January 2009 Basics Challenge - Day 20

[gitfiddle]

The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.
Chinese Proverb

Okay, we had to get a Chinese proverb in here at some point, didn’t we? :D It’s better than, “How do you eat an elephant?” (one bite at a time…)

If you plan what you’re going to eat, prepare it so it’s available when you need it, build habits that keep you out of trouble, you can be free to follow your interests and start carrying away those small stones.

Can you believe we are two-thirds of the way through this month already? How are your basics doing? I'm going to have to be very stern with myself about adequate water! :suspicious:

Breakfast will be a strawberry shake. Lunch will be sausage patties. Dinner will be steak chunks and green beans sautéed with onions and a dab of sour cream.

[Mitra]

Good morning, Carol :).

I'm quite pleased with my progress - I'm steadily nibbling away at those extra pounds I picked up over Christmas. Definitely small stones, but as long as they're being taken off the mountain, not added onto it, I'm happy :).

[Puddin]

Strange how I really look forward to Carol opening the Challenge section every day! Good morning!

1 o'clock in Italy in the midst of really terrible rainstorms. The wind was awful and we've got most of the rivers in our region under flood control watch. Had a giggle when I watched the news after lunch - picture this scene ... river roaring down its banks under a bridge with lots of people on the bridge watching...and on the sidelines, on the banks - about 50 waterbirds doing the same. :D

Today was simple for meals.
Breakfast 2 big strips of 'bacon' and an oopsie with 1 oz of soft cheese
Lunch 6oz (was starving and it fits in program for today) steak and that cabbage recipe I posted today
Dinner to decide but probably tuna and more cabbage.

I am pushing for 20-25 grams ECC a day. Mitra, after your explanation of the calories and fats situation I believe this time I have it clear. I will exclude seeds nuts etc. Limit cheese to 2 oz a day only . Eggs will use only 2 whole + 3 whites. Butter I don't use at all - prefer our olive oil. Cream only once a day in coffee. Will use lean meats more than faty pieces. But I definitely will not exclude a few times a week the sausage n or the lard. Both divine for the soul. The bacon here is yucky so I can live happily without that. Will eat other stuff for breakfast. Even a burger would be better. This week if I find some ground pork I'm going to make some sausage patties. Should be good for morning sandwiches on oopsies. What lifesavers they are.

Great rest of Tuesday folks. Off to read!

[Feelix]

I'm checking in. I gained 2lbs out of the 5lbs that I lost. I'm trying to be ok with that as I am still losing. Our elliptical is set up in the living room so I just have to get on it and lift my weights... do the work and see the results... right?

Here is my addiction - sweets. I have switched from candy to fruit but the carbs are still too high. Is there a solution to the sweet addiction? or do I just suck it up and not eat anything sweet?

[Billie]

Feelix, for me it is best to "suck it up" as you say. It is hard, but the more you get away from the sweets the easier it is. That sweet taste that I crave and enjoy is what got me into the fix! So plunge ahead, together with me, and we will get it done!

Looking forward to my day at home, expect to be spectator :nod:

Making CDs of music that has the word or thought walk in for the walk across Illinois. Kind of a fun project to do.

Not sure what breakfast and lunch will be but dinner is steak slices on lettuce with cheese, nuts and pear. Yumo!

Stone by stone Carol, rock by rock, we tear away the mountain and build a brand new one, that is the mountain of good health!

[Ammy]

Only have a moment, but wanted to report in from my weekend of fishing.
Caught my first walleye!! WOOHOOO

weight today was 200.0, so only up .5lb. And since I didn't do much but sit around or ride in a car, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a touch of retention.

Timing of eating was WAY off the last four days and I had little control over exactly what I was getting, so unsure if I got enough protein. To be sure I just said no to almost all carbs.

Let's just say food was odd, but I did NOT succumb to eating carbs!!
YEAH!!

Gotta go "entertain" now...can't WAIT for this week to be over and I get back to my NORMAL job!!

I'll check in later...with a PICTURE!!!

[lisanurse81]

Good morning everyone. I am in especially good spirits today! As I was falling asleep last night, the idea came to me... "hmmm... I should re-measure myself... see how tall I am now." Now mind you, that is a strange thought for a 27yr old to have. But I try to listen to my thoughts... and just to satisfy them got out a pen and measured this am.. (yes, the pen was level... ;O) Lo and behold!!! I'm 5'7" , and all this time I thought I was 5'6"! This changes everything... off to go crunch numbers :O)

Ooh, bfst is coffee and a chicken leg. Working on the plan for the rest of the day.

[gitfiddle]

I'm quite pleased with my progress - I'm steadily nibbling away at those extra pounds I picked up over Christmas. Definitely small stones, but as long as they're being taken off the mountain, not added onto it, I'm happy :).Hooray! Although, I don't think of you as mountainous, Janet. ;)

Strange how I really look forward to Carol opening the Challenge section every day! Good morning!Well, thank you, Puddin. I just thought we needed to get going with a strong push this month. It helps for me to remember that no matter how early I get up, some of you have been up and about for hours! :D I wish I could have been there with my camera to see the scene of people and birds all watching the river together. What a picture that would make!

Our elliptical is set up in the living room so I just have to get on it and lift my weights... do the work and see the results... right? You got it! You will be so inspired when you see your muscles defined. Take it easy on the elliptical at first, though.

Is there a solution to the sweet addiction? or do I just suck it up and not eat anything sweet?Yes to both. As Billie says, the sweet addiction goes to sleep after a while. It can be easily revived, though. I call it my "sleeping tiger" and I tiptoe around it. If I eat too many carbs on an occasion, I am extra vigilant for days afterwards. I just hate white-knuckling through cravings and I'm not very good at it. Prevention is my best option.

Stone by stone Carol, rock by rock, we tear away the mountain and build a brand new one, that is the mountain of good health!Right, and the more stones on that mountain the stronger it becomes. :)

I'm running on low sleep. We had a phone call at 2AM and the Geezer did a rescue mission to jump start DS's truck. It was so cold out the house was actually creaking and the poor kid was frozen.

[Mitra]

Hooray! Although, I don't think of you as mountainous, Janet. ;)

Well, at 5' 2" and 118 (this morning), not a very big mountain, maybe :).

[maxlharris]

Okay, we had to get a Chinese proverb in here at some point, didn’t we? :D It’s better than, “How do you eat an elephant?” (one bite at a time…)
Okay, how many Chinese proverbs are there that are proxies for it takes a lot of little bits to complete a big thing. Stones for mountains, steps for journeys, etc, etc.

do the work and see the results... right?

Here is my addiction - sweets. I have switched from candy to fruit but the carbs are still too high. Is there a solution to the sweet addiction? or do I just suck it up and not eat anything sweet?
If you don't do the work, you probably won't see the results, so doing the work is probably better than alternative.

First, move to lower sugar fruits. Second, measure them out, then put the fruits away. Frozen fruits are good for this. Third, if you go cold turkey and just quit sweet, you will probably have the best results if you can stick it. If you have trouble, L-Glutamine is supposed to help with carb cravings. I know several people who have said it helps. Dr. Atkins even recommended it in my version of DANDR.

Making CDs of music that has the word or thought walk in for the walk across Illinois. Kind of a fun project to do.
Obvious:
Walk this Way (Aerosmith)
Walk on By (I like the Isaac Hayes version)
Walk the Line (Johnny Cash)

Fun and not obvious:
Walk Hard - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lOW2IjpM-4

Lo and behold!!! I'm 5'7" , and all this time I thought I was 5'6"! This changes everything... off to go crunch numbers :O)
You can look down on all those 5'6" people now.
The difference is probably pretty marginal in terms of nutrition requirements. But as we know, you start with some small stones and the next thing you know, you've moved a mountain. As an apartment dweller, I'm not sure where I'd put the mountain. As a solution driven person, maybe we could take the mountain, move it and make a roman arch bridge.

Well, at 5' 2" and 118 (this morning), not a very big mountain, maybe :).
A hill, at best. But a moutain of a person where it counts ;)

[maxlharris]

Forgot about myself, again.
Progress this month has been good. But it always is the first two or three weeks. Feel more committed than I have in the past year or so. I think I need deadlines to actually work this. Or something else creating urgency. Will have to build that into my Post-Europe thinking.

[northwestgirl]

Hi all -- so far, so good for me. I've actually lost 3 pounds. I'm not too excited about that because I know that carbs and (especially) sugar make me retain water. So my weight today was probably just a reflection of my reduced carb/sugar intake.

Breakfast was bacon & eggs and a glass of raw milk. Lunch and dinner not yet planned, but a Chipotle pork bowl w/o rice for lunch (since I have to leave soon and don't have anything planned) and dinner will be roast chicken if I get home early enough. Otherwise, hamburger patties. Need to go shopping for veggies, etc.

[northwestgirl]

Oh, and I forgot to mention . . . just found out last night that my long-distance guy (a former work acquaintance when we both worked for the same company) is coming to visit in March. Huge incentive to stay on track! Planning to wear my skinnier jeans . . . ;)

[gitfiddle]

So my weight today was probably just a reflection of my reduced carb/sugar intake.Susie, if that isn't something to get excited about, I'm in the wrong forum! :thumbsup: And now you've got some added incentive! :D

[Karole]

Good discussions going on this morning . It sounds like everyone is staying the course and doing what it takes to move their very own mountains.

Max I liked the comment you made to Mitra. Very nice. And very true.

Not much going on here in Missouri, so I will get off here and go report to Ms. Shadow-- at least I have mangaged to exercise already today.

[Feelix]

I exercised... I stink... I sweaty... AND I'm very proud of myself.... I realize this is something that healthy people do everyday... but I haven't been living healthy so I'm feeling very proud of myself!

[Ammy]

I have a moment to record my food for today...

7am lc goulash
11am 1oz mixed nuts
12:30pm lc goulash, 1med zucchini
2pm iced latte
6pm 3egg omelet with sausage, bacon, mushrooms, cheese, 1slice wheat toast

Pro: 104
Ecc: 39
Fat: 159.9
Cal: 1920

No exercise today...I think I blew it this week on that front.
But the rest goes well. One day (saturday) I had JUST enough water...maybe 64oz...which is quite low for me.
But I have been making up for it the next days...:D
My skin did NOT like the lack of water!!

Okay, gotta go again...ugh!

[Anniesnan]

had to go in super early this am, so I got up even earlier, made the crustless quiche - man, I had forgotten just how good they are.

lunch was cold cut rolls of roast beef and American.

exercise in, too.

Dinner is on my own and I'm here, 'cos I was on the verge of excusing myself. I'm not hungry yet for dinner, and don't know what I want - only what I don't:rolleyes:
so, I just had a large glass of water and will follow that up with a nice cup of coffee and a handful of nuts until I decide what I am cooking

thanks for "being here" everyone!

[Jackie]

Hi all, busy day as Tuesdays always are for me. Picked the babysitter up early tonight so she is here during supper. Extra set of hands is always good.

Dance tonight, slept in this morning so no morning exercise!!! But I will work extra hard tonight. I have really increased the exercise the last week or so, could that be why the scale is not moving, its' not going up, so that is good but it is not flucuating at all???

Breakfast: coffee shake
Lunch: flat out with lettuce tomato and bacon with caesar sauce
snack: oops forgot to take anything to work, but picked up one of those precooked chickens on the way home from work and ended up eating a piece on the way home!!
Dinner: 3 chicken drums and a new frozen vegie medley that is 5 g carbs/ 2 g fibre for 3/4 cup!!! They are goood!

[Karole]

My counts were Protein 82 (whew, just made it) ecc 29. Had a good day all around with exercise and all.

[gitfiddle]

Hey, y'all! Sounds like everybody's working on plan.

Feelix, good for you with the exercising! You too, Agnes and Karole.

Dance away, Jackie. :)

Drink up, everyone! Tell me to do the same! :rolleyes:;)

[lisanurse81]

Here are the final counts... had a very busy day, and nean'ed, so did well for myself. Everything is well within limits, carbs, cals and protien req.

Just so you know, the only real difference for me is my BMI, and so instead of losing another 15 lbs, I only really need to lose 10. :)

Calories 1,611
Fat 106.5
Carbohydrate 24.7 (ecc 11.5)
Dietary Fiber 13.2
Protein 123.1

[sagebrushsara]

Well I don't know about carrying small stones. The quote for today reminds me of the scene from Shawshank Redemption when the inmate carts away the wall of his prison cell to the exercise yard, one pocketful of dirt and debris at a time. Persistence pays, freedom is at the end of the tunnel. The changes in me are not of note yet. But I grow closer to the end of the tunnel with each new day.

Breakfast today was a protein shake, lunch/dinner was chicken thighs, with red curry stirfry veggies and caulirice. Snack was two rykrisp crackers, with some braunsweiger and thin sliced onion. Drank my water, took my supps, went for a 40min walk with hubby after dinner. All in all a good day for me.

Totals: 74g protein, 24g ECC, 74g fat, 1100 cal approx.

[northwestgirl]

Here are my final counts for today, which surprised me a bit. (I didn't track them very well the last time around.) The carbs are lower than I expected, considering that I'm aiming for 20-25 per meal, 60-80 per day. I forget to account for the fiber, which may explain why I feel bad at first -- I'm eating fewer EC than I think I am. Oddly enough, for now, I'm going to have to work on eating enough carbs.

Protein was OK, which is unexpected, since I thought I would have to work harder to make sure I get enough.

Carbohydrate 75 (ecc 50)
Dietary Fiber 25
Protein 95
Calories 1,473
Fat 92

I did spend the afternoon in bed with the covers pulled up, though, because I had the chills -- waves of tingling all over, especially my arms and torso. From past experience, this is withdrawal from stopping the sugar. I consider it a good thing today, because it shows how dependent my body is on the white stuff. Here's hoping that's the worst of it.

[Ammy]

Just so you know, the only real difference for me is my BMI, and so instead of losing another 15 lbs, I only really need to lose 10. :)


Hey...that's like saying you lost 5lbs INSTANTLY!!! :slywink:

[Ammy]

Final counts...a bit low for me but work is SO crazy...I HATE working 12hr days and having to be at their beck-and-call!!!
:peeved:


Pro: 102.9
Ecc: 35
Fat: 135
Cal: 1678

[maxlharris]

Story of the day:
Water: Check
Protein: 230+ (WOW! Oops)
Carbs: ~12
Cals: 2100+

I made some pork chops. I ate more than I should have. Not that 2100 is more than I should lose on or that the carbs were high or anything. But it's more protein than I could use and I violated one of the things I am always going on about here: Eat till sated, not stuffed. Well, I wasn't to stuffed, but I was beyond sated.

Any rate, weight is up a bit today. Imagine it will pass back down with a day of decent eating and some additional "movement" on the pork chop front.

[blueriversam]

I restarted journaling today, yay! I stopped myself from eating a lowish carb peanut butter sandwich and grabbed some fancy cheeses instead for lunch. For breakfast I had 2 morningstar grillers. Total ecc so far is at 6 g, and like a bazillion calories ha ha. This is what it's like when you literally have no money and have to scrounge. I keep praying to the financial aid gods. Of course somehow this always ends up in my dog's veterinarian's hands :(

I also worked out this morning, still pushing the speed and intensity of my runs, but I failed and couldn't make it through the whole 60 minutes--I actually felt really tired from yesterday (skiing). I will be teaching skiing tonight, but that's not really a workout, just an exercise in staying *warm*