[onebyone]

Coaches

Tomorrow I need to pull out my stock for the farmers' market and continue working to complete the new stuff I have started. It's feeling stressful but I am excited to get my first market day overwith.

My official WW weigh in was this morning and I was up 1.2lbs which is fine. I have been retaining fluid for sure and have had cheese ore than a few times which also puffs me up. I had a bit of a heavy food day today but it's all ok. I will lighten up tomorrow and Saturday. I need to get back to the 269 and possibly lower by next Thursday. I want that 20lb off mark to get here.

I'm going to keep this short again. I am still just worn right out. Everyday is very full.

Have a good evening.

[dailypractice]

Hello all... just a quick hello. It's been a long time since I've posted, but I'm trying to get back to it. I have been doing pretty well on eating and exercise. I haven't read your posts, so I'll do that next. I need your inspiration and to rekindle a feeling of connection.
Hope you're all doing well...
Ani

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walked, CREDIT moi, to test whether my walking shoes felt better with the expensive insert or the standard insert. Feet are just plain funny. They feel happy or sad for reasons not clear to me. I was able to determine, with the scientific accuracy of one sample, that both felt terrific - just different. Oh Well.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with an afternoon snack of those d*rn cookies from Rome. They'll soon be gone. There's a pantry full of cookies (for folks who show up for our bird walks) that I don't consider grabbing. But the Rome cookies that followed us home are on my mind. Good news: it was only one sleeve - they'll soon be gone. (Beware Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme today; FREE donuts are being distributed.)

Vignette of Rome 4: Dining was such a delightful con game. At a neat restaurant our request for the much-touted Puntarelle had our waiter go to the kitchen and return with a long face, "Finished." So we went back another night Italian-early - first folks to order for the evening. Same dance happened: on the trip back from the kitchen, "Finished." "How can that be if we're the first customers?" got the response, "Finished for the season - it doesn't grow well in the summer." The language, apparently, doesn't have the words for "we don't have that" that can be used when the order is made. One night I ordered wild boar. Whatever it was, it tasted gamey as well as delicious. Was it wild boar? I'd need more Italian to figure that out.


onebyone – Yay for the return of the summer Farmers' Market with sales.

Erika (eusebius) – Good luck keeping your diet strategies to a bounded amount so you can get your time on the piano. [LOL, Yep, times are changing in a city that's 2700 years old.]

maryann - Ouch for that back - hope it sits quietly for your long ride this weekend.

Karen (karenrn) - Neat to continue doing 7 1/2 miles with that pack. Kudos for not having fruit just because you're full.

curlyjax - Yep, Kudos, indeed, for avoiding tempting pastries at Whole Foods.

love2garden - Super Kudos for being able to have an on-plan lunch in a Bakery Shop.

Violette_R - Sending supportive thoughts for all the emotions that family can bring out. I do like the idea of a "normal relationship with food."

Ani (dailypractice) - Kudos for "pretty well on eating and exercise" - it'll be nice to get reconnected.

TripSwitch - Seems that "this overwhelming desire to just give up" hits us all. Kudos for recognizing it and seeking to find a way to plow through it.

dsha123 - Leaving part of your beer is worthy of Kudos.

Readers -

Day 37 Reduce Stress

To reduce stress, you have to change your rules. Here's how:

Relax your self-imposed rules. Use these suggestions to change them:

• Think of someone with more relaxed standards. What rules does he or she go by?
• Consider whether you would want your loved ones to live by a particular rule. Can you see how it would lead to stress? What rule would you rather they have for themselves?
• Think of the advantages of changing your rules. . . .

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 245.

[nationalparker]

Just a brief note here since I forgot to post yesterday. Ended up at dentist for hours following a new patient check up - the need to replace old fillings that are causing teeth to have hairline cracks ended up in a long time there and $$$ spent on only one quarter of it. Not all to do NOW but yikes. I detest going there. Detest it. Had to put my big girl panties on and just do it.

Food was great yesterday, though, as I'd planned on and made the homemade black bean soup (despite the HEAT) and cilantro lime rice. I rearranged the patio furniture and DH put up the patio umbrella and we dined al fresco - I'd set the small table (small!!) up, added candle and tiny vase of pansies, and we just really enjoyed it. Retired to the patio after an evening of yard work and gardening, enjoying the fireflies, flickering candles, and solar lanterns on a very quiet evening. We debate moving to the country, but where we are is next to a corn/soybean field depending on the year, so no neighbors there, and a trail bordering our property. If the crime creep slows down, I think we'll relax a bit more.

Bill - quick question - Did you see the hole in the Pantheon dome that Brunelleschi was allowed to remove to see how it was constructed? I missed that the first time, but made sure we located it the second visit! Brought the history to life for me. Of course, reading Brunelleschi's Dome went way beyond me ability to understand that stuff, in all honestly. It stays up just "because". Good thing I'm not teaching anyone any science, as DH repeatedly points out.

[dsha123]

Morning! Sounds like all are doing well? looking forward to the weekend?
I had a good day, on track with food..credit for working out! Credit for leaving a bit on my plate(my own personal credit..lol) I'm a bit sore today, and I felt..discouraged, as a little over a year ago I was kicking butt with weights, BUT, I did it, and I have to be happy for myself. Weekends are the challenge, so i will be alert and focused! Thanks

[Lexxiss]

Hi Coaches!

Yesterdays food went well considering I didn't know what the plan would be with my brother arriving. I did major housecleaning/yard work and at noon decided I would fix me a bison burger (which also meant I got the grill cleaned for the season). Credit. I decided I'd rest up a bit since I have been so busy and knew a trip to Denver later would happen. It did and I chose wisely at dinner actually leaving part of my meal. That was my initial strategy having a larger than normal lunch so it worked out. Credit. Stopping at WhFoods after dinner I perused the bakery section and didn't buy. (thx curlyjax) Credit. Today is another unknown so I will wait for the family call. Today's scale reading motivates me to continue my effort to make wise choices, even when faced with major choices. (I did peruse the dinner menu online before I left the house and although I pretended to be deciding at the restaurant I had already decided at home)

nationalparker, sorry about your dental stuff. I'm due again. I had major work done about 5 years ago. I'm glad I did. Your dinner on the patio sounded just wonderful! Credit.

BBE, interesting cookie story. Funny how we build resistance from the usual "stuff" but encounter an entirely different response from the new "stuff". I heard the donut news yesterday. Will resist today.

Ani(daily practice), kudos for checking in again. I'm glad you choose to rekindle the connection!

onebyone, yay for farmers market!

love2garden, kudos for sticking with your new food plan and avoiding the ice cream!

maryann, sending supportive thoughts as you travel a long distance. Kudos for the light exercise you have been continuing with. Credit!

karenrn, nice use of Beck skills passing on evening fruit because you were full!

curlyjax, kudos for avoiding the desserts at WhFoods. I had read your post and it motivated me to resist buying, too.

dsha123, credit for eating mindfully, reading your cards, sticking to your plan and leaving food AND beer! Wishing you Beck inspired willpower for the weekend!

Violette R, I was just thinking about you the other day and you reappeared! So sorry you are going through the family "stuff". Credit for stopping a binge and coming back here! Motivation does come back!

eusebius, kudos for adding a check in to your morning routine!

TripSwitch, I find with CBT that I just keep trying and it finally takes. You can stick to things just keep working on it! Keep posting and I believe you will find the "right track"

silverbirch, glad you are starting to surface! Credit all around!

[karenrn]

Good morning coaches,

Just a short check in today.

Calories were darn close to the top end yesterday. Good thing I had a long hike. I just felt hungry and ended up eating 2 Kind bars at 200 calories each for an afternoon snack. Luckily I don't feel hungry today.

Went to the gym for workout number 3 of Strong Curves, credit. It was raining here this morning which is very unusual for early June, so I was especially glad it wasn't a hiking day. Food is planned for the day and I am determined to stick with the lower calories. Would love to see another pound disappear

[Violette_R]

Originally Posted by Lexxiss

Violette R, I was just thinking about you the other day and you reappeared!

Thank you for telling me that; it means a lot to me.

[TripSwitch]

Hi Coaches

Just a quick check-in... Working on a new food plan that I'm excited about and should be a lot of fun... It's a real "blast from the past"... I'll reveal more hopefully later this weekend once I get a chance to play around with it...

So I went to WW today even though I knew I would show a gain this week... I just didn't have it in me to try to manipulate the scale downwards this week... I mean I guess I could have gone running in a garbage bag and then taken a sauna before my weigh-in... Lol... But I just wasn't up for all that...

And yes it was National Donut Day... Which I thought I honestly couldn't have cared less about... EXCEPT my WW leader happen to mention it to the group jokingly and said that if she was going to have a donut than it was going to be a really good one from one of her favorite bakery's... And of course as fate would have it I happened to be right next door to my favorite bakery this afternoon thinking "Well... It is National Donut Day... After All..." But I just got in my car and kept on driving... So CREDIT!!!

And an even bigger CREDIT for driving past my gym and actually deciding to stop and work out even though I had no plans to originally...

So even though I'm up a couple of lbs on some WW scale, I did make it to the gym 4 times this week... I can live with that...

Waving at everyone... Hopefully I'll be able to get caught up here soon with personals.... Wishing everyone here a GREAT WEEKEND!!!

[onebyone]

Coaches!

Food was difficult today. I ate hearty, then tracked. I have used up all my extra points for week today! Wow. Oh well, no playing around for the rest of the week. It's clear what the parameters are.

I spent 5hrs sprucing up my market displays today. I repacked all the ceramics. I have everything pulled out and it's all waiting for me in my studio to load it into the car at, oh, 6:45am or so. Ugh. So very early. I have a new gadget that will allow me to process credit cards for sales via my phone . Amazing technology thingy! I hope I have cause to use it tomorrow!

More tomorrow. I'm off to bed.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Did gym, CREDIT moi, with attention on the aerobics to get into hiking shape for this summer.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, finishing up the sleeve of cookies from Rome for afternoon snack. I'm glad that they're gone. Dinner was leftover grilled salmon - perhaps my favorite meal. I avoided the FREE donuts, but did think about it several times during the day.

Vignette of Pompeii 5: We had overlooked the notion that current Pompeii is a thriving city - with the archeological ruins in its center. Pictures thoroughly capture the details; walking through the ruins brings the devastation into the gut. It was then a thriving city with "fast food" dispensaries located throughout for those working far from home. Mount Vesuvius is always visible nearby - an awkward sense of comfort. Our flight reading was Pompeii: A Novel - a delightful tale that immediately went into my traveling brain as factual history.


onebyone – You're up this morning at my time of day; welcome to sunrise, LOL. Hope sales are strong and that you get to use your neat phone credit card reader.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Perusing the Whole Foods bakery without buying is Kudos worthy - that place looks so tempting. Love your casual mention of bison burger.

nationalparker – Ouch for the dental work; I share your dislike. The patio dinner sounds so appealing. [Didn't know about the exploratory hole in the Pantheon so I quickly ordered Brunelleschi's Dome from my local library.]

Karen (karenrn) - Yay for continuing the Strong Curves.

Violette_R - Jolts my eyes to see your "Let's go to the Gym" avatar.

TripSwitch - Thanks for the reminder that if I want a donut, I should get the best one available - not the FREE one. Kudos for four gym trips in one week.

dsha123 - Always Kudos for leaving a bit on the plate.

Readers -

Day 37 Reduce Stress

To reduce stress, you have to change your rules. Here's how:

Relax your self-imposed rules. Use these suggestions to change them: . . .

• Take the words always and never out of your rules.
• Insert the word reasonable into your rules:
  • I should always do my best becomes I should try to do a reasonable job most of the time.
  • I should alway prevent problems from happening becomes I should try to take reasonable precautions.
  • I shouldn't ever rely on others becomes I should rely on others when it is reasonable to do so.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 245.

[nationalparker]

Have had a good string of healthy eating the past few days, been very active in the yard and gardens, eating until not hungry. So the scale climbed up two pounds. Dinner WAS Thai last night and ate a bit more than a third. DH had some as well, and have a serving to bring home. Hope it's the sodium but have to get away from that mental kick - I've done well, chosen and cooked healthy, and been active accomplishing things, and that's how I want to live.

Planted nearly all of the pots/planters for the patio, but ran out of good soil, so back to the store this morning for that and mulch. Want to get the plants for the rest, but we're heading to a WWII airplane airshow today that I've looked forward to for awhile, and know I won't get to it quickly. Tomorrow evening is the dinner theatre for Peter Pan. One I'm looking forward to for the evening out maybe more than the show itself. Of course, I return raving about them all ha ha. But I know I will enjoy dessert there and so will be mindful of that this weekend. Last night we went to see "Spy" for date night and enjoyed it. She looked amazingly like Dawn French in part of the movie, so I had to come back and think about rewatching The Vicar of Dibley!

Bill - Had you also read Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel? I read that, not in conjunction with a trip, but thought it was a great insight into him as a person. By Dava Sobel and I like her Longitude.

TripSwitch - I used to go to WW and it was always surrounded by a Chinese restaurant, Mexican bakery and a sub shop. I thought are they ALL like this - so ventured to a few around town - yep! Always with the easy food nearby and it made me wonder - who used who? Credits for skipping the easy donut. If someone was giving out pizza on a national pizza day, I know I would have indulged in a slice of cheese.

Lexxiss - Great choices - your days are so busy! Hope you enjoy your time with your brother.

I reworked a work trip next week to have time to drive to see my brother before returning back. Looking forward to it with a vengeance now.

Goals for today - (didn't meet the weekend weigh in goal - yet) ... eat mindfully and healthy, don't get too hungry and just pick anywhere after the air show if DH wants to dine out. If at home, dinner will be the knockoff Buca de Beppo salad with walnuts, granny smith apple slices, cranberries, homemade dressing and some gorgonzola on his, and some sort of quick protein.

[curlyjax]

hi coaches!
credit yesterday for finally getting back to the gym, i think its been almost 2 months! DD is pushing to go now that she is done with HS sports, so that actually will make me go again.
Credit for skipping the ice cream when the kids got it for dessert- but then i broke down and got a terrible hostess cupcake thing at the convenience store. I envy those of you who detest junky food, i am not there yet!
Today seems busy with carting the kids around to various errands but hopefully we'll get back to more fence work tomorrow. I have to go to the mall but i will resist mall food!!
Tripswitch- good job on resisting donuts and going to the gym!
Nationalparker- you make the best salads! that sounds so good!
happy weekend everyone!

[eusebius]

Good morning Coaches,

So I had a stumbling block last night. I got home and I was slightly hungry but more than that I was stupid tired. It was midnight and I should have gone straight to bed, but instead I ate extra food. I had the weekly points for it (running low now!) but I really should have strengthened my resistance muscle. OH WELL.

Luckily today is day 13 and I am going to start using the anti-craving mindset techniques big time. NO CHOICE!

This weekend I’m playing for a massive voice studio recital and it’s chaotic and exhausting, but it’s nice to be able to help people. My boyfriend is in it too, which is nice. He’s a bass-baritone with a gorgeous voice.

BillBE - Nice job keeping the amount of Rome cookies to a minimum. Wow, I would love to try the puntarelle … never heard of it before. Love grilled salmon too.

nationalparker - excellent job staying on plan. The black bean soup sounds amazing. I imagine the extra two pounds is sodium as well. Thai food is so delicious though.

dsha - sounds like a really successful day. Don’t get discouraged about the exercise - you will get back to your form! I am struggling with the same feelings about running.

Lexxiss - your great use of diet strategies inspires me!! Wise decision to rest up.

karenrn - excellent job with the exercise! Thank goodness for the extra calories of long hikes.

TripSwitch - Credit for going to WW and resisting the bakery, and for working out!

onebyone- Glad I wasn’t the only one who used up all my weekly points this week. I hope you have some good sales today!

curlyjax - well done getting back to the gym! Ah convenience stores - the source of so many evil tasty things.

[love2garden]

Bill You shocked me when you said " current Pompeii is a thriving city" I've always been fascinated with archaeology and had no clue that with the volcano quiet and all the work to the digs, that surely businesses would spring up around the area. What an amazing opportunity, but I understand your eyeing Mt. Vesuvius with a bit of anxiety.

Eusebius I Day 13 and you sound determined. Enjoy playing for other's enjoyment today. Good that you and your boyfriend are both musicians. Bet he admires your skills, too.

Ani I've missed you. Please come back and let us know how you are doing.

National Parker Understand the good feeling to get those pots planted and begin to check on them for growth. So much easier to plant with pots that keep me from bending over so far. I have about 25 pots planted and this morning was pleased that Mother Nature has kept them damp this week. We simply enjoyed our coffee and admired the results.

Violette First mini-goal: 145 pounds.??? What do you really mean? My mini goal is 5 pounds at a time. I've been all spring getting just that much gone.

Working on second 5 now and making better progress now that I added in walking more days each week. DH is encouraging me and went with me this morning early. His steps would usually have me running, but he is so kind to simply mosey along at my best pace.

Realized at breakfast that eating slowly and savoring my food is coming natural finally. This my be why I'm satisfied and rarely hungry now.

Time to go tackle some of those weeds that are competing with my chosen plants for moisture and nutrients and sunshine. One grapevine came up on top of a large shrub!!! We could only clip it near the bottom, and hope we can sap some of its energy.