Doreen's Fresh Start & Success Story! (Welcome Friends!)

[DoeWDW]

It's official!! My daughter is a chocolate bar!!! She got the job at Hersheypark.

Yesterday I continued to eat the wrong stuff and to ignore Fitday. I haven't entered food in since I got sick on Wednesday. It just got too hard to track how many ounces of orange juice I mixed with water so I gave up. Then, of course, I figured, in my sick warped emotional-eating mind, that I might as well eat all the stuff I DIDN'T want to put on Fitday. Ugh! Will I ever learn???

Today is the day I get back on track. Today is the day I enter every bite, good or bad, into Fitday and take back my eating! I'm headed there right now!

 

[goodeats]

Today is the day I get back on track. Today is the day I enter every bite, good or bad, into Fitday and take back my eating! I'm headed there right now!

I like this sentiment. You can do it!

 

[lulu201]

YAY! Your dear daughter is as sweet as candy! In fact, she IS candy! Please tell her congratulations for me.

You're honest post here today is what is making me go to fitday and write down the fact that I had a pepperoni and provolone pretzel pocket (say that three times fast) for lunch, lots of whole wheat linguine, and TWO, yes TWO white rolls with dinner. What was I thinking??? I don't know, but your honesty's helping me to stay on track. Thank you, Doreen.

Today's reading in the Purpose Driven life talked about using our weakness--that special problem of ours that we might not be so proud of--and using it for God's glory. It talked about how accepting it humbly, setting aside our pride, and reaching out to people with our own story can make us compassionate, useful, and truly free to serve God. I want you to know, Doreen, that your honesty has changed my life in many ways. The way you journal here and share your problems with food have helped me countless times the last couple of years, but your honest discussion of your depression has helped me the most. For many years I was ashamed of what I perceived as my weakness--my battle with anxiety and depression. From your friendship and your example, I've been able to own it and, I think, move forward in a huge way. I hope I can help others, Doreen, like you've helped me. We've always said that we're WISH-sisters by Grace, and I know that I'm truly blessed to have you in my life. This devotion today just put a whole lot of pieces together for me (obviously ), and I just felt like I had to tell you.

Have a good day tomorrow, dear friend,
Erin

 

[Blueeyes101817]

i really hope that you are feeling a lot better!!!

CONGRATS on your daughter getting the job!!!!!

 

[DoeWDW]

I'm still battling my cold. Actually the only thing left is tightness and gunk in my chest. This is the only time my asthma rears its ugly head. So I can't breath very well at the moment. I have 2 choices - do nothing, deal with diminished lung function and hope it doesn't turn into bronchitis or take my inhaler and put up with the headaches and shakiness that it causes. I'm trying to use the inhaler as little as possible, and am still drinking diluted orange juice to try to ward off any infection. Time will take care of this - I just have to be patient and take good care of myself.

As of this morning, I am officially back on Fitday. Since I've been sick, I haven't been tracking anything and boy, do I notice a difference in my food choices! The scale is hovering between 158 and 159, so at least I'm not gaining. A week of Fitday should help me see a downward trend.

I am back in my comforting workday routine and am liking it! There's nothing on the schedule for this evening except a grocery trip so I'm going to plan for lots of relax time. My body is still healing and needs the energy for that. Doing too much will not help me get better.

It's gonna be a good day!

 

[toystoryduo]

and healing are on their way to you today, Doreen! I hope today is a great day for you and that you start feeling better!

 

[DoeWDW]

Yesterday I had about 1550 calories, according to Fitday. That's OK with me! I know that journalling my food and watching those calories add up over the course of the day helped me pass on the junky foods that are around the house. I'm proud of me for not indulging! Today's scale reading = 158, which I'm very happy with!

Looking back at my food choices, I've cut way way back on overt sugars. I haven't kicked the habit altogether but I must say that I really think twice about eating any and often I pass them up. Erin, your OSF is rubbing off on me in a good way!

Today is another fun day at work. I did use my light therapy this morning, since I barely got any sunshine at all yesterday and I doubt I'll get much today. I'm still doing a very low intensity for only 4 minutes but as the days get shorter, I will add more minutes.

I haven't thought much about exercise yet. I'm still focusing on making Fitday a habit and on my light therapy. I've been planning meals much more often. I feel lessed stressed and more healthy, so I think I'm on the right track.

Every now and then, though, I have to have another chat with that voice in my head that says I'm not doing enough, I'm not losing fast enough, I should be exercising AND eating right AND keeping the house spotless AND ... AND ... AND. A kinder and gentler voice now calms that other anxious and hyper voice, saying thst this is a journey to enjoying life and having less stress in the long run - this is not a race to perfection.

I am fearing the holidays, though, and really must spend some time over the weekend planning when I'll get the important stuff done and letting go of the unimportant busy-work. I want to enjoy this holiday season, without getting overly stressed. I want to feel God's peace and joy, and let go of the notion that it just isn't Christmas if we don't have 10 different kinds of homemade cookies. I'm still a work in progress.

Happy Tuesday to all!

 

[lulu201]

Good morning, Doreen. I hope you have a and day today. It's Wednesday, so let's jump over the hump together and get the weekend in mind!

Take care,
Erin

 

[DoeWDW]

I'm perplexed. I felt great yesterday morning and then everything fell apart after I got home from work. I was going to pass on Fitday but this morning I entered it all and it wasn't pretty. Total calories for the day = 2400+ and that included some overt sugar. Guess I overindulged a bit with Aunt Flo coming to town. I was just so HUNGRY!

It's over and done. The scale is still at 158. I'm moving forward.

I had yogurt and walnuts for breakfast. I've been reading the Radiant Recovery website and trying to work on step 1, which is eating breakfast with protein every day. Now, I've been good about breakfast for a long time. I've even been good about making sure I get some protein. However, according to the calculations on the RR website, I need to eat 25 grams protein and that is darn hard to do! I top out at about 20g on a really good day. The goal is to eat enough protein that I can wait for 5 hours to eat lunch.

Another point of RR's breakfast is that I should be eating within 1 hour of waking up. This is another tough one. I'm up at 5:30 and out the door by 6:30. I usually eat when I get to work, around 7:15 - 7:30. If I eat before leaving for work, then I have to get up earlier plus I won't get to eat again until 12 noon, which is 6 hours. I'm still working on this one too - not sure what I can do to move breakfast earlier in my morning routine.

This is just step 1 in the Radiant Recovery program. If I start thinking about the next 6 steps, I get overwhelmed, so I'm just going to focus on step 1. I'm trying to think up breakfast options with 25g protein and trying to eat by 7:30 in the morning, for now.

On the upside, my breathing is better and my cold is almost gone! Now that Day 1 of my cycle is behind me, I'm hoping to regain the focus and concentration I've been missing the past couple days. I'm hopeful that I'm on the right track as far as my health and my weight. I'm not moving quickly down the healthy living road, but I'm keeping a pretty straight course and moving steadily forward. That sounds promising to me!

 

[Blueeyes101817]

you can do it doreen!!! you are doing great--i really hope you are feeling better!!!

 

[Strings]

Hi Doreen,

I am glad to hear that you are feeling better. The first cold of the season is always a pain. It sounds like itday is orking well for you. I am also happy to hear that you ae doing the light therapy. I think you are wise to focus one step at a time. There is no sense in stressing yourself out.

Thank you for your support. I will PM you if I need some info. You are the best.


Beth

 

[DoeWDW]

Yesterday was another good day at work and then I fell apart with food in the evening. I've seriously got to think about this because it is really screwing up my visits with the scale. I saw the dreaded 160 this morning. I'm also craving chocolate. Ugh! Today looks to be an uphill battle and honestly, I'm not sure I'm feeling up to it. Do you ever have mornings where you WANT to be positive and say you'll eat right all day, but you know in your heart that it isn't true?

The sane me says I should think about what underlying emotions could be causing me to want to turn to food for comfort. The 'other' me says the heck with it all, there's plenty of chocolate in the vending machine - eat a bunch and you'll feel better and then tomorrow you can pick up the pieces.

Yeah, today will be a tough day, either way, no matter which 'me' I listen to. At least I'm facing it, feeling the conflict and wondering about the possible causes. That's gotta count for something, right?

Work awaits, so it's time to stop thinking about this and move on into the day. Maybe if I stay really busy, I won't think about food????

 

[Cruise04]

I find that when I'm really busy I don't think about food. But then I also forget to eat sometimes and then it's all downhill from there because I don't realize it until I'm almost starving. So sometimes it's good!!!!!

Take care
Keep on
Chris

 

[DoeWDW]

Yesterday was another day where my eating habits were atrocious. Somehow I knew it in the morning, but I held out until late afternoon, and it was all downhill from there. I know that I am the one putting this food into my mouth. No one is forcing me. I know the scale is on the rise and I don't like it. Yet I continue to eat the wrong stuff. What the heck is wrong with me???

Looking back, yesterday was stressful. I broke my glasses in the morning and had to go through the day looking like Harry Potter, with the nose piece taped up. The opticians didn't have the same frame in stock (on backorder until December). Last evening, they did find a smaller frame and they cut my lenses down to fit, but I did worry about it all day. I was making phone calls and trying to get DD's working permit filled out. The dog was sick last evening (probably had too many of the Cheez-Its I was eating). Then my schedule was all thrown off because we went to the midnight showing of the new Harry Potter movie. OK, I can see how I was definitely pushing the limits.

Today is a new day. I've had my yogurt & walnuts. I've done 5 minutes of light therapy at 20% intensity at my usual time this morning. I've taken my pills. I'm drinking lots of water. I've started the day in a healthy way (just like the last few days). At some point between mid-afternoon and early evening my resolve just flies out the window. Today I'll try again.

I'm looking at the quote in my signature and taking it to heart. I will be courageous and try again today. I will NOT give up.

 

[Cruise04]

Good for you for not giving up!!!!! That is the important piece. I know it's hard to go for the healthier foods but try to do that instead of going for the junk. I do it too - I have good intentions and then end up going for the bag of chips, or the handful (which ends up to be more than one) of peanuts or cashews.

Have a good weekend
Keep on
Chris

 

[DoeWDW]

Wow, where did the weekend go? We saw "Walk the Line" on Friday night - outstanding performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon!

On Saturday my MIL's house burned down. She lived in a row house in a small town and the neighbor's kerosene heater started the 4 alarm fire that spread to 3 homes. DH said there were 9 fire companies on the scene! She and the cat & dog got out safely but we're guessing that the house is a total loss. Thank goodness for insurance and for the Red Cross who are helping her in the short term. She's adjusting well and has a place to stay. DH's brother who lived with her was out of town at the time, but he also has a place to stay. Life will go on.

As usual, I did some healthy things this weekend and some not-so-healthy things. Today I'll be planning meals. Tonight I'll be making a grocery trip. I do so much better when I have the meals planned and healthy food in the house. I've started out well this morning and I'm hoping to continue for the rest of the day.

Time to get to work. I'm excited about finishing a report I'm working on! I hated to leave on Friday because I had finally figured out how to fix it but didn't have time to finish.

for all my WISH friends!

 

[myhandd]

Hey Doe! Long time no chat! Sorry to hear about MIL's house On the bright side, noone was hurt!

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

Later,

Dax

 

[DoeWDW]

Great news for MIL's home situation! The insurance company is putting them up in an apartment for a year while the home is rebuilt. It will be better than it was when they are finished with it. The foundation, some of the floor joists and the majority of 2 walls will stay - the rest will be torn out and redone, including plumbing, wiring, heating, windows, etc. Please check your homeowner's insurance policies and make sure you have "replacement value" coverage!

Yesterday was another busy day. Food choices were not so hot - I'm still hooked on the sugar demon. Erin, I have so much respect and admiration for your OSF success!!

Today I started out with my light therapy. I'm up to 10 minutes at 20% intensity. I've been having trouble with eyestrain but have discovered that I do better when I don't have my glasses on for light therapy. It's all a grand experiment. I do think that doing the light therapy at 6:15 AM every morning helps regulate my circadian rhythm. My mood has been good considering all that is going on. Now if I could get my food under control! I must be patient, though, and approach these changes one step at a time.

Thanksgiving will be hosted by my mom. I'm making the fruit salad and bringing dinner rolls. Can't believe it's Thanksgiving already!! The year has flown by!

I'm off into my day at work. I'll pop into journals throughout the day.

 

[toystoryduo]

Good morning Doe!

I am so sorry to hear about your MIL's house. Thank God she and your BIL are okay! I'm glad to hear that the insurance company has already stepped in with some help. Insurance companies can be notoriously slow with that type of thing.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

 

[Strings]

Hi Doe,

I am so sorry to hearabout your MIL house. Thank God they are safe and the house will e rebuilt. It will be an emotional time. I am sure that photos and memories were lost. Your family will be in my prayers.

I am with you battleing the sugar demon. You've defeated it before, and you will again.

Have a wonderful holiday, and Hooray to no cooking.

I just had a thought about hte light therapy and wearing your glasses. The lenses may be magnifying the light leading to the eye strain. I think keeping them off is a good idea.

Take care,
Beth