Weight loss/maintenance/healthy living support chat

.@Nox -- You're so right! Life can have those defining moments. Let's hope I can learn from this one.

.@HappyGrape -- thank you for the welcome. It sounds like you are on the right track limiting flour and added sugars. My friend decided to abstain from eating flour and sugar because she felt they were trigger foods for her that she couldn't control. Like you, she has had great success. Congratulations on your weight loss! Very inspiring.

Another tool I'm adding to my daily routine is a daily reading from Over Eaters (OE) Anonymous from a book called For Today.

Another book I've read over that years that's a bit tedious to get through, but helps with the mind part of this journey is The Beck Diet Solution. For me, so much of being healthy and staying on track is played out in my mind. I've found these two resources helpful for staying focused on the positive.

Have a good day everyone!
 
So today I made a new recipe, Chicken Pasta.

Pasta of your choice, enough for 3 portions
1 skinless chicken breast
3 large field mushrooms
1 red onion
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons red wine
1/2 tablespoon mixed herbs
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

Everything is cooked separately on the George Foreman Grill and then combined at the end. Everything is cooked dry, with no added oil or butter.
  1. Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta. No oil or salt in the cooking water
  2. While the pasta is cooking, cook everything else
  3. Cook the field mushrooms whole, then chop up and put into a pot
  4. Slice the onion into 4 large rings
  5. When the onions are cooked, chop up and add to the mushrooms
  6. Season the chicken breast with ground black pepper
  7. When the chicken is cooked, chop it up and add to the mushrooms and onions
  8. When the pasta is cooked, add it to the chicken and vegetables
  9. Add in the red wine and turn up the heat
  10. When it starts sizzling add in the tin of chopped tomatoes, 1/2 tablespoon mixed herbs and 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
  11. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring, to make sure the pasta does not stick or burn
  12. You might want to add a 1/2 cup of water if it looks a bit dry
 


Good morning everyone!

.@BadPinkTink -- your recipe looks easy and tasty! These days I'm focusing on using my Instant Pot for easy meals. Last night I made an Easy Alfredo sauce with Shrimp for dinner over pasta. I measured my portion, and tracked my food for the day. Staying in line with my WW guidelines.

My promise to myself this week was to track what I'm eating and start walking again. I know it's only been since Sunday, but since I've started moving in a positive direction, I'm already feeling the calmness that I'm more in control. I honestly can't explain to myself why I let my emotions overtake my sensibilities. Grateful to have another day to figure out this riddle.

Have a great day everyone!
 
Good morning everyone!

.@BadPinkTink -- your recipe looks easy and tasty! These days I'm focusing on using my Instant Pot for easy meals. Last night I made an Easy Alfredo sauce with Shrimp for dinner over pasta. I measured my portion, and tracked my food for the day. Staying in line with my WW guidelines.

My promise to myself this week was to track what I'm eating and start walking again. I know it's only been since Sunday, but since I've started moving in a positive direction, I'm already feeling the calmness that I'm more in control. I honestly can't explain to myself why I let my emotions overtake my sensibilities. Grateful to have another day to figure out this riddle.

Have a great day everyone!

thanks. I make things up as I go along. As long as I know what I can and can't eat I can adapt recipes easily. This is something I made up, I didn't follow any recipe :)

I ate one portion last night and put two portions in the freezer. I am scheduled for surgery in a few weeks, so I want to have some meals ready, that I can just microwave, as I don't think I will be feeling ok to cook for a few days.
 
Morning all! I hope you are all doing well and making progress towards your fitness and health goals. The reading in my OA For Today had a great message for me. It discussed indecision and the fear of doing wrong. I good lesson for me to ponder today.

Last night I made chicken burrito bowls for dinner. Shredded chicken, black beans, rice, salsa and a little cheese -- one of my favorite go-to meals when I'm short on time. I enjoy this meal, but I do really have to watch my rice portion -- I love rice!

I successfully weighed, measured and tracked my food yesterday and stayed in line with the guidelines.

I'm having a good week so far. I have not had my nightly glass of wine and resisted the temptation last night which was pulling me to have one. Staying on track with my food goals ultimately outweighed that desire.

I still need to get back to my walking. I set a goal of 3 days this week, I'm starting to run out of days in the week to hit my goal :)

Be well everyone! I'll check-in again tomorrow.
 


Very happy with the progress. 3 weeks since my fresh start, 4.7kg/10.4bs down. I

My numbers for last 7 days
Average calories 1910 calories per day.
Macros - protein 125, carbs 224, fat 63
fibre 30
Steps 12600

Limiting the flour and added sugar was total win for me.

well done :)

Its very satisfying when you can start to see results and find a plan that works for you. I don't weigh myself or count calories or anything like that, I just go by my clothes.

This week I wore a dress and a pair of trousers that have been in my wardrobe for a few years, which I could never wear before. I also had a business meeting with a client I haven't seen since March, as I have been working from home, and she said she could notice the difference in my face, that its not as round as it was before.
 
Very happy with the progress. 3 weeks since my fresh start, 4.7kg/10.4bs down. I

My numbers for last 7 days
Average calories 1910 calories per day.
Macros - protein 125, carbs 224, fat 63
fibre 30
Steps 12600

Limiting the flour and added sugar was total win for me.
Very nice work! Great job on your steps too! You're inspiring me to up my game in the step department!
 
Very happy with the progress. 3 weeks since my fresh start, 4.7kg/10.4bs down. I

My numbers for last 7 days
Average calories 1910 calories per day.
Macros - protein 125, carbs 224, fat 63
fibre 30
Steps 12600

Limiting the flour and added sugar was total win for me.

Very inspiring! I eat fewer calories than that, but I don't track my macros at all yet. So far, I'm losing slowly and steadily with just a reduction on calories. Seeing your numbers, I need to up my steps and it would probably allow me to up my calories a bit as well. As I've lost, I've also lost calories that I'm allowed eat day in order to lose. At some point, I'm going to want more.
 
No letter from the hospital yet but I'm continuing with my preparations for surgery. I cooked another batch of low fat chili yesterday and put some portions into the freezer. I now have 2 portions of low fat chili and 2 portions of low fat chicken pasta in the freezer. I live with my mom, so I will have help while I'm recovering. They are labelled in the freezer, so all she has to do is defrost them and put them in the microwave for me. I'm not showing her how to cook my steak, , I'm a bit fussy and I like my steak cooked a specific way 8-) This weeks to do list includes showing my mom how to use my coffee machine :Pinkbounc
 
Very inspiring! I eat fewer calories than that, but I don't track my macros at all yet. So far, I'm losing slowly and steadily with just a reduction on calories. Seeing your numbers, I need to up my steps and it would probably allow me to up my calories a bit as well. As I've lost, I've also lost calories that I'm allowed eat day in order to lose. At some point, I'm going to want more.

I don't track macros but once a week I look at the weekly averages. I paid for walk at home subscriptions - 5 usd a month, just over 4 euro and I love their indoor walks. They are basic, sometimes I turn off the sound and put my own music or put them on my laptop without sound - watching tv. I am not going to be back to the gym anytime soon adn pushing myself too much I keep getting sick so no hard core exercise. I think they are helping me a lot

goof few free on their walk at home youtube channel
 
No letter from the hospital yet but I'm continuing with my preparations for surgery. I cooked another batch of low fat chili yesterday and put some portions into the freezer. I now have 2 portions of low fat chili and 2 portions of low fat chicken pasta in the freezer. I live with my mom, so I will have help while I'm recovering. They are labelled in the freezer, so all she has to do is defrost them and put them in the microwave for me. I'm not showing her how to cook my steak, , I'm a bit fussy and I like my steak cooked a specific way 8-) This weeks to do list includes showing my mom how to use my coffee machine :Pinkbounc

I will be thinking of you bad tink, I hope your surgery and recover goes very smoothly and quickly for you. Keep us updated
 
I have encountered the biggest hurdle to health and fitness goals.... friends who aren't like-minded.

I have two coworkers, one is my best friend, who always ask me to go out to eat.
My husband and I have also made friends with a wonderful couple, who, unfortunately, also always invite us out to eat.

Mind you, no one is doing so maliciously (although my best friend is toeing the line, as he absolutely feeds on the fact that I allow myself one treat meal a week and he is constantly pushing to go to calorie- and fat-bomb places... treat meal doesn't mean 4000 calories of French toast and Nutella-stuffed crepes, it means I can relax a little bit on the stricter rules, have a few extra calories than usual.) But the couple admitted that they have a tendency to go overboard and once gained 20lbs each from just going out to eat too much, and the coworkers/best friend are both very much overweight, too.

This is probably the hardest thing, because going out to eat is of course a very social thing and it's great fun! But I really can't keep going to places that even the "healthiest" entree is 1500 calories and 18 grams of saturated fat every single week.

I think I'm going to have to tell everyone that "treat meals" have been cut down to once a month instead of once a week.

Sorry this wasn't a very positive post. It's a frustrating struggle.
 
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I have encountered the biggest hurdle to health and fitness goals.... friends who aren't like-minded.

I have two coworkers, one is my best friend, who always ask me to go out to eat.
My husband and I have also made friends with a wonderful couple, who, unfortunately, also always invite us out to eat.

Mind you, no one is doing so maliciously (although my best friend is toeing the line, as he absolutely feeds on the fact that I allow myself one treat meal a week and he is constantly pushing to go to calorie- and fat-bomb places... treat meal doesn't mean 4000 calories of French toast and Nutella-stuffed crepes, it means I can relax a little bit on the stricter rules, have a few extra calories than usual.) But the couple admitted that they have a tendency to go overboard and once gained 20lbs each from just going out to eat too much, and the coworkers/best friend are both very much overweight, too.

This is probably the hardest thing, because going out to eat is of course a very social thing and it's great fun! But I really can't keep going to places that even the "healthiest" entree is 1500 calories and 18 grams of saturated fat every single week.

I think I'm going to have to tell everyone that "treat meals" have been cut down to once a month instead of once a week.

Sorry this wasn't a very positive post. It's a frustrating struggle.


That is hard! What I've started doing is carrying little dressing packets that I got on Amazon. Most of the restaurants we go to have at least some salad option, so I order without dressing and then add my 30 calorie packet (sometimes 2 for big salads). Even with that, I feel funny doing that if I don't know the people I'm eating with well, but with close friends, I don't mind doing it.
 
I think usually something a long the lines of "doctor's orders!" gets the questions stopped. If there are questions on why or what specifics - I would say sorry, but it's personal. I am going to discuss it with my doctor and nobody else

I love eating out and it's important for me. Some people can accept your changing eating habits - getting extra veggies, looking for healthier options etc. Other won't. Some people feel that if everyone overeats, it's ok for them to do so and won't be very happy if you break out of that cycle.

But a true friend will remain friend and support your choice. In the end of the day, do you want to not meet your goal only to please someone else and enable their eating habits?
 
I have encountered the biggest hurdle to health and fitness goals.... friends who aren't like-minded.

I have two coworkers, one is my best friend, who always ask me to go out to eat.
My husband and I have also made friends with a wonderful couple, who, unfortunately, also always invite us out to eat.

Mind you, no one is doing so maliciously (although my best friend is toeing the line, as he absolutely feeds on the fact that I allow myself one treat meal a week and he is constantly pushing to go to calorie- and fat-bomb places... treat meal doesn't mean 4000 calories of French toast and Nutella-stuffed crepes, it means I can relax a little bit on the stricter rules, have a few extra calories than usual.) But the couple admitted that they have a tendency to go overboard and once gained 20lbs each from just going out to eat too much, and the coworkers/best friend are both very much overweight, too.

This is probably the hardest thing, because going out to eat is of course a very social thing and it's great fun! But I really can't keep going to places that even the "healthiest" entree is 1500 calories and 18 grams of saturated fat every single week.

I think I'm going to have to tell everyone that "treat meals" have been cut down to once a month instead of once a week.

Sorry this wasn't a very positive post. It's a frustrating struggle.

see this I can't accept. Why should what you eat bother them?? I guess maybe I don't feel intimidated by people like this. I would flat out refuse to be treated this way. Both my mum and grandmother are diagnosed ceolics and have been following a gluten free diet since the 1970's, long before it was trendy and cool.

I have grown up with my mom and grandmother bringing their own food to places or ordering off menu. As a family we only went to restaurants if my mom and grandmother could eat the food there. On vacations we check the menu first and make sure they can eat something. We have left places because of menu items not being suitable for them.

Why should every restaurant choice be their choice? It sounds to me that you need to ditch these friends, as they are not friends, they are selfish and self absorbed and lack self awareness.

I would eat alone in a restaurant of my choice that spend time with these people. You say they are fun, well then enjoy their company but don't go to restaurants with them, find something else to do.

Sorry if it sounds harsh, but your health and well being comes before some else's fun and enjoyment
 
I would eat alone in a restaurant of my choice that spend time with these people. You say they are fun, well then enjoy their company but don't go to restaurants with them, find something else to do.

Sorry if it sounds harsh, but your health and well being comes before some else's fun and enjoyment

I think sometimes it's the enabling part. If people I go out are overweight and overeat, I can overeat and not feel guilty about it. If they stop, it leaves me asking myself are my food choices and portion sizes sensible and if you don't want ot play part of the ritual of overeating, you are not fun anymore.

You can't control how will they react, it's up to you to set up boundaries and control your reactions. But hopefully they accept the new you, but it is not your job to let go of your dreams and goals to please them. It is not your job to eat so they feel better about their own eating. it's your job to eat for your enjoyment and health and goals - that has to be clear
 

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