Good morning. Down ever so slightly today. I'll take it.
Shaybelle - Your chronic pain has to be so draining! On the plus side, every drop on that scale has to help with your back pain. I am rooting for you on this.

Curvy - hope you are staying safe and that things are improving. Wishing you all could get some of the East coast rain we have been having. I LOVE butternut squash soup in the autumn. I can't eat it often because it is really carby but it is the bomb! Look forward to hearing what you thought of the minis.

Martine - Maybe your mind/body just needs a little break. I went thru this a couple weeks ago. A real "I dont want to exercise funk" so I did the minimum for a week and just walked a couple miles a day. The weight loss stopped and the scale bounced up and down for a few days, but in the end I came back stronger. Hoping you get your mojo back soon. Love reading about Quebec French vs French French. It totally makes sence to me seeing as how the population arrived there and was isolated while in Europe the language was affected by all the neighboring countries.

William - Overseas, my strongest language skills were often pantomime, LOL. If I didn't have the words, I had to act out what I wanted in the markets, etc. My hands and a calculator are the best laguage tools ever.

Kayla - So glad you are loving the new job. Makes everything better when you look forward to going to work!

Good morning all. A cool Monday morning here

curvy - hope you are safe and sound and that the weather is helping with those fires. Wishing you I could send some of the East coast rain. Looking forward to hearing how those squash were. I love butternut squash soup in autumn. Can't have it often because it is pretty starchy, but it is sooo good

Martine - maybe your body just needs a rest for a few days. I felt like you a couple weeks ago. Went to the minimum exercise schedule I could justify (mostly just walking and increased off days for weights) and it did help me get my mojo back. Oddly enough my calories were higher those weeks but I still felt tired and lacking strength and strength of will to do the weights. I am guessing my body needed it. Back lifting better after the rest and not dreading it. Love the info on Quebec French. Totally makes sense to me. Quebed brought the old language and was somewhat isolated while European French had influences from the countries and people all around.

Shaybelle -The chronic pain must be exhausting. Hopefully the weight loss will help ease it some as well as delay your surgery. Glad you found a plan that is working for you. It took me 30 years to do so and another five to admit I needed to stick to my plan, LOL. I actually do better with the restrictions than trying to eat moderately. Everyone needs to find what works best for their bodies and I don't think any plan works for all.

Kayla - glad the new job is working out so well---makes getting up everyday so much better. Good on you for resisting the craving -- those evening cravings are the worst. I am rooting for you to hit your Onederland goal. That was/is the BIGGEST milestone for me, maybe even bigger than possily getting to goal.

William - good morning, hope you had a good weekend out there. Tough times in the NW and I am keeping the entire area in my thoughts.

Down ever so slightly today and I am totally OK with that. Looking forward to a nice walk today as the weather has turned cooler.

Good Morning friends! Just a quick word to update.

The fire storm is unlike anything I've ever seen. And I fought fire for more then 20 years. Absolute destruction. Our friends and neighbors are physically ok, but the "hurry up and wait" is sooo stressful. evac shelters are packed, andwith the covids, families are forced to break quarantine and provide shelter. yards filled with rv's and tents are common place. It's so very hard. The day is like dusk, the smoke is so thick. Strange how things, Important things, come to the fore. Love of family, pets, neighbors. I have a large "hunting rig" and so i'm able to get out in the country and find people who need help. gonna try to get this old boy some oxygen this morning. I will keep you posted, please send prayers, we could certainly use a miraculous intervention. Living on coffee, lots of coffee! I will post when I can.

Good afternoon

Martine: Please share your recipe for your butternut squash rigatoni and leek bake. That sounds delicious. I'll keep you posted on the baby butternuts.

William47: You're the epitome of a great neighbor. I can only watch so much news footage of the fires; I can't imagine being in the heart of it as you are. Just devastating!

gzgrl: I hope you had a refreshing walk. I would love some of that East Coast rain. When I turn into the news I'm often more interested in watching the drip from umbrellas and looking at raincoats.

RunningRedHead: Kayla, there aren't enough words to express the importance of supportive and kind colleagues. I'm thrilled that this has been your experience.

Shaybelle: Avoiding surgery is an excellent goal! It certainly is a wonderful incentive to keep the weight off.
********
Today was my new staff person's first day. There's a lot to learn so my goal is to teach but not overwhelm. It's a challenge because new positions often are overwhelming for the short term. Didn't get much of my own work done today but that's fine. Today was about helping new staff start their new position in the best way possible.

Have a good evening!

Gzgrl22: Hi there! Thank you for cheering me on I hear you on Onederland potentially being a bigger goal than the ultimate goal—there’s something about the way the number sticks in the mind. Way to go on your progress so far!! You’ve done an incredible job! Do you follow any particular way of eating or exercise regimen?

William: Thoughts and prayers with you during this trying, frightful time. Please stay safe.
Curvy: Your new staffer is so lucky to have you onboarding them! It sounds like you have an incredible thoughtful, selfless, and kind approach to doing so!

A small rebound today—I’m actually surprised it didn’t happen sooner. Plans today include working on a project for work, lectures from 4-8:30, vacuuming (yay working from home) and fitting a nice long walk with Loki in there somewhere. Hope everyone is off to a great start of the week!

SW:225.6
9/14:219.7
GW:217.0

Week 3:
9/15: 220.0 (+0.3)

Good afternoon, a new low today 194.2 so about half a pound away from 60 pounds down.

William - you stay safe out their and you have my prayers
Kayla - I have been dieting on and off for 45 years!!! The only thing that ever worked for me (I actually spent 3 months on WW and lost a single pound with NO cheating) was Atkins. As the years have passed I have discovered the original 2003 plan needed some tweaking for me so my diet now is based on avoiding the foods that I have found cause big issues for me. I figured it out with a candida elimination diet--thats a whole post in itself and not for weaklings) So now I eat unprocessed food only, save for canned tomatoes and the occasional s/f popsicle, and my diet is low carb and starch, sugar, and mostly dairy free. I can get away with small amounts of cheese but I really have to ration it. And I have to average less than 1550 calories a day to lose but I think that's because of my age. I also exercise daily weights 5 x a week and walking 30 - 50 minutes 5 x a week. I wish I could do less and lose but am knocking at 60's door. It is what it is. 20 years ago I was exercising 2 hours daily but was losing with an average of 2000 calories a day. I could still eat dairy and mayo at that time too. Menopause has messed with the way my body reacts to dairy and other foods. It sounds restrictive, but I am a boredom/emotional binger and for me abstinence is easier than moderation. It's not for everyone, by any means, but it works for me. My numbers at the doc have never been better and I am not on any prescription drugs save for the odd anti-inflammatory for my knees, but this diet fights inflammation so even that has improved. I used to have reflux, a lot of sinus issues, itchy skin, lots of aches and pains, a lot of bloating, etc but this unprocessed diet with low sugars and starches has made a huge difference in all of these problems. SOrry, way more information than you needed

Curvy - Hopefully they appreciate your efforts. I know I always remembered and appreciated the bosses and co workers who helped me out when I was starting at new place <3

Bonjour Mes Amis!

What a roller coaster last couple of days. I think fasting during ovulation & menstruation is a challenge. I am having my faux TOM (partial hyster.) and I had to extend my eating window by a couple of hours instead of omad. I wondered what was going on but didnt get crazy about it. I ate chocolate. I received two boxes of Australian candies from my best friend. He sends them to me every birthday but this year he didnt know I was trying to be healthier. Its 6 months worth of candy! All my favorite stuff and I ate a 2/3 of a candy bar. It started off as one bite and turned into "just a little more". So I realized that all that stuff has to go in the freezer immediately and also I was hormonal because I dont like chocolate at any other time. I literally despise it. But it tasted like heaven so I KNEW what was up. I may have to just roll with it. Just do if that week and have like a 4 hour eating window during that week. We'll see. I only lost one pound this week. Might be because I ate alot of stuff on my birthday and the next day.

Kayla - Up day and Down day refers to a normal calorie day (up day; UD) and a calorie restricted day which is 500 cals for women and 600 for men (down day; DD). So I alternate the days. So if today is an up day then tomorrow is a down day. Its technically called Modified Alternate Day Fasting. Also, congrats on the new job and its understandable there was a transition period.

Gz - I'm working on it. I cant wait until I start truly noticing the weightloss.

Curvy - Fire under my butt usually is a good motivator for me. I do my best straightening up 15 mins before company comes. LOL. And yes whenever I think about not dieting at all, I think about why I started in the first place.

William - So glad to hear that you are ok. Its nice that you are willing to help people in times like these. Its a scary scary thing. Rain would be the best thing right now right? When does it usually rain there this time of year?

Martine - Tu es Quebecois? I was introduced to medical cannabis by my son's gf's mother. She mentioned that she took it for chronic pain and I was so desperate at that point that I had to put down my "Just say no" mentality and give it a try. I so desperately wanted to live pain free again. I didn't even know how to do anything with it. Now I am more knowledgeable and capable of using it for myself. I see it as any other herb I guess because I eat or drink it. Its not tasty at all. LOL but if it helps me do a fraction of what I used to do then I'm all the way in. There is a concern about what I will when I resume traveling. Its illegal in so many places that I wouldn't be able to enjoy a trip at all if I went with out cannabis. The way my life has changed I dont know why all older people with aches and pains from age and per-menopausal and menopausal women dont take it. When my girlfriends talk about this stress or that stress I'm like "here have a cookie." LOL "you need to release all that negative talk and self talk you are bringing into my space right now!" lol
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _____________

Today I had a couple of phone appointments with my doc and their team. It was so quick. Not even 5 mins with the actual doctor. I spent more time with their counselor. But it was productive so I cant complain. I'm kinda dragging butt today. But I think its just from eating food. Its weird.So I'm happy that I lost more weight, even if its just a pound. They add up eventually. I have homework to do today. I have not even given thought to supper. I'll have to figure that out soon too.

Good evening

Shaybelle: I'm a fire under your butt kind of gal too! I finally completed my dissertation when one of my committee members looked me straight in the eye and said, "YOU are finishing this year." Honestly, I had procrastinated too long and was ready to receive that message. Here's to a good .

RunningRedHead: Kayla, what do your lectures cover? I love hearing about others' adventures in teaching.

gzgrl22: Congrats on being nearly 60 pounds down. Whoop whoop! That's awesome that you've had such great success with Atkins. I know lots of folks have. When I was last really successful I was doing low-carb and low sugar. It was more akin to South Beach but I didn't really limit my food options aside from refined sugars. I wish I was a better journal keeper because I keep attempting to get back to the mindset that opened the door to be successful but I never seem to make it over the hump. Abstinence over moderation...I know exactly what you mean. You and the team inspire me!
******
Another busy day. Today the career staff met with our peers who work in our Veterans Center as classes begin on September 30 (we're on the quarter system), and the building our center is located in will be opening to students. Our center will open as well Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I was anticipating some push back on the protocols we'll have in place but aside from a few questions, there really wasn't any. They realize that we didn't develop protocols in a vacuum and that everything on campus is going to be different. We've also been discussing various protocol options for most of the summer so it's not like this was the first time hearing this information. After that I spent most of the day editing our presentation for our reentry student (+25 years and older) orientation. I have feeling it's going to be really good. We have 75 students who registered.

Today was also the bi-monthly health and wellness group meeting that I'm part of. Even though my progress has stalled I really enjoy checking in with this group and hearing how they're doing.

Have a great evening!

Shaybelle - I am so with you on the last minute thing. I work best under pressure myself.
Curvy - If I don't journal I get sloppy, fast. I expect that I will have to journal daily forever. Maintenance is not so much maintenance as juggling and since the scale doesnt always reflect what's going on accurately, the journaling gives me a heads up on what I should expect. It is second nature now so not a big deal.

Up a pound today, normal bump. I usually lose, bump up and down a couple days then settle into a new low.

Hello Team. we've seen better days in the Pacific NW, but our people are strong and our communities are close. We will see our way through this as well. Thank you so much for your support, the people on 3fc are amazing. The sky is slightly clearer today, we have progressed from Hazardous to Very unhealthy air quality. A small weather front is pushing in off the Pacific and we are hopeful it will bring rain. We normally start to get rain on the west side in sept. but the east side will not normally get rain till almost oct. All the woods are closed and shooting is prohibited. modern firearm for deer start oct. 2nd and we will see another rush of people into the wilderness. recently, our area has gained fame for its wine; however, the smoke impacts flavor and the wine produced is sub standard. They call it Broken Boulder and the smoke taste is very strong. Another blow to our economy. there are tough times ahead and I think that ******s the recovery. They are opening schools to "in person" so thats it for me.I have been preparing for a second possible lock down. I do not believe we are in position to reopen schools and, therefore, I will be doing a self imposed lock down. I hope everything goes well. I miss my friends, I miss my family, I miss being with people. I talked to my former counselor, he wants to continue our meetings, but I dont think its gonna work. I asked for a referral and he wanted to try 8 more weeks. I told him "even if i am not always totaly transparent with him, I ALWAYS try very hard to be honest with myself. And I would ask for (him) to do the same." So, lets gang up on him. He is not a diet doctor, and often recommends food for healing. like dinner with dad. Freekin Quack.


Anyway, im gonna catch up on sleep and then try to get to some level of normalcy.


GZ, your level of self awareness is outstanding and is something I strive to emulate!!!


9/16 314.2

Hola Mis Amigos!

Today DH said he can start to see a curve peeking out. He says I always lose weight from my back first and this morning he said it had begun. I was like "dun dun dunnnnnn". So I'll take that acknowledgment of my efforts as motivation foddder. Not doing much today. Trying to get ahead in french class. It was like last week "hi introduce yourself. no grades. no stress. no worries." This week, week 2, its "Remember, to practice the alphabet, the vowels, the letters with accents, introductions, good byes and pronunciation! Good luck you ****ers! " then i think there was an evil laugh in there. LOL

So I'm working on all that because next week is more and our first assignment of recording ourselves saying all that other stuff and sending it in for grading. But i am finding that french is easier than I thought. Omg 3 tenses dont exist in french. in english yes but not in french so have, had, have done something ...all the same! Yus! ... tenses are a pain in the but to memorize for me. So I'm doing a happy dance because I can take that brain power and put it into remember all the dang accents.

Today is an easy day. Its a down day. We are having New England Clam Chowder, Rice and Salad. Boom. Done. So I plan to get work done today.

Carol - Sometimes we need that swift kick. When I divorced my first husband I was writing my thesis as my world fell apart and I took a 3 month extension and still struggled but then my teacher was like "Look! You are done. Get this done! He will be long gone and this will be behind you. If you dont finish this then he messed this up too." She was right. I am so glad I did not let a brutal 6 months make me quit on my dream. So kudos on getting your dissertation done.

Gz - I need to develop the discipline to journal. I am doing a photo one with Instagram because I cant be arsed to write it out. I know...but baby steps. I'll look back on my photo journal and know what was working and what not.

William - Yes we are the same in Canada. They opened the schools but we were not ready now our numbers are up and its only 2 weeks in. I am worried about a second lock down but the people are crying out like Australia did and only want regional lockdowns. I dont know how they will ensure that because ppl are breaking quarantine when arriving back by plan from international travel. Its good to try to be normal as possible and take your mind off of the world right now. I have been self quarantining too. I am JUST starting to try to go out with precautions. I'm nervous as heck though. I feel you on the counselor. I fired my nutritionist because she wouldn't listen to me. Basically, she was like I didn't have a nutrition degree and she does and I was like I probably know more about health than you and we parted ways.

A big hi to everyone! This thread is really rolling this week

RunningRedHead I'm so glad to hear that you are enjoying your new job and how you are getting great support from everyone. Since changing positions at work, I can not work from home from time to time and I do enjoy getting some chores done in between two emails or phone calls. And add me to your cheer team as you make your way to Onederland!

gzgrl22 it's really interesting reading about your journey and how you have found the "recipe" to lose weight at a steady pace at this time in your life. I started writing down everything I eat in June of last year and have kept it up ever since, and I too credit a lot of my success to keeping up with it. If you'd asked me in the past if I would be willing to journal, I would've answered that I found it too tedious and didn't have an interest in doing it, but I finally realized that everything is about food intake in the end, so I created a new habit of it.

William47 all I can do is add to everyone's wishes for the horrible situation in the West to subside, and for everyone to remain safe. I hope that as you are helping everyone else in this trying time, you are also taking care of yourself. And if that means finding a new couselor, then so be it.

Shaybelle oui je suis Québécoise I love your description of the week 2 "assignments" for your course Bon succès cette semaine dans tes études (hey! accents ). It's great that your husband is noticing results from your weight loss. Compliments are always welcome.

curvynotlumpy I love that you took the time to prepare your new hire's work space, but I would not have expected less from you Sounds like you are getting busier and busier as classes will soon resume. So, how did those baby butternut squash(es?) turn out? Here's the recipe for the rigatoni bake that I make: https://www.ricardocuisine.com/en/re...toni-au-gratin

I have finally gotten over my funk, for now, with three straight days of workouts. But after today's kickboxing/lower body strength training workout, I fear I may have done too much for my hips. Tomorrow will tell the tale.

Have a great evening everyone!

WEEK 1:
1: 28 minutes flexibility workout WATER GOAL: done
2: 2.3km walk WATER GOAL: done
3: 43 minutes kickboxing and upper body strength training workout WATERGOAL: done
4: 3.2km walk WATER GOAL: done
5: 5.2km walk WALKING GOAL: 10.7km/10 WATER GOAL: done
WEEK 2:
6: 2.3km walk WATER GOAL: done
7: 43 minutes lower body strength training + 3.2km walk WATER GOAL: done
8: 34 minutes upper body strength training WATER GOAL: done
9: rest day WATER GOAL: done
10: 28 minutes flexibility workout WATER GOAL: done
11: rest day WATER GOAL: not reached
12: 5.4km walk WALKING GOAL: 10.9km/10 WATER GOAL: not reached
WEEK 3:
13: 2.4km walk WATER GOAL: not reached
14: 50 minutes kickboxing and core workout WATER GOAL: not reached
15: 31 minutes cardio workout WATER GOAL: done
16: 50 minutes kickboxing and lower body strength training workout WATER GOAL: done

Good afternoon

DamarisM3: and welcome to the thread!

Shaybelle: What a wise adviser you had! Happy that kind of "tell it like it is" motivation works for you too.

Ooh la la, DH husband has noticed your newly emerging curves. I'm thrilled that he noticed and that he told you. You must be on . Hope all went well prepping for your French class.

William47: Sending you a big . Your post sums up so many of the feelings we all have. The isolation one is already feeling is only compounded when the sky is dark with particles and ash for weeks on end. Today was the first real day of clear skies and sun that we've had in weeks. I hope Portland--actually the whole area--gets some relief by way of rain. I'm surprised that your counselor wants to continue after where you left things a few weeks back. Only you know what will and won't work for you. Lots of excellente counselors out there!

gzgrl22: The health and wellness program I completed had a component and while I found it tedious I appreciated it more the longer I did it. I saw the patterns in my eating and not surprisingly it was when I was most successful. Good on you that it's second nature.

Martine: Thanks so much for the recipe! Haven't tried the baby butternuts yet as I've been getting home later than usual this week. I've got my eye on the weekend to cook them up. I've been meaning to ask how your dad is doing? Is he set back up in his apartment?
***********
Ever have those days where you productive but it didn't feel productive? That was today. Not a lot to report. Continued to work out details and communicating with folks who are going to be part of Friday's event. I did sign up to be part of a walking competition offered through our university. Of course folks will be walking on their own but will log miles on an app. I've participated a couple of times before and it's fun. I love to walk so it's a good challenge to be part of.

Happy Hump Day!

Bonjour.

Today is an up day. I ate a little bit of food and now I'm sleepy. *sighs* I wonder if this goes away. I cant take every other day off. I can but its not wise. I'm sitting here dozing as I just do french drills. I KNOW their voice isnt soothing like an audiobook. This one guy sounds like he is narrating for the Game of Thrones. Its distracting. I get trying to make french interesting but this is a bit much. LOLz. For a little bit of time I have had a couple of numb fingertips and its really starting to mess with my fine motor skills. I used to have problems before but it went away on its own. Its related to carpal tunnel. I guess with me typing ever so much more and writing so much more its acting up.

Other than that. I am trying to get this done so I can unload the dishwasher and reload it from breakfast. My 2nd DS sent me a birthday present in the mail from my wishlist. "Big Book of Mead Recipes" and then with a card that said "Alcoholics Anonymous". This is my one smart alec kid that jokes around all the time. He's sweet; just a smart arse. So I make mead twice a year but not this year because I was moving. Then we drink it at the Winter Solstice. Well I dont have any made and it takes at LEAST 6 months for it to taste half way decent. I try to do 12 months by doing everything in Jan. I'm planning to be ready for January mead making in 2021. This year we'll just be drinking Pumpkin Spice and Apple Spice ciders. I bought a case of each a few years ago. Still have a few bottle left.

Supper tonight is Brown Sugar Garlic Pork Belly with rice. I love pork belly. I love pork. I love food. Lets be clear. LOL! I

Good afternoon

Shaybelle: I love pork as well! It's my favorite meat. Your son has a great sense of humor and what thoughtful birthday . Mead making sounds like a detailed process but the wait must be worth it. One of my former staff makes her kombucha. I haven't tried either though.
**********
I have no idea where today went. A lot of the early afternoon I spent addressing emails from a stressed out parent who's student was dropped from her classes because she had submitted paper work late. This paperwork is for dependents of veterans and pays their fees and tuition. Turns out she was emailing anyone who could answer her question.

I had two Zoom meetings today, one this morning and the other this afternoon. The one this afternoon was my performance appraisal discussion with my Executive Director. I always enjoy speaking with her and she has shown me so much grace and respect over the last fourteen years I've worked with her. I feel like I owe her any professional growth I've had. She is a model of grace, intelligence, wit, and political astuteness (work place political, not actual politics). It was a good meeting.

Okay, I'm done for the day. Have a great evening!