Monthly Update: 2 Years, 7 months in long term weight maintenance. If you don't like weight graphs,
Highest Weight: 187.4 pounds
Current Weight: 115.8 pounds
Weight lost: 71.6 pounds
Goal Range: 113-118 pounds
Years at goal: 2 years, 7 months
Age: 48
Height 5' 1"
Menopause: since 2012
Let's chat about my monthly weight graph. I went on vacation to LA for a few days and hung out in "stay-cation mode" in San Diego County in August. Oh, say can you see Mt. Bacon in my month weight graph... yeah, I rarely eat bacon, but I did on this trip. I got what I thought I would: puffiness. (see more below). Temporary.
What's working now
1. I moved a breakfast carb (veggie serving- think tomatoes, kale, onions, or bell pepper) to dinner. Outcome: More stable blood sugar/hunger from 6am until I eat lunch at 11:30am daily. Exception: If I'm super active OR if I walk for lunch and it's ho then I'll drink some bone broth to replenish my salt levels. Remember! I'm the person who needs sea salt to keep my blood pressure from dropping too low, sea salt keeps me feeling well. Conventional salt will add 1-2 pounds of uncomfortable misery the next day. I've been reading Jason Seib's Facebook tips lately. Not everything applies to me, I take what pops for me and move along....
2. Bone broth: I've been drinking bone broth 1-2 times a day with awesome results. A little bit of pink Himalayan salt. Very satisfying, delicious and just over all goodness. I've had success with beef bone broth, too, although I do make chicken broth more often. The crock pot for the WIN!
 |
| SweetSalt Duck salad of my own making |
3. Eating 95% in my food template: Oh yeah! LA did not disappoint. I'll be bragging blogging a separate topic about finding good places to eat while being a tourist in LA later in September . One of the best salads (duck!!!) at SweetSalt in Toluca Lake. Hint: If you are in Burbank for any studio tours- get yourself over there ASAP for real food & great gluten free options, reasonably priced. REAL FOOD for the WIN
4. Time with my family and photography- with the right fuel- fat adaption:
 |
| Union Station- LA |
Because I eat 95% on my food template (Paleo-ish) day-in-day out ( my binge/emotional brain does not take a day, meal, or moment off), I have pretty balanced blood sugar. That means I can hike, tour, and enjoy myself without being the queen of snacks. Eating a breakfast of omelets with veggies (on vacation, no veggies at breakfast for work) and avocado slices is key. It means I can hike for several hours, walk for 3 hours and only think about hauling some water along to re-hydrate. I can concentrate on photography, time with my daughter, and be clear minded and overall enjoy myself. FAT Burning beast, indeed.. Family, photos, clear mind....Fat adaption for the WIN
 |
| Malibu, as see from Pt. Dume- Paleo Fuel for the hiking WIN! |
What didn't work in the past:
1. Carb filled breakfast: With my genetics and life long emotional/binge eating- cereal, waffles, and pancakes were the WORST thing I could do. Nothing like staring my binge brain off on a sugar spike. Sigh! I really thought I was doing the right thing....
2. Being afraid of all salt, and Eating Bacon and packing back canned soups, bacon. Not being off regular salt long enough to see the effects of regular salt vs sea salt. Puffy and bloat-o-ramma. Yeah, I put some life into living with the vacation bacon (#NSNG). You can see the mid-August bloat. I"ll back off on vacation bacon. One day yes, 3 days, no.
3. Using vacations as an excuse to eat junk food. Lot's of it... YOLO was not my friend. I used excuses to pack back obesity and binge foods. I would have lived once, but as the obese me feeling down right crappy. Now I live how I believe I was meant to live, mindful of what tools I need to me my authentic self. One way is better than the other. Free to choose. I choose this... not that!
4. Trips were based around stopping for snacks, bringing lots of "bars" along because I was a sugar burner. My mind was full of thoughts of food, snacks, eating rather than my daughter, the scenery and awesomeness that travel (and non-travel) brings. Snacking on high carb/sugar foods had a price. Glad to have my clarity back.
Okay, If you are a weight maintainer- hope things are going well and you are finding your own version of what is working, what did not work- keep going. If you are loosing weight, keep going. Onward! What works for me may not work for you... that's okay. Find your own groove.
 |
| 3 months |
 |
| 1 year |
 |
| Sustainable Weight Maintenance- 2+ years |
Mt. Bacon. That's hysterical! LOL
ReplyDeleteI'd love to try the bone broth, but with uric acid kidney stones history, I steer clear. We each find our own unique fork in the road, even if the end destination AND the type of travel is the same. LOL
Yep! I think it's key to eat for your molecular genetics- for sure. It's fun to see what works or doesn't work for everyone. :) Thanks for stopping by the blog, Gwen.
Deleteyou're both so right! finding our individual needs and tolerances is the key to success! :-)
Delete... and I'm going to steal "life is short and so am I" !!!
LOL- so true Tess... I think being short requires a little different mind set around food/exercise. You won't find me packing back what an average weight or tall person will. Whole different template- IMO.
DeleteI really enjoy reading these monthly posts, Karen, where you analyze what works for you and what doesn't. I always learn something. And I like how you constantly change up things to make sure maintenance works for you. I think it is great that you did not make food the purpose of your vacation. So many people do that. (I was talking with a colleague who now eats very healthy due to some health problems, and we were joking that so much in our office revolves around food--like every meeting! Food has become the focus of so many people's lives, and there is so much more! But I know you addressed this in a former post.) It's good to see people making activity the focus of a vacation. Thanks for the update!
ReplyDeleteAli- Thanks, I promised myself that I would devote what ever time it took to figure long term maintenance out for myself. I had no idea that there would be as many changes in maintenance, to keep myself well and to maintain. Glad I was up for it in my mind! Food in the office and traveling. I've had more opportunity to very effectively call out some of the jokers and point to my own example "Oh, I almost got diabetes until I stopped eating the stuff that shows up here in the break room- the sugar was slowly causing me to be really sick. ". Yeah- food on vacation- I get enjoying local food----- but only if it's in my food template.
DeleteI always use a vacation as an excuse to let loose and after this last one where I went totally off plan I think it finally clicked with me that a lifestyle change means always, not selectively, making good choices. It was still a great vacation and thankfully I didn't regain any weight but I know that it would have been an even better vacation had I stayed on plan. I still have a lot of weight to loose and it helps to read what works for those who have lost their weight and are successfully maintaining. By the way, egg & avocado is one of my favourite breakfasts! Thanks for this update :)
ReplyDeleteKerstin, - staying on my food template ( as much as possible) really changed up my vacationing. I have more fun because I'm not food seeking all the time. I still have to search for good food when it's time to eat, or say buy snacks for my daughter or avocados for me- so some time is spent on food- but the addictive part is gone and I can relax a little more and enjoy my surroundings... Yum! Avocados and eggs- great fuel!
DeleteInteresting re the salt. I too avoid salt, bacon, processed meat for the sodium content which puffs me up the next day. So you say that sea salt and himalayan salt are different? I use the diet rite salt mainly for the potassium content in it. What is it about the sea salt, the minerals and iodine and normal salt is more refined?
ReplyDeleteJasmine- yes- the processed meat... I know better.... my slippery slope voice always finds a way to sneak in there and mess with my brain. Himalayan salt is rock salt, sea salt is sea salt. Conventional table salt is processd (so is sea salt, and rock salt) and has additives. I believe the micronutirent content is different, too.Some salts have sugar (dextrose, other additives) that effect me- I can see it on the scale and feel it on my face and ankles. The paleo care nurses podcast was about salt (check it on iTunes).They also blogged about it here. http://katyhaldiman.com/ask-the-paleo-nurse-high-blood-pressure-sodium-and-potassium/
DeleteBest thing to do is see how you feel and how it effects you. I suspect that with the water I drink in the summer, I deplete my sodium and need a little bit more to feel better (my blood pressure runs a little lower on Paleo).
I love your graphs and always have. I'm just geeky enough to have some of my own. They give me ideas, so yes, if someone else doesn't like them, they can just move on!! Keep up the good work. I love that I've followed you through most of this journey and it continues to encourage me to watch your steadiness!
ReplyDeleteLOL- Sharon... I hope you'll blog about your graphs some day.. :) Thanks for stopping by and I hope things are settling to an easier routine for you and Bill.
DeleteWell done Karen ....and I too love your graphs and how you cleanly set everything out.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of the weekend
All the best Jan
Jan, I would have gained 20-30 pound and my binge brain would be driving my thoughts, behaviors and jeans sizes. Glad to leverage my scientific mind and glad to have my eyes wide open!
DeleteLast couple weeks, my youngest having light headed issues. Heart only raced once over it. But it is a trend.
ReplyDeleteBoiling carrots, celery, kale, onions to make veggie broth (vegan) for her to take (hot) in thermos to drink 5-6 period at school.
How much sea salt? The broth is means of getting salt in her. Goal. But too, too much will gag her. Please help.