Shh…it’s a secret. Don’t tell anyone the secret because if you do, then it won’t be a secret and you’ll fail.
That’s been one of my weird-a** beliefs about my dieting successes or failures over the years.
Another one of my all-time favorites – “Just make sure your thighs, when you stand in front of the mirror naked, don’t touch each other.”
Yikes! Don’t knock it, it works?!
I also tracked my success or failure closely, in the mirror and on paper, in the past two months.
Wait? Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do when you set a goal? Measure it? And not just in thigh distance either?
Yes, you should be all proper and such and make the goals all SMART.
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Centered
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I guess so. But, I also think I’m on auto-pilot and do that kinda sh*t stuff regularly (for the things I really want to happen, like to fit into a bikini for the beach in almost the single digit dance timeframe…not that I’m counting – HELLYA I’m counting, duh?!).
After all my 40-50 some years of practicing and coaching…(in my role at work and managing the pets – which, by the way, have their own secrets of success which work for them to get food),
I’ve gotten pretty damn SMART about goal setting over the years.
Since you’ve read this far, you might as well stick around to find out why I’m celebrating my secrets of success.
Plus, as the sunset last night, I knew the arrival of the new month would be time to celebrate the arrival of March 1st. Duh! And Mr. told me, “You should take pictures of the sunset on the final day of the snowiest February on record.”
So I did.
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. Secrets of Success.
For a full 28 days I was able to maintain my beginning weight for the month (going up and down within 2 #’s each morning weigh-in throughout the month, depending upon the after-morning salt puff factor due to a serving or two or more of Tostitos).
On a side note, maintaining my weight means if I hadn’t returned the bikini I’d still fit in it. Sigh…
But, Yay Me, right?!
I started out the month tracking my progress goals in my bullet journal. Which by the way, has sunken into a dismal failure status, other than I made my own calendar in it. So I have to carry the bulky-a** thing around with me to meetings to make sure I at least schedule my days, somewhat. It’s a huge Mead 3-Subject notebook with 12 calendar pages I routinely regularly use.
I had been all gung-ho about the start of February and made a page called “February 2019 – Love My 54-Year Old Skin” (WTH, Right??!)
On that page, I made four columns to monitor and track my successes throughout the month –
- Food – recorded if I ate anything I shouldn’t have and if I was good or not by eating veggies, fruits, and refraining from Tostitos, or not.
- Exercise – recorded if I exercised or not, and how long. Daily, I do yoga daily for 10 minutes or so, and I run/walk on the treadmill for 20-40 minutes, and I do squats and stretches all day long, every time I think of it, or am reminded to do so per my post-it notes.
- Beverages – recorded if I made pour choices or not. After a mostly successful Dry January, I wanted to at least hold true to the self-proclaimed status of “One or None social cocktail drink kind of person”.
- Sleep – recorded if I slept well or not. Besides an easy way to lose weight advantages during Dry January, I found that my sleep also had improved tremendously in January. I had also started taking Vitamin D. While I’m sure it was the ‘dry’ factor and the reduction of caloric intake, I’m not 100% positive that the Vitamin D wasn’t a helpful part as well? I still take it.
On that BuJo page, I at least recorded my beginning weight so, at the end of the month, I’d know if I was able to measure success. I stopped recording things on Day 11.
Sh*t, that’s the same day I had a mini-breakdown in the successes of Dry January and had cake, ice cream, Tostitos, and a beer. Sigh…quitters’ day happens.
But then I got back on track when I stood in front of the mirror and remembered my ‘don’t let your thighs touch’ secret. No, I think that was the day I tried on the bikini again, after a night with Tostitos. Anyhoo, I got back on track. And I sent it back.
After having tracked something for over 21 days (not just the bikini arrival, departure and verification of the return yet to be refunded on my credit card) – I had done that same 4 Column Tracking BuJo thingamajiggy whatchamacallit page for 31 days in January, so it had become a habit – I didn’t need to write stuff down to know I was doing all of that goal accomplishing stuff on a daily basis. I think the frustration with the whole BuJo and being an ISTJ is seriously something I should evaluate further as the month goes on?
Really? Well, yeah, duh…um’ I maintained my weight so I did something right. So, there, it is working?!
Bullsh*t, right?
Yeah, maybe…
Seriously, though. The tiny secrets to my success are different from just writing stuff down. My Post-it Note reminder set-up day helped a lot. And so did doing all of the squats throughout the day and month.
But, there were other things I did, too.
Magic secrets
I start every day with our magic potion.
That’s what we call it for lack of a better name. We started taking it in November of last year. We’re secretly (except now you know it too) convinced that it has contributed to maintaining our weight and our stomachs have been happy, too.
It may not look appetizing, but it does leave a fun taste in our mouths and does wonders for morning breath. Just sayin’…
Daily Potion
**Note – As long as you keep the portions equal to the equivalents below, you can make more or less depending upon your needs. We take 1 Tablespoon of this potion every morning on an empty stomach to kick-start the digestive process and to give our stomachs a wake-up call for the day by removing toxins. I guess so…I dunno…it just seems to help.
Keep the unused potion in the refrigerator. Stir before taking. Some of the mixtures Mr. has mixed up (by whipping the hell out of it in the blender) have turned out extra potent and a cup of warm water to chase it down has proven to be a really good idea (this batch is one of those batches):
- 1/2 cup freshly ground ginger
- 1/2 cup freshly ground garlic
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup organic raw unfiltered honey
Daily Meals
Pre-Breakfast
Coffee (1-2 cups, I drink mostly water with diluted with 1/4 cup of regular coffee), and also have a Clementine. ‘Cuz they’re so cute and refreshing in the morning, especially after taking the potion.
Breakfast
A bowl of oatmeal, with a chopped up apple, raw honey, and cinnamon, 1 hard-boiled egg, and a small glass of beet juice. Once a week or so I shake it up and have a broiled avocado with lime zest, lime juice, and parmesan cheese, with a hard-boiled egg and small glass of beet juice.
Mid-morning – Mid-day snacks (I don’t officially eat lunch or measure anything or count calories)
I eat any or all of these over the course of the morning and throughout the day, depending upon cravings and how many times I stop at the microwave to heat up my cup of water. Yes, I drink warm water throughout the day.
I eat one or a small serving below, just to take the edge off any hunger pangs.
- Kiwi
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Banana
- Dried apricots
- Cut up veggies with yogurt dip – my favorites have been bell peppers – all four colors make a fun crunchy snack
- Artisans Crackers (usually about 3-4) with cheese dip
- Cheese stick
- 1 energy bite (no-bake made with oatmeal, shredded coconut, honey, peanut butter, vanilla, chia seeds – you can put tiny chocolate chips in them, but I don’t like chocolate)
- Popcorn (usually up to 4 cups…depending upon my mood for the day)
- Cup or two of Matcha in the afternoon
Dinner –
Whatever Mr. is cooking up, I eat it. He’s such a cute chef!
Dessert
Depending upon the stress of the day – sometimes a serving or more of Tostitos. And a beer, or a glass of wine, or not, again, depending upon the day.
And some days, to warm up before bed, a cup of stress tea, with or without honey, lemon and a shot of brandy, or not – again, depending upon the day.
The biggest secret of my success – it all begins with me. The decisions I make about what I put in my mouth between sleeping sessions matters. In order to feel good about myself in what I choose to wear, I watch what I eat. And the desire to be okay with my skin in my swimming suit for our vacation in less than 2 weeks helped a lot. What happens once I get that goal completed, it’ll be a completely different story. The last trip, I gained 6 pounds. And it took 4 years and 1 Dry January and a follow-up February to lose it…!
Post Inspiration – March 1st and count-down to the beach and I found a fun photography challenge over at CitySonnet. Day 1 – Welcome March.
PS – What are your secrets of success for maintaining your desired weight? What about your goals for March? What about any blogging challenges for you fellow bloggers?
It sure looks like you eat a fairly healthy diet! That said, when I was in Target yesterday, I saw Tostitos and thought of you, having never really paid any attention to them before. 🙂
That sunset is lovely. I hope it portends better weather. We’re about to go into another week like January (cold and snowy), per our local weather guru. But vacation is coming soon! 😃
Thank you, your support means a lot. Subliminal messages seem to be working – I’m thinking about buying stock in Tostitos… ;-)! Sorry your weather is depressing like ours. YES, soon – that means it’s time to switch up the exercise routines to practice the vacation dance time format :-)! :-)!
That’s great you have found a plan that works for you. Veggies, fruits, fiber, exercise oh my! I have no secret to success, since it is so individual. However moderation in all things (I know, boring…but true) usually works out in the end for most people. Incorporating more activity/exercise as a normal part of the day is a challenge. Which is why I find Winter so difficult. I am looking forward to more walking outside once the snow is gone and the days warm up!
You’re right on target! MM’s – Moderation and Movement! Yes, winter is tough — my dreadmill gets me through it! Once winter slowly arrives and slowly melts all the snow, I’m all for being outside too! Thank you for sharing your secrets with me!! xx
That potion sounds not so tasty. But who am I to say, he who is a bit heavy! 😬🍻
Your recipes are not making me hungry, Shelley. Do I have to put pictures of those eggs, that bacon and those potatoes back out here? ‘Cuz I’ll do that it I have to.
LOL – You might have to…but don’t worry, I’ll be back into the salsa and chips and such soon enough! 😉
Oh my gosh, you have a great diet, I think you could sneak the Tostitos every few days. And I like your magic potion, we may try that at our home. I do the beets 3 times a week, and I swear they give me energy. Hubby said he can’t even watch me eat them, so I’ll let you know how the potion goes over..Thanks for the health tip
Thank you, Alice! Shh…don’t tell anyone, I do sneak Tostitos in more often than I should! I hope you like the potion – keep me posted on how Hubby likes it!
I will, I’ll let him know where I got the recipe.
Only if he likes it right?! 😉
Wow, you did great! I’m not so disciplined. And my only “potion” is the breakfast I eat every weekday: plain, whole fat yogurt with a honey drizzle and a little granola on top. I’ve also tried the intermittent fasting thing–basically just skipping breakfast–and that’s worked too. Funny, if I realize that I’ve lost a couple pounds, like at my doc. appt., when I get weighed, I feel the need to eat enough to put it back on, so I try not to think about it!
Thanks, Rebecca! I like yogurt and honey too, just haven’t eaten it much lately. We make our own in the crock pot. Intermittent fasting does work. That’s too funny, that’s my normal mode (not I’m going to fit into a swimsuit mode), aka, when I lose a couple of pounds, I feel the need to eat right away! For some reason, this month I’ve been good. March…well, the excitement of the trip has brought on the munchies. I must make it to the finish line….!!!!!
Well the potion looks different, but different can be good. I love clementines and yes, they’ll sweeten your mouth after “the potion” … you have made good progress. I am better at maintaining my weight in the Summer, but there is more exercising done then as well and the need to keep the same weight as you’re wearing less clothes. Now, you feel bulky in all the extra layers, might as well fill ’em out (just kidding).
You’re right on all accounts! It’s funny what clothes can hide 😉
Yes, but can you breathe?!
So far, yes. But it’s only 3/4/19! 😉
And it is Fat Tuesday tomorrow … just sayin’.
LOL – that it is. What’s for dinner at your house?
I feel done out – I did not go to the store yet and WAS going to get myself a treat (those chocolate chip/toffee crispy cookies by Pepperidge Farm). I intended to go this morning but the driveway was icy. I have a small garage and not much room to pull out. Years ago I was pulling out of the garage and hit a piece of ice and slid and nicked the passenger side mirror – tomorrow I’ll go and run some errands and get a treat. It’s all about the Paczki Day here in SE Michigan. All the Polish bakeries in the neighborhood are selling them, open early this morning and closed when they run out of them. Very fattening jelly-like donuts.
Aw, the dang weather even prevented you from a treat?! Grr… I hope you’re able to ‘fudge’ and trade the treat day. But it’s kind of early in Lent to negotiate an alternative day?! I’ve never had a Paczki, they sound yummy though.
Yes, irritated me to no end Shelley, but I went this morning – had racked up some errands, so that was my morning and I want you to know I got a bag of Tostitos, a jar of salsa (which I have had neither in about 10 years when I gave up salty snacks) and a package of those great Pepperidge Farm Crispy Chocolate Chip/Toffee cookies. So yes, I did decide to “fudge” … and I got enough peanuts so I don’t run out for a long time. The Paczki are bigger than a regular jelly donut and they use a heavier fat/lard is how I understand it, and they are double the calories and fat grams. I’ve not had one in years. There was a bakery nearby that made them and I’d go over and get two jelly-filled and two Boston-Creme with chocolate icing ones and that was it … that was our dinner I believe. They had all kinds of boxes of them this morning – Meijer grocery store over-bought them … stacked everywhere and they probably were already stale. American Coney Island got the idea to stuff a paczki with a wiener and make it a coney and they go like hotcakes on Fat Tuesday.
https://www.metrotimes.com/table-and-bar/archives/2018/02/06/coney-paczki-return-to-american-coney-island-on-fat-tuesday?fbclid=IwAR2DlvaboO0xi4RFY-DuImEcPvFUTdXVAES0rcywHg0QlNbRdx9DsG-YsIE
I’m glad you worked the unfortunate situation out. Yay, another Tostitos convert (in the works?). I love them with salsa too, but then I eat more than one serving. That meal sounds better to me than the Paczki, but I’m not a sweets kind of person. Back in the early college years, and giving up chocolate, I enjoyed my share of Boston-Creme donuts. Yumm! College butt set in and those were added to ‘bad-should-not-eat” list! Thanks for the link, I’m amazed at the things people come up with to eat!
I don’t have salsa in the house anymore since I never have chips. I thought it would be something different – see … I was thinking I’d eat less chips if they had salsa on them. After I gave up sweets in 2011 I really never craved them. I did get the treats at Christmas as my friend made them and I thought it was time to treat myself – I restricted myself from too many things so I had no treats to look forward to. I gave up fast food, fried food, salty snacks (except I re-introduced peanuts into my diet, but ate too many so can’t buy them … I eat peanut butter instead), and red meat. I would only be bad with cookies (maybe brownies – won’t buy them as it’s just me … cookies don’t go stale like brownies would) … cookies are my go-to if I’m going to be bad. I used to love Oreos and bought a small pack last year and found them way too sweet. And I don’t eat candy.
I’m convinced that when one does a lot of walking, or exercising, we tend to modify our cravings and replace them with happy endorphins we get from walking. I bet you’ll be way over having any Tostitos or sweet treats once spring finally gets here! That’s my hope anyhow…!
Once we shed the layers, I think we take a different view on eating what is wrong and what is right – that said … I ate one layer of those cookies, but they are very thin and I was doing something very boring … not sure it justified it but …
So true! I do that one layer (aka, serving) unmeasured way too often 😉 Hope the cookies were tasty?! Then it’s worth it!
I tried the Tostitos – awesome. Never had the “bites” before, just the bigger ones. I have missed the “crunch” so badly! Over the weekend, I’ll try them with the salsa. The cookies were tasty too and I ate too many of them, but they were my Fat Tuesday feast … they are really thin and crispy cookies but I have finished them off so they won’t bother me. And actually since I really don’t eat sweets (with the exception of at Christmas) I found them sweet. When I finish off the Tostitos, I will be “good” again. Had to get it out of my system as I felt deprived of any treats … I had not had any treats of any kind since Christmas.
I’m so happy to read you enjoyed the bite sized Tostitos! I had my share last night. My goal is to not open the new bag before we leave on our trip! That’s awesome if you can get a fix and have it last for months. I’ve yet to be able to do that!
Well, I have finished half the bag, so I wasn’t all that smart. 🙂 I sealed them up with scotch tape now … they were too handy to keep opening with just the chip clip. You are laughing I know it. Of course there are scissors to open the tape … hmm.
LOL – I completely understand your dilemma! And yes, I’m laughing!!