the I AM WORTH IT CHALLENGE #1

[obkbbby]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

• a BBQ with non Atkins food?

Most of the people that I would BBQ with know that I am eating this way and cannot have certain foods. Normally, they leave a plain steak or piece of chicken just for me. They almost always have a green salad, too. I normally carry my own vinegar and oil dressing, just because I never know what kind of dressing friends, family, or restaurants will have. I always keep cheese sticks and hard boiled eggs to make sure I have something to snack on and don’t get tempted by anything else there.

• a friends wedding?

I would eat before hand and make sure I have my cheese sticks and hb eggs! Lately, most of the weddings I have been to are buffet and almost always have cheese and some kind of meat or salad.

• the Thanksgiving or Christmas family dinner?

Not a problem. We always eat at my house. We generally make ham and turkey. I love turkey. I make mashed cauli and I’ll have green beans and a green salad.

• a day of overwhelming chores?

When I cook my dinners at home (I eat differently than my dh and ds), I always cook extra so that I have individual servings on hand of legal meals. I also keep a stash of tuna and hb eggs so that I can always have a quick tuna salad.

• a vacation or as our UK members would state it, a holiday?

We don’t fly anywhere and we don’t travel far because my ds is autistic. So we often don’t go out of state. I know all the places around us and know where I can eat to get legal foods. Also, with my trip coming up, I am planning on making individual servings of tuna packets, hb eggs, cheese sticks, and maybe some roasted chicken breasts diced up as finger food.

• keeping up with your exercise while in unique situations such as hotel stays and days of travel in cars

While we’re traveling in the car, I invariably have to stop about every two hours. (It makes my dh crazy!) During this time we stretch and walk a little. So that will help. Many hotels have gyms, so I would plan to spend time there. If not, I would swim in the pool or climb stairs! Stairs are always an inexpensive, easy option. If nothing else, I could at least do crunches in my room!

[julirama723]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

2. After the discussion, answer the following in this thread and in your journal:
Keeping in mind, that you are committed to getting to goal and you are WORTH IT, and stating the postitive things this WOE has done for you, how would you plan to stay the course for......

• a BBQ with non Atkins food?

At a BBQ, I know there will be SOMETHING that I can eat, usually, now that I'm on Rung 9. I would eat a burger and a salad. But I've actually had this happen--I was going to a friend's place, and she was planning on burgers, corn, chips, and beer. The thought of eating a burger plain (or without giving away the fact that I was on Atkins) made me squeamish. So my boyfriend and I stopped at the store first and bought pickles, and chicken tenders, as well as some celery, and so my meal was legal and exactly what I wanted! And we bought enough to share with our friends.

• a friends wedding?

Obviously, STAY AWAY FROM THE CAKE! At weddings, don't they usually serve "rubber chicken"? That seems legal. I would eat a meal BEFORE I go to the reception, or if the reception and wedding are back-to-back, eat before the wedding and bring snacks to the reception.

• the Thanksgiving or Christmas family dinner?

Stick with the legal foods, like ham and turkey, cooked veggies, salads, and DON'T be afraid to ask how something was prepared or what the ingredients are. I've worked so hard, that I don't care if I sound like a ninny asking if something has flour or sugar in it. If you're hosting, no problem! Make everything LC, and if you're going to someone's house, bring a LC side dish, and a LC dessert.

• a day of overwhelming chores?

There is NOTHING easier to make than a salad. I used to have excuses (which is why I didn't have results!) when I was student teaching and working a part time job that I was TOO BUSY to eat healthy foods. BULL! A bagged salad is so easy to make--just add bacon, hardboiled egg, pecans, cheese, extra veggies, dressing, and you've got a complete and healthy meal.

• a vacation or as our UK members would state it, a holiday?

This is actually happening at the end of July! My boyfriend and I are going on a 2 week road trip. Our first stop is Las Vegas, which will be SOOOOOO easy--there are so many restaurants there, how could I NOT find acceptable foods? I've already gone away for a weekend and stayed 100% on plan, so I will have no problems in a major city like that. Our next stop after Vegas is LA, which again, tons of great food options. The remainder of our trip will be camping/outdoorsy. Geoff and I have already begun planning our food. We're going to prep containers or broccoli slaw, fresh veggies and dip, bell pepper slices, cheese sticks, nuts, strawberries, cherries, melon, deli meat, apples, peanut butter, whole grain bread, hardboiled eggs, and we're going to make a HUGE batch of beef jerky. We've always been ones to bring a cooler and have picnics, so very little will change with this vacation. Since we're driving, we'll always have acceptable snacks in the car.

• keeping up with your exercise while in unique situations such as hotel stays and days of travel in cars

This is why I LOVE running--it can be done anywhere, at anytime, with no fancy equipment! I plan on running 2 or 3 miles each day we're on vacation. To keep my muscles strong, I'll be doing pushups, dips, lunges, squats, planks, isometric holds, and lots of crunches! Since we are traveling by car, I'll have no problem bringing some hand weights and/or resistance bands. Also, the hotels we are staying at have Fitness Centers, which I will be using!

[WindCriesMary]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

2. After the discussion, answer the following in this thread and in your journal:
Keeping in mind, that you are committed to getting to goal and you are WORTH IT, and stating the postitive things this WOE has done for you, how would you plan to stay the course for......

• a BBQ with non Atkins food? Just did this one last weekend! I asked the person tending the grill not to sauce one or two items for me, and I brought over fresh fromt he garden greens for everybody to share. It's usually the desserts I have to dodge. This last time I just said I was "too full right now, I'm going to go catch fireflies/play football/play a screaming game of tag with the kids and come back for it later..." and then it was time to go home. Oh well, no dessert for me.
• a friends wedding? I think I'd eat beforehand and if the reception ran long I'd sneak out for a quick legal bite somewhere. And no booze!
• the Thanksgiving or Christmas family dinner? Easy! The turkey is good all on its own and I'd be in the kitchen elbows deep in making legal side dishes.
• a day of overwhelming chores? I'd probably send the rest of hte family down to Subway while I fried an egg and then collapsed.
• a vacation or as our UK members would state it, a holiday? I keep a sack of sunflower seeds in my handbag for emergencies, and my family has always agreed to eating at restaurants that offer me some good chioces.
• keeping up with your exercise while in unique situations such as hotel stays and days of travel in cars? We're on the rewards plan at Holiday Inn and most of the locations have an exercise room I can use. Most of them also have a pool. Not likely I'd get any laps in, but goofing off in the water is better than nothing. During the days of driving we've taken to hunting geocaches at the rest stops (most rest stops have at least a few, and some have been good, if short hikes) and if nothing else there's always running races with the kids. My dad used to stop at every rest area and run us. We thought it was fun, and we didn't realize it was good exercise to wear us out and keep us from climing the walls of the car.

[biogeek]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

Becky, many kudos to you for thinking and planning ahead with sticking to this WOE during your hospital stay. I guess I never thought about asking for different meals at the hospital, especially legal, low-carb foods. If DH or I are ever a patient again, we will definately follow your advice instead of eating whatever they serve us.
-----------------------------------
2. After the discussion, answer the following in this thread and in your journal:
Keeping in mind, that you are committed to getting to goal and you are WORTH IT, and stating the postitive things this WOE has done for you, how would you plan to stay the course for......

• a BBQ with non Atkins food? It's easy to find something legal to eat at a BBQ, but we would definately avoid the sauces, potato salad, chips, and illegal stuff. All of our friends know that we do Atkins, and thankfully, they don't give us any grief in that.
  
• a friends wedding? We avoid all treats, and if we know what's for dinner and all is not low-carb, we'll eat something between the wedding and the reception so that we're not famished and give in to the crap-food they have there. Most weddings we've gone to recently have had salmon, chicken, and beef available with a wide variety of veggies and salads.
• the Thanksgiving or Christmas family dinner? We received a lot of grief from family members when they found out we were on Atkins, but after they saw DH's success, they have held their tongue for the most part. I just smile when my SIL says "that's not healthy" as she shovels another spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth. Thankfully, our family get togethers are "pot-luck" style, so we know that there will always be something we can eat.
• a day of overwhelming chores? I've never found this to tempt me to stray off this WOE, but I drink a lot of water and then I eat a healthy meal afterwards.
• a vacation or as our UK members would state it, a holiday? Again, I've never had issues with going off our WOE on vacation. So many restaurants seem to cater to low-carb eaters, and it's easy to get veggies and a salad with my steak.
• keeping up with your exercise while in unique situations such as hotel stays and days of travel in cars We actually bring DVD copies of a couple of our workout routines, especially the Slim in 6 workouts. Normally, we use dumbbells, but on trips we bring the exercise bands for added resistance. They are light and easy to pack. We also stay at hotels that have exercise rooms, so it's easy to go on the treadmill or whatever for awhile.

[Adena]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

I'm a little late to the party for the discussion part of this assignment, but here goes:

I'm so impressed that both Becky and Terry tried to stick with their way of eating with a hospital stay (sorry it didn't work for you, Terry). Most people would use something as major as that as an excuse to just "get by/get well" and worry about Atkins again later. That's the sign of a no-turning-back lifestyle change!

For me, lack of planning is often my downfall. When I cheat, it tends to be on weekends, when my days are less structured and my meals aren't planned. I also find that lack of water makes a big difference. Everyday at work, I have a standard water routine. I don't have that at home. And now that I think about it, I NEED one! When I'm not drinking my water, I'm a lot more likely to stray...

Will be back to do the homework!

[jimmie 48]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

discussion got started last night but it can certainly contiue throughout the day. not a problem at all!

adena, this days homework is probably going to help you then. there isn't a "weekend" question there but the planning part of things will probably help you.

[tmn]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

(sorry it didn't work for you, Terry).

Adena and others, thank you. Just a matter of time before all this crud is out of my system.

Getting some ideas from others here. I LOVE stuffed peppers! And that's perfect for freezing! Too late for me to plan and start a garden this year; next year, I should start my garden in pots on my deck again...The green peppers did really well. This has all got me thinking for the "run out the door" moments... Need to get stocked up on legal things that I can throw in my cooler at a moment's notice. Summer sausages, canned sardines, cheeses, jerkies (I want to learn how to make my own - SO expensive out there!), veggies (especially the higher carbed ones like peppers and jicama)...

Oh, if I'm going to a restaurant and anticipating a salad, I'll bring my own olive oil in a small bottle. If the restaurant doesn't have any, I'll ask if I can use my own. No problems with that yet.

[Theperfect10]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

This is another great assisgment Jimmie and Becky. For me planning has to be of paramount importance because of the nature of my job. I work in sales and spend on average 2 - 3 days per week away from home. Often my lunch will consist of buffet style sandwiches that are prepared for me, and that doesnt suit. I figured very early on, that I would have to plan ahead for each day, making sure I brought legal snacks for myself, so that if the food provided for me at the conference or customer site was unacceptable, I could decline and then have a snack in the car.

• a BBQ with non Atkins food?

My parents host a big family bbq with a feast of thousands every July. As its coming up soon, I've spoken to my Mum about it and offered to make Doms Cheesecake for dessert plus some marinade for the chicken and steaks. Like everyone else, I'll just have my burgers sans bun.

• a friends wedding?

Typically weddings in Ireland serve 4 course, with a choice for each. I'd make sure that I had a decent atkins breakfast so that I didn't feel the urge to have a bread roll. Of course I would skip dessert too.

• the Thanksgiving or Christmas family dinner?

I've been thinking about this one already, cos last year on my first attempt at atkins, it was Christmas that sent me onto a cheat fest that lasted until April when I returned back. There is no way that I am letting that happen again, so I'll be prepared.
Again, I plan to prepare a dessert that I can eat. I'll think ahead as to what that will be. I always make the cranberry dressing, so I'll just use Splenda. Also, I always make the gravy, so I can ensure its atkins friendly. The key will be to stay focused and stay away from the tins of celebrations and roses! By Christmas I should be on maintenance so I hope to be able to eat some potatoes with my dinner as a treat!

• a day of overwhelming chores?

Ah this one is easy. I'd just ask my bf to help (hes very obliging) and make sure my fridge was stocked up for snacks and treats.

• a vacation or as our UK members would state it, a holiday?

Us Irish members call it holidays too! I would do some research beforehand to find out what restaurants are in the area so I could make informed choices as to what to eat. I'd also go to a supermarket upon arrival to stock up on legal foods/snacks.

• keeping up with your exercise while in unique situations such as hotel stays and days of travel in cars

This one is so important to me, as I spend a lot of time away. I have bought a travel set of weights, that I bring with me now whenever I'm away. That way I can do my weights and also do my ab crunches, if nothing else. If the hotel has a swimming pool, I'm there.

[sillygirl]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

I am a big planner. I plan an entire week of meals and shop once a week. I rarely veer from what I've decided on for the week. I always have chicken salad and hard boiled eggs in the fridge. I usually have a bottle of water a a few cheese sticks in my purse for emergencies! Salami, fresh veggies are always on hand too!



2. After the discussion, answer the following in this thread and in your journal:
Keeping in mind, that you are committed to getting to goal and you are WORTH IT, and stating the postitive things this WOE has done for you, how would you plan to stay the course for......

I am TOTALLY WORTH IT!

• a BBQ with non Atkins food?

If there were non atkins foods, as in absolutely nothing I could eat, I wouldn't eat until later. Chances are there would be something I could eat. We went to a friends for dinner the other night and I didn't know what she'd be making so I ate a snack before we went. Turns out, the meal was fine for me as long as I didn't eat the rolls or dessert.

• a friends wedding?

Definitely I would have snacks in my purse, and again would probably have a snack before the wedding. I would have a glass of champagne, and add the carbs to my daily totals, but I would pass on Wedding Cake, which is my favorite sweet to eat!

• the Thanksgiving or Christmas family dinner?

Luckily, in my family I am the cook. I make a killer low-carb meal with all the trimmings, except all done up low carb! If I were elsewhere, I'd pig out on turkey!

• a day of overwhelming chores?

Fortunately for me when I am doing chores and cleaning and in a flurry of activity, I actually forget to eat! It's when I'm sedentary that I have urges to eat.

• a vacation or as our UK members would state it, a holiday?

Ooh, vacations are a little difficult. However, at restaurants there is always something to eat. Also, I would go to a market and stock up on non perishables and lots of water for my hotel room so I can munch legally, instead of raiding a mini bar in the room! The good news with vacations is that you're always on the run getting exercise!

• keeping up with your exercise while in unique situations such as hotel stays and days of travel in cars

Again, plan the trip so that you're busy most of the day. That way you get a lot of walking in. Since car rides are difficult for me, we stop frequently (which DH HATES) but I can get out a walk around for a few minutes!

[tmn]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

• a BBQ with non Atkins food?

BBQ's I go to tend to ask you to bring a dish to pass. What I've done in the past is make a more legal Atkins salad (Brocolli salad), keep out enough for me and make that totally legal, and then add the illegal stuff to the salad for the others, so it tastes the way they expect it to.

Also, people have been really accomodating for me, so if I ask for no sauces on the meats or chickens, they'll do so for me.

• a friends wedding?

Eat only the legal foods but bring a cooler of my own stash, just in case.

• the Thanksgiving or Christmas family dinner?

Turkey with cream cheese melted on it is so ymmy to me. I've brought my own cream cheese so the fat fills me up. My mom loves to make celery and cream cheese so that's always around. My contributions have been pumpkin pies; well, now I can make an individual pumpkin treat for myself while making pies for the family. And something like cooked cauliflower to sub for potatoes. I'm starting to ask if anyone else may be interested in these foods so I can make enough for anyone who may want them. They usually want our traditional foods, however, yet, as mentioned, are very accomodating and accepting of my situation.

• a day of overwhelming chores?

Freezer full of stuff that I can pop into the oven, nuke or grill. And there's usually hard-boiled eggs and some veggie I can munch on. Low-carb beer is handy for the days I do yardwork, although I didn't even think of it last night after tackling the mowing (too tired and worn out!)

• a vacation or as our UK members would state it, a holiday?

Always looking for ideas for camping. Breakfast in a bag; eggs, ham, green peppers, cheeses, spices mixed in a baggie, and boiled in water. That's fun! Canned sardines, pork rinds, canned veggies. Hobo Dinners are great to make when camping but now I need to experiment and replace the potatoes with cauliflower. Also should try making a stew using cauliflower that would work over the campfire. Thinking of other snacky foods, like waterchestnuts, summer sausages...

• keeping up with your exercise while in unique situations such as hotel stays and days of travel in cars

Rarely happens but I would think bringing workouts on DVD to use in the hotel room. Finding a mall you can walk in and be relatively safe, if there's no workout room at the place you're staying at. (Oooh, I like Biogeek's idea of bringing resistance bands! Could also bring lighter weights to use. Mary's dad had a great idea, too... Oh, gosh! Everyone has a lot of great ideas for this one!)


Just be aware of safety, folks. I was traveling by myself and was followed into a reststop by two guys in a beat-up car. I waited for them to get out and use the facilities first; after five minutes, none of us had left our cars. And no one else was around. I finally drove off without using the place and the SOB's actually left, too. After a couple miles, I faked I was making a call (I didn't have a cell at the time) and describing them to someone by looking in the mirror at them and their car. They finally took off in another direction. VERY unnerving!

[LooseShoes]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

how would you plan to stay the course for......

• a BBQ with non Atkins food? Either eat ahead of time and bring a salad or make a chef's salad and bring it, try to spend the time connecting with people instead of food.
• a friends wedding? Again, eat ahead of time and get water instead of punch and cake and enjoy socializing instead of eating
• the Thanksgiving or Christmas family dinner? Turkey or ham is legal, so just bringing a salad is welcome. There are some pretty good legal dessert recipes, so fix one of them and take it
• a day of overwhelming chores? Sometimes on those days, I find it hard to find time to eat. A hard boiled egg when you're hungry, or pick up a burger and toss the bun works for me.
• a vacation or as our UK members would state it, a holiday? Bring legal snacks to eat, look for ways to stay on plan. Bring a cooler with food if possible. Sometimes it may just be impossible, make the best choice possible or sometimes you can skip a meal. Get back if you slip the very next bite, don't wait until you're back home.
• keeping up with your exercise while in unique situations such as hotel stays and days of travel in cars--Lots of hotels have pools or exercise rooms, use them! Most places have malls you can walk in at the end of the day, or walk around looking for legal restaurants instead of driving. Stop at a park and walk, get out and look at historical markers. Crunches can be done anywhere. If you're doing a DVD exercise, take it and do it in the room. Basically, you have to make it a priority, and if you do, you'll find a way.

I'm not that good at planning ahead, I do what I have to to stay on plan, though. I can't seem to plan a week ahead very well, but I normally do plan well for the next day. I need to do better, but I'm probably never going to be someone who is totally prepared and plans ahead for weeks at a time.

[LooseShoes]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

On the discussion,
Way to go, Becky! I don't think I would have thought of calling the hospital first. Now I can do that if the occasion occurs. I do need to be a little more assertive when I'm out, I tend to not want to "bother" people with asking for things done my way. It is important to me, and I AM worth it, so I'm going to start asking for more accomodation.

Terry, I'm so sorry about the surgery and eating, that must be really tough. I admire the way you're hanging in there and still trying. Keep up the good work, I can tell you'll never be a quitter!

[dreamof145]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

a BBQ with non Atkins food?

I consider a BBQ to be a very ATKINS friendly place to be. I always take my own chicken, burgers or other meats so their are no hidden sauces on them. I volunteer to take a side-dish, usually a salad or green vegtables. A favorite to take is shishkabobs. I've taken deviled eggs, low-carb desserts to go with the meal, and I always pop a bottled water in my purse in case they are only having sodas or koolaide.

a friends wedding

If I know the person well enough to ask what is on the menu, I find out and go from there. If there are no legal foods for me, I either eat before I go or I say I'm on a restricted food plan if they don't mind if I bring something. I've never had anyone be offended or upset by this.

Thanksgiving or Christmas family dinner?

My family also knows I'm low-carb and they have learned to accomodate me with my foods. There is always low-carb friendly meals when I go to our family dinners. Even when they have spaghetti or other pasta meals, their is always a side-order made up for me. Of course I always bring several items with me to holiday meals and share with the others. Everyone likes my foods and find them delicious too. My husband prefers to eat my foods (altho he is skinny) he said he feels better when he cuts the carbs.

a day of overwhelming chores?
I love chore day! I know, I'm a wierdo. But I crank up the music - dance my heart out burning the calories and usually snack on finger veggies and some of my 'already made frozen foods' from the fridge. As for the rest of the family...they are usually gone on those days, so I don't have to worrry. If they are home and hungry, they usually go out to eat. They know my 'deep cleaning' days are important and oblige with me.

a vacation or as our UK members would state it, a holiday?
Anytime I'm planning on going somewhere, I look up the places we'll be eating. I call them and tell them I'm on a restricted diet and ask if they can accomodate me. I haven't had many problems. I always take foods in a cooler if we are travelling by car, I freeze chicken and other meats, and there are always places to stop/shop (grocery stores) on the way. Summer we stop and barbecue as much as possible or picnic.

keeping up with your exercise while in unique situations such as hotel stays and days of travel in cars

I've stayed at a lot of hotels since my Atkins life began. There is usually always exercise rooms. If there aren't you can always walk the halls, walk the block and/or do exercise in your room. Since I've been introduced to WATP, I can always put on music and walk in place. I do this every rainy day at home anyways, so it is something that I do without thinking. I also pack my hand weights and do them off/on ever day.

Travelling with my husband in the truck is a breeze. (He has a frig in his truck) I pack bread-less sandwiches when I'm packing his sandwiches. I take tuna, burgers, pork rinds, and salads. I'm usually not gone more than a weekend when I go and we usually stop a few times to eat at buffets. I know the menus well enough by now that I don't call ahead of time, but if we do stop at a new place, I call before hand or talk to the waiter when we arrive to see what is going on. When all else fails, you can always order a plain salad with oil/vinegar.

When we travel in the truck, I get out when he stops and walk around or do stretches. While he's unloading, I walk around the truck and IF it is raining, I turn on the radio and WATP inside the truck.

-----------------
We all have different likes/dislikes and it doesn't matter what we take as long as we PLAN it out and take the healthiest meals we can. There might be times when we are caught off guard and those times we need to be aware of the healthiest selections we can make.

I always tell myself I can't depend on anyone else for what I put in my mouth. They didn't gain my weight for me and they aren't responsible for getting it off of me. If its going to be....its up to me! (I love that saying)

[tmn]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

Terry, I'm so sorry about the surgery and eating, that must be really tough. I admire the way you're hanging in there and still trying. Keep up the good work, I can tell you'll never be a quitter!

Thanks, Cary. Kind of losing this little battle but eventually, the war will be won! LOL!

[tmn]

Re: I Am Worth It Challenge ~ Wednesday's Assignment

I always tell myself I can't depend on anyone else for what I put in my mouth. They didn't gain my weight for me and they aren't responsible for getting it off of me. If its going to be....its up to me! (I love that saying)

Oh, I like that!!!