Diet Coaches/Buddies – Had all three snacks - the fridge is full of cherries and blueberries and I continue to treat them as good for me. Probably still on plan for the day, CREDIT moi. Savored the cold leftover salmon steaks on the patio for dinner which, again, ended as DW jumped up to go back to her garden while the sun was still up.
Walked, CREDIT moi, in optimum walking temperature. There's a new brick driveway to be inspected that makes me jealous because ours is made with concrete pavers that cost about half as much. Returned three books to the library and only took home two. That feels like a slight gain on the stack by my reading chair. Time was spent raising the storm windows and lowering the screens. That's become a job delegated to me because it takes a pry bar to unstick the pane in its tracks. They weren't always this way; perhaps the continuous settling of the house did it. Whatever, it now takes me some time to cover all the windows of the house. Random fact: I learned from a British neighbor that Baby Showers don't happen in England; they're a U.S. thing. Gonna be tough to work that one into a conversation.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Kudos for "So, stopping now." Love reading your list of cool things to eat in the summer. Thanks for your 'candy' Response Card - that one fits me, also.
Karen (karenrn) - Good reminder that it's easier to work out on a trail than in the gym. Wonderful sentence, "I think my diet is about as healthy as it has ever been and I feel very good."
curlyjax - Yay for Wegmans - a tempting place for me. Happy Empty Nest Day.
Sandy (love2garden) - Kudos for sticking with your gym when it didn't feel good.
SuzLen - Kudos for stopping at half of a yummy Italian dish. Impressed that you can do four generations for dinner.
Diane (diane1102) - Yep, skipping meals does seem to lead to overeating - Kudos for recognizing that.
Mike (NottsMike) - Neat that you recognize that health issues requires more exercise rather than less. We share that belief around here. Have you chosen your diet plan? Glad that you've joined us.
Readers -
Quote:
Day 39Keep Up with Exercise
How You Can Change
Put exercise in the NO CHOICE category. When you tell yourself, I don't have time, I don't feel like it, or I don't want to, respond the same way you've learned to respond to your cravings. Tell yourself that you don't have a choice. Tell yourself, Oh, well, and accept that you have to do it. . . .
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 253.
Oh boy, if this vacation doesn't put me over the scale "edge" I don't know what will. Fortunately, I feel I have eaten on plan. Last night I had a wonderful salmon, skipped the rice and asked for asparagus instead. I ate more than half, but forced myself to leave a little on the plate. It was the best salmon I have had in years.
Tonight is dinner - again - with a step-brother and his family who are driving through and want to visit with mom and me. Hopefully this is it - I don't think it is the food as much as the eating late. I really do like eating earlier. Last night I got on my DD treadmill just to feel like I did something productive.
BillBB: bought raspberries, blueberries and blackberries yesterday. I love this time of year as well.
Mike: Welcome! What did you teach?
love2garden: way to go to the gym even when you didn't feel like it. That is no fun at all.
curlyjax: Enjoy a free night out - rare to have, I know. Hope you enjoy every minute of it!
karenrn: I have also come to the sad conclusion that sweets are a death toll weight wise.
gardenerjoy: happy to hear from you again, the struggle with sweets is real. Loved your response card - it would be good for most of us.
diane1102: it is difficult when routines are broken, like over the weekends, but you will have a plan and that is more than half the battle. Have a great weekend.
Taking grandkids fishing then swimming. We are wearing them out. Have a great Friday.
I ate better (credit!) and felt -- a little -- better. I know that when I overeat over a problem, I get two problems. For some reason, I keep doing funny math with that and think that if I'm not overeating, all of my problems should go away. But, nope, the original problem is still there. Time to work the Serenity Prayer.
Here's the applicable response card:
Quote:
Overeating when I don't feel good adds to the list of symptoms and increases my misery. Eating healthy foods in healthy amounts allows me to feel the best that I can.
WI: NA kg, Exercise: +30 70/1300 minutes for July, Food: 100% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Thank Goodness for Beck habits that can be relied on when I ignore some really good ones. Simply getting back to what I've learned builds health and letting go the overeating of good 70% dark chocolate.
Mike Welcome
SuzLen Vacation wih grandkids and swimming and fishing sounds like so much fun. Remembering our own vacations as I read your post, and smiling.
Bill Your encouragement really does make a difference, thanks. We did most of our camping in the mountains of West Virginia where we could fish, mountain bike, hike, enjoy the native flowers, shrubs and trees. In fact we are going up on Tuesday. We've heard the native orchids bloom this time of year and DD will be taking camera to shoot, then paint them, if we can find them.
Thanks for your generous welcome:
• BillBlueEyes – came here by surfing and searching
• SuzLen – I used to teach IT and Business Studies
• gardenerjoy – may you soon feel Serene!
• love2garden – happy trip next week
• silverbirch – hope you get back to routine soon
Credit – managed to avoid a Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday type moment in the pub, ahead of starting the diet.
Just a brief check in. Food and exercise on plan, credit. Heading to the movies this afternoon to see Me & Earl & the Dying Girl. My friend Coleen saw it and loved it and it can't be as bad as the last one I saw, although reviews for last one were good. Happy 4th of July to the Americans. I'll post tomorrow before I leave for Sequoia where there will be no phone or internet service.
Boating this morning on Lake Tahoe was like a dream. Saturated blues and greens under an emormous sky of pillow clouds. No one was out yet. We had hired the boat and the driver although DH and BIL could certainly have driven. But DH desperately needed to be an Indian instead of a chief and we all enjoyed Lounging in the big boat taking turns at the tube. Not me with my back but there wa plenty of room to stretch out so all was well. DS was brave And proud on the tube. I thought why can't moments like these be a substitute for the feeling of eating. Why don't I crave these moments instead of sugar. A simple answer is that sugar is an addiction and addiction is not real. No real life experience can replace the artificial high I find in the foods I eat addictivly. Even if real life satisfies it will not be a substitute for the illusion of comfort from food. The answer is too slow way down for each moment. Stay present to remind myself what really make me happy.
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Since I ate what I planned, technically I was on plan for the day, CREDIT moi. However, dinner included two Italian sausages on rolls - Ouch. That happened because I just wanted Italian sausages. So, I walked, CREDIT moi, to Whole Foods, bought four along with some Ciabatta hard rolls and DW grilled them instead of chicken. They were just what I needed despite not being a good caloric or heart healthy choice. (The grilled asparagus was to-die-for.) The rest of the day met a better plan.
During dinner on the patio, I was distracted by an airplane that was flying too low - too low as well as too level and slow to be taking off or landing. I was puzzled. Then I saw four jumpers leap from the plane. I was mystified - who would be parachuting at 7pm? We watched them disappear behind the houses blocking our view. Fortunately, google quickly solved the mystery. Four Navy SEALs jumped into Fenway Park before the Red Sox / Houston Astros baseball game. Watch the video. Not our usual dinner sight.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – LOL at the "funny math." Hope your garden is flourishing. We've got lettuce; the sugar snaps are gone; tomatoes not here yet.
silverbirch – Glad you're surviving despite dealing with the estate. Why does NottsMike imply cricketer?
maryann - Love your reminder to savor the moment. Tubing behind a boat on Lake Tahoe sounds super.
Karen (karenrn) - Waving toward the Sequoias. I'm ambivalent about Me & Earl & the Dying Girl.
Sandy (love2garden) - Kudos for enjoying 70% dark chocolate without overeating. Love hearing your visit to the West Virginia mountains.
SuzLen - Salmon, asparagus, and wearing out the grandkids sounds like a perfect day.
Mike (NottsMike) - LOL at "Shrove Tuesday type moment" for that Sabotaging Thought to stuff oneself before starting an eating plan.
Readers -
Quote:
Day 39Keep Up with Exercise
How You Can Change
Meet a friend or trainer. At first, it might help to make an appointment with a friend or fitness professional or to sign up for a class. You'll be more likely to keep this commitment if you're accountable to someone. A trainer, fitness instructor, or knowledgeable friend can show you how to exercise properly, so you'll feel more confident that you're doing it correctly. . . .
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 253.
Today's challenge is a family potluck. I'm not even sure of the time -- probably too late for lunch and too early for supper. So, the plan is an early snack before we go. No snacks while we're there. The plan for the meal is "salad + fruit + tiny servings of anything else I want." Then, a light supper when I get home.
The emotional piece is a meeting to work out care for an ailing mother-in-law. I already gave my two cents in a phone conversation with my sister-in-law (prodding some pre-meeting research), so my plan for that portion of the day is to keep my mouth shut.
It will be great to visit with a couple of nephews!
Today's featured response card:
Quote:
Hunger is not an emergency. Neither is a craving or a desire to eat. I've got this.
WI: NA kg, Exercise: +45 115/1300 minutes for July, Food: 100% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Wishing a happy and safe 4th to my fellow Americans!
BillBlueEyes: Our lettuce bolted last week. I spend ten minutes or more a day killing cabbage worms -- I'm not sure if it's good for my karma, but it's good for my kale! I'm giving away a bunch of kale to a sister-in-law today. I'm hoping fewer leaves might make it easier to stay on top of the cabbage worms. My herbs are doing great, but we're still waiting on tomatoes, too.
maryann: your thoughts on the artificial high of addiction were helpful, thanks!
karenrn: bon voyage!
NottsMike: good work to set yourself up well for healthy eating.
silverbirch: a pre-driving sports massage sounds excellent -- I'm surprised how hard driving can be on my body.
Thank goodness last night was the last night out to eat. Mexican again - had the fajitas meat and veggies only and could only eat about a fourth, it was so late. Gave the leftovers to my college son, who always needs a meal lol. I did have some chips and salsa, but kept it to a minimum.
Today is a get-together with my DDs inlaws and her BIL and his family. I offered to make a sandwich bar with fresh fruit and veggies on the side. Then when they all go out this evening I am staying home!
gardenerjoy: thank you for your response cards, they are actually good for me as well.
BillBB: We had airplane flying low here as well - the Candy Bomber. Nothing fascinates more than low flying planes.
maryann: thank you so much for your reflective post. Well said.
karenrn: let me know how the movie is, someone recommended the book recently but haven't read it.
NottsMike: congrats on not indulging before the diet start - that is usually a time we like to indulge, as a last hurrah.
silverbirch: ahhhh, a massage. Congrats on that.
love2garden: I am appreciating the Beck habits more and more, even though they seem like common sense, I really need to rely on them as well.
gardenerjoy: thanks for reminder that healthy food affects us mentally and emotionally. Important reminder.
Happy 4th to all you Americans - may your day be full of joy and gratitude!
After all my good intentions of posting daily, my schedule got thrown off by a whole bunch of stuff, including a pulled hamstring and a suddenly-altered child care schedule. Sigh. Anyway, I have stayed on track and kept up my running, though I took a day off yoga yesterday to rest the hamstring. I think it’s better now. Waving to all - time to mindfully inhale lunch before running out to buy paint for my living and dining rooms (yay!) My daughter continues to alternate between sweet-natured goofiness and alien hostility. Sigh. Onward ...
Food on plan and within calories, credit. Yesterday was supposed to be strength training, but I forgot my glasses and could not read what I was supposed to do, so resorted to cardio, credit for the exercise. Out to dinner last night but the salad was very low calorie, lettuce, tomato, grilled chicken and a few pine nuts with oil and vinegar dressing that I put on. Dh had an individual pizza so we were both happy.
I've had a productive morning so far making a 2 week supply of dog food and cutting up lots of watermelon and cantaloupe to take on my trip to Sequoia. I've also got breakfast things for myself, and some low fat Greek yogurt, cherries and baby carrots with hummus. I'm hoping with all that healthy stuff I won't have a problem with the chips etc. that are bound to be available. I haven't had any of that stuff in so long now, and I feel very motivated to leave it alone . . . . but sometimes I just don't know.
I've got all my other things on the bed and ready to pack up too. So looking forward to getting into cooler temps and doing some hiking.
SuzLen Sounds like you've done well with all the restaurant meals. I bet it sounds good to stay home tonight.
GardenerJoy Enjoy visiting with your nephews. That's the part I like best about family get togethers, seeing what's up with the younger people. Good luck with keeping your mouth shut. There has been a funny on FB lately that says something to the effect that it is so wonderful to be able to speak multiple languages, but even more wonderful to know when to keep our mouths shut. So true. I have a hard time with that one.
Bill Me and Earl and the Dying Girl was really good. It was the winner of the 2015 Sundance Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. I would recommend it.
Maryann Boating on Lake Tahoe sounds just wonderful. I drove by there on a road trip a couple of years ago, but have never been on the water. What a beautiful place.
NottsMike Welcome and I hope you find the group helpful. I certainly do!
Silverbirch Hi and hope things settle down for you one of these days.
Loves2garden It's true, some days in the gym are just a struggle. Besides I would so much rather be outdoors. What are you reading?
Curlyjax The elliptical at the gym where I go has a program called "Rolling Hills". If yours has that you might try it. It changes the resistance and the elevation (or whatever they call that) every minute. So if it gets really hard you can see by the diagram that it will be easier soon. I started on the stair climber yesterday. It is like walking up the escalator. Next time I'll do that first, not after I've already tired myself out.
Okay, one last thing. I found a cute long dress at Costco. It's sleeveless with a round neck and elastic around the waist. I have a cute belt to wear with it and I'll wear it with my jeans jacket and silver jewelry. The best part, $17.99. In case any of you look for it . . . it runs huge. I am 5'5" and 141 pounds and the small was too big. I went back for the extra small (and kept the small just in case at dh's suggestion). Talk about vanity sizing. That's ridiculous.
Glad to report the back is making big gains healing. No pain pill until 3:00. I rode my bike to downtown old Truckee to watch a classic small town parade. Also classic was a rolling thunder storm which came out of nowhere and scattered the participants with bellowing thunder and lightening. It dropped 6 inches. I sent DH to shuttle our party home ( we had our bikes. ) I slipped into a boutique clothing store and waited out the storm with pleasure. Great incentive to get back to a strong program. I want clothes to continue to look nice on me. I want to be visible, stylish, confident and creative in my appearance. In order to do so I have to recommit to vigilance in Beck strategies especially no standing while eating.
No fireworks tonite. DH is making homemade ice cream which I plan to sample sitting down.
Wave to all.
Welcome Mike (NottsMike)
Mike! When I saw your name I immediately assumed you were a cricketer! 
