Weekly Movement & Weigh In
Goal Weight: 115
May 16 Weigh In: 122.0
Weight Lost This Week: 1.2 pounds
Weight Left To Lose: 7 pounds
Something I read years ago gave the measurement of 10 pounds as being the general difference between pant sizes, so if I use that guideline, I'm about 3/4 of a pant size away from my goal. That feels very encouraging to say to myself, because the effort this is taking is considerable!
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| Taken in my home office, a space I much enjoy. Hubby has his own home office space as well. We both enjoy and appreciate having our own spots to engage in our various pursuits. Attempting to take a remotely decent selfie is clearly one of mine, ha! |
Weekly Mileage/Movement:
- Fri- 5 mile walk
- Sat- 6 mile walk
- Sun- None
- Mon - None, but I did work in the yard for a couple of hours
- Tue- 5 mile walk
- Wed- Quick 1 mile walk on an otherwise busy day
- Thur - 6 mile walk
- TOTAL FOR WEEK: 23 miles
- TOTAL FOR MONTH SO FAR: 53 miles
Here are some of this week's beautiful walking views, one of many reasons it is not painful whatsoever to walk out the door and put on some miles!
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| Can you spot the Egret? |
No Sugar Progress:
Another week of no specifically sought-out processed sugar, which in my case primarily means cookies/pastries/ice cream/desserts. I'm qualifying because I did make or purchase some meals that included small amounts of products containing sugar such as BBQ sauce, hoisen sauce, sriracha honey, and ketchup. The goal is to break the cycle that sugar addiction creates, that being the struggle to stop. None of these condiment or cooking items generated anything remotely close to the addictive mind-swirl, and thus I had zero problems sticking with the food quantity I'd pre-determined before sitting down to eat my designated meal.
I found this article to be helpful Sugar Addiction & How To Break It as I continue to explore why I respond so strongly to sugar. This part in particular made a clear connection between sugar and the brain's response to it for some of us:
Why can sugar be addictive?
Because our bodies need glucose, we’re evolutionarily programmed to seek it out. “When sugar hits our tongue, it activates certain taste buds that send a signal up to the brain,” says Nicole Avena, Ph.D., an assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and author of Why Diets Fail: Because You’re Addicted to Sugar. This activates the brain’s reward system: Feel-good dopamine is released and the behavior is reinforced, which makes us want to repeat it (just one more cookie!).
I had only a few minor sugar cravings over this past week, which I was able to satisfy quite easily with a small amount of fruit, or a nice sized bowl of satisfyingly crunchy vegetables (baby carrots, bell pepper strips, and cucumber slices primarily). I continue to be surprised that I'm satisfied with one serving of any of the above, never seeking to 'keep going' such as I did with sugar.
So while not yet 'easy,' easier for sure.
If you are likewise on a quest to improve some aspect of your dietary or fitness life, please feel free to share here. The more we can work to support and encourage each other the better!
Two books have influenced me lately. Ultraprocessed People (I generally eat fairly healthfully, but this book was eye-opening and I've made changes because of it) and the Glucose Revolution. I've had challenges with trying to control my weight in the past that I now recognize as disordered eating, so I am not actively looking to lose weight (though of course I wouldn't be opposed). In terms of intuitive eating and breaking my years-long struggle with dieting, The F*ck It Diet book literally changed my life.
ReplyDeleteJust the title alone is going to send me to the library for that last title, Elisabeth. 😂
DeleteI began using (abusing?) sugar when I was a child in order to self soothe. That realization has been my recent 'aha moment.' Food will never be easy for me, even when I'm on my low side.
Love your photos! You are doing fabulous with your weight goal!!! Cindy in the South
ReplyDeleteThank you for your always positive encouragement, Cindy!
DeleteYou're doing so well! I need to follow your example as once I start to eat something sugary it is a slippery slope. I'm trying hard to cut ultra-processed foods from my diet where I can and in doing so I'm managing to avoid a lot of added sugar. But chocolate is my downfall!
ReplyDeleteI started this quest some years back because I found myself doing mini-sugar binges which left me feeling very out of control, and the out of control sensation was extremely unpleasant. I meet lots of folk who will say they couldn't possibly give up their two pieces of nightly chocolate, and I always respond that if they can STOP at two they are clearly not sugar addicted! LOL
DeleteI miss the sugar much, much less than I do NOT miss that out of control feeling that sugar addiction can create. I'm genuinely happy for people that don't have sugar issues, and wish I were one of them, but alas, I am not! 😊