Crimsann

What an amazing update, I'm so happy for you! I had to log in to say so even while I'm flinging clothes at an open suitcase trying to get the heck out of town. July pretty much flattened me, I made it about two weeks in before my plans for 60 fell apart. I still managed to hold onto my losses from June, at least according to my pants, but I didn't make much progress beyond that. And now it's off on vacation if I can just shut down my brain in time to really relax! I am going to do an easing back in then for the end of August, working on getting back to meal planning and whole foods before launching into a September round. I usually do not try to do W30 as written for Oct-Dec because with our annual inventory season my hours go into a tailspin and that doesn't even factor in the holidays. I do have a personal revised set of guidelines for between months. And then January is always a great time. So plans for the future! I'm envious of the amazing feeling you've got going on right now, and it's just added encouragement to double down when I get back.

What an awesome idea! I’ll put my thinking cap on. The one recipe that comes to mind that I haven’t shared with this group yet probably could work for a brunch and it’s been deemed veeeery delicious by all sorts of groups. I had a bit of trouble finding the coconut butter the first time I made this but once I did I understood how important it was...and also why this needed to be a special occasion recipe. It’s that good! https://meatified.com/sweet-potato-gratin/ Oh yeah, I may make a batch this weekend too...

@magsrose totally here for July! I’m working on my meal plan for next week and I’m contemplating trying a reworking if this recipe...minus the honey. https://www.floatingkitchen.net/charred-pineapple-salad/ I’ve said before that I don’t shy away from fruit that much, especially as part of a main dish. I may try this as a light evening meal while it’s so hot and then if it’s a good as it sounds I may do a version with chicken or shrimp down the road. Still kind of stumped on lunches for next week. I’m not in a rut yet, but I have used up most of my tried and true packable favorites. Lunch is the one meal I’m least enthused about experimenting with different recipes for because if something doesn’t satisfy I’m a lot closer to tempting alternatives! Or twice as likely to skip which is just as bad for me. hmmm, maybe a taco salad and put off the pineapple salad until the week after. Wouldn’t want to turn into a head of lettuce after all.

Just to be clear, that Instagram post was not mine and that wasn’t my picture, just a post I found super inspiring. I would love to have her confidence but I can’t take credit for the words or the inspiration she provides...I just hope to be half as happy in my skin. Working on it! Love having her in my Instagram feed.

One more thing today, because I loved what she said about our bodies being the safest and most permanent place. And even if we are here sometimes to change that outside, we are also here to make the inside safe and strong...

Sorry I’ve been missing a few days, but today is the only slight break I’m getting this week. I knew it was going to be bad, it ended up being worse than I thought. The last few days have been insanely draining, its even forced this night owl into falling asleep before 10 PM which is extreme for me, lol! I’ve been thrilled to hear about all your results, still sticking to the pants method myself so I can’t yet report any numbers but I’m sliding into that phase where I no longer have to carefully pick which pair of pants I wear in the morning because none of the ones in my closet are going to be a problem. Still not feeling ready to zip up that one pair in my drawer though, the ones with the tags still on, the ones that claimed to be a size 8 buuuut. During past W30’s I’ve got to within 10 pounds of my goal, and I suspect I will be back there by the end of July but as we all know the closer you are to your ideal weight range the slower it goes and I’m prepared for that. The one thing that I’ve been surprised about this time is how no one has noticed I’m doing it. They are so used to seeing me eat this way it no longer stands out. That might be another kind of NSV, lol! Its extremely hot here so the plan is take it as easy as possible today and be ready to face the rest of the week. Next week should even back out a little but also involves cupcake baking so it has its own challenges. And then it’s a downhill slide into vacation mode. I’ve got an appointment to get my hair done on the 27th and I’m hoping to be feeling like a new me by August! I hope everyone enjoys the day!

Although the day is not over yet, I did my last June workout and had the satisfaction of watching that third ring close for the last time this month making the thirty day streak perfect. I then came upstairs and found my neighbors setting off fireworks. No doubt in celebration for me?!? (or, oh wait, I guess there is that one certain holiday coming up...still made me giggle!) Hurrah to all of you...picture me tossing confetti in your general directions!

@AmandaRG ooh thanks for the recipe tip, I’ve seen a couple Chow Mein recipes and always sort of hesitated because I don’t always like the “real versions”. At the same time I have always suspected that I would like a more all natural one. And this is a perfect time to start stretching my meal plan beyond mostly tried and true faves. Ive been thinking about found some Salisbury Steak Meatballs and Mashed Potato (mashed with coconut milk) for lunches next week but I’ve been flailing around about dinners and that might be just the inspo I needed. Especially since I can cram that full of veggies while my lunch is more protein/fat dense. On our last day I just want to say this has been such a steady group and I’ve really enjoyed doing this with you. I’m going to miss reading up on all of you so for those not going into July, drop in and say hi and I hope you get the most out of your reintroduction time. For those of you facing/looking forward to a Day 31 weigh in, I have one last trick to pass on that’s always helped me do a real check on progress without letting one single number make or break me. I always set out to check in on myself by planning to deliberately weigh myself about four times spread over two days. Then I go with the average. I’ve always found it fascinating to see how much it does swing from morning to night or day to day and the first time I did this it helped more than anything to break the hold that number had on me. Or, of course, after all the work this month feel free to go with the lowest number too, lol! Personally I had found I always seem to weigh the least on Monday morning and it’s left me nearly convinced that two days away from work lightens me in some real non-food related way. Does stress actually add pounds?! Maybe so.

@kirbz thank you for that list, I may have to check my network for an active member and go explore the Costco in my area! Those turkey packs do sound beyond ideal! My bonus workout night...well I will get in my usual regime but any extra got burned out with a late work night. My bosses first day of vacation and we had one system wide crash and the report that crashed it was crunching some numbers that had to be run tonight. So I ended up staying late and helping to brainstorm another way to get that done maybe without a second system crash? My personal preference. Sigh... so, does a mental workout count?!?

@Plantas well I woke up from dreaming that I had snuck food into my bedroom to eat it so no one would see. Bread. And not even good bread this was part of a loaf of brown bread and was still partially frozen!!!! Weird food urges still pop up no matter where you are in the program I think. I just have to remind myself that even if I can reintroduce a food, if I’m doing so because I’m craving it I probably better not. I’ve never done a perfect reintroduction, and with vacation coming up this won’t be the time either. But, I think my best advice would be to write out now what you plan to reintroduce and on which days. That way you still have a deliberate plan through that phase and won’t let any stray food impulses guide (and probably wreck) your good intentions. It doesn’t mean you can’t plan to reintroduce something you will truly enjoy, just make sure it was a conscious choice and not because you were tempted by something in the moment. At least I think that’s how I would feel still in control and getting the most out of my 30 days.

@magsrose I love the idea, count me in! I’ll have to think about how to do it. My secondary goal this month was to close all three rings on my Apple Watch every day. I nearly slipped yesterday by missing a few Stand hours in the middle of the day but I did keep the streak going. I feel like to truly honor the community night though I should do something outside my typical treadmill/yoga rotation. That needs shaking up a bit anyway!

It’s been another lazy Sunday. I made a pot of the chocolate chili and packed that up so lunches are taken care of...just need to finish laundry and I can truly relax for the last five minutes of the weekend. I missed going to the zoo with my nieces but final week meal prep had to get done. Well, not final week for me anyway but I still want a solid week because July is starting off with a bang. Those cupcakes I mentioned? I’m not through the full employee roster yet and I have three types to do in the first two weeks. That may be the end of it for the year though. I won’t know for sure yet because we have several new hires starting this week. We rarely add staff so once I’m sure on where they fall I won’t need to worry about another bunch coming on but it’s definitely going to pose some challenges if I’m not on firm footing. Sounds like I might have made the right choice on the zoo though because my sister says they no more than got to the parking lot to go in and the little one got sick all over the car. Mostly I felt bad I wasn’t there to help, but let’s be honest...only mostly. Hope everyone is ready for a strong finish! p.s. @ whoever was saying before that all they wanted was a cold drink? Me all day. I made a pitcher of sun tea and added some of that pineapple sage from my garden while it steeped and I’ve drank half the pitcher just today!

I also swear by that method. For either type of potato, if I want to do crispy roasted potato or put out some shredded on my griddle and make hash type potatoes I always bake them first. I will do a weeks worth in the oven while doing my other meal prep and leave them wrapped in foil in the fridge then chop or shred them before roasting or, well I hate to say fry because I don’t deep fry them but I do crisp them on my electric griddle. Perfect results as far as crisp on the outside and soft inside. Especially in the griddle. Weekend breakfast if I cook my bacon that way first or beside them even I don’t need to add any oil really and double bonus they soak up some of the bacon fat and make the griddle easier to clean plus they taste fantastic. Trying to roast or crisp raw potato takes far longer and rarely turns out as well for me.

I have one kind of funny and one kind of serious tip for that. During my first W30 I used to joke that if I got a craving and was just imagining some delicious taste or texture I would immediately look away and let my eyes land on the first non-food item I saw and try to imagine...just as vividly...eating that instead. This often ended up being my co-workers desk plant. I don’t know if the absurdity of it broke my concentration or if any good distraction would have worked but it at least made me laugh at myself. After the first round though cravings weren’t such an issue. I sort of attribute that to a couple of things. The true rewiring of my tastebuds, even if not complete, had begun. And once I went back to some of those foods, I can honestly say they rarely satisfied. The tastes I remembered don’t exist anymore. I’m not saying I’ve never enjoyed a cupcake since, in fact the joke on me here is that I spent all last year baking unique cupcakes for each birthday in my department. 32 different kinds. Which is part of why I’m with you this month!!!! And I’m a really good baker. But I could count on one hand the versions that really, truly, were worth it. I used to exist on bread. Inhaled it. Nearly worshipped it. But I bet I’ve eaten less than one full loaf in the last three years. Even those gorgeous artisan ones that used to make my heart sing, because every time I tried some it was just a bit meh. Sometimes it’s made me a bit sad, sometimes it’s a huge relief that the temptations are no longer so insurmountable. Sometimes I wonder if they changed all those recipes while I was eating clean and I wonder why no one else has noticed. The slightly more serious tip those is something I still use. If I find myself wanting something sweet, I reach for the opposite. It doesn’t even take close to a full serving, about three cashews and the craving is gone because that salty/fatty reality breaks the spell. Or I will end a meal with a few sips of a fruit flavored sparkling water so I’m not left with that “need” to “cleanse my palate” that is often the excuse for a dessert. I also try to keep my fruit within the meal as much as possible but I include some in every weeks meal plan. That keeps a full complement of flavors in my diet and doesn’t set fruit up as some (pun alert!) forbidden thing. Pork roast slow cooked with some papaya juice, a piece of grilled fish with some pineapple salsa, apple slices in a coleslaw blend, those gorgeous looking peach fruit only jam and fresh jalapeño glazed chicken wings I saw on Instagram the other day. The cautions about too much fruit are totally there for a reason, so my self rule has been to keep it off a pedestal and to make sure I ate it as part of meal I had planned out in advance with cool deliberation and not as an impulse or a substitute for something sweet. Keeping it on my plate at least one meal a day most days routinely seems to work for me.

@Plantas YES! See if I had just had that crisp looking lettuce leaf wrapper...or else it just sounds better tonight I’m not sure. For some reason either the meat I’ve gotten lately isn’t as good or something about how I’m fixing it...but with burgers they keep turning out tough even when they are half cooked. I’ve a tendency to eat things on the rarer side of medium buuuut. I’ve got to figure out what’s changed. The last few times I’ve made them its been a chore to eat them. I haven’t done much beef at all this round but I’m thinking either the always popular chocolate chili (I like to add a bit of creamy mild guacamole on top in place of sour cream..easier to pack than plain avocado and cuts the heat some if I get it too spicy) or some Salisbury Steak meatballs for next weeks lunches. Both seem to do well for reheating. One last note on burgers though...something on my Insta feed tonight got me thinking about making a hashbrown bun. That seems like a great way to have your burger and “fries” and eat them guilt free too, lol. That might be a thing I save for the 4th though. A fun way to share in the cookout mindset. I could see that being a family pleaser with none the wiser and no one missing the bread.