Merry Christmas! I think you guys are so wonderful that I’m even blogging today or I’d miss you. Enablemuch?
There’s just something about candles that make the house feel like Christmas. Unlike open flames, which just reminds me of my catching the oven on fire numerous times.
Want in on our next weight loss challenge that runs from December 31 to February 18? Check back tomorrow!
Now for the weigh-in!
It’s Monday, and you know what means: TOPS weigh-in! Weigh-in, in fact, for all of us taking part in the Mid-Year Resolution Challenge. Why weigh Mondays for this challenge? Because it typically keeps people honest on the weekends, the most difficult days to stick to healthy eating and habits. I know without Monday weigh-ins, I’d probably be much more naughty. Knowing I have to face the scale each week keeps me honest because I know short-term choices can have longer-term repercussions.
This week I am the same! Actually, I’m up a pound, but I know it’s water weight due to soy and not weight gain due to licking elephants and junk. It doesn’t count. It’ll be gone in a couple of days. There won’t be another TOPS weigh-in for 2 more weeks, but I still plan to weigh in next week and record that loss for the end of the year spectacular. Will I stay the same? Hit 65 pounds gone? I am so excited to find out, I don’t want to derail my efforts.
My total losses so far since August: 62 pounds
Total for all of our friends so far in this Mid-Year Resolution Challenge: 1544.17 pounds!
Keep it up, everyone! We have about 1 week left before New Year’s Eve!
Now on to how I’ve been doing with our Mid-Year Challenge… Be sure to do your thing. I am thrilled share my progress and thoughts, but I’m not the person you should necessarily look to for dieting advice (I’m not a paid nosh-a-titian). Be sure to subscribe for updates by adding your email right (in the sidebar) or through Feedburner in the title bar up top. You can also click the tab up top that says Mid-Year Resolution for regular updates.
Monday, December 24
I ate this:
Breakfast: About 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds as I ran out the door.
Lunch: Taco Star Nachos with chips
Dinner: Turkey, green beans, yams (w/just butter and a titch of brown sugar), mashed potatoes with butter and salt, gravy, butter + an orange and some peanuts
Exercise: Standing in line at the grocers because I was one of the doops who decided that shopping for groceries on Christmas Eve is cool.
Notes: I tried to give away some diet bars today to the food bank and they weren’t open. Trying again later in the week.
Tuesday, December 25
I ate this:
Breakfast: A couple of rolls + 3 pancakes + Christmas candy
Lunch: 2 slices gluten-free pizza + some peanuts + 2 diet bars
Dinner: Mashed potatoes + yams + green beans + butter + gravy + a bun + jam + butter
Notes: I went ahead and had a few things I thought I wanted. They weren’t that tasty! It is so weird how tastes change.
What I learned:
I am not afraid sometimes to have a bite or a sip of something that’s higher carb. Today (Christmas) I went ahead and indulged a little bit.
The prognosis? My mouth itched and nothing tasted that amazing.
Weird, right? Well, not the wheat reaction–my not missing any of the high-carb foods. I took some aspirin to offset the swelling and some Claritin because my mouth itches a little bit, but aside from that, I’m realizing that I really don’t miss the bread at all. I enjoyed the peanuts and the Christmas orange about more than anything else.
I even tried a couple of lower-carb bars, thinking I wanted the sweet so I might as well go lower-carb sweet…. I didn’t want those, either.
I enjoyed two slices of my chicken crust pizza topped with bacon, and for the first time today my stomach was truly happy–and so were my taste buds. Still, I’m not going to lie–it was fun choosing to enjoy a few pieces of Christmas candy and a sip of chocolate soda. And none of it was even off-plan. Why? Because I don’t believe in cheat meals or off-plan or falling off of the wagon anymore.
These were just more choices I made, and you know what? When I cast aside the need for perfection and doing everything 100% “right”, not only do I continue to lose weight, I’m happier, healthier, have a healthier relationship to food, and I just don’t want that stuff anymore. It’s a great feeling! I spent too many years yo-yoing due to obsession and compulsion with eating. I’ve found when I make the right choices most of the time, the rest of the time is just a blip on the radar.
Here’s to December 31st, coming soon!
nancyk52 says
I’ve found when I make the right choices most of the time, the rest of the time is just a blip on the radar.
Thank you , Jamie for those words…..That is going to be my new mantra from now on. I struggle with the 100% perfection thing, but I am working on it.
Merry Christmas to you and yours and all the best for 2013.
Linda Amann says
I definitely want to continue with you good people. haha. I want to lose 40 lbs before August. Wanna look great going to my daughter’s wedding!!!!!
Dee K says
Hi Jamie..I am absolutely amazed at your progress and a little baffled… I know you are doing essentially a low glycemic/low carb diet..but sometimes your meal plan seems to be full of carbs.. What am I missing? I’m amazed at your progress and would love to be as successful.. But I’m confused…. Love your website, blogs and recipes by the way!! Dee
Jamie VanEaton says
Hi, Dee! I have extra carbs once a week, and extra calories once a week to keep my losses moving along. It won’t work for everyone, though. What I do works for me, so I am always careful to make sure others follow their own paths. We all have our own truths when it comes to weight loss and health.