Month Two Progress Update

Starting Weight:  268.2
Current Weight: 251.0
Total Loss:  17.2 pounds

 
We've stuck to this for 8 entire weeks. There have been some stumbles. There have been ups and downs.  But, I am still feeling better than I have felt in years. I'm not having major carb crashes in the middle of every day. My moods are still amazingly stable.

Some folks who eat LFHC just eat until they are satisfied every day, don't worry about calorie counts, and manage to do very well.  But with my history of eating disorders, I have found that I just can't trust my body to tell me when I have had enough. I either heavily overestimate my calorie count and put my body into starvation mode or I feel "hungry" all day and eat far more than I actually need.  Either way, I just find that it doesn't work for me to use my malfunctioning "satisfaction meter".  So, my goal this coming month is to work on retraining my brain when it comes to my daily meal planning. I'd like to be able to trust in my ability to recognize different levels of hunger and satisfaction. Part of that is going to be focusing on mindfulness while I am eating- slowing down, listening to my body, checking in with myself frequently during meals. It's also going to involve a lot more being aware of what hunger actually looks like for me and starting to notice when I am legitimately hungry and when I'm just bored, tired, angry, lonely, etc.

It's actually mid-April.  Excuse me, Ms. Weather? Are you absolutely sure there is snow in the forecast for today?  Ridiculous.  And from here on out, I promise I won't speak another word about the weather.

But it does effect this...

I want to go for a walk!  I want to pull out my headphones and put on my outside sneakers and walk around the cemetery. I love the gym, but I really want to get out into the fresh air where I can hyper-oxygenate my body and feel the sun on my face.  It's time, damnit!  I just have to keep reminding myself that it will only be a few more weeks until I can do that on a regular basis.

Three steps forward, Two steps back.

I actually gained one pound this week.  I'm thinking that it is what is known in the Keto world as P.I.S.S, post-induction stalling syndrome.  My body is just evening out. But it could also be trying to get back in the swing of things after last weeks' cheat day.  I am trying to pay close attention to the effect that "cheating" has on things like stalling my losses and how I feel physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I've already proven to myself that my body functions better when I am limiting my carb intake. It's simply a matter of sugar addiction, emotional eating, and societal influence.  Giving up sugar has honestly been more difficult for me than giving up cigarettes. With cigarettes, there was medication support to get me through the first weeks when the cravings were ridiculously difficult. With sugar/carbs, there's nothing but me and my will power that keeps me from buying a candy bar every time that I stop to get gas or cruising through the McDonald's drive-thru to grab a delicious ice cream treat.  Thankfully, those things haven't stopped me up yet.  Little day-to-day life circumstances have; a tray of cookies at a party, a birthday cake at a pre-preschooler's birthday dinner.

I made much better decisions in both situations, eating only a bite of the birthday cake and 3 cookies opposed to the normal six or seven that I would eaten in the past. But I was still completely incapable to avoid the temptation. I suppose that is an improvement and it's all about small steps in the right direction. I struggled a bit last night with feeling bad about my slow progress, but I must remind myself that any progress is progress- even if it has absolutely nothing to do with the scale.

101 Things in 1001 Days!

Second time's the charm, right?

Two and three-quarter years ago, I attempted a 101 Things list.  I got about 30 items done on it.  I have to admit that it was a horrible attempt. A large portion of my original list was related to my birthwork career, which unfortunately has taken a major detour for a million reasons. So, here I go.  Trying it again. This time I tried to keep it much more reasonable.

My plan is to do a monthly update on my progress.  And there's a little link up there at the top to my list.

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. 

Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as new year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Begin Date: April 4, 2013
End Date: December 31, 2015

Items Completed: 0/101 
Items Not Completed: 

Strikethrough  indicates a completed item
Italics indicate an item that is in progress

Red indicates a non-completed (i.e. failed!) item

– + – + – + – + –

HOME LIFE

1. Have a garage sale
2. Get my savings account up to $1,000
3. Learn to bake something new
4. De-clutter the kitchen
5. De-clutter living room
6. De-clutter our bedroom
7. Sort through clothes and donate what we don't wear
8. No take-out food for 30 days
9. Touch up the paint that Riley scratched up in the bathroom
10. Paint the living room
11. Refinish the kitchen cabinets (either repaint or paint a new color)
12. Plant a garden
13. Clean up and redesign the backyard
14. Try 10 new recipes
15. Refinish a piece of furniture
16. Take an upholstery class
17. Buy 3 new pieces of art
18. Try 10 new teas   
19. Buy a car
20. Complete 3 knitting projects and 3 embroidery projects

RELATIONSHIP/FAMILY/COMMUNITY

21. Write down the lyrics to all the songs Grandma and I used to sing in the car together
22. Have a family portrait taken
23. Start a calendar of family/friends birthdays and send cards
24. Take Ash out for a nice dinner at a nice restaurant, just him and I
25. In the winter, find a hotel with a great swimming pool or water park and spend the night there as a family
26. Take Ash camping
27. Get Married
28. Go To Montana
29. Get “relationship documents” notarized and sealed
30. Make a coffee/happy hour date with three friends and keep it
31. Host game night at our house 5 times
32. Take a romantic weekend trip with Wendy
33. Go on a honeymoon
34. Go on a family vacation
35. Rent a cabin for a weekend
36. Go to the drive-in movies
37. Send out wedding thank you  notes within three months of wedding.  
38. Volunteer with three new organizations
39. Write a letter to a business commending them when I have received excellent customer service
40. Finish Wendy’s t-shirt quilt
41. Use one of my “Date Night” sticks a month for a year
42. Enter something in the State Fair
43. Make a new friend

TRAVEL/FUN

44. See the ocean
45. Go to a wine tasting at a local vineyard
46. Get a passport
47. Go on a solo camping road trip
48. Ride on a motorcycle
49. See a burlesque show
50. Make a quilt
51. Take 3 community education classes
52. Go to the State Fair for my annual “solo day”.  
53. Visit 10 businesses in Minneapolis
54. Have a professional “spa day”.
55. Go on one “day-hike” (4+ hours)
56. Go on one “overnight hike” to a “hike in site” at a State Park
57. Go canoeing
58. Go fishing
59. See 2 plays/musicals
60. See 4 concerts/shows
61. Complete 5 “Pinterest Crafts”
62. Travel outside the U.S.
63. Ride a roller coaster!
64. Finally read all of the Harry Potter books
65. Finally watch all of the Harry Potter movies.
66. Go to Cosmic Bingo at Mystic
67. Go to Las Vegas for Jenni’s birthday and our pre-wedding decompression trip
68. Spend the night in a yurt
69. Wear makeup every day for an entire month!
70. Visit 5 new museums
71. Go to the Minnesota Arboretum
72. Have a ridiculously expensive meal
73. Go to Canvas and Cocktails
74. Take a cooking class
75. Ride A Train

PERSONAL GROWTH & HEALTH

76. Quit smoking for GOOD. Only counts after I've made it six months without a single cigarette.
77. Get a manicure
78. Build a functional piece of furniture for our house
79. Answer the "50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind"
80. Take a one week internet hiatus
81. Develop a personal mission statement
82. Finish my dental work
83. Cardio 3 nights a week for two months
84. Lift weights 3 nights a week for two months
85. Get a new tattoo
86. Update blog twice a week for six months
87. Take a walk every day for a month
88. Take a yoga class
89. Read 28 books in 2013
90. Go to Church every Sunday for a month
91. Keep a gratitude journal every night for one month
92. Pray every morning for one month
93. Meditate daily for one month
94. Get a massage
95. By myself flowers once a week for three months
96. Try 5 new vegetables
97. Re-read The Four Agreements
98. Do 36 Acts of Kindness on my 36th Birthday
99. Take a Zumba class
100. Complete the 200 Sit-Ups challenge

101 in 1001 Related

101. Put $5 in savings every time I complete one item