Plans for the Holiday Meal

 I have a video planned for my youtube channel where I talk about how to navigate a holiday meal.   Thanksgiving to be specific.  (It should be live right now if you want to go to my channel and check it out.)  It gives all sorts of tips for navigating this weight loss land mine.  I have some great tips in there, if I do say so myself.  Furthermore, they are tips that I have personally used, so I know that they can work!   But what is my plan for the holiday meal this year?

I am going with version of a plan that I used a few years back.    In 2018 I decided that I was going to challenge myself to staying on track for the holiday meal.  I set up four rules.

1. Exercise

2. No bites licks or tastes while cooking (all food must be eaten off a plate..at the table)

3.  One plate/serving

4.  Picture of plate of food

IT worked for me, however the picture of my food was kinda awkward because I wanted to enjoy my family and not be pulling out my phone to take pictures of my plate.  But I did it.   So this year is going to be more of the same...with the exception of the picture.   I don't need a picture!

1. Exercise

2. No bites licks or tastes while cooking (all food must be eaten off a plate and at the table)

3.  One plate/serving....second helpings are not to be eaten!

Will I manage it?  I don't know.  But I DO know that I have to go into the holiday with a plan!  I am on a downward trend.  I have been in control of my eating and I want it to remain that way!  I do NOT want the holiday to derail me or even delay me in my progress!  

I have successfully navigated holidays before, I can do it again!   

What are YOU doing to get through the holiday?  If you don't have a plan....I challenge you to make one!!!!

Ephiphany: Weekend recap and some revelations

It was a long weekend and I enjoyed it thoroughly!   I had some thoughts and revelations about my journey.  I had a victory.   I also suffered a bit of a set back.  So good and bad all rolld into one.  So lets take it one day at a time..

Thursday
Thanksgiving was actually a victorious day.  I had set a challenge for myself and I nailed it!  It was the perfect challenge for me.  It gave me the freedom to enjoy the holiday and the holiday eating, but yet still keep me reigned in!  I will definitely be revisiting the same challenge at Christmas! 

Friday
This is where it started to fall apart.  I had off work (that part was good) and spent the day with my mom (that part was good also).   We went out to lunch and I actually chose a place that I could get a good salad.  I was craving a salad!   I knew my calories would be higher because...well a salad with all the fixin's isn't usually low calorie. I was ok with the higher calories because I would rather eat something that is packed with nutrition versus eating a higher calorie meal that has limited nutritious value.  BUT then they said "would you like the endless soup for 1 dollar more".  Of course I got it...and of course I chose the Broccoli Cheese soup..  I ate two bowls of that soup.   I was STUFFED.  Mom and I hit up a few stores...but pretty much just hung out and avoided the crowds.  Dinner rolled around and it was our standard pizza and wings night.  I wasn't really hungry...but I still managed to eat a few wings and two slices of pizza.   See....bad.....why was I eating when I wasn't hungry?

Saturday
It was raining and miserable...and borderline freezing so in areas of our travel it was freezing over.  We relaxed and headed to Hagerstown to run a few errands and see mom.  I tried to stay close to mom this weekend.  This weekend was  the year anniversary of dad's death..Sunday the 25th to be exact.  (And I still cry at the drop of a hat when I think about life without my dad). 

Dad with his high waters and me with my short short dress!  Christmas 1977

I nibbled on some food at mom's...but nothing major.  I fell off the wagon when dinner rolled around.  I was hungry....and I ate way too much food.  I was stuffed but I STILL managed to shovel in some dessert!  Why oh why???   And then I felt miserable the rest of the night....and I woke up with a stomach ache Sunday morning.  It is SOOOO not worth it!

Sunday
 We woke up and headed to the Christmas tree farm. We took the hayride out to the fields.

We picked out the perfect tree. We (Jason) curly the tree down and we carted it home.

Of course we decorated our tree. And that took most of the day.   We relaxed in the evening and enjoyed the tree!!

So what is the revelations?

We talk about doing things.  We talk about our dreams and plans. A few months ago we sat back and said "enough is enough, next year we ARE going to Maine (Acadia)..and tentatively it is scheduled for August."   When we had our vacation in October  one of the lessons we learned was that we have to be in good shape if we plan on having an active vacation in Maine.   Motivator for sure! 

Well....we took it a step further this weekend.  We have talked about hiking the Inca Trail and seeing Machu Pichu for years.   We have set a date....well...a year.  2022    Why that year?  Well 2019 is Maine.   2020 and 2021 will be less expensive vacations while we put money aside for the biggie.  AND 2022 is the year that I turn 50.  So I will be hiking the Inca Trail the year I turn 50 (technically I will probably still be 49 when we do it......since I don't turn 50 until the end of the year).    Jason will at that time decide what big vacation we do on his 50'th year which will be in 2025. 

If we are hiking the Inca trail....I have to be in shape!   Just like all the hiking and biking in Maine will be more enjoyable if I am in shape.

Did we stop there?  No....we talked about the fact that we have always talked about doing section hikes of the Appalachian Trail.  We have talked about it for 3 years now (yup, we hit out three year anniversary on November 20th).  But we haven't done it.  We haven't even started to purchase gear.  I have no gear...and Jason is partially geared...he purged all of the stuff that needed replaced when we moved....so he needs to replace some of his stuff.  SOOOO we sat down and have started a list of gear we need.   And we will be starting to get our stuff slowly but surely.  This is going to happen. 

I'm tired of being fat.  I'm tired of being out of shape.  I'm tired of it all!  It's time to change!

Who's your daddy???

Well well well......today was my 'weigh in' .   I've set up my accountability with my friends Sherry, Donna and Julie. Basically on Fridays I send them my weight.   They are not required to reciprocate but I am more than willing to be their accountability partner in return.  (and they all jumped at the accountability deal....go friends!)

One day post feeding frenzy and I was really quite nervous about stepping on the scales.  Not surprising eh?   I almost forgot.  I was in the kitchen doing some cooking and prep work for the days meals.  I actually had taken a small bite of turkey salad and had put my breakfast in a bowl (fruit salad) and I remembered!  HIP HIP HURRAY.  (note my sarcasm).    I stripped out of my clothes.   Yeah, yeah yeah.....I weigh myself in my birthday suit, what of it?  I stepped on the scales.  I was 223.4 last week.  I was really expecting the scales to say at least 226.  I closed my eyes while the scales regulated.  I took a deep breath, opened my eyes and looked down.   What???   223.1!   It's a loss!   Don't even try to tell me that point three is NOT a huge loss.  It's  monumental!!!    I made it through a holiday and showed a loss!

This morning Todd and I bundled up and went for a walk on the C&O canal.  It was a chilly walk, but actually warmer than yesterday.  Lovely scenery!   Of course I had to take a picture at the end.....I still apparently have a cone head that I'm covering with my hat...but at least my hat isn't on backwards!







 Todd kept photo bombing me....can you see the 'happiness' on my face????


I'm working on my eating and I've been on target.  UP next....the weekend challenge!

Turkey Trotting

Foodapalooza day has come and is pretty much gone.  Eating is over for me at least.  Did I come out on top?  Probably not.  But I'm not gonna kill myself over it.  I moved ....and I ate mostly fruits and veggies (ok ok ok, so what of it, potatoes are still a vegetable and I ate mashed potatoes with my corn, peas etc etc etc ......and I can't help it that my sister in law made the most to die for bread.....POTATO ROLLS....see vegetable!   I....well......ok ok ok...I ate Two...don't be hating!)   It's over and it's time to move on.  I've got this.

My day started early.  The alarm was set for 6AM, but I was awake at 5AM (not by choice, wonder why I woke up wide awake.....boo!).  I laid in bed and did a slow easy wake up before the alarm went off.  When that alarm sounded I bounded out of bed ready to roll.  I had packed my stuff the night before so I just had to get dressed in my running duds that I had laid out the night before (layers of them because in case I forget to mention it....it was COLD outside).  By 6:30 I was dressed, breakfasted and the car was warming!  

                                                                                First on the agenda was to pick up my friend Paula who was going to be running this race with me.  Second up, HCC our local college that was hosting this event.  Once chipped we sat around and watched the little kiddie races and waited for our turn to run.  We had some laughs while we made fun of people we know and don't like and giggles while we waited to run.  Paula is always fun to hang around.  And no...I'm not happy with my picture..but it shows that we were just being silly.  Don't I look demented with my eyeballs ready to pop out of my head????





Anywho.....soon the waiting was over and we were heading out into the cold to run ourselves silly. (oh wait...maybe we were trying to run the silliness out of ourselves!)  Have I mentioned it was a bit nippy out there????????   We geared up with hats, and pulled on our gloves and I was thankful for my two sweatshirts and long sleeve tee.  I was even more thankful for the cuddle duds under my pants.....however, my toes were cold!   Man, I need to really get this weight off....pictures don't lie (although I was wearing about 4 layers on top!)!

The gun went off and we took off like two girls chasing a cute guy.  Ok, maybe we walked slowly in the crowd to the starting sensor/start line.  (turns out it took us a minute to get to the start line...not too long)  We hit the sensors and we were off.  Crowds parted for our beauty as we ran gracefully down the road.  OK, so that isn't quite the truth.  But we did weave in and out of the crowd, trying to find a spot in the runners to claim as our own.  We settled in to run.  It was cold.  Have I mentioned that???   I have not run in a while and I was wondering how I was going to do.  Almost immediately my heart rate skyrocketed.  GRRRRRR   I slowed my pace down and pushed myself on.  My heart rate slowed down but throughout the race it continued to skyrocket sporadically causing me to ~gasp~  slow down .     I made it through mile one with no walking.  I took a short walking break right at the first mile marker.   I ran a bit and then started running again.  I'd like to say that I ran the whole second and third miles after my walk break, but that was not to be.  I did the rest of the run in intervals.  Walk a bit and then run a bit.  There was no set interval...I just ran as long as I could and then I walked.  And I pumped my arms and tried to do a speed walk thing.

I started noticing someone else that was doing intervals.  Her face was beaded with sweat, she was wearing black, had a ponytail and she had pink headphones (yeah, that's what I remember!  I'm very observant...NOT)  and she was working it.  We would run and we would pass her as she walked.  Then we would walk and she would pass us.  Seriously???   I just wanted to cross the finish line before this girl!  Right at about the 2.5 mile Paula was running ahead of me and I had pulled up even with my leapfrog girl.   Paula turned around and ran backwards and was yelling "Get Angy and RUN girl!"  I looked at her and said...there are two girls back here!  I told the girl that we'd been leapfrogging her the whole race. She laughed and we ran on together.  At this point I knew that I was holding Paula back. She had never finished a race in under 40 minutes and I knew that if she held back with me that she may not make it.  So I yelled up to her and told her to run like the wind and set her PR.  She waited no longer (although I kept her in my sights the whole time...and occasionally hurled motivational insults comments up toward her!)  I was determined to finish strong.  And then I got utterly lightheaded and poopy-doop, I had to slow down to a walk.  I had to walk as I approached the ARCC (Athletic Recreation Community Center....at the local college where this event was held...the finish line snaked into the ARCC and finished inside....NICE perk on a cold day).  For a few short seconds I was literally afraid that I would pass out.  I had no choice but to say farewell to my pink ear bud, pony tailed gal in black.   I walked for about 30 seconds until the majority of the lighheadedness passed and then took off again.   I entered the ARCC and finished strong on a run (praying that I wouldn't pass out).    Paula was at the end of the chute (she finished a minute before me) and my ponytailed girl was right there.  I've already mentioned my superior observation skills so I don't have her bib number....all I know is that she finished after Paula but before me. (So looking at the finishers I know she's one of about 4 people...and that she is between 36 and 49...yeah, I'm that good!)  I did stop and congratulate her and tell her I'd see her next year!

Not sure what was up with that dizzy spell.  It passed very soon after I stopped running...so that's good.  I felt full of energy and vigor the rest of the day...so maybe I just needed fuel or something.  Who knows....who cares!  It was an abberation.  If it happens again, then I will be concerned!

I went over and got some water and I picked up a snack and then Paula and I waited for our official times.    I finished in 38:55, Paula was about 40 seconds faster than me.   I'm actually pretty good with my time.  It wasn't an easy run by any means.  I sadly walked more than I would have wanted.  The good excellent fabulous news is this....my previous personal record was 38:20.,....uhmmmmmm a bad run without any recent serious running and I only lost 35 seconds!  SOLD!  I'll take it!

                                                                             Of course we are totally psyched up on our runners high after it was all over and you can see the happiness in our eyes, in our huge grins and just oozing from our pores!!!!

                                                                                         Sooooo, I'm putting this at the end...and it's in no way least important. But I have made a commitment that was put out online  to running a 'virtual' 5k on Thanksgiving, a virtual 5K on Christmas Day and a virtual 5k on New Years.  The Thanksgiving one was easy peasy as I was already registered to run the Turkey Trot.   One down....two to go!  :-)  SO here is my great picture with my Turkey Trot bib...and my virtual bib!    Ohhh and lets not forget my hat that was covering my cone head (ha ha ha...well doesn't it look like it???)...and that I was wearing backwards apparently, with the seam down my forehead.  Yes, I was completely sober when I got dressed, I promise!! 

These races are so darn addictive.  I want to do another!!!!   Todd feels the vibe and energy and once again has made the comment that he wants to run a race with me.  (He said it after the Donut Alley Rally, the first race that he attended in support of me).  He knows what he has to do.  I downloaded the Couch to 5k app on his phone.  I can't do anything more than that......the rest is up to him. 

Foodapalooza is upon us!

My food intake the last week or so has been predominantly on track.  I have tracked it all and I'm doing what needs to be done.  Are the scales reflecting it????  NO.    Does that mean I'm going to give up?  Heck no!  This will all fall into place and the weight WILL start to fall off.

I'm heading into tomorrows foodapalooza on shaky ground.  I'm determined to navigate this holiday without gaining tons.  I'm actually a bit nervous about it.  I feel as if I'm a newbie at this weight loss thing, just starting to forge a path through the wilderness, lost and confused.  I have to keep reminding myself that this is NOT true.  I've been here before.  I've navigated my way through holidays in the past.  I've managed to LOSE WEIGHT through holiday meals and cookie baking days and all of that.  I can do this.  I KNOW how to do it.  So that nervous scared feeling that pervades my thought processes is erroneous and I have to remind myself of that continually.  And I have to remember that it is simple things like 'less food on my plate', 'heavier on the veggies' ,  'limit the desserts'.  The biggest thing to remember is that there is NO FOOD that will be on that table that I can not eat the next day, or the next week or the next month.  Nothing is taboo.  Next week if I want more stuffing, I can make it.  Next week if I'm still craving whatever I feel like I didn't eat enough of, I can make it and eat it then.  There is no need to stuff myself silly on Thanksgiving day!   

I'm hanging on.  I'm working it.  I will find success!

Weather permitting I'll be out running my Turkey Trot tomorrow.  Not sure how I'm going to do with it....but I'm going to do it!  :-)

Happy Thanksgiving day!!!!!!