Hi coaches!

Yesterday I made my best choices possible. Credit. I didn't eat at work and drink lots of water. Dinner was a mishmash of leftovers while sitting in a hotel room. On the way back from dropping dad at his sisters, I did stop at the grocery and get some salad and brown rice sushi. Picked up a bottle of wine for grandma and got me a ice cold Perrier. My brain told me I didn't need to step on the scale this morning but I did anyway. Credit. I need to observe how the brain works since I didn't really consume anything yesterday which would have led me to some disaster this morning. LOL.

BBE, several years ago I took my mom grocery shopping on the Saturday before Super Bowl. I didn't even think about it but the store was absolutely crazy. I found out it's the second busiest grocery day of the year and I don't remember if it was pre-Christmas or pre-Thanksgiving that was busier. I won't do that again.

Welcome back Spanky and ForMyGirls!

:wave: everyone else!

I have all my smoothie ingredients it out and I think I have time for one more cup of coffee before work calls.

Monday Check-in
 

Coaches

I've got my eye on the next 5lbs and I'm re-committed to getting there. I found this image online as motivation and thought I'd share it. I want to be that trainer OR that trainee!

Oh! Need to get breakfast made. Better go. Will check back later.

Good morning coaches,

Planned day off yesterday so no exercise. Food was close to on plan, credit. Plan had to change since we went over to friends in the later afternoon for chilli. I did have a few chips, but no alcohol. Seahawks pulled it off very late and won in overtime. They are our team since we lived in WA for 50 years.

I have a fairly long hike planned for today (9 1/2 miles) carrying a day pack with about 14 pounds in it. This week my plan is to start the Fit Climb program. I will stick with my hikes but wear a heart rate monitor and add their strength training. The one I chose is a 12 week program to prepare a person to climb a mountain or do a long distance backpack.

Onebyone Love the motivational image!

Lexxis My thoughts are with you going thru the family situation. Addiction is such a difficult problem. I'm glad you are there for the children.

Bill I was for the Patriots cause our cousin lives in Boston, actually Watertown. I'm always amazed at the Superbowl food statistics. Even though Seattle is in the game it isn't that big a deal to me, especially food wise.

Nationalparker So do the Breathright strips work? Just curious. My husband is in the spare room sleeping cause he has such a bad cold, mostly so he can get some better sleep.

Ceejay Wow, what an accomplishment! Keep up the great streak of following your plan!

[B]Maryann[B] Throwing away food is one thing, but leaving a peanut butter cup alone now that is strength.

Waving to all the rest. It is Monday and I always feel Monday means "Fresh Start" even if things have been pretty good, the slate is wiped clean.

I'm so disappointed in myself. There's a small part of me that absolutely believed that DH would ditch the walk after the game ... I broached it before it was getting dark - if you THINK you don't want to go later, please let me know, so I can go before it gets dark. No, no, I'll go ... I said no biggie if you DON'T want to go, just let me know so I can go now. No... I'll go ... and surprise (or not) ... no go... we're going to head out now, so down one walk instead of one today and one yesterday. Irritated at myself the most. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. BUT then I say, should I have just gone then, too, and that sets the table for me saying I don't believe him.

CREDIT for 100% on my Success Skills Sheet yesterday -- especially when I started with "maybe I'll skip all that today."

Today's exercise will be a 4+ mile MLK march in Ferguson. I'm sure the pace will be slow, so I'll count just the minutes it would have taken me to walk that distance at speed.

The challenge is that I'll be out doing overlapping MLK activities through both of my normal snack times. I'm answering that challenge with breakfast bars. I shopped this morning -- what a revelation the breakfast bar aisle is! Hundreds of ways to market cookies and candy bars as healthy. My plan is to eat no more than two today and give the rest away so that I come home with none. Then, forget that aisle exists until the next time I have a weird out & about day or travel.

WI: -0.1kg , Exercise: +40 710/1200 minutes for January, Food: 100% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

nationalparker: I've taken to erring on the side of two walks (one by myself and a second with DH if he really does get to it later).

karenrn: I love that it's so easy now to find good training programs for whatever goal you have in mind. The 12-week one sounds perfect for you.

onebyone: Great to see you back -- I love that graphic!

ForMyGirls: Welcome back! So happy to have you with us.

Lexxiss: Funny how our brain works -- as if the scale detects things we thought about eating, but didn't.

BillBlueEyes: Filling a plate with salad and putting the rest of the food around the edges is a great technique.

CeeJay: Woohoo on 14 days on plan! I love the experiment that you're trying this week, with a firm date to evaluate.

Well, made it back here. That's Day 2. Since I felt so bloated lately, I wanted to start with a 500 calorie day as an "Intermittent Fast" day. So far, so good.

It was a busy "Do All Your Yearly Dr. Appointments for the Year in One Day" sort of day. And Groceries and assorted errands. But an easy evening so a hot cup of decaf should get me through to bedtime.

All the best to everyone and thanks for still being here!

Hello everyone! I have missed reading and communicating with all of you.

I believe I reported that I had a cold...well it got me and but good. Down and out yesterday and today. I am feeling a bit better today, but not ready much of anything.

Ugh! I think I am drowning I am so congested. Trying to drink lots of water. Food is okay, but I am fighting the compulsion to eat. Right now I have the bigger bat and the urge is staying just an urge. (damn thing)

Hopefully I'll be even better tomorrow. Thanks everyone for sharing their journey's!

Tuesday
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – 100% on plan eating, CREDIT moi, helped by no outside offers of food. So many occasions where food is provided to make socializing happen. Perhaps there can be new high school classes that teach how to talk without food.

Walk, CREDIT moi, diverted into a tour of a cemetery that I noticed and remembered that I had no idea about its size or shape. No one was there; I wandered far and wide noticing that often 'Mary' outlived 'Fred' by as much as 50 years. Naturally, I winced, but the 'Freds' seemed to pass in their 40's. The oldest stones in the classic headstone shape were marble and no longer legible.


onebyone – Thanks for the image of the 70 year old trainer with a 102 year old client. I can use that.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – LOL at your discovery of the truth of the Breakfast Bar aisle. I blush every time that I realize how stupid the food industry assumes that we are - particularly since their opinion is backed by sales.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Leftovers in a hotel room seems like an unusual combination; Kudos for arranging that. Thanks for the tip to avoid shopping on the Saturday before Super-bowl Sunday.

spanky - Kudos for making it through a 500 calorie fasting day. LOL at your everything in one day schedule. BTDT.

nationalparker – 'Should haves' are just the worst kind of hangover. Have a good walk today.

Karen (karenrn) - Kudos for taking your hiking training seriously enough to do the Fit Climb program.

cathydoe - Emailing chicken soup to fight off that cold; it's so hard to feel human when all stuffed up.

Readers -

onward ho!
 

Hi Coaches

Credits for weighing in yesterday and today. Results? 284.8 yesterday (no wonder I was feeling so creaky and crummy-that's higher than high for me) and this morning 280.9. Phew! I feel like I narrowly escaped injury with that one.

I am following many Beck ideas but have really taken to heart her 5lbs at a time rule. I'm only looking at the next 5lbs BUT I want to get them off. Work at getting them off. I have been at a standstill-hovering really-in a 15-20lbs range. I'd like to cast them aside and keep on trucking down towards a true goal weight this year. I have been overweight and young and it didn't bother me so much but I really think I cannot handle being both overweight and old. That's serious business and there is nothing I can do about old, so I must do something about overweight. This thought, this realization, has really grabbed hold of me. I think it's sticking and that is a good thing. I need serious, meaningful and deep motivation to reach my goals for the first time in a decade or so. I think this will be a new response card.

So day 2 today. Happy to be here. Happy to see all of you as well.

Yesterday's credits:
ate green things
tracked food
planned meals
did 1mile WATP video
ukulele practice
decided on my goals for this year
drank some water

CREDIT for following my plan on a weird day. I'm counting it as a 100% day on my Success Skills Sheet even though I ate one snack standing (walking, in fact). I'm calling it the MLK Dispensation. I did enjoy every bite because I was very hungry by the time I got to it.

WI: -0.45kg , Exercise: +60 770/1200 minutes for January, Food: 100% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

spanky: good for you for getting in the doctor's appointments. I got behind and did a bunch in 2014, but not in one day!

cathydoe: sending healing energies!

BillBlueEyes: a cemetery tour is great exercise. In my hometown, the cemetery is up the sides of one of the tallest hills in town -- walking there was quite a workout!

onebyone: losing weight to make getting older easier is excellent motivation. The miseries of my mother-in-law are largely weight-related and I use them as an object lesson.

A busy holiday, but a very productive day. DH and I did go for our walk. My concern in going alone when he's home is that he'll say, What? You don't believe me that I'll go with you later? And then he'd say, forget it - just go. SO ... will get this figured out - maybe I just sub in a pilates dvd so it's something different anyway. We're planning to go tonight - I already have the evening "scheduled" :).

I purchased a large container of all types of small tomatoes, and made a wonderful, colorful bruschetta for lunch and on the side, thin medallions of chicken italian turkey sausage (trying a new one that was a hit). It's on sale and I want to stop back by on my way home tonight to get one to freeze. To save $1. Hm. Might not be the best use of time now that I think about it.

Good choices throughout the day, but needed to stay on task at night - we watched a movie and I had planned for 180 cal of gelato; had that...then later added some light popcorn measured into a cereal bowl and less than 100 calories, but wasn't on my plan.

Our temps are back up above freezing for the highs several days this week, so I'm hoping we get outside a bit each day, other than in the car.

Six months ago today my father passed away. Seems like it was a few weeks ago at many times. A day doesn't pass that I don't think of my parents, and now my kitty. I'm blessed to have them with me for a long time, and am thankful for that, but miss them daily. I should be thankful that we had a relationship as it was to where I DO miss them.

National Parker Mmmmm the bruschetta sounds delicious! Understand your concern with coordinating walks with family. DD and I sometimes go to the gym together, but when she waits till after supper, all my energy is spent so I don't go.

Thinking of your father gives you a chance to celebrate all the good moments with him and tho making you sad that you can't have more, it helps celebrate your life with him.

1X1 You really are having a struggle. I've accepted Beck's suggestion to use 5# mini-goals and agree with you, that seems more possible.

BillI'm so aware how many neighbors and friends are without their spouse. Some were young when they lost him or her, others were in their 60's, 70's, or even 80's. After decades of a good marriage, how difficult it would be to face the rest of your life without them.

DH and I've met in 1955 so have known each other thru many decades. I was so young and dumb as I look back, can't believe my good fortune to have him as my husband for the past decades.

I'm really trying hard to do all Beck directs and it must be helping. This morning I'm down an amazing 5#. Never before have I lost that much in just a bit less than 3 weeks! I am a believer in this Beck Diet.

CREDIT: Weighing daily and recording. CREDIT filling out success skills sheets and like the ways I'm improving. CREDIT Spontaneous exerecise (tho cut short because of asthma issues), but planned exercise early in morning was done.

hi coaches- didn't check in for a few days because i was just crabby but better today. Not doing so good with eating- I did resist another ice cream cake and am staving off mild hunger pains now so credit for that.

Credit for attempting to exercise even with ongoing toe/foot thing- i tried a walking video without shoes on early this am, hopefully that won't make things worse. Onebyone, it was a WATP, I enjoy them too!
Credit also for joining a y for the family. it is not very close to home but even if we get there only on the weekends we'll all be doing something during the winter.

love2garden-you are doing great! awesome job on the 5 lbs.
nationalparker- ditto what love2garden said so nicely. Sending hugs for sad thoughts. (I don't know how to do the emoj things other than smile)

Good afternoon coaches,

Very quick check in today. Husband has been home for two days with the nasty cold. He never stays home, but I think he finally realizes if he is able to it might save some one else from getting it.

I had a meeting this morning so this afternoon I took a short hike, less than 4 miles with my 15 1/2 pound day pack. I bought a luggage scale at REI yesterday so I know precisely what my pack weights. Food on plan and within calories. I already messed up on Fit Climb cause I thought I was supposed to start the strength training on Wednesday (was supposed to start on Monday). Anyway, I will go to the Y tomorrow and do the exercises and then do a 90 minute hike.

I have been mostly staying away from any sweets. Today I allowed myself a Kind bar after hiking. It is within calories, but has dark chocolate. All I can say is now I want MORE and I'm not even a chocolate person.

Nationalparker It is so hard when our parents are gone. I still miss mine terribly and they've been gone 15 years (Dad) and 10 1/2 years (Mom). It does get better, but like you I'm glad I had such a good relationship with them that I still miss them.

Hello to all,

I was out of town with the family. On track today foodwise but failed in my intention to exercise. Tomorrow!

Best,
flnu