Health 1st - Down another 4.2 lbs! Apart from the bread & seeds, pretty solid week. Wishing you a smooth and easy return to full capability. If you have a microwave, don't forget you can always pop a potato or sweet potato in there for a quick easy meal; add some (microwave) steamed veggies and you're all set for a 50/50 plate.
bunsofaluminum - I hope your knee feels better soon, and I'm glad you are feeling less turmoil and more at peace, Heidi. Wishing you the best with your personal goals, and thank you for the kind words.
cmcavazos2 - Kudos for your willingness to report honestly after a challenging week! That "snack room effect" is a pretty powerful example of environmental changes exerting their influence and disrupting our established routines, right Christine? Challenges like this can be a great opportunity for learning and growth; I think your plan to use supportive self-talk, e.g. "that's not my food" and to establish a non-food reward is solid. Those are both things that have worked for me personally in the past. If all else fails, it can be helpful to, at minimum, commit to always eating some adherent food BEFORE deciding to reach for something non adherent; your view of that decision after eating the recommended foods might look different.
George Ohwell - Hang in there! You'll be able to get this figured out with time and practice. Why do you think you decided to include the dates and veggie juice? Were there any changes in your environment, routine, or preparation? When it feels like you are overeating, what is the context for those occurrences? Are you finding that specific foods lead toward this, or just generally eating past the point of comfort? Be mindful not to neglect including adequate starch each time you eat for lasting satiety.
VegSeekingFit - Great work, Stephanie! Your consistent progress directed toward adherence is working for you; averaging -1.5 lbs / week is right on track.
Some newly ring-bedecked fingers and feet that want to go faster sound like really fun non-scale victories, too! Cheers!
PonysPlants - I applaud your determination to "keep ploughing on"; adherence over a sufficient
duration of time produces results, so perseverance is key. You are definitely correct that saying goodbye to those last few pounds is no joke,
for all the reasons Jeff lays out. The fundamental principles will get you there in the end.
Gimmelean - How wonderful to have that lovely time with your family! And wonderful, too, that they were so supportive of your efforts.
Gimmelean wrote:Don’t back down, don’t let them see you hesitate, fake it till you make it. Difficult but eventually they will get the message or join in
I love this! Very true; I think, sometimes, it really is a matter of "convincing" other people (by way of our behavior) that, YES, we really are serious about these choices. See you in August!
texaslil - More YESes is always better than fewer, Laila, and worth being happy about! I hope you have a fabulous birthday. It is fantastic that you'll have your own kitchen for meal prep, that makes maintaining adherence MUCH less fraught.
Have fun, be well, and check out Jeff's posts on
travel and
dining out for help with likely challenges.
Belana - Thanks for that update!
Zoey -
We all get distracted sometimes, right?
Awesome week; it's hard to ask for more than feeling good and being free of temptation. Have fun at the family reunion, steer clear of the dessert table, and ENJOY that watermelon (what better dessert than that!) Sate your hunger with adherent foods, and crowd out any of those troublesome temptations.
YES 20/20 
Thank you! This sounds delicious + 
