R1P3D18/21 - Out with the old (habits) and in with the new, next year of course!

December 5, 2011

Day 18/21

I'm listening to Christmas music (which I do every year for the month between Christmas and Thanksgiving).  I have 380 classic renditions of Christmas carols on my iPod, which I'm listening to right now.  RIGHT when I started typing this entry, what song immediately started the fanfare?  The Hallelujah Chorus.  I laughed out loud.  Because what am I going to write about today?

I'm stabilized.

I have been within 2 pounds (at or under) my LDW (from November 16) for a week.  Hallelujah!  And, before that weirdness of fever, Thanksgiving and birthday (no cheating, just weirdness), I was stable below my LDW (1.3 pounds below) for a week.  So, I'm at 0.8 pounds below LDW, and I think that's where I'm staying.  I even ate Ezekiel bread yesterday and the day before.  Fine, it was only one piece, but, bread is bread, people!

OH, and, on Saturday, I went out to eat for the first time since October 16, my loading day.  We went to TGI Friday.  I normally don't like to have a "Sally" moment (from the movie, When Harry Met Sally) with waitresses, but I was able to pull it off pretty well ... I ordered a cheeseburger the way I wanted it ... with avocado, tomato, grilled onions, lettuce and bacon.  I took off the bun, gave the fries to JoEllen and kids/grandson, and then ate a wedge salad with blue cheese crumbles, bacon (meat candy!!!!!) vinegar & oil and tomato cubes.  For lunch, I didn't starve.  I had a buffalo burger with 2 slices of pepperjack cheese (and 1 slice of Ezekiel bread) with homemade mayo & asparagus.  For breakfast, I had bacon and eggs.  All P3 approved food.  Did the scale go up an ounce?  Nope!  Oh, and when we got back to JoEllen's house and played 2 games of Hand-and-Foot, for a snack, I had a bowl full of mixed nuts.  It is funny how bad habits kick in ... I've found myself WOLFING down food only at birthday parties/Thanksgiving/card playing at JoEllen's ... all places where I would eat comfort food.  The difference is, I'm wolfing down good choices (real food, not low fat or pre-packaged anything).  But, I've got to learn NOT to wolf down food.  I think I'll be working on that in Round 2, which begins on January 2.

Yesterday, I made a PILE of fried eggs and bacon for the week (I'm getting my final wisdom tooth out tomorrow, so I'm thinking I'll need lots of soft foods to eat for a day or two ... Fage no sugar Greek Yogurt, Wisconsin's Best Cottage Cheese and Eggs will be my new best friends).  I had 2 eggs & 5 (count them, FIVE) pieces of bacon (I had a few extras that didn't fit in the packages I made (wink) for breakfast.  I had a buffalo burger and a piece of Ezekiel for lunch (that was it).  Then, went for a walk with my friend Kate and her dog Lucy, went shopping at PetSmart for over and hour, and then home for a dinner of about 4 cups of tea, roasted chicken (spices and butter) and roasted veggies (spices & olive oil + olive oil w/black truffles) of 3 colors of peppers, onions Onions ONIONS and mushrooms, and a movie and fire with my 2 friends, Kate and Linda (and Lucy dog).  It rocked.

What did the scale do this morning?  Nothing.  It stayed flat.

Therefore, I am declaring myself stabilized!  I have 4 more weigh-ins, so Lord willing, it will stay that way.  I don't see myself behaving any differently in the next few days, so it should stay the same.

So, soon I'll be moving into P4 (eat whatever you want, but be sensible).  I'm not sure what will happen, but I plan on eating some of my faves, but in between, eating about the same as P3.  Low to no Carb most days.  Special days, like potlucks at work, birthdays, Christmas, I'll indulge a BIT at one meal.  But that'll be it.  Just that meal.  That's a HUGE change for me.  In the past, if I was going to blow it for one meal, I blew it (and I mean, BLEW IT!) for the whole day (and then some).

Maybe I'll make a list of the things I want to eat in P4, so I can come back and reference it later.  I'll do that in a separate note.

Happy Advent Day 5.  I hope you are enjoying the Christmas season.