5 yr Maintenance Anniversary, from December 2005

5 yrs ago this December, I reached my goal of 160 lbs having lost a total of 114 lbs. I actually feel like its not been really official until now and that I've beaten those crappy odds for regain....and have NOT regained any of my weight.

I've actually lost a few more and today I maintain my weight around 153 lbs. My total loss is now 120 lbs. This pic was taken on 11/19/10, weight 153. Keep in mind that I'm now 60 yrs old!!

Thought or craving? How do you know which is which?

http://www.oprah.com/packages/women-food-and-god.html

Based on the videos of Geneen Roth at the above link, she is talking about something that I've been doing for the past 6 years now. Its the video called "Geneen Roth's eating guidelines" and she may help you more than I can with my clumsy words.

I have managed to become aware of food as mere thoughts and separate that from an actual craving. She talks about just this subject in the video. I know that when I'm sick to my stomach, I want oatmeal and a banana. It helps with nausea. To me, that is a craving.
But when I'm upset and or overwhelmed, and start thinking about eating a bagel, then to me, thats just a mere thought of a food that I do not have to chose to eat.

I had a bit of food poisoning last week. Got real sick with very bad intestinal cramps for several hours in the afternoon on Thursday. I was hungry for dinner but was afraid to eat as I had no idea what was wrong with me. I took a few bites of chicken and made myself some plain chicken broth and sipped on that for a while. I then cooked up a sweet potato later that night as that was all I wanted. Sweet potato doesn't require work by the colin to digest it so a good choice for when we have digestion issues.
To me, these were foods that I was craving to help me to heal and feel better.
But when I'm in an emotional state, my food choices can be pretty poor so I've got to be hyper aware at all times and not give into mere thoughts of highly processed foods like breads, pastas, etc.

My thoughts, good and bad, on the South Beach Diet

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Dr Agatson and the South Beach Diet. Thank you Dr A!
His approach and overall philosophy was just the ticket I needed to get the weight off....and keep it off. SBD taught me how to eat for the first time in my life. I tink that my ability to keep off 120 lbs lost is proof of this.

But as I'v eaten according to this plan for almost 6 yrs now, there are things about it that I've learned don't work for me and that I do not agree with. There are things about it that work for me 100% and that I love.

One thing is cheese. SBD lists "cheese" as an unlimited source of protein. I disagree with this. I count cheese in with my dairy daily totals of up to 2 cups. To me, cheese is dairy...period. I allow myself 2 ozs of hard cheese a day, if that. I count cottage cheese in dairy also and have 1/2 cup a couple of times per week. I do eat yogurt daily with my morning coffee. I enjoy the Dannon carb and sugar control yogurt but its very hard to find. I have to go to a distant grocery to get it.

Going to walk in my MBTs today.....getting a nice workout from them.

Saying buh-by to those holiday pounds!!

Its Friday and Saturday is my official weighin day. I weighed in yesterday at 154.8...today is 154.0.....1 more lb to go!! I Love to see how I have finally learned how to control my weight.

Still maintaining!

Hi!
Its the new year, 2010, and I've gotten through another holiday season without too much weight gain....3 lbs actually.
I weighed in on Monday at 155.8 and today, I was 154.8. As I've learned over the past few years, it takes 3 days of clean, on plan food before I see any weight loss...always.
I've been eating very well. Tonight will be salmon filet woth roasted broccoli and cauliflower combo. Lunch was beef chili...I love my own cooking!! I also had a slice of toasted Ezekiel with 1 oz. cheese on it. Mid-day, I had a mini meal of cottage cheese with tomato, cucs and onion.

I got a pair of the MBT shoes to walk in....good workout in my legs, back and core.....pricy shoes but worth it to me who walks many hours every day.

BDD= body dismorphic disorder.
This is an illness where people who are trim, slim, skinny or whatever you call them, see themselves as fat. Not only do they see themselves as fat but they obsess about it and whine a lot about it.
I have reached my saturation point for these people and will no longer enable them. Pat them on the back and tell them its OK ....when it is not OK. As far as I'm concerned, they do it to attract attention to themsleves and for people to tell them they look good, great, fine skinny, etc.
I am over it...not gonna do it any more....sorry if this sounds mean and not very empathetic but it really is how I feel.

So....thats it for now...just wanted to get that off my chest.