WATCH-ME'S Goal Seeking Journal

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by ValR

Hi Twyla,
I'm a regular vistor to your journal but don't know that I've ever posted anything. I really liked it the other day when you made the comment about changing your focus....those words were very empowering for me on so many levels. You make a big difference to a lot people through your kind words and positive attitude.

to my journal, Val! So nice to meet you. (I was surprised when I first opened my journal and saw your pretty avatar. You look SO MUCH like a close friend of mine in NC -- you could pass as sisters no doubt!)

I'm glad the mention of "focus" was a light bulb moment for you. Funny how we all can gain insight from that reminder. It sort of applies to a lot of things that go on in life, kwim?

Just last night my son was agonizing () quite vocally over having accidentally deleted "his data" on one of his Xbox disks. I tried to be somewhat sympathetic at first (the reminder that accidents happen, it's okay, etc.), and then it began to REALLY get on my nerves, the the incessant drama/whining/etc. I then reminded him that if he would begin to focus on other more "tragic" things that are far worse than what he's going through, his own problem would seem very trivial. It took a while, but it began to work him. He began to see that what was done, was done, he messed up, but it's nothing that he can't fix with a little patience and effort. We began working on his homework assignments, and he was using his brain, being creative, and he began to smile and "move on." Life was okay afterall.

I think the right attitude, the right focus, helps to get us through most any situation that seems to overwhelm us at the time.

Thank you, Val, for your kindness. You are a sweetheart. I hope that you will stop and say hey in my journal more often. I'll be sure to look you up.

Have a great day.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Lola, you are one lucky woman. Sun every day and rain in the evenings? That's ideal! South Africa, huh? Hmmmmm....and just think, my own personal tour guide, right?

You're on to something, lady.

Glad Rich's mention of his recomp spoke to you. And Btinc's "egg story." So relevant. So true.

Hope you have a great day today.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Updating Tuesday's totals:

CALS.......1405
PROT........166
CARBS.......65
FIBER........24
FAT..........63

WORKOUTS:

1 HOUR SUPER CALLANETICS

Gonna keep it to low/med carb today. Busy week for me. I'm playing this one "by ear."

Training day.

[2bflawless]

Twyla, I just wanted to say how much I admire you! I often lurke and read what you do it is all very inspiring! I think you should be on the cover of a fitness magazine...you are that flawless!

Oh, by the way, Hi!

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by 2bflawless

Twyla, I just wanted to say how much I admire you! I often lurke and read what you do it is all very inspiring! I think you should be on the cover of a fitness magazine...you are that flawless!

Oh, by the way, Hi!

Hi, Lisa.


Thank you so much. So very kind of you --
You've kind of made my day .

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Updating Wednesday Jan 20

Stayed with a low day. Gonna stick with it through Friday.

Training day. Had a small pre-workout snack. I was a bit depleted going in, but it wasn't noticeable to me until about 15 mins into it, third set of walking lunges. I began to get dizzy, upset/nauseous. I gobbled a rice cake with more water, and I was fine within seconds.

Feeling a little out of control with stressful situations, so keeping carbs low a little longer may help to ward off any propensities to use food as my effexor.

I'll go for my typical high day on Saturday. I'm in "oatmeal protein pancake withdrawal" already. Can't wait for that sweet little luxary/reward.

TOTALS:

CALS.........1708
PROTEIN......193
CARBS..........50
FIBER...........11
FAT..............84

TRAINING: 45 MINS

ARNOLD PRESSES
BENT OVER FLYES
FLAT BENCH STRAIGHT-ARM PULLOVERS
BENT OVER ROWS
BICEP CURLS (token)
TRICEP EXTENSIONS (token)
SQUATS
WALKING LUNGES

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

UPDATING THURSDAY:

TOTALS:

CALS......1521
PROT.......145 (38%)
CARBS.......45 (11%)
FIBER.........9
FAT...........69 (41%)

WORKOUTS:

55 MINS CARDIO
PUSHUPS

"You will find as you look back upon your life
that the moments when you have really lived
are the moments
when you have done things
in the spirit of love.”

Henry Drummond

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

To Track or Not To Track

Can food journaling really help you lose weight? According to a group of researchers involved in the Weight Loss Maintenance study, the answer is a resounding yes. In the study, which was conducted at four locations across the US including Johns Hopkins University and Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, nearly 1,700 overweight and obese Americans were asked to keep a daily journal of both food and exercise and attend weekly classes on healthy eating and moderate exercise. After six months, participants lost an average of 13 pounds. When researchers analyzed the data, they found that weight loss virtually doubled between those who kept a journal and those who didn’t.

According to J. Graham Thomas, Ph.D., Co-Investigator for the US-based National Weight Control Registry (which monitors the habits and behaviors of more than 5,000 individuals who have lost weight and kept it off for at least a year), “Keeping a food log ranks up there among the top three or four most important strategies people use to lose weight and keep it off.” In other words, in addition to cleaning up your diet and exercising regularly, writing down what you eat is one of the most important things you can do to lose weight and best of all, keep it off.

Oxygen, Feb 2010

[gettingwell]

I'm still here trying to slay that 'ol carb monster once and for all!

Have a good weekend, Twyla. I appreciate all you do for everyone on here.

[tempted_by_food]

tgif.jpg Have a great Friday T!!!

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Backatcha, GW & TBF.

We celebrate 'cause it's Friday....but where the heck is the sun?????????????

It's supposed to be sunny on Fridays, no?

[Danipower714]

Cute cartoon! Have a great weekend T and I hope you get some sun!

[GardenGirl639]

Great quote from Oxygen! Since starting to track my food, I'm down 5 lbs. in about 10 days. Thanks for encouraging me by example!

[hummingbird11]

The "good ole" role of paper towels works too!

Originally Posted by hummingbird11

from: The Paper Towel Analogy | Lean Bodies Consulting

Let’s assume you go out and buy two rolls of paper towels, each with 112 paper towels on it. You put one aside, and keep it for future reference (your “before” picture). The other one represents you (I’ll call your paper towel “Ed”). The core represents the lean Ed. The towels represent the fat that is covering the lean Ed.

For sake of argument, let’s say that Ed wants to lose 28 pounds of fat, so (112/28) each sheet represents a quarter-pound of fat lost.

Let’s also assume that Ed loses his fat equally during each day of the program.

Each day during the first week, you tear a sheet off of Ed, representing the fat he has lost for the day. Next, you put Ed next to the full roll (“Big Ed”) for comparison.

No noticeable difference! Even at the end of the week!

“This can’t be working for me! This program sucks! ”
But, you continue to follow your fat loss program. At the end of weeks two and three, you continue to compare Ed to Big Ed, and still notice very little difference.

But Ed is determined! He continues to work hard!

Three more weeks go by, the sheets peeling off day after day, before Ed gets up the courage to stand next to Big Ed again.

Now there’s a big difference!

By the end of the program (112 days), Ed is down to his lean dream, or somewhere near it.

The lesson to be learned is that fat, like paper towels, comes off in sheets. When you are heavy, you are big around. And when you are big around, that fat is spread over a MUCH larger area – just like that outside towel sheet. The closer you get to the lean you, the more each lost pound of fat shows, because it is spread over a smaller area.

While the outside sheet may only cover one layer of the roll, the inside sheet may go around 4 times. That last sheet looks like it gives you four times the results of the first sheet, but in reality, the results are the same – your perception is just different!

And you’ll never see the inside, if you aren’t patient while the outside is coming off!

Originally Posted by btinc

Let me expand a little more, weight loss never happens the way we want nor does it ever happen fast enough. T said winning starts in your mind, and it truly does, once you understand the principles that you have to work with.

Consistency is the key over a length of time. Unless your truly obese, 1-2 pounds a week a great accomplishment. Even then it will never happen each week, but over time you may be able to average that amount. Of course the closer to your goal you get the slower the loss occurs.

Now if we look at the up side to this, someone could easily drop over 50 pounds in a year, the down side is it is very slow. Focus on small short term goals, and remember what they can lead to, a huge change in the future.

T from time to time please remind ever one what weight loss is compared to. The good ole egg. Although on the outside nothing seems to be happening, on the inside you are getting healthier, more energy, more focus, and then low and behold you wake up and the outside has now begun it's change.

Ask Richard what consistency and patience can do.

[hummingbird11]

U are NOT da Average Jane!

T, you are GI Jane !!
You work-out 2 or 3 times a day!!!!!
MAYBE 1 day of rest per week ~ maybe??

Average Jane's (like me) target our workouts several times per week ~
we struggle with a Daily Workout; forgettabout Twice Daily Workouts!

Oh and of course, there is also Lazy Jane, eh?

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

I AM the average Jane (aka Twyla), but I work hard at it. Anyone can.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by GardenGirl639

Great quote from Oxygen! Since starting to track my food, I'm down 5 lbs. in about 10 days. Thanks for encouraging me by example!

That is great, GG!

Keep up the focus, girlfriend!

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by hummingbird11

U are NOT da Average Jane!

T, you are GI Jane !!
You work-out 2 or 3 times a day!!!!!
MAYBE 1 day of rest per week ~ maybe??

Average Jane's (like me) target our workouts several times per week ~
we struggle with a Daily Workout; forgettabout Twice Daily Workouts!

Oh and of course, there is also Lazy Jane, eh?

HB! You're back!

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Okay, Journal.

I've been AWOL this weekend.

I left the office Friday in a hurry, and I think I left my thumb drive there -- which is where I keep my ****** account -- so I had no way to track effectively this weekend.

Suffice to say I kept up with my plan ... high day on Saturday, beginning mid morning with a great run (sun was shining for once!). Warmed up for 5 mins power walk, then light jogging for about 10 mins, then began sprint intervals, then cool down, for a total of 35 mins. OMG. OMG. I wasn't used to the sprint intervals, it had been a while I guess. And the muscles in my legs all Saturday afternoon/night were screaming for mercy. Sunday, pretty much back to normal. I guess that was a good thing for the muscles in my legs. Gonna try doing that again my next chance. The intervals can be very effective for lots of reasons.

After the run, I had a high carb snack, then began my training UB. Still feeling soreness this morning from that as well.

Pampered myself a bit Saturday afternoon. My fix.

Sunday, pretty much a lazy rest day. 20 mins cardio elliptical late evening. Napped for an hour. Proofread most of the afternoon on transcripts.

Hoping to find my thumb drive today when I return to the office.

Low day today and for the rest of the week. High day Saturday. New plan.

[kelley17]

Hey T! I'm glad you got to pamper yourself. My hubby helped me highlight my hair this weekend. With 3 kids don't have the time or money to go out and do it. Hugs and thanks for being there!

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by kelley17

Hey T! I'm glad you got to pamper yourself. My hubby helped me highlight my hair this weekend. With 3 kids don't have the time or money to go out and do it. Hugs and thanks for being there!

Kelley, coincidentally, an updated highlight was on my own agenda this weekend, but I ran out of time to do it. So I'm gonna do that tonight. It's a whole lot easier to have someone to help, isn't it? I do my own also. My husband works in the industry, so I can get the professional product through him, and then do it myself. I've had it done professionally 2-3 times, and I always like the way I do it better than the salon anyway.

Hugs back at you. Hoping this finds you well.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

MON JAN 25

My thumb drive was where I hoped it would be, lying on my desk when I arrived at the office this morning.

Now I can get back to accountability/tracking. I have to admit, not having it over the weekend, I became increasingly careless, esp by the time Sunday night rolled around. Sloppy. Oblivious. I am guilty of making excuses to have a bite of this or that when I'm stressing over things, and when I don't have the "black n white" to show when I need to get my act together, I tend to overlook my indiscretions.

Low day today -- through Friday. I'll be ready for my high when Saturday gets here. Celebrating my son's birthday this weekend, so that should work out well.

If I get hungries later, I'll drink a protein shake.

TOTALS:

CALS..........1376
PROT...........162
CARBS..........26
FIBER.............7
FAT..............72

WORKOUTS:

1 HOUR SUPER CALLANETICS

Sharing a pic from my oldest son's photobucket account, taken at his first ever Sumo wrestling event in Japan. His exposure to their culture has been a very rewarding opportunity as he masters the language.

"Sumo in Sumida"

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

TUES JAN 26

Restful night. Determined to make it to bed by as close to 10 as possible. Mission accomplished. Slept soundly. After my first cup of coffee, raring to go. Counting the days until I can begin my morning runs again. The weather has been cold/rainy/icy for TOO LONG. I'm done with winter.

This makes me long to live in the southwest. Having visted a dear friend in Tucson a few times, I fell in love with the area. A unique and beautiful environment from what I'm used to. I'm imagining waking up to their weather this morning.

Snow is expected today, and another "significant storm," as they're calling it, is due for Thursday and Friday.

I guess I'll just have to rely on those daydreams for a while longer.

[kelley17]

Hey Twyla! Where did you get that picture of my BUM

I too am getting myself back on track and going to start journaling. My co-teacher and I were just talking about our muffin tops. I got rid of mine last year and it has crept back.

About the Southwest! I'm with you. New Mexico is so beautiful. I just love it. I'm a military brat and I lived all over the US, but the southwest is just special. Nothing like the light there.

Have a gorgeous day T!

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Kelley! That little bubble-butt smiley is too cute!



Listen -- I didn't show the BEST pics in terms of "butt shots." He took several, including some video. Very fascinating to watch these men do this. He was explaining the sport to us via Skype on Saturday as we scrolled through the pics of his account. Wow. I always just assumed these were big fat guys pushing each other around. Apparently there's a whole lot more strength and athletic abililty to this sport. He was using the Japanese terms for their titles and their meanings and such in his explanations to us. Very interesting. A wholotta strength there.

As for the southwest fettish? Really? Kewl. Let's go! We'll plan a trip, K?

[hummingbird11]

Originally Posted by kelley17

Hey Twyla! Where did you get that picture of my BUM

About the Southwest! I'm with you. New Mexico is so beautiful. I just love it. I'm a military brat and I lived all over the US, but the southwest is just special. Nothing like the light there.

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

Kelley! That little bubble-butt smiley is too cute!

As for the southwest fettish? Really? Kewl. Let's go! We'll plan a trip, K?

New Mexico IS beautiful! We went to White Sands on a SW camping trip...

So is Arizona! The cactus forests are AMAZING and the sunrises/sunsets are PHENOMENAL. Like NOTHING I have EVER seen before ~ it has to do with the "dust" (from the sand); somehow it makes the sky BRILLIANT with COLOR!!!!!

I'd love to see Santa Fe; if y'all go there ~ can I go, too?

[hummingbird11]

Just saw this (after my post above) --
I know exactly what you mean!
Arizona is SPECIAL for sure.
I have a dear friend in Phoenix...

Hey T, where in CA does your bro live? N or S ?

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

This makes me long to live in the southwest. Having visited a dear friend in Tucson a few times, I fell in love with the area. A unique and beautiful environment from what I'm used to. I'm imagining waking up to their weather this morning.

Snow is expected today, and another "significant storm," as they're calling it, is due for Thursday and Friday.

I guess I'll just have to rely on those daydreams for a while longer.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

HB, I didn't realize that about the dust in the sand thing. Very cool.

I'm captivated -- utterly captivated -- by the beauty of the southwest.

My brother lives in Fremont, works in San Jose.

[hummingbird11]

I know, huh? It's a really cool phenomenon!
Me too! Colorado; Arizona; New Mexico; Utah!
I have stood right HERE: Four Corners - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Very cool!
HERE too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_...ke_Havasu_City)
Wild; surreal place.

He lives less than an hour from me!!

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

HB, I didn't realize that about the dust in the sand thing. Very cool.

I'm captivated -- utterly captivated -- by the beauty of the southwest.

My brother lives in Fremont, works in San Jose.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

HB, Didn't realize he lived that close to you.

I'd love to visit him (and you), but flying has become such a PIA anymore, KWIM? I'm so fed up with the airlines and their ineptness. Constant unnecessasry delays, hassles, inconveniences. It used to be a pleasure, a privilege to fly. Anymore it's a nightmare. And I have such bad luck with flying. The last several flights have been hell trips. Honestly.

My brother had several delays on his return trip from the holidays, and it ended up taking him in excess of 15 hrs to get home. That's ridiculous. And they lost his luggage. Didn't get it returned for five days. His keys to his truck were in the luggage. No way to drive home. Had to get a neighbor to come get him at the airport. Just royal PIA. He'll probably never fly home again.

What about a train?

[hummingbird11]

oh you are to the choir on THAT one!
YES, a complete PIA these days

I was a Travel Agent for 9 years (1988-1997) & LOVED LOVED LOVED to travel!!

it was FUN. it still CAN be; but gottta be careful with flights & airlines.
you can actually "view" the % of a time that a particular flight is "on time" (or not) and choose accordingly.

BUT still not like it used to be: a privilege and a pleasure!

AND, no way to prevent the nasty weather delays--UGH.
except NOT to travel over the Winter Holidays

I pay extra to fly NON-STOP whenever possible.
I HATE to get stuck in a connection city--UGH.

I would it if you came out for a visit!
There's an Amtrak Station 5-minutes from my house!
(but it would probably take you a week to get here )

We took Amtrak from SFO to LAX -- it was WONDERFUL.
VERY civilized way to travel; gloriously UNstressful way to travel.

We dined in the dining car; imbibed in the cocktail car; socialized in ALL the cars; slept in the sleeping car -- what a blast!

PS: re: U bro's trip home.....UGH!!!!! that sounds hideous!! poor guy.
what a complete bummer of a way to end an awesome family trip.