Primal Journal (RMS) page 26

[RMS123]

159.2. Holding in the 150s. Yay. Tomorrow is week 1 of my experiment. I'm pretty sure I can call it a success.

After reading Krista's e-book, I think that I need to focus my efforts on the psychological aspects of weight loss. I understand Primal/Paleo pretty well. I eat clean 95% of the time. I actually generally live a Whole30, because my body does better that way. But, I will not be successful long-term if I don't address underlying issue. Because, I'm one of those people who can gain weight eating completely, totally, 100% primal. If you eat more than your body needs, it's going to be reflected. I can easily eat past my hunger signals if I'm using food to console myself, ignore problems or deadlines, etc.

So, in no particular order, here are a few things I want to work on this year:
* Finish decluttering our house. We have boxes we haven't wanted to deal with. It's time to deal with them and move on. Either we need or want it, and if so, we need a place for it. Boxes don't cut it.
* Keep going through my books. I love books. Adore them. But, if they aren't my favorites and I'm not going to reread them, they go to a new home. Most of them I can get at the library anyway. And, if I have guests, they can bring their own reading material if a few of my favorite romance novels or actions books don't appeal. [Some of you are laughing, I know. But this is hard for me]
* Get out of PhD purgatory. Either I'm writing the dissertation (i.e., paying $40K and dedicating endless hours of my life), or I'm going to say I'm done and be happy with an ABD.
* Finish helping with my grandparents estate. This is causing me endless stress.
* Deal with the issues in my marriage instead of silently lamenting that I'm dissatisfied.
* Find volunteer activities that I enjoy, but don't end up sucking the life out of me because I'm over-committed.
* Continue to set limits and boundaries at work. I get paid well, and sometime I have to work a lot, but they are not entitled to 80 hours of my life every week. Control those pieces I can control.

I know it's crazy, but all of the above can send me to pantry to munch endlessly on anything I can find in there. I know that dealing with these things will only help me in the long-term.

[Pebbles67]

Hurray for the 150's!!!

I think your master "to do" list is excellent. I need to make one as well. Many of mine are the same as yours. I am trying to get myself to deal with my Mom's final bills this weekend. Together, they probably total $200.00. I just can't seem to write them.

[athomeontherange]

Yeah 150's!! That is my goal.. hopefully will join you soon enough

[demuralist]

yep, I am jealous of the 150's as well.

Well, think about who you are talking to, and know that, no, we do not think it is crazy that any of those would send you to the pantry!

I would start my own list but fear just making it would send me to the pantry. Minus the PhD thing and settling the estate, mine is pretty much the same plus a few I could throw in for good measure!

p.s. with the advent of eReaders most guest bring their own. I have a few I just cannot part with (a few hundred would be more accurate), but I don't buy anymore. Library or nook.

[RMS123]

159. Last week, I started my new(est) experiment. I called it a 1 day fast, but I think it was more like calorie cycling. One day, I stopped eating by 5 pm (but, basically had an early dinner) and didn't eat again until the next day at 5. So, 24 hours, but not a 3 meal fast. I made up for those missing calories the next day by having a high calorie day. I walked every day in the week. I sprinted 1 time. I did not get my EMs in. The result? Down 1 pound and now bouncing (as is typical) in the 150s. Yay! I almost "cheated" at did 2 fast days...but now I'm glad I didn't. I will continue doing the same thing again this week (though it will be complicated because PMS should start soon, followed then by TOM).

I too had a really good day yesterday. Took the dogs for an extra long walk. Made 3 meals I could put in the freezer. Changed the sheets. Started working on DHs 5LL, which happens to be touch (and I'm an ice queen...this is very challenging for me). Went to bed at a reasonable hour, though I feel sleepy today!

I have got to be productive today - tons of work I need to get done. Will need to work to limit my distractions!

[demuralist]

yeah for the 150's! SPEED actually talks about basically calorie cycling. The idea being that at the end of the week you have the same amount of calories you would have had had you just had 7 equal days. So I am thinking you did it just right. I am not sure that any of the IF protocols that I have read about say that you lose the calories? I could be wrong, as I never read it that closely since I don't think it is right for me.

[athomeontherange]

I have done this calorie cycling, kind of.. I have done a 6pm to 6am but then I do not eat MORE calories, I just eat what I usually did. It will be interesting to see your progress after doing it a few weeks. 6-6 is not an issues as 5-5 I am sure is not. Yeah for the 150's!!!

[RMS123]

Chris, I don't really know. I've read both - IF helps you naturally lower calories and then, on the other hand, it's not about calories, but about your body (insulin or something like that).

Yesterday and today I started focusing on taking 15 minutes to eat. Can you believe that's actually really hard for me? Here's what I'm noticing. I'm getting full really fast. Okay...guess I need to eat less at one meal. But, then, the "empty" feeling comes early and I think I'm hungry (though I'm pretty sure it's just empty). I'm drinking loads of unsweetened tea (decaf) and water. I think I need to get more used to the "empty" feeling.

Got a big project for work, a draft, out today. Amazing how much better I feel with that off my plate. I had to work hard (trying to ignore distractions...) to get it done.

[demuralist]

I have also been focusing on taking longer to eat (20 minutes is my goal), so I put my utensil down between each bite. Yes, very hard. And yes I did think to myself that I will eat less and then just get hungry earlier. Plus it is hard for me to stop if I still have food on my plate, especially if I have happened to measure or weigh it. I feel like it is mine, so I get to eat it all. I never take seconds. I do need to get some smaller dinner plates, that might help as well.

I accidentally IFed lunch yesterday, didn't totally make up the calories, still up .2 today.

[RMS123]

158.8. (-.2). When I first got on the scale, it said 155.8. I knew that wasn't right. I moved the scale a bit, and it came with a good number. Crazy beast!

Today is my "low" calorie day. I go to Santa Fe, then will have a meeting when I come home. Helps to stay busy. I will put a roast in the crock pot so that dinner is pretty much ready when I am.

I have trouble leaving food on my plate as well. I like the way you put it, Chris, that you feel like it's yours. I sorta feel the same way. I struggle between saying I have plenty of calorie budget for those foods, and it'll keep me full for longer, with learning to stop when I'm no longer hungry.

Can't wait until I can get to 20 minutes. 15 minutes is a struggle!

Using our salad plates helps. I feel like I'm getting a TON of food, even though it's my usual portion.