Getting Healthy Check-In

hooligans4

Hope everyone's week was amazing.

This check-in is for anyone trying to be healthier. So if you want to join in feel free.

Please share any tips you may have or a yummy recipe. We are all looking for ways to make this a little easier.

I will start by saying I passed the 10lb mark. I am actually at 11.5 lbs down. It has taken over 2 months but I'm soooo happy. I feel like my 30 pound goal is achievable because I lost the first 10 without struggle. Yes I want to eat all the yummy foods but I think of my goal and it helps keep me on track.

Now on to my fitbit. So far I'm loving it. Havn't hit 10,000 steps yet but I'm over 5000 everyday without doing any exercising. So when I do start walking again I will hit that mark. I like that it links with MFP and adjusts my calories for me. So it was worth the 100 bucks!!!!

My eating has been good. I even was able to have boiled potatoes and bread for st. Pats day and still loose this week. I had homemade pizza last night but now I'm not so worried if I eat like that once in a while. Tonight I'm making vegi chili and I will eat that for dinner all week. It's one of my favorite meals.


So please share your week with us so you can get some support and a little cheering on.

MelissaMiso

I've hit the gym twice this week (45 and 60 minutes on the elliptical) and did 2 hours worth of garden prepping. This morning I made omelets with lots of bell peppers and asparagus and am enjoying a fruit smoothie with kale in it as I type. I've been under or at my calories on MFP every day this week.

Stress, this week, has been another issue. My full time job is killing me. We've been down two counselors for weeks now with only one new person who started on Thursday...the same day that another counselor quit. (fingers crossed for the job interview I have on Wednesday)

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ewenner

hooligans4 - So awesome that you're down 11.5 lbs!!!  

JimBobCooter - I hope you can walk again after all that Tae Kwon Do!

As for me, This week had been a little bit better.  I made it to the gym three days, which is always my goal, but I usually only make it twice.  I think it will definitely be helpful having DH in this with me.  It kind of reminds me of when we were trying to get healthy together a few years back for our wedding - we did it together then, so hopefully we can do it together again!  

hooligans4

@MelissaMiso gardening is the best workout ever!!!! I can't wait to get in my garden. My husband just got me a greenhouse but he hasn't put it up yet.

I hope your interview goes well. Let us know how you think it went.

@JimBobCooter I hope you are feeling better. But I'm glad you are back at taekwando again.

The meal planning definitely helps. It reduces the urge to do takeout and saves you money to boot!!

I'm sorry about your sleep situation. I hope the RE has some suggestions for you.

@eweener woo hoo for making it to the gym three days. You are so lucky to have your husband for support. I hope that you can help support each other. I'm jealous.

BeckyP005

You ladies are doing so well!! Well after stepping on the scale after my nurse's talk last week I couldn't believe how much I weighed. Funny because I am very tiny on top (arms and boobs) but it's all in my middle and butt. I need to do something I just don't know where/how to start! I drink plenty of water so I'm ok there. Breakfast is usually oatmeal or eggs. Bagels on weekend Lunch baked chicken then it's all downhill after that. I love apples but will eat other fruit. Veggies...not so much. I eat WAY too many sweets and I think that is the problem. Oh plus carbs. Sorry for wall of text. On computer! I had one of those step thingys last year and I do walk 10,000 steps pretty much every day during the week. I have an elliptical in basement but haven't stepped on it yet. Sigh...I just want a magic drink!! So this week I will try to change something in my eating.

MelissaMiso

BeckyP005 Sounds like you have a lot of things you want to improve on. Try focusing on one small improvement a week. How about having an extra apple in place of one of your sweets each day?

BeckyP005

@MelissaMiso no sweets!! Don't think I could go all week without one...lol. Yes I will try very hard to do that

bumpuser10258960

Congrats @hooligans4 for passing the 10lb mark! You go girl!

@BeckyP005, I agree with PP. You have a lot that you are trying to tackle and you need to start small. Master that and then take on a new challenge... one at a time. Sounds like dinnertime is a rough time for you. Me too. I grew up ALWAYS having to have a yummy starch with my dinner, so that was hard to try and kick. I started with 1 meal a week, focus on substituting a carb. You'll be surprised how easy it can be. That way, if you stray with dessert or snacks, at least you're not double dipping in the carb category. You can do it. Just take it one challenge at a time!!!

As for me, it was a so-so week. I went to the gym 4 times this past week, all of them being in the morning, which is really important for my consistency and progress. I'm down .5 this week, which was a good surprise given I had 2 bad days (one being St. Patty's). I plan on stepping it up this week and getting up 5 minutes earlier to better maximize gym time. 

My fitbit flex will be in tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited to get on there and get it going. I've been using their site to manually log everything and I'm becoming quite obsessed with it. Looking forward to merging it with MFP. 

bumpuser10258960

Oh! And I forgot to mention.... I had a bad day on Wednesday at lunch. I had tortellini, which I obviously new wasn't great, but I didn't realize that the amount I had was actually 2.5 servings. I felt horrible because that meant I ate a 800 calorie lunch. I was so depressed and thought I blew it. So I took to the stairs of my 34 story office building up a few floors, down a few floors. Did this for about 5-10 mins. Then at the end of my day I walked the 15 floors down from my floor to the ground floor instead of taking the elevator! I felt so good for making up for my lunch, even if it was only a little bit... and today is the first day I'm walking normal since i did that! LOL. No pain, no gain, right???

hooligans4

@BeckyP005 you can do it, I will help you. Step away from the pastries. Lol.
Don't look at all the things you want to change. Just take one small thing. Either a carb at dinner or sugary dessert. Eliminate one. Do that for a few days then pick another. But don't try and change too much at once. Let your body adjust before you move on to another.

As far as vegis go try and blend them in to other foods. Literally put them in the blender and add them to pasta sauces, you can even add them to brownies.

You can do it >:D<

@MamaBear904 way to go with the 4 gym days. And celebrate that .5lb weight loss.

Even if you have a few rough days as long as a majority of the time you are good you shouldn't worry too much. But it really seamed like you tried to make it up so hats off to you!!!!!

Portion control was a major thing I had to change in my eating. I had no problem filling my dinner plate. Now I measure everything. So even if I have pasta, I will have 1 cup rather than a plate full. So it wasn't bad that you had the tortellini but like you said it was 2 1/2 servings. I feel like if I don't deny myself the yummy bad foods I do better. As long as I have a small portion I can work it into my daily calories.

And omg with all that stair climbing.

You did great this week!!!!!

BeckyP005

@JimBobCooter‌ is there a way you can only take half to start weaning? I do take xanax sometimes if I feel I need a good rest or half of ambien. I would love to be taking something more consistent but afraid I will always need that pill.

My mom had to wean herself off of xanax at night and it took her awhile Hoping your RE has some suggestions for you! Let us know what she says!!

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Samuelismomma

I'm still doing excersise but haven't loss anything..still waiting for af I think it's this week thought it was last...lol my hubby says I look leaner...so hopefully still firming up...re says when I try next month, I can only do 30 mins walking a day. Excersise cuts down on pregnancy rates...so need to get down at goal wait soon...eating has been so/so because of Pms starving mode I've been in..lol

hooligans4

@Samuelismomma it's ok if you don't loose every week.
So you thought AF was due last week huh. Maybe you should test to make sure. Just saying.

latershrader

@hooligans4 that's great! Congratulations on crossing that 10lb mark!

@beckyp005 You can do it! PP have given you some good advice. I know you like line dancing, is there a line dancing dvd you can exercise to at home??

@MelissaMiso Good job hitting the gym! 

@JimBobCooter Taekwondo is definitely a work out! Sorry you have such trouble sleeping, sometimes I wish I had that problem. Good luck getting rid of those sleep aids!

@MamaBear904 It's ok to slip up, you just have to not fall of wagon completely. Just get back on and keep going!

@Samuelismomma I'm in awe of you, exercising so much that he Dr tells you to cut back!

As for me, fitbit tells me I've hit 10000 3x this week. But my eating has been out of control. We went to our fav Cheesecake Factory yesterday. As you can guess, I did not do well. But I'm back at it today. I haven't lost or gained weight, so I will forge ahead. I'm going to try to cut out artificial sweetners. They really throw your body for a loop! 

hooligans4

@soontobeshrader good job hitting the 10000 steps. My highest is 6000+ so far. Not gaining is good. At some point we will all be there. I think as long as we don't gain it's good.

Samuelismomma

@hooligans4‌ I did cause we weren't exactly careful! Lol but negative. My H thinks I got the week wrong when I started in February

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bumpuser10258960

@JimBobCooter, apparently people have had success with the fitbit. I am awaiting the delivery of mine, so I cannot attest to it but others seem to really like all it can do. 

@hooligans4, thanks for the pep talk, I definitely need to start measuring my foods. It's pretty much the one and only thing I've resisted. I feel like I've done so good with everything else, and haven't gotten my mind to a place where I'm ready to do the measuring yet. I'm not sure if its because of the energy or extra dishes or what, but I can't seem to do the measuring consistently. Perhaps I should start by purchasing smaller plates  

URMySunshine77

Does mental health apply in this thread?

I want to share a decision I've made. I was taking some photos the other day, and I noticed that I have a lot of red spots where I've picked my face recently. I'm slightly OCD and respond to stress by messing with my blemishes. I was so embarrassed to see the photos and all of the scars I've caused. My husband hasn't said anything about them, but I know that I'm perpetuating my own skin problems even if I do have acne. So I want to share in this forum that, to be healthy, I'm trying not to touch my face anymore as a stress response. I want to be accountable here. Thanks for listening.

hooligans4

@URMySunshine77 mental health is definitely welcome here. That's great that you acknowledge your problem. Can I suggest something, my aunt also picks at her skin due to stress so when she was trying to stop she went and got her nails done. It sounds silly but she had tips and acrylic done and it makes it almost impossible to pick at bumps or scabs she has. She has been doing it for a few years and hasn't had any problems. The nails are blunt so picking is impossible.

URMySunshine77

hooligans4 said:

@URMySunshine77 mental health is definitely welcome here. That's great that you acknowledge your problem. Can I suggest something, my aunt also picks at her skin due to stress so when she was trying to stop she went and got her nails done. It sounds silly but she had tips and acrylic done and it makes it almost impossible to pick at bumps or scabs she has. She has been doing it for a few years and hasn't had any problems. The nails are blunt so picking is impossible.

Thank you, @hooligans4! That's a great idea. I think that I will just cut my nails all the way down to prevent picking. You've really helped me.

bowenmom

Hi,

I've been trying to eliminate the caffeine in my life.

I love chocolate, coffee and pepsi.  I also used to do Insanity, but have stopped since TTC, as it is a very rigorous work out.  So looking for another at-home fitness program I can do.

URMySunshine77

@bowenmom:

Caffeine addiction was a big problem for me before TTC#1. I used to drink a pot throughout the day. When I quit, I had angry spells and started falling asleep at the computer. I was going through withdrawal!

Do you make coffee in the morning? I have been making four cups of half caffeinated coffee in the morning. Do you think that cutting your beans with decaf would help? I'm not able to notice the decaf taste. And then you could even cut the pot even further with 3/4 decaf over time. 

If DH and I should conceive, I'm thinking about weaning myself off of caffeinated coffee again. Not looking forward to that!!

hooligans4

@bowenmom I feel your pain with kicking the caffeine. When I got pregnant with my now 9 year old I had a harder time giving up coffee than smoking. I had such bad headaches. But it only lasts a little while. Start cutting back like @URMySunshine77 said. It won't be so bad if you do it over time. I cut out caffeine last year and I'm glad I did because it's one less thing I have to do if I do finally get a BFP.

bumpuser10258960

I was never huge into coffee, but my husband got me into it. I was drinking 2 cups in the morning daily including weekends. Once I started researching TTC and realizing I would have to kick it, I stopped drinking it during the week and only have it on the weekend and we brew decaf on the weekends. I don't miss it and am grateful that I wasn't hugely addicted. Onto the next challenge!

thirtyninetoforty

Hello!  It was an OK week last week and I am trying to keep to the advice I was given last week to stick with water so the diet tea will taste wonderful in a couple of weeks.  Iced tea is like an addiction for me...I actually get cranky when I go with out for the first few days and it never helps when it's Monday and a crap day at work!  I neither gained nor loss so that is a fair win but I would like to see a decrease even if only ounces (ounces add up to pounds

KirstenAlecia

I suck at this ladies! 

Does someone want to slap me???? It might help. 

Ive been busy, there is still junk in the house, hubby asked me to make brownies….what other excuses can i come up with????

Ok seriously I need to get serious. 

I have been getting better at drinking more water. Thats always something i struggle with. 

Well its a new week right? I have an off camera flash workshop for photography in hopes of progressing my skills and we are having Panera….thats an automatic bad thing. I will eat like a good girl the whole day otherwise.

I have been bad at eating at all in fact. I often don't even eat till 2pm I know thats HORRIBLE. 

BeckyP005

@KirstenAlecia‌ omg you sound like me. I had such a hard time yesterday but caved and had some fritos. Might as well finish bag right?

We can do this!!!!

hooligans4

@thirtyninetoforty I'm glad to see you are trying to stick to water. You should loose weight from cutting out all the sugar in the tea.
Stick with it. I know you can do it.

@KirstenAlecia I will slap you if you need it. Tough love right. He he he

You can make healthy choices at panera. They always have a low fat soup and add a salad with light dressing to go with it. Don't get the chips or bread with it. See it's east peasy.

And I will smack you for not eating till 2:00. Have eggwhites for breakfast or even a Greek yogurt. Anything is better than nothing. Your metabolism is probably slow as mud!!!!!
You know better. Eat!!!!!!

bumpuser10258960

@KirstenAlecia, I agree with @hooligans4 on not waiting to eat. Even if it is just a banana or yogurt, you HAVE to put something into your body early to get the gears cranking or your metabolism will have a very short day. 

Do you work from home? I found that when I worked from home and had my own business I had a HORRIBLE time with eating on a proper schedule. And shame on your hubby for asking for the brownies if he knows you're trying to get healthy. I had to have a talk with my husband about suggestions like that. I don't have the willpower yet to tell him no. Just this past weekend he tells me "I know we have salmon in the fridge, but I want a burger", umm "OKAY!!!" and that does us a disservice for trying so hard to be good. He is trying to get better about not making suggestions because he knows I'm still too weak to say no. You should talk to him and define exactly what "supporting you" means. Give him real examples. 

It's 10:49 eastern time right now... EAT SOMETHING!  

KirstenAlecia

hooligans4 said:

 @KirstenAlecia I will slap you if you need it. Tough love right. He he he You can make healthy choices at panera. They always have a low fat soup and add a salad with light dressing to go with it. Don't get the chips or bread with it. See it's east peasy. And I will smack you for not eating till 2:00. Have eggwhites for breakfast or even a Greek yogurt. Anything is better than nothing. Your metabolism is probably slow as mud!!!!! You know better. Eat!!!!!!

 hangs head…….I know I know. So i did better this morning, I had coffee and a brownie! lol.

You guys are so going to kick me out of here! lol. Please don't…..just keep slapping me. 

Seriously Im going to go to the grocery store and get some healthy stuff in this house and stick to it. I promise breakfast will be part of my day from now on. And I have no doubt my metabolism is as slow as mud. I have bad bad bad habits at the moment. 

As far a Panera tonight they only gave us 3 options and non was healthy

@mamabear904 I do work from home. but a set schedule (as long as the other wonderful advice you have given me last week) should help if i could just pull it together!  My hubby is actually WAY BETTER than i am about healthy eating. Him asking for brownies or something like that at all is like a once a year thing. so i don't tell him no when he asks. He is a great support…it really is all me, i swear. So slap away! 

Really i need somebody to be my slappy mcslapperton. 

Another one of my MAJOR problems is I edit way into the morning. Like 12 - 1 am. Its easiest. The house is quiet. The husband is asleep and so are the animals (they really are like kids….if I'm working in the day they want me to stop) And what i want to do while I'm sitting at the computer working on photos is snack. And apparently my schedule is normal among photographers. It can be 2 am and the only other people awake is other photographers. We are all up editing and chatting on FB at that time of night and its the weirdest thing. Job Hazard, and I know its not helping the late night snacking and the odd sleep/not enough sleep hours. 

thirtyninetoforty

@hooligans4 I'm trying but it is HARD!  Thank you for the continued encouragement!!

bumpuser10258960

KirstenAlecia, If you stay up late editing, my suggestion would be to brush your teeth and use mouthwash to "kill" the mouth from wanting salt or sugary flavors. I find when I do that, I do not drink or eat afterward. Another trick might be to chew sugarfree gum. 

You got problems? We've got answers! You can do this, girly!!! (slap!)

KirstenAlecia

I did really well today. I made my bullet proof coffee

Then I ate the last brownie.

Then i spilled my coffee. 

It was punishment. 

My coffee spilled on my keyboard ands now when ever I type an E it throws in a w also.

DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY WORDS HAVE AN E IN THEM????

It took me forever to type this