Dear 2016: I promise to do better this year! To get healthier! Let the games begin!!!

[thriftygranny]

Congrats Tara, I too am a compulsive weigher!!! That is some great progress!!

[Lynn49]

Lynn we eat a lot of grilled baby bok choy, here is a recipe for sunnier days!!
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/a...d_bok_choy.php

Oh, that looks fantastic! We love anything asian, gingery, it's all so flavourful and makes even the most mundane (read: diet, boring) foods taste wonderful. Thank you!!

[Lynn49]

Tara, I used to be like that, and it was all I could do, to not get on that scale this morning, but I guess belonging to groups such as WW and HerbalMagic lead me to the dark side. And I am afraid that when I see a slight increased blip I'm going to be discouraged, but in my olden days, yes, I was a daily weight watcher.
Tomorrow I'll take the plunge and weigh myself before {{shudder}} Friday. I've also heard not to do it first thing in the morning, but a couple of hours later...but as long as we're consistent, it should all be fine.

TG, do you still weigh every day?

[sheetsofemptycanvas]

Good Morning and happy Monday!!
I am just following my cardiologist's advice and loading my plate with 75% veggies and the other 25% is protein and carbs and following the 6 small meals a day program. It has worked well for me. I have my family's meals planned for the week and feel on track!!! I am also enjoying the new lime flavored club soda, gives my sweet tooth a treat with no calories.
Tonight is chicken burrito bowls but I will go easy on the chicken and rice and omit the corn. I am using a cilantro lime marinade for the chicken so few calories there. Have turkey soup simmering with tons of veggies and will boost the protein with lentils and barley.
Good luck this week!!

I like the idea of 6 small meals a day and I think that's the plan I'm going to go with. I definitely need to add more veggies to my diet! I went healthy food shopping today and I'm all stocked up for the week- lots of things I can throw in my lunch bag and take with me on the road. Tonight is a salad with greens, apples, dried cranberries, walnuts, and chicken strips... I bought a mandarin orange dressing to go on it. Now, I just have to remember to go easy on the dressing!

I'm feeling fantabulous! I have my goal in mind and nothing is going to move me from it! I am one of these obsessive weight checkers who hits the scale every morning and log it. It's interesting that some people say you should only actually weigh yourself once a week, once a month or such, but I can't do that. I find there is more accountability with an every day weigh in. I don't take it TOO seriously because I know that a little extra salt the night before can give you a bloated number, or a little less salt can deflate you some. But I find a daily morning weigh in keeps me more accountable.

Is anyone else that way? So far. Day 4 of the New Year says I'm down 2.8 lbs. Water weight or not I'm taking it. lol I hope everyone else is feeling positive!

That's awesome! A positive attitude makes a huge difference, as does this awesome support group!

[Lynn49]

Tara, how fantastic you sound!!!! Good for you for being so motivated: it motivates me, too!!!
Time for a cuppa tea and an apple "pie" (diced apple, splenda brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuked!).

[sheetsofemptycanvas]

I'm going to try to incorporate this Lemon and Tumeric water into my morning routine http://lajollamom.com/turmeric-lemon-water-detox/

[Angela273]

Ok, I'll join the new thread. I'm in a category of people who are supposed to avoid rapid weight loss. I am still exclusively breastfeeding our 5 month old twins. Our household was hit with 2 or 3 different bugs just in time for the new year. We are all on the mend, but still not feeling that great. I have a history of DVT and PEs, which is why I have been on injection blood thinners for the 8.5yrs and counting. My medication is primarily weight dosed, so if I lose too much weight then my hematologist will have to reduce my dose and do blood work to double check things. That being said, I love walking. I joined a friend at our indoor track last night and did 15 laps with him.

I don't really trust my traditional style scale that we have at home, so I only really count the weight that I see on the digital scale at my doctor's office. I last weighed in on December 17. I had lost 2.8lbs and 1.5" off my waist over the previous month. As much as I would like to see the scale continue to go down, I'm more interested in seeing my waist measurement decrease and my body image improve. Dh has no problem with the way that I look, etc. He put on "sympathy weight" during my pregnancy that he says that he is slowly losing. He has gained weight since we got married 4.5yrs ago. I weigh 11lbs less now than I did on my wedding day, although I am sure that my wedding dress currently doesn't fit. I can credit my 3yr old and 5 month old twins with that. Pregnancy and breastfeeding will change your body no matter what you do. Please don't get me wrong, I have no regrets regarding my children.

I weigh 10lbs more now than I did when I got pregnant with our twins. I made a variety of small changes that all added up. I enjoy baking, but I have changed some recipes to make them more healthy. In some recipes I have reduced the butter and replaced it with unsweetened apple sauce. I have also reduced the sugar. I also reduced the chocolate chips and added dried cranberries or pecans. I also used to remind myself while teaching that standing burns more calories than sitting and walking burns more calories than standing. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but if you do this most days...it slowly adds up.

I know that BMI charts are out of dater and therefore not that accurate. I more recently learned that a man or woman's healthy waist measurement should be no more than half their height. I am 5' 10" = 70" divide by 2 = 35". Therefore based on this approach my waist should be no larger than 35" around.

These are some of the things that I am struggling with. Having my hands full with children and struggling to stop and eat or make healthy food. Trying to keep on top of the house and laundry, which often feels like a losing battle. Our household is also busy because my husband is busy running for MLA in our upcoming provincial election which is only 3 months away. I help a lot politically. I am also aware that I am an emotional eater. My sleep schedule continues to be wonky, which doesn't help me get enough rest at night since I am up nursing the twins. This means that I am sometimes too hungry at night and need to have a snack in order for me to go back to sleep. When this happens I will often have a bowl of cereal or a sliced apple with marble cheese.

I'll be checking in on this thread.

[thriftygranny]

No Lynn I don't weigh myself everyday but I would like to!!!
Angela, these busy days are tough on a girl for sure. You are doing so well balancing your family and life, glad you are going to pop in!

[TaraF]

Thanks thrifty. For me a daily weigh in offers the "security" that if the scale does go up a day or two in a row I can quickly track where things "went off track". That way I can nip it in the bud before day 2 of weight gain turns into week two of weight gain.

Stick with it everyone!

[Lynn49]

Thanks thrifty. For me a daily weigh in offers the "security" that if the scale does go up a day or two in a row I can quickly track where things "went off track". That way I can nip it in the bud before day 2 of weight gain turns into week two of weight gain.

Stick with it everyone!

M-hm, I can see that, Tara, and I think that's what I used to do but, lol, it was SO long ago since I dieted after my last pregnancy (DD's 37 now), so I barely recall, although I do remember weighing myself every day, so it must have worked, I was back in a bikini the next summer. I also did tons of sit-ups to get rid of my tummy, but other than racing around with two in diapers, that was all the exercise I could tolerate: they were born 19 months apart!

Dinner tonight will be the left-over ginger/soy chicken strips, sauteed mushrooms, onions and broccoli, and Hubby wanted a rutabaga too, so lots of veggies.
I'll have dessert later, tea with either my 'apple pie' or a Fibre 1 bar, 90 calories.

Enjoy your evening, everyone!!

[Lynn49]

[Lynn49]

I'm going to try to incorporate this Lemon and Tumeric water into my morning routine http://lajollamom.com/turmeric-lemon-water-detox/

...because you don't have ENOUGH to do, Sheets? I hope you're not taking on too much at one time, that can get very discouraging if we're not successfully juggling a hundred plates in the air at one time perfectly. Change a few things, then add to that...I just don't want you to feel overwhelmed. Stress has been proven to actually make us gain weight, nevermind trying lose it....make time to relax, even if it's just a few minutes of "you" time...okay?

[LunchLady]

These are salads in a jar that are so delicious and last in the fridge at least a week without getting wilted. They are time consuming on Sunday but then you have them to grab each day as you go out the door. The trick is dressing on the bottom and then hardest vegies (Carrots , onions etc) add whatever you like until you get to the top and put in lettuce, kale, and/or spinach. I also always put a teaspoon of chia seeds, sunflowers seeds and ground flaxseed on the top. Pack them full and no air gets in and they stay so fresh. Dump them on a plate or plastic container, mix and enjoy!!! I make a greek, mexican. pasta or regular salad so you never tire of the same salad.

[Lynn49]

These are salads in a jar that are so delicious and last in the fridge at least a week without getting wilted. They are time consuming on Sunday but then you have them to grab each day as you go out the door. The trick is dressing on the bottom and then hardest vegies (Carrots , onions etc) add whatever you like until you get to the top and put in lettuce, kale, and/or spinach. I also always put a teaspoon of chia seeds, sunflowers seeds and ground flaxseed on the top. Pack them full and no air gets in and they stay so fresh. Dump them on a plate or plastic container, mix and enjoy!!! I make a greek, mexican. pasta or regular salad so you never tire of the same salad.

Those look almost too good to eat!
One of my biggest road bumps occurs when I haven't planned my meals; that business of staring into an open fridge. Only the off-limits foods look good to me when I'm hungry: full fat cheese, the last hunk of parmessan that's begging me to nibble into it until it's finished....nothing but trouble.

Good for you for planning ahead! Do you also take homemade soups, or other foods to work?

ps: I think I see feta cheese in there..it's feta, right? I think I could spot that a mile away....LOVE the stuff!!!!

[LunchLady]

Yep, you know your cheese.....that's feta in a fruit salad and greek salad. The fruit salad is the best (all kinds of cut up fruit, feta cheese,sun flower seeds ,red wine vinegar and honey Yes, I do bring home made soup too. I finally got my husband to bring a salad to work, but he won't bring soup!!!!