[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Dinner on the patio with DW while her garden is at about its peak of gorgeous. Just heaven on earth. CREDIT moi just for savoring life.

Lunch was awful, Ouch, because I got caught with nothing to eat before an afternoon event. I nibbled on cookies. Double Ouch. I was fully capable of skipping lunch, or just postponing it until about 2pm, but I acted like hunger was an emergency. I wasn't even hungry; the timer went off in my brain that it was lunchtime and I was headed to a period of time with no food. Perhaps I'd starve to death or at least pass out due to the calorie shortage. Bad planning, Yes. But much worse, bad thinking.


onebyone – Wait, Stop! I want 27 more days before you declare us half-way through the year, LOL. Choosing potluck meals is a challenge - I always feel embarrassed if my dish isn't the most consumed, like it was a contest. (What am I supposed to do on 'National Egg Day?')

Debbie (Lexxiss) – A soak in the pool is just what I needed last night around here. [Wonder how much cilantro I'll have to buy to justify a flight to Denver to enjoy your mountains.]

maryann - Nearly tearing at the image of your family lying under the tree using each other as pillows. Congrats to your DS for a successful concert. [I so love cilantro that the thought of "cilantro and chickpea sausage stew" has me drooling.]

nationalparker – My dream is to conquer, "as a decadent treat instead of as fuel" without giving up the joy of the taste. I wish that "white wine parmesan risotto" wasn't making me drool right now. Yay for marketing instead of snacking.

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Seems smart to me, "I can't just go crazy." It's the big fall off plan that causes me the most damage.

IBelieveInMe2 – Congrats for raising a 14 year old who can spend a weekend in the vicinity of her mom. Loving the thought of two 14 year olds giggling in the back of the car. Kudos for continuing to hold yourself accountable - that's the first step back to on-plan. A two-dog foot is progress.

Rosebud170 – What a terrific exercise day - Kudos.

sparks17 – Yay for feeling sixteen!!! Kudos for walking in the evening and enjoying it so much.

Readers -

chapter 5
Get Ready: Lay the Groundwork

skipping meals
Are you tempted to speed weight loss by eating as little as possible or by skipping meals? Don't do it! Several studies have linked skipping meals, particularly breakfast, with weight gain rather than weight loss. If you skip a meal, you'll probably compensate for it later on. For example, research shows that people who habitually skip breakfast tend to seriously overeat at night. You might be better off, in fact, if you plan to eat up to six small meals a day.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 66.

[onebyone]

Good Morning Coaches

To celebrate national egg day, which turns out to be a real and ancient day of celebration, and not something created by megacorppoultry factory farms (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_national_egg_day) I cooked two eggs overeasy and basked in their glory. I love the egg. I have fond memories of watching my Hungarian grandmother melt butter in a small cast iron pan and fry one egg, sunny side up for her breakfast with two toast bread (as she would say) and coffee with carnation evaporated milk. She'd place all of this on a faded yellow tray, a partioned plastic tray, with each thing occupying one section and often bring it into ehr bedroom while she read the Hungarian newspaper, tray on her lap, feet up under the covers. What a fond memory that is today. Huh.

Anyway, I feel better but I sound waaaaayyyyy worse. I croaked into the phone this morning while cancelling a shceduled visit to a potential home for my mom. My second cancellation due to the cold. The lady on the other end just burst out laughing as I identified myself to her. She just told me to call back when I feel better. *sigh* I thought that was today. My energy is definitely returning and my desire to do stuff is returning. DH told me I can't go to the potluck tonight as the guild is populated by oldsters and if I won't go to the nursing home I can't go there either. He's probably right. Given it's a potluck with sharing of food I'd better stay away. I'll have to send my messages to the guild via email.

Food today has been a retun to normal,as mentioned re: breakfast and eggs. I actually had bacon on my plate but sent it off to DH's plate when I tasted it and realized my tastebuds are working at 30% if that. Why bother with bacon if you can only taste saltiness?

Lunch will be soup, and probably more soup later. Dinner is steak I think -- soup if not. Tea, juice, coffee, water all that liquid stuff for the day as well.

*credit moi* I stepped on the wii fit scale to see where I am at and it's holding at 254. Up 0.2lbs from Thursday but this is nothing given the salty soup I am eating. So long as I remain below 255 I am ok with this viral interlude.

That's it. I plan to do a bit of work toward my farmers' market debut THIS weekend (please let it happen) and I wish all of you a great day.

[sparks17]

Wow - it got busy!!

lexxiss - sounds like you are doing very well! And cilantro is very cheap by you...wish it were here!

nationalparker - I am going to check out Kubinek on youtube after lunch - sounds funny!

rosebud - sooo much exercise

maryann - lol at the unattainable cupcake!

ibelieveinme - weekends really are much harder to plan....it's a good thing that you are home and can get back on track!

onbyone - sorry that you are still sick! Virtual hugs

Beth - I am inspired, and a little terrified!, by your planning so far ahead!!

Bill -

the timer went off in my brain that it was lunchtime and I was headed to a period of time with no food. Perhaps I'd starve to death or at least pass out due to the calorie shortage.

LOL!

I had a good day yesterday - I even left room for my first Mike's Hard Lemonade of the season! My husband bought them for me and told me to pace myself. It's true that I won't lose weight having one of those every night...sugary beer is not a daily necessity!

I walked quite a bit yesterday- credit. Measured myself this am and I have lost 3 inches off my hips since March - and my husband actually said that he had noticed! He tries not to pressure me in any way - loves me no matter what weight I am - but he was pleased!

I have yet to plan lunch and dinner...I honestly do not feel like cooking anything and certainly do not feel like washing dishes! My oldest could cook but she has a nasty cold..so I need to get my act together. I think...coldcuts and fruit for lunch. My menu for the week says asian chicken/veg stir fry with fried brown rice with edamame. I forgot to pick up the scallions, so there is a nice afternoon walk right there. OK. Now I have a plan!

[maryann]

nationalparker: I think it is a great triumph to enter ALL food in MFPal. It is really growth to be willing to see the truth and be accountable. Credit.

IBelieveInMe2: I know my 10yo is going through his last week. No finals, just fun but we are both ready for him to be done.

onebyone: Did I miss who your new avatar is?

bethfromdayton: This last month I have had a "goto" meal and it is really helpful. It is a bowl of the Eat2Live Soup. I don't have to think about it. It is filling, gives me a ton of servings of veggies (juiced as well as whole veggies), and I seem to be willing to not eat before or after it. I made a bunch and froze it in mason jars. Good Luck with your parties.

Sparks17: I am jealous that you and BBE can walk to everything. City life. I am suburbs/rural. There are few sidewalks or walkable stores.

As for me, I am going in for the last time to my son's class to teach music. Credit for teaching 30 little guys about music theory and history; getting them to dance and sing; and creating enthusiasm for the arts. I really tend to take my classroom music skills for granted. I know not everyone can do it. Credit. (A litttle good self talk in the bank helps when I am am so down on myself in other areas. This fits in with the Beck day 37 I read today. Summary: lower stress by getting off your own and everyone else's back.)

Yesterday OP until I had the dastardly thought after dinner "I didn't eat enough of the cheese I had planned for. I better have another ounce." Drat. Led to five more walnut halves. Credit for stopping and closing the kitchen again.

[nationalparker]

Monday, Monday ... So good to me. (Power of positive thinking or only the corny song lyrics...you make the call.)

Since I seem to be completely motivated, if only for a brief time, by numbers, dates, deadlines, trips, ANYTHING that starts with a good round number, I counted it out and have 100 days until my birthday (no thrill if 87 or 53 days until my birthday, mind you, but 100 seems perfect). Not a landmark bday, but I celebrate them all. So I'm on day one again. And trying to drag my sister along for the ride with me this time. She lives in Colorado and is 13 years older than me, and we see each other a few times a year, but in all honesty, we are like oil and water. But I keep hoping that together we can join forces and help each other lose weight, stay on track, and work toward getting in better shape, since diabetes runs in our family pretty strongly. I've suggested she check out Beck's book from the library and she did, but i think I might just send it to her, so it's not a loaner. I would like to restart it with someone again. She revels in being busy, and I don't admire busy for busyness sake, so often probably don't give her the support/praise she is seeking, but rather say she should focus on two things she wants to do, and two that she needs to do. Combine some pleasure with achievement. I don't believe her personality appreciates that.

And I'm sorry to post so much, but I aim to check in again this evening while DH is working and I'm alone with the kitchen, and will use GardnerJoy's (?) "kitchen is closed" mentality, I hope. Need the accountability.

Breakfast and lunch are on track so far. Tonight I shall pack a duffle with walking clothes for lunchtime. Step One.

I was thinking WHAT is different in my life from when i was 130-140 pounds? Oh, I'm eating more. And more treats. And I'm not walking an hour a day. And I'm not choosing wisely when eating out more often than not. And I'm eating out more often. And I'm not tracking as i was when on maintenance. And... voila! UP 35 pounds or so. I long for the days of vacationing in Italy for MANY things, but the freedom to eat as desired and enjoyed while walking miles daily was a joy.

[spanky]

Back. A series of family emergencies, etc. No gain/loss but no plan either, just lucking out. Back at it constructing tomorrows plan.

spanks

[nationalparker]

Tonight I stayed busy and stayed on track. Mowed the whole lawn, dinner, dishes, laundry ... productive. When DH works nights, he leaves before I get home, so if I make him dinner to take in, I have to make it the night before. So then I want some of it, too. But I tend to make myself something different than I'd send in with him (spinach salad, etc.) So tonight, my strategy was to skip it altogether and he can take a frozen Indian meal he chose from Trader Joe's

Off to bed early to skim through Beck's and plan strategies for tomorrow.

Night, all!

[bethFromDayton]

Hi all,

Today was OP except for that stupid ice cream treat. I may need to get rid of them until I can get myself back to using them as a treat--not as a daily thing. I think I'll take them to work tomorrow and offer them up--and leave my freezer bare of them for a couple of weeks. That sounds like a good plan.

I walked one lap at work today and my foot is doing fine. Tomorrow I'll do one lap as well. I don't think my foot is up to twice a day yet :-( but I need to concentrate on little steps (and they were little steps). I did Day 3 of my Dumbbell Challenge.

I also got a new book today--The Four Day Win by Martha Beck, PhD. I haven't started it yet--I ordered a used copy based on reviews and thought I'd see if I found it useful.

Take care, all!

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Exercise was walking the miles of Home Depot to get some flexible duct pipe. CREDIT moi despite being a rabbit in the brier patch. Good news is that I didn't buy any tools, new LED light bulbs, multi-packs of gloves, 36 packs of paper towels, or clever Wi-Fi enabled thermostats that would allow me to set/reset the temperature controls of all three heating zones in my house from my iPhone in Europe when I've left on a cruise without adjusting before I left home. If I cruised Europe. If I had an iPhone.

Eating was mediocre. Snacking raised its head as if peanuts resolved zoning issues. I did buy too many blueberries at the supermarket, CREDIT moi. Blueberries cure everything.


onebyone – Such a lovely memory of your grandmother with her morning egg. Kudos for loving a real food . . . instead of something like Doritos. (Your avatar picture scares me - who is that?)

maryann - From me, Praises and Admiration to you for being able to teach kids and for doing so. It should be illegal that walnut halves are so appealing, LOL.

spanky - Perhaps "just lucking out," perhaps some habits have become ingrained. Kudos for starting with planning.

nationalparker – Happy Birthday in a hundred! Extra celebrations in a year is a terrific notion - if you can avoid the notion that every celebration is a reason to eat more food. Good luck with your sister.

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Yay for being able to say "I need to concentrate on little steps" by the literal meaning of steps. And Yay for co-workers who'll take unneeded ice cream treats.

sparks17 – Yep, "sugary beer is not a daily necessity" - tis a pity. Kudos for recognizing that scallions are and hiking out after them.

Readers -

chapter 5
Get Ready: Lay the Groundwork

Pick Your Diets Now

Before moving on to the next step in this plan, I want you to pick the primary diet you plan to follow, along with a backup diet. I've found that some dieters have to go through a process of trial and error before they find a diet they can follow for an extended period of time. You might find after a couple of weeks or months that the first diet you selected isn't working for you. You don't enjoy the suggested recipes, the meals are too complicated to prepare, or you really want foods not allowed by the diet. In that case, you can move on to Plan B.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 67.

[veganasaurusrex]

Good morning all! I've not been posting here for the last week due to overhwhelming stress at work. I work in a disaster non-profit that works to export our model of disaster recovery to other areas who have recently suffered from a natural disaster so they don't have to "reinvent the wheel". I found out last Tuesday night that I would have a person from a group doing Hurricane Sandy recovery training with me Wednesday-Friday. My assignment was to delegate training to my team, but many of them were unable to help because they were too busy. I ended up spending 8 hours a day with this (lovely) woman but I got absolutely nothing else done! I gave feedback to my boss that I needed more notice and more help delegating if I was to do this again

This weekend my partner's 6 year old had her first slumber party at our house - and after being put to bed at 9 the girls whispered until 11. I was informed this was the point of sleepovers and my controlling impulse to seperate them was not the point :P

Food through all this was tough to plan but mostly within my calorie range. I don't own a scale right now, need to invest in one stat, but I don't feel like I gained any weight (though I certainly didn't lose)

Yesterday was totally OP with the exception of increasing my dinner size (within my calorie alotment) because 30 mins after dinner I was still HUNGRY. Then early to bed so I could wake up early this morning and go running.

My food today is planned and I'm finishing up my OP breakfast as I write this

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

BBE A concert on a warm spring night sounds divine! I'm jealous beacause here it's something like 85 degrees at night so sticky walking around. Your weather sounds lovely. That's some furniture store!! Also your cilantro story made me laugh out loud! As someone alergic to cilantro I'm not sure why you would want to convert parsley

sparks Great job thinking about how to plan your day and still be successful despite obstacles instead of saying "my day is different I can't diet" like I do sometimes.

IBelieveinMe Weekends are so hard for me too. I know that we can get ourselves on track then too though!

maryann Thank you for your inspiring words and YAY to your journey!

[sparks17]

Busy day ahead, spending the day with a few fellow homeschool moms. We will be evaluating the work of several 1-8th graders in our homeschool group. The evaluations are in lieu of testing for certain grades here in NY. It's always an exhausting day and we bring snacks as we are usually too busy to take a lunch break. I am planning a wrap with grilled chicken, arugula, and romaine and unsweetened iced tea. I am also planning a snack for 3ish - it can be as snacky as I want but not more than 300 calories!!! I will choose it when I run to to the corner after breakfast.

Yes, it is convenient to live here, with 3 bodegas, a Rite Aid and a Walgreens, 2 chinese take outs, McDonalds, KFC. Wendys and Dunkin Donuts all in a 2 block radius. Surprisingly, no pizza! I try to avoid all the fast food, even when I am not consciously watching my diet...but we do find ourselves there at least once a week. Though I do have to go a little further for fresh fruit/veg (the bodegas are limited and not usually good quality), it is not more than a 20m walk to 3 different supermarkets. So if I am in the mood for...apricots or asparagus, I can almost always have them the same day! A farmer's market, though, is a bus ride away.

Hmm. I have been hovering over Day 19 in Beck - Stop Fooling Yourself. I am not in a hurry to move on as I am sort of meditating on all those terrible excuses. They are ALL so familiar and it is NOT OKAY!!!

Well, hey to everyone and hop you all have a good day

[Lexxiss]

Hi Coaches!

I guess I'm destined for slow internet. Nothing seems to change it right now. I'm thankful to be able to sneak in for a moment before work. Food is reasonably OP and I continue to resist multitudes at work. credit. I've weighed and have a plan for the day. I'll email my Beck diet buddy with my daily food plan before I leave this morning.

Work calls....

[nationalparker]

Gorgeous day today - drove home at lunch to eat on the patio in the sunshine surrounded by my in-bloom garden and pots. I wanted to stay there and make lunch last much longer. So I had more to eat. Logical? I think not. But what 'tis done, 'tis done or whatever that quote is and I have 313 calories remaining for dinner. Good news is that dinner will be a chocolate/spinach/cherry smoothie so I can do that for 313 calories.

Baking biscotti tonight for my father and for a friend's birthday lunch tomorrow. I would like to make a few kinds and do her gift bag up pretty, but we'll see how well I manage my time. Need to do a quick market stop, and Father's Day planning for my dad, as we're celebrating this weekend.

Bill - Your Home Depot travels sound like ours. I keep finding things we NEED (who doesn't need a pencil with a retractable thingy that clips to your belt? My DH doesn't because I put one in his stocking last year after he laughed at me for thinking it was handy - he goes those are for roofers, not me. Well, lo and behold, he discovered it IS handy. I want one for my purse... at only $1.50 or so)

Sparks - what is a bodega where you are? I lived in Spain in my teen years and our bodegas were places that fermented grapes into sherry, and had small tasting rooms. Interesting to me that it's the same unusual word.

[onebyone]

Hello Coaches!

Happy National Cheese Day, National Frozen Yogurt Day and National Cognac Day!

For today, I will have to just wave at those foods from a distance. They are not on my plan today.

DH is out late tonight. 12 guys from work are being picked up at his work by a limo. They are having a bachelor party for one of their co-workers. The limo is bringing them back before midnight and I'll go pick him up at wok if he needs me to. Not sure how much he'll tell me about the goings-on tonight and I don't really care so long as they all have a great time. I'm sure they will.

Food has been OP today. *credit* and while out, I turned myself away from several treats in coffee shops and at cashier counters.

Bye for now.

PS. my avatar is the fashion curmudgeon Karl Lagerfeld. I am fascinated by this man. He lost about 90lbs one year a few years back. It was rumoured that he only ate lettuce and drank diet coke. He really believes he is all that and a bag of chips. Even though he's such an unlikeable human being, I do admire his self confidence and no choice attitude. I need a bit more of that... he really looks like he would not accept any excuses. This is just a temporary avatar...fear not... he will move on.

[bethFromDayton]

Hi all,

I was short on time this morning (not totally my fault <this time>), so since I hadn't cut strawberries last night, I substituted blueberries (no prep!) for my cereal.

For dinner, we swapped out leftovers for the planned dinner, but it was a meal I could have planned (and did plan over the weekend, actually).

So, I consider today a win. I especially consider it a win because I forgot to bring my ice cream treats to work this morning :-(, but haven't had one tonight. I thought of it a couple of times and told myself "use your resistance muscle"--and I did!

Tomorrow is going to be a baking day, so I'm going to plan for one brownie bite or one raspberry shortbread bar bite--whichever one I make tomorrow (and the other Thursday night).

Take care, all.