Health and Fitness, June 2021

[Harmony]

LadyM, you are a great example for me.

I am making progress. Slow like a snail. I am 4 pounds less than I'd been for several months, not quite back down to where I was in January, 2 more pounds and I'll be there. I tried several times to do Keto, but that is hopeless. I never get past the feeling awful stage at the beginning of that and have to give up. So I am back to my usual. I have a big goal and several things to look forward to. Just keepin' on.

[LadyMaverick]

I stopped doing Keto because it felt too restrictive. However, I am happy that I tried it because I learned many things about how certain foods affects me.

Carbs are tricky. I've learned that I can eat some but when I eat too many at the same time then I have regret. The #1 thing that happens is pain from heartburn. It hurts so bad that I can't ignore it and have to take meds. The #2 thing is joint pain. When I eat too many carbs my joints hurt and feel swollen. Otherwise, I am totally pain-free 99.9% of the time. Too many carbs also make me ravenously hungry. Through trial and error, I've learned that I can eat 1/4 cup of oatmeal without any problems but when I eat 1/2 cup of oatmeal then my body complains. If I didn't keep detailed information I could not believe that just a slight increase would make a difference. My carb goal is to stay under 100g on a daily average each week. Most of the carbs I eat are from beans, vegetables & berries.

If something looks good I will eat one bite of it. IMHO, the first bite of anything is the best. If I want to eat more then I have to include that food in my daily tracking. Having this boundary is working for me so nothing is off-limits. 99% of the time after I take that first bite, it isn't worth the effort to me to track it so I am okay with just enjoying the one bite.

I wish I only had a few pounds to lose. I was overweight before I went through the stress of last year with the covid pandemic, adoption of DD10 and her emotional crisis, homeschooling 2 kids, and taking care of DMom in her final months. During that time I put taking care of myself at the bottom of the priority list. Now I'm having to make changes in how I balance taking care of myself with other things. The trendline shows I'll meet my goal Dec 21, 2021 at the slow rate that I'm losing weight. So I have a long way to go. 74 days done....178 days to reach my goal if I stay on the current track. I really wish I could make it happen faster, but I'm trying to stay focused on the fact that it is happening.

[Ramblinrose]

LadyM … I have found much of what you said about keto is true for me which is why I switched back to counting calories. I am eating some fruit but still staying away from white stuff like bread potatoes rice etc.

Carbs make me hungry, but fruit doesn’t.

This weekend I made a most amazing dinner which I devoured

1 lb Italian sausage… I like sweet and so does my tummy
2 bell peppers any color but green
I onion
I can diced tomatoes
Pengo pasta

Brown sausage, add sliced peppers and onions, cook till soft. And tomatos. Meanwhile cook pasta… you could really uses any kind… I seasoned it with Italian seasonings..add all together and enjoy.

Since I don’t eat pasta, I made zoodles instead. I think this has become one of my favorite meals!

I added a tossed salad for Sweetie.

[Harmony]

Oh, I have way more than a couple pounds weight to remove too. 2 more pounds just gets me back to what I was this past January then another 10 to go, then whatever I can manage up to another 10. So 12 at the minimum and more if I can manage. I got halfway to all of that a few years ago them zoomed back up and never was successful after that. This past winter all .... broke loose with Covid and here I am fighting my way back down.

Right now I'm working on not eating in the evening. That means I have to eat a decent supper. When I look to a meal, I tend to say oh only a little of this and none of that... and then 2 hours later I'm hungry all over again. Trying to get myself back into regular sized meals when it's mealtime and less snacks in between. I got into the habit of just eating enough to take the edge off my hunger, but that doesn't last and soon I'm hungry all over again. Sets me up for eating all the time throughout the day. Trying to stop that bad habit.