Week 7 Results

Weight: 251.4
Gain: 3.4
Biggest Loser Style: +1.37%
Remaining: 91.4
New NWA: 2.86

Wow, so I'm really tired of up one week, down the other.  I don't have time to say much right now, but just know that tomorrow I'm going to post a long one!

And also...because it's Love week, I promise I'm not thinking about giving up and/or killing myself.  I'm not.  I hereby give myself a hug!  I'll get through this.  I know I didn't do well and I'm not using Love to excuse myself, but I will improve without any self-loathing.  :-)

Good luck to you all,
JadeAmber

Love From A Grocery Haul

So, hubby and I were discussing cravings and we came to the conclusion that it is better to have "go-between foods" than to try to force ourselves to only eat the spectacularly healthy foods all the time.  Let's face it, the spectacularly healthy meals are not always the tastiest, and sometimes it just gets old, and usually if we try to force ourselves to quit enjoyable foods cold-turkey, we end up going good for a while and then binging at the Chinese Buffet or I-HOP.  A "go-between food" is a food that tastes like a junk/unhealthy/spectacularly tasty food but is a better-for-you version.  For example: when hubby wants waffles or cheesecake or ice cream, for some reason a brown sugar and cinnamon pop tart does the trick for him.  At only 210 calories, that pop tart is not exactly a superfood, but it is by no means a waffle, a cheesecake, or ice cream.  I reluctantly agreed with him and then realized the source of my hesitation - gee, that sounds like forgiving myself for being human!  Letting myself indulge when I'm supposed to be on a diet?  For shame!

I know what you're thinking.  You ARE human!  Food is supposed to be enjoyed!  It's a fantastic idea to find healthier versions of the foods you love!  And I agree.  Now.  But I didn't used to.  That's why I'm wearing Love this week.  Go-between foods are love foods!  I get to eat something I really enjoy and my diet doesn't have to suffer, because my "diet" is just calories in, calories out, and as long as I keep track of all my calories I'm fine, and I have not failed.  I'm okay with that concept now.

So I went to the store and got me some love: whole wheat bagels and reduced-fat cream cheese (strawberry and garden vegetable), turkey bacon, lean pockets, reduced fat Parmesan cheese, sugar-free all-natural fruit popsicles, and one of those steam-it-in-the-microwave veggie and sauce packets.  Yummy foods that are healthy versions of the spectacularly unhealthy crap I used to eat.  I can enjoy my food when I want a treat and still be in control of my calorie intake.  That's love!

I'm counting this as a Non-Scale Victory: I am now in a place where I can forgive myself for having a treat!  I no longer overwhelm a perfectly reasonable idea with the unreasonable urge to demand perfection!  No more hating on myself for ever enjoying a meal!  YAY!

Good luck to you all,
JadeAmber

Love

This week's color is a bubble gum pink called Love.  Part of why I am always sabatoging myself is that I expect failure from myself, and then I do not forgive myself when failure happens.  I am absolutely cruel to myself.  Losing this weight is really about learning to love myself.  Sounds cheesy, I know, but it's true.  It's the truth for most overweight people.  When I make mistakes, I need to give myself a hug and say it's okay.  And that's what I'm focusing on this week!

Good luck to you all,
JadeAmber

Week 6 Results

Weight: 248.0
Loss: 3.6
Biggest Loser Style: 1.43%
Remaining: 88.0
New NWA: 2.67

Okay, so 3.6 is not 10 but you know what else it's not?  It's not a gain!  And it's more than the NWA so I am on my way!!!  I looked back on the week though, as one is wont to do, and I am pretty sure that if there is a culprit it's the terrible sleep schedule I've been on.  I need better, more regular sleep something fierce.  Last week was the last week of classes.  This week is finals week.  But you know what?  Good decisions no longer have to wait for the "perfect" situation.  Finals week makes it a challenge, not an impossibility.  Good sleep, here I come!

My goal for this week is to improve on last week, so...I'm thinking I could lose 4 pounds.  That would put me in virgin weight territory (for this attempt, anyway).  I think I can do it!!!

BTW: I am still in that competition with my dad, and it's going fine.  I have also entered into a different competition with two friends.  Dad's is a simple race to 25 pounds.  This new one is a 12-week, let's-see-who-loses-the-most-weight (based on percentage) kind of competition.  It starts today.  They are both strong women but unfortunately for them, I am a jungle cat, so I hope they're prepared to lose!

Good luck to you all,
JadeAmber