KarenRN: It is easier to stay OP at work if I follow my simple rule of no sweets. If I choose not to do so, then work is the worse place to be. I was struck at our faculty meeting during start up week how much heavier teachers have become at school. It used to be the older teachers would put on some weight but now the young teachers are often very heavy. I absolutely believe part of this is due to potluck days at work, a constant supple of bake goods in the staff room from well meaning parents, and the camaraderie of going to lunch ( for those whose prep periods back up against the lunch hour.) I made a decision several years ago to not go out to lunch in a crowd at work. It has cost me social bonding absolutely but that is the way it is. However, a group of teachers are now walking after school. Maybe I will join them even though track walking is not what I need. I need hills and there are none in my town.
silverbirch: Traveling is never easy. I love a food routine. It is so much easier.
curleyjax: Did your son get off to college? I think your daughter has one year left. It would be great to be a n empty nester before you are full time.
BBE: Maybe if you add a little heat to the vice with a blow dryer, the book might be good as new. Gardenerjoy is the librarian. I bet she has some tricks up her sleeve.
nationalparker: Enjoy the ocean. It is my favorite place to be.
Newlifestyle: I am not sure where your cottage is but enjoy it.
As for me, credit for three full days of tracking. I have found the willingness to stay with it if I don't try to limit portions or choices except NO WHEAT. This sounds a little namby pamby to me but it has been flexible enough to keep me sitting while I am eating. My weight is down three pounds from last weeks traveling high. I am three pounds from ticker. That feels much better than six pounds from ticker. Six pounds from ticker means I am in danger of growing out of my pants.
Credit for dealing with some unexpected responsibilities this week without diving into the chocolate. A new teacher quit the first day. Even though I promised myself I would never sell my prep, I agreed to teach one of his classes. There were a variety of reasons. He was in my classroom anyway (sometimes we have to share a room); I know many of the kids in the class and they are a great group; I have taught the curriculum before before; and I would hate to have the kids deal with rotating subs. The positive is I will get a nice chunk of money to help replenish the savings after the Steinway purchase.
Bottomline: I am absolutely SWAMPED. I can run to the bathrooms during the 7 min passing periods and have a 25 min lunch and that is IT from 8:00 to 3:00. I am trying not to panic. I have to fit in planning, attendance, responding to emails, holding office hours, copying curriculum ( there is no textbook for ANY of the classes)and go to staff meeting all before and after school. Then there is correcting. I joked to one teacher this semester is a cardio event!!! Kids deserve an energetic teacher and I don't want to disappoint. This will be a day to day exercise in taking good care of myself by lots of sleep, scheduled exercise, healthy food in the house, TRAVELING KEPT TO A MINIMUM, and letting the "crown" of perfect teacher slip. "Just OK" on some things is win. For instance, I typed a test at 10:00 in the evening with a bunch of typos. The world did not come to an end and we moved on.
To honor these goals, for today
I sent to the boys to the county fair. I will not feel guilty not being with them. I have made a lot of deposits in their emotional accounts. I'll enjoy some time tomorrow with them.
I made a menu plan for the week. When I need a break correcting, I'll do some cooking.
I will do an efficient, strategic trip to Sam's Club for a break to fill in food needs.
I am stocking up on the vegan protein drinks to have in the classroom. They are expensive ($2.00 a pop) but a vital way for me to remain full during days I have no breaks.
I will treat myself to another Lt. Gamache book on Kindle to read on the treadmill.
Early walk with Otis, WW meeting and now getting a little housework done. I gained a little over a pound this week. At this point I think it is just fluctuations and I am pretty much eating what I can for this weight and this activity level. Like most all of us there are times I feel I wish I could eat whatever I want, but I remind myself that I am not hungry nor do I feel deprived very often. When it cools and I do a little more hiking I may be able to add a few more teats here and there. I did a little meal planning when I got home and have three new recipes I will try this week. They are all from Skinnytaste.com and are: Chicken thighs with artichoke hearts and feta, Chicken Tikka Masala with cauliflower and peas, and Taco stuffed zucchini boats. I'll let you know how they taste.
Later today we're going over to our house to float in the pool for a bit and then out with a friend for 1/2 price burger night at our local tavern.
Maryann Yes, I remember now when I was working in the hospital I had my rule of not eating any of the goodies in the break rooms. We saw patients in many different areas, so there were many selections of goodies. Many nurses are heavy and I used to think it was because it attracted a certain personality type, which it probably does, but these days I look around and so many are heavy. The cost of healthcare is horrendous, but it still doesn't seem there is enough focus on education and prevention. It sounds like you are going to be so, so busy. I hope you can find time to take care of yourself.
GardenerJoy Your meals out sound pretty tasty and lunch at least sounds pretty safe if you can stick to your plan on the corn muffin. I hope dinner is delicious too. Removing snack calories and adding them to the calories for meals should work pretty well.
Bill When you write about your walks examining other's gardens it reminds me to tell you that Otis and I are walking in this new area and it's kind of fun. There are some man made lakes surrounded with quite beautiful homes and they all have a pontoon party boat docked out front. We are always there in the early morning, so of course we don't see the boats out. The lakes are so small it seems odd that one would even care to purchase a boat to be on them.
Silverbirch I'm glad you're home and enjoying it. Isn't it true that things look a little different at home when we've been away for a bit.
Well off to watch a tv program. It's called "Check please, Arizona" and is a local restaurant review. I always like to see if there is a new place we might want to go.
Sunday - Voyager 2 launched (1977, now 7 billion miles away)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Exercise was our yearly square dance, CREDIT moi, with old friends. It was a glorious summer evening, just right for an outdoor picnic before the event.
Dinner was a sandwich picked up at Whole Foods. The great news is that we were about to each grab a $7.99 wrapped sandwich from the deli counter when we saw that they'd make one to our order. We did: smoked turkey, roasted peppers, focaccia bread - the works. For the same price we got MONSTER fresh sandwiches. We each ate only half so I came close to a normal meal, CREDIT moi. At the noon birthday party I served myself only one plate of food and ate it sitting down. I thought about seconds, but didn't, CREDIT moi.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – LOL at "eclipse shades Easter Bunny." I'll make a pinhole viewer out of something - maybe the cereal box thing. I might get out my telescope like I did last time because it projects a bright spot that many people can watch. DW only wants to search for the natural pinholes created by leaves. We'll have the DGD and my thought is to only encourage her to be looking away from the sun. [We were committed to an old friend's birthday party at noon so we missed the love fest on the Boston Common.]
maryann - Thanks for "'Just OK' on some things is win." Don't we all need to remember that. Kudos for making a serious plan.
Karen (karenrn) - This resonates with me, "there are times I feel I wish I could eat whatever I want, but I remind myself that I am not hungry nor do I feel deprived very often. " Need to keep reminding myself, I'm not in the wilderness; food will show up again - usually very soon.
Readers -
Quote:
chapter 3 How Thin People Think
characteristic 2 You Have a Low Tolerance for Hunger and Cravings
The Beck Diet Solution
In this program, you'll discover for yourself that hunger and cravings are not emergencies, and you'll learn how to tolerate them. As you're reading this, perhaps you're thinking, I know, I know I don't have to eat when I'm hungry or having a craving . . . I want to eat.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 35.
Hi coaches! I’ve had a nice mixture of fun and productive few days. DH and I went to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and had a nice day there, including a very overpriced lunch. I am sure you have been there Bill! I love the 40 foot green glass statue in the main cafe. I also like the fact that I know I can come back since its not that far away, and don’t have to feel like i need to see everything, the way you do when you go on vacation. We had such a limited time at the British museum, it would be great to be able to go back there once a year and take my time.
Then yesterday we FINALLY cleaned a bunch of windows that were filthy beyond compare (picking the most humid day to do it!) which has been on my to do list for a few years. I also found out that the local Mac store can’t fix my laptop since its too old- 6 years- but they cheerfully gave me a list of folks who could. So I’m assigning DH to deal with that this week.
School starts in a week and a half and I think the kids are secretly getting bored and ready for it. DD is tearful as its her senior year and she doesn’t want high school to end. DS is a sophmore (Maryanne he may be the same age as your son- 15? ). So it will be a busy fall. I’m ready!
Karenrn- those new meals sound good! Ah, a Talbots sale, they do have good quality things. It’s a great time to find summer bargains, i have to restrain myself at lands end at Sears. Maryann- good luck with the new school challenges, you do sound busy!
More personals tomorrow, wave to all!
Credit: followed through with most of my plans. I made chickpea turkey sausage stew for lunches, Hambone and Bean Soup, Pizza Dough, and Homemade rolls (which I put in the freezer) for the week. The pressure cooker is a marvel. I exercised while listening to a new audiobook and I took another load to Goodwill. I didn't grocery shop but can easily slip by after school tomorrow now that I know what I need. And I completely blew off school stuff in favor of a movie fest and early night. I set my alarm early this morning and will hopefully get in three hours of planning before the boys come back and we have our family day.
Scale is another pound down which is a surprise because I used my super cool new popcorn bowl that goes in the microwave. This means I had a little more salt intake than normal. I ignored my fake food rule and used "I can't believe it is not butter spray" with salt to get the salt to stick. YUM!!!!! Also the soups and stews usually add a pound with the salt in the chicken broth. So a big surprise with the drop. Two pounds from ticker.
Wow, BBE's quote hit me today "I Have a Low Tolerance for Hunger and Craving." Isn't that true. I also have a low tolerance for uncomfortable situations of conflict. One of my students dinged my car (a pucker the size of a silver dollar) when she didn't realize I had already pull out of a parking space. I stopped and honked my horn but she didn't see me. Her dad came right away and I told him I would have to ask DH what to do and maybe it would be no harm no foul. But DH talked to the dad and felt strongly we should report it. With the farm we have to be careful about lawsuits, and it was on school property. The girl was crying the next day saying her insurance rates would go up and she couldn't drive anymore. This type is situation is MY ISSUE, my Achilles Heal. If I can continue honor my "truth" and tolerate my anxiety of not people pleasing, I will make huge strides. The temptation to pay the damage for the girl, overeat, or take an anxiety pill comes in waves. But my side of the street is clean. I can't control what anybody else does. If I try, I gain wait, add pills, take out my fears on my family, etc. . . . For today, I continue walking in the uncomfortable zone towards better mental health.
Thanks for listening, All. I move on to planning the analysis lessons for Huckleberry Finn.
My food went as planned yesterday -- credit! Today doesn't have a plan yet, but I'm clear on one thing -- a trip to at least one grocery store. I want meals planned and food purchased through Tuesday. No one is quite sure what's going to happen in the path of totality, but traffic jams are a distinct possibility. My plan is not to go anywhere tomorrow since I can see the sun in my backyard.
Well I did get out there and do the Bell Pass hike this morning. It was a little over 80 when I started with no breeze at all and mid 80's when I finished, but the good news is there is cloud cover so the sun was never on me. That makes such a difference. It was tough. I was trying to sort out why it seemed tough, but I think it was mostly because it is warmer than I would prefer for a strenuous hike. It does have 1500 feet elevation gain and is about 7 1/2 miles. Must of the elevation gain is in the last mile or so. It was great to be able to listen to my book for a longer time and in fact I finished it on the hike. I was listening to "My Brilliant Friend" by Elena Ferrante. It's a 4 book series that my friend told me about. I've already downloaded "The Story of a New Name", which is the second book in the series. Today will be a pretty lazy day. I'll get cleaned up soon and get some grocery shopping done. I'm surprised how much food we seem to go through, but we do eat most all meals at home.
Bill The square dance sounds fun. I haven't really even seen one in years and then I don't know where. I really should find someplace I could do some kind of dancing. I'm no good, but I do love it.
Curlyjax I didn't realize you live so near Boston. My laptop was too old to get a battery at the Apple store too. My brother is very handy and was here visiting at the time. He ordered one online from a place where he would get parts and modify computers and it arrived in time for him to install it for me. I don't know if it's the battery or what for you. My computer still works well, but even with the new battery it doesn't last long before needing to be plugged in. Most of the time I just keep it plugged in now.
Maryann Yea for the scale going down. We've been eating quite a bit of air popped popcorn here lately. I use the fake butter too and even worse I use Splenda on mine and salt on dh's. I mostly eat really healthy, pretty much no packaged things, but I do use those two things. I tried Stevia, but it doesn't work for my tastebuds.
GardenerJoy We certainly are not in the path of totality and I'm wondering how much we will even see. We usually have clear blue skies almost every day, but it's cloudy today and could be tomorrow too. Good for you having another on plan day.
We're getting ready to head home now, our flight leaves out tonight. Heading back down to Orlando. The day is pretty much a wash as our flight doesn't leave out until 9 but we want to skip the traffic in Orlando of all the other tourist wrapping up their weekends.
Back on plan tomorrow, the both of us. Someone at work schedule to meeting for an hour over the complete time that we should be able to see the eclipse, which in a way honks me off. Temptation looms to just take half day vacation in the afternoon and head out of the office. I don't have any eclipse glasses but will probably rig something up.
Nothing major to report here but didn't want to go too many days without checking in. Food has not been good. Well, actually, it's been very good, but not on plan. At least serving sizes have been reasonable.
The SO and I spent a little time yesterday planning how to make our weeks run more smoothly. That I was able to do this is a sign that mental space is opening up for me, just as I'd hoped it would. Things are changing for the better chez Birch and that's good.
So, Monday means shopping and tea will be leftovers from last night's 'Sunday dinner'. We had slow cooked mutton yesterday so today we'll have mutton in tomato sauce with, probably, pasta and greens of some kind. Lots of veg in the sauce and the greens might be runner beans from the garden.
I did my basic exercise routine yesterday and painted a wall. The DB and I are trying to get ahead with painting. It's been in abeyance since 2013 but the planets are now aligned.
I will do the basic exercise routine again today and work out how to fit basic flexibility, weights and HIIT (v good for getting rid of 'belly fat') into my new weekly routine.
nationalparker, reasonable serving sizes is a win!
karen, glad you hiked Bell Pass. We eat almost all our food at home and we're always shopping.
gardenerjoy, 'I want meals planned and food purchased through Tuesday'. Quite. I'm aiming for several days with my new plan.
maryann, well done with the parking business. Don't know whether you're talking about it more but, from here, you seem to be getting better and better at handling conflict. I'm so impressed.
curlyjax, so nice to visit a museum. And your filthy windows sound like my unpainted walls. Glad the planets were in alignment for cleaning them!
Bill, good work at the birthday party. One plate of food, sitting down? That's just excellent.
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Standard Sunday walk, then chased the DGD for the afternoon, CREDIT moi. We'll have three additional days with our DGD this week as her daycare does R&R or Teacher Training or something. Life is a challenge for couples who both work and have a kid or kids. The lucky ones have grandparents around who think the little monster is a darling. We'll be watching the solar eclipse with her. We have one pair of solar glasses and I'll make a pinhole projector of some sort so we can take a picture of her watching that.
Meals were on plan; snacks were too large. At Happy Hour I got my hands into some homemade gingerbread that had very strong ginger taste and smell. At least I enjoyed it and didn't fall for the grocery store cookies. Dinner was the second half of the sandwiches that we'd purchased for the picnic the night before - along with a green salad with homegrown cuke and tomatoes. It felt good eating half a sandwich that I could have eaten the night before to make that meal way too large.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Smart to stay off the road during the eclipse. Yesterday a friend handed me a pair of solar sunglasses; so now I know two people who plan in advance and are generous enough to buy multiples.
silverbirch – Kudos for serious planning to make life run smoothly. I drool at the thought of leftover mutton.
maryann - Sounds like an ideal day. Kudos for cooking ahead for the week.
nationalparker – Hope you made it home without traveler's woes. Perhaps you can go, in advance, to the room where the meeting will be held to tape a piece of aluminum foil on a window pane with a pinhole in it. The eclipse will be projected onto a wall in the room so you can watch it and ignore the meeting. A piece of loose weave material would also work and that creates a zillion pinhole projectors.
Karen (karenrn) - Your hiking continues to inspire me.
curlyjax - Isn't the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston just the best? Yep, two kids in high school should keep you busy this year.
Readers -
Quote:
chapter 3 How Thin People Think
characteristic 2 You Have a Low Tolerance for Hunger and Cravings
The Beck Diet Solution
You've probably read about hunger strikes, so you know people can go for days without eating. If you've ever fasted for a religious observance or a medical procedure, you know firsthand that hunger waxes and wanes.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 35.
My printmaking event is now just a memory. A fresh memory, but a memory nonetheless.
It did what I had set out to do: allow some of us to print with a paver.
I also worked through some other ideas I've held for a while.
I'm not sure I'd do any of it again.
Food wise I overate. Went way off track in both quantity and quality. I feel awful this morning.
Back on track though, credit. A couple of on plan days will do wonders.
I wish I had some holidays coming up but I continue to be ruled by deadlines. A solo show due to be installed Sept 5. A mural submission for artwork on a Bell Box due to be painted/completed between Sept 10-20. An art in the park on Sept 16/17. Painting and sealing wooden fence figures for my client asap. Plus,
a spot on the waiting list for a prestigious ceramic show this Fall. Wishing list is the worst. Prepare as if though it may not happen. It's ok, the work is not lost.
Wedding reception for an art school friend next Sunday night in Ottawa. Quick trip up and back.
Internment of my mother's ashes sometime in September.
Teaching starts Tuesday Sept 12 downtown. My local class may not go. No sign-ups yet. Can't say that saddens me given the above schedule.
DH has asked.when I can go on holidays as he has 35 days from last year to take. Not until late October or November.
Anyway it's good to be busy and good to have done my event but next year? Quiet. I just want quiet and self-imposed deadlines. We'll see if I can do that.
Back to basics now: get the food right, move the body, drink water.
Thanks for letting me lost all this stuff here. Always glad to re-connect.
Looks like we'll have sunshine for the eclipse. Mid-day yesterday, the prediction was for rain which was going to be very disappointing. I have food planned in my head, but it will be better if I write it down. Okay, done!
Hi Coaches!
Food mostly on program yesterday which feels good. My son came back after being away with family for a week, and brought back a lot of fresh tomatoes. I had already bought a bunch of multi colored little ones, so I guess it will be tomato fest around here! I made a fabulous dinner of pesto chicken, roasted tomatoes with parm, cauliflower rice with fresh parsley, and some quinoa. There were a lot of dishes�� but hopefully we can eat various leftovers tonight and have no dishes.
I’m trying edamame in my salad today. It’s one of those things Dr. Andrew Weil says you should have every day, or some type of soy. Plus Asian mushrooms, and a host of other things. I’m not sure I can manage all his ideas daily but including more in my diet would be good, for the immune system.
Onebyone- my goodness you are busy! I hope you do get some holidays soon. Silverbirch- glad things are going more smoothly, and that the planets have aligned for you too�� Bill- ooh, gingerbread, such a treat. How nice you get more time with DGD- and she is lucky too!
Well I think the eclipse was kind of a non-event here. I went to the gym and on the way home I guess the sun was partially occluded. Mostly I'm just watching it on the television. My youngest brother who lives in Washington went to Oregon to be in the path of the total eclipse. I'll have to hear what he has to say about it. Otis and I walked with a friend this morning and then he had to stay home while I went to the gym. He didn't seem to care. On our walk he showed my friend how he lets me know he wants a drink by jumping up onto a bench or low wall and then waiting for me to pour him a drink. I guess you have to do those kind of things when you can't talk.
I had a couple extra snacks yesterday, but no big deal. I was either a little more hungry from the strenuous hike or I allowed myself to have it cause I was a little bored. I mostly do have a few extras on the weekend.
Curlyjax Both your dinner and all those tomatoes sound delicious!
GardenerJoy I hope you are having clear skies, on CNN they just said it was cloudy near you.
Onebyone Why do you suppose you keep yourself that busy? Do you enjoy it, or do you feel you must. I know you're younger than I am, but I would be miserable to have that many deadlines.
Bill It sounds like a busy week with the little one for you this week. Hiking Suzanne sent me a video with her granddaughter laughing and laughing and it is such a wonderful sound. Enjoy it! And the gingerbread . . . ummm, I love gingerbread and molasses cookies. They are some of my favorite things.
Silverbirch Isn't it wonderful when you have enough space in your brain to be able to think of things to change to make life run more smoothly. I do have the time, but sometime I just need to think outside the box. We have such routines, that sometimes I just don't think about the fact there are other ways of doing things.
Nationalparker I hope you had a safe trip home and will await word of whether you went to work or took 1/2 a day off. Glad food was good. I love to have good food, what I don't like is to over eat when things aren't even good.
Maryann I hope your week starts off well and that your classes are good.
I've got to make a little plan for the week. No big plans today, but I think I'll listen to some of my book, "The Story of a New Name". Have any of you read that series?
PT today. It was good to leave school early. That's is the deal. I teach the extra period except for Monday. I love it when I make a clear boundary and people follow it. What great practice to actually say what I need. I will do some work for school since dinner is simple - pre-made yesterday. I have stuck to my little plan for nearly a week. That feels great. It seems less about the weight for me than the discipline. That is how it should be.
KarenRn: Bellpass sounds like a great hike. Just the kind I am practicing for Whitney.
Eclipse made the day a little chaotic. Thankfully it was in full fruition during the elective class I teach and I felt I could take a chunk of the period to watch the NASA live streaming. Only two of my kids had the necessary glasses and permission slip to leave the room. The best part was the young woman Indian scientist who was interviewed as the expert. So great for the 15 Indian girls in my class to see. I asked how many times they hear an Indian woman on Western TV. One girl held up a big zero with her fingers. My job is always interesting,
Sunday - Voyager 2 launched (1977, now 7 billion miles away)
I'm so impressed. 
