The challenge in steady heat is to think of how to get cool without using food. I lost my rational mind for a bit when I decided that a small ice cream would be a good reward for going to a furniture store with DW. I'm so naive that I believed that 'Kiddie size' - the one one smaller than 'Small' - would be of small volume. It was half a pint at least!!! Wish I hadn't eaten the whole thing. Yay for an air conditioned gym. And Yay for a gym that doesn't sell ice cream, LOL.

Bill Kiddie size has been supersized? ! At our local ice cream parlour kids get one scoop - it's all the sprinkly things that add on the calories for them. I find I can have one frozen 100 cal treat bar (current fave is caramel greek yogurt - not nearly as gross as it sounds ) in the evening and not want the whole box.

Speaking of calories I am going to commit to counting the darn things for this week. I want to hover around the low end of my weight range, rather than the high, where I've been all spring and summer.

The 2 weeks following that will be stressful as I'm staying with my cousin's pets and trying to juggle our current house and the new one as well. I see lots of pre-cooked BBQ chicken and bag salad in my future.

My goal is to be down to around 134 by the end of July - 3 lbs. in about 3 weeks. In some ways I think it will be easier to be away at the pet sit. DH is still turning on the TV every night and we are both "wired" to eat when it's on.

We checked out the local outdoor pool last night. I am going for a dip before dinner on Wed. night. I hope DH is not too to join me. No ordering him though - he has to want to exercise.

Dagmar

Bill, I hear ya with the heat. I've found that there is some truth to the notion that highly spicy foods have a cooling effect, although it's counterintuitive to be scooping the habanero salsa when you're already sweating. Plan B is to hide in the basement until the weather breaks.

Dagmar, sounds like you have a good plan to get where you want to go. I'm still in the "where do I want to go?" part. I think I did my last 5-year plan about 20 years ago.

Andrea, sorry to hear about the virus. To get whacked with one of those twice in a year is bad enough - in a month, yikes!

I spent a lot of time outside in the heat and sun this weekend - 18 holes of golf at high noon on Saturday, followed by 5 hours at the Detroit Zoo on Sunday. I was vigilant with the sunscreen, so at least I'm not burned up - but I'm in a really screwy place hydration-wise. I was chugging water all last night, and I am SIX pounds heavier this morning. The flood will come ...

And, as I was taking my groceries out to my car last evening (wearing my very cute new strappy sandals), I managed to somehow intersect my little toe with the bracket for one of the shopping cart's wheels. By the time I got home, the nail was completely black and the toe throbbing mightily. I think I'm going to have to put on my big girl panties and do the hot paperclip on it. Gah!

Becky ICE! Ice on the toe. Whatever the thing with the paperclip is it sounds mega painful.

I forgot to mention that I signed up for an online learning course. Read about this site in "O" and decided to try it.

https://www.coursera.org/

I am signed up for Scandinavian Film & Television - starting in Feb. 2014! That should give my moving/winter/weary brain a real jump start for next spring.

Dagmar

I

I thought long and hard about posting this but since I consider you to be my friends I would do it just I would eyeball to eyeball.Many of you know I am in cancer treatment. Long story short, I had breast cancer many years after 20 years it was discovered it had spread to my bones and I have been in treatment for that and doing well. A few days ago I developed double vision , after Doctor's Visits and an MRI it was discovered the cancer had spread to my brain I am starting radiation today. I am not looking for sympathy, just want you to know where I am coming from. If you are a praying person prayers are appreciated. All good thoughts are welcome.

Dagmar, the hot paperclip thing in itself isn't painful at all. It's a way to relieve the pressure of an under-nail blood blister - you heat up a paperclip with the flame of your choice, and burn a tiny hole (very slowly) through the nail. The worst part is the smell. Just as you get through the nail and before you hit anything with nerves in it, there's a little spurt of blood out through the hole, and almost immediately everything feels much, much better and heals somewhat less worse for wear, though it doesn't prevent losing the nail. The method is incredibly effective and fast ... I'm just squeamish.

Bargoo, you most definitely have my prayers.

Bargoo, thanks for staying here on the board & telling us. That can't have been easy. Yes, that is something I would want to know about. I would not want you here talking about weight & food, but holding back about your health and your daily routine. When did you hear the MRI results & were you sitting with that all weekend? I am not one for prayers but I'll pray for you. How will these radiation treatments work? Will someone go with you when you go to them?

Bargoo - Sending supportive thoughts as you find your path facing this.

All good thoughts, Bargoo.

bargoo Good thoughts, good vibrations, good feelings, all going your way. And I am also giving you a big and we can all give you a whenever you need them. Just let us know.

Dagmar

Thinking of you, Bargoo.

Bargoo~our thoughts and prayers are with you as you deal with this turn of events.

Bargoo, my heart jumped into my throat when I read your post. Your courage is amazing. . I don't pray but I will send supportive vibes... I know it's not much - wish there was more I could say or do!

Jen