CrystalJo74's Journal, 16 Mar 24

Those plates are smaller than a penny. Bet I'd lose some weight eating off those!! 

Oh Crystal!!! This is so cute!!!! 🥰 teeny tiny. Fun past time. Thanks for posting and showing me. ❤️❤️ 

I'm so glad you found it Wifey!! I did it just for you🥰 

I hadn't planned on making anything special for tomorrow, but I know of a pub that serves Harp!🍺 I'll ask for a half pint to cut calories😊 

So nice. yeah that looks like fun to do 

After many hours of research, I discovered that quitting smoking slows your metabolism by about 250 calories per day. However, it's supposed to stabilize after about 6 months. So, perhaps cut your calories by 250 and see what that shakes out of the tree? 

Welcome back CrystalJo, I've missed you. Great to hear you've quit smoking, I too am an x-smoker (quit about 30 years ago) , and I'm so proud of you! Good luck on your journey. 💚💛💜 

CrystalJo74, I always liked, and have missed, your posts. Maybe you know me as, gwzfire... or whatever my old screen name was. Regardless, it is so super nice to hear from you. No one is obligated to stay on the site (of course!) but if it feels good and does good, then why not! 💙 

I'm at the point where I can no longer bring myself to measure and weigh everything myself. Having done it, though, gave me a lot of knowledge about what's a healthy diet, what are reasonable portion sizes, etc. Layne Norton says all weight loss and maintenance involves restriction; the trick is to find what feels least restrictive to you. For me, that's sticking to 100% plant-based, mostly whole foods. Maybe for you it's something else. Regardless, am so happy to have you back here 🤗💕 

Hello Crystaljo74 it's good to see you here and your hobby is so cute.  

Thanks Liv🌷 It is fun and uses parts of the brain (creativity) that have laid idle for years. Now I just need to incorporate (and sustain!) an element of exercise that I can tolerate. 💪👟 

Dear Buenita🙋‍♀️ SO nice to see you😍 I hope you & Pastor are doing well and thanks for being here on FS❤️🙏 

Oh, thanks Wyo! It's good to be here and I really NEED to be here to be inspired to put my health farther up on my priority list. Sounds like you have found that happy/healthy medium❤️ 

Unity, you are SO Right! It DOES feel good to be among friends🥰 

shirfleur, it's great to be back🤗 I'm gonna need lotsa help to get my focus back on a healthy lifestyle. Your profile pic is beautiful and inspiring. Thanks for your support and example💕 

GigiDunaway, that's a great idea! I need to set attainable goals and then stick with it! Thank you!☘️🐦 

this is so cute, love this diorama  

Miniatures are adorable! Love your “Crystal” mini coffee mug! One idea I’ve heard is that instead of weighing/measuring foods, doing the plate fraction thing. 1/2 plate veggies, 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch as a replacement strategy. Quitting smoking 🚬 always is a tough one!! Glad you achieved that. :) 

So cute! I love it! 💜 As for IF and logging, you can try it but truthfully, for me logging helps keep me accountable. I have been doing it for about 6 years now. Yes, I get tired of it but when I did try to go without, I was amazed at what I ate and then forgot I ate it and then thought I could eat more… Even in maintenance it’s still hard work but the rewards are there! 

Fun hobby :) Love the coffee cup on the frig. I plan my food day in the morning and track it all. Then I make changes as the day unfolds. My choices are reflective of my macros goals. I aim for a calorie deficit but don't deprive myself. I just try not to go overboard too often. I realized I started gaining in maintenance because I lost track of where the line was, how many calories I needed. I had to go back and look at my older food tracking to find the balance of enjoyable eating and calorie limit. I've made sleep a priority. Poor sleep can throw my whole day off. It can easily become a quick fix junk food day. I'm glad you're back with us. Take a look at your older posts and what you feel you were doing right. I love the food and exercise tips you've posted and have revisited them myself at times! :)