Why 2013 was different and I was successful at last

I've been looking back at my earlier years of trying to get back down to my optimum weight, and there's definitely a pattern.

12/31/2012: 19.25lb over my lowest
12/31/2011:   5.25lb over my lowest
12/31/2008:  6.75lb over my lowest

This year, that statistic is different:

12/31/2011:  .25lb over my lowest

More statistics:

Day one of 2012 compared to the last day of 2012:  9.25 gain (over the whole year I gained 19.25 over my lowest).  At the end of 2011, I was down 16.5 from my highest, but 2012 I gained it all back.

This year:

1/1/2013 - 12/31/2013:  9.75lb LOSS (over the whole year, I lost 17lb over my highest)

What did I learn this year that made the difference?  I stopped fooling myself, and also listened to my body:

1.      "Cheating" is just a bad idea. Not only does it add weight, but every time I feel a little worse, or it takes multiple days to recover. It now has to be REALLY worth it.  Having something during the holidays is not enough.  It has to be a once-in-a-lifetime situation.  Plus, being wheat/gluten-free on a trip can be done, I did it in Bruges.  Will I want to in Paris in February?  I'm still trying to figure that out.  I may limit my indulgences to one or two days instead of 6 straight days;

2.      I don't have to deviate from my diet to enjoy the holidays. People will understand;

3.      I had to cut down portion sizes to lose. My metabolism is slower as a 52yo female, I just can't eat the amount of food I used to.  I eat a protein-only breakfast (eggs & 1-2 pork links) and lunch is now also high protein, and really small (8-12oz of plain yogurt);

4.      I drink fewer beverages.  I found my kidneys can't handle the extra volume of liquids and I get extremely bloated, so "drink more water" does not work for me (my doctor agrees!);

5.      I can't drink red wine without waking up at night.  I also just drinking too much of it! Stick to ale and stout;

6.      I need to drink a dark ale/stout 2x a week for optimal kidney/bladder function;

7.      I can't use stevia anymore. Yes, I am allergic to it (it's in the ragweed family);

8.      I can lose weight even if I eat some fruit and carrots. Primal worked better for me than Dukan. I felt too deprived on Dukan. I will still follow the structure of Dukan, so I will have some sort of Consolidation phase, but carrots, apples & prunes are OK for me. Continuing to eat Primally for the rest of my life is like a Stabilization phase, so that works too;

9.      Excessive carbs (even gluten-free or non-starchy) do not work for me. I haven't been counting carbs, but when I do have more carbs than usual, I get bloated, so I have to be aware of that now; and;

10.   Last year I learned that I can get down to my optimum weight at 50yrs old.  This year I learned how I can get to that weight again AND MAINTAIN IT. The new year will be my opportunity to prove that I can maintain my lower weight.

A Christmas loss!

I stuck with my diet most of the time at  my various feasts.  I also came down with a cold, so I was really not that hungry, and didn't overeat as a result.  My mother graciously made me a gluten-free/dairy-free carrot casserole using brown rice bread crumbs and goat butter. It was nice to be able to eat the same foods others were (ham).  I skipped the mashed potatoes.  After our Christmas Eve dinner I also had maple sugar candy.  Friday I went to an Indian restaurant and had some rice, but I was able to prevent much bloating by taking an anti-gas OTC medication.  Why suffer for no reason?  Still, I'm not going to make a habit of eating carbs just because I can pop a pill, it's just not worth it.

I decided to have some red wine on Sunday the 22nd, which was a mistake.  I woke up at 4AM the next morning, and it's becoming ever-clearer that red wine and I don't mix anymore.  It's definitely a beverage that I just have difficulty regulating.  In fact, at a gathering I went to yesterday, I brought one of my beers, but then decided to have some red wine since I hadn't brought a second beer.  I had more wine than I should have, but ironically, since it was an afternoon party, by the time I was going to sleep, the wine no longer was disrupting my sleep patterns.  Still, I'm moving further and further away from drinking wine, and definitely not in the evening.

Christmas morning I got my real gift, I weighed in at 142lb!  Since then I've hovered in the 141.75-142.5 range.  Finally, I broke through that 143 plateau!

My NSV was that a second pair of those pants are now wearable.  The remaining two pairs must have more rigid fabric, they are definitely not going to fit until I'm down under 140.

Office Christmas party navigated

OK, so I tried on the other pants, and unfortunately these pinstriped ones are a little larger than the other three pairs, so it's not as big of a delight, but I'm going to just be happy about it anyway.  I will change the date of my reached goal when I fit into the smaller pairs.

Last night was the office Christmas party, held at a well-known hotel.  I don't want to mention the name, as I was very disappointed in the food.  Everything seemed to be smothered in sauce or cheese.  No carving station!  Come on!  There were a number of people who were unable to find something they wanted.  The Kosher station had some beef cubes and some chicken satay, the Southern station had what appeared to be short rib squares, and the Italian station had some grilled veggies, so that's what I had.  No dessert.  I also did not drink any alcohol.  One glass of free wine leads to two glasses of free wine etc. etc.  I didn't need the extra calories.  However, since I wasn't drinking and the food was not exciting, I didn't stay as long as I usually do, and went home early.  I didn't even dance, so I didn't burn any extra calories.  I did walk 15min to the venue from the office, and then again 10min to the subway.

The scale barely registered 143.25lb this morning. Why can't it go down faster?  I'm sure there was a lot of sodium in last night's food, and I was feeling puffy last night, so who knows what else was hiding in the food.  I'm being extra careful today.  Hopefully this weekend there will be more movement.

Remaining food challenges:  

Dec 22nd Sunday -- Christmas dinner (early) w/family friends
Dec 23rd Monday -- My mom's birthday
Dec 24th Tuesday -- Christmas dinner

NSV and another holiday feast conquered

I was tired of rotating the same two pairs of pants, so this morning I tried on the next size down.  The last time I tried a pair in that size last week, the black pair were a little snug.  Today I tried on my gray pinstriped ones, and they fit!  NSV! And they were comfortable!  I am so happy.  Of course, now I have to try on the other 3 pairs (black, light gray, camel) and see if the ones I am wearing happen to be larger than the others. 

Today was the departmental Christmas lunch.  I contributed a rotisserie chicken I bought at the supermarket across the street, as I knew it would be a safe food.  I had some of that, and some salad (no dressing).

The scale STILL said 143.5lb this morning, but I'm hoping it'll be lower tomorrow, finally!  I had an ale on Monday and a diet soda yesterday, so some puffiness is to be expected.  No bubbles today though.  The weekly average has been dropping, and since the small pants fit, I know I've been shrinking. 

Remaining food challenges:  

Dec 19th Thursday -- Office Christmas party (primal food available)
Dec 22nd Sunday   -- Christmas dinner (early) w/family friends
Dec 23rd Monday  -- My mom's birthday
Dec 24th Tuesday  -- Christmas dinner

Birthday celebration -- I stuck with my diet

Yesterday we celebrated my birthday.  My afternoon snack was 3-3.5oz of salted cashews.  I knew the salt would not allow a drop in the scale, but that was OK.  Dinner was a small piece of grilled salmon and broccoli.  While everyone else had some Carvel ice cream cake, I had an apple and 1/2 a serving of my goat yogurt.   I had a bottle of my Belgian ale.  So it was a complete success!

This morning I was again 143.5lb.  I had gotten down to 142.5 a few days ago, but the sodium and ale explain the "gain", so I'm hopeful I'm going to be down in the 142s or even 141s any day.  I'm continuing to do secret pushups at work.

Remaining food challenges: (new one added) 

Dec 17th Tuesday   Department Christmas lunch
Dec 19th Thursday Office Christmas party (primal food available)
Dec 22nd Sunday   Christmas dinner (early) w/family friends
Dec 23rd Monday   My mom's birthday
Dec 24th Tuesday   Christmas dinner

Another Christmas feast successfully avoided

Saturday was the Finnish Christmas bazaar, and I didn't have anything to eat at it whatsoever.  Yay!  I bought a chocolate bar, but that's for the future.

The scale is barely moving, but I think I am shrinking.  Well, in some areas... I think my cup size has gotten bigger, at least on the top.  I've been slipping in pushups in the LR at work.  No, I don't get down on the floor, I do pushups against the counter, about 10 reps 1x or 2x per day.  It's the equivalent of the incline barbell press.  Today I switched it up and did close grip pushups, which are heavier on triceps.  Incline exercises are used to build up the upper chest in men, which in women sounds like it would plump the upper breast area.  Which means I have to use my larger-cup bras.  How sad! 

Weight is 143.5lb, so I'm 1/2lb more than I was November15th, my "weigh-in" day for January Jeans Club 2014.  However, since I think I've added a little muscle, that's fine! 

Remaining food challenges: 

Dec 11th   Wednesday   Birthday
Dec 19th   Thursday      Office Christmas party (primal food available)
Dec 22nd  Sunday         Christmas dinner (early) w/family friends
Dec 23rd   Monday        My mom's birthday
Dec 24th   Tuesday        Christmas dinner

Thanksgiving, Birthday, Finnish Independence Day challenges

Today's weight was 144.5lb.  I am stuck at 143-145. I've been seesawing from 142.75 all the way up to 147 (mostly in the 143-145 range). 

Thanksgiving Wed & Thurs I had gluten-free brownies, which had excessive calories & carbs, but no dairy or gluten. Other than that, I did well.  I was also invited to a "vegetarian thanksgiving" on Friday.  I had a stuffing w/rice but no gluten, and otherwise ate primally.  Probably extra calories though.  My birthday was also on Friday (51!), and I pretty much didn't celebrate.  We will be celebrating on Wednesday December 11.  We'll have steak w/veggies, and I will have an ale and some sort of fruit.  No cake, pie, etc.

I was able to attend the Finnish Independence Day celebration on Sunday and only ate the walnuts I had brought.  No karelia pies, christmas stars, pulla, gingerbread snaps.

I still have to make a concerted effort to cut down on the "desserts" even if they are apples & yogurt, just to cut down the calories for now. Maybe a few days a week, not every day. I am still following the plan that was getting the losses in August-September, but maybe I was walking a little more, and maybe I wasn't eating as many carrots/apples/extra yogurt.

My "planksgiving" challenge is slowly progressing, my longest plank was 55 seconds on Friday. As for the "work up to chinups/pullups", I haven't done any more than the first time, I was so sore and used it as an excuse and didn't do it again. I have to keep at it.

Upcoming food challenges: 

Dec 7th     Saturday       Finnish Christmas bazaar w/food & candy I have to avoid
Dec 11th   Wednesday  Birthday
Dec 19th   Thursday      Office Christmas party (primal food available)
Dec 22nd  Sunday         Christmas dinner (early) w/family friends
Dec 23rd   Monday        My mom's Birthday
Dec 24th   Tuesday       Christmas dinner