Hi all,

Today was a good OP food day, although not planned in advance. I ended up working from home (it was -7 F when I would have left for work). Breakfast, lunch, snack, were all OP. Then our house guest (who can't go home until Indiana roads recover) offered to take us out to dinner. He loves our local Chinese buffet--and I vetoed it--we went to a place where I can get a fantastic salad with tons of fresh veggies and flavorful salmon.

So, that left today OP and day 28 of recording everything.

I need to start incorporating exercise, though--we're expecting some above-freezing weather later this week, so I'll be willing to get outside!

Take care, all.

Hi Coaches

Credit for checking in
Credit for planning food for today even if it didn't work out
Credit for doing more than twice my planned steps (11,100)
Credit for logging food into MFP

Today was interesting. I prepared my first batch of Sauerkraut - not sure how it is going as waiting for it to produce enough brine. I also made a batch of beef bone broth. Both of these are supposed to help with gastro-intestinal health and therefore overall health.

I had to change plans for lunch as the restaurant I had planned for had had a broken water pipe and couldn't open for lunch. So we went next door and I had the safest item on the menu. The owner took a photo of us all and then decided he was giving us (the two supervisors and the student returning to Jakarta) a treat. The treat was ice-cream, coconut syrup, and pancakes (green) filled with coconut filling of some sort. I ate it - oh well - not quite on plan but definitely rare and unusual food.

I was going to do a longer post but it got later and later. So goodnight coaches and may your planning be useful.

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Did gym, CREDIT moi, especially since I had to dress warmly enough to walk there through the Polar Vortex. It was the first time I've done gym with both legs and arms covered - even though the gym is obviously heated, I think I can still feel the outside temperature.

Eating was on plan including skipping two of my planned snacks, CREDIT moi, so that I'm streaked to 49. Evening snack was the mixed fruit served by DW. I immediately wanted the Louisiana Navel Orange next; gotta take into consideration in the future that mixed fruit, however wonderful, doesn't trigger my I've-just-eaten button - it just slides down like a milkshake or something. I noted with a silent smug that the bags of nuts that I bought from Trader Joe's weeks ago haven't run out yet. During my recent period of over-snacking, I was taking frequent trips to Trader Joe's.


onebyone – Thanks for the dramatic description of the "science-fictiony" world of an MRI. Reminds me when I had one on my leg and was given a choice of music; I chose Beethoven's Sixth Symphony to calm me down. After the attendant had left the room and locked the door, the machine started with Beethoven's . . . FIFTH. I nearly jumped out of the machine, LOL. Super Kudos for avoiding samples at Costco. A nearly empty Costco would be a strange site indeed.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Great reminder, "Resisting one day made it easier to resist the next." I'd be willing to help shovel your snow for applesauce bread pudding.

Cheryl (seadwaters) – 11,100 steps is a goodly walk there, Kudos. I especially admire giving yourself credit for "Credit for planning food for today even if it didn't work out" - reminds me that credit isn't just for perfection. Don't know what I'd have done facing green pancakes filled with coconut- the image doesn't grab me, LOL.

Pam (pamatga) – Yes, this patience thing is a challenge. Love the "drama" waiting for the snow person.

Susie Homemaker (maryann) - Your sushi home charging station just cracks me up - what imagination. I'm moved by this thought, "I found creative energy in non food interests" - glad to be reminded that when my brain tries to focus on food, I can find something else.

nationalparker – Congrats to your DH for thoughtful advise for preparing your environment including, "get rid of the sweets." Is "baked potato soup" different from potato soup?

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Your lunch of salmon and veggies sounds great - Kudos for directing the restaurant choice.

Lulu (LuLu01801) – Kudos for "now in control" - great start to the new year. [We buy seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds & Accessories. They're a family owned business just up the road in New Gloucester, Maine - inland and north of Portland. I have no idea how someone can run a business selling me seeds for as little as $1.50 a package. Beans, peas, and lettuce are planted in the ground. Tomatoes, cukes, basil, and parsley are started in pots under a grow light. Kale and collards are started both ways for evolved, historic reasons.]

ForMyGirls - Super demo of getting right back on track - Super Kudos.

AZtricia - Neat that you learned about hunger from your pre-surgery fasting - it's easy to just be annoyed that you can't have food. It is difficult to exercise when it's physically challenging. Kudos for doing what you can - especially using your mantra "just DO it!" Thanks for sharing your ARC. "I'll be in better health" is one of those that make it easier to do more.

Readers -

My 100% OP streak count is 8. I think that's the highest number I've put there.

WI: -0.4 kg, Exercise: +160 445/1400 minutes for January, Food: 100%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

ForMyGirls: I've had a recent insight on sleep that it feels like it took me way to long to realize. I've had difficulty falling asleep since I was a child. I used to justify staying up late because it would make me more tired and I would sleep better. But I was wrong. When I go to bed late, I'm tense because I know I won't get enough sleep. It turns out that when I go to bed 8 hours or more before my normal wake-up time, I'm relaxed and the whole night goes better. Realizing that, I've become much better about getting myself to bed at a reasonable hour.
Great job on getting right on track. That, in the long run, is half the battle. These streaks are really useful. Teaching us two things that are so important to success -- persistence and getting right back to it.

BillBlueEyes: What a difference a number makes in Beethoven symphonies!

Good Morning, Coaches.

Long trip to the doctor who echoed my opinion - borderline case. "If you are not better in two days fill this prescription." For some reason, I hate the idea of this sinus thing lasting the average time. Don't I eat better than most? Do healthy food choices count for nothing? Then the Beck voice came in saying, "Oh Well." The plan for the day is to finish cleaning the house but I am going to only do what I can ( even though I blush at the dust). First things first - to the big box store to resupply smoothie fix ins: berries, spinach and vanilla. My order from VitCost (chia seeds, HTP5 and walnut oil) came in.

Pamatga: I have found a unwavering link between my exercise and how I sleep. I hope to get back to it as soon as i can be this sinus thing.

onebyone: interesting to think the samples are there on purpose to set up a craving. Hadn't really thought about it like that.

gardenerjoy: I think being snowed in would definitly start my mind planning for extra food.

ForMyGirls: Credit for not veering into insanity in the face of imperfection.

Thinking of all of you during this cold snap. We here in california are facing a disasterous drought. It is the driest record 18 month period since weather has been recorded here.

Good morning coaches! Funny thing about going back to tracking food (which I stopped before my surgery) is that I lost 3 pounds already! Nice when doing the right thing is also rewarding! Went to the animal shelter yesterday and adopted a dog to walk with me. Stayed on food plan, stopped eating ravioli at one serving even though I wasn't satisfied, and already took the new puppy for a walk today.

Credit: tracking food, reading ARC once (need to get that second time in!)

maryann the split pea soup sounds delish. Credit to you for finding creative energy in non food interests. I always need yogurt and probiotics with and after any antibiotics, or I end up with loosness and sugar cravings. You might want to try a probiotic too. Thanks for the nice welcome.


nationalparker sounds like a great idea to include your dh in the meal planning. I had huge positive results from switching to all whole grains for my carbs, I credit the whole grains for my first few pounds of loss as well as the completely healthy blood sugar (no more pokes!)[/QUOTE]

pamatga Thanks for the nice welcome! You are correct in this is just what I needed to stop sabotaging. Love the "mini-sized" me thought. Great job on exercising every day!!! So awesome to have a "Year of Service", I am sure it will be a huge blessing to you and to others.

onebyone I'm glad you made it through the MRI with no issues. Hope the results are positive too. Awesome job for planning a protein drink, sounds like it really helped you accomplish your goal of not sampling. WhoHoo on the pound. Sounds like Olyssea will be great accountability for you. a

gardenerjoy Great job exercising your resisting muscle. and great for staying on you food plan.

ForMyGirls Congrats for back on track today and sounds like a good decision about the better rest. Thanks for the welcome and I look forward to the encouragment of others walking the same road, and also those who've made it!

bethFromDayton Great job resisting the buffet!

seadwaters Wow, that is a lot of steps! I'd be interested to know how your sauerkraut comes out. I love homemade broth What are green pancakes?


BillBlueEyes Trader Joe's has many of our favorite foods too. Sounds like you are doing well on exercise an snacks.

maryann have you ever used xylitol for your sinuses? It is a natural sugar alcohol and is great for preventing sinus issues (and fixing them) with a saline/xylitol wash.

Hi Coaches!
I was up early today, believe it or not, out on my front porch with a heat gun taking old paint off cabinet doors. It's not that I love that kind of job it's just that I know it's the only way that this project will ever finish. I did come in for coffee breaks and sanding but fortunately I didn't look at the thermometer until I was finished.... It was a muggy 17° lol.

Now after an hour drive I'm sitting waiting for my mom to finish her eye appointment. A stop at Home Depot then back home for an afternoon of work. We are going to have a massive declutter at the project before we start the kitchen countertop tomorrow morning.

Food choices have been decent and exercise(work stuff) is ongoing. I'm still weighing everyday and am grateful to be maintaining during this extended project (3 mos now) which is miles from my comfort zone. Life lessons, for sure.

MaryAnn, we both got sick, too, this winter and my DH shared some of your thoughts. I just took it as the sign to keep getting healthier. I'm going to start blending my own protein powder for our smoothies. I'm excited but we'll finish our commercial blend first.

I wish I could respond to everyone-my iPhone finger just isn't that fast. Lol....and here comes mom.

AZtricia, please share about your new walking buddy! I would love to bring another soul home right now but understand timing isn't right. Our current rescue pup is high maintenance-a love bug with his own cardiologist$$. It's a first for me.

Hi friends! For once I didn't vanish because I completely fell off the wagon and plummeted into a pile of vegan junk food. I got slammed with the flu and have just been laying in bed for days pondering what I assumed was my impending demise. At least that doesn't leave a lot of time for excessive over eating! But it's not a diet I recommend, trust me.

I'm back now! I'm not doing anything special other then following my current steps (eating sitting down, reading my ARC, eating slowly and mindfully). I'll start my next step when I'm more on top of things tomorrow. Hope everyone is doing well!

Lexxiss Changed my Avatar to my new walking buddy. We are pretty sure he is a bichon. He is a real sweetie, 11 pounds of kisses and waggy tail. I hope he does not end up high maintenance $! He is pretty sad looking right now as he was matted and shaved unevenly as well as having his surgery recently at the shelter.

Streak will be at 5 at end of day - I'm going strong Words destined to bring me down, I know it.

Think my note about conversation with DH was poorly worded ... my issue is simple carbs; his is sweets. Clearly portion is both our issues, despite measuring at meals, apparently one more snack, then another, has been winding its way to us. Hopefully now with me tracking it all for me, that'll help. I am not one to cut out something that is healthy enough like a potato, keeping in mind the full spectrum of nutrients and minerals in foods, not just the calories, and if I don't douse it with butter or fry in fat, it's not inherently a bad choice. I think that's what hammered me a few years ago - focusing only on one aspect of a food. It's funny to stop and think - no pasta, well, wait - the Italians eat it plenty, and they're fine, in fact we push a Mediterranean diet here. Hmmm... they walk about 10x what we do and worry about 10x less Maybe that has something to do with it, too. Our life there was full of walking, and they sure don't eat whole wheat pasta all the time. Can you tell this was a journal entry in mine this morning to get my thoughts further ordered and away from what NOT to do and more toward what TO do.

I wanted to get out for a walk today and DH did a reconnaissance mission and said it was either icy or two-foot drifts and so let's wait a few days. Tried out my new yoga dvd. I need to get started with the basic basics again. My abs are non-existent.

AZTricia - What a cutie pie!! Good choice to go the shelter route. Ours has hair that keeps on growing (rather than fur - a poodle terrier that wandered up starving and 10 pounds below what her weight should be) and so we invested in good clippers and I do it when needed. It doesn't come out looking great each time but with the vet bills from other pets, we figure we save where we can.

Maryann - I completely get where you're coming at with the thought of okay, these healthy choices should be backing me up here with staying healthier! Good vibes flowing to you and VegansaurusRex for improved health!

More personals later! Oh, Bill - that Angels' Share movie was a DUD. Language was obnoxious and the characters weren't ones I had any compassion for, so it lasted about another 15 minutes and was turned off. Of course, I may be totally missing the mark, but I'm thankful that I didn't pay for it.

Coaches, Hello.

I *credit* weighed this morning at 0.7lb+=265.6 Great! thats 2 days at or below 265. (NOTE: my keyboard has decided to substitute French language accents for regular characters--so every time I want an apostrophe it gives me this: è -- so my contractions wont have an apostrophe until DH comes home and tells me what to do! Mon Dieu! Sacre Bleu! or is that sacrebleucant do a question mark either)

After my day yesterday, which continued into the late evening as I chased down a prescription that ran out yesterday and everyone was at the clinic with the flu ( I got my shot-yay) and inspite of an appt I had to wait 1.5hrs past my appt time-Oh Well, I woke up today with an agenda to do... nothing. I didnt adhere to that. I dealt with a few boxes and just plain shoved stuff, in boxes, into my new cabinets. It looks like Ive made real progress so Im ok with that for now. Progress not perfection.

Foodwise I have tracked today *credit* and am on plan. I think though that I have re-think bunches of bananas. I cannot have just one. A hand of bananas tempt me to eat 2 at a time and then two more. On my foodplan, WW, fruits are 0 pts and so eating them is technically on plan but eating them like that is not right-its gorging and its not moderation. I cant be reinforcing that behaviour and so I may go back to buying my bananas in twos or threes. These were Costco bananas: good price for many. Price is not always the criteria I should follow.

Creatively I think I have come up with a project that could sustain me throughout the year. Its a painting project-large scale canvases and it is exciting to even think about it. Its definitely studio work. And tomorrow I start back at the ceramic studio. My ceramic friend is coming to get me so I cant wiggle out of it. Ive been considering what to make most of the day. No decisions yet. except for I think they will be figures made for the wall. Maybe.

Thats it. Im going to see if I can make a bit more progress with my clutter.

Bye for now.

Hi all,

Yesterday was my one year anniversary on 3FC and the Beck forum. One year. 50 lbs. 3 pants sizes.

Yesterday I didn't really sit and focus on the changes I've made, but today I did a bit.

With the exception of two travel work days, I haven't had a sweet snack at work in a year. I have a lot less "chub rub" and feel so much better. I can pick things up off the floor without a problem and no longer find it a strain to tie my shoes. Chairs are more comfortable. I don't even look like my driver's license photo anymore. When I have to lean over or sit on the floor, I can get up again without something to lean on and leverage. I don't feel squished in toilet stalls anymore. We eat way more fresh fruit and veggies than we ever have before. DH has also lost weight (~22 lbs).

Eating a healthful breakfast is easy for me--it's not a daily struggle. In fact, none of my 'regular meals' are a struggle. Eating out is still challenging at times--but we're doing it much less often than we used to.

Parties, well, I've made minimal progress there, and I still don't trust myself at a buffet restaurant.

I eat sitting down all the time not-at-parties and most-of-the-time at parties. I eat slowly and take small bites and think about my food and really taste it.

My plan for this upcoming few months is to really focus on party behavior and to get back into an exercise habit.

It's been an amazing year--thank you so much to all of you who have been here with me!

p.s. Weight at 180.6, 29 days on 'recording everything' streak.

Thanks Beth for sharing your 1 year reflections. It was very helpful to me - particularly as many of those changes ring bells for me.

Been another off plan day for me. I was OP yesterday but then i broke my own rule and took the iPad to bed with me. Aaagh. Very tired today after 3 nights of inadequate sleep so haven't done all my health tasks today. Haven't tracked my food today either but i am pretty sure it has been OK.

Not sure why I am doing this self- destructive thing with my sleep. Oh well. I am recommitting now to getting back on track starting right now. I will post to my money saving friends and then plan my food for tomorrow.

Credits : a struggle today. Being honest with you all. Acknowledging my errant behaviour without giving myself grief about it.

Thanks for being there.

Hi Coaches
I lost everything I had entered (twice) because I went to page two to read the earlier set of postings. I couldn't believe it would lose what I had written in the text box - but it did. There you go. Now I need to reproduce it.

Firstly green pancakes - they are green from the Pandan leaf extract - Asian vanilla if you will - very perfumed and delicious. I have attached a picture of the pancakes - a particularly lurid shade of green. I entered the recipe into MyFitnessPlan (MFP) to find out the hit in terms of macro-nutrients and calories. Overall the sweet was worth 437 calories - a lot.

Today I received the first batch of kefir grains so started a batch of kefir so that is exciting to see how it will turn out

Today was not on plan - I met a friend for lunch and we fell upon a (fake) Mexican place - lots of calories and carbs and wheat - I had to go to the website to find their nutritional values to enter into MFP. More than I had planned. Back on the horse tomorrow

bethFromDayton - you have had such an amazing year - huge congratulations. When you summarise things like that it is impressive. Congratulations on the 29 day streak and a great weight after the holiday season
Onebyone - credit for tracking food and for staying at 265-266 - great effort.
AZtricia - yay for a new walking buddy - I get many more steps in with my dogs. They are currently holidaying with my sister but when they come back Saturday I am back to dog walking in the morning. They are a great motivation to keep moving. Tracking food is a powerful tool - and you are showing us all the benefits of it. Great list of advantages worth looking at several times a day
Vegan...Rex - Nice to see you back and well done for not completely falling off the wagon. Good to see it was "only" the flu that kept you away
Lexxiss - hope your mum's eye appointment went well. Credit for staying on plan
maryann - ouch for sinusitus - a really irritating problem. Take care of yourself and fill those prescriptions. Quite a burst of creative homely activity! Enough to distract one from grumbly tummies. I need many distractions when totally focussed on food
gardenerjoy - great that your streak count is 8 - keep at it
BillBlueEye - streak of 49 is pretty impressive. I agree with mixed fruit salad - far too easy to eat way too much. Having had another recent MRI, if they had played the fifth I would have had a major nervy I think. Yay for nuts left uneaten or unbought.
ForMyGirls - ouch for streak at zero. I hear you about working on leave - having just spent 2 weeks of leave to get a student dissertation finished I feel a bit disgruntled. But that is just how it happens sometime and I can always recoup it somehow
Pamatgo - best of luck with adding that snowperson. Yes gut health is becoming the centrepiece of many plans and healthful ways of living
LuLu - welcome back - good to see you are recovering from a rough December - so am i!
NationalParker - It is an interesting idea to include your DH in meal planning - there may be many insights there you have yet to tap. Good luck with that.

Have a good day coaches