578th Friday Blog Roundup
I started logging my meals again. Sigh. I lost a decent amount of weight a few years ago and maintained it by writing down everything I ate. I wasn’t precise about it; I didn’t keep track of every stray crumb. But I measured out my portions and when I hit my caloric budget for the day, I put down the fork. I’m a rules follower.
I got more and more lax about writing stuff down and measuring things out, and over the years, the weight has crept back on. Not all of it but maybe half of it. And I can feel it. I remember how I felt when I wasn’t carrying this extra weight, and I know how I feel now. So it’s back to writing everything down.
It is amazing how small amounts of food contain so many calories.
I don’t want to do anything unsustainable since weight creeps back on once you stop doing the unsustainable thing. But I also don’t know any other way to hold myself accountable. To set some limits. To remind myself that I really don’t need that cookie.
*******
Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.
Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.
As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments in order to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.
*******
And now the blogs…
But first, second helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. (Well, two weeks ago.) In order to read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:
- “Grateful” (Searching for Our Silver Lining)
- “How to Limit Looking at Your Phone” (Stirrup Queens) — thanks, Ana!
- “7 New Year’s Resolutions for the Fertility Challenged” (Recombine)
Okay, now my choices this week.
Notes from the Ninth Circle has a post about trying to connect with other people and falling short. She captures that mood so well, when you want to talk to someone and yet no one feels right. She explains her lack of impulse to reach out comes from a belief that, “I don’t have to risk bothering anyone, nor do I have to find other things to talk about to avoid bothering them with what’s really upsetting me.” And it circles back to needing your blog. It’s a great post.
Twangy Pearl the Elastic Girl has a post about waiting to hear the thoughts of a birth mother. The words feel like pacing, like waiting, like double checking that everything is sort of in place in case the call comes. Again, I think she captured a moment so well.
Anabegins has a totally fascinating post about frugality. She writes: “The people spending $400/month to feed their family may have some mad skillz (and probably a lot of time to coupon/shop around), but they are not inherently better people than the ones spending $1200.” I like her whole argument about the level in which we value things. It’s not only an interesting post, but there is a good conversation taking place in the comment section.
Lastly, Persnickety Chickadee has a post about the habits of unhappy people. I looked down the list and realized I did a few of these things, especially the one that she highlighted: waiting for the future. It’s an interesting idea: that you could change your happiness level by remaining in the same situation but changing the way you view it. Not sure, but it’s food for thought.
The roundup to the Roundup: Tracking what I eat. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between January 8th and 15th) and not the blog’s main url. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week? Read the original open thread post here.
10 comments
Inam with you on the food logging. Ugh. But it’s been eye opening in a way. I mean, I knew what I was eating before, but it’s reinforced that I need to change bad habits: sampling food as I am cooking, preparing lunches, ect ect. All of those slices of cheese or pinches of this and that add up. It’s almost always because I am hungry and rushing and not being mindful. Trying to do better on that one.
Ninth Circle’s post really resonated with me. When something is bothering me I think about all the people I could talk to and usually choose to isolate myself instead.
Thanks Mel! That was a post I sat on for a while, because it seemed controversial, but I guess that’s what leads to good conversation.
Food logging just makes me sad for some reason, converting one of my biggest joys in life (eating, in case it was unclear) to numbers and math. I’ve never been able to stick with it for more than a month or so, but it really really does work when you do it. Good luck!
When I did weight watchers before my wedding I was great about writing things down and I did great losing weight. I recently tried WW again and just didn’t have the heart to do it. Good luck!
Thank you, Mel. <3
I’m waiting until I move (again) to deal with anything diet oriented, but I’m going to be joining you. When I tracked my meals I lost a lot of weight just because I kept saying, but it’s only one ____! How can it be ____zillion calories??
Yeah.
Also looking forward to reading everything. It all looks great.
I find that when I do anything more mindfully – especially eating — things feel better.
I find that logging what I eat helps me to make healthier choices and limit portions (though in my case, these things do not necessarily equal weight loss). Good luck with it!
Thank you, Mel!
I have tried logging what I eat, and it never lasts longer than a couple of days before I get distracted or (when I was doing WW) have trouble calculating points for something complicated, and the logging falls off. I think I’m just too ADHD for it.
I’m thinking of doing something similar in that we need to start meal planning. Right now it’s a rat race in the evenings with trying to determine what’s for dinner (and hence lunch for the next day). All the stress leads to being less health conscious. Hope tracking food helps.
For second helpings, Lori had a great post. http://lavenderluz.com/2016/01/whose-adoption-story-is-it.html
While this blog suggestion may not fit the range of dates for this Friday Round-up, I want to make note of it. One, I think the round-up that I wanted to post it in was skipped because of a holiday, which is totally understandable. Two, I think I then missed the following round-up for me to post it. But, I absolutely LOVE this author’s take (and her husband’s) on an adoption photo shoot of the parents while waiting for baby.
http://mypathtomommyhood.blogspot.com/2015/12/our-adoption-photo-shoot.html