hi coaches!
I started posting yesterday then was interrupted by immediate kiddie demands, and the day zipped along. Rough two days with DD melting down twice- pretty sure she's not getting enough sleep. i'm probably to blame as well, I do often do not respond as calmly as i should and then it all escalates.
Food not great but I did make some healthy stuff like baked kale (which you shouldn't do ahead of time i found out, it loses its crunch!) and a lovely apricot lentil soup which i was craving. Bill- I like how tactfully you described your friend's hearing problem! A hard realization for many folks which does indeed take awhile. Karenrn-sorry about your dog, that sounds very hard. They do indeed become part of the family. Nationalparker-I can relate, some days are like that! Glad you had a nice time shopping. There are some good sales out now! tomorrow is indeed another day!
Its a wet Sunday here but that can be restful, and the leaves look so beautiful in the rain. Waving to all!
Today is a rainy, rainy Sunday, but I love rainy days when I can curl up with a good book. I probably need to go check out "The Martian" since ya'll have been talking about it....
curlyjax: I always said if I can live through teenagers I can live through anything. Hang in there.
BillBB: I absolutely love sushi. Did you and your friends actually talk about the hearing aides, or you could just enjoy a conversation because of the quiet atmosphere?
nationalparker: our days were spent in similar fashion. I went clothes shopping (which I Hate to do because nothing every fits the way I think it should) - but I actually found two pairs of pants for work that fit. Yahoo! It also encouraged me to stay on track eating wise.
My DH and I went to a church 1 1/2 hours up north today because we had some meetings there. They served a potluck afterward that looked and smelled delicious. We quickly and politely excused ourselves and drove home without eating. DS had our traditional pork roast ready so we ate that instead. It was a long 7 hours between meals, but CREDIT for resisting the potluck. We both knew we would overeat. Now I am comfortably full and happy about it.
I am off to search for a good book to snuggle up with, it is dark and rainy here. Entirely appropriate since I have been "singing in the rain" since the performance last night - which was excellent. DS with down sydrome was extremely entertained and laughed at all the jokes. He is a kid with a sense of humor.
After our first rainy day in weeks yesterday, we're enjoying a gorgeous autumn day today. Rain returns all day Wednesday, they say ... I sure wish I could take the day off tomorrow, but have work that cannot be passed on to someone else unless a valid reason. And wanting to play hookey isn't one...
Late breakfast, lunch and am set up for a late dinner. Feel very bloated and not sure why. Had planned on quiche today, but will change and do that a night when I know when DH will be home... So decided on hearty sandwiches tonight - fresh rotisserie chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. I can heat up a can of soup if DH wants more, but doubt he will. I keep wanting to just kick back with a good mystery and relax but then look around at stuff I have laying around and keep hopping up to move things along.
Had more errands to get done today - have spent more money than I typically do ... but buying ingredients for the halloween office treats I'm baking, etc. Ordered actual prints from photos - I want to remember to do that more often. I don't care for digital photo displays and often forget to order prints. Ordered multiples of some to send to my parents' best friends, who used to get pics of the family gatherings from them. Not that they need to keep or return them, but just to see.
Weighed today - up several pounds from ticker. I certainly didn't feel that I was eating SO off plan. Need to regroup without panicking. If that doesn't work, then PANIC.
Bill - I, too, like your appreciation of the benefit of a quiet restaurant. As one who has difficulty hearing with background noise, and when I can't see lips , a quiet restaurant has a special appeal.
CurlyJax - So good to hear from you more often! Here's hoping this is a good week for the both of us. I'm finding that I'm never feeling "full" ... so I need to really work on stopping when no longer hungry. I alternate between easily doing that and other times pretending I've never heard of it.
SuzLen - I would have liked to join you at Singing In the Rain. Sounds like a great evening - kudos for a fun family event. Many credits, too, for returning home for a good meal instead of the potluck after church.
Many of the reasons in the Beck listing today are ones I've said...it's free...it has healthy ingredients ... etc. ARGH.
Monday - Wyatt Earp at OK Corral (Tombstone, AZ 1881)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Bird walk for exercise, CREDIT moi, where the Double-crested Cormorant was the new bird of this season for me. They've been back for a while with their long necks in flight but I haven't seen them. We had a bunch of pre-school kids with their moms who were interested and well behaved - a joy.
Food was only OK. We had pizza here for dinner with the kids - pizza from an Italian Restaurant that advertised it as gourmet. It was good enough: thin crust, ingredients like artichoke hearts, less cheese than most. The problem was that DW bought a cake and ice cream since a handful of birthdays were being celebrated and I had my share. It was good cake - but not exceptional. The good news is that we sent most of it away with the guests.
nationalparker – Love the notion that the need to play hooky is a valid reason to skip work. LOL at, "Need to regroup without panicking. If that doesn't work, then PANIC."
curlyjax - Baked kale is a healthy choice - Kudos. Sending supportive thoughts for threading your way with a teen DD.
SuzLen - Kudos for being able to face a 90 minute drive without tanking up with the potluck invite. I do like pork roast. [We didn't talk about hearing aids with my friend - just about how noisy restaurants have gotten without mentioning that the rest of us seem to manage.]
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 2 Foundation Strategies to Escape Your Traps
Now imagine if you'd been reading the following reminder card regualrly:
I need to face reality. If my goal is to lose weight,
it's not okay to eat unplanned food. I can always
plan to eat it tomorrow, but history has taught me
that making spontaneous decision to go off my
plan just doesn't work. When I get on the scale
tomorrow, I'm going to be very glad I didn't eat it.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., Deborah Beck Busis, The Diet Trap Solution, Train Your Brain to Lose Weight and Keep It Off for Good (Blue book), pg. 31
hi coaches!
Splurged a bit too much on DH's beef and onion pie last night which he makes when we have leftover roast beef. A nice treat every so often! Credit for making myself take a walk when i was low energy. I figure walking in the grocery store counts too!
I need to figure out what to tell DS is a good meal plan for his age, 13. He seems to be eating less and concerned about his weight even though there's no need, but is eating too much starchy carbs I think i.e. a bagel for lunch, goldfish for snack etc. He won't eat some things that are good protein like eggs and like many kids his age isn't thrilled about veggies but at least eats them for dinner. It would be nice if both kids would grow up more aware of nutrition than i was but sometimes you need to let people understand the information when they are ready. And i get tired of fighting about food! Bill- Awww for toddler bird watchers! that age enthusiasm is the cutest. Nationalparker- here's hoping its a good week for both of us too! I too often get that full feeling sadly! Suzlen- I think I have parts of Singing in the Rain memorized, I saw it very often as a kid and then on DVD! Gene Kelly is wonderful.
Waving to all, happy Monday!
I ate lightly the first few days of the trip and moderately after that. When we reached Havana the selections got more varied and I ate a bit more. Good enough to drop a pound and a half during the trip -- I'll take it!
I ate more lobster in that week than I have in my whole life (being a Midwesterner, lobster is rare in my life). Cubans serve lobster grilled and without butter, so a nice healthy choice. Cubans eat no beef -- cows are for milk and they are very committed to every child having a healthy portion of milk. Even as tourists we were only served beef twice in a week and that was a heavily spiced shredded beef.
I focused on vegetables every chance that I got, eating a lot of cabbage -- I guess that grows anywhere! Fruit was also plentiful and varied.
I laid off starches for the most part because their bread and rice were both white, but I ate some interesting potatoes, squashes, and cassava. Desserts were good and in reasonable serving sizes. The most interesting was what they called guava maramalade with a bit of cheese or sweet cream. It was kind of like apple butter but they ate it with a spoon like we would eat apple sauce.
I'm pleased that the FitBit recorded over 8000 steps on all but one day of the trip -- and most of that was while carrying 10 pounds of travel and camera gear.
Now comes the tricky part. I've gone into a nose dive on healthy eating after trips in recent years. I've blamed it on jet lag, which isn't a factor this time, but worried that it was more about a post-trip depression. So, I'm going to want to work through that carefully.
It would be helpful if I could jump right in with a good food plan, but today is proving difficult to plan. DH had some tummy trouble at the end of the trip so I'm waiting to see what he can tolerate. Plus, I have to plan around a long meeting night. So, I will focus on vegetables and eating lightly like I did on the trip -- I know that worked!
We had little communication with folks back home while we were gone but did manage to learn about the arrival of our great-nephew on his birthday on Wednesday! We heard more details when we got home last night. He had a few struggles -- born as a C-section because he had a bad reaction to the medicine they were giving the mother and some problems with blood sugar levels that kept him in the NICU for a couple of days. But, they came home yesterday and are doing fine now.
WI: -0.7 kg, Exercise: NA 635/880 minutes for October, Food: NA op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
curlyjax and SuzLen: would it help if we all shared our favorite winter vegetable preparations? I like broccoli and carrots and cooking greens in stir fries all winter because the sauce can provide flavor even when the the vegetables are lacking. I'm also a big fan of cabbage in winter. I think I wrote about that on my blog. Here it is: http://www.joyweesemoll.com/2014/03/...alad-a-recipe/
I know I have been MIA. The weekend was not easy. I canceled the family get together because I was exhausted and emotional with recent events - my brother's mental illness, my school, Dh's harvest, my physical issues, on and on. I actually told my dad and my sister the truth that I'm struggling and blue. Usually I will keep up appearances with them at any cost because they are not particularly emotionally safe. Credit to them for rising to the occasion with grace and concern. Lesson learned. I can be real with them more often. DH and I had a horrible fight that was the last straw (so to speak) but we have renewed our commitment to each other and vowed to not let outside circumstances take such a toll on us. DH arranged with my BFF for me to escape for the weekend while he took DH to recital. I didn't realize how much I needed a break. And DS amazed all with his Vivaldi Spring and his Mozart sonata. So. . . morals of the story: the courage to tell the truth is often a prerequisite for finding solutions and I am just not that important. The world will run without me, thank goodness.
Weight is one pound below ticker. I am emotionally convalescing taking small steps including a drs' appt for my knee.
Welcome Back, Gardenerjoy. As for veggies, I have been loving a sauté of frozen broccoli with a little ghee and added coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Yum!
MaryAnn Good for you, requesting help for your needs and what a blessing that family was gracious over the cancelled time together. You are right, the world will run without you. AND you will be better off with less stress.
GardnerJoy You would appreciate the choice I made yesterday to get Thia green beans (still had good texture) with my pork and rec curry, and use very, very little of the white rice.
Why don't restaurants serve whole grains? Wonderful restaurant in Indianapolis had best whole grain rolls years ago. No place that does this on regular basis in our our area.
So glad your trip went well, and envy your opportunity for lobster!!!
CurleyJax Your son eating veggies for supper is great! I remember our son eating peas one at a time with a gulp of milk. As an adult peas and mushrooms still are things he hates.
Thank goodness Pat who lives with us loves veggies as we do. She makes great salads, and we all have lots of color on our plates for meals.
Bill The bird watch would be something DH would love. He has always protected the birds that come to feed on seeds from what we grow, or what he supplies during snowy weather. They help us by bug hunting and the woodpeckers have helped keep our trees alive, I'm sure.
SuzLen Loved hearing about your son enjoying truly great performance.
Back corner garden is redesigned, physically. Will give pleasure for at least 3 years with only weeding and wattering necessary. The printed photo's I took after revising will enable me to mark on those prints the names of the plants I put in. The notes I've done in the past have made spring planting easier so I maintain what is important and fill the truly empty areas.
Leaves are at their peak colors now. So grateful for being able to see the hills even from the house, driving anywhere is a real delight now. I love Fall!
Hello Coaches,
Boy, oh boy, I wanted the burrito and cheese in the cafeteria today. I NEEDED that burrito in the cafeteria. But I said NO!!!! CREDIT! I enjoyed my yogurt and apple (well, "enjoyed" is a bit of an exaggeration) but I least I didn't cave in.
I may not have success everyday, but at least I can say I was strong for today.
maryann: glad you got a bit of a break, and your family is taking care of you. That is why we all need someone - to care for and to let them care for us.
love2garden: I love Fall as well - the colors are so beautiful.
gardenerjoy: you post on cabbage was inspirational. I plan on looking for some next time I shop. And "lobster"?? I am so jealous!
curlyjax: I have found that example for teenagers goes a lot farther than words. My kids ate junky through their teens, but I am finding them remembering my example as they were growing up and they all eat very healthy in their twenties. More so than I in some cases.
BillBB: well-behaved preschoolers are always a joy
nationalparker: it is hard to do housework on rainy days - they are meant to be enjoyed with a cup of hot tea and a good book.
Got through another Monday. Some times that is an accomplishment. Changed evening plans on a whim and ran an errand with DH to finish off a birthday gift for a friend to a chocolate shop south of us ... she savors good chocolate and selected a pound for her from the glass-fronted cabinet and it will top off her gift nicely. Enjoyed them vicariously.
We went to our Thai place for dinner and relaxed as one of only two couples there. Brought half of mine home for another meal. I was kicking myself for not eating just a third. Then had to mentally slap myself - at least I left half. I wasn't stuffed. At the market tonight we picked up Bryers natural vanilla and I made us each a small cone. Doable and enjoyed. I eat ice cream the day we bring it home and then rarely again. I like it soft So told DH I needed the rest for a recipe so he doesn't dive into it - a challenge for him, he admits.
Welcome back, Joy! Hope the trip was just a wonderful experience for you and DH!
Off to wrap up the night early and prep for tomorrow ... CurlyJax - does your son eat carrots? I have been roasting them with onions lately and LOVE them. They're sweet. I guess they're more carb-y than greens, but ... healthy anyway. Looking forward to catching up more with everyone tomorrow. SuzLen - SUPER kudos for skipping that blasted burrito. If you can do it with the stress of the schoolkiddos, I can stick to program tomorrow.
On the date of my last post (Oct 12), I was supporting my friend as Dr.'s were running many tests to try to find the cause of abnormal blood work so they could start chemotherapy. Not finding any answers, an emergency switch was made and my friend had surgery last Thursday. She is recovering well and now there is time to do more testing while she recovers from surgery. I drove back over late Saturday night just in time for my work days. I slept 12 hours Sunday night and I am starting to put my life back together.
Foodwise, I have done pretty well until these last two weeks. Reflecting, it was not so much emotional eating but too many meals out and too many treats. Ok. Done. After a false start back into my routine on Sunday (brought home a cinnamon roll) I hopped back on my calorie counting yesterday. The accountability feels good and I know I'll be happier back on routine with the few extra pounds coming back off. Credit during these last two weeks-my super green healthy smoothie every day.
There is no rest for the weary. Dr. appts with mom tomorrow, mandatory yard work on Thursday and Saturday starting a (hopefully) small rental renovation for my mom. I'm hoping it's just painting and won't know until the tenant leaves Friday evening. Oh, well.
I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things here. I find many of my Beck tools travel with me, especially my ability to make a better choice. Thanks everyone for being here!
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walked, CREDIT moi, to my class where I had been asked to give a brief introduction to what we learn from the stars from their light spectrum in my astronomy class. It was fun, since I had to learn it all in order to teach it. Yay for the internet for providing neat diagrams for any topic.
Food was OK; lunch was leftover chicken and leftover stuffed grape leaves - not bad pluckings from the fridge. Dinner was leftover pizza that served as instant dinner after DW and I walked home from an evening lecture about tangible objects in museum collections. Museums are a bit on the defensive these days as they're threatened with replacement by computer screens.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Monster Kudos for traveling for ten days and losing weight. I could live on veggies and lobster.
Debbie (Lexxiss) – Glad to hear that your friend's surgery went well; hope the future is good. It is a challenge to stay the path with many meals out that are quickly consumed.
maryann - Yay for family and friends stepping up when you need support.
nationalparker – That's impressive that you can hand select a pound of premium chocolate and not indulge - Kudos. (In my house, ice cream in the freezer is invisible to me.)
curlyjax - It is interesting that kids will learn something when they're ready. Beef and onion pies sounds yummy.
Sandy (love2garden) - Color on the plates for meals is such a good sign that 'food' is being served. Congrats on that corner garden redesign.
SuzLen - Kudos, indeed, for standing down a "NEEDED burrito."
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 2 Foundation Strategies to Escape Your Traps
This card, plus many others that you'll make, will help keep you on track in tempting situations. This is how to create them:
Every morning, look ahead to the day. Ask yourself, "What challenging eating situations (traps) will I encounter? What might go through my mind that could lead me astray? What do I want to be able to tell myself in those situations?
Whenever you regret something you've eaten, ask yourself, "What did I tell myself that led me to eat something I wasn't supposed to eat? How did I wish I had answered that thought?
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., Deborah Beck Busis, The Diet Trap Solution, Train Your Brain to Lose Weight and Keep It Off for Good (Blue book), pg. 31
For someone who doesn't have jet lag, I'm up awfully early today!
I managed to make a food plan by lunch time yesterday -- and follow it. I skipped a snack due to the awkwardly timed meeting last night. I'm hoping to skip a snack today as well. I didn't snack much in Cuba and I'd like to keep that going for a while at least.
We landed in Cienfuegos in Cuba -- the smallest airport I've been to. Our passenger plane taxied up to the two Cessnas sitting on the tarmac and that was it for airplanes! After a brief tour of Cienfuegos, we drove to Trinidad -- a small city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its collection of brightly colored 17th and 18th century buildings and cobblestoned streets. We stayed in a casa particular. Anywhere else in the world, that would be called a B&B, but in Cuba it gets a special name because they are privately-owned rather than government-run establishments.
WI: -0.6 kg, Exercise: +45 680/880 minutes for October, Food: 100% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Gardenerjoy I love hearing about your trip. The lobster alone sounds like reason enough to go to Cuba. Good for you coming home lighter.
Bill Speaking of computer screens in museums, the Musical Instrument Museum makes the best use of them in their displays with many instruments. They use blue tooth technology to allow the visitor to hear the instruments, etc. as the instruments are viewed. Of course the most impressive part are the tangible instruments.
Lexxis You may not have rest by my goodness do you ever have purpose. I admire how much you do for others.
Nationalparker Glad to hear you had a successful shopping trip. It's always nice to have a few new things. I'm really looking forward to the weather getting a little cooler here, so I can wear something different.
SuzLen Big time credit to you for no burrito. I love them. Credit for passing up the potluck too!
Love2garden I love to hear about your yard and garden. I will enjoy the Fall colors vicariously thru your description.
Maryann I'm sorry to hear about your rough time. Good to hear you admitted it to family though. I'm glad they surprised you by rising to the occasion.
Curlyjax The beef pie sounds great and especially the fact that you didn't have to fix it. Sorry about the tough time with teenagers. I will admit having a 44 year old son is easier than when he was younger. He put me thru the ringer.
I've done well with exercise, credit, and my weight is stable, credit. My food choices have not been stellar since I'm up and down with grief over the pup. The vet euthanized him at our home yesterday. It was very peaceful and I wouldn't do it any other way, now that we have had this. It wasn't our vet, but one who does this for his business. He was very caring and professional. At first I thought I would be fine. It was actually a relief. That lasted a few hours. I will be fine I know. I've lost both parents, a brother and a sister in law and numerous pets. It's just such a raw feeling in the beginning. He took up many hours of our time and we miss him. Dh is very tender hearted and is also having a rough time.
Luckily some good friends who have a condo here are coming from MN today for 5 days. They will be a very pleasant distraction as we get used to our new routines. I do have a list of things I need to get to and I will. This morning I'll walk with a very nice friend and then lunch with another to start with.
KarenRn: So sorry for your loss. Grief has its own timeline, doesn't it? I have had one dog in my life - Buff. They brought her home and then they brought me home a month later. We had her for 16 years. I still use her name for my computer pass codes.
Lexxiss: As always, you amaze me with your projects. A quick fun read for you might be The Year at LadyBug Mansion which has a "do it yourself" character that reminds me of you.
Suzlen and Nationalparker: You bet not eating that burrito or only eating half counts.it is the small decisions everyday that get me back on track and losing.
BBE: Your excerpt prompted me to write a card for facing today: "It is a two smoothie (fast) day. I am afraid I won't have enough. But it will be a relief to have the discipline and it will prompt me to go a little slower today which will serve me in the long run."
love2garden: What a smart idea to mark on pictures! I am a little embarrassed to say I spend as much time on my wardrobe as you do on your garden. I bought some new additions, donated an equal amount of older items (because that is now my rule) and took new pictures of outfit possibilities to keep in my wardrobe ap. Your hobby benefits more people than mine, though. Nevertheless, dressing myself becomingly is an effective way of taking care of the little fat girl inside of me who had no clothes that fit and a bad butch haircut.
, a quiet restaurant has a special appeal. 
Tuesday - Full Moon
