do change up my evening snacks a few times a week. Either jello, ww ice cream or pudding.

My woohoo Wednesday is: I tried on clothes for my upcoming cruise from last year....none of my pants fit!

 

[Tara&Mike]

DEFINITELY fly by the seat of my pants, for sure. We have a rough plan in that we know what things we'll be eating that week when we grocery shop on Sundays, but we don't have a specific "This is lunch on Tuesday" kind of plan. We just throw something together on our way out the door. Lately we've been oversleeping every day and rushing out the door, so I haven't been able to stop and grab lunch on my way out, so for the past couple of weeks I've just been skipping it. I know, I know, totally not smart. It's unintentional, though! Plus I've either been running errands during my lunch hour or only taking a 30 minute lunch because I've been late to work and have to make up that time, so that hampers things, too. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to a semi-normal schedule soon. Lunch, when I do get it, is usually turkey and cheese, hardboiled eggs, plain tuna, or an almond butter & jelly sandwich. I make my own almond butter by running almonds, coconut oil, and cinnamon in the food processor, and it's SOOOOO gooooodddddd. Haha. I use the Welch's natural grape jelly (I think that's what it's called?) to keep the sugar count low.



I NEED this recipe! Potato soup is my all-time favorite food (that, and mashed potatoes... My Irish heritage totally shines through!) but it's so carby! You are the planner I set out every week to be, haha. I always try to make up a week's worth of meals on Sundays, but it never happens, or I end up not wanting what I did manage to prepare, so it just gets wasted.

WOOHOOO FOR YOUUUU!!! YAYYYY for getting into those pants! Remember that awesome feeling moving forward!

I have a woohoo, too! It's actually from Monday, but I was saving it for today, anticipating a Woohoo Wednesday! Haha. @DisPup75 had to go and mix it up on me!

I took this picture Monday morning. The top two are my before photos, taken May 4, 2015. The bottom two are my current photos, taken September 7, 2015, so roughly 4 months apart. This is exactly why I'm a big supporter of before/during/after photos and other visual motivation. I've got my LoseIt! app that keeps track both numerically and with a chart, but that graph doesn't hit me like these photos do.

In the 4 months between these photos, I've lost 26lbs, weighing in at 227 and change on May 4, and 201.4 on September 7. I KNOW I've lost 26lbs, but my clothes are frustratingly not fitting very differently (they're definitely loser and fit better, and I feel more confident in them, but I haven't actually changed sizes, which I expected to do after 26lbs... makes me wonder how bad my clothes looked before! Haha) and looking in the mirror every single day, I don't really see the change. But then I compared these photos, and oh my goodness. 1) I had no idea/completely forgot how big I had gotten 2) I completely didn't see how small (comparatively) I am now.

This is DEFINITELY positive reinforcement that all this frustratingly hard work is legitimately making a difference, even with as rough a month as August where I didn't lose any of my intended weight, and it really motivates me to keep going. I actually WANT to go try on my wedding dress now and see how it fits - I think I might like it a whole lot better! I'm really excited about that, because I was miserable in it before, and was dreading wearing it. BIG WOOHOO!

Also, WOOHOO just because it's Wednesday! I love short weeks.


View attachment 122857

You look great! When is the wedding?

 

[DisPup75]

. I make my own almond butter by running almonds, coconut oil, and cinnamon in the food processor, and it's SOOOOO gooooodddddd

Yummy!!!

In the 4 months between these photos, I've lost 26lbs, weighing in at 227 and change on May 4, and 201.4 on September 7. I KNOW I've lost 26lbs, but my clothes are frustratingly not fitting very differently (they're definitely loser and fit better, and I feel more confident in them, but I haven't actually changed sizes, which I expected to do after 26lbs... makes me wonder how bad my clothes looked before! Haha) and looking in the mirror every single day, I don't really see the change. But then I compared these photos, and oh my goodness. 1) I had no idea/completely forgot how big I had gotten 2) I completely didn't see how small (comparatively) I am now.

You look AMAZING!!! That is the best kind of woohoo!

Soup is my "go-to"..... I make up big batches when I have time on weekends and freeze it in single servings in mason jars (I'm lucky I have a big second freezer in the basement). That way I can mix and match and not have to eat one type of soup for a week. My regulars are lentil soup, split pea soup, chicken black bean soup, curried carrot soup, butternut squash soup, and roasted cauliflower and garlic soup. Some of these are heartier than others so sometimes I grab a WW cheese stick to go along with the soup. Usually it is as easy as a jar of soup, a spoon, and an apple! Can't beat it for EASY! When I get home the glass jar, the lid, and the spoon can go right into the dishwasher (I hand wash plastics, so anytime I use a tupperware-type container it adds to the work.)

Mm. I love soup! We just bought a second freezer and I'm looking forward to filling it up with rows of yummy soup.

Like @pjlla, my favorite lunch is one that someone else makes! I do plan out my meals at the beginning of the week, but I don't always stick to them as well as I should, and (especially at the end of the week) sometimes I'm just too lazy/tired/exhausted to fuss with making my meals.
Today's lunch was supposed to be a mini-treat - grilled cheese & vegetable sandwich (I try not too have too much cheese, so any cheese is a treat for me). But I ended up having that yesterday instead, so today will have to be something else (of course, yesterday's lunch was supposed to be the never-good "grab something on the road," so I can't even have yesterday's lunch today. I'm sure I'll figure something out ...

---

Hello all! I realized that even though I did some replies yesterday, I forgot to add my update, so here it is. Yesterday's mid-week weigh-in was down a bit, so I'm extra motivated to be good until Friday and hopefully see that number on the scale start going down again! My eating wasn't fantastic yesterday, because I had breakfast on the road and lunch at 4:30 PM, but it wasn't terrible, and I did get in lots of exercise (in addition to my 5.89 mile run, I spent about 2 hours walking around Manhattan). Other than that, nothing exciting going on. I've got some baking to do, including a batch of granola (I hate buying granola in stores so I always make my own). That's about it.

I hope lunch turned out well. Keep up the good work!

So, after much contemplation I'm going to answer the question from yesterday.

My dream trip would start with WDW for at least two weeks. We would stay in GF, Poly, AKL, and Beach or Yacht Club. It would need to be during F&W (which would also help with a later portion of the trip). We would need at least two days in each park, including the water parks - I've never been - and then a day for each of the pools, DTD and Cirque. It would also involve the Backstage Magic tour and for dining each evening would be at a Signature Dining restaurant book-ended by V&A's, preferably Queen Victoria Room or Chef's Table.

From there I would travel to Disneyland spending five days at Grand Californian spending two days at each park with a rest day in between. Then on to Tokyo Disney for five days, HK Disney for three to four days and Disneyland Paris for five days.

Finally, I would take the Adventures by Disney tour of Germany (where my family is originally from) and following the Adventure I would spend a couple extra days in Munich so that I can visit Sabaner Strasse, Allianz Arena and watch a Bayern Munich (my favorite club) match.

Sounds like a great trip! I hope the contemplation was fun!!

My ideal lunch is the Steakhouse Salad from modmarket -- the restaurant I've recently discovered. It has escarole, grilled steak, roasted grape tomato, pickled red onions, gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, cucumber, and buttermilk horseradish dressing - which I use sparingly. For the full entree it is 603 calories, 39 g fat, 47 g protein, and only 19 carbs - 7 of which are fiber. It is delicious as well.

That sounds delicious (and I'm a salad hater!)

That is a WOOHOO!

It's amazing how much we may not always recognize the subtle changes that are in fact happening, but when we look back at those pictures we can see how far we've really come. I've got about a week and a half before my two month pictures and I'm extremely excited to see them.

I have three woohoos today. This morning I was squatting 135 lbs. Since the bar is 45 lbs. that means I was putting a 45 lb plate on each side of the bar (first time I've done that in a long, LONG time). The second is that DW2B and I met with our officiant last night. He wants to meet four times prior to the wedding to go over the ceremony and last night was the first meeting. Of course, he is a friend of ours who is ordained in the Lutheran church so it was very comfortable. Finally, my last woohoo is that today is my work Friday and I have the next three days off work.

Great job!

I am currently a SAHM. So I am lucky in the sense I can make what I feel like for lunch. But, that does not always lead to the best choices. I hate wasting food, so often it will be leftovers. I am a salad fan, so I try to have salads a couple of times a week. But lately I have been on a taco kick. I have been using leftover veggies and proteins, reheating them, and then putting them in some low-cal soft tacos I found. It is generally a fairly healthy option, but it depends if I am careful of my oil use when sautéing, and not using much cheese.

My ideal lunch is easy: the "Insalate Pollo" at Via Napoli, minus the almonds (nut allergy). I love that darn salad. It has a delicious citrus vinaigrette, and protein and veggies. Plus, as others have said, I neither have to prepare it or clean up the mess

And as for my check-in, well that part is frustrating. No change over the last week. I had seen a change earlier (before Labor Day weekend festivities) but I am exactly where I was a week ago today. So, 0% change for me. I am frustrated, but know this weekend was a bit of anomaly. So, I will double down on my nutrition. I am exercising plenty (I ran over 7 miles yesterday for pete sake!), so I know that is not the culprit.

What brand of tortillas are you using? I think just about everything is more delicious turned into a taco and am always on the lookout for a way to lighten up the tortilla load.

Sorry the scale has not been kind this week! Hopefully it will grant you some nice numbers next week!

Most of the time, I plan my entire day's worth of food the day before. I log everything in myfitnesspal and then try to stick to my plan. On Sunday I made a batch of 3-bean chili and portioned it out into small tupperwares for the week. That's what I've got for lunch today and it's delicious!

I can't wait for the heat to break! Chili sounds great but it is just too hot right now.

I tend to point out my meals in advance for breakfast and lunch so I know what I can have for dinner. Today's breakfast was a Thomas Bagel Thin with 3 oz of cottage cheese for 5 points, and then for lunch I've had a tuna sammich and a yoplait mixed berry greek yogurt cup. I have 10 points left for dinner so I am going to make them count. Oh, I also had a WW snack bar for 2 points.

This is a great idea! My method of tracking as I eat can lead to disaster when I realize I have seven calories for dinner.

In my lunch box: (yes I plan out my meals for each week) I eat the same breakfast and lunch everyday. Oatmeal with Blueberries for breakfast. Lettuce wraps for lunch. I've only just discovered the lettuce wraps and I love them! I use 6 to 8 pieces of Romaine lettuce. In each one I put a slice of thin deli lunch meat, hummus, onion and two drops of cranberry mustard. They are so yummy! For dinners I try and change things up, shop on the weekend and prepare something or buy something to make each night. I eat the same meal every night for a week. I guess I don't mind eating the same thing each night, it is just easier and I know what I'm having and I always make something I enjoy. This week was the rolled chicken, with cheese and broccoli stuffing. A big salad on the side. If I don't have planned food....it is really bad and I will be off track. Also, it makes it easier to track the foods in my fitness pal when I eat the same meal everyday. I just copy and paste. I do change up my evening snacks a few times a week. Either jello, ww ice cream or pudding.

My woohoo Wednesday is: I tried on clothes for my upcoming cruise from last year....none of my pants fit!

Another good planner! And I'll bet you don't have leftover issues either.

Woohoo on the too big pants!!

 

[pjlla]

Morning all! I got an unexpected call to work last evening, so I wasn't able to pop on last night.... and I am working doubles again today, so unless I score some computer time during the school day, this will be it for the day.

With my unexpected work schedule I was not able to make EITHER of the dinner dishes I had planned last night. It ended up being chicken sausage with onions and mushrooms for DH (I cooked it before I left), a frozen pizza for DS (he cooked a big one so he could have the leftovers for lunch today) and a leftover veggie burger for me when I got home.

Not sure what they will eat tonight. It was going to be pizza burgers (Thanks Morning Star Farms!), but DS has an after school event that involves pizza, so I'm not sure he'll even want dinner. I won't be home too late (hopefully by 7:30) so maybe we will have a late dinner together.

Brownbag lunch for today is split pea soup and an apple.... yes, it's a hot day, but I LOVE the soup and I had it in the freezer ready to go.... can't beat EASY!

Off to wake up DS and make breakfasts..... yogurt with rhubarb sauce for me and a chocolate banana smoothie for him. Lunches are already packed... just need to fill water bottles.

TTYL I hope!......................P

 

[Flossbolna]

Hello everyone!! I am checking back in after my long absence. And I really missed you.

My vacation (3.5 weeks in California, including a week at Disneyland) was amazing - and for the first two weeks I felt like I was doing very well, I even managed to continue my exercise routine. But then things got worse. I came back with a nice souvenir of 5 pounds... Well, the first week back home battling jet lag, a migraine and the monthly visitor all at once definitely did not have a positive effect either. But now I am back on track, at least I hope so!

So, I am signing up with a September goal of losing 4 pounds. Quite ambitious for me. But I feel that I need an ambitious goal to keep me motivated.

Also, I hope the new thyroid pills I am taking will help me get a grip on my weight issues. I am due for a blood test next week, will be interesting what the doctor says. I have been taking the pills for 6 weeks now and I can see that they have a positive effect. I feel far more energetic in my daily life, I no longer have cold hand and feet anymore, my skin is better. So, I think, I really had a problem that is being taken care of. Let's hope it will also help with losing weight!

My current plan is to track all my food with my fitbit app and aim for a daily 750 calorie deficit. When I got my fitbit a year ago, the food database was very spotty, but they have redone it for Germany now and it is really great! Besides tracking food, I am trying to focus on eating more protein and less carbs. I really struggle with that, but I know that proteins help me feel full for longer.

 

[DisPup75]

QOTD - September 10​

Food pushers!!! I seem to have them everywhere.... Do you? What are your strategies for dealing with them and their delicious or not-so delicious offerings?

 

[DisPup75]

Morning all! I got an unexpected call to work last evening, so I wasn't able to pop on last night.... and I am working doubles again today, so unless I score some computer time during the school day, this will be it for the day.

With my unexpected work schedule I was not able to make EITHER of the dinner dishes I had planned last night. It ended up being chicken sausage with onions and mushrooms for DH (I cooked it before I left), a frozen pizza for DS (he cooked a big one so he could have the leftovers for lunch today) and a leftover veggie burger for me when I got home.

Not sure what they will eat tonight. It was going to be pizza burgers (Thanks Morning Star Farms!), but DS has an after school event that involves pizza, so I'm not sure he'll even want dinner. I won't be home too late (hopefully by 7:30) so maybe we will have a late dinner together.

Brownbag lunch for today is split pea soup and an apple.... yes, it's a hot day, but I LOVE the soup and I had it in the freezer ready to go.... can't beat EASY!

Off to wake up DS and make breakfasts..... yogurt with rhubarb sauce for me and a chocolate banana smoothie for him. Lunches are already packed... just need to fill water bottles.

TTYL I hope!......................P

Great job on the backup plan with dinner last night! Sounds like everyone are well in spite of unscheduled interruptions. Hope you have a great day!

Hello everyone!! I am checking back in after my long absence. And I really missed you.

My vacation (3.5 weeks in California, including a week at Disneyland) was amazing - and for the first two weeks I felt like I was doing very well, I even managed to continue my exercise routine. But then things got worse. I came back with a nice souvenir of 5 pounds... Well, the first week back home battling jet lag, a migraine and the monthly visitor all at once definitely did not have a positive effect either. But now I am back on track, at least I hope so!

So, I am signing up with a September goal of losing 4 pounds. Quite ambitious for me. But I feel that I need an ambitious goal to keep me motivated.

Also, I hope the new thyroid pills I am taking will help me get a grip on my weight issues. I am due for a blood test next week, will be interesting what the doctor says. I have been taking the pills for 6 weeks now and I can see that they have a positive effect. I feel far more energetic in my daily life, I no longer have cold hand and feet anymore, my skin is better. So, I think, I really had a problem that is being taken care of. Let's hope it will also help with losing weight!

My current plan is to track all my food with my fitbit app and aim for a daily 750 calorie deficit. When I got my fitbit a year ago, the food database was very spotty, but they have redone it for Germany now and it is really great! Besides tracking food, I am trying to focus on eating more protein and less carbs. I really struggle with that, but I know that proteins help me feel full for longer.

Welcome back from your travels! 3 weeks in California sounds heavenly!! We will get those vacation pounds off of you in no time.

QOTD - September 10​

Food pushers!!! I seem to have them everywhere.... Do you? What are your strategies for dealing with them and their delicious or not-so delicious offerings?

I struggle with this so much. I'm great at getting out my initial no thank you. But they just keep coming back. "Oh you have to try it. Just one little bite. It's your favorite."

My biggest problem is that I do not like to talk about dieting in public. It makes me uncomfortable and I find diet policing almost worse than food pushing. But I haven't lost enough weight for people to notice and realize that maybe I'm trying to avoid whatever it is for a reason. At any rate, it shouldn't matter. No means no and I wish people would just stop after that. And the next person who leaves a cupcake on my desk 'for later' after I've already said that I don't want said cupcake is risking a faceful of frosting (joke).

In non-healthy living related complaints, I made the mistake of trying a new dry shampoo this morning because I woke up late but have a day in which I need good hair. I know to only try such things on weekends. But I didn't. And now it is only 8:07 and I look like a greaseball. It would look so much better if I had just left it dirty. And my head itches. Whine over.

 

[DVCFan1994]

Yummy!!!


What brand of tortillas are you using? I think just about everything is more delicious turned into a taco and am always on the lookout for a way to lighten up the tortilla load.

They are mission extra thin yellow corn tortillas. They are 40 calories each (recommended serving is 3 at 120 calories total). I usually just have two, but I pile them with a lot of protein and veggies. If I've done a particularly long workout, I will eat all three. They don't have a ton of nutritional value, so for me, its more that I love tacos, so I am eating two to feel like I'm getting something I really want but the focus is really on the fillings.

QOTD - September 10​

Food pushers!!! I seem to have them everywhere.... Do you? What are your strategies for dealing with them and their delicious or not-so delicious offerings?

Fortunately I don't have a ton of food pushers. My biggest problem is my husband. He is a big night eater. He will bring out snacks at 9-9:30 every night. He is not pushing them toward me at all, but he has them right there in front of both of us, and some nights its hard to resist. I have been good about not indulging lately. Some nights I will go get a healthy option if I feel I am truly hungry, for instance if he is eating pretzels and hummus I will get some pepper strips or celery (I always keep these cut and ready in the fridge) and eat that. Other nights I look at my MFP app and see that I am at my calorie limit or close for the day and use that as motivation to resist. It is a struggle some nights though.

 

[ThistleMae]

I'm so lucky to have a sweetheart that is watching his weight also. He has lost all of his weight at this point and is trying to maintain but he wants to continue to eat healthy, so that is a huge plus! He can eat more than I can but he tries to eat the same things with larger portions to make up the calories he needs to maintain. Sometimes he doesn't eat enough and is still losing a pound or two. That makes me jealous because some days I'm the same weight and he has lost without even trying. I've increased my calories since I started working out because I feel I was not eating enough. It doesn't take much to get those numbers up! I'm slowly working toward imagining what my food day will look like when I reach a maintenance amount of calories. I can never go back to how I was eating before so I'm starting to shift gears and develop a mindset that knows what I can eat in my food groups and what size portions I can have. I still have 10 pounds to lose to reach my goal weight and while that doesn't seem like much, it still is as challenging as when I had to lose 80. God Bless all of you for being here to support and encourage!

 

[CruisingKate]

Sorry to have joined this wonderful thread, then go MIA. Last week was super busy preparing for vacation and working overtime. This week has been lovely, enjoying our extended family at the shore.

I've been pretty consistent sticking with my 26 points and exercising 40 minutes every other day. We're at our condo, so I've been cooking all our meals. Last night, we ate out and I'm not sure how many points the broiled crab cake was ( don't have a WW app and left my book at home).

I'm lucky I don't have food pushers around me. My family is supportive of my desire to eat healthy. My biggest problem is portion sizes. My hubby is 6'4" and can eat almost anything in large quantities without gaining. At 5' , weight gain shows up quickly on me!

 

[SarahDisney]

Hello everyone!! I am checking back in after my long absence. And I really missed you.

Welcome back! We missed you too.
Sorry to hear that you gained some weight on the trip, but as long as you gained some great memories too, that's what matters most. Now you just have to get back on the wagon and you can work on strategies to avoid gaining on your next vacation.

QOTD - September 10​

Food pushers!!! I seem to have them everywhere.... Do you? What are your strategies for dealing with them and their delicious or not-so delicious offerings?

My problem is that I don't have a strategy. I just eat whatever they're pushing on me.
When I'm being good, I try to just have a little of everything. Usually when there are a lot of options people don't get insulted if they see me eating a little of everything because they see that I'm trying to fit in whatever is being served without stuffing my face. And the way I see it, a little bit of something unhealthy won't kill me as long as I balance it out with healthier food the rest of the day. I'm very big on not denying myself foods, I just try to eat in moderation and maintain a mostly healthy balance.

---

Good morning all. Who else started their morning with a donut? Thankfully, it was just a mini-donut, and I followed it up with cottage cheese and homemade granola. But now I have to be extra careful today if I want a good weigh-in tomorrow. I'm planning on a veggie burger for lunch, and I'll just have to make sure not to eat too much at dinner. The donut was not my best idea, but I think I can still redeem my day!
On another note, my morning also started off with my scheduled run getting cancelled due to torrential downpour (I have a treadmill, but I hate using it early in the morning because it wakes up my brother). I'll decide later today whether to try to go out (if the rain lets up), run on the treadmill, or push the run off to tomorrow. Until then, I'm using the unexpected non-running time to rest and ice my knee, which has been bugging me a bit this week.

So ... that's me. How's everyone else doing?

 

[courtneybeth]

I came back with a nice souvenir of 5 pounds...

I'm glad that you at least had fun at Disneyland - sorry to hear that Disney gave you something to remember it by But the good news is that once you get back on track that you will bounce back in no time and get the weight off immediately. Your 4 pound goal is for sure going to be easy to beat. You got this!

God Bless all of you for being here to support and encourage!

Losing 80 pounds is a milestone and I am so excited for you to lose that last remaining 10. You can do it!

t 5' , weight gain shows up quickly on me!

Yes. Yes x10000000 on this one. I'm 5'2" and experience this one -- gaining 5 pounds can make you look like you've gained at least twice that. My husband can eat more points than me and typically eats larger portions, which is so hard some times because I'd love to have an extra 10 points when we're eating out and he gets to have a dessert and I'm staring at it longingly from across the table and scowling at him for enjoying it. Then I have to remember that I am in this position because I've had too many desserts and now is not the time to be angry or petty. Hubs is him and I am me - we are different and I cannot compare.

QOTD - September 10​

Food pushers!!! I seem to have them everywhere.... Do you? What are your strategies for dealing with them and their delicious or not-so delicious offerings?

I'm in the midst of encountering this right now and it's extremely frustrating. My birthday is a week from tomorrow and I planned on one cheat meal at the Blue Bayou in Disneyland to celebrate not only my birthday but also the hard work I've done through this "Betterment of Me" adventure. My mother-in-law and I share the same birthday (so when they say a man marries a woman like his mother... my husband wins the prize for that), which means we now have TWO birthdays to celebrate and it's a family meal at Carthay Circle because she wants to celebrate at Disneyland. I informed her that there isn't much for me to eat there, as the portions are huge and I am on WW, but I am forced to go and participate. I think I've settled on asking for the Salmon entree without the sauce and seeing if I can get some steamed veggies or a side salad to help "fill me up" as the sides are very high in calories (anyone want to try to point a serving of Jasmine Rice?). I figure a sauceless salmon will be the healthiest option and maybe they can make it super bland so I don't rack up the points? I told my husband that I'd rather go to the salad place at the back of California Adventure and eat that for 4 points and sit at dinner not eating anything but he got mad at me. I still don't know what to do and it's becoming a huge stresser. I don't want to eat too many large/rich meals because of my fantastic progress... so how do I do this properly without hurting myself or offending my MIL and my husband's family?

 

[courtneybeth]

So I had a WOOHOO WEDNESDAY yesterday that I wanted to share -- not a huge milestone but something that made me super happy.

I went to Victoria's Secret yesterday to see if any of the yoga pants and relaxing shirts were on sale since the merchandise at most stores is switching from summer to fall. We're still in summer here in Southern California - it was 110 yesterday near Disneyland with random rain showers (Florida can have its weather back!) On a whim I decided to try on the medium-sized shirt and yoga pants from their Pink line, and sure enough... THEY FIT. I had a hunch they would since my size large pants and shirts were starting to feel a bit 'big' -- I bought those before my trip to Europe this summer and lost an additional 16 pounds since I bought them.

Small victory - Victoria Secret Pink is their "Trend" line. Fitting into a size medium just made me so happy because it shows the progress that I've made.


Nordstrom is having a huge clearance sale in-store right now and I am heading over there this weekend to see if I can snag anything to fill-in since I'm now at the point where clothing is too big. From sleep shirts to dresses and pants to skirts, I'm in an awkward place where my clothing is too big but I'm only half-way to my goal. Oh darn. To the mall I go on Saturday!

 

[dsnyfn1022]

Food pushers!!! I seem to have them everywhere.... Do you? What are your strategies for dealing with them and their delicious or not-so delicious offerings?

Yep! Not so much at work, although yes at home from my family. If it is at work then I'll usually take something just to get them to stop and then I throw it away. It's super wasteful but sometimes if I take a cupcake and then smash it and toss it I feel the "satisfaction" of having taken it like everyone else but then I don't have to eat it. Sometimes that's just easier than telling someone I'm watching what I'm eating. At home, I just stick to my guns and tell them to back off (in a much nice tone) lol

_____

Unrelated, I decided on a whim to sign up for a 10K this weekend! I haven't run any official 5K races (although I routinely run that distance as part of my normal workout). My DH, MIL and one of my BIL were planning on running this race and spectating for an hour sucks! So I was like "Okay, I guess I'll sign up too..." So I'll be focusing on surviving an hour and a half of exercise on Sunday. The bonus is that right now in KC the weather is projected to be in the 50s and 60s that morning and the course is pretty flat.