[dailypractice]

Hi all. It’s really been unseasonably hot here in Florida and our only a/c is a window shaker in the bedroom that has gone belly-up. So my bf is shopping for a replacement. Demerits for off plan lunch: fast food. And pepsi. Slight credit for at least choosing a more moderate meal than average. Credit for logging food. And a good plan for dinner: shrimp salad.

FutureFitChick: Kudos for sticking to your eating plan and hope you feel back to 110% soon.

NationalParker: WooHoo on the beginning of a streak. Great way to think about it.

bill: Those darned cookies. What is with this world of cookies we inhabit? Good you managed to skip the evening reception and fixed yourself a good choice once home.

onebyone: Yay for better eating and much walking… the poetry event sounds fantastic. How lovely of your friend to chop veggies for you. What a thoughtful gift.

MaryAnn: Bummer to hear of your fever. Congrats on getting in the 10K steps early on, and kudos for having a plan to get back on track.

[nationalparker]

I'm loving this routine I've fallen into - an on track one. Came home hungry and prepped my dinner and ate green beans first so only needed part of the rest of my dinner. I'd logged it into MFP and then cut the amounts in half. Came home for lunch again today to break up the day - not as crazy schedule and was able to stay OP - second lunch trip home w/o nutty eating.

Free Reese's cups at work - large four-pack. Brought one home to DH but hid it and will portion one out at a time. It is his absolute fave but we don't buy them. I will pop one in his lunch now and then. Also have one four-pack at work and will enjoy down the line. It's not a huge temptation for me (unlike fresh italian bread) ... but that might have just jinxed me. Not sure WHY I felt the need to take the free chocolate with everyone else.

Goal for tonight is to get to bed earlier. A bit guilty for enjoying nights alone in bed - able to toss and turn as much as I need to, without worrying DH will call me the wiggleworm... not conscious of my belly when he puts his arm around me to snuggle, etc. I feel sleep freedom.

OneByOne - What a great SIL to prep veggies for you! Sweet! Hope you're enjoying the seminar!

Bill - Hmmm... tuna fish, huh? That is one thing I never make but it's sounding good to add into the next week's menu with egg salad. My mom used to do a tray with tuna salad and egg salad ringed by tomatoes and cukes, etc. for Lenten Fridays. I do meatless days fairly often but don't think of this one. Thank you - and to bypass cookies for it - all the stronger you are!

Ani - Good luck with getting the A/C up and running. Do you like Panera at all for a different "fast food" option, though the prices jumped up a bit in the past couple of years, it seems, so not always an inexpensive option. I love having them where I go on the road for work, because it's a quick option that I know nutritionally.

Maryann - Hope you're feeling better rapidly! Take care of yourself and get ample sleep heading into your trip. Everyone is going where I want to go! Enjoy a cuppa for me. I like your line of thinking on difficult people. I remember hearing one mother say about a particularly petulant child that their patience has really been tested and grown because of her. I liked that way of thinking - turn it into a positive.

FutureFitChick - Hope you, too, are feeling better! In your signature you have horseback riding as a goal - is this something you've enjoyed for a long while?

CurlyJax - You got me thinking about yoga with your notes about it - are you enjoying it? I used to love it but have stepped away for way too long. I need to just do it and know that the first 10 minutes will be "dog time" on the floor + dog = dog play time apparently. I can deal with that.

Off to put the other half of my dinner in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch ... before I decide to sample a few more bites. I will brew a cup of tea.

[onebyone]

Coaches

Tired so... Credits for walking, a lot. For three meals. For working hard. For trying hard. For eating veg. For being flexible when things are not the way you want them to be.

Goodnight.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Finished the dreaded march to the accountant with the tax data. There's one nagging number that I still have to work on with a bank for it all to be over. CREDIT moi for not eating over it. Walked, CREDIT moi, to the library to return a stack of books including 1984 which I returned before it was due and without completing it! That's an improvement for me to accept that I only wanted to read a chunk of it to remember - I'd read it years before. A chunk was enough. The old brain still nags that since it was in my hand, I was obligated by the heavens to finish it. Or only to return it to the library because it was due.

Entertainment was Massenet's opera Werther - a new own for me. Just lovely. Was so good to hear melodic music. It still breaks the heart to hear the same old plot: boy loves girl; can't have her; commits suicide. Food was on plan, CREDIT moi, with only one snack. Dinner was toasted Irish soda bread because I had fifteen minutes to prepare myself something and that was sitting on the counter.


onebyone – Yay for cut up raw veggies provided by someone else. Super Kudos "for being flexible when things are not the way you want them to be" - does seem to happen often.

maryann - Sending virtual chicken soup for that touchy back and fever. Backs are supposed to do their jobs without being noticed.

nationalparker – Four Kudos for standing down the FREE Reese's cups at work. Neat plan to dole them out over time.

Ani (dailypractice) - Shrimp salad is a great dinner plan. Florida does have fresh shrimp.

Readers -

Chapter 5 Food Pusher Traps

#2: Escape the Passive Pushee Trap

When food pushers are skilled in the art of pushing food, they can be persistent and tough. Like any skill, being assertive with them takes practice. But what a great payoff when they learn that you're no longer a pushover! You're not going to eat and drink just because they tell you to.

• if you feel frustrated by food pushers, remember that they're just fulfilling their roles. I's not their job to take the first step in changing; it's yours. Many dieters find that once they view the trap this way, the find it much easier to overcome.
  
  
• If you want food pushers to stop, you have to prove to them that pushing is futile. The more you give in, the more you demonstrate to them that they'll get their way if they just continue to insist. Once you make the decision to stick up for yourself, do it every time or the process of training the food pusher to stop will take much longer.

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. 91

[dailypractice]

Hi all. Another hot one today, which my old pooch hates. On our morning walk, the minute she finished doing her business, she wanted to head back home. So I dropped her off and went for a bike ride. Riding is cooler than walking with the lovely breeze in your face. I’m happy to be back on track eating. And the scale went down one pound this morning Woo Hoo, the lowest in many months. I feel confident that I’m back on the program. Yeah, I expect slips, but I’ll strive valiantly to stick to “no ifs ands or buts”.

NationalParker: Yay for being on track with your routine. And yes, I know what you mean by the lure of free chocolate. Thanks for suggesting Panera. We have one nearby, I’ll check it out.

bill: Congrats for moving along on the taxes, and yay for giving yourself permission to return the book unfinished.

onebyone Kudos for posting a great list of positives, especially for “being flexible when things are not the way you want them to be”.

[FutureFitChick]

Still feeling bleh. Meals were OK, but snacks were not measured. I still need to track today's food, which I will do next. I did force myself to walk today and was able to walk a mile, so credit for that.

Hi to all and I apologize for skipping personals.

[nationalparker]

Good evening, all! Last day/night without DH. Instead of feverishly working to tackle projects around here, all I want to do is be alone. To revel in the quiet. To just sit and "be" ... petting a cat without doing something else at the same time, just admiring her fur pattern and smiling at her purr and closed, peaceful eyes. Relaxing her relaxes me. I have been 100% OP today as well - have a cup of hot tea here next to me to sip and enjoy while journaling this evening. Just a bit, not a book. Temps will cool off this weekend and I'll look forward to the fireplace Saturday night.

I weighed this morning (but "official" will be on the weekend) and was 173.8 - first time I've seen under 174 since before the holidays, I think. I feel like I'm truly seeing a result of the choices, for the first time in a while I'm stringing enough days together. I keep rereading the listing I have at work, but haven't worked hard enough on rewriting my "whys" each day, but I like Ani's idea.

Working myself up into a tizzy with more court issues on the horizon with DH's ex. I keep thinking only a few more years and then we don't have to deal with her anymore. We shall see.

Bill - I love the "dreaded march to the accountants" ... one of our projects this weekend is to work on ours more. I need to find two bank papers that I thought I handily filed in the 2015 taxes folder but DH has asked for them, so I'll get into detective mode.

FFChick - Hope you're able to knock this bug out and feel better on the weekend! Credits for being on plan with the meals and still get in the activity. I don't want to get on the bike tonight and KNOW I won't be tomorrow, so I should - even if just for a few miles.

Ani - Sounds like you hit upon a good solution with your pooch/walks! I can't move our dog's leash without her flying through the house and leaping up at the end of it, thinking she's heading out for a walk... I know what you mean - the guilt of not taking her.

I'm liking these notes Bill's posting on the Food Pushers - I don't consider myself one all the time, but at times, I probably do. I figure I DO bring things to work, but the goodies are nearly always gone soon after I put them out - I don't push them on people to take any. But maybe it's pushing by presence? But we have highly active people who work out in order to enjoy what they want, as well.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the scale doesn't pop up and mess with my mind.

[onebyone]

Coaches

It just struck me as I wrote the subject line for this post that "backlash" is quite the terrible word! The poetry event must be working on me. Tonight I heard my first slam poets. I liked them. I wondered what I would say. It also struck me as a form from the 50's, beatniks particularly. Clapping is replaced by finger snapping. And if the poem moves you you bob your head and go "mmmmmm" out loud. When you do it with the crowd, it's fun. Observing it's annoying. And comparing it to the "regular" poet/reader, well that old skool poetry looks dullsville daddy-o.

Printing didn't happen today as the missing member of our collaborative drawing group came by so we discussed everything under the sun. What a treat.

Speaking of... I had 2 treats today. A brownie this morning with coffee just cause I was annoyed at the trek to the studio from where I am staying and then tonight an energy bar inlieu of dinner cause I was late to the poetry event. I don't want to repeat that tomorrow.

Walking still way up there for me.

Must sleep now. Have a good night.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – 'Twas a busy St. Patrick's Day: lunch with a group of friends who'd worked together for years followed by corned beef and cabbage dinner with DS and DDIL. The good news is that I substituted green salad for fried onion rings at lunch, CREDIT moi. Bad news is that both meals were meat-centric and caloric.

'Twas also a busy day with four phone calls to two different banking institutions to solve 'problems' - problems that shouldn't exist but come into being by bureaucratic shuffling. Keeping money under the mattress looks more desirable each phone call. I'm off for a weekend with a group of friends where I'll be off-web. The challenge is that I'll have to eat from the selection of food that's available. And, I'll have to select from the snacks that are constantly visible. I'll see you on Monday morning. (First day of Spring is tomorrow.)


onebyone – LOL at "dullsville daddy-o" - I'll hide my Ogden Nash. You do sound like you're making good use of your trip.

FutureFitChick – Ouch for "bleh" - so much easier to move forward when all the body is cooperating.

nationalparker – Alone time is good. Kudos for "seeing a result of the choices" - always nice when the plan works.

Ani (dailypractice) - Kudos for outlasting your dog in the Florida heat. Yay for back on your program.

Readers -

Chapter 5 Food Pusher Traps

#3: The Buzz Kill Trap

You feel responsible for making other people feel
better about what they're eating and drinking.

Laura had another difficulty with her family food pushers. "I always feel guilty when I say no to drinks they push on me," she said. "I don't want to make them feel bad about how much they're drinking."

I had another reality check for her: while it was Laura's responsibility to start saying no to food pushers, it wasn't Laura's responsibility to make other people feel good about their food and drink choices. The bottom line for any of us is that we're only responsible for our own choices; we're not responsible for the choices other people make.

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. 92

[curlyjax]

hi coaches! Sorry to be off a few days, I was feeling too crabby to post. DD and I have sort of made up and things are better. One issue revolves around food- its difficult to deal with her bad eating habits and sugar addiction (which I can relate to) without her getting offended and then mad, and I didn't approach it the right way. onwards and upwards!
I have been wayyyyy off program, but have ordered some cookbooks from the library to motivate me and will get back on track.
Bill- have a great weekend and sending support to avoid those snacks!
Futurefitchick- hope you're feeling better soon, I hear you with feeling bleh!
Nationalparker-yikes on court issues coming up, I hope everything goes smoothly!! Yes, I really like yoga- but it does hurt I am really tight in my legs and there is a lot of floor time. Doing it at church is great, its a whole different vibe. I wish I could do it more than once a week, I may look into that although it starts getting pricey-
onebyone- your poetry slam sounds great fun! You are always doing interesting arty things I would love to do! That is awesome!
Dailypractice-Good for you getting back on track, that is the right attitude! I always think of Florida as being so beautiful but forget about the heat which would probably do me in!
Wave to Maryann, Lexiss, love to garden and gardenerjoy, I think that's it!

Happy Friday!

[onebyone]

Coaches

Checking in right now as I wait for the laundry to finish. Very grateful for a washer.

My printmaking studio friend isn't going to make it to the studio today. I think I won't either, but then that means yesterday was my last day there. They are closed over the weekend for the March Break. The poetry festival continues tonight and over the weekend it starts at 1pm and goes until 10. 60 poets/6 days. They weren't kidding. I will have seen 54 poets though as I leave to catch the 10:04 bus out of the downtown every night, always missing the last poet of the day.

Foodwise I just had a heavenly set of poached eggs on a "pair of toast". My friend told me he was travelling in Quebec and a waitress in a diner called to the back "pair of toast". Funny what pops into your head.

Other food for me today will be modest and it will be lunch and dinner. No sweets today. Lots of walking. Water as much as I can.

This trip has not been productive in terms of prints though I am feeling more connected to that. Probably I could have done that at home but all these artist friends help ground me and remind me that I am doing work that needs to be done. being completely self-directed is a tough thing. It fills you with doubt. But it is the most satisfying thing when it works out. It's a lot like losing weight/following a foodplan/regaining or increasing your health. All self-directed. All internal choices. And the accomplishments are really only yours. And the motivation is yours too. Only you can follow it. You have to do it.

And with that I am off for the day.
Have a good one Becksters!

[Lexxiss]

Hi Coaches!

Thanks for the shout-outs! I am back on the Eastern Slope after a wonderful trip to Utah. Not super restful but fun. Beautiful scenery, especially at Arches Natl. Park which I never tire of and am so close to. It's a 2-1/2 hour drive from my home in Glenwood. Food choices were pretty good as I traveled with healthy folks. We each prepared a dinner and of course, I took my vitamix for my morning smoothie. Credit.

All in all, however, with so much going on, my food choices are slipping a bit. I thought things through as I was driving yesterday and made my Beck plan for getting back on track. I have notes written and am following through. Scale is up but it will go back down.

Snowy here which limits my options of "what to do" today. I have a mountain of boxes from my bike rack/hitch. I will take them to recycle. I cleaned out the fridge while coffee was making so I am organized for good food choices. I have a list of menus and will stick with them. Credit.

Looming is eviction for non-paying tenants. I delivered the notice a week ago Wednesday. I got a call Sunday night from the very irate tenant informing me I couldn't evict them....they have a lease. Apparently he didn't read the part about what happens when you don' t pay. I imagine this isn't going to be the most fun and I really dislike conflict. Oh, well. Much better I get back on track now. I will have a week under my belt of clean eating before it gets tough, as I surmise they will not honor their deadline of next Wednesday for being out. I will probably be in court on Thursday.

It has sure been a long and rocky road but gaining weight will not change that. I'm determined to stick with it.

gardenerjoy, I'm so sorry your back pain continues. When I tweaked my back last September it sure took awhile for things to get better. It's so aggravating when the mind wants to "do" and the body is not cooperative.

to all!

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

Friday off and I finally see the end of the confirmation commitment. In my home town, we have a huge Indian population. Their weddings, I have learned, can last weeks. That is what I feel about confirmation. It has lasted weeks. Yesterday, Dh and I privately gave DS the necklace we had ordered - a gold cross with a medal of his patron saint John the Baptist. He was touched. DH and I were both in tears. Now flows the less private stuff - rehearsal and ceremony with family party through Sunday morning.

With the ceremony, my work and AA, I feel near to drowning in human, what can I call it, poignancy, bittersweet, maybe just condition. When I was younger I was able to leave this stuff at the door of work or the meeting or the church. Now I am engulfed in it. Even yesterday, when we took DS to register for freshman classes, I found two of my school boys with their moms who don't speak English, looking lost. All my son's friends were in hot pursuit of the best classes, making long lines to the counselors. I walked the boys up to the line and insisted they be put in the higher classes they deserve. I was told they couldn't be in them because they weren't in a prep course. I told them the prep course wasn't OFFERED at their school. They should not be separated from the others. I was so focuses on them, I almost forgot to get my son registered!

This is just one event of many yesterday. And I cried in the parking lot over not just those boys but all my school. Separate is not equal. Have we learned that yet? How many times must we learn this? I ask myself, why am I the one on the medication? But I promised DH I would take it plus the one that is "as needed" for anxiety at least until this month calms down. Then I can plan to cut back and look for another position . I can't keep a job that requires me to be on meds. Nope!

Good things:
DH and DS are 100% supportive.
I have not gained any weight from the meds.
Food is almost always in MFP.
Posting here.
Walk today
5 inches of rain and the Shasta Dam is full which means farming is ON for the season.
I will come through this NOT twenty pounds heavier.

Thank you all for supporting this blog.

[nationalparker]

Brief check in as night will be busy. Plans changed from handling the legal issues - will do via mail this week after I look into an option from work that I pay for and hadn't thought of... even if it saves us 25% in legal fees, that's a chunk. Took DH out for a special lunch today - marking the end of his 29 years with his company. His company, which did NOTHING for him. His peers treated him to a few pizza dinners/lunches and he enjoyed catching up with them all, took their contact info, but not even a dang cake from the company. SO I felt we'd treat ourselves a bit this weekend. Had a late lunch with a grilled chicken breast on a pretzel roll (I didn't realize that, not overly fond of them) but did order the sweet potato waffle fries and enjoyed those. I brought half of my sandwich home and skipped nearly half the roll on my half ... expect that was lunner and don't need more but if hungry before we head out, I'll make us each (or at least me) a smoothie. Despite having one for breakfast. I froze fresh berries for one. I counted it all. Weight remained at 173.8 and will edge my tracker down. Logged it on mfp and am close to the max for my day. relieved to see three weeks with a tick down each week. Personals tomorrow - off to get some things done before we head out.

[karenrn]

Good afternoon coaches,
We are in Cusco. Dh and I cover a lot of territory; today we hiked up to the Christo on the hill, walked thru the market and toured the Cathedral. I have other things I would like to see. He is not enamoured (sp) with walking on the sidewalks with lots of car exhaust. Thank goodness a week of our trip will be out in the hills. I've put some food in MFP. Shorts fit well and we're getting lots of exercise.

We seem to be doing great with the altitude. Near 12,000 at the Christo. I get a little annoyed with Dh. I'm sure he gets annoyed with me too. I am used to lots of alone time.