Progress
So, I've moved the "progress" bar because it's been awhile, and I've been doing pretty well with my goal so far. I have been meeting my "Eat at a good time" goal consistently. That means that I have been eating at mealtimes and not snacking unless my blood sugar tested low (and then only having one or two carbs' worth of food).
I have also been meeting my "Eat at a good place" goal consistently. That means that I have been eating meals at appropriate places such as the dinner table. It also means that I have limited myself to gum and (I'll admit it, this works) a bull pizzle doggie chew in front of the computer; those, popcorn, veggies, water, protein (and potentially one cup of hot chocolate) in front of the TV and while reading books; and have limited myself to reading magazines while eating anything else. There might have been a day where I had to multitask once with a meal and a project, (I forget the details) but other than that I've been doing great.
I have done a decent job at my "Eat a good amount" goal. That one is more subjective and harder to follow. There was a dinner in which I ate one giant peach more than I should have, and some other dinners in which I got rather full (but never "stuffed"). If I could make the rule more objective, it would be easier to follow. For now, I only tend to realize I've broken it in hindsight. It's more of a guideline. Counting carbs more precisely at every meal, and declaring up to 4 servings (60g) a "good amount," might work.
Moving forward, the next steps are:
1. To declare 4 carb servings or less for meals, and 2 carb servings or less for snacks, a "good amount." If I still feel hungry afterwards, I should wait 15-20 min., test my blood sugar, and eat as appropriate. I may start by simply counting my carbs for each meal, whether they are under 4 or not.
2. To upgrade "Eat at a good time" to "Eat meals at a regular time." This should be in a two-step process. The first step is to ensure that I eat in 3-6 hour intervals throughout the day, starting with eating soon after I get up. I am already making significant progress in this area. The second step is to try to get those mealtimes more consistent from day to day; always eating lunch at noon, for example.
In order to move forward, I think that now is the time to focus on another goal: Good sleep hygiene. When I am tired, I am more tempted to over eat. When I go to sleep at irregular times, and thus wake up at irregular times, it is impractical to eat at regular times. My plan is to continue my work on discouraging bingeing (including counting carbs and eating at 3-6 hour intervals), while defining and putting more effort into good sleep hygiene (i.e., doing what I can to ensure that I get good and regular sleep).
In all probability, I will return my focus to this goal in the future, and I will try to continue occasional updates. For now, however, on to the next goal! I have made progress on my sleep hygiene already.
I have also been meeting my "Eat at a good place" goal consistently. That means that I have been eating meals at appropriate places such as the dinner table. It also means that I have limited myself to gum and (I'll admit it, this works) a bull pizzle doggie chew in front of the computer; those, popcorn, veggies, water, protein (and potentially one cup of hot chocolate) in front of the TV and while reading books; and have limited myself to reading magazines while eating anything else. There might have been a day where I had to multitask once with a meal and a project, (I forget the details) but other than that I've been doing great.
I have done a decent job at my "Eat a good amount" goal. That one is more subjective and harder to follow. There was a dinner in which I ate one giant peach more than I should have, and some other dinners in which I got rather full (but never "stuffed"). If I could make the rule more objective, it would be easier to follow. For now, I only tend to realize I've broken it in hindsight. It's more of a guideline. Counting carbs more precisely at every meal, and declaring up to 4 servings (60g) a "good amount," might work.
Moving forward, the next steps are:
1. To declare 4 carb servings or less for meals, and 2 carb servings or less for snacks, a "good amount." If I still feel hungry afterwards, I should wait 15-20 min., test my blood sugar, and eat as appropriate. I may start by simply counting my carbs for each meal, whether they are under 4 or not.
2. To upgrade "Eat at a good time" to "Eat meals at a regular time." This should be in a two-step process. The first step is to ensure that I eat in 3-6 hour intervals throughout the day, starting with eating soon after I get up. I am already making significant progress in this area. The second step is to try to get those mealtimes more consistent from day to day; always eating lunch at noon, for example.
In order to move forward, I think that now is the time to focus on another goal: Good sleep hygiene. When I am tired, I am more tempted to over eat. When I go to sleep at irregular times, and thus wake up at irregular times, it is impractical to eat at regular times. My plan is to continue my work on discouraging bingeing (including counting carbs and eating at 3-6 hour intervals), while defining and putting more effort into good sleep hygiene (i.e., doing what I can to ensure that I get good and regular sleep).
In all probability, I will return my focus to this goal in the future, and I will try to continue occasional updates. For now, however, on to the next goal! I have made progress on my sleep hygiene already.
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