Meowser's accountability

[Meowser]

OK, here's my attempt at accountability. Maybe writing here will help me!

The Problem: I have gained 5-6 pounds from my maintaining weight. I have slacked off on eating "clean" and slacked off on exercise.

The Goal: Get back under 120 and improve my exercising (walking). Get in shape for my big hike this year.

My reward? Improved health, a more enjoyable hiking trip, improved self-esteem and



I've already bought them and they are sitting my my closet. I can't wear them until I'm under 120.




The past couple of days have been good for me. I walked (3 miles around the area) Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I feel so much better on days I get to do this. I'm proud of myself because I got up an hour earlier today to be able to walk. The day was beautiful and I really enjoyed it.

This weekend is going to be difficult. I'm going away for the weekend to a friend's wedding. I think I need to make a plan. I think I should buy some more Atkins shakes to have for breakfast while I'm away. A good protein-heavy breakfast always helps me. I'm allergic to eggs and breakfast is often the hardest meal of the day for me to deal with when I'm away from home.

So far, so good today with my eating. Keep it up!

[Meowser]

Good start to today. The scale read 124.6.

I met my mom for "lunch" (my breakfast) at John Harvard's Brew Pub. I had:
2 Diet Pepsis
7 wings with the really hot sauce
House salad with blue cheese dressing.

No bread! I walked past Rita's and all of the ice cream places in the mall. Yay me! Whenever I was tempted, I remembered my shoes and knew that it wasn't worth it.

My ego is stroked by the fact that I bought a "small" top. I know it's just an illusion, but I'm happy. [I usually take a "medium" top because I have large shoulders and I need a medium for my shoulders to fit. This top was a style where that wasn't a factor and the small fit better than the medium.] Now I just need to learn to see myself the way I really am. It's so hard to do that.

My fiance complimented by goal shoes last night.

[Meowser]

I had a last-minute schedule change that meant that I couldn't eat lunch at my normal time. Sometimes that leads to problems. Hopefully I'll be good toady. I have already eaten my lunch. Hopefully dinner will go well.

[Meowser]

The scale read 123.4 this morning! Yay! The scale is heading in the right direction and I feel better. It's so motivating.

I was able to get up an hour early to walk today. Beautiful day and a wonderful way to start the day.

This weekend will be difficult. I just need to remember that I feel great and I want to continue to feel great. And remember my shoes.

Here's my plan for the weekend:

• While I'm at home, continue to eat as normal
• Bring Atkins shakes to the hotel for breakfasts. If there's no fridge, keep them cold with ice.
• Eat "cleanly" at restaurants. No bread and no dessert.
• Enjoy the wedding and eat whatever I like, including cake and dessert. DO NOT OVEREAT.

[Meowser]

Well, the weekend didn't go so well.

I was good until we left for the hotel. We went out to a great Mexican restaurant where they make guacamole at your table. And I had way too many chips with it.

I forgot to pack the shakes, which made the weekend at the hotel too difficult. I ended up drinking an entire bottle of wine by myself. I didn't intend to, but the hotel glasses were much bigger than I thought. I did have buffalo wings for a snack/dinner.

Breakfast was a bagel and cream cheese. The food at the wedding was great! I only had 1 glass of champagne. I stuck with Diet Coke for the rest of the evening. There were cupcakes instead of wedding cake! They were so cute! I snacked on some Doritos after the wedding. I was hungry and it was the only thing around.

Breakfast the next morning was a buffet at the hotel. I had bacon, sausage, and french toast. As someone who is allergic to eggs and needs protein with breakfast, I HATE breakfast buffets.

After the wedding, when I got back home is when things got weird. So I wasn't as good at the wedding as I wanted to be. I was all set to get right back on. But I started feeling "funny". A weird pressure beneath my breast bone. And then both of my calves really swelled up. I stepped on the scale at one point and it was almost 130. Just a couple of days ago I weighed 123-124. Now I was swelled up with water retention to 130.

Luckily I'm feeling mostly better now.

I was able to eat mostly good throughout all of that. Yesterday (Wednesday) wasn't so good. I had a HUGE headache and felt weird. I ended up having 2 Hershey bars throughout the day. I think I may need to add some magnesium to my diet again. I wonder how cocoa powder over cottage cheese would taste?

Today was a weird day because I had to get up early to go to the vet. I had 1 Atkins shake before I left for the vet. Then I bought a large Quiznos sub on the way home. I had 1/2 of it for the rest of my breakfast/early lunch. The other half was my lunch/early dinner. I probably should have gotten the salad.

Oh well. I continue my effort.

[Meowser]

As always there's good and bad.

The bad? Friday was a bad day. I had a really bad headache that took a lot to get rid of. It was almost a migraine. Eyes sensitive to light, nausea, strong chocolate craving, bad headache. But the headache was just at bad headache level, not migraine level. 2 Advil, 2 Excederine, lots of soda, and too much chocolate got rid of it. Eating was good except for the 2.5 large Hershey bars. Which means it wasn't good at all. I also received bad news about my cat. She has mast cell tumors. We're still waiting for more tests and information. So, a very bad day.

The good? Saturday was good. So far Sunday has been good. I steped on the scale this morning and it read 124.2. That is continuing the downward trend since I bloated up.

I do have a headache today, but it's not as bad as Friday. I didn't try and be a drugless hero today. I had 2 Excederine with my breakfast which seems to have killed the headache.

[Meowser]

123.2!!

Doing good. Eating well, drinking water. I haven't been good about walking because I have too much stuff on my plate and too many things to do. That's the bad news.

[Meowser]

122 this morning! Success is so motivating!

I've got another difficult weekend (eating-wise) coming up, although it shouldn't be as difficult as the wedding weekend.

• I already have the Atkins shakes packed so I won't forget them! (And the hotel has a fridge)
• I've already packed some trail mix. It does have dried fruit and organic chocolate covered raisons, but experience has told me I need to have something like this available to me so I don't end up snacking on Doritos.
• We have a dinner reservation at a restaurant with great choices.
• We are packing our own picnic dinner for the long drive.
• I will make smart choices.

[Meowser]

I've been afraid to post here because of some results I didn't understand.

First of all, I thought my brother's graduation weekend went fairly well. Overall, I had too much appetizers and dessert when we ate out, but not too bad overall.

I came back from the weekend and my weight was obviously up a little it. I think it was a high 123.something one day. And then 124 the next day. Then 126.something! The day after that, I felt good and thin, like I feel when I've lost weight. But it was 126.0

I took my 3 mile walk on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! This result is not good.

I kept looking at my calendar to see when TOM was expected. It looked like the 6th or 7th. Which would mean that it was too early to be bloating. But TOM arrived this morning (as did a 125.0 on the scale). I'm very relieved that TOM was early and that can explain most of the bloating (and the 126 readings).

Since I got back from graduation weekend, I've done an excellent job with eating and drinking. Too much diet soda like always, but lots of water. I walked on several days.

Ok, sigh of relief. Hopefully all is good and I'm on track with nothing to worry about. Stupid TOM. It affects me more the older I get. Not to mention the more diet soda I drink.

Good things:
* DF and I made hamburgers and I didn't eat any buns!
* When I really wanted chocolate, I ate 2 squares of Lindt 85% dark chocolate.
* I've been drinking plenty of water.
* I walked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

[Meowser]

Again some confusing happenings prevented me from posting because I wanted to curl up in a little hole until all of my problems went away and I was at the perfect weight.

I have been VERY good. Eating exceptionally well and doing a lot of walking. But the number on the scale kept creeping up. Up past 126! I had been doing a lot of walking because my schedule allowed for it easily. Now I'm well aware that adding exercize can cause the number on the scale to go up, but it is extremely discouraging. In addition, my calves were HUGE. Not really swelling or bloating, but very large. I just don't know what's up. Wearing heels? Walking? Jergan's Healthy Glow mousturizer/tanning cream? Me gaining weight? Bloating?

Sunday morning, the scale read 124 - 2 pounds less than the day before and my calves looked and felt much better (more normal). I had the opportunity to go for my walk on Sunday, but I didn't go. Maybe I was doing too much?

Monday - 123-ish
Today - 122.2!!!!

OK. Movement in the right direction! I've been extremely good about eating and drinking. Except for the abundance of diet soda.

I'm glad that things are going so well right now. Very happy. But I know that that won't last. I'm going to New Orleans on Sunday to elope! And I will be enjoying the food. I will try to make good choices, but I will have some drinks and desserts. I can't go to New Orleans and not.

So be very good now. Enjoy New Orleans. And continue on when I get back.

I'm never going to get those shoes.

[Meowser]

122.0 this morning! Still doing very well with food.

[Meowser]

121.8 I forward progress!

Sadly today is the last "normal" day before I leave for New Orleans. The next 2 days I get up early for errands and then early again for the flight. I never seem to do as well when I get up early - even if I eat well all day. Oh well. Continuting to eat well until I leave is all I can do.

[Meowser]

Friday - 122.6
Saturday - 122.4

Almost exactly what I expected with both my normal pattern of bouncing up a bit after a new low and the fact that I usually weight a bit more when I get up earlier than normal.

I've been eating good! I even gave my fiance the flatbread from my Quiznos salad.

I'm off to New Orleans to get married!!! And I will enjoy the food. But I will do my best to watch myself and my portion sizes so I don't get too out-of-control.

[Meowser]

Wonderful trip to New Orleans! Great food, wonderful wedding! I feel like I ate well, ate what I wanted to (including beignets at Cafe du Monde twice - with a large Diet Coke both times ), enjoyed everything I ate (including a lot of fish), and didn't ever overeat or stuff myself!

My first full day back home was Saturday: 125.2
Sunday: 124.4
Monday (today): 122.2

Yay! Forward progress. I know most everything I 'gained' was water weight. I didn't drink anywhere near enough water on the trip.

I can't wait to go back! I've never eaten so well in my life!!

[crazyredhead]

Hi. Hope you don't mind my posting in your journal, but I was being nosy and reading through some journals and saw that you just got married in New Orleans! Congratulations! I just HAD to post... not only am I from CT as well... but my DH and I got married in New Orleans too (2003... we got married at the Maison Dupuy in the French Quarter). Sounds like you had a great time and ate well... I would do the same there myself . I have to ask... where did you guys eat?... actually, where did you get married? Just ignore me if I'm asking too many questions . It's just that I don't often hear of others who had a destination wedding there. I can't wait to go back either... we're planning to go back in 2008 for our 5th year anniversary... totally looking forward to it! Anyways... congrats again - best wishes to you and your DH!

[Meowser]

Wow, crazyredhead, I'm so happy to find someone who did the same thing!

We stayed at the Hotel Maison de Ville, a couple of blocks away from the Maison Depuy. Maison Dupuy was our second choice!

Where did we eat? Our first night there we just stopped by a nice spot that we wandered across. I think it was called the Chartres Cafe on the corner of Toulouse and Chartres.

The next night was Acme Oyster House for my fried oyster-loving husband.

The wedding night dinner was at Commander's Palace. I have never had a better combination of food, service, and atmosphere in my life! It surpassed all of the hype and my expectations.

Next came a Jazz Brunch at Court of Two Sisters. The food was average (for New Orleans, which is still better than most other places), but the atmosphere was amazing! Wonderful live music in a beautiful courtyard.

Dinner that night was at GW Fins - a fabulous fish restaurant. Again great food and great service!

On our last full day we had a large lunch at the Gumbo Shop. It was our only repeat restaurant from the time we visited in 1999.

Then there was my two trips to Cafe du Monde for 'breakfast' of beignets, Diet Coke, people watching, and live music one of the days.

Here's my thread about the wedding with a couple of photos...
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/sh...d.php?t=501176

We already want to go back and bring some friends with us!

[crazyredhead]

I clicked on the link and saw your photos... you two look cute and very happy... beautiful dress... handsome hubby... and the hotel looked very nice. We have never stopped in at that hotel but pretty sure I've passed it by. It's funny, we were a lot like you two... went for our first trip there one year, had a great time and fell in love with the place... no family or other connections to it. When we decided to get married we were looking into places in CT, but we wanted a small wedding and nothing here seemed to work or seemed to be what we wanted... DH is actually the one who suggested New Orleans... we had stayed at the Maison Dupuy that first trip and peeked in on a couple of weddings taking place there... he remembered. Once he made the suggestion, I was like... that's it! We invited a small group of family and friends (about 40 people) which was perfect and got married in the courtyard... it was beautiful. So glad our friends were there... some had been there before, others had never been, but everyone loved it and seemed to have a great time... you should definitely go back and bring your friends with you! All the food and places you went sound so good. We have yet to try Commander's Palace but that's definitely next on our list when we go back. We had a cocktail party the night before our wedding at the Red Fish Grill, and have enjoyed dinner at Bayona, Bourbon House, Nola, etc.... and of course who can't resist beignets at Cafe du Monde! I'll have to agree with your husband about fried oysters... my favorite... we didn't have them at Acme, but had them pretty much everywhere else we went! Anyways... congrats again... nice to meet you... feel free to stop by and say hi anytime... I've got a journal as well - the title starts with "peanut" - Hillary (aka crazyredhead, red, crazy )

[Meowser]

Many changes...

I was doing well with my eating and happy with the way my weight was heading. I was reading a thread with a lot of honest discussion about eating disorders, bad habits, and a dangerous slippery slope. I decided to make sure that I was eating healthy, not just eating for losing weight. That was responsible for a lot of my absece/silence on this journal. I was doing a lot of thinking.

Then I ended up in the hospital with diverticulitis.
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/be...past-week.html

Now eating for my health is the most important thing. I am currently on a low residue diet. Refined cards, not a lot of fruit or veggie options. I will be eating this way for another 3 weeks before I transition to a high fiber diet. The high fiber diet won't be a problem, but eating for heath is now MUCH more important to me than losing 3-5 pounds.

Because of all of that, I pulled out the red shoes today and I'm wearing them, even if I'm not at goal. I am home from the hospital and beginning a journey to being more healthful. And the shoes make me feel good about myself.





That being said... I need to find something better to eat for breakfast on this low residue diet. I need to get a protein on some kind in there. Cream cheese? A meat of some kind?

[Meowser]

Amazingly I haven't gained any weight on my low residue/low fiber diet. Maybe because I'm being careful about portion sizes.

The other truely interesting thing is that I'm actually feeling good about myself body image-wise. I think I look good and I feel good. That hasn't happened in a while!

I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I'm eating and living for health right now AND I'm happy with myself!

[Meowser]

I got the go-ahead from the doc to slowly start adding fiber back into my diet. And I have a colonoscopy scheduled.

I had some blueberries in my yogurt this morning! Yay!

This is going to be a difficult weekend for me. My schedule is disrupted and I'm doing things that often reduce the amount of water I drink. I'm going to need to be vigilent.

[Meowser]

Well, I'm at a stable point as far as adding fiber to my diet. I think I may need to add more. But first of all, I really should actually count the amount of fiber I'm eating.

Typical Breakfast:
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
2 slices whole wheat toast with butter
(2 fish oil pills)

Typical Lunch:
salad with romaine lettuce & baby spinach
celery and carrot pieces
feta cheese
meat chunks (usually grilled chicken thighs w/ creole seasoning and hot sauce)
2 Wasa crackers
(2 fish oil pills, 2 acidophilus, and pre-natal vitamin)

Typical Dinner:
Grilled chicken thigh w/ creole seasonings
veggie w/ olive oil and lemon juice (usually green beans or broccoli)
couscous

Snack:
1 or 2 cheese sticks


So that looks pretty good. BUT... (there had to be a but, right?)

I had a week of vacation followed by 3 days of work and then another 4 days off. That started with a wonderful meal at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and then went into a week of lots of cooking/baking by me. Including DH's birthday and a chocolate cake.

Over the course of the week, I really feel like I'm putting on weight and inches. And it makes me feel terrible and disgusting. But I'm more concerned about eating healthy. I really just need to make more effort to exercize/walk more often.

[Meowser]

Interesting note:

I had a small headache this evening and eating chocolate (M+Ms) cured it. Which usually means it was a magnesium deficiency headache. But I've been taking 400mg of magnesium odixe everyday since I left the hospital. TOM related? That started today.

[Meowser]

OK, I braved the scale yesterday morning.

127.something



I feel terrible. More difficult crossing my legs. Difficult to sit on my knees (does that even make sense ). Things not fitting. I spent yesterday miserable and "glumpy".

I'm so confused about what to eat. I know that low carb (mostly Protein Power) worked for me to lose weight. And I know that "they" (the doctors and conventional medical wisdom) want me to eat high fiber to prevent another diverticulitis attack. But finding the right combination of the two will be difficult. And confusing.

After feeling terrible yesterday, I decided to do something today. I bought two pairs of jeans in a larger size. Luckily for my ego, they are size 6s. Thank whoever for my small hips which mean I can wear a small jean size. Yes, today I'm happy about vaniety sizing. Wearing clothes that fit will make me look better, feel better, and be much more likely to do something about my weight/health.

I walked both Saturday and Sunday. That's got to be a good thing.

I'm changing my stats to try and make myself more accountable.

And I really NEED to work on my self-esteem and body image.

[Meowser]

125.0



Well, that makes me feel better, but I'm still a bit confused. Was it water? Did I really lose 2 pounds in 2 days? I really doubt it. Is is proof that was "reacting" badly to the couscous?

I did eat "good" for those 2 days. I watched portion size (which I know was creeping up). I replaced the whole wheat toast for breakfast with a whole apple and some natural