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DOG, a New Years resolution;

CrashCoyote
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

Hi everyone,

I have made many new years resolutions over the years, I think I've resolved to lose weight for the last twenty odd! My target this year is alcohol, so I am seeing how many Days Off Grog I can have. I started on NYE day so will have completed sixteen by the end of the fifteenth. Is anyone doing this? If you want to do it with me, just post your number of days. Anything else is optional.

Kind regards, John.

75 Replies 75

Hi John,

Thanks for sharing.

I actually do know that about chocolate, but I refer to your comment afterward where it's now too easily accessible. The darker chocolate with the cocoa content you mentioned puts me off. Maybe i should keep some around as a deterrent; if I'm craving it so badly.

i have started my journey, yesterday was day 1. Today has gone well, been out for lunch and dinner and didn't get any dessert or anything. But now that my friends are gone...i'm back to regular me and I was walking buy a shop I get some chocolate from normally, or choc biscuits. I struggled, but I walked away. Atleast. But I find I'm being hard on myself again for even craving it.

I congratulate you on your month off the booze, and I'm in awe how you started your no carbs and no choc so amazingly. I'm not so creative with food. At the this stage I'd rather not eat it. But that'w what it's been like and I'll have chocolate in place of a regular meal. I know I have to eat, but I make do with the cans of tuna and the wholemeal wraps.

It is my intent to start exercising properly again. I'm currently sick, so am putting it on hold until I recover but, the intent is there. I don't know if I'll just end up being in bed convincing myself not to, but if I can break through that feeling once a week for however long, I'll consider it a win.

I hope you meet your goals, but the way you've started this year, I have no doubt you will, you have an awesome attitude towards your goals. Maybe with making small changes, I might feel a spark for me.

Day 2 is almost closing 🙂

Kind regards,

Joelle

Hi Joelle,

Don't mind the cravings, they are part of changing a habit! Be proud of yourself for fighting them off. The changes can't all come in one fell swoop, so it may be a case of weaning yourself off some bad habits, like cutting dessert back from every night to four nights a week, then two, then one. Even one is good. None is better.

Sugar is one of those foods that the less you have it, the less you crave it and vice versa. So, in theory at least, the longer you fight the cravings the easier it will be.

I had raw rolled oats and low fat milk for breakfast, a tin of baked beans for lunch (surprisingly low in calories) and fresh salmon and cous cous for dinner. I broke later and had a piece of 90% dark chocolate. What I learnt from today is that cous cous is not as good for you as is made out, I googled it and it is mostly empty carbs, like pasta, quinoa is better, and 90% chocolate is not "moorish"!

I am proud of you doing day one. I figure even if we just eat "normally", smaller portions of healthier food, weight will drop off because we are not having the high sugar or high carb stuff. I am happy to meal plan with you or send you some tasty but healthy and easy to prepare suggestions. Variety is essential as boredom leads to eating the yummy, bad stuff.

I am doing this for a month and then starting on the exercise. I went ten pin bowling with GF and her kids yesterday and both my knees are quite sore (old work injuries) from that comparatively light effort.

Kind regards, John.

Neil_1
Community Member

Hi all

 

Awesome John and Joelle – these posts are brilliant reading.

 

I chalked up Day 29 of DOG days for me so far this year yesterday and today WILL be day 30.  I had a couple of minor indiscretions (if you can call them that) last week, but that’s ok – I’ve learnt over the time not to beat myself up about that;  just that they do happen and then I climb back on board.  I just wanna chalk up a reasonable number of them in the coming month or so;   because once early May comes, I’ll be going grog free till around mid-October;  so the more I can chalk up now, the less pudding I have to work off during winter.  🙂

 

I’m really enjoying reading John and Joelle’s responses about the chocolate and meals being eaten.  And John is absolutely spot on;  that if you have a few or a number of things that you’re not happy with and need changing, then doing them ONE at a time is the way to go.  Target one thing and concentrate on it;  till it pretty much becomes a habit.  Then once you’ve got that one sorted, then take up the challenge of the next thing.

 

Doing things over and over again – no matter what they are, become habit forming.  Just like you Joelle in being able to walk past that shop where you have normally gone inside.  Brilliant stuff.

 

Another tip for evening time, if you feel like something coming on and you want to have ‘something’;    buy yourself some Extra chewing gum – it’s the non-sugar version (the one that dentists recommend) and have one or two of them to help the moment pass.  Another thing I do is brush my teeth.  I find there’s something about freshly brushed teeth that steers me away from the threat of ‘snacks’.

 

Cheers with water and munching on chewie;

 

Neil

Hi John, Neil.  How's it all going?

John, yea, I understand you.  It's always this way, starting something is harder than looking back at it from midway wondering what all the fuss was about.  Right now it's a matter of consciously having to deny myself these things rather than it happening naturally, and I should practice my patience.  I do feel a little proud of myself today, more than yesterday, because I went grocery shopping today and walked past all the confectionery and biscuits and anything to do with chocolate.  Left the store with vegetables and fruit instead.  And then, afterward, I was having a conversation with a friend and it had to do with emotions, and those are really hard for me.  I usually eat chocolate and stuff during those times.  And I didn't. It may seem small but it's a big thing for me.

 Even if you broke a little (with 90% dark chocolate) it still sounds really good what you have eaten.  Well done 🙂

Thanks.  I haven't had much of an appetite for anything, but maybe a few easy meal ideas would be good, thanks!  As I said earlier, I plan on exercising this month a little anyway.  I am used to using it to re-center my head space.  And even if that doesn't work, as I do most of it outside, I get some physical distance from an environment that is constantly triggering my bad feelings.  And most of the time, I find nature calming.

With regard to your knees, having had knee surgery, and having to go back to see my surgeon, I can relate.  Some low impact exercises like cycling and swimming are great.  And as for bowling, I got joint pain in my fingers, so I'm unable to go a long time with that as well.

2 days done anyway 🙂

Neil, well done on 29 DOG days, great work.  It's good that you've learnt not to put so much pressure on yourself about "indiscretions" as you put it.  That's a place I want to get to.  

Yes, that is my plan also, to do things slowly and habitually, this is just my first step.

I totally agree with brushing my teeth.  It's like a mental trigger that signifies the end of the day and thus the meals.  I tried explaining that to my family once, and that I didn't want that piece of cake because I had brushed my teeth, and I was done eating for the day.  They got upset with me.  I ate it to make them happy and brushed my teeth again. 

Until the next time,

 Joelle

Hi Joelle,

Good work. Two days down.

I think the teeth brushing is a great idea. It also works for me. If you are able to, you ca also tell others that you choose what you want to eat. You're not a toddler. People that insist you eat have poor boundaries around their behaviour, as much as people urging you to have "one more drink" or a smoke. Some of my mates are heavy drinkers, as am I, and when I tell them I am on the wagon, there is some light hearted teasing but they respect my choice to drink sparkling water. You are the boss of you!

Also a good change in routine buying fresh fruit and veg. I sometimes lament when I grocery shop how little "fresh" stuff is on the conveyer belt. Those habits must change.

Today I missed breakfast (definitely unintentional and very rare) and met GF for lunch. I had the Caesar salad (not entirely low fat) but in the entree size and according to CalorieKing less than 500 calories even adjusting for the larger size portion that I didn't have.

On the way home I bought a skinless chicken breast (250g), leek, mushrooms, snow peas, broccolini, capsicum and some Hoisin sauce. "Stir Fry". Huge meal, very filling and the chicken was more than half the calories.

I think with the 90% cocoa chocolate it is too bitter, but all the better because I'll really want to have chocolate before I have another piece. I'll get 70% next time!

Neil, good work on your DOG and long term sabbatical later in the year. I'm at day 35 now!

I'll check in tomorrow.

Cheers!

 

Hey,

3 days down now.  Last night was difficult, I was up late and craving but I didn't have anything in the house so I didn't stray.

My family is just that one with poor boundaries, and barely any respect for my choices.  

It's the preparation of the fresh fruit and veg that I should change about 😉

Today I had a breakfast smoothie with oats, almond milk, a banana and berries.  Wasn't too bad, and too easy to make.

For lunch, some chicken breast, eggs, steamed carrots and bean, spinach and a little bit of hollandaise.  

Not sure about dinner yet.

 

Neil_1
Community Member

Hi guys

 

This is turning into a great little thread.  I hope that others are following it, as it’s also providing some good tips with the buying of healthy foods and also some possibilities for different healthy recipes.

 

For how I’m viewing it all John, I can’t see any time in the near future at all where you’ll go back to having a drink.  You should be damn proud of yourself.  I hope that you are.

 

And Joelle, mega kudos to you, as it appears that you’re living in a house where you have to not only battle your own urges, but the occupants within.   Just try as hard as you can to turning a blind eye or cheek or however that line goes;    keep doing what you’re doing and don’t let them get the better of you.  Because you KNOW in the end that what you’re doing is the absolute best thing for you.

 

Something that I do is that I eat pretty regular;   about 6 times a day;   but smaller portions;   so for meals two and three, I usually do a big cook up on a weekend and with my various containers at home, I weigh and measure my meals;  container them up and into the freezer they go.  I simply get a couple of days worth out prior and into the fridge so they’re mostly defrosted.  Just makes the whole process so much simpler and easier.   Ok, it takes me about an hour on the weekend, but it’s definitely worth it.

 

Cheers

 

Neil

Hi,  

Good on you, Joelle! I'm proud of you for fighting the cravings. They are such hard habits to break. Just block out the inappropriateness of your family comments. Group dynamics are tricky and people resist change. Don'd be surprised if they don't want to see you in control of your life! Keep on going, you are doing great.

Kind regards, John.

Hey All,

 It's been a difficult couple of days because I received some bad news...I've been sticking toit though last night I had some dark chocolate...

Anyway, I'll write back later.

Joelle

 

 

 

Hi Joelle,

I'm on day 41 of alcohol free. Mixed results with the eating but generally tracking okay. 

How are you going today?

Kind regards, John.