Bread was made overnight accidentally without salt (again!) and since we have too many breadcrumbs already, tried something new. Made the bread into fine crumbs, added eggs, the missing salt, a bit of vanilla, then baked on a cookie sheet for a sort of french toast-y bread. It was less egg-y than I anticipated and we thought that with spices and a thinner layer it would make an awesome pizza crust. I hate throwing away a two pound loaf when only salt is missing...so now I have a solution. Cause I know "somebody" will forget again sometime.

Youngest ds's dyslexia therapy seems to be making an impact. He can now read beginning readers fluently and can actually remember words that he already figured out on a line above (and even on previous pages!) - awesome!!! We have a break from therapy till the end of the month as the doctor is on vacation.

Middle ds wants us to buy drums for him...and drum lessons-yikes! I told him that he needs to prove a "stick-to-it" interest by practicing with his sticks, but he has not so far...says he HAS to have the drum set first. Hmmm.

Still have the boys on swim team, but only attend 3X/wk for exercise. Oldest son would love to compete but we are out of town for the finals.

Next week we will be gone to a convention Th-Sat and I have lots of food prep and packing to do in advance. We will stay at my mom's home and bring pup along. I hope pup behaves, it will be the first time we have traveled with him.

Dh bought a new-to-us computer with mega processing power and a graphic card so big it has it's own fan. When he gets an operating system installed he will move my Photoshop Elements to it and I can play scrap-booking on a faster machine.

We didn't get any real rain yesterday. Looks like none this afternoon predicted either There is a 30% chance for tonight though, when I usually walk Teddy.

OP so far today with grilled steak planned for dinner. It is marinating w/ rosemary & pepper for now.

Maryann Disappointment stinks, wishing you a satisfactory resolution with your dh.

nationalparker Wishing you peace amidst the company and multiple temptations.

gardenerjoy Happy potluck, may you enjoy the socializing more than the food.

BillBlueEyes DH has this flexible extension for his drill. Perhaps an extender is available for your bit? Frustrating that the project gives new hurdles at every turn. Cukes were one of my favorite things to grow in the mid-west. We loved the "burpless" that grew to over two feet long - yum!

Cheryl/GosfordGirl Hurray for the sale! Bummer for termites Your soup sounds delicious and your girls will be so happy to see you!

Hi Coaches,

Happy Holiday everyone! Not much different here except the temps are really getting high. The grasses are starting to dry up and get crunchy. I'm keeping busy indoors, after my initial few hours in the yard in the early morning.

Yesterday I was 91% on program. This number comes from my evening checklist of items I've decided I should accomplish. For some reason having a summary number helps me. I guess I'm competitive or something.

Waving to everyone!

===============

GosfordGirl: Keep staying strong with the new stresses of selling your home.

maryann: Sorry you are struggling with emotions today. I'm glad you posted. I had similar thoughts about not having much special planned for today. Please think of something fun you can do, perhaps with your DS, to help better enjoy the day.

Coaches

Not a bad day. It started with a farmers market at 7am with a friend. We always have coffee and a Reuben which is a special treat. I have a conversation with the stall holder about making sauerkraut and dill pickles while we wait which is fun but I am beginning to think it is more informative for him than for me

Finished making my soup and made a list of missing food to buy, went to gym and did my new TRX program which I like (in a quiet corner of the gym and not monstered by the testosterone driven behaviour in the weight room), and then shops on the way home. I will have to work tomorrow (Sunday) but had a nice relaxing day.

BillBE - hard to realise that on the other side of the world the heat is sweltering. Hope a solution for the vent materialises. Rain sounds nice - hope we get some soon as it seems ridiculous to water in winter

Gardenerjoy - Hope the pot-luck went to plan and was enjoyable

Maryann - Sorry for the discomfort of a fight with DH - really unsettling. It sounds like you have a plan to move with it and not use food to survive it so credit for that. Hope you vented some emotions on the weeds and a hike

Nationalparker - I hear ya about reining things in with food - I have a similar need but no doubt for different reasons, but they all amount to dealing with life's irritations and pressures. Credit (to us both) for identifying the need to get on top of unruly behaviour. Hope your watermelon is sweet

Tricia - 'Grief, dealing with unsalted bread sounds a chore! But you seem to have hit a solution. I think I would leave home/the 'hood if a family member wanted to get drums so you are extremely tolerant so credit. Hope the planning for the trip works and that the dog behaves. My dogs are hopeless in a new environment and get confused for a few days

Woodland - Credit for 91% on program and for even knowing that figure! I will struggle to get back on plan and on track - but it will be easier after Wednesday and the sale is assured

Credits
- Checked in
- Ate on plan - no as didn't have a plan
- Ate sitting down
- I stopped eating when satisfied
- Used distraction and resistance techniques
- Weighed myself
- Exercised - gym today and at least 10000 steps
- Made a food plan for tomorrow
- Made a schedule for tomorrow

Diet Coaches/Buddies – I did it! I found a way to make my 24 inch drill bit work. I dug out enough ceiling plaster in the attic for the drill chuck to go down another half inch and it all worked. I'm so happy. It took another trip to the hardware store, unfortunately bounced to Home Depot because the sane local store was closed for the holiday. There were only about three of us in all of Home Depot and the other two were buying gas grills. I did part of the remaining work and took the Fourth of July off to do other stuff.

Washed the lettuce that I'd stuck in the fridge yesterday. "Triple washed" it to match the store's claim. A spider made it to wash level two - I was impressed. Can't figure out how so much dirt can collect on lettuce. Did slightly better with snacks - partial CREDIT moi - and fine with meals. Exercise was watching gardener DW's grin as the rain fell all day.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – Neat example of planning for a potluck when you don't know what food will appear.

Cheryl (GosfordGirl) – 7am at the farmer's market is a great start to the day. Kudos for finding a way to be at your gym without being disturbed by the macho types.

maryann - Ouch for the reality of marriage and work demands. Kudos for seeing, "This too shall pass."

Woodland - Kudos for "91% on program" - I, too, like a number.

nationalparker – S'mores on a fire pit sounds fun. Hope your watermelon is a winner. I don't know the secret of choosing, either.

Tricia (AZtricia) - Bread without salt is just the worst - Congrats for figuring out a way to use it. And Super Congrats to your DS for the advancement in reading. Let us know how the pizza crust works out. Shuddering at the thought of a drum set for a kid.

Readers -

Coaches

3fatchicks tells me I was last here on the 1st of July. 4 days ago. I can say that every day I was going to post but it is only now that I *am* posting. It's been a jam-packed few days. Highlights include installing the garden gate I have been working on with my client for a year. After I had completed the panels we tried to install it a week or so ago and he needed to find a soluion to the twisting of the hinges in the cedar post. Seemed a very tough problem--it required the welding of a plate to the hinge bolt and then sinking that ever-so-precisely into the post. It worked though and so I was there two days of of this last four helping attach the panels to the structural supports. The first time we had to stop as it was going to pour and I had to go tour the local long term care facility. That morning I had to make sure I had work going into the kiln as well. A full day. And then I really just wanted to get that gate up so I made time yesterday to get the panels onto the second structural support and then made a bit more time to make sure the latch go installed. It was a case of "building on the fly" and of, often, having to do things twice before it was right. As a result I have another few hours of gate touch ups and of painting the title of the gate and the names of the artist(s) on it as well. Primeval Chatter is the title. I'm attaching a picture of the gate for you, both sides. The muted colours are the original 8yr artist's colours. The bright colours are my own choices. There were two panels cut by my client and I painted them, both sides, to be as close to exactly the same as you (I) can do. I have to say, it was a *tremendous* feeling of satisfaction to have the gate installed, and then to open and to close it with a definitive "clack". My client was beaming. So great.

The toughest was an evening visit to my mom's where she seemed overly grateful to have any visitor at all and then she also seemed fairly with it that night, but very ground down, very tired. She said she had walked all day and I am sure she had, and again I went there to discover they had not bothered to put a bra on her. WTF? really? It's very depressing to me that they don't bother. So we chatted, and she seemed more lucid than at other times and as she was opening her door for me, to walk me to the lobby (she always insists) she opened the door and said "After you, your Majesty." And she looked at me and smiled. This one mischievous statement has so messed me up I can't tell you. It's one thing to be always prepared for the worst, for more decline, for less function, for more fear, for a worsening of physical abilities, but humour? Sarcasm? I thought "OMG am I sending her to a worse place, this long term care place? Does she REALLY belong there? How come nobody knows this side of her here?" There seems to be a distinct lack of connection with my mother there. The whole thing messed me up so bad that after I went to my studio to drop my rent off (late) I drove home and once through the door realized I had to go back to the studio as I had no idea whether I locked the door there or not and the thought of losing my studio because I neglected to lock the door and something bad happened, well I couldn't even begin to hold that thought. So, completely exhausted and like a hollow shell, I told DH I had to go back and check the door. He ended up driving me and I cried the whole way, eventually telling him my fear of what bad thing we might be doing to our mother and wailing about why no one puts a bra on her and how can that be?

DH reminded me they do not want her there anymore and find her to be too much trouble. I did go see the Long term care place and I actually liked it. I am getting used to these environments though I have to say. But the staff seemed happy. Like everywhere they seemed happy and chatty and friendly. It's a big place, which I want as the potential for a friend is greater with more people to choose from. My mom really needs a friend. At this place the whole building is locked so unless she is "banging at the door to get out" she won't be on the secured floor. She is allowed in the other areas to roam at will. The rooms are big, the private room, which she can afford, is larger than what she has now, even in the older cinderblock constructed area-the least desirable section. The waiting list is short-0-3months and for a semi-private or private room it is the shortest. My sister is coming to take the tour of this place with me next week-plus three others (or is that two?) if she likes it then I suspect my mother will be in there before the end of August, maybe by the end of this month. I will be glad to see her there but am very unhappy about having her move. Oh well.

Foodwise I've walked alot but it was DH's birthday and so we ate treats. More than once. I've decided to count carbs once my sister leaves. For now I will be on maintenance mode and will be happy to be in the 275-279 range. With all this happening, I'm calling that a success. I'll ask more of myself soon.

Enjoy your day Coaches.

A good day so far ... met DH's folks for lunch - planned that as my largest meal of the day and chose a house salad (that you receive with an entree) and the veg plate ... baked potato, cole slaw (which DH ate with his sandwich as I don't care much for it), and sweet potato fries, which I brought home to heat up in the oven and split with DH for another meal. I am proud of that ... The fries were a small order, too, not like 30 fries.

Dinner was bruschetta, fresh corn on the cob, and nectarine wedges. Love summer meals.

We're planning to do a firepit again tonight if it doesn't rain. We still have another hour-plus until dark.

Bought three pieces of clothing today and felt good in that I fit into a size smaller, but tried on both dresses and chose the one that was the most flattering, regardless of the size. I spent more than I typically do since none were on sale.
OneByOne - I hope you find peace with a solution soon with your mom and her housing. I think what is so hard is that some days are very lucid and others are more confused. It must be such a challenge to know when/what the right decision is. I kept telling my father that whatever he decides is right (with the chemo) because all we know is what we know at that moment, and we make the best choice we can.

Bill - Congrats for a finished fan! You deserve the rest of the holiday off. Smiling at your spider that survived the first wash - did you haul him outside to reward his efforts? I remember when I "knew" DH was the one for me was at my home one day, he caught a bug and hauled it outside to the yard. I do that all the time yet he'd not seen me do it.

AZTricia - Your solution to the unsalted bread is a great idea ... I'd never have thought of that. Have you ever tried parmesan croutons with the saltless bread - you can make them in a skillet with some olive oil, parm, etc. and maybe add a bit extra garlic salt? Just in case that "someone" forgets again - haha!

GosfordGirl - I, too, have a hard time remembering that it's winter there now! What do you especially like about your winters? Anything that resonates with you? I find winters very hard to get through - mostly because of the dicey driving and the complete gray skies we get socked in with. I keep wondering if, years down the road when I retire, if we'll still live where there is winter weather, or if I'll like it more because I won't have to be at work at a specific time.

The boys enjoyed lighting off fireworks last night. All small stuff and sparklers. My initial thought it was just $ burned, but they had such a wonderful time that I revised my opinion to entertainment. Their happiness and excitement lasted hours.

Collected groceries, then took the boys to a movie today. Then, finally had some rain, hurray! Middle son enjoyed it so much that he sat on the porch reading a book letting his legs get splashed.

Big project for oldest - I had to get dh involved. Son had to write a vision and mission statement for his life for his leadership class. Whoa! Tough stuff for a 15 yo and totally not up my alley...assignment completed now and looks good.

Still have not lost another pound

nationalparker Kiddos asked for croutons, I think we'll do that with crusts which they seem to believe don't belong in the same category as other slices of bread! Awesome for clothing you like and in a smaller size!

onebyone Sorry about the stress of your mom's care situation. Kudos for deciding on a plan and thinking of your healthy behaviors for the future.

BillBlueEyes HURRAY! Feels so good to have the obstacle overcome. LOL about lil' spider. Kudos for better with snacks.

Cheryl/GosfordGirl Kudos for gym time and a nice relaxing day. Glad you had time with your friend.

Woodland back, Kudos for mostly healthy behaviors.

Good Evening, Coaches.

Practiced Day Five Eating Slowly. Huge awakenings with my continuing attempt to eat sitting down 100%. Old fashioned candy sticks at the museum didn't even register as food. I realized how much I put into my mouth while cooking -- again. I had eradicated that behavior at one time. Also, I seem to only want more if I can stand and eat it. Who new?

Thxs for the support with DH. The conflict served as an excellent opportunity for a long talk about love and loyalty - both of which DH possess in large amounts. It is just communication and old "tapes" that get in the way.

I don't have a scale up here. I will be interested in seeing if focusing on behavior instead of food proves disastrous on Tuesday.

Coaches

Today was unremarkable - I stayed in and did desk work and my to-do list. I did go through the fridge and sort out food and prepped veggies for the first part of the week so feel good. I also sorted out clothes and ironing. If I get food and clothes done the week goes more smoothly

BillBE - Yay for getting it done! The end of the saga - a brilliant solution and all. Good thing for you all that you decided to triple wash I think. Hope you enjoyed your break from the attic

Onebyone - the gate looks fabulous. Such an achievement. Thinking of you solving your mother's living arrangements in a way that takes care of all your needs

Nationalparker - credit for good use of a meal out - very restrained. Yay you could buy clothes in a smaller size and feel good about yourself - well done. Winter here is usually bright and sunny but colder. The skies in the evening and morning are gorgeous. The temperature in Sydney doesn't go much below where it is now - a maximum of 65 and minimum of 40 is pretty usual so quite mild. It is definitely warmer this year especially over night. Unusually we have had little rain but most of our rain does come in summer I think - while labelled as temperate we tend to be more subtropical. But the rainfall for the month is way under and none forecast for the next week. Sorry for the weather report

Tricia - fireworks sound fun for all and by the sound of it worth the spend. Gee - knowing at 15 what your vision and mission is - I just wanted to meet boys . I think it is nice that they are starting to think about goals now - I wish I had. Sympathies for no weight loss - you are so consistent and SO NEAR to 200 - I will send positive thoughts and see if that helps

Maryann - Glad that things have been patched up with DH who is being loyal as usual. Credit for not noticing sugar in the form of candy sticks - so good! Good luck with sitting down. Today I did not snack standing up - so credit me! But meal preparation times are problematic.

Credits
- Checked in
- Ate on plan
- Logged my food
- Ate mindfully most of the time
- Ate sitting down
- I stopped eating when satisfied - wasn't hungry today
- Weighed myself
- Exercised - no gym or walking today - got to 6000 steps before dinner so not good
- Made a food plan for tomorrow - Yes - food all packed
- Made a schedule for tomorrow - yes I am organised and know what the meals are and the activities

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Exercise was a morning bird walk, CREDIT moi. Two Red Starts were special because one perched only ten feet away for long enough to thoroughly enjoy its smart looks. A later walk took me to a park where we assembled locals took turns reading the Declaration of Independence paragraph by paragraph. Each reader seriously articulated their part. I've never felt it so intensely. Thank you Thomas Jefferson for gifted writing.

Also ate the pizza being distributed. I do need a hit of pizza periodically so that was it. Good pizza. Just before bed last night, I wanted a snack but countered with, You can last 30 minutes. CREDIT moi for a tiny step in the right direction.


onebyone – I'm a member of this club, " often, having to do things twice before it was right" - Kudos for sticking to the task to get to the "clack." Love the joy in that gate. Sending supportive thoughts as you continue to struggle for the right thing for your mom.

Cheryl (GosfordGirl) – Thanks for noting the Dalai Lama's 79th birthday - I hope he lives to be 119. Yay for an unremarkable day - you need a few of those while you're waiting for the conclusion to your house sale. We have friends who just returned from a year in Australia. The kids are delighted to leave the beginning of winter to the beginning of summer here.

maryann - Ouch that "Old fashioned candy sticks at the museum" can sneak past the food sensors. Kudos for resolution by a long talk.

nationalparker – Veggie platters are such a good summer meal choice. Yay for loving yourself enough to buy clothes that aren't on sale. [DW asked me the same question. Sadly, the spider crawled into the spray and washed down the drain. I hope he crawled out somewhere.]

Tricia (AZtricia) - Yikes, I'd hate to have to write a vision and mission statement for my life even now. Love the thought of an Arizona boy letting himself get splashed in the rain.

Readers -

Hi Coaches!

Food choices and lack of structure weren't my best this weekend. I let endless frustrations get the best of me….something I usually try very hard to overcome. Mom and DH were both super grumpy and I took the people pleaser role...not a position I like at all but somewhat necessary when mom is over the hill with us. DH stayed over to pick raspberries so I have a few days to dust myself off and get back with the plan. I work 3, have 1 off, take mom to a med. Appt the next...then go back over with mom (arg) for more medical then back over again for work. What made me the most agitated this weekend was the lack of acknowledgement from both that perhaps "I" needed a break. Oh well.

I made a better choice for dinner out last night. I wanted some Thai and so chose the place that posts calories over the mom and pop authentic. Credit. This morning I've cleaned up my home including getting rid of/freezing stuff from the refrigerator which I won't be using. Credit. It gave me a look to make my food plan for today. I'm trying to get my mini exercise in before work, too.

BBE, congrats on finishing your project! Your event sounded fun….especially in Boston. My bro was in your area this weekend….revisiting some of his old haunts. He's a MIT guy. He said he could see the fireworks from his hotel.

Cheryl(GosfordGirl), yay for an unremarkable day which included organizing and food prep!

MaryAnn, glad you and DH weathered the storm. My DH and I had a rough patch….unfortunately the opposite...together too much.

Aztricia, a very busy time for you. Kudos for taking care of all kinds of stuff and still finding time to post here!

Nationalparker, yay for saving Spfries for later! Nice to fit into a smaller size and finding a flattering dress!

Onebyone, beautiful gate! Kudos for finishing and sending support as you prep for your sis' arrival and all the associated issues.

Take care everyone! I always appreciate the generous support found here!

Hi Coaches,

I'm practicing 'getting back on track' today after some overeating yesterday. Sweets overcame my efforts. It takes a day like that to remind me how much I don't want to feel that defeated way. I only gave myself a 51% for Saturday. Ouch!

Today I'm all fired up to do better. It is a warm one and lots of bugs have started appearing outside to join me in gardening. I sprayed bug spray on this morning and did my chores anyway.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Lexxiss: Good job choosing the meal that posted calories.

BillBlueEyes: Nice work countering the snack attack.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Waving to everyone, hope you have a great day!

Coaches

My sister arrives mid-afternoon tomorrow but will get a rental car and will lose her way getting to my place. Guaranteed. Also guaranteed-she will get here.

Today MIL wants to celebrate DH's never ending birthday and we are supposed to pick my mom up and bring her over as well. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking "let's not do that". As she is difficult especially while out and I am going to be seeing her everyday this coming week. On the other hand, MIL has a beautiful garden and my mom may enjoy it. Not sure what we'll decide to do.

On the agenda, in a major way, is a general clean up of the abode. Lots of stuff to move out of her bedroom. We really procrastinated on this one. Oh well. It'll get done today and tomorrow.

Without realizing it I have been amassing a planned distraction for myself for the duration of her visit. I figured out how to load books onto my phone and so I am reading several related to weightloss and will be pondering the specifics of my revamped foodplan once she leaves. I am reading the following:

The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living: An Expert Guide to Making the Life Saving Benefits of Carbohydrate Restriction Sustainable and Enjoyable --Jeff Volek, author.

Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It - Gary Taubes, author

Good Calories, Bad Calories - Gary Taubes, author

and I am re-reading The War of Art - Steven Pressfield because it's soooooo good.

And this is new for me as well: I did research into a group called TOPS=take off pounds sensibly. http://www.tops.orgMy aunt used to go to TOPS and for whatever reason they came to mind. It's a support group with an annual fee of $30 or so-you go there, you get weighed in, you talk food/your foodplan, people support and encourage each other. There's a group in my town and I think I'll check it out. I do need something more, something outside myself and the internet.
It's worth a try. First meeting is free so nothing lost there.

Better go. Time to decide what we're doing today.

Bye for now.

Hi
Reading the "green" book. Have done new response cards, started a distraction box. Sat down for eating (and turned off t.v.). Realized again after reading all your posts that it is always "one foot after another" in the face of forces that seem to push you in the opposite direction.
Take care

Hate to see this long weekend come to a close ... has been a good one, filled with stuff getting done alternating with relaxing in the sunshine and reading cooking magazines. I have torn out a number of recipes to try - all healthy ingredient ones. I used to copy them all down and then realized I LOVE using a page from a magazine and not a pdf or not a b/w copy or not my writing and so mark on covers that p. xx has been removed if I take the issue to work. Forewarning.

DH cut my hair into a pageboy style (instead of an angled bob) ... he's not a haircutter but he likes the challenge and I'm roll with the flow on it - a few inches cut and we saved $20 to put toward a trip ... we laugh about it but he cut my hair the first year we were together and put that money toward Italy each time. It's been years since i paid for a "good" cut and color, but after seeing Maryann's hairstyle and outlook from a good one a bit ago, I probably need to do that before long.

Have eaten well today - but did enjoy a medium portion (?) of frozen yogurt at a froyo shop that was planned since DH didn't make homemade ice cream this weekend. Limited my toppings to just a few pieces of waffle cone.