JUST TO ANNOUNCE, THERE IS SNOW IN MY YARD!!! This has not occurred in my life for approximately 18 years! My dog has never seen snow. Now, mind you, this would hardly be classified as snow in the midwest from whence I came long long ago, but it nevertheless is technically snow, sort of soft, warm and clumpy and in strange little patches on the yard. It'll be gone soon but perhaps it is a portent of something great that is about to happen, like I'm going to lose three pounds this weekend. Nah, probably not!

Arabella, I had an eating evening somewhat similar to how you describe your day yesterday lol. Not sure why. Lol, I don't have a job or any reason to be tired particularly. I was stressed over some negative interactions in my business life, though, and reacted as if it was work stress and just ate too much.

Interesting that you also find potatoes helpful as a substitute for wheat based foods. I am so enjoying eating white potatoes again, since I had banned them in my head for so long, due really to the influence of other people and popular diet science and what not. My body finds the white potatoes a happier choice than wheat.

I remain happily wheat free backed also by the knowledge that if I do at some point want bread, pizza crust or cake, there ARE wheat free products available, but honestly all that seems remote right now and I am making better food choices for the most part.

Did eat candy today and too high.

FITBIT HAS INFORMED ME THAT I HAVE WALKED 500 MILES AND I RECEIVED A BADGE! Woot! So I've done 500 miles since I got the device, which was early November.

I'm back up to an official 10,000 steps, having moved my daily goal back to that. I am still remembering that there is no law that says I have to make that goal at times, but it is nice to have the goal.

Onward, all. Greetings to all royals, whether near or far.

Woot, I think you are right about that alignment of planets, Wood Nymph! Congrats on the problem free day and I intend to have one today.

Had my sugar free, wheat free cherry cobbler for breakfast & am off to a meeting later this morning. The "cobbler" is a recipe I have made for a long time. It is just layered almond meal flour patted with water into a microwave bowl with organic frozen cherries (unsweetened). I used to add a bit of dry oats but don't anymore. I microwave it very carefully until it sort of resembles a cobbler or if taken out of the bowl, a giant cookie. It is very easy to overcook, though.

Re some thoughts I had today re being wheat free, there's no reason anyone has to eat wheat free unless medically advised, it is just a way of eating that agrees with some people, including me & my now pain free & flat stomach. I am loving it but will be evaluating on the 20th.

I do eat wheat free crackers & bread sometimes, they are easy to find in the stores here.

Found a 3fc support thread for Wheat Belly. The posters seem to be focused on the low carb aspect of the book, but I am eating roughly the same amount of carbs, just avoiding wheat. The only thing this does for me as far as weight is I am not being tortured by wanting all the cupcakes, bakery cake, cookies, doughnuts every time I go to the grocery. I know I can have a gluten free bakery item any time but it is just a little less easy to obtain that or make it since my cravings have stopped. I do like a lot of the gluten free crackers, which are in all the stores I shop in. I have concerns about the rice in those but eat a few now & then.

Arabella, I find myself looking at kitchen tables lately as I am contemplating implementing your kitchen table rule, at least part time.

Good idea about implementing the veggie exemption.

Part of my rationale in the wheat ban is in the spirit of your table rule. It is the way I am doing everything in this "retirement" period of my life that I hope will end by summer but if it does not I'll make the best of it. I am creating an environment that will serve me in life & diet hood lol. If wheat is banned, it is, frankly, harder to eat cake.

I do plan on making a gluten free cake someday but for now, I am saving tons of impulsive snacks & my joints don't ache as much from bad food in large amounts.

Thanks for the kind words on my attitude. I appreciate that, Wood Nymph.

Busy week of appointments & I need to make up 5,000 steps from yesterday to get my 70,000 weekly goal.

Let's make the greatest royal week ever!

Thinking of all our absent royal friends. Woot!

New little personal challenge o' the Faithful Follower of the Sane Weight Management Society, Queen/Empress Am2, a wee personal royal streak challenge to keep EVIL STRESS EATING AT BAY FOR A WHILE in the Royal Realm o' Am2. A lot of negative thoughts & JUST THINGS are causin' angst in the personal royal life and while we remain adamantly wheat free here in our personal Queendom, our calories are creepin' up. We are binge free, just eatin' a bit too high on the caloric hog for sane weight management and we really don't feel well at that caloric level.

So we will play a game. The Royal Good Calorie Level Streak Challenge to see how many consecutive days we can stay at 1600 or below, which is kind of a challenging amount for us.

Since we calorie cycle here in the Queendom, it really isn't even necessary or required to stay at 1600 or below and it really isn't even desirable long term. This is just a temporary game as we ARE TRYING TO GET BELOW 130 POUNDS right now.

We will update this challenge now and then on this board and others we post on.

Day 1, February 27, 2013, Wednesday, Calories TBD

Skulking back to the palace, following bread crumbs. Missed y'all and will (like wsw) be back after I've reviewed some more back posts.

Note new name - this is to go w/new home and all sorts of life revisions. Mostly good. Except for weight gained when not journeying to the Varied Seasons Palaces.

For now -