CountryLoser's Musings

[chicagobeth]

WAY TO GO COUNTRY!

That's a really nice loss. Keep doing what you're doing and that 9 pounds will be off in no time.

-Beth

[CountryLoser]

Beth- Thanks so much! Since this is round 2 of Core for me, I really feel determined to stay on plan and, when I get to goal this time, I'll stick with maintenance until I figure out what's right for me, rather than straying away when I get discouraged by minor setbacks. I've been reading the Maintenance board and have found a lot of useful tips from others who've been down this road. I'm looking forward to the rest of the journey!

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I had a great NSV today at work. I had to coordinate a buffet luncheon and the menu was lasagna, ravioli, garden salad, fruit salad, bread, apple cobbler with ice cream and turtle cheesecake! ugh! I am happy to report that I was there for the full two hours and had the garden salad (no dressing since they only had full fat) and fruit. I didn't feel deprived at all and was sufficiently satisfied. I'm not going to say it was easy to watch everyone eat the desserts (my weakness), because it wasn't. But, I didn't give in and I feel so good about that.

DH is working late so I've put a Core meatloaf in the oven.

I popped Leslie Sansone's "Walk Away Your Waistline" video in and did the one mile walk. Will work my way up since I haven't walked in a while and I know what happens when I start too fast - the inability to walk the next day! LOL

Today's menu:

B - Shredded wheat w/FF milk, fruit

S - None

L - Garden salad and Fruit

S - Chocolate smoothie (homemade)

D - Meatloaf, potatoes with ff cheese and ff sour cream, spinach

I definitely didn't get all of my veggies in today and could have had a salad with dinner, but just didn't need it.

[CountryLoser]

Another good day ...

B - Oatmeal made with water and Splenda, fruit

L - Leftover slice of Core meatloaf with potatoes & FF sour cream, FF cheese and a banana

D - Will be grilled chicken salad at our local Mexican restaurant - grilled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, with salsa as dressing.

Will indulge in 1 small margarita. I don't typically use my WPA, so not a problem. Goodness, pre-Core I would have a jumbo once a week - this will certainly be different! But, good different.

Bought a pair of denim capris this evening - a size 8! They're stretch denim, but even so, the waistline is cofortable and not binding - in the past when I tried to squeeze into an 8 in this type of fabric, I could barely get them buttoned, and definitely wouldn't wear them in public! LOL

[CountryLoser]

Today's menu:

B - Shredded wheat with banana and FF milk

S - None

L - the other half of my grilled chicken salad from last night

S - None

D - Leftover meatloaf, 1/2 potato with FF sour cream & FF cheese. Made a salad but was satisfied with the meatloaf and potato, so I stored it for lunch tomorrow.

S - Homemade chocolate smoothie

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Went shopping for clothes, but only came home with a summer top. Unfortunately, all that's left on the racks is picked thru summer items, or newly arrived winter clothes. Here in my area of Texas, we have little use for heavy-duty winter clothes.

When I stepped on the scale this morning AFTER breakfast, I was 132! woo hoo!

Sure hope it holds until Wednesday when I WI at my meeting. Would love to register an official 1# loss this week, after losing 1.8 last week. It's a lot to wish for, and I will just be grateful as long as I lose.

[CountryLoser]

Did a lot of walking yesterday at the mall, but I still need to get more exercise in.

The scale reflected 131.5 in my morning WI. Not bad. My mini-goal is to be out of the 130's and into the 120's by 10/10 - two meeting WI's from now. 3 pounds (going by the WW scale). I know I can do it if I go by my home scale and WI in the mornings, but WI'ing in in the evening at meetings is another story. :)Regardless, at least I'm sure to be in the 120's by the end of October.

Today I have nothing planned. Am taking off Mon & Tues to take DS1 to have eye surgery. Will have to be up early both days (430am on Monday). ugh! LOL Would like to go to Whole Foods while I'm in the big city. Just love their FF dressings - my favorite is Orange and Basil.

My menu plan:

B =- Shredded wheat with bananas

S - FF cottage cheese and pineapple

L - Not really sure. Maybe leftover meatloaf or I'lll make some tuna salad.

S - Not sure

D - Not sure

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I'm still amazed by how easy and stress-less it is to follow Core. When I was on Flex for a couple of months, I totally obsessed about food and points - spent my time obsessing about how much food I could get for the least amount of points. I would even save up points from meals to spend in the evening on WW snacks (WW cakes, ice cream bars, etc.). Common sense told me that this was not a good approach, but my fear of not getting enough food f(and the types of foods I wanted) ostered that way of thinking for me.

With Core, I know that I can always eat when I'm hungry and I'm always satisfied, and with less food. Knowing that I can eat, be satisfied, AND lose weight makes Core the perfect lifestyle for me.

I no longer crave sugar or sweets. In fact, when I add Splenda to certain foods, it's often TOO sweet.

A week or so ago I went thru some old Core recipes that I gleaned from the boards a couple of years ago (my first round with Core). I made Pumpkin Custard using Core ingredients. I recalled all the controversy over core+core=core and core baking. Guess I wanted to test myself to see how I would react to having a baked item available to me. I made it over a week ago, and have eaten 2 servings of it. It tastes wonderful, but it's not something that I would overindulge in. I like my homemade chocolate smoothies much better, and I have a smoothie each evening.

[CountryLoser]

Lunch was meatloaf and salad (lettuce, grape tomatoes, mushrooms and oil-free orange & basil dressing - bought it at Whole Foods and love it).

Snack was 1/2 a banana.

Dinner was Moo Goo Gai Pan.

Snack will be a homemade chocolate smoothie (ff milk, cocoa powder, splenda and frozen banana - yummy!)

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Will have to wake up at 430am tomorrow to be out the door by 530am for DS1's eye surgery. I'll pack Core snacks and books to read (including some WW cookbooks to plan a few meals this week).

[CountryLoser]

Up and at 'em!

B - Shredded wheat with banana & FF milk, FF iced latte

Scale reflected 132.5 this morning.

[chicagobeth]

Hey Country - be careful about weighing yourself every day - it could make you crazy! I know many people do. I don't WI at home at all if at all possible, just on Friday's at my meeting.

Sounds like you had a great weekend!

-Beth

[CountryLoser]

Hi, Beth! Know what you mean about the perils of weighing daily - but, I've been doing it for years so the shock factor is long gone for me. I've learned not to freak out if my weight goes up occasionally because I know that if I stay OP, it'll come back down again. I just use my daily WI's to stay on my toes.

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Mid-morning snack was a banana.

For lunch, DS and I went to a neat health food store that has an organic cafe - I had organic steamed brown rice, steamed veggies and pinto beans. Gave my side salad to DS. Was wonderful!

Treated myself to a smallserving of soft-serve ff frozen yogurt - we don't have it available in our area and I get one occasionally when I go to the big city. Not Core, but well worth using WPA's.

This evening, will have leftover moo goo gai pan (no rice) and maybe a chocolate smoothie (homemade, of course).

Bought ready-made polenta today at Whole Foods - will be nice to have it available for quick and easy meals.

[katelight]

Hope your son's eye surgery went well. Congrats on being back on track. YOU ROCK
Katie

[katherinehealy07]

Want to say Hi your food journals are great! you have given me lots of ideas

[CountryLoser]

Katie- Thanks for the well wishes! DS had a lens implant and all went very well - he was seeing clearly right after the surgery. I may have to consider having the surgery - I'm severely nearsighted and wear contacts.

Katherine - So glad my food journal is of benefit to you - it really helps me to see the "big picture" relating to my menu. I do need to vary my menu a bit, though. When I'm really busy, I tend to just eat the same things over and over.

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Yesterday's menu:

B - Shredded wheat, banana, ff milk

S - Banana

L - Antone's (deli) Greek salad with ff dressing. Counted points for the feta cheese.

S - FF soft-serve frozen yogurt. Counted the points.

D - Grilled steak, potato (regular Ranch drsg - counted points).

S - One regular cupcake (counted points).

We were on the road yesterday and at DH's aunt's house for her birthday last night - I didn't have many Core choices, so did the best I could.

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Today's menu:

B - Boiled egg, fruit

S - None

L - Salad with lettuce, canned beets, black olives, green olives, boiled egg, ff French dressing

S - None

D - Plan to try out the ready-made polenta that I bought at Whole Foods earlier this week. I'll probably slice it up (the package with Basil & Garlic) and add tomato sauce with Italian spices, ff mozarella, mushrooms and onions. Will steam some veggies and drizzle them with olive oil and lemon pepper.

S - Probably a homemade chocolate smoothie - yum!

My meeting WI is this evening - I wasn't totally vigilant this past week and I used some of my WPA (which I typically don't do), so will be interesting to see if I maintain or gain. If I gain, I'll know that I have to keep a very close eye on using WPA. Will report back after my meeting!

[CountryLoser]

Meeting's over and the results are in .... a .6 pound loss! woo hoo! Not earth shattering, but it's a loss and I'll take it. I was concerned because I ate out quite a bit this week. It's nice to know that even crazy weeks can be manageable.

This evening's menu:

Before I left work at 430p today, I was feeling a bit hungry and didn't have a chance to eat my snack (oatmeal). Sooo ... I made the oatmeal and put it in a little to-go cup. I ate it at my meeting after my WI.

Dinner was two slices of ready-made polenta with cilantro and green chilis (already seasoned). I heated the polenta in my daily oil (EVOO) in a skillet and topped each with a slice of tomato, FF sharp cheddar, and black beans. It really was good! So good that I made extra for tomorrow's lunch.

I'm snacking now on a homemade chocolate smoothie - all is right with the world! LOL

Tonight's meeting topic was interesting - discussion focused on how to get out of the "diet" mindset.

[CountryLoser]

B - Shredded wheat, FF milk, Splenda. Was out of bananas.

S - Will have a banana (bought here in work cafeteria).

L - More polenta with black beans, FF sharp cheddar, salsa and tomato slice. Forgot about adding FF sour cream. Salad with lettuce, olives, beets and FF French drsg.

S - Apple (yummy organic apple from Whole Foods)

D - Not sure. May have more polenta. Am going to the grocery store, so will decide then.

S - Chocolate smoothie, I'm sure!

[girliepurple]

Thanks for the wishes, CL! I need them!

Great job on the loss!! A loss is a loss!