Mandy's 2009 Journey

[PalmTreeGal]

156.6

Back on plan for 3 days now.

I start my new job July 1, will be moving in early June. Just in time to escape the horrible MD summer!

[PalmTreeGal]

155.0

Cream cheese pancakes for breakfast today - ugly but yummy. They fell apart and looked burned.

I am going to look for some inexpensive clothes today, nothing fits at this in-between point and we're going to DC to meet friends for dinner tonight.

[PalmTreeGal]

156.8

We had a really delicious dinner in DC - I stayed LC on my entree but I had tastes of other people's food - one rib with sauce, one of my husband's pumpkin ravioli, one french fry, one taste of cinnamon ice cream. Plus I ate a ton before we left for DC and more after we got home, so having that number up is no more than I deserve.

I have not been very hungry lately but have been eating out of habit and anxiety. I am going to change that this week and only eat when I am hungry! Except for lunch at work, I have to eat when someone comes to relieve me or I won't get lunch at all. Also it can be hard to tell when I am hungry, it's not the raving "must eat" feeling I got before LC.

[PalmTreeGal]

156.6

Things are moving along. I told my boss I was resigning today, and fixed my last day as June 4. Now I am diving into this enormous pile of paperwork required before I can work at the new place. They want proof I am not color blind . . .??? No one has ever asked me that before!

I think I am going to exercise tonight (no promises) I really want to get this show on the road and at least be in the 140s by the time I move back home.

[Livywilltim-mom]

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

WAHOOOOO!! I think a goal of the 140s is so great! You can do this

Hugs

[PalmTreeGal]

I am still "on plan" and in ketosis, but I have been eating crazy amounts of food. I've been very anxious, I guess with all the change coming up. I am mad at myself and I really want to be losing again, but I just keep eating and eating! The blessing of LC is that I'm not gaining, just holding steady.

[Debralynn]

Wow Mandy!

Congrats on the job! I'll bet your boss was crushed when you gave her your notice.

Are you headed back to LA? Good timing!

Here's to a good week!

[PalmTreeGal]

Deb! So happy to see you! You'll get right on track and feel so much better soon.

No, not CA - we are going home to VT. We still have a house there and we miss our friends and the community. We leave early June. I have felt so much better, lighter and less depressed since I got the job and the move has become definite. We just have not been able to make this place "home."

So I am finally feeling ready to get serious about losing again. I will not make my goal of 145 for our French trip, but I am proud I haven't gained during these weeks where my commitment was low. I had some off-plan days but mostly stuck to LC and gained maybe 2 pounds at the most. I was eating waaaay too much food and too many calories.


So this week I am restricting myself to 3 meals and snacks have to be small, like a few strips of bacon or some olives. No gorging on homemade LC sweet treats. Until Friday I am going a little more Induction-ish - no fruit, no yogurt, no nuts. Stickin' to the meat, dairy and veggies.

Today:

B: Coffee with cream
L: Salad from cafeteria: lettuce, bacon, chicken, tomato, onion, cheese, Ranch
S: Protein shake with protein powder, 1 egg, 1 tb CO, cocoa powder, Almond Breeze, erythritol and Splenda.
D: homemade chili (no beans) topped with cheese, olives and sour cream

I'm not planning on recording my meals every day but right now it helps.

My weight has been bouncing around 154-156.

I'm going to enjoy myself in France and deal with the inevitable gain.

DH is away for three nights for work, I hate that!

[Livywilltim-mom]

Hi Mandy!

Your plan for the week sounds great! Remind me, when do you leave for France? I LOVED my trip to London and Paris...those were the days! Just DH and me I ADORE my children, but the memories of things we have done are fantastic!

Sorry you are alone, I am always glad we got a dog when DH is away, I feel more secure.

Hugs

[PalmTreeGal]

Still here, not losing. I've been good this week and seen the exact same weight every day, which made me frustrated enough to eat some of the not-very-tasty stuff at a work luncheon today. It was so not worth it - brownies from a mix and a blueberry coffee cake which was about as fluffy as a rock. I'm feeling frustrated and disappointed in myself.

I have some Chocolate Pots de Creme (jacksmixtape's recipe) in the oven. After my screw-up today I wanted so bad to swing by Target and buy a bunch of Easter candy. Figured I'd make a really decadent LC treat instead in hopes that I will stay on track.

Jaimie, we leave for France the night of April 10. Fly all night, change planes in London and arrive in Paris late morning. I'm making hotel reservations right now and am finding that the budget hotels are mostly booked up. I should have done this a while ago.

[Livywilltim-mom]

Today is a new day friend! Don't let your crappy food choices yesterday affect how you eat today

Good luck with the reservations...I hope you find what you need!

Hugs

[Debralynn]

Oh, I long for the days of European holidays! On our last one, I got pregnant with DS#1! Wanderlust has set back in.

You will have to tell us everything so that I can live vicariously through you!

Believe it or not, I doubt you will gain. You are bound to do a tremendous amount of walking, so things tend to even out.

[PalmTreeGal]

I will tell everything when I get back, promise!

We fly into Paris, spend three days there seeing some major sights, then take the high-speed train to Nantes where I spent a semester abroad. A night there then a few days exploring Brittany including Mont-St-Michel. Our anniversary night we spend in a B&B in Chartres (DH is an architect so the cathedral is of interest to him), then back for one last night in Paris.

I am still struggling hard with the food, two days on, two days off - getting really mad at myself! Finally I said I am reinducting this week and I will stay on Induction until we get on that darn plane! So I have a huge pork shoulder roasting in the oven, that's always my go-to when I need to have tons of fatty protein available. My only Induction tweak is that I can't eat two cups of salad a day, I just don't like the salad veggies much. So I just eat three cups of any (on plan) veggie. And don't count the carbs. Limit cream and cheese of course.

My weight isn't going up much, oddly. I was 158 Friday, 157.2 yesterday, 157 today. Hopefully few pounds of water will fall off in Induction.

[PalmTreeGal]

Weight is still YUCKY! I don't want to tell. Still under 160 thank goodness.

Doing okay on day 2 of reinducting. It's the funniest thing, I do well when I start Induction by making a huge pork shoulder. It helps because it's fatty and tasty and satiating, but I think I also tend to stick with it because I would feel guilty wasting all that pork!

I got into ketosis in under 48 hours this time - happens much faster if I'm not eating nuts, fruit, yogurt (duh!).

I am struggling with the fact that it will be very hard to meet my goal for the conference in August now, because I have goofed off for so long. It is so important to me to look good again when I see my classmates and professors! Maybe that will motivate me to get exercising????

[Debralynn]

You can do it!

Please don't stress yourself out over it. You don't need to make yourself weak or sick before your trip. It sounds glorious.

What are you packing? Have you shopped for any new clothes? (Oh, I love shopping for a trip!)

[PalmTreeGal]

156.8

Love droppin' water in ketosis!

Deb, I am not real excited about packing/shopping because I still feel fat and terrible about my weight. I am just bringing jeans and some light knit tops, and one nice outfit that consists of black pants, a tank top and one of those gauzy cardigans that you can tie at your waist. Some comfy shoes for sight-seeing and some fancier ones to go with the nice outfit.

Hope by that August trip I will be excited about clothes!

[PalmTreeGal]

154.0

Woo hoo! 154 is my lowest weight - I've seen it before but thought it would take longer to get there after all this off-plan time. Makes me bummed that I will be gaining all this hard-lost weight back in France. But it is silly and setting myself up for failure to think I can eat LC there. What I KNOW will happen is I will give in after a day or two and then hate myself. Better to start off without those expectations.

I am really sick of Induction foods, I forgot how much I hate doing this. I think I better add some fruits/yogurt/nuts before I go nuts and eat another bag of Mini Eggs.

[NewYorkGiants32]

Congratulations Mandy!

I think you have the right attitude about your trip. In my humble opinion, may as well enjoy the food-you only live once and how many times will you be going to Paris. I know considering the source, it may not be the laid out plan, but I say enjoy yourlself!

[PalmTreeGal]

157.0

Yow - that would be the result of a bacon OD yesterday. Yum.

I made jacksmixtape/Lauren's Chocolate Silk Pie with PB crust yesterday. DH and I are both enjoying it but I'm afraid I won't lose eating something so decadent, even if there are only 10 carbs per slice.

Went to the doctor today and I was 161 by their scale and at the last appt I had been 170. So both the nurses and the doc commented on it, which was nice.

[Livywilltim-mom]

Hi Mandy!

You know, if I remember well...and that's debatable...for sure...you will have lots of LC options in France. There are so many yummy meats and butter sauces! Of course, the French pastry is not to be missed...but honestly, we walked and walked so much, it kept the pounds down.

ENJOY yourself

Hugs

[marley1218]

Hello everyone , Im new and wanted to know how to start a journal like PalmtreeGal. Or how to start a thread.....Its day two for me , want to lose 20 pds by June , doing great so far !

[PalmTreeGal]

I had GREAT time, but brought home an unwanted souvenir. Nasty French cold/flu which led to secondary bacterial infection. It's felt like I was swallowing broken glass for almost 5 days now. Went to the doc today and got some antibiotics and cough syrup and feel much better already.

Despite this we had a really nice time and I was pleased to find I could still get by with my French. The people were very patient and seemed to appreciate my efforts. It really makes you feel dumb, struggling with a language when you are used to being in charge of your own life!

I didn't write my weight down the last few days before I left, but I was only 155.8 today and that's "all carbed up." However I know I'm badly dehydrated and haven't eaten much the last few days because swallowing hurt so much. So we'll see where the weight goes as I lose the water weight from carbs and gain some that I've lost through dehydration.

I ate lots of French goodies and didn't stress about it. DH loves crepes and I think we had them for 5 meals total. Yum.

Off to check everyone's journals!

[steady]

Welcome back! Sorry you are not feeling well...but TG for antibiotics...I try to stay away from meds as long as I can so they work when I really need them. Feel better soon. I can't wait to read about your progress and achieving your weightloss goals. When are you moving to VT? DH has an interview at the end of the month in Las Vegas...I am excited but also nervous. My whole life can change in an instant...I am not sure I am ready...but would I ever be?

[steady]

PTG--I totally understand. There is a mentality that in order to succeed in weightloss we have to focus on weightloss; and actually I think I lost the most weight when I wasn't completely focused 24/7 on losing weight. I have a tendency to "hyperfocus" and find that backing away from LCF is necessary and healthy. LCF is quite an entertaining place but it is easy to get wrapped up in the latest "tweak" to the point that it pollutes our judgment and actually distracts us from building a long term WOE/WOL. I totally get it...what you experienced in France is similar to what I experienced there...they are just much more relaxed about food that there is no need to stuff their faces I am eating a few more carbs a day and my mood has dramatically improved therefore outlook on life has improved, and even my view of food and eating has improved.

I don't want to minimize all the "good" this site provides to those struggling with diet and weight, but LCF is now a source of entertainment for me (sort of like TV shows). but I love hearing about different diets and people's progress because I don't think that an one diet is best and I can totally understand their struggle. I've been there and still there are days I still struggle to balance my diet. I do keep my journal on here, but often think about moving it into a Google doc.

PTG- You have so many great things to look forward to...new job, moving back "home", your life perspective. Don't let all this good get overshadowed by focusing on weightloss...life is too short. See you around.

[Livywilltim-mom]

Mandy!

Sorry you are sick

Hope you come back soon to update us on your plans.

Hugs

[PalmTreeGal]

158.0

I made an ate a whole batch of artichoke dip yesterday, so I'd bet a pound or two of that is water!

So I've been home a week and just got back on board today. We are going out of town Tues-Sun so that will be hard but it is just to CA so I won't feel the need to sample the culture through the food! I am having a hard time getting the interest in shopping and cooking that this requires. It's not so much craving the bad foods as not wanting to take the trouble to make the good ones.

Once we get home it will be time to start arranging details of the move. I'm not excited.

[PalmTreeGal]

155.4

Well wouldja look at that! I didn't do anything to earn it. Just ate on plan one freakin' day. Seeing that number really gave me a lift and made me feel like this is possible. Silly how the numbers have such a huge influence.

[PalmTreeGal]

I'm back from CA and had a wonderful time. I'm thinking I will be around here less. I had a couple off-plan days related to having some miserable respiratory infection and am now back on plan. But I am starting to think that being here causes obsession which puts me under more stress than I need. So don't be worried if I lie low for a while!

[NewYorkGiants32]

Originally Posted by PalmTreeGal

I'm back from CA and had a wonderful time. I'm thinking I will be around here less. I had a couple off-plan days related to having some miserable respiratory infection and am now back on plan. But I am starting to think that being here causes obsession which puts me under more stress than I need. So don't be worried if I lie low for a while!

I understand what you mean. Sometimes it is so draining to write about my diet (or lack of) to talk about carbs and exercise. I just now updated my journal, prior to that it had been awhile. Sometimes there are some interesting threads in the Playground that is a nice distracting from low carb.

Anyhow-good luck with whatever you decide.

[Lizbeth927]

Originally Posted by PalmTreeGal

I'm back from CA and had a wonderful time. I'm thinking I will be around here less. I had a couple off-plan days related to having some miserable respiratory infection and am now back on plan. But I am starting to think that being here causes obsession which puts me under more stress than I need. So don't be worried if I lie low for a while!

I know what you mean too!! I've been staying away more often lately also...being on here can be great for the support, but it really does start to drive obsession in me after a while. Diet and weight-loss is NOT the most important thing in life (in my opinion anyway!), and it's nice to remind myself of that on a regular basis