Early Time restricted eating super important to me in long term weight maintenance- quick update Fall 2018

I'm on day 7 of very purposeful 18:6 or 16:8 early time restricted eating. As I've discovered, my early time restricted eating plays a huge role in my long term weight maintenance.

I had a work insurance blood draw where I wanted to go 4 days or so doing 12:12 to trick out my cholesterol levels. I did, but it doesn't help me feel well or help me maintain weight.

It will take 1 month to lose between 1-3 pounds, since weight loss within my goal range is slow going.  Habit and repeating habits takes a lot of effort, day in day out. No room for slippery slope food addiction thinking. It's a lot of work. Huge effort for very little scale movement.

THIS IS my WEIGHT MAINTENANCE, long term. For me, anyway.

The results are worth it though. Long term maintenance. Clothes that fit. Rarely sick, 21+ years of only having one auto immune disease and not more (Hashimoto's in 1997).  It's like Weight Maintenance University or Grad School. LOL.

Dr. Satchin Panda talks a lot of circadian rhythms including gut microbiome curcadian rhythms, Dr. Sylvia (Secret Life of Fat) and Dr. Georgia Ede  (podcast with Daisy at Ketogenic Woman)  All of these sources cop to different variables of weight managment.

Here is proof of maintenance, even with a 7 pound gain, I expect to maintain this weight OR reverse it a few pounds anyway. I'm not sure I'll get back to the summer of 2017 weights or not. I'm well, that's all that matters.  I've got to find a new photographer, photos coming soon.

7+ years food sober, weights

2018, All weight gain

September 2018 maintenance

This cat is missing my teen even more than me. LOL. Just kidding

Tortitude

This cat is checking out the new towels, cares not about missing the teen

I've got to say: I'm not feeling the blogging so much as I transition to life with an adult vs life with a kid in high school.

It's super important for me to transition to fun, engaging hobbies ( active ones, yo!), connect with adults of many ages and families, too.

That being said, weight maintenance is woven into all my life's priorities. If I fail to incorporate my food template, my 20 tools in weight maintenance, life will immediately hand me a pair of larger pants. Oh, heck Noooooo.

Here's the fluff

Current breakfast eats

Still collecting beach glass and walking. Walking meditation while looking for beach glass is my zen.

Ohhh, amber sea glass

Turns out it's white glass. Love it!

Fun to meet new people of all ages playing Pokemon

 Off to hire that photographer to take my progress photos.

Labor Day 2018 check in, I'm still here! More summer updates coming

Here's what I've been up to the last month or so. August 2018

A. Moved kid to college far, far away.

Lots of walking on this 150 year old campus

What worked for me
1. Brought my own food in a cooler with a pack.
2. Ate from the salad bar for my two free meals in the cafe
3. I walked, a lot, and walked some more.

Karen's take away:  If you have younger school aged children and want to know if being fit mind and body is worth it for college move in: YES IT IS!!!!

Lose weight, maintain your weight loss. No elevators (that I could see anyway), lots of stairs, walking to new parent events. Lifting large boxes, carrying medium to heavy loads.

Life is for the living. Weight Maintenance is for living life well after 40 years of obesity. Moving my daughter in was busy, hectic yet very doable.

I earned this!

B. Packed my work desk to move on the day I return from vacation. 

What worked for me

1. Opportunity to clean my desk
2. Opportunity to ask for coffee brewer and a yoga mat (not sure if I'll get either, but I liked asking and holding my ground. Good ergonomics are key-IMO and caffeine makes me and you happy, happy, happy.

New cube, left handed desk, not my stuff

3. Opportunity to get away from the junk food in the break room. Guessing that there will still be junk food in the new break room, hoping that there will be less of it, less often.

4. Opportunity to answer more Low Carb questions with the same and new cube farm co-workers.


C. I played  Pokemon, Toon Blast and a few other iPhone games to keep my slippery slope thinking in check  Don't get me wrong, I'm still playing pocket frog, but Pokemon is fun, I can play it with my kid, and her college and the airport are full of poke stops.

What worked for me

1. Playing easy computer games are soothing for me and are an easy brain break
2. Remission from food addiction is no joke, so soothing with a few electronic diversions that I can easily put down and not be addicted to is a good thing for me.
3. I'll stop playing these during work, except for during my walks at work, so I can hatch a few Poke eggs.

Ooooh, a rare green banded Wingull, LOL.

Green Banded Wingull Sept 1, 2018

D. Weight Data

Highest Weight in 2018 was yesterday, Sept 2, 2018

What isn't working for me

1. Not tracking my food all the time
2. Not eating 18:6 most of the time.

I know better, I can do better. Now putting my talking head on my action body and getting to work.