[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

Canceled several appointments down in the valley. A snow storm keeps us cabin bound and cozy for another couple of days. I finally am sitting down to start The War of Art all of you were reading awhile back. I couldn't find a library copy so I just bought one.

Started the morning reading DAY 2 (nationalparker - hop in) I cleaned out old meals in MFP and then added meals for one of the two diets I have chosen - 3 breakfasts and three lunch/dinners. That will give me a good start. Quote from the reading "Think about trying something you have lost weight on before." I have done just that. Tomorrow is the BIG day - sit down while you eat. This is the keystone of eating behavior for me.

[nationalparker]

Dreary, rainy, gloomy dark day here. I am, however, celebrating that it's not icy! Few staff in the office today. Finished up my biggest project that had to get done this morning, and now onto smaller ones. Packed and ate a healthy lunch. I know dinner will be out and am really looking forward to dressing up and getting out with DH, rainy or not. I had socked away some money every few weeks for Christmas Fun and will use that cash for tonight and tomorrow night's museum fee.

Again, I'm debating and delaying on ordering the kindle version of the pink book. I need to just dive in and do it and not worry about the duplicate-ness of having both. It's less than a dinner out (well, less than a lunch in some places) and I can swing it. Why have I built this wall up on that?

Bill - I concur with your wife. I despise the stark, institutional colors and want them ALL to be warm whites. After we bought a bulb that had to be returned, I said that it looked like a gas station bathroom light. He had to agree...

Will run by the library to pick up a book and a CD that I've got on hold. One is the old "On A Starry Night" cd and the other is the book I bought for my brother (Letters of Note).

Looking forward to relaxing and watching The Bishop's Wife before Christmas. That's a fave ... as well as the two Bing Crosby/Fr. O'Malley ones that make me cry.

Enjoy a calm night everyone.

[maryann]

Good Afternoon, Everyone.

Wow. Reading the War of Art and I have that overwhelming feeling that I was supposed to read it in this place, in this moment, in the second day of my 52 year.

Quote: The more important a call or action (weight loss) is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance we feel pursuing it.

Quote: Resistance seems to come from outside of ourselves in spouses, jobs, bosses, kids, . . . but resistance arises from within. It is self perpetuated and self-generated. It is the enemy within. (I always knew I self sabotage but didn't have a name for it or a reason.)

Quote: Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. But it can be felt. We experience it as an energy field radiating from the work-in-potential (food program). But it is a repelling force aimed at stopping us from doing the work we are supposed to do.

WOW! I never thought of my 45 years of struggling to lose weight as "the work" I am supposed to so for my soul. I thought of it as vanity or health related or an intellectual exercise. It is a spiritual step for me to take to free up energy to do the next thing I am supposed to do.

This really resonate with me because I have a clear cut example of triumphing over Resistance in my work life. I don't have a job as much as a vocation. It demands all my creativity, compassion and courage when I try to shine the light of knowledge and education in the cave of ignorance created by poverty and hopelessness. I have fought this battle for 25 years and yet everyday I show up with a an armor of confidence. I was never an awkward new teacher. Walking into a classroom for me was like (and I say this with modesty) I imagine Lebron walking onto a basketball court. I instinctively knew what to do. The work was perpetually refilling. But for most others I started with, it was depleting and they have left the profession or burnt out.

So my food life is the opposite of my work life. I have been beaten by Resistance there.

I am really going to try and work through the thinking this week as I continue pink book and continue with War of Art.

[karenrn]

Good afternoon coaches,
Did pretty well yesterday, but apparently not good enough. The scale is still up. I think increasing my water would be a good thing. I did get out for a hike after church yesterday, credit. I've been reading my cards, credit, but need to write some new ones. They are getting stale.

Oh I am finding this time of the year difficult. I know it's all in my head and then I'm a little busier and not getting as many hiking miles in which doesn't help. Today I had my greeter duty at the trailhead and have spent the afternoon ironing because it needed to be done. I used Love2gardens idea and walked the clothing into the closet frequently.

Maryann A belated Happy Birthday and I'm glad you're in a place with the time to read and relax.

Nationalparker Enjoy your evening out and tomorrow too.

Curlyjax The cookies sound wonderful; I do love cookies.

GardenerJoy Wow, that's exciting that one of your photos was purchased. Yes, you are a professional photographer!

Onebyone I love the bee bowls. The bee is very cute.

Bill I am glad I don't have as many social occasions with goodies as you do. The social occasions yes, the goodies I wouldn't be able to resist.

I hate to wish my life away, but I am looking forward to just 10 days from now when the whole world will be watching what they eat!

Onward, I had better get the poinsettias watered before they die . . . it's too soon for that.

[onebyone]

Very short post to say I weighed and what I thought I was vs. What I really was was off by 12 lbs. Was sure I was 285. I weighed 273. I have no clue especially when I am focused on how uncomfortable I am feeling. Credit for weighing. I did eat better today. Credit. I am not going to make cookies for DH's office this year. I may send him with a bundt cake though. That way nothing left to tempt me. But I am pretty much winding down. Much of my day I am pretty still. I'm not interested in doing much. I have one more event tomorrow. I'm printing some tshirts with a friend for Xmas gifts. I hope it works out. I'm a good paper printer but fabric is different and it's good to have help.

After that I will.make some baked goods and then Xmas will be here and our boxing day dinner and over. I feel good now that the scale said 273. I have a chance to hang onto this weight and not go higher. I'd like to do that. I will try.

Maryann: The War of Art is a phenomenal book. Thank you for reminding me. I will also start it again and I will dig my pink book out as well. It worked the best for me.
Hope your time away is fulfilling.




Bye for now.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walked, CREDIT moi, to the library where I picked up a handful of DVDs that we may watch after Christmas - including two versions of Jane Austin in deference to DW who likes that stuff. I made it to Home Depot to get the fluorescent tubes of the right temperature (3400). They do, however, have a CRI rating of 8 (80%) when the old ones have a CRI rating of 7 (70%). We'll see this evening if a one bulb replacement is visually acceptable to DW's keen eyes. And I bought the four pound chuck roast for the pot roast that DW plans for Christmas Eve dinner - a first for us. I was under ADAMANT direction that it couldn't be more than four pounds - that the size pot it's destined for. I admit that the eight pounder looked tempting, LOL.

I did find that I'd spent nearly an hour just strolling the aisles of Home Depot fondling the tools and gadgets. I consulted a plumber-salesman who sent me away to dismantle the faucet to get a better description of what I need. I like that a guy who can barely speak English can convince me that he speaks expert plumbing.


onebyone – Yay for that positive scale surprise. Hope the t-shirt printing goes well today.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Salad bars draw me in with stuff chopped up that I don't do at home.

maryann - Happy Birthday! I saw pictures of your snow in my news feed - still now out here. I may need to revisit The War of Art for its help facing Resistance.

nationalparker – Kudos for positive thinking about getting Beck's Pink Book. [LOL at "gas station bathroom light."]

Karen (karenrn) - For your hiking, you can celebrate that starting today there'll be more daylight hours each day. Every store yesterday had zillion of poinsettias for sale - must have been a bumper crop.

curlyjax - 100 is a lot of cookies. Kudos for "still eating healthily other ways."

Readers -

Chapter 3 Stress Traps

Escape the Too Busy Trap

Your goal requires an investment of time and energy. You can't add water to a glass that's already completely full. You will need to pour some out to make room for you in your life. It will be worth it!

• Ask yourself, whom can I enlist to help me get things done? Sometimes when we're overwhelmed, we find it difficult to stop long enough to see who can lend a helping hand. Think of your family, your friends, your neighbors, your kids' friends' parents, your coworkers. People are often happy, or at least willing, to help, but if you don't ask, you won't receive.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., Deborah Beck Busis, The Diet Trap Solution, Train Your Brain to Lose Weight and Keep It Off for Good (Blue book), pg. 54

[curlyjax]

hi coaches- quick check in. Credit for making stirfry yesterday that everyone ate and DD even came back for seconds! It takes forever to make it but glad its a healthier choice that works.
Credits for stretching today quickly- I'm going to make that a goal I think! - and waking up hungry, which means I didn't over do it last night.

I did eat too many sweets yesterday- homemade fudge at work which is a real treat, I don't have the patience to make that myself - and other junk. Today is another mini party but all the desserts are store bought cookies so not such a temptation!

[karenrn]

Food on plan and within calories yesterday, credit. I ate one spritz cookie as planned. Read my cards this morning and I'm soon to head for my strength training class at the Y.

Have a good day!

[gardenerjoy]

Today's challenge is our festive meal with my brother and his family. I'll go with my "drinks or dessert, but not both" rule and it will be a drink -- we're going to a place with splendid cocktails. I checked the on-line menu and picked a cocktail and entree. There will be more food, because it's that sort of place and my SIL's brother works in the kitchen which makes us "family", but I'll just take a taste of anything that isn't vegetable-centric.

WI: -0.05 kg, Exercise: +80 880/1200 minutes for December, Food: 100% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

Day 3 - Eat sitting down. This is by far the toughest habit for me to master. But master it I will. I have two hours of success so far
WOA Quote: The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves, too. All sorts of things help one that would not otherwise have occurred.

Onebyone: Would love to see the silk screen t shirt as well.
BBE: I have a personal collection of five different versions of Jane Eyre.
curlyjax: Yes. Healthy food takes effort. But I love seeing my boys eat healthy stuff.
Karenrn: War of Art talks about doing the work everyday no better, no excuses. You really seem to have that commitment with exercise. i admire it.

[nationalparker]

Early check in today because the evening and night will be busy. The evening was very relaxing last night - nothing tackled from our combined "to do" lists and it was a nice break. We decided to do that each year - just step back from the busyness and enjoy. We came home after dinner and lit a fire, put on Christmas tunes, and ended up sleeping on quilts by the fire, battling the dog for room to move She has GOT to be right there when we're on the floor.

This evening DH and I are hitting a local museum and probably dinner downtown. I anticipated that with good breakfast and lunch and no snacks. Lunch could have been smaller. At least got in a lot of veggies. Will aim to stay up late and wrap up a good bit of the baking. I'm always more gung ho in the mornings, though, but I don't want to have to take vacation tomorrow. Then I think, why the heck not? Just get things done and then enjoy the 24th and 25th. I want to make mendiants on the 24th and should have everything to make, chill and then gift box and be done with it all.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Done! CREDIT moi. The latest bulb matches the others in the kitchen so the ladder is returned to the basement and the extra bulbs properly stored. We brought in the Christmas tree last night. At seven feet tall it's our shortest in years, but it looks good in place. Cleaning up is easier since we started laying a tarp over the living room rug before bringing in the tree with its inevitably shed needles.

Nibbling was too much - Ouch. I did adjust lunch as partial compensation. Walk, CREDIT moi, was to the hardware store with the burned out four foot bulb in my hand; they accept them for recycling. I stopped at the bank to get $1 gold coins for the toes of the kids' stockings. And I got four rolls of quarters as a gift for DW who needs them for parking meters and is always running out. More last minute gifts were delivered - at odd times of the early morning and late evening. We're on the way.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – Love your rule, "drinks or dessert, but not both."

maryann - Kudos for two hours of success so far. Congrats on the news that your "Lake Tahoe Was Flooded With 6.4 Billion Gallons of Water in 24 Hours." That's a lot of water.

nationalparker – Snuggling by the fire with your DH and dog sounds like the greatest.

Karen (karenrn) - Only one cookie is Kudos worthy.

curlyjax - Yep, waking up hungry is a great sign of sane living.

Readers -

Chapter 3 Stress Traps

#2: The Unreasonable Rules Trap

You create overly restrictive rules for
.....yourself that lead to stress.

Miranda agreed that it was practical for her to do nonessential errands on the weekend, but she didn't know how she would fit this in. "My Saturdays and Sundays are already jam-packed. I have schoolwork to do, and housework, and marketing, and I try to go to all the games and practices for both boys."
. . . . . I said, "Let me ask you this: What if you had kidney trouble and had to go to dialysis every Saturday and Sunday for at least an hour? Would you find time for that?"
. . . . . "Of course!!"
. . . . . "That means if your absolutely had to fit something else into your weekends, you could do it, no question." Miranda nodded. We figured out that she could free up considerable time if she modified her usual plan of going to every soccer and basketball practice and staying for the entire time. We came up with some options:

• She could simple drop them off and pick them up.
• She could return for only the final half hour.
• She could get someone else, such as her brother, to drive them (and maybe stay and watch, too).

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., Deborah Beck Busis, The Diet Trap Solution, Train Your Brain to Lose Weight and Keep It Off for Good (Blue book), pg. 54

[curlyjax]

hi coaches!
I've been feeling really tired at night, even falling asleep briefly around 7 which I hate, because it messes up my sleep. Today I woke up with a cold so there is the explanation for that, and I'm kind of relieved, I always start imagining the worst! DS also woke up with a cold and a reddish eye, I am hoping its not pinkeye, not great timing! So he is happily staying at home, its only a half day anyhow, and better to not infect more kids.
I have a day off and need to do laundry, wrap presents, prep for our trip tomorrow, and have to take DD to the mall to finish her shopping, geez! Then nag her into wrapping presents and packing her suitcase which takes forever. I love to be with my parents for Christmas but it takes a lot of effort to prepare and travel there. Each year I wonder, will the presents all fit in the car? At least it is not icy this year.
Enough holiday complaining I will try to find something remotely healthy in the frog, we are running out of veggies etc.
Nationalparker- I have never heard of mediant cookies, interesting! you are such a good cook!

[nationalparker]

Long night - enjoyed the museum and then headed to "our" little spot downtown for dinner. Made it home close to 9 and got started on wrapping and misc. stuff - no baking! I just decided to tackle that all today instead. We'll see what gets done. I fell asleep after I put my feet up and DH put on a non-Christmas docudrama -- WWII (with Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci and others, so it was interesting but late). Woke up with kitty kneading me and hit the sack. A good day. Snacks were limited to one cookie and some light popcorn late.

They're prepping us on possible tornadoes today. Keeping finger crossed and alert. Warm already - 60 this morning. Unbelievable. Dinner is not yet planned and need to think of something with a good balance.

CurlyJax - Mendiants are basically melted chocolate discs of different types (dark, milk or white) with a couple of pieces of nut/dried fruit on them. I think they're prettiest when they aren't all jumbled, but honestly, they all look pretty. Maybe there is another name for them - anyone? Good luck with the prep and dealing with DD - maybe she packs first and then gets taken to the mall since mall is more fun than packing? haha I'm SO WITH YOU on not icy this year. Yet.

Bill - WOW on the 7-foot tree - that sounds wonderful. I love your idea with the tarp and will remember that for another season. I would have liked a much bigger tree but with us only doing stockings this year, it all worked out - but next year... I'll be aiming to put it up earlier and get one a bit larger. We can be crammed in for a few weeks. DH and I were trying to figure out why Christmas seems so off this year - we're not ready, not decorated as much ... decided it's because our schedules have been opposite for nearly the whole month. I wonder. Or am I just getting old and slowing down. I don't like that option.

Maryann - Sounds like The War of Art is really resonating with you at this point in your life. I love it when information/thoughts align like that. I bought it on the recommendation here and barely started it, set it aside and thought I'll come back to it when it fits. Same with Martha Beck's The Joy Diet (10 practices for a happier life). I feel my life IS happy - I try to stay positive and not immediately look at the negative in a situation, etc. but know that I'll need it at some point.

Karen - If it's 60 here, how hot is it there for you? Are they expecting a warmer-than-normal winter for you? I was telling DH about your move from Washington to AZ and how your lifestyle increased in activity with more active friends and how I admired that difficult choice to leave. Credits for not letting fear of the unknown and change hold you back, back then!

Rambling here - Hoping to get on later with a few more personals, but if not, you're all in my thoughts! And add me to the list who'd like to see the Tshirt if you're able to post it, OneByOne - and KUDOS for weighing and get that number that's higher than you ever were this year out of your head! Interesting to see what our minds do with weight thoughts.

[gardenerjoy]

The thing I chose from the menu was no longer on the menu. I made an almost reasonable substitute. But, ended up with no vegetables for supper -- due to a lack of creativity or forcefulness on my part. Although, I'm also kind of appalled that I paid that much for an entree that didn't come with a few vegetables. I feel like nice restaurants should do proper pairings of vegetables with their meat. The fact that they don't, that they think it's acceptable to serve a meal without a vegetable in sight presumably because their customers prefer it, says something's bad in our culture.

But that's one of only two meals that I need to fret over completed this month. And, probably, the harder one.

The books that I gave to the step-niece seemed to be a hit, both for her and her mom who's worried that, at 15, she's spending more time on her phone and less time with books than she used to.

WI: NA kg, Exercise: +15 895/1200 minutes for December, Food: 80% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes