The Healthy Writer Blog

Small Adjustments Paid Off!

Posted by Michelle Butler Jul 10 2011, 7:38 pm in exercise, food, food diary, Michelle Butler, Michelle Mondays, portion control, small changes, weight loss

I walked into my Weight Watchers weigh-in and meeting last Tuesday totally at peace with whatever the results would be. It was the day after a three-day holiday weekend, and I had set out to enjoy myself over those three days and really celebrate the 4th of July. It was also a week during which I had a high likelihood of gaining even if I had been perfect. Now, I had not wanted to set myself up for a catastrophic weigh in as I’d already had one of those this summer and had made some small adjustments to prevent that over the week. I also knew how I had splurged during four meals and just did not expect to lose weight.

Imagine my surprise and happiness when the group leader told me I had lost .4 of a pound. It seemed my small adjustments had paid off much more than I had expected. Anna often mentions how trade-offs can really help you on this journey to become and stay a healthy writer, and I may need to think about how I can incorporate more of them into my life.

What did I do to lose this little amount of weight even when I had had 4 splurge meals? First, the majority of my meals – 17 out of 21 – were within, or even under on a few occasions, a proper points-plus allotment. This left 4 meals when I splurged. I can say this with confidence because I wrote down everything I ate – though I did not bother calculating the points-plus values of the splurge foods.

The first splurge meal was during a date on Wednesday night. We ate at a Mexican restaurant, and I honestly have no idea how many chips and salsa I ate. That is one of my favorite treats and strongest triggers. I know I ate at least one basket worth of chips, and it might have been two. I did; however, make a few adjustments to limit the damage of that meal. I ate a lighter lunch that day. I also only ate half of my entree and took the second half home to eat for dinner the next day. I also did not have any dessert since I had eaten so many chips.

The other 3 splurge meals were over the three-day holiday weekend. I did cut back a little on what I ate for breakfast and lunch those 3 days. Saturday and Sunday, I made sure I went to the gym and worked out. Saturday night, I split two of the treats – an order of french fries and a funnel cake – with my fabulous boyfriend. I also ate a hot dog and (sadly) an ice-cream cookie sandwich all on my own. Splurge meal #3 was also a date Sunday night at a local, nice, perhaps even yuppified diner-style restaurant. The portions are generous, and I tried to act accordingly. I ate all of the cup of matzoh ball soup and greek salad that were the first two courses. I also had a piece of bread and breadsticks, but I ate less than half of my main meal (leg of lamb with roasted potatoes and glazed carrots). In fact, the leftovers provided lunch for two the next day. And, in the interest of full honesty, one of the reasons I was so good about eating less than half of the meal was that I knew I was going to split some dessert – a piece of yummy carrot cake – with my fabulous boyfriend.

Splurge #4 wasn’t actually a meal as my 3 meals on July 4 were under my points plus number for the day. I did go to a fabulous dessert place – the dairy godmother – after dinner though and had the all-american, four-berry cobbler with a scoop of vanilla frozen custard. Yum!

So, there are the details of my four, admittedly large splurges and the adjustments I made to try to keep myself from gaining weight over the week. Besides being surprised that this worked, I’m also pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to do these adjustments. I had a fabulous time during these 4 splurges and my whole week. They were all conscious choices, and I never reached the point where I felt like I lost control and ate so much that I felt ill. I want to continue to make these small adjustments in the future to keep me moving forward in my efforts to reach a healthy weight.

What are some of your favorite, most helpful small adjustments?

5 Comments

Comments

5 Responses to “Small Adjustments Paid Off!”

Elise Hayes says:

July 11, 2011 at 8:34 am

Congratulations, Michelle! The small adjustments approach sounds really productive. I do a lot of the same things. If I know I have a big meal ahead of me, I try to eat less for lunch. I definitely schedule a run on feast days. That’s actually usually helped out because most feast days are on holidays and that means with time off from work and friends/family around to play with my daughter, it’s easier for me to schedule in a run.

And splitting treats between two people is a fantastic way to enjoy yourself–both for the food and the company

Reply
- Michelle Butler says:
  
  July 11, 2011 at 8:45 am
  
  Thanks, Elise! Another small adjustment that I do around a big meal is to eat less the meal or two after it. This is the easiest adjustment of all because I’m usually still a little full from the feast. I think lots of folks may just naturally do this and not even realize it. I know I’ll be doing it today after yesterday’s yummy cookout last night and treats at a baseball game yesterday afternoon. Yes, my social life is really great right now.
  
  And, you’re right about splitting treats!
  
  I really go back and forth about eating less the day of a big meal. I often do it, but it’s a fine line. You don’t want to let yourself get so hungry that you just have no self-control during the feast. Hunger can convince me to make “bad food choices” quicker than anything else. It’s why we sometimes talk about how to “control your hunger” in Weight Watchers meetings.
  
  Reply
Anna Sugden says:

July 11, 2011 at 11:29 am

Well done!! That’s excellent, Michelle – what’s more, you sound like you managed it all without too much stress! And double yay on the great social life *g*

I make many of the same adjustments: eat smaller meals when I know there is a big one coming, sacrifice the bread/breadsticks, drink one glass of wine, then switch to fizzy water with a slice of lime. I also try to have either an appetiser or a dessert.

Reply
- Michelle Butler says:
  
  July 11, 2011 at 12:43 pm
  
  Thanks, Anna! It wasn’t stressful at all – perhaps because I really didn’t have unrealistic expectations of losing a lot that week.
  
  Your mention of drinking just one glass of wine brought to mine another tradeoff I regularly do. I try not to drink my calories in general. As I’m not that into alcohol, I rarely drink it. That saves a lot of calories. I’ve pretty much eliminated sugary drinks from my diet as well. I do have the occasional tea latte, but I have heard that milk is one of the only caloric drinks (if not the only) that satiates humans (aka makes humans feel full). I also drink a lot of hot tea and will put a little sugar and skim milk in it, but overall, I try to eat and not drink my calories. That can make a big difference over the long haul.
  
  And, the social life is great. Thanks.
  
  Reply
  - Anna Sugden says:
    
    July 12, 2011 at 5:40 am
    
    I don’t like to drink my calories, either, but I do like a nice glass of wine, or a Pimms (piled with fresh fruit) or a Mojito. I limit myself to one. I don’t have sugar in tea or coffee and try not to drink sodas, though if I do, they’re diet.
    
    That said, I like to mix my fruit juices with sparkling water to reduce the calories and keep them healthy!
    
    Reply

The Latest Posts

5 Responses to “Small Adjustments Paid Off!”

Leave a Reply