26 Weeks on JUDDD -- The Ship is Still Listing

[stephdray]

Yesterday I weighed in at 261 lbs for a loss of 4 lbs this week, a total loss of 29 lbs, 25 of them on JUDDD at a rate of .96 lbs a week.

= or because my brand new scale is already broken and I've gone back to the old one =

Yesterday I weighed in at 258 lbs for a loss of 7 lbs this week, a total loss of 32 lbs 28 of them on JUDDD at a rate of 1.07 lbs a week

I like the old scale better because it means that my total holiday damage was on the order of 2 lbs. I can deal with that kind of gain.

Either way, my rate of loss is not very impressive and I'm actually thinking of leaving it off the reports because it's discouraging and it also disguises the fact that many of those weeks I was simply off plan. On vacation, on holiday, on maintenance, whatever.

As always the ups and downsides for the week:

Downsides


Sick. Caught some kind of winter flu. Rotations have been pretty shaky because of it. (As it turns out, orange juice has a lot of calories in it!) But today was a good low down day...even with chicken soup.

Up Days Still A Problem. Totally, wildly, outrageously late in getting my book done for my publisher, which means that January might not see the righting of the Diet Ship as much as I want it to as I'm not good at counting my up days when every waking hour is devoted to work. I really don't want January to be another month of 'Every Up Day is an Up Up And Away Day' but I am comforting myself with the fact that January won't be laden with holiday treats and the memory that I did, in fact, continue to lose weight even when every up day was an up up and away day.

Upsides


It's like Riding a Bicycle. I worried that getting back on the JUDDD wagon would be hard after going off plan during Christmas. Turns out, not so much! Instead of dreading my DDs I actually looked forward to them. (Yes, I just said that!) And when I was able to slip one in, I did it. Today's DD isn't hard at all. I had tea for breakfast, broth for lunch, and chicken soup for dinner. I still have calories left over. I'm kind of astonished and delighted to find that this has totally become a lifestyle for me that's second nature. There was no big drama about getting back on the wagon. I just did it when I felt well enough to do it.

At Least One Healthier Habit. I'd like to say that I forego junk food on a regular basis or that I don't ever binge anymore or that I always stop eating when I should or any of that stuff, but it appears that takes a certain mindfulness. What has become second nature because of Down Days, however, is drinking hot beverages and lots of them. I'm a big coffee and tea drinker now and that is a habit that lasted even through the holidays. You might not think this is especially healthy, but it is--especially for someone like me who often confused hunger with thirst. Instead of reaching for a snack now whenever I'm mildly discontent, I reach first for a hot beverage whether it's an up day or a down day. That's serious progress and it's a habit I'd like to keep for the rest of my life.

Love you JUDDD BUDDDs. Now I climb back into my sickbed.

[LoCarbGal]

I'm sorry you're another sickie, Steph. Lots and lots of bugs floating around amongst the JBs lately. I hope you can get some rest and get it kicked real soon.

Loved your update, as usual. You're doing really great, especially with the pressure of your deadline. That is a real accomplishment! Keep it up!

When will the new book be released? I'll be looking forward to it. I got Song of the Nile for Christmas and just started it. I wish I had more free time to read. I am already hooked and want nothing more than to curl up and get a few good hours in with Selene!

[gotsomeold]

for combining the stress of finishing a book with the exuberance/stress of holiday partying/eating! It is no wonder you picked up a bug - illness is nature's way of telling us we overdid things.

Remember, illness = inflammation = water retention = weight craziness.

Total congrats on returning to DDs with ease and grace. All will stabilize with time (especially once the perfect wording gets Her Majesty settled).

Since so many scales seem to be calibrated differently, long ago I chose the scale I like and announced, that's my weight and I'm stickin' to it!

[Kissa]

Great post again as always Steph. I concurr with the scalesdrama, I have 2 homes and one set of scales are my favourites. I choose to believe that they tell me the truth.

Who'd have believed Stephanie would be happy with DDs how things have changed.

[Carly]

Steph those Upsides are simply beautiful! I didn't even faint when you said you actually like DDs! I smiled, a huge, goofy, smile, but I wasn't shocked, because I have experienced the feeling myself. It is blissfully easy to jump back into JUDDD after a vacation or whatever. It is a lifestyle and one, that if you are in for the long haul, doesn't care if you lose 2 pounds a week or 2 pounds a month. JUDDD doesn't even always make sense. I have had a month where I lost 4 pounds, next month did not change a thing and lost over 10 pounds, but it works. Sometime quickly, sometimes slowly, but if you're working it JUDDD works (apparently even with a bunch of UUADs!

Feel better!

(I wrote this over in your other post but pasted it here too.)

[sorenkkg]

Hi Steph!

I'm finally on the mend-- down to a hearty cough and some post nasal drip which leads to the cough. If you can get some quality time in bed and a huge handful of meds to help you sleep, that's what did it for me I think.

Keep up the fluids, and be kind to yourself!
S.

[calichris]

Originally Posted by stephdray

What has become second nature because of Down Days, however, is drinking hot beverages and lots of them. I'm a big coffee and tea drinker now and that is a habit that lasted even through the holidays. You might not think this is especially healthy, but it is--especially for someone like me who often confused hunger with thirst. Instead of reaching for a snack now whenever I'm mildly discontent, I reach first for a hot beverage whether it's an up day or a down day. That's serious progress and it's a habit I'd like to keep for the rest of my life.

Yes! Me too! I already drank coffee, but now I drink delicious teas (Soren, Queen of Tea, helped me find some especially tasty ones), broth, and even hot water all day long on DDs, and it really helps.

Feel better soon, Steph!

[sunday]

Marking my place. I don't want to miss out on this, but have to run!

[Babsbabs]

Love your post as always! I can really relate to your findings with JUDDD. Especially the ease of getting back on track. With other programs it would take me a week or so to work up the motivation to get back on plan plus I would need to buy the special foods that I would want and then eat all weekend and start dieting again on the Monday. Took me forever to get on plan again. It is just so easy to do a DD with JUDDD and then your back on plan. I am happy for you that the DD has become part of your lifestyle and that hot beverages are helping. I think that there are many health benifits to coffee and tea as well so sounds like a good go to beverage to me.
I hope you feel better soon, and that January goes smoothly for your writing.

[Luna Loca]

I love your updates. I hope you keep doing them. I think they give a good, realistic picture of what JUDDDing is like. Even with the distractions, the vacations, the crazy work stuff, the holidays...lots of people can relate to that and to know that you're able to work your plan through it all gives people hope that they can do it too.

[Flossyliz]

Originally Posted by stephdray

I did, in fact, continue to lose weight even when every up day was an up up and away day.

WOW!


What a lovely post Steph. Thanks!
You sound to be in such an amazingly good space - even with a grotty bug and a missed deadline.
I hope you soon evict the bug and that your book glides easily into completion.

[Seabreezes]

So sorry you are ill. I was concerned when we didn't get an update earlier in the week!

Hope the editing goes well and you are back to your perky self in no time.

[stephdray]

Originally Posted by LoCarbGal

I'm sorry you're another sickie, Steph. Lots and lots of bugs floating around amongst the JBs lately. I hope you can get some rest and get it kicked real soon.

I think I'm finally on the mend, thank you so much!

When will the new book be released? I'll be looking forward to it. I got Song of the Nile for Christmas and just started it. I wish I had more free time to read. I am already hooked and want nothing more than to curl up and get a few good hours in with Selene!

Aww, I am so honored and humbled! (Cleopatra Selene, of course, thinks you should make time for her. She is royalty, after all.)

The third book is due to release in autumn 2013--if I get it finished. *cry*

[stephdray]

Originally Posted by gotsomeold

for combining the stress of finishing a book with the exuberance/stress of holiday partying/eating! It is no wonder you picked up a bug - illness is nature's way of telling us we overdid things.

Remember, illness = inflammation = water retention = weight craziness.

Total congrats on returning to DDs with ease and grace. All will stabilize with time (especially once the perfect wording gets Her Majesty settled).

Since so many scales seem to be calibrated differently, long ago I chose the scale I like and announced, that's my weight and I'm stickin' to it!

*laugh* Yeah, I'm going back to the old scale.

[stephdray]

Originally Posted by Kissa

Great post again as always Steph. I concurr with the scalesdrama, I have 2 homes and one set of scales are my favourites. I choose to believe that they tell me the truth.

Who'd have believed Stephanie would be happy with DDs how things have changed.

I know! It's so weird!

[stephdray]

Originally Posted by Carly

JUDDD doesn't even always make sense. I have had a month where I lost 4 pounds, next month did not change a thing and lost over 10 pounds, but it works. Sometime quickly, sometimes slowly, but if you're working it JUDDD works (apparently even with a bunch of UUADs!

It's so weird and so different from how I usually diet in fits and starts as my self-control falls away. This is the first diet that has ever felt like anything that could be a lifestyle.

[stephdray]

Originally Posted by sorenkkg

Hi Steph!

I'm finally on the mend-- down to a hearty cough and some post nasal drip which leads to the cough. If you can get some quality time in bed and a huge handful of meds to help you sleep, that's what did it for me I think.

Keep up the fluids, and be kind to yourself!
S.

Hope you're feeling better! A humidifier helped us.

[stephdray]

Originally Posted by calichris

Yes! Me too! I already drank coffee, but now I drink delicious teas (Soren, Queen of Tea, helped me find some especially tasty ones), broth, and even hot water all day long on DDs, and it really helps.

Feel better soon, Steph!

Help me with teas. All I know is that I like Earl Grey and Lady Grey and that I've drowned on Mint tea to help me with hunger, but I hate chamomile.

[stephdray]

Originally Posted by Babsbabs

Love your post as always! I can really relate to your findings with JUDDD. Especially the ease of getting back on track. With other programs it would take me a week or so to work up the motivation to get back on plan plus I would need to buy the special foods that I would want and then eat all weekend and start dieting again on the Monday. Took me forever to get on plan again. It is just so easy to do a DD with JUDDD and then your back on plan.

OMG, yes to everything you just said. Every January has been such a big production of resolutions and new crack downs on my eating...with charts and graphs and incentives and other "Motivators" that make me feel like I'm in a prison camp.

This year I just ate 500 calories one day...

[stephdray]

Originally Posted by Luna Loca

I love your updates. I hope you keep doing them. I think they give a good, realistic picture of what JUDDDing is like. Even with the distractions, the vacations, the crazy work stuff, the holidays...lots of people can relate to that and to know that you're able to work your plan through it all gives people hope that they can do it too.

So sweet. I hope so!

[stephdray]

Originally Posted by Flossyliz

WOW!


What a lovely post Steph. Thanks!
You sound to be in such an amazingly good space - even with a grotty bug and a missed deadline.
I hope you soon evict the bug and that your book glides easily into completion.

The bug seems like it's on its way out. The book...well...it needs work. The next time I decide to write something "ambitious" I have authorized my husband to check me into an asylum.

[stephdray]

Originally Posted by Seabreezes

So sorry you are ill. I was concerned when we didn't get an update earlier in the week!

Hope the editing goes well and you are back to your perky self in no time.

Aww, hugs! I dragged my flu-ridden body out of bed just to make the post. Hahaha.

[Luna Loca]

Originally Posted by stephdray

Help me with teas. All I know is that I like Earl Grey and Lady Grey and that I've drowned on Mint tea to help me with hunger, but I hate chamomile.

I used to drink coffee like it was going out of style, but since I went to South Africa (where there is a lot of tea, it's the British influence, I guess), I've been in love with English Breakfast tea (probably pretty similar to Earl Grey) and Rooibos, which is a South African tea. It's red and non-caffeinated and yummy. I also have a couple of chai teas for when my mouth wants cinnamon and cloves. I drink tea literally all day long.

My secret for tea is I always make it with milk. I used to buy tea and it would just sit and sit, but when I tried it with milk I can't get enough. I use whole milk, but you can use skim. It just makes it so good, IMO.

Hope you get some more input on tea, my tastes are pretty basic in that I don't buy the fancy blends, but I do love me some tea.

[sorenkkg]

Did someone say Tea?

there's tons out there now-- if you check out steepster, it's a blog where people discuss and rate tea.

I'm finding that a lot of flavored teas kinda all taste the same, so I'm pretty picky about trying stuff so that I have things that are truly different.

I also learned that I like green tea with a bit of sweetener-- before I tried that, I didn't like green tea at all.

and the temperature matters. Boiling hot for black tea, but let it cool a bit for green, white, and oolong.

herbal (including rooibos, which is a lovely red color and usually has a caramel-ish flavor, even when it's not flavored specifically) is done at boiling also.

don't steep anything other than herbal for longer than 7 minutes (that's my max)-- you wind up with too much tannin, and it's just bitter and icky. Herbal, you can steep forever

ping me on FB and I can help make some recommendations
s.

[Luna Loca]

I just re-read what I wrote and I made it sound like I steep the tea with milk. That's not what I meant. I add a couple of tablespoons of milk to the brewed tea.

[Flossyliz]

Try vanilla rooibosh with milk. YUM!