24 replies to this topic

[AJW524]

Just wanted to vent a little. This is my 4th week on Jenny and the first time that my husband will be out of town. He has been a wonderful support and has helped to (very gently and sweetly) keep me accountable to sticking with the program. He has never had any concern with my weight but was very supportive of my goals in doing this. That said, I'm alone for the weekend, and this doesn't happen very often. In the past (pre-JC) I've always used weekends to myself to eat too much delicious crappy food (read: entire pints of ice cream), and I'm a little anxious about being alone on the plan. I don't have any questions or anything, just wanted to share and see if anyone else has ever had this problem. I'm doing fine so far and have done my workout today. The dog is keeping me accountable. Wish me luck!

[Blessed4Life2]

Just stay busy, and keep your mind occupied.

I believe you will do great....I have confidence in you

[MargieJ]

Set yourself up for success by making sure you've planned for the weekend:
1. Food---do you have what you need? Is there food in the house that'll tempt you? If so, get rid of it.
2. Body---what is your activity plan for the weekend? With a dog around, you've at least got a walk or two daily in store. Anything else?
3. Mind---plan this as well. Are you reading anything to support your weight loss program? Spangle's "100 days of weight loss" is a good one if you haven't started it. Log in here daily if it helps. In the meantime, log all your food (holding yourself accountable)---log everything you eat. You might also want to include your water. Journal your thoughts about what's challenging for you and how you're dealing with it. Talk to the dog if you have to!!!! Could your husband pop you an email or a text or call to support you as he's been doing at home? Ultimately, though, the accountability starts and ends with you so this is a good test of your newfound strength.

Margie

[AJW524]

Thanks so much for the encouragement and wonderful tips! I will try to stay focused and will let you know how it goes.

[Blessed4Life2]

Just have fun and stay busy, sometimes we can OVER think a situation and put WAY too much focus it and blow it out of proportion, which in turn will drive you crazy and you are sure to fail. Just hang out at friends, go shopping...have fun while that hubby's away girl!

[MargieJ]

Just have fun and stay busy, sometimes we can OVER think a situation and put WAY too much focus it and blow it out of proportion, which in turn will drive you crazy and you are sure to fail. Just hang out at friends, go shopping...have fun while that hubby's away girl!

There's certainly nothing wrong with having fun and staying busy. Hanging out with friends is always great.
BUT, she's still going to have to decide 1) what to eat when she's out with friends, 2) will she give into the fast food at the mall?, 3) will she dive into the ice cream when she gets back home before bed? If she can plan ahead a bit, she can avoid those pitfalls while still having a good time. JC is simple to follow but still takes planning and being mindful in order to be successful.

AJW--have a good weekend! The fact that you're asking about this and thinking of the issues ahead of the game is huge. You're being mindful about your plan--protect it at all costs and enjoy the control over eating that you're gaining. It's very freeing!
Margie

[Blessed4Life2]

There's certainly nothing wrong with having fun and staying busy. Hanging out with friends is always great.
BUT, she's still going to have to decide 1) what to eat when she's out with friends, 2) will she give into the fast food at the mall?, 3) will she dive into the ice cream when she gets back home before bed? If she can plan ahead a bit, she can avoid those pitfalls while still having a good time. JC is simple to follow but still takes planning and being mindful in order to be successful.

AJW--have a good weekend! The fact that you're asking about this and thinking of the issues ahead of the game is huge. You're being mindful about your plan--protect it at all costs and enjoy the control over eating that you're gaining. It's very freeing!
Margie

Having fun and NOT thinking of food is ahead of the game. Not focusing on eating all the time is ahead of the game. Staying busy and keeping our minds OFF food, and not thinking of eating out everytime we leave the house is ahead of the game.

Lets be honest.....I didnt get to where I am right now (54 lbs lost) by flying by the seat of my pants, BUT i always plan OTHER activites that dont focus around food. Trust me, staying busy and not being idle minded helps ALOT!

Pre-planning is VERY important, but pre-planning to do other things other than eating is key.

When we make food the center of our focus is when failure comes in to play. Thats what got us here in the first place....focusing on grub

Seriously, lets get our minds OFF of food Margie! ...theres far more to life than focusing on food.....that IS what freedom is ALL about!

AJW, eat your jc food BEFORE you go out with friends.....IF that becomes a choice ( hanging out with friends/family).....go the movies, go for a walk, go shopping, there are plenty of things to do rather than focusing on eating!!!

Enjoy this time alone......I would LOVE time to myself .....Oh, and go for a pedi.....makes you think of nothing else BUT relaxation

[MargieJ]

Having fun and NOT thinking of food is ahead of the game. Not focusing on eating all the time is ahead of the game. Staying busy and keeping our minds OFF food, and not thinking of eating out everytime we leave the house is ahead of the game.
Lets be honest.....I didnt get to where I am right now (54 lbs lost) by flying by the seat of my pants, BUT i always plan OTHER activites that dont focus around food. Trust me, staying busy and not being idle minded helps ALOT!
Pre-planning is VERY important, but pre-planning to do other things other than eating is key.
When we make food the center of our focus is when failure comes in to play. Thats what got us here in the first place....focusing on grub
Seriously, lets get our minds OFF of food Margie! ...theres far more to life than focusing on food.....that IS what freedom is ALL about!
AJW, eat your jc food BEFORE you go out with friends.....IF that becomes a choice ( hanging out with friends/family).....go the movies, go for a walk, go shopping, there are plenty of things to do rather than focusing on eating!!!
Enjoy this time alone......I would LOVE time to myself .....Oh, and go for a pedi.....makes you think of nothing else BUT relaxation

Melissa---at some level we're saying the same thing. Enjoy life (i.e., other activities) but have a plan. You say "seriously, let's get our minds OFF of food" yet then advise her to eat her JC food before she goes out with friends. In other words, you're encouraging her to think about food by planning when she's going to eat her JC food. That's a good strategy and not opposed to what I am saying: sure, do other activities and have fun BUT get a plan in place. That may mean having to think about food, specifically when and what you're going to eat. Planning in this way is not "making food the center of our focus"--- it's being smart and "protecting our program" at all costs.

AJW--sorry if we hijacked your original post/thread a bit. There are lots of different ways to approach this program and it helps to hear all angles. Take the tips and suggestions here that resonate with you and in time you'll have accumulated more tools for your journey.
Margie

[Dobie1]

Four weeks into the program, I think this is a perfect time for you to try it alone. You're lucky to have the support of your hubby, but this is your program, and you cannot rely on him to police you 24/7.

I live alone, so I have to do this all the time. Although staying busy can be helpful as a distraction, it's a temporary fix - you are going to find yourself alone and not busy at one time or another. It is best to have a plan to deal with those times.

I pre-plan my meals and estimate meal and snacktimes so I know when to eat - of course, nothing is set in stone, but I find it helpful (especially at night) to know that my snack is at 8pm. I find activity helps with all 3 parts of the program - for me, activity suppresses appetite (Food), it's great for the Body, and fabulous stress relief for the Mind. I rely on message boards like this one to help refresh my mindset throughout the day. Knowing that others are experiencing similar issues helps enforce to me why I'm doing this to begin with. Of course, Linda Spangle reading always is helpful .

Some days when I find myself with nothing to do and my mind wanders to food, I have a certain list of things for distraction - going for a walk, cleaning a closet, brushing my teeth, or sometimes just going to bed early. The important thing to realize is that this is your program. You are lucky beyond words to have a great support system, but at the end of the day, your success is your own.

[AJW524]

I appreciate all of your ideas and I'm doing well so far. My family does celebrate Easter but is not really big into cooking huge meals, so I'm good there (hubby's visiting his family - both of our parents are divorced so sometimes we have to split up to see family at holidays). So far, I've done well - Friday night I just relaxed and today I'll be out doing some shopping with a friend and will eat my JC breakfast and bring my Anytime bar, then will probably be home near lunch time. I'm slowly relaxing into it and feeling less anxious. I love my husband but it is nice to have to experience doing this on my own, even if briefly. Thanks again everyone and have a great weekend!

[Blessed4Life2]

Melissa---at some level we're saying the same thing. Enjoy life (i.e., other activities) but have a plan. You say "seriously, let's get our minds OFF of food" yet then advise her to eat her JC food before she goes out with friends. In other words, you're encouraging her to think about food by planning when she's going to eat her JC food. That's a good strategy and not opposed to what I am saying: sure, do other activities and have fun BUT get a plan in place. That may mean having to think about food, specifically when and what you're going to eat. Planning in this way is not "making food the center of our focus"--- it's being smart and "protecting our program" at all costs.

AJW--sorry if we hijacked your original post/thread a bit. There are lots of different ways to approach this program and it helps to hear all angles. Take the tips and suggestions here that resonate with you and in time you'll have accumulated more tools for your journey.
Margie

lol, come on Marg, surely you get what I'm saying here.....work with me. I didnt say we dont HAVE to eat PERIOD, so dont focus on eating ANYTHING.......I'm saying eat your jc food before leaving the house, and dont think about eating out anywhere, and let it go......by that, I meant dont focus on food so much. Sure we have to eat, geez. ha......but fixating on food ONLY is not a good thing, there is more to life than thinking about food constantly, by suggesting she plan her life around food just isnt good advice to me. There is such a thing as OVER thinking and overwhelming newbies...IMHO. There is a fine line between planning and over focusing.

Ok, I'm done. ha....I think we are beating a dead horse here, and saying the same thing over and over.

I appreciate all of your ideas and I'm doing well so far. My family does celebrate Easter but is not really big into cooking huge meals, so I'm good there (hubby's visiting his family - both of our parents are divorced so sometimes we have to split up to see family at holidays). So far, I've done well - Friday night I just relaxed and today I'll be out doing some shopping with a friend and will eat my JC breakfast and bring my Anytime bar, then will probably be home near lunch time. I'm slowly relaxing into it and feeling less anxious. I love my husband but it is nice to have to experience doing this on my own, even if briefly. Thanks again everyone and have a great weekend!

AJW, I apologize as well for taking over your thread with a disagreement.....but thats the beauty of this forum, different views.....then you choose your own route.

I am so glad everything is going well for you, like I said before....I have confidence in you! .......and dont forget that pedi girl, makes ya forget all your worries......and those tootsies will thank you

[MargieJ]

lol, come on Marg, surely you get what I'm saying here.....work with me. I didnt say we dont HAVE to eat PERIOD, so dont focus on eating ANYTHING.......I'm saying eat your jc food before leaving the house, and dont think about eating out anywhere, and let it go......by that, I meant dont focus on food so much. Sure we have to eat, geez. ha......but fixating on food ONLY is not a good thing, there is more to life than thinking about food constantly, by suggesting she plan her life around food just isnt good advice to me. There is such a thing as OVER thinking and overwhelming newbies...IMHO. There is a fine line between planning and over focusing.

Ok, I'm done. ha....I think we are beating a dead horse here, and saying the same thing over and over.

AJW, I apologize as well for taking over your thread with a disagreement.....but thats the beauty of this forum, different views.....then you choose your own route.

I am so glad everything is going well for you, like I said before....I have confidence in you! .......and dont forget that pedi girl, makes ya forget all your worries......and those tootsies will thank you

I agree that we're going around and around but think you must have been reading someone else's post, Melissa, because I never said or implied that people needed to "plan their lives around food."

To be clear for the newbies, here's my story and advice, unedited. I've lost 80lbs in 8 months and feel not only physically great but lighter mentally, too. A big part of my success has been a support group, but I also recognized that I needed to plan. Planning allowed me to let the JC plan work like it's supposed to and freed my mind to do other things. Anything worth doing takes some effort--- weight loss is no different.

This isn't just my advice but is a tool used by many in our group who have made it to goal AND maintained. They do it by being mindful. They don't overthink it or fixate on food. On the contrary, they have a freedom from food and in life that many here have yet to believe is possible. I'm not there yet, but I'm getting closer (weight and mindset).

Work the program, plan, and live life fully---freed from the worry of food. It is possible.

Margie

[Blessed4Life2]

I agree that we're going around and around but think you must have been reading someone else's post, Melissa, because I never said or implied that people needed to "plan their lives around food."

To be clear for the newbies, here's my story and advice, unedited. I've lost 80lbs in 8 months and feel not only physically great but lighter mentally, too. A big part of my success has been a support group, but I also recognized that I needed to plan. Planning allowed me to let the JC plan work like it's supposed to and freed my mind to do other things. Anything worth doing takes some effort--- weight loss is no different.

This isn't just my advice but is a tool used by many in our group who have made it to goal AND maintained. They do it by being mindful. They don't overthink it or fixate on food. On the contrary, they have a freedom from food and in life that many here have yet to believe is possible. I'm not there yet, but I'm getting closer (weight and mindset).

Work the program, plan, and live life fully---freed from the worry of food. It is possible.

Margie

Nope Marge, wasnt reading anyone elses post...lol , you make it loud and clear in MOST of your comments how you feel about food by advising newbies to plan in such intense detail that leads them to believe they have to focus primarily on food and how to plan around it! I think you have good intentions, but over-thinking this program leads to failure and makes them give up by thinking its just too hard. Sure over fixating on food is what got us here in the first place, but I think we all agree that focusing on OTHER things is the goal here......or it should be IMO.

Congrats for the 80 lbs lost though....what an accomplishment! Your getting all the closer to that 190 goal Yay for you Marge

[BelugaBabe]

Just wanted to vent a little. This is my 4th week on Jenny and the first time that my husband will be out of town. He has been a wonderful support and has helped to (very gently and sweetly) keep me accountable to sticking with the program. He has never had any concern with my weight but was very supportive of my goals in doing this. That said, I'm alone for the weekend, and this doesn't happen very often. In the past (pre-JC) I've always used weekends to myself to eat too much delicious crappy food (read: entire pints of ice cream), and I'm a little anxious about being alone on the plan. I don't have any questions or anything, just wanted to share and see if anyone else has ever had this problem. I'm doing fine so far and have done my workout today. The dog is keeping me accountable. Wish me luck!

Hey, AJW---hope all is going well with you this weekend!
You're going to feel fabulous when you get over this hurdle and you're going to prove to yourself that you CAN do this!
ITA on the "overthinking" stuff. Food will always be a temptation, at some times more than at other times. Since weekends used to be a trigger for crappy eating for you it no doubt brings on some strong feelings and fears that you're going to screw up. But over-analyzing, over-thinking, and just generally overdoing the "I'M GOING TO BLOW IT IF I'M NOT REALLY REALLY CAREFUL AND PERFECT" is too over the top, for me anyway. Stripping the house of any temptations (come on....really....), micro-managing each mouthful of food...eh. Okay, no pints of premium ice cream in the freezer, of course, but I think you're smart enough to know that.
The best line I ever heard for dealing with such situations (old triggers, especially) is "I USED TO BE LIKE THAT BUT I'M DIFFERENT NOW." Say it to yourself and walk away. Simple, one line. It's from a Linda Spangle book and I've used it many times.
Because you ARE different now---you're on your way to your goal, doing well, and determined to see it through to the end.
You certainly sound like you have your head on straight and can handle this and you will be SO proud when you do!!
Here's wishing you luck!

[Linwalker]

ITA on the "overthinking" stuff. Food will always be a temptation, at some times more than at other times. Since weekends used to be a trigger for crappy eating for you it no doubt brings on some strong feelings and fears that you're going to screw up. But over-analyzing, over-thinking, and just generally overdoing the "I'M GOING TO BLOW IT IF I'M NOT REALLY REALLY CAREFUL AND PERFECT" is too over the top, for me anyway. Stripping the house of any temptations (come on....really....), micro-managing each mouthful of food...eh. Okay, no pints of premium ice cream in the freezer, of course, but I think you're smart enough to know that.
The best line I ever heard for dealing with such situations (old triggers, especially) is "I USED TO BE LIKE THAT BUT I'M DIFFERENT NOW." Say it to yourself and walk away. Simple,

I think for some people it is that simple, however some of us and mainly speaking for myself, I have to remove the temptations and triggers. I have to go at this as if food were the drug of choice. A drug addict could no more look at cocaine or heroin and tell themselves they are different. I believe we make choices to make different choices but the triggers and the habits all stay the same, it's how we choose to manage them that matter. I can walk away from the biggest most scrumptious chocolate cake during the day.. but come nighttime I will go for it every time if it's in the house and accessible. To me it has to be realistic to do a lock-down of the cabinets and fridge.. it simply has to be, at least for now.

[BelugaBabe]

I think for some people it is that simple, however some of us and mainly speaking for myself, I have to remove the temptations and triggers. I have to go at this as if food were the drug of choice. A drug addict could no more look at cocaine or heroin and tell themselves they are different. I believe we make choices to make different choices but the triggers and the habits all stay the same, it's how we choose to manage them that matter. I can walk away from the biggest most scrumptious chocolate cake during the day.. but come nighttime I will go for it every time if it's in the house and accessible. To me it has to be realistic to do a lock-down of the cabinets and fridge.. it simply has to be, at least for now.

Whatever works for you, Lin, is what you have to do.
I checked out your blog. So who keeps the keys for the locks you put on your fridge and cabinets?

[Blessed4Life2]

I can walk away from the biggest most scrumptious chocolate cake during the day.. but come nighttime I will go for it every time if it's in the house and accessible.

Yep! Nightime has always been my "snacking" time for sure. That Chocolate Cake always looks better in the evenings and will just call out to me, "Melissa, come get me....I am SO yummy and delish and will look lovely on your tushy . ha

[AJW524]

I think for some people it is that simple, however some of us and mainly speaking for myself, I have to remove the temptations and triggers. I have to go at this as if food were the drug of choice. A drug addict could no more look at cocaine or heroin and tell themselves they are different. I believe we make choices to make different choices but the triggers and the habits all stay the same, it's how we choose to manage them that matter. I can walk away from the biggest most scrumptious chocolate cake during the day.. but come nighttime I will go for it every time if it's in the house and accessible. To me it has to be realistic to do a lock-down of the cabinets and fridge.. it simply has to be, at least for now.

That is SO true about the cake at night! I did not have any dessert scheduled in my meal plan last night but today I had a PB snack bar to look forward to after dinner. It took all I had not to eat today's bar last night. But I just reminded myself that I would miss it the next day, had some spice tea which hit the sweet urge, and went to bed.

[Blessed4Life2]

That is SO true about the cake at night! I did not have any dessert scheduled in my meal plan last night but today I had a PB snack bar to look forward to after dinner. It took all I had not to eat today's bar last night. But I just reminded myself that I would miss it the next day, had some spice tea which hit the sweet urge, and went to bed.

Oh mercy, I cant tell you how many times I have just gone on to bed just to avoid the evil nightime snacking monster from getting me. lol

[Linwalker]

Whatever works for you, Lin, is what you have to do.
I checked out your blog. So who keeps the keys for the locks you put on your fridge and cabinets?

My hubby keeps them and before he leaves for work he puts them on the counter. If he's away for work, my daughter takes them.
I now have to throw my JC snacks behind the locks because i tore into them