I haven't really moved the needle this week with weight loss but I feel like I am back to a better routine. I was hoping for a loss but at least I know I am on the right path and primed for a loss in the weeks to come.

With the exception of a few meetings, I am off work for the next three days so planning to make a pot of soup -- I have some beautiful beans from Rancho Gordo but I keep wanting to go back to the roasted mushroom and wild rice soup I made a few weeks ago. It was sooo good!

The weather is unseasonably warm so I have a few outings planned to get in some extra walking ... today is overcast and rainy but the next two days are to be very sunny! Need to get some good ol vitamin D production going!

@Funkyart - bean soup sounds fantastic. I love beans of all sort. I've heard of that brand/store, but never tried them. Let us know how your soup turns out!

Last week was a mixed bag for me - started strong and by Friday I was down 1 pound - to a new low for me. It was very exciting! Traveled for a wedding this weekend and came back 4 pounds up again:) So, more clean eating and lots of water drinking for me.

I didn't eat great this weekend - food was provided for several events and I let myself get too hungry and ate bread and cookies. Two things I never really even want. Plus some car snacks there and back. I wasn't wearing my monitor but I know it would have been pretty ugly.

So, it's Monday and I will try again to get back on track.

I am excited to give the beans a try also-- but it is a little too warm today to get the motivation for bean soup! Between my vacation and Veterans Day, I will only work one day this week so I am sure I will get it going later in the week as it starts getting cooler!

Through my own experiences and reading updates from you all, I am starting to realize it isn't about measuring success on any one day -- we are changing our lifestyles! There will be weddings and birthdays and holidays that we will want to enjoy and celebrate-- and we should! There will be illnesses, injuries and crazy schedules that we need to tend to-- and we should! That is the "life" part of lifestyle. I think the key is to maintain an overall pattern and routine that reflect the healthy lifestyles we want to live by.

I let myself get off track after a birthday celebration for my mom-- followed by an expansion of the foods I could eat as my dental work came to an end. I gave myself many days-- more than a month-- of freedom to do what i wanted... to ignore the healthy guidelines I'd followed for the last year plus. Once I had one or two days of being off track, I'd think, "well what's another day?". I sabotaged myself by not maintaining the patterns and guidelines I'd successfully implemented over the last year plus.

I am going to go into the holidays with a different mindset. I will celebrate with friends and family, I will make good decisions but not be so rigid as to not enjoy a meal or a treat-- but that is what it will be-- A treat .. A meal. I will not let them derail my healthy lifestyle progress because as much as those celebrations are a part of life, they are NOT my chosen lifestyle. If I look at them as special events rather than a failure, I think I am less likely to allow them to continue days and weeks after the indulgence.

I am really disappointed in myself -- I stalled and even took steps backwards. I owe myself more. While I am back on track now, I still feel somewhat vulnerable to going back into self sabotage mode. I hope this slight shift in perspective will help me (and maybe some of you?) to be stronger and make better decisions. I don't need to be perfect at each moment and each meal, but I do need to bounce back after a celebration or treat and continue to stick the plans and routines for the days ahead. That's what makes it a healthier style of living.

Sorry so long-- I guess I have just spent too much time thinking about all of this. I can be disappointed in myself but that accomplishes little. Shame isn't going to get me back on track. I needed a plan to recover and regain ground!

I'm with you Funky - I think you're exactly right. I don't have any good answers for you though:) but examining what you're doing and finding things that work for you has to help. I remember almost the exact moment I knew I was going to gain back my weight I lost years ago - I started getting bagels regularly again. And I thought, one isn't going to make a difference. Which it didn't. But one 4 or 5 mornings a week did - and looking back it probably wasn't just the bagel but the glucose crash after that set up a bad day of eating that all snowballed into a few pounds and then a few more.

I try to take it one day at a time - even one meal at a time. And think to myself how to make the healthiest choice right then. For me, that is putting plant products and fiber first if I can. That solves a lot of cravings for me and makes other choices easier.

I also try to close my Apple Watch rings every day. Kind of adding things instead of restricting myself - you can't have that or do that mentality.

All that to say- after steady losses for months I am at a stand still. Maybe if I keep doing more things right than wrong, that will change.

But as far as lifestyle - I know my BP is down, and it was getting borderline high. I will do my bloodwork again at the end of this month, and hopefully that will show improvements.

And I FEEL better. Eating for sugar balance and adding all these plant products has really improved my energy and my mood. When I eat crappy, I feel crappy, and that's not a fun lifestyle after all.

And write as much as you want - I write a lot too, because this is like a little food therapy session for me! It's been very helpful to examine all the things that go along with food choices. It's certainly not simple.

Last month we ate/drank our way through Canada. Never really got back on track before we spent 5 days eating and drinking our way through New Orleans. Got home last night and got on the scale this morning…yikes. I re-introduced myself to the Peloton this morning. My fridge is full of fresh produce, eggs, and chicken. Back to reality!

It was all downhill from here.

Yup, you are so right, @legomom23. l definitely feel better now that I am eating better -- physically and emotionally. I also find that I do best when leaning heavily to veggie/plant dominant meals. Now that my dental work is done (though still adjusting), I can eat a broader range of nuts and vegetables and I am loving it!

I am embarrassed to share that there is one thing remaining that I need to eliminate again-- after many YEARS of drinking no/very little soda, I am back on a diet pepsi kick. I can feel how bad it is for me-- and yet, I keep reaching for it. I am not sleeping well, i feel bloated and just not as "clean" as I feel when drinking water and iced tea. I can't believe the hold it has on me after only a few weeks! Ugh. I can't even remember WHY I did it.

@Sueb20 well you are not alone in that boat -- it's a good time to focus and pull it all together before the holidays ... and before the kids roll in for Thanksgiving!

And hope you had two great trips!

@Funkyart - I think we're the same person sometimes in our food challenges :) I too fall off the bandwagon, but I'm a Diet Coke fan instead of Diet Pepsi. There is definitely something to the fizz that is not easily replicated for me. I switched to zevia - which is sweetened with stevia, but I should drink more water instead.

I have read that stevia is ok for me, but a new dr I started following that I like a lot is doing an IG live today discussing all types of sugar's impact on the gut microbiome, and I'm a little scared where stevia is going to end up there. She listed it in the topics. So, we shall see!

Oh yes! We do share some of the same challenges!

I use stevia in my tea sometimes (i even used to grow it!) but not in soda. I stopped drinking it because of all the chemicals which includes the sugar substitutes... but not so much because of them. I actually had to stop all carbonated drinks because carbonated water is a gateway back to soda for me!

I don't think I'd be crushed to find out that stevia is as bad as the others -- at least in the context of gut microbiome. I could cut stevia without any great struggle.. but still I am curious. I hope you'll report back!

I love fizzy water but can walk away from it anytime. Never had a thing for soda pop. But my daughter did. She broke up with soda pop a few years ago by first of all mixing it a quarter to 3/4 with water and then more and more water from there worked for her. She drinks water with lemon or those flavored fizzy drinks that have no calories.

I still and probably will forever

struggle to get the exercises done on the day I need to get it done. So that is where I am. Have not found the perfect solution other than when I'm having downtime I have to quickly do the exercises or household or business chores call me. It's hard to accept me the way I am in general because I struggle with getting enough done in a day. But I am determined to continue with my exercise Journey.

I did make a spicy sausage and bean soup yesterday -- didn't use the rancho gordo beans because I had a number of cans of northern beans in the pantry I wanted to clear out.

This is one of my (many lol) favorite soups ... and I was reminded of how filling and satisfying it is. I had only a small bowl early last night and it kept me sated for the entire evening-- I didn't even think about or reach for snacks as I bit my nails and watched the e lection results slowwwwwly roll in (PA had a couple of very scary races).

I made a very large pot -- I can't seem to break my habit of cooking for a crowd. I will freeze some and maybe even split the pot and use half as a base for a spicy sausage and vegetable soup ala minestrone. In the past, I've added green beans if I accidentally make it too spicy so I know I can easily add green beans and cabbage to the tomatoes, onions, red peppers, carrots and celery. Just for some variety and to add to my list of plants-- I haven't hit 30 in a week yet but shooting or it!

Feeling like I have hit my stride with healthy fall eating -- just in time for the temps to go back up tomorrow!

ETA: a trick I use for spicy broths is to use tomato juice as well as chicken or vegetable broth. It is so flavorful and really takes well to the spices.

I am struggling with energy levels over the last week and being overworked in my job. They may or may not be related. I wondered if I was coming down with a cold after having a random toothache (in a tooth that had work a few years ago) and fatigue and headaches and body aches (which could have been sore muscles from exercise). I've been putting in a ridiculous amount of hours for work, often working until bed time with only breaks for exercise and (sometimes) meals. I think that is also impacting my motivation around eating healthy and exercising since both take mental and physical energy and I don't feel like I have any to spare. So overall, the last week I haven't been feeling great, but I'm still trying to stay on track.

As far as exercise, I only managed 5 of 7 days last week which is a record low for the last 6 months probably. One day work got the better of me and another I was just too exhausted and needed a break. I'm trying to get back on track with 7 this week and so far I'm doing ok. I am still struggling with limited swimming hours and work responsibilities that make it a challenge. Fall/winter weather is here so I'm also trying to adjust to running in the cold, rain, and snow. I'll fall back (pun intended) to my basement cardio equipment as needed, but I'm not excited about it. I did have a really good swim yesterday, so that was a nice change from feeling tired and unproductive.

As far as eating goes, I am still sticking with IF 5:2. But I'm not feeling very inspired and have been eating a lot of really boring repeat meals. I picked up some ingredients for a bean and leek soup that I enjoyed earlier this year, so I'm trying to feel some excitement about that. I am finding myself craving sweet and I cannot explain why. Maybe stress? My weight is still around where it should be, no real change from the last few weeks. It is surprising how much work it is to maintain and how easily I could backslide. I will keep weighing most mornings to keep it from sneaking up on me.

Awww @pricklypearcactus it sounds like things are getting worse instead of better. The long hours, the stress it will all affect your energy, your resilience and your state of mind. It's no wonder you aren't feeling inspired to prepare food! Be good to yourself.. give yourself grace to take a day off when you need to recharge. Accept that boring meals on repeat are still nourishing you. Maybe shoot for one new recipe or one new ingredient each week. You don't need any extra stress around meal planning... but you do need to take care of yourself. You will get through this!

Bean and leek soup sounds very interesting-- and so good for you. I just told my friend that I have been thinking about potato leek soup. I think I am going to try to concoct a dairy-free version next.

Sending you good vibes!

@pricklypearcactus I'm sorry everything is rough right now. I know it is hard to focus, it takes a lot of energy for me to do all the right things. I feel it even if I get a bad night's sleep. Hope things ease up soon for you.

I am totally switching gears and going kind of to the dark side for me;) I'm going to count calories and macros. UGH! I am still at a stand still with weight loss and keep getting signs from my reading and podcasts that I need more protein. I looked at my food intake for a couple days, and I was eating a lot of fat - lots of healthy fats - nuts, seeds, avocado, but my cheese and chocolate add up quickly too. My blood sugar is in balance, but I was using fats instead of protein. This is going to be really hard for me, because I want to keep up my fiber and my plant product diversity. I think I can do that, just smaller serving sizes and more veggies, less nuts. It's going to take awhile to tweak my daily diet. But I'm hopeful I will lose some more weight. Because although I have lost weight, I definitely have more to go. My waist is more than 1/2 my height, and my BMI is still in the overweight category. I know those are just numbers, but they are goals of some sort to me. I think this will also put the alcohol calories in the forefront of my mind and I'll realize there is no room for that much of them either.

This is the latest podcast that kind of pushed me over the edge - it was long! But had a lot to say. He's open to all eating styles, which I liked. Seems pretty science based, but of course all the scientists still find something to disagree on :) I am using his app for tracking - it has some interesting features.

https://hubermanlab.com/dr-layne-norton-the-science-of-eating-for-health-fat-loss-and-lean-muscle/

This is the app -

https://joincarbon.com/ It's $10 per month.

@gsciencechick First of all - congrats on your all clear colonoscopy! And second - our plans sound very similar :) My protein goal is 133 grams a day, but that is based on total calories allowed, so it's all relative. Very hard for me though. Not how I normally eat, either before i started losing weight or currently. But I am back to tracking, and always get the resistance training speech. It really doesn't sound that complicated when it's all spelled out. But, we know there is a lot more to eating than just choosing the foods - social outings, moods, schedules, time, spouses and families, etc.

Sounds like you have a great plan to follow! Good luck with the changes!

Legomom, just looking at my meals this week, I need way more protein and fiber, and way fewer carbs. This will take some work to get there. I also like nuts a lot!

I was surprised they did not recommend a CGM. I specifically asked about it. He said if I am following the nutrition guidelines, it won't be necessary.

I think it's going to be super hard for me! The big fiber foods I like are tied up in fat - chia seeds, flaxseed, basil seeds, so there's a limit to that. I've had a rough couple days getting started too. Will take some experimentation for sure!

I'm sorry you couldn't get a CGM, because it is helpful, but they are probably right - I told my nutrionist yesterday - there is no chance for my blood sugar to spike if I eat all this protein. There's not room for anything else!

The only thing I would add for blood sugar control is the meal timing hack - if you are eating separate carbs at a meal (like the foods aren't combined into a soup or casserole) eat the carbs last. It does cut down on spikes when the carbs aren't going into an empty stomach. Fiber especially slows them down. Some people do a shot of apple cider vinegar before eating, but I can't stomach that so I have no personal knowledge of that.

Of course, walking after a meal is a great hack. That one really does work for me according to my CGM.

https://nypost.com/2022/04/02/enjoy-carbs-and-lose-weight-with-these-glucose-goddess-hacks/

Thank you @Funkyart and @legomom23 for the support! <3 It means a lot having people to discuss how stress in life impacts ability to focus on health goals. I also am probably eating too many nuts. They really help me with satiety but are far too easy to overeat in terms of calories (for me at least). After reading the article posted about the T**tter meltdown in another thread, I'm feeling really positive this morning at the state of my job after being bought and getting a new CEO a few months ago. Our other execs are still in place and although there is pressure to generate more revenue, it's coming from what seems like a reasonable and intelligent CEO. No one is forcing me to come back into the office, which really helps from an exercise standpoint (hello lunch time workouts). As much as I am feeling the stress, it could be so much worse.

@pricklypearcactus I really do understand what you are dealing with-- and while it could be way worse as can be seen daily in the news, that doesn't change how it impacts your day to day. I went through a number of major work stressors in the period of time I allowed my weight to get out of hand -- a merger followed by a buyout then a move to another company with GREAT opportunities for me but very very long hours and periods of intense challenges. It wasn't until I started viewing my own health as every bit as important as my career, my team and the deadlines that I started to lose weight and return to a healthier life. The good thing for you is that you are aware and alert to the potential impact of your workload and stress-- I think that puts you steps ahead! Again, be good to yourself!

Oh my @legomom23! We are all sisters in our food challenges-- I too find my balance leans way too heavily on fats and not enough on protein. I think I am pretty good on fiber but protein is definitely the struggle. I have only just been able to eat nuts again and I have definitely brought them back with glee -- I do like to include them in my diet because they bring in some minerals that are hard to get otherwise-- but really, I need to pull back on the quantity. I don't really think my fats are so out of control they are just way out of balance with my protein which is too low. I still struggle a bit with chewing meat and I was never a big meat eater. I do eat eggs and beans (not together!) a few times a week but I'm not much of a fan of tofu, tempeh etc. I'll need to add in some other sources of protein like quinoa and the higher protein vegetables and legumes. I was surprised to see how much protein is in wild rice-- something I love-- so I think I need to reeducate myself on good plant-based protein sources.

My weight remains the same -- actually 1.2lb up from my lowest weight-- but I have maintained it. I have definitely lowered my calories and am very much back to my routine the last 2 weeks... and I have been more active. I can't explain the plateau. I started wondering if I needed to ADD calories but I don't think that's the issue. The only other thing I can point to is the diet pepsi. I am just about out of it-- and removed it from this week's shopping list so I guess I will see if removing it makes a difference.

@gsciencechick I am so glad that you finally were able to go to the clinic! I appreciate the information you and @legomom23 have shared! We are all at different places in our journeys but still we all seem to struggle with some of the same challenges -- the information, experiences and support from everyone has been so helpful and I am inspired daily by all you share new recipes, new activities and your successes. ❤️🥗🥦

Hello, everyone... I've been so uninspired that I haven't checked in much. But, Legomom, I saw that podcast today, and it's on my list. I follow him--he's such a great listen, imo.

I, too, need much more protein in my diet, but I would find 80-100 grams per day, based on what's recommended to Gsciencechick, very, very difficult to meet. I've thought about adding protein shakes, but I'm not a fan of liquid calories. The average chicken breast has about 50 grams of protein, so I just need to add more chicken and fish to my diet.

As far as exercise, I promised myself earlier to get in 4 sessions of weight training each week. This week, I managed 1 so far, so it's going to be a busy weekend. ;-)

Ugh... I'm just not inspired at all. Sorry, folks.

I am struggling with inspiration too, @Feathers -- it was determination more than inspiration that got me back on track and now that I still haven't seen any losses, I am disappointed. I am doing all i can to stay inspired-- posting helps! I haven't lost weight since .. dunno? early Oct? I still keep posting to keep myself from giving up and spiraling into a bag of potato chips!

I added ground chicken to my shopping list this week-- I am thinking chicken meatballs for italian wedding soup. I also want to add more fish and seafood but I prefer to get it the day of. Scallop season is here and they are quick to cook so maybe I will treat myself this weekend!

I can definitely reach for the veggies and legumes that have more protein-- but it would take a LOT of them to hit the 80-100 g of protein. Ugh. I feel so much better eating less meat so not sure where else to go. I'll be watching all of your strategies for ideas!

I will need to scan some of the meal and snack suggestions they gave me. I told DH this will be a work in progress for sure. As much as I would love sweet potato fries with dinner, I will be way over my carbs. I'll still be over, just not way over, LOL.

I also called our campus rec sports about personal trainers for resistance training, but the director said they haven't had student trainers since C. They do have group fitness, so this seems a little inconsistent since there's more C risk in a room full of people breathing in a group fitness room than one on one in a large open concept weight room or gym floor with very high ceilings. There is the new Pilates studio, the Y, or we have someone who is an alumnus/former grad student who owns his own gym, and he trains his mom, LOL. Unless I try to find a partner for resistance training on campus. I have the TRX and dumbbells at home, but I really need the equipment.

Here they are:

So not horrible for a first day, but room to improve.

• Protein 54 g (80-100 goal)
• Carbs 111 g (60-80 goal)
• Fiber 26 g (25+ goal)

Today met carb and protein goal but short on fiber. Oh well baby steps.

GS science I really admire your fortitude in trying to balance your food carbs etc. I have a great deal of trouble with doing that. I probably don't eat enough veggies or protein. I have maintained the weight I have by the skin of my teeth. I will have to look at a way to increase at least my protein.

Bumblebee I understand all about not being interested I think we are interested in certain things at different times of our lives.

The reason my interest is at the height it is right now is that I want to be as strong as possible going into my older years for when my body needs the strength. It sounds weird but I am preparing for the worst by trying to get as fit as possible for a 65-year-old me.

The weird thing is that last week I lost 2 lbs and it has stayed off for a week which is unheard of for me. The only change I have done is a short two Block run 3 days a week. I have no idea how this has happened. It simply cannot be because of two blocks jog/runs. I'm otherwise healthy as I was recently checked out by the doctor. Plus I feel fine. :-)

The reason I have trouble losing weight is because of the hypoglycemia. I was told I would never be able to lose weight.. people shouldn't say things like that to me because I take it as a challenge.. I lost 45 lb and have kept it off for 15 years. The other 25 lbs however has not budged except for a pound or two which quickly returns and stays at the weight my body thinks I need to be at I guess.

We shall see how it goes but I won't hold my breath. :-). I don't want to feel down or feel like a failure. I already have decided because of my health conditions that I'm a muted success story. :-). I'm good with that.

Whomever mentioned about the push-ups know that I am still trying to do proper ones with mixed results. But at least I'm trying :-).