Friday, April 9, 2010

Friday weigh in

Today is weigh-in day. I was 203.6 which is a loss of 2.4 pounds. Was hoping for more and felt frustration and irritation rising within. Then I just read Tammy's comment this morning on my yesterday post and she noted I was right on track for 10 pounds in 4 weeks. I realize she's right, but I'm going to kick it up a notch this week in hopes of blasting off some more poundage.

Last night was the first meal out I had all week, and I know it played a role in my weight. Tom is out of town (lucky man gets to go to the Masters' Tournament in Augusta every year because his father got tickets back in the 40s so it's a family tradition) which has helped my eating and cooking be quite austere. Last night I went to a Thai place and had Pad Thai with shrimp along with several bites of a spring roll. Also had a cup of the Yoplait Delights Lemon Torte which was just so incredibly delicious I had to have another. So I brought the last 2 to work this morning to give away. Yet another source of food crack for me.

The wonderful Lyn at Escape From Obesity had a great post yesterday about food addiction that is a must read if you haven't already. She talks about coming to realize which foods are probably going to be need to be permanently off the table (no pun intended, but a good one, yes?) if one is striving for continued abstinence from bingeing. For her it's fried and salted items, most specifically white potatoes. For me, I think simple white sugar is going to be my required omission from the diet. The sweetness of that Lemon Torte treat, even at only 100 calories, just set off something that awakened every cell in my body to want more. It made my whole evening miserable and stress filled.

This is physiological and well documented as such in medical literature. Once it's on board, I'm powerless. Of course, I didn't do what I planned in case of food urges which was to blog about my desire to have more, which could have made the difference. With booze, the idea is to call before you pick up. Once you pick up a drink, a physiologic body response happens in an alcoholic that almost requires they continue drinking. And in alcoholics, since booze is mainly sugar, it makes sense that any food that converts to simple sugar in the body can set off a similar reaction. At least in this addict. Lesson learned. No more Yoplait Delights, which is too bad cuz they're GOOD. For all I know they are Splenda sweetened, but there has to be some sugar, because Splenda in my Greek yogurt has NEVER set me off.

Also, I'm eating at home! My ability to control what goes into the temple is 100% at home, as long as I make fresh and simple foods. No processed stuff if I can help it. No meals out this week - with God as my witness I won't eat out before next Friday. This will be a challenge. But hell, I'm doing Tammy's challenge anyway - what's another?

I hope everyone has a good weekend. I am happy about the 2.4 pound loss, and I got yet another lesson about my body this week! Suspected it before, but this was revolutionary, as I had no cravings until I had that damn little cup!

18 comments:

  1. Yay for the loss! Always good, even if it's an nth. That's really interesting about that Lemon Torte thingy. I'd almost venture to say that you had too much "sugar" in general - first in the Pad Thai then the treat. I find if I eat a sugared yogurt by itself, it affects me totally differently than if I eat a scrambled egg with it. Just a thought.

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  2. The more I learn about eating/nutrition/food/our bodies and how they work and the longer I am finding my path to losing the weight - the more I learn that simple, whole foods are the way to go. Processed foods should be a once in a while indulgence in my lifestyle, not a staple.

    Putting into practice is easier than writing about it though - but I'm trying to make small changes that stick and hope that enough small changes will eventually add up :)

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  3. scale would have been impacted by the 'out to eat' because of the SALT. If it is 'out to eat' - there is almost always salt - and in anything oriental-ish there is a lot of salt. And it takes 4-5 days (for most people) to flush the salt. So you will be nearly to next week's weigh in before you know. And there is no point in weighing in 4-5 days and then again a couple days later - will play with your mind. Don't ramp up the activity to burn calories at the expense of your knee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember the big picture. Swimming anyone?

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  4. I know certain foods do it for me. When I was in Weight Watchers we called them redlight foods. Others have different names for them. Sadly, they are best avoided because moderation just isn't happening here.

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  5. @Helen - I didn't even think about sugar in Pad Thai, but your right. One thing I love about it is the sweetness. aarrgghh

    @Enz - Whole unprocessed fresh food is definitely the way to go. I love all of it, so why do I still make dumb choices at times!?

    @Vickie - definitely know salt is a major culprit. I thought I'd be safe because I drank so much water and peed so much this week! HAH!

    @Waisting Time - I wrote a post about red light foods a several months back. Good term that still fits!

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  6. I'm with you on the whole sugar thing. Congrats on the loss!

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  7. Sugar and simple carbs are definitely my trigger! Try not to have any in the house.
    Congrats on a nice win and in finding out more things about the way your body works!

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  8. whoohoo! what a great week! :) Congrats on the loss! :)

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  9. Leslie congrats on the weight loss, that was a good amount for one week!

    You learned some good things about yourself this week and Knowledge is power. I too am very carb sensitive and as time goes on I am figuring out what foods are "triggers" for me.

    I had read somewhere that alcoholics are carb sensitive. I have seen that in a family member who is now sober but now, seems to be addicted to carbs. It makes so much sense.

    Wishing you a good week ahead and I know you can achieve your goals for the week!

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  10. congrats on the 2.4 pounds!!!!

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  11. That is an excellent loss for a woman in our age group! Fat just doesn't pack up and leave as quickly as it did back in the day. I thinks it's sluggish because of the insomnia.

    Good points about the alcohol-sugar-carb connection. Makes a lot of sense.

    Have a good weekend! You are definitely a contender in that challenge!

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  12. Hi Leslie. Congrats on your loss! I agree about the whole sugar thing. Even baked beans can set me off - it took me a while to work that one out as I had assumed they were low GI, but of course they have plenty of refined sugar added and are very high in carbs.

    It's tough. I didn't even really believe that food addiction existed before I started blogging. Now I know that I am indeed an addict and that it is a lifelong thing.

    What I want to know is: Why does life keep throwing cupcakes in our faces? I feel like if I work really hard at it I can keep it at bay for a while, but eventually I WILL get triggered again because the triggers are there 24/7 in a constant stream of images on TV, on blogs, in magazines - and that's just if I don't leave the house.

    I wish I knew a permanent solution. Maybe - as Lyn has found - it's just about never giving up.

    Have a great weekend Leslie!

    Bearfriend xx

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  13. CONGRATULATIONS on the loss! Any loss is a good loss--and yours is a GREAT loss!

    I've realized--again--that scalloped potatoes equal a binge on sweets. Doesn't matter how much I have or how well I've done. Eat scalloped pots = eat sweets.

    It must be the combination of the fat with the flour because I can have modest amounts of mashed potatoes or a baked potato and not binge. (Hence the delusional idea that I would be okay. sigh.)

    I will pop over to that post. Thanks.

    And, CONGRATULATIONS, again!

    Deb

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  14. OH CONGRATS! YAY YOU! Very good post today!

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  15. I used to be jealous of people who could eat those Yoplait treats. I would see the commercials, and drool. Or read blogs and see people enjoy them as treats. I would "consider" it...

    Then I read the ingredients list, and knew I just could not:

    NGREDIENTS: CULTURED PASTEURIZED GRADE A LOW FAT MILK, SUGAR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, NONFAT MILK, LEMON PULP, KOSHER GELATIN, PECTIN, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, AGAR-AGAR, CITRIC ACID, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, POTASSIUM SORBATE ADDED TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS, SUCRALOSE, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, COLORED WITH TURMERIC EXTRACT AND ANNATTO EXTRACT, VITAMIN A ACETATE, VITAMIN D3

    Yes, it might say on the front "sweetened with splenda", but it is also sweetened with white sugar.

    I had to accept that that is the trade-off:
    Eat healthy, lose weight.
    Eat nummy-treats, set off binge.
    Hmmm... which to choose???

    Congrats on the 2.4 loss. You are getting there. :-)
    Loretta
    =^..^=

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  16. 2.4 may not be as much as you wanted, but a loss is a loss. Congratulations!

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  17. What a gorgeous tree. I LOVE spring!!

    You keep at it...who can pass up a tacky souvenier :)

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  18. Congrats on the loss! It sucks that you can't enjoy the Yoplait Delights anymore, but good for you for realizing you can't have them around if you want to reach your goals.

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