Just Do It's Route to Management

[Mrs Lard]

Oh Claire

Thank you for such a fantastic answer. And for such honesty.

What you wrote is amazing and just chimes with what I am thinking - total immersion. It also relates to something that Sarah/Cerulean wrote about continuous listening to Paul McKenna.

When I did my finals, I had an audio-cassette (LOL!) about passing exams; I used to play it about 10 times a day - minimum. I felt it was what I needed to get through, since I had always messed up exams pretty spectacularly until that point.

Somewhere, on here, I started a thread about eating in secret so it might be useful to see that. My take on secret eating - now - is that it's part of addictive behaviour. But that's a whole other post! We never discussed it in class - I don't think. Can't remember.

Quotes...I have only just learnt to do this and I am happy to share. When you are typing in the Quick Reply box, you see all the icons above - the one for bold (B), italics (I) and underline (U). If you look along that list, at the end, is a square 'bubble' with some lines it it.

If you press that, the words come up. You just insert the relevant quote inbetween.

Not sure if that makes sense?! Now, who can tell us how to insert the little faces?!?!?

Thanks again for answering. Really appreciate that and I am going to comment some more, later. We are having a total house crisis and I am struggling all by myself but we will get there!

LOL!

Big kiss.

Mrs Lxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Goombagirl]

JDI and Mrs L, hi, this is really interesting! Must come back later and think about it - we're about to go off to take the German exchange student for some traditional fish and chips! Needless to say I shall not be partaking - just eating a couple of scan bran to ward off any hunger pangs. I spent some weeks listening to the management CDs over and over and found that helpful. Good luck with the house Mrs L - you're on the final straight!

 

[Just Do It]

Hi everyone.
I've been really busy for the last few days building my kitchen cabinets and chipping plaster off walls. I can hardly lift my arms today because I did a 7 hour stint yesterday with a mallet and chisel. My OH has a tendency to do DIY in bits and pieces, a bit of plastering, a bit of painting build a few units. I didn't want to put up our new shiny white units and then chip the plaster off the walls and scratch them. So I am frantically chipping as fast as I can to beat him to it!

But still sticking to RTM. Well, sticking to it food list wise. But quantity wise I had a bit of an issue last week. I realised that I was having far too much fruit, and it seemed to be grapes that would trigger it all off. Once I had one, that was me off, I found it very hard to stop. My calories for the day were OK but it was the feeling of being out of control I didn't like.

It seemed to be much worse on the day I made the vegetable curry for tea. The curry tasted great, and I ate plenty of it, but it was not satisfying at all. Even as I ate it I realised that it wasn't doing it for me, that I would have to have extra fruit to compensate.

I tried eating grapes as I know they give me a bloated feeling and I thought that would suffice. But it didn't. So I had peaches and still felt like I needed more. I was pleased that my thoughts were only looking to the food lists for options, I wasn't contemplating carbs or protein. But I recognised that feeling from my past as needing something to satisfy my urge.

Despite feeling uncomfortably full (large vegetable curry including the first garlic and spices since April, huge quantity of grapes, 6 unripe peaches - my stomach was protesting loudly) I decided to have an extra bar and a cup of tea.

As soon as I was eating it I realised that it was Doing It for me. It was what I had been looking for.

I spent a long time mulling over what had gone wrong. I came to the conclusion that part of it was a simple matter of food texture. Curry and other mushy foods have no bite or crunch. My jaw needs to work to feel like it has had a proper meal. And I need a savoury element, the new peanut bar really did it for me. I can see me using them long into the future.

I fell asleep on the sofa as soon as I had finished the bar and crashed to bed at 9:30. The next day I had a huge headache and I reckon it was the garlic. My sister informed me that people can get Garl-overs. So I may be steering clear of that in future too.

The good news was that in the morning I did not feel like eating more, or that I had totally lost the plot. I felt like I had learned a lesson in that I should have had the bar a lot sooner, instead of the curry and fruit, and been satisfied. I also upped my water for the day as I realised I had not been keeping a close eye on it.

I reckon that I operate much better when I have a plan and focus for the day.

Anyway, back to the chipping.

 

[Just Do It]

Hi again
I still haven't managed to get on to Minis much. Been really busy building those units and a week later and I am still chipping off plaster. It will be worth it though because there is a lovely stone wall underneath. The rest of the kitchen is a modern extension so I am trying to get a bit of character in there. I am waiting for everyone to wake up before I start this morning.

I think I have discovered what may be a pattern for me for a long time to come. I feel best when I am in control, trying to reach a goal. I find it too loose and undefined when I have achieved that goal and just have to maintain it. It is the same for the house. If it is an absolute tip I can focus and put all of my energy into tidying it up till it looks great. However once it has reached that state I seem unable to keep it like that. I have to let it get back to a state so I can work on it again.

I realised this after I had been eating a lot of fruit last week and not really counting my water. I got on the scales and a pound had crept back on. Well I decided to get it straight back off and so for the next couple of days I was stricter witht the fruit and made sure I had the water and the pound came straight off.

I thought how easy it had been and if I have to live like this where I may put on 2 lbs and then spend a few days getting them back off I could live like that. I was not stressed about doing it, I didn't feel a great pressure just a calmness. And yes, it made a huge difference being at goal weight.

I had always wondered if it would be different 'being there' and dealing with my weight, and it definitely is. I can go to the mirror and not see the extra pound but just know I don't want it on, but that it is not the end of the diet for it to be there.

I also absorbed another part of the RTM book yesterday, and realised the relevance of it last night.

I read the part about feeling like I would be deprived if I didn't gorge myself, and then the book goes on to say how the food will still be there tomorrow.

Well last night being Saturday and DVD night, with everyone munching on crisps I felt like munching but I had eaten my full amount for the day.

I kept being niggled by that picky feeling and then I remembered that part of the book and thought, I can always eat it tomorrow. I was surprised how that made me feel. I realised I could wait til tomorrow for more fruit/bar/yogurt. And I relaxed and forgot all about it.

And it is now tomorrow, the food is still there and now I can have some!

 

[Mrs Lard]

Dear Claire

Well done! You are doing so well, in spite of the one pound gain (which you say you don't want - not me making a judgement!).

Your post makes so much sense; I am days away from moving in!!! After five months of living in a B&B and eight months in a house that time forgot, it's going to be strange to be in a modern kitchen. But exciting!

I think the challenge for both of us, and others, is to find peace when we get 'there', wherever 'there' is and whatever weight 'there' represents.

If you like the idea of a constant challenge, you might like this website FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home. It's full of wisdom. At first, it seems like a platform for housetidying but don't be deceived. The FLY acronym stands for finally loving yourself!

Take care and thanks for posting, as always.

What is your daily count now?

Big kiss.

Mrs Lxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Just Do It]

Hi Mrs L I'm counting in months now!! Yippee. One month. I have maintained my weight for one month.

I think I am relaxing a bit about it too. The two pound buffer will work for me - I think I need to keep my boundaries tight.

I am so surprised to find that while my food choices are growing week by week, I find I am choosing to have foods from week 1 and 2 and I think that is from personal preference and not from fear of weight gain.

I have tried not to think in terms of what I traditionally like or don't like. In the past any meal choice would have had to contain a huge amount of carbohydrates, for me any thing that did not contain that was automatically discounted. As carbs aren't on my list yet, I have focussed on what will satisfy me and leave me feeling good. And my choices astound me.

I am enjoying raw vegetables, feeling satisfied after a meal of yogurt and grapes, trying a sweet potato and now intending to incorporate them on a daily basis. (I would have had one today but when I rang my 14 year old daughter and asked her to pick me up 3 from the post office she was distracted by her new boyfriend! and got me 3 new potatoes -aargh I am now totally craving that sweet potatoey taste and texture, I am poised waiting for the accountant to ring so I can then dash down and buy them for myself - microwave is on stand-by with the door open)

Protein is not much of an attraction to me, I don't really feel like I want a great deal of it. If my plate is full of crunchy textured salad or veg and drizzled with my highly expensive birthday balsamic vinegar then I am happy!

Right thats it, I'm ringing the accountant myself, just typing the words sweet potato has totally distracted me.

Week 6 tomorrow and I can't wait for those dried cranberries - is it really me saying that!!!

 

[chunkychicken]

Hi JDI

I come seeking wisdom - Oh wise and wonderful Claire!
I am on week five about to start week 6 tomorrow. I am really struggling with this two protein meals a day malarky. In fact I have had a couple of really bad days food wise and am trying to get back on track. Nothing dreadfully off programme, but just been very stressed out over the weekend and that meant that I was sort of picking at food instead of planning meals properly and consequently my weight has crept up a couple of pounds (TOTM as well which is never good scales-wise)
I was just hoping that you could give me some idea what you have been doing on a average day with the 2nd protein meal? Then I can copy you in a schoolgirl cheat kinda way until I get my head a bit straighter and can make my own choices. Just need a bit of a leg-up pretty please.

Many thanks Claire - or anyone else for that matter (only bothering Claire because this is her thread)

Chunky - stresshead - Chicken
xx

 

[Just Do It]

Hi Laura,
You may see from my other threads that I too am stressing, but about other things!

I know what you mean about the two protein meals. How to fit them in is a bit odd. I started making soup as well and realised that it just totally threw me out of synch. I am actually looking forward to week 6 because I have decided to have avocado and some seeds instead of any protein.

But looking at last weeks meals I don't seem to have had a typical day (building the kitchen has knocked me out of balance as well, trailing out to get water through the rubble on the floor etc, driving me mad and it has been going on for months!!)

This was my Week 5 Day 5 menu

Breakfast
Tea and black coffee and LL new nut bar 190 cals

Mid morning
Russet apple 40 cals

Lunch
Sweet potato baked in microwave 100 cals
Two slices thin cooked turkey breast 20 cals
Sliced green, red and yellow peppers, lettuce drizzled with balsamic vinegar 10 cals
Apple 40 cals
Yogurt 100 cals

Snack
2 kiwis 70 cals
2 plums 40 cals
Apple 40 cals
Yogurt 100 cals

Snack
Small tin of pears 40 cals
Yogurt 50 cals
Raw turnip 10 cals

Dinner
Fritata made by dry frying peppers mushrooms and cherry tomatoes then when cooked adding two eggs whisked with skimmed milk and chopped chives 150 cals (eggs) 25 cals in veg
Small slice of ham chopped on top when set 10 cals
Lettuce and balsamic 5 cals
Sliced peaches 35 cals
Yogurt 100 cals

Black coffee
Another LL bar 190 cals

Total cals 1365

Wow, all that food, looks loads there. Still, it was Saturday, I was in by myself chipping the plaster off the walls and had loads of breaks for all those snacks. But toal cal wise I suppose it is OK, I did my optimim calorie allowance on NutritionData.com NutritionData's Nutrition Facts Calorie Counter and it came out as 1830 so I still have room left. That seems amazing to think I could have had more because that looks like so much written down.

Look at your Week 4 loss!

I think we need to relax and just enjoy what we have.

Hope that helps

Claire

 

[chunkychicken]

Hi Claire

That is so helpful I can't tell you. I think I have got stuck in a comfortable rut just having soup for lunch and that must be what was throwing me with trying to get in more protein. But I think it must be time for a change because I have found myself upping my snacks consistantly as the week has gone on. I don't think the tiny amount of protein I have been having is quite enough anymore and it is time to move on with the programme.
Your frittata sounds to die for and I will be making one tonight.
I seem to have lost all interest in cooking this week and that has not helped much - just feeling very lack lustre and opening the fridge door - then shutting it again and wandering over to the fruit bowl when a lovely well balanced cooked meal didn't leap out at me. Funny really because when I was on Abstinance all I could think about was cooking - but this week I just couldn't be arsed.
Think I just have too much on my plate currently so need to take a deep breath and calm down.
I replied to your other thread and must pologise again if it wasn't very diplomatic - but us LL girls need to stick together.
Thanks for your swift reply I feel much better already
Take care
Laura

p.s. great week 4 loss but unless the scales change I have undone some of that good work this week (boo hoo !)

 

[Just Do It]

Well,
I'm back from my weekend away - my first real taste of going off plan since April.

I don't feel I can say it was a lapse because I knew I was going away and I knew I was going to allow myself some freedom.

I was aware that I was very much looking forward to my two nights of dining in a restaurant. And I really did enjoy them. I knew I would be aeating foods not on my Week 6 list, but I knew I would be being silly to try and stick to them, and also not realistic. After all when I finish management I will face meals out, I guess I wanted to see how I would manage a real selection of food.

I dropped the kids at my sister-in-laws and we got to the hotel as soon as possible. Part of the thrill of going was the new outfits I had bought. What a difference it makes being able to choose what to take and to feel excited about it, rather than wearing the only pair of trousers I could fit into and taking up a cheap pair of quickly bought 18/20 s in the car on the way so I would have another pair of clean ones (so many previous holidays had been like that).

I had booked my OH in for a relaxing massage and I went to the gym to work up a sweat, then I dressed in my ridiculously short cream sweater dress, sheer tights and knee length boots. I don't want to sound boastful but I looked like something from a James Bond movie! My OH was impressed, after dinner he said how much he had enjoyed seeing other men eying me up!

So I sat with the menu and made my choices slowly. My prime criteria was what I would enjoy, knowing that now I really like salads and crunchy textures, I was also choosing what I wouldn't make at home. I decided to have a more fattening starter on night one, with a healthier option main course and then swap them for the next night and have a healthier starter.

So I plumped for a Tartlet of wild mushrooms followed by tuna steak on salad nicoise.

I haven't been a fish lover at all in the past but I had a fascination to try the tuna steak and I reckoned if I didn't like it the nicoise would be nice.

The mushrooms came in a creamy sauce and the tartlet bit was a pastry case. I ate about 3 small pieces of the pastry and a third of the mushrooms. I savoured the flavour but felt quite content after that and gave the rest to my OH. (We are going to try to get him on the Cambridge Diet ASAP)

My Tuna steak was good, the salad tasty but drenched in oil. I ate most of it and was very pleased with my choices. Our friends joined us and started their meal so by the time we had waited for them to catch up it was a while before the dessert course. I chose Lemon Torte as I love it and I wanted to have something special. But the portion wasn't too big and I ate it all, and enjoyed it.

So I felt the first meal had gone well. The rest of the weekend went well too, breakfast was easy relly, with fruit and yogurt and bacon and egg, there wasn't anything off my list even. The second dinner I chose melon, strawberry and kiwi, which was actually my first choice based on what I wanted, then confit of lamb with some off piste creamed potatoes and steamed veg. Very tasty but I only managed half the lamb and two thirds of the potato, so I was pleased. Then Raspberry panacotta and raspberry sorbet. The others were all jealous of my delicious choice and I gave them half to fight over.

The last breakfast was a bit more out of control. I had developed fluey symptoms and got up about 6 and went to sit in the restaurant with a pot of tea. I had a breakfast of fruit, yogurt and porridge. But after a swim I was back at 9:30 with the others and had a second breakfast.

My head was feeling fuzzy and I was conscious that I was not focusing on making the right choices but was maybe treating myself from a child ego state. I had another bowl of porridge, bacon, egg and a sausage (I wasn't pleased with that choice, even though I ate it) and a slice of toast and butter.

And that was holiday food over.

Will I be back to week 6 of management?? That is the question. Well, really it comes down to whether or not I want a sausage and a slice of toast and a second bowl of porridge to spoil my LL success. They are the things I had not planned for in advance. That was my lapse. Thats why I'm writing so much here, to purge myself and make me see that really it was a very success ful week end management-wise.

And I am back on week 6 today, I weighed half a pound more this morning than before I went - no big deal, I can fluctuate like that normally.

So I am looking forward to Week 7, although no new thrilling choices to add to the list, legumes and pulses hardly make me shriek with excitement.

 

[iceycold]

Well done, I'm really pleased you enjoyed your weekend, you had so been looking forward to it.
I'm delighted to hear you now like salad and fish, I hope I copy you, that would be a real bonus for me.

 

[Just Do It]

Hi there,
Its been a while since I reported on my progress. It has been a difficult week for me, not LL or food wise, but just on a personal level. Lets just say I didn't get to my LL class last week, the first one I have ever missed. So I didn't have any food packs and was just about to start week 7, the one where legumes and pulses get added, 2 meals a day and two food packs.

So I found out I wasn't going to class and had no packs. I had to make a choice, what to do? I decided I could go to week 8 where staples are added, but only added to one meal a day, or I could shop around for some sort of bar to use as a substitute. I talked to my LLC and decided to go for the skip a week option. I tried to think through what I could have for my meals. As I reasoned through it in my head I realised that it wasn't going to work. I couldn't get by with staples added to one meal only, and not have the LL bars to get me through the rest of the day. They are my chewing life line.

The two bars gives me stability, I know they are there and I know they satisfy me. Also if I go out I can take one and know it is there if I need it.

I decided to go for the replacement bar route. I know that nutritionwise I would be lacking but I was going for mental stability. So I bought some Geo bars, 130 cals per bar and similar in texture to the new nut bars.

In retrospect I think that was the best decision because my week was so bizarre and uncomfortable, I would have been too far away from my routine without them. I need to do this management as close as possible to the book.

So I have stuck to the food lists (bar the bars) and WILL be going to class this week, no matter what.

A couple of times over the last few days I have felt incredibly peckish and have over indulged on sultanas, raw turnip and tinned peaches.

I know they are on the list but I am not going to let my old habits return. It would be so easy to get drawn back into the constant nibbling habit, and then replace the current choices with the old cheese and bread choices.

But this morning I had a moment of startling clarity. I am going to do a new thread about it because it was such a breakthrough for me.

Bye for now

Claire

 

[Just Do It]

Made it to Week 8, the start of staples.

Bread, rice and potatoes can be added this week.

This week came just in time because we went out for my daughters birthday to a pizza and pasta place. I have always loved pasta and I was looking forward to it. In the past I would have chosen a tomato sauce, always thinking about my weight. But I tried to pick healthily and also what I would really like. I ended up with a sauce that was tomato and cream with pine nuts, it was the pine nuts I really wanted.

I was disappointed with it, although it tasted good enough. I found the sauce too much and drained most of it off, I had parmesan on it as it is not often I go out and I decided I would have it. But I felt hungry after I had finished the bowl. I was a bit worried - would I always find I needed to eat trough size quantities of pasta to fill up?

I was so not full I decided to have a dessert and had fruit salad. I felt loads better after that. I know I need to feel satisfied after a meal to stop me thinking about snacks.

I wondered if I had been unsatisfied because there was no salad with the pasta. The next day I had pasta with salad nicoise and this time it was much better. I didn't even eat the full porion as I didn't need it.

Result, if I have staples I need to have salad with it to keep me happy.

I also noticed that I felt full for longer after having the pasta, or potato, and that I was happy with the quantities allowed. I didn't need huge amounts.

I also noted this week that it makes a huge difference to the day making sure you drink the water. It really does help to keep the thought of snacks at bay.

 

[Just Do It]

It is time for me to come clean. I haven't been posting or even reading on Minis recently and I have been trying to work out why.

And it is because I feel like I am a fake and a fraudster. I confessed to my LLC the other day and I am feeling much clearer now in my mind. The problem was that I felt like I was doing RTM by sticking to the food lists and 'doing it properly', and posting on here about sticking to it. However, I was getting out of control with a couple of the things on the food lists, namely dried fruit and nuts.

I was starting to snack on them, especially sultanas, in a way that I felt was not right. It reminded my of my old eating habits where anything and everything would automatically find its way into my mouth without me even thinking about it.

I wasn't doing it all of the time, but I didn't use any self-discipline to try to write a thought record or anything like that, I was aware of it being wrong but did nothing about it. When I told my sister she said it doesn't matter because I could do with gaining a few pounds.

That wasn't the point. I do NOT want to substitute one bad habit for another, albeit healthier option. Especially when I am about to come on to my trigger weeks. I was getting really guilty feelings about it and starting to panic that I would not be able to keep the weight off.

My LLC was very helpful. My weight had actually come down a couple of pounds this week. She could see I was beating myself up about the guilt I was feeling and told me to relax. She said it hadn't affected my weight, I have not gained over the last 10 weeks of management. She said I had a controlling negative critical parent thing going on. My previous LLC had not done any counselling and so my current (new) LLC talked me through things really well.

Since then I have really thought about it. I have managed to maintain my weight really well. I don't have to be perfect, and I can still post on minis! I have tried to relax a bit and actually I have not done the continuous eating without thought since LL. I have decided that I can allow sultanas in the house, but I will only have the nuts when I am having a meal out. That means buying a 0% Fat Total SINGLE pot of yogurt and a small bag of fruit and nuts. It feels like a treat and it is gone, no more to tempt me.

So far it is working well.

I am also being more diligent about writing my food journal. I had lapsed a bit since my perfect start.

There, I have got it off my chest! It feels a lot better now.

 

[Mrs Lard]

Dear Claire

Welcome back! I think you have been amazingly honest and as my LLC always says, each lapse/stray/eating off piste is an opportunity to learn. And you have been learning.

I just wanted to send you a hug over the internet and hope that you will not be too hard on yourself.

With love

Mrs Lxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[sun]

Claire

I so really admire you, you ae truly inspirational, focused and diligent, and you put me to shame.

Yes I am only a week behind you on management and yes I have been maintaining, but very painfully!
I also missed a week last week due to illness and did not get any packs albeit 1 a day now.

I have to admit that I have not followed the food plan for the last 4 weeks, Yes I have gotten away with it just, I had my first gain when I weighed myself at home of 4lbs (have lost 2 again) thank god,

I have given in to my cravings and realised if I continue I will start gaining.

I am beating myself up as in my mind I look bigger although the gauntness does go as you 'puff up' once into management.

I just so admire your dedication in counting calories and airing your warts and all feelings.

xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Wobbly71]

how are you getting on? are you still at goal weight?