Thank you
This might sound a bit too 12 step, but admitting I was having problems really did help today. I've been toying around the edges too much, and I'm just not strong enough yet to withstand that kind of pressure. Last week we bought really good chocolates at a post-Valentine's sale, and I've been trying to limit myself to one a day. Opening myself up to the sweets at all has been like fighting back a flood with a paper towel. I keep trying to come up with ways to cheat another one or to have something else, and all the while, the sense of futility builds. I would be able to sneak in a regular treat if I could exercise more, but I just can't do it right now.
Kat, thank you for the reminders, and thank you for being gentle with them. And since I haven't had a chance to say it yet... CONGRATULATIONS!!! I am so happy for you and the new job!
Arabella, you truly hit the nail on the head. I've been focusing too hard on all the things I can't have instead of the items I can. I need to get back to treating myself like a queen instead of someone on a death march. I do have really good shoes and some decent inserts, but I think my inserts must finally be breaking down. I was an idiot and turned down a podiatry referral at my last doctor appointment. I kept thinking that I could lose weight and save out on the $300+ for orthotics. After this last week, I think the money would be well spent. I want to be able to get in 10k steps too!
wsw, the afternoon concert sounded lovely! Following it up with tea and a nice afghan sounds even better. I'm so glad you are able to get out and about again. The weather must be improving dramatically.
anagram, good to see you! Definitely sounds like you are hitting the spring sprucing up mode. Can you send some of that paperwork vibe my way next? I've been letting some things pile up around here, and I definitely need to get all aspects of my life uncluttered.
Kaylets, hope your weather has been improving. Ours is back and forth, and I have no idea if this is usual or not since this is our first year here. For some reason, it has been rainy, sun, 40s to 80s, and avoiding anything that the weatherman says it should be doing. And thank you for the fresh start card!
Well, that's everyone showing on this page, and I've got to get making dinner plans. Of course, the eldest princess just informed me that there is a MS fundraiser at CiCi's pizza tonight sponsored by her school. I wonder if it would be totally wrong to drop the family off there and go scout out something else for myself. If I recall, they do have a bit of a salad bar and at least one soup, but I don't think I need to be facing down a ton of pizza tonight--especially the dessert pizzas.
Take care all, and thanks for leaving a candle in the window.
andria-sounds like you are feeling better about things now. as everyone has said so eloquently, we can all understand those difficult feelings. be sweet and gentle with yourself, as you deserve. i'm sending you a big hug. i have to remind myself to do these things too all too often.
kat-it's so exciting that there are so few nights left on your old job and with the new one coming up!
hi kaylets, anagram, arabella, and to all our lovely royals. i am feeling better about the baby steps i have been taking with healthier, smaller portions of late. i am definitly consistent with exercise, too, but i can do better with more regular use of my meditation cd's, so will step up that pace. really pleased that i stayed op today, because had quite a few temptations which took some oomph to resist. well, hope everyone has a good evening. take care.
Not the loveliest out there -- 'twas a winter wonderland, trees all heavily laden with snow, when we walked over to the gym but now high winds and freezing rain with regular ol' forecast for this aft. We've finally got our propane insert so there's a cheery fire burning in the fireplace and I'm going to have a cozy "not doing anything I don't wanna" day. Still feeling a bit under the weather. But I'm going to try to at least get in my 10k steps. Did circuits and Skipped stairs this a.m.
Andria, 12 steps makes sense. This really is an addiction we're dealing with here, which I tend to be forcefully reminded of any time I start to feel like I've got it licked. One chocolate a day would be too hard for me!
Kat, I'm trying to make a switch in my attitude towards my body. Working on being appreciative of all it does for me, all it has done for me, and for keeping it together as well as it has given the amount of abuse it's taken. This morning I was apologizing to it for the mistreatment, vowing to take better care of it.
WSW, thanks for the reminders: meditation, smaller portions. I'm going to add them to my list.
arabella-i love that phrase you said "have a lovely, self-nurturing day." i hope your day is/has been one of those, and that you are feeling much less under the weather as your day has worn on.
i have been keeping up with my paperwork now since i got through my big back-log, and that feels better too. i needed to get my hair colored, which i did yesterday, and it was nice getting rid of some of those grays that had the audacity to peek through. it amazes me how much something little like that can make such a difference. i am probably the only one who even notices, but it makes me feel prettier, so that's what counts. well, royals, i must away. take care, all.
I've been rather busy...sorry for not stopping in. Among the work, home and dog fronts, there is little time for me some days!
I have been back on the wagon firmly for 2 weeks...until last night. The dreaded munchies...and I know why. I was angry so I ate. How silly. But today, back I go.
I have had a healthy applesauce/carrot muffin for brekkie...146 calories, whole wheat...very yummy, and coffee. Think I should get a fruit and then hit the road. I need to walk off the binge!
Am still catching up on the threads....Congrats on the "day" job Kat...., Arabella you seem to be flying along with that 10K/day! Andria, how about light weights....even if you do upper body, that will start to build muscle, which has a higher metabolic rate....hurting feet are not fun! Hi Anagram...no more dogs please, and not St. Bernards. Don't know how to groom them
Hi wsw! And Kaylets...sounds like life is keeping you going too....
Ack - Thursday has rolled around already. How nice to come back to the posts that I needed. Yes, they were directed to andria but SO pertinent to me at the moment too. I've been analyzing - somehow I think I DESERVE to be able to eat all I want, to put off exercise, to be derelict and still think the weight will go down. I'm upset that this time I've PUT ON and I'm higher than I've been in close to 7 years. Just a few pounds but isn't that always how it starts?
We had the "teaser" day too, kaylets, and I felt great and got a lot done that day. Not as much since and feeling that old "fatigue". Hopefully next week will be better - at least a day or two.
A couple of new things to flesh out the wardrobe will give you lots of get up and go for the new job, kat. I AM so sick of all I have. Well, most of it anyway. Except for the two blouses I bought recently. One was perfect for the one Valentine themed luncheon I went to. The other is a more spring-y one so is still unworn. And unfortunately I know the foot pain too well. Wish I had had orthotics long before I did (and I've had one kind or another for a long time). New shoes are on my agenda too but I know it will be a discouraging safari.
The symphony sounded loverly, wsw. I find I do need treats like that too. Going to an Irish Cabaret tomorrow with Sis/DBIL - staying over at their place too as there's a possibility of snow/ice/slush once again. I'll feel good after that and then that afternoon there's a birthday party for the DBIL who's been battling cancer. Sort of a victory (at least for now) party as he's currently "cancer free" too. So both sort of uplifting things coming up.
I confess I've tried the one piece of candy too and, nope, doesn't work for me. Tried it a lot in January as a matter of fact and that's probably why I've gained. I do want to note my peanut butter Easter eggs are still intact in the freezer (together with three more). So are the chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and nut roll I baked in recent weeks (well, except for what I've given away). So I can report at least one tiny NSV.
Good to hear from you, ceara, and glad things are ok enough. Sounds like you're holding well if you're at two weeks. An inspiration.
Glad your gray is gone, wsw. I've been toying w/idea of a temporary color for a while to have me "outside my box". Back and forth about it and don't know why I don't just jump. It's been ten years or so...........Sheesh! Maybe as a reward if I ever loose some weight.
Glad your fireplace install is working well, arabella. I'm sure you'll be pleased. I did look into it and don't/can't figure out how to place the propane tank to meet the requirements. Just off by a little but ................
So it's cold today and I'm not going out until afternoon. Still must get dressed and be up and about. It was great getting back to the palace.
I'm actually feeling a little energy return. And I think it's because I've started doing things from my list instead of just feeling overwhelmed by the multitude of things I want to get done. I've got a real problem with that and it totally saps my energy. I feel like I can't get out of my own way. But... baby steps. I made a hair appointment yesterday and immediately felt a bit of a lift. Today I retackled my taxes (and I will get them done -- bear in mind this is 2006 taxes which I've paid already in installments but haven't reconciled and filed.)
I felt like I should have gotten interviews done for the book, other stuff written for an upcoming literary contest, the house cleaned, taxes done, people visited. Plus total relaxation and pampering No wonder I wanted to crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head.
Today I nipped out to Old Navy and bought some really cute jeans -- railroad stripe -- and a pink sweater and beautiful deep Indian-y pink tunic-type blouse with a ruffled v-neck and pin-tucking, all for $30-odd. The pants need me to lose about 10 pounds and the blouse maybe 5 but they were so cute. And I do feel a little incentivized Luckily DH is so down with incentivizing me that he didn't even complain.
Anagram, I'm ultra-impressed that you've managed to keep those goodies in your freezer! I can be going along really well and then something -- stress, fatigue: pick your poison -- and the recollection that I've got treats in the house is like a big, fat light bulb going on over my head. I've been forcing myself to only eat at the table when I'm eating alone and that really helps me control it.
Ceara, 'twas I who threatened to sic the St. Bernard on you. Welcome back! And kudos on the two weeks -- that makes for a pretty firm grasp, I say.
I was beginning to fear you'd moved over to the other palace and weren't coming back. Hope you find some nice Ceara time soon!
WSW, you can tell spring is coming what with all the wardrobe and hair energy in the palace again. I'm getting a clear glaze on my hair today. My hair is dark with steaky gray and I kind of like it. But I think I may get temporary color some time just for a change.
K, Queenies, I must be off. I'm going to get some extra steps in on my way to the hairdresser. (New pants, here I come!) Love to all -- mmmmmwwwwwa!
Ok, so I got some exercise in yesterday. Did ok on food in morning and at noon but I need to get a better evening plan.
Have painter coming Monday to do kitchen, living room. I was only going to do one room now, other later. But in an excess of spring fever or something, I decided to do both. Painters still in a slower period here so felt price was pretty good (and the fact that he could come Monday when I just called Thursday is a fair indication he's not too backed up).
To have more snow again tonight. I liked my hair too when it was dark with gray streaks and still like it now that it's mostly "streaks" but it's the basic call of the wild - just want to change SOMETHING. I'll see if the new walls count. (For inquiring minds, kitchen will go from a daffodil yellow to a "butter up" yellow and L.R. from pink to an off white called "welcoming white" - I liked both names, hope that's not why I picked them
So. I'm at the hairdresser's and he's coating my hair with a glaze called "pure shine." No color. He wraps me in saran wrap and sticks me under the dryer. I'm relaxing with a magazine. He pulls me out and takes me to the sink. We get to back to the chair and I'm thinking there's a weird yellowish cast to my hair and it looks lighter. It dries as he's cutting and eventually I can see that the "no-color glaze" has STRIPPED MY NATURAL COLOR! I was nonplussed, I must say. My hair was a mix of light brown and yellow instead of very dark brown with white accents. We eventually decided to put a brown on top and see how that went. It's not bad but a bit light and a bit redder than I like it. There must be something wrong with that shipment of glaze, it's got to be bleach.
I've got to run -- meeting a friend for lunch and I've got to put the groceries away yet.
I got to move my ticker again, though, and according to WW I've lost 2.4 this week.
anagram-the colors you picked do sound lovely. it is nice that the painter can come on monday, and that your palace will be all ready for spring.
and greetings to kat, kaylets, andria, and all our royal dwellers.
i have been sticking with the healthier food choices, and am pleased about that, and proud of myself too. i have been so stressed about financial matters (which is on-going) but since have had even more added expenses of late, it has been feeling mighty scary. anyway, i bring this up to say that i am proud of myself for not diving in to the food head first over all this, but instead i have been meeting the challenges as they arise, to the best of my abilities, no matter how stressful. sometimes, of course, it is with a little more grace than at other times, but for the most part, i would say, i am doing pretty darn well!
my birthday is on tuesday, and for a while i admit i had kind of thought no one remembered, but nay not so. tomorrow, a couple of friends are taking me out to brunch at one of my favorite restaurants to celebrate. another friend is taking me out for dinner on monday night, and then on my actual birthday, another couple of close friends are taking me out for dinner-my choice of restaurant, but i just haven't decided where yet. i am not good at advertising when my birthday is, as some of my other friends do, so these were all invitations from folks who remembered on their own. it is looking like it is going to be an excellent birthday. i will be 55. there, i said it, and happily as it turns out, that didn't hurt a bit!
well, i hope everyone has a good weekend. thinking of you, one and all. take care.
I'm close to 10k already and have put in a good practice for the performance. Plus visited with DS & DGS, lolled in bed this a.m. with papers and tea. No yoga yet, which may not happen but... doing good, I say.
Yesterday, what with one thing and another, I ended up over 14k Had a lovely, leisurely lunch with my friend with lots of laughter. (La-la-la-la, linoleum, as Bert would say.) My to-do list seems more manageable despite the fact that I've barely scratched the surface.
We're supposed to be getting another little storm here. My son was telling me that the Farmer's Almanac forecasts that we're to receive over 150 cm of snow over a 3-day period in March. Prolly not, I think.
Anagram, I love the sound of your color choices. I think I've actually seen "welcoming white" and thought it looked very nice. Anyway, kudos to you for getting those painters in.
WSW, I see you're to be feted -- lovely! As I recall, similar happened on another birthday, didn't it? We're close -- I'm going to be 53 this year. May your $ issues dissipate!
Ceara, hope you got your walkies!
Anyone else around? Hope all Queenly folk have a loverly weekend!
Enjoyed Irish Cabaret Friday night, BIL'S b.d. party yesterday. Today's "get ready for painter" day. Waiting, waiting for new baby next door. She's to be called Ellie - so nice it will be to add a new little princess to my fave little boys.
So wonderful on the steps and wt loss, arabella. How are you liking the hair color today? Maybe sometimes an accident has a good outcome - hmm, maybe? I think I've mentioned considering changing color - well, yesterday at the birthday get together, I joked about it and nieceinlaw says "no, no". Just when I was getting more serious - she was a hairdresser before she went into nursing so I was treated to an impromptu haircut (as part of the entertainment?). Still not out of my mind as a temporary thing later though.
wsw, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! bil's is the next day - and maybe Baby Ellie will joint us then. How lovely to have such nice friends, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.
Did take a nice walk w/the expectant Mom yesterday. Supposed to be nicer today so hoping for more of same. Talked to another neighbor yesterday about his walking poles and how he likes them (another thing I've been considering). Turns out he made his own and he offered to do same for me. Another spring thing to look forward to.
So - off I go. I've been putting off that shower way too long today.
I guess we're going to get one. I should have stipulated that it was another week OFF that I wanted. We're having another snow storm here Yuck. Wind's howling and whipping snow around. I'm feeling a bit disgruntled and must see how to pick up my gruntle quotient.
I've got my steps in already and am on my third load of laundry. Also getting recycling ready AGAIN -- did it last week, even took it to the curb before DH reminded me that THIS is recycling week. We've got so much junk to clean up in the basement, which sort of has to be done before the guy comes to build the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in DH's study -- it's one of those situations where to do A you've got to do B and C first. O, 'twill be good to have it done, though. I guess I'll go down and see what I can get done if I devote a half-hour.
DH went down to flatten boxes to be taken away but many of them had stuff in them and rather than sort it (recycling, compost, trash) he just dumped it all in a big pile on the floor. Men. Can't live with 'em and can't shoot 'em.
Anagram, your Irish cabaret sounds like a lot of fun (and I'm loving the way your little belly dancer is cavorting with the leprechans )
The hair? It could be worse but I'd prefer it back the way it was. And the fact that it's not temporary is annoying. Means I'll have to deal with roots, for example. I can't believe I paid the hairdresser for the color catastrophe -- I think I was just stunned. But anyway, it looks okay and the cut is good. Whatever, I say.
K, I'm off to see what I can do to be sparkier. Hope all queenlies are having a good day!
Went to cemetery and had a brisk walk around the circle a couple of times - then walked Wal-Mart less briskly. I'm "painter ready" and sore of shoulder from moving even light stuff around. Should be an interesting couple of days. And another Fresh Start Monday rolls around.
forecast for this aft. We've finally got our propane insert so there's a cheery fire burning in the fireplace and I'm going to have a cozy "not doing anything I don't wanna" day. Still feeling a bit under the weather. But I'm going to try to at least get in my 10k steps. Did circuits and 
Skipped stairs this a.m. 
One chocolate a day would be too hard for me! 
ies have a lovely, self-nurturing day!
I've been rather busy...sorry for not stopping in. Among the work, home and dog fronts, there is little time for me some days!
, Arabella you seem to be flying along with that 10K/day! Andria, how about light weights....even if you do upper body, that will start to build muscle, which has a higher metabolic rate....hurting feet are not fun! Hi Anagram...no more dogs please, and not St. Bernards. Don't know how to groom them 
Thursday doin's in my coner of the palace
which I've paid already in installments but haven't reconciled and filed.)
Luckily DH is so down with incentivizing me that he didn't even complain.
And kudos on the two weeks -- that makes for a pretty firm grasp, I say. 
We eventually decided to put a brown on top and see how that went. It's not bad but a bit light and a bit redder than I like it. There must be something wrong with that shipment of glaze, it's got to be bleach.
