I heard that today was the 30-year anniversary of Chernobyl disaster ... Bill, interesting that you noted the polio vaccine trials. I remember my mom telling me about when my brother and sister were infant/young children (13 year age diff between us), after she put them to bed, she'd wipe down with disinfectant any possible thing they could touch... a boy down the street had contracted polio and was on an iron lung and they had no idea how it spread. My dad was deployed a great deal, so she just dealt with all of that. She recalled the relief when the vaccine came out.

I've been mostly OP today - probably a bit over on homemade strawberry shortcake tonight, but I wanted to use the fresh berries and we ate less than we sometimes do (that sounds terrible) ... we both went fairly light during the day and I prepped baked rigatoni with turkey sausage/meatballs and some fresh mozz balls melted in. Servings were smaller than expected - a good deal left over and the "pound box" I thought I had was only 12 oz. These wiley companies! But easily have four servings left, so that's good.

Had things all set for DH to just come in, sit down and relax tonight. Feel like I've been on the go the whole dang day, though. Sat down about 15 minutes ago and got caught up and will hit the sack here in a few. My little kitty (the standoffish one that I yearn to have become a cuddler) has climbed up on me several times and every time she walks into my lap, I lift the computer to see if she'll settle. No, thank you ... she'll sit right next to me. A gift in itself. Truly.

Tomorrow is the last regular night of the week - we head out to see a theatre performance of Mousetrap on Thursday night. DH will have to go in at 5 to get off in time. UGH. Then Friday I will go see my brother in Chicago, returning Saturday afternoon. That evening we'll go see Boney James. Then work on Sunday at home to get caught up. I kinda feel like life is passing me by right now but need to remember to be thankful for the busy, too.

Love2Garden - Your garden and yard work sounds so endless - it must be so fulfilling to put in the hard work and really see it pay off! That sounds great. I keep feeling that I can't rev myself up to do it. My favorite perennial that I've had for about 10 years now is a hummingbird mint as I've learned. It had an info stick in it that read Sunset Liriope and I bought it because of the name - sunset ... and the peach/salmon/lavender colors and it smells like licorice when it's touched. Since then I have to look it up all the time because it's not a liriope. I LOVE it and would love another one ... the hummingbirds, butterflies, bees all love it.

Karen - I echo OneByOne - some of the Hiking Suzanne stuff just cracks me up! A hot sketch!

OneByOne - Today is over with - fresh start on Wednesday and a great day to kick off renewed effort. I feel you on the pizza. And the half donut. If someone would split with me, I suspect I'd give in nearly every Friday. Especially a flavor I love.

Two loads of dishes (made homemade scones tonight to top a second load), laundry and bed is calling. A good night to all and a great start to tomorrow.

LizardNumbers - I am right there with you on the packaged food being easy to count but not always the direction you want your food to come from. My DH is superb at checking ingredients and if strange ones, he'll nix it. Even if it's ice cream, his number one choice - so it's breyers natural and now Edy's has a clean line of it - eggs, cream, etc. for the Bryers. My stepdaughter would call it healthy food. No, it's just not what I consider contaminated food. Like Lexxiss calls it all filled with chemicals. I'm calorie counting now to get a handle on stuff, but more like I'm eating and logging in MFP so more like calorie tallying. :)

Hi Coaches!

Yesterday, OP. Weighed, weights and water, too. Credit. I had a bison burger at work. I like when they are on special. I requested a "dry bun". My boss was cooking and I believe he does not ever oil the buns but the other cooks do, and quite generously, I will add. It never hurts to add that special request at a restaurant. I never add fries at work. No point in eating cold calories. That unwritten "rule" has saved me many calories in 7 years of work. Dinner was small and simple (one small quesadilla) and later I was hungry. I went down and started foraging (danger zone) and thought things through. Ended up with Amys Lentil Soup. Credit. Beck skills at work.

Spontaneous exercise was plant moving. We got a skiff of snow last night. Not knowing what to expect, I pulled the tomato and basil plants out of the greenhouse last night. I left the kale, parsley, bok choy seedlings and flowers....covered them with plastic. I went out and checked this morning. It's still 36-37 degrees inside (and 32 degrees outside) so I would probably have been ok. I didn't want to risk it. It's supposed to be sunny and 46 today so I'll take them back out a little later.

lizardnumbers, kudos for noticing your tenancy to get obsessive about calorie counting. I, personally am very obsessive and perfectionist. I have noticed in the past how it negatively affects my weightloss efforts. I try to "notice" when I'm getting into an obsessive pattern and self correct.

Wednesday - First Babe Ruth Day (Yankee Stadium, 1947)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walked, CREDIT moi, to class and back in the rain. I remembered that I don't melt and that a large umbrella can keep me dry. I had so many Sabotaging Thoughts about why I could just take my car, just this once, just today, just because I was in a hurry, just because . . .

Food was OK. I had afternoon snacks, but only a mango for evening snack. We're into a mango every night while they're in season.


onebyone – Yep, "We/me, all of us, can do it too." Kudos for facing up to the financial part of your art business.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Ah - at six months your DGN is making new milestones every day. Good plan: salad, baby, one pizza slice.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Good grief! "95 degree temps" - isn't this the same state that just had four feet of snow? Thanks for "The unsurmountable is accomplished one step at a time." Always Kudos for avoiding fries.

nationalparker – Thanks for the awful reminder of pictures of kids in iron lungs. I remember seeing those pictures, although I never knew anyone who got polio. Yep, busy is also considered living.

Karen (karenrn) - Yep, 23 pounds sounds like backpack enough.

curlyjax - Kudos for seeing your supervisor to prepare for your future. Cereal and brie is a new combination for me.

Sandy (love2garden) - Super Kudos for a high pedometer from gardening.

lizardnumbers - It is a challenge to find the right balance when watching calories.

Readers -

CREDIT for one slice of pizza, a bowl of salad, and lots of baby time. CREDIT for coming up with an exercise routine when my walk was washed out by thunderstorms. Snacking was over the top, but I got some fruit in. Today, I plan to add another strategy that worked a couple of weeks ago -- lots of herbal tea and water in the afternoon. I think that will help me physically feel better, too.

WI: NA kg, Exercise: +30, 860/1000 minutes for April, Food: 80% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

lizardnumbers: I also sought for and found a less obsessive approach. I'm less perfectionist with diets based on servings rather than calories -- like the old food pyramid, older Weight Watchers plans, Richard Simmons, and diabetic diets. Over time, though, I really just kind of know what works best for me and that's what I do when things are going well. No counting required, just eat the healthy meals that work.

Good morning coaches,

Credit for food and exercise on plan yesterday. I just got home from Bell Pass hike with 24 pounds in my backpack. I'll just do one more backpack hike this week, probably on Friday. Tomorrow I'll hike without a pack and I already have a plan to walk with 2 friends on Saturday.

Yesterday I started getting food ready for my backpacking trip. I wrote down my caloric needs per day based on how far and or strenuous that part of the hike is and then I'll be sure I have what I need for each day. Since I'll be carrying it all I want to have enough, but not much extra. I plan to get clothes, first aid kit and other tidbits ready today. It's amazing how much time it takes for a little bit longer trip. I just don't want to forget things which wouldn't be a huge problem on a one night trip.

Lunch was fun with Hiking Suzanne, Katie and Minna. The baby slept through the entire lunch in a noisy place. Suzanne told me she has been doing the stair master at the gym with the backpack on. One guy walked over to her to tell her teasingly that they do have lockers. As she said, she has been in flat Florida and Minnesota lately, so really felt it was important to put the backpack on. Of course I want her to be prepared. It can even change the way your feet feel in your shoes.

GardenerJoy Thanks for the reminder to increase the fluids. As it heats up around here I sometimes forget I need even more water and I know sometimes I'm more tired for that reason alone. Glad you enjoyed baby and one slice of pizza.

Bill I lived in Washington for so many years, but now I feel like I will melt when it rains, so I rarely hike in it. I guess I can get away with it here though since it rains so seldom. I just bought mangos, 2/$1. Love them.

Lexxis and Sandy Your talk of gardening makes me miss what gardening I did in Washington. We lived on a corner, so lots of flower beds. Dh did a lot of the planting of new things I'd buy at the nursery, but I did a lot of weeding and deadheading. Things always looked so good afterwards and it was a great way to visit with the neighbors.

Nationalparker You have some busy days, today and the weekend. Enjoy your performances and the visit with your brother.

Lizardnumbers You're right packaged food is probably easier to eat while you're trying to be sure about every calorie. I mostly try to stay away from anything prepackaged and I do use MFP to count calories. However, I know some of the time I'm guessing and once I've put the foods in they are on my list. Since I eat some of the same things often, it's easy for me. I don't think anybody got fat eating too many fruits and vegetables.

Waving to Onebyone and Curlyjax.

I guess I'll get cleaned up before dh comes home for lunch. I really do feel like hiking is my part time job. I was gone from the house for 4 hours by the time I had a quick stop at the store. I hope he appreciates all this work I'm doing.

Pretty good day. Lots of changes going on at work and my boss is super stressed and worried --- and I'm definitely a worried too. But I've been thinking it over and I'm going to try to be less worried and just more positive and motivated at work to try to balance that out. My anxiety makes me procrastinate sometimes which is such a bad thing, and I realized that maybe I should write some response cards for that at work... maybe it's a little crazy, but my anxiety/mood at work is definitely also tied into how much I'm snacking at work so anything I can do to help either situation is probably good. I love my job but sometimes I let myself think I'm in over my head. But I'm not, as long as I stay on track. Hmm... credits for today --- had a healthy lunch and read through the day talking about scheduling time for diet. Still fleshing those plans out, but I think I'll write them up and move forward. They can always be updated. Trying out an app where I take photos of my food so that I still have a bit of a food log to review later, but takes up less time than looking up the calories, etc. and it's neat to review it visually. Credit for making potential lunch plans Friday that include walking to our lunch spot and walking after lunch.

gardenerjoy credit for good food choices, and the herbal tea sounds like a great idea. I need to get back to that myself.

BillBlueEyes Credit for walking in the rain even though you weren't crazy about the idea! I love watching the rain, we didn't get any today but I think we might tomorrow.

Hello all! A quick check-in and then bed. Strong storms moving through - the lightning is flashing and the thunder is reverberating throughout the house. I was "mostly" OP today but then finished my logging in on MFP ... and decided I needed some hand-to-mouth eating and poured a serving of skinny pop. I don't need it all and will pour some in a baggie to take as a snack tomorrow. Credit for splitting it into two one-cup servings. Demerit because it was mind hunger not tummy hunger. Got in 10K+ steps - i wear my fitbit only occasionally and almost just to confirm that each day is about the same/ballpark.

Knocked a lot of things out today - clipped and bathed dog, colored my hair, laundry, meals and oddball errands. DH got my sleeping bag out for my Chicago venture Friday - the hotel doesn't have rollaways or cots so I'll just zonk on their floor.

I can't believe it's only 10:30 and I'm wiped out. I think I'll hit the sack while I can hear the pounding rain since there's no tornado warning.

I'm stinking at personals many days here but am enjoying reading them all! Bill - Kudos for the walks and not giving in to the temptation of the motorcar. (I am reading a book that keeps saying motorcar... I find it so quaint.) Lizardnumbers - I am WITH you on the stress snacking at work. I open my desk drawer every time I'm stressed. WHY? I used to have snacks in there. But I swing around and open it and glance in. I used to have a sign in there that said Take a Walk! I need to do another one :) CurlyJax - Any more news on your DH's health issues - are they able to ID it? How much stress you're under. And for a long while, too. Hang in there!

Phoning it in
 

Coaches

Weñt to Cancer center with MIL. She continues to do well. No change in her condition so another. 3 months without treatment. Love her Dr. So smart and really listens and gives direct uncomplicated answers.

I had three meals out. Enormous credit for not buying g and sweet thing at the supertempti g discount "seconds" store for food called Almost Perfect. They sell what for me is a huge trigger: stuff I've never had before. I stuck with op choices. Huge credit as I held several off plan items and put them back.

Credit I weighed this .morning: 265.9 down from yesterday. Yay.

Tomorrow I see my mother. That will be hard as it always is. I won't eat over it.

Bye!

Thursday - Fletcher Christian mutiny against Cptn William Bligh (HMS Bounty, 1789)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Early morning bird walk, CREDIT moi, had terrific views of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet with the crown clearly visible. The migrants have started to arrive.

The good news is that my doctor found me to be healthy and doesn't need me to return for a year. An EKG showed that my heart was pumping on all four valves - per design - with "terrific" blood pressure readings. Feeling gratitude for good health. I do need to get me back to the gym. It's easy to turn a walk into a stroll without noticing. The treadmill, it just keeps turning at the designated speed.


onebyone – Yay for a doctor who works to be understood. Yep, "stuff I've never had before" is a huge challenge.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Super Kudos for sticking to the plan for only one slice of pizza and for sticking to the plan for mucho Great Aunt time.

nationalparker – Kudos for being flexible enough to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor. LOL at "motorcar."

Karen (karenrn) - 24 Kudos for hiking with that loaded pack. [We consider $1 mangoes a good price; your 2/$1 is really good.]

lizardnumbers - I recognize, "anxiety makes me procrastinate" - I have a long list of reasons in addition. Kudos for "I'll write them up and move forward."

Readers -

CREDIT for more tea & water. CREDIT for one reasonable-sized serving of stir-fry.

My biggest problem with food at the moment is that I don't have everything I need in the house. I can't eat on-plan food if it's not here to eat. I'll see if I can remedy that today.

WI: -0.05 kg, Exercise: +30, 890/1000 minutes for April, Food: 80% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Hi Coaches!

On the fly. Yesterdays trip to the rental didn't go as planned. I found 2 leaks in bathroom which couldn't just be ignored. Called my helper and plumber. She wouldn't be home until later so I crawled in bed and tried to just chill. (and not eat)

Thankfully, even though we have a big mess (had to rip a wall) it is fixable. She has plans tomorrow so I think we will be able to make a push and finish today. Yay!

Yesterdays lack of food made for a drop in the scale. I DID make some dinner though. Not eating is not the solution. Weighed and made my smoothie to take with this morning. Did some housework and went to the grocery for more smoothie veggies. They are washed and I'm out the door.

BBE, 95 degrees was in the greenhouse. lol. Today its 32 out and snow is falling. Checked the greenhouse. It's 38 there. I will leave kale and flowers in there for today. Tomatoes and basil will reside in the house.

Take care everyone!

Coaches:

Just checking in to say I am planning a 100% OP day today. I will be low carb with no off plan sugars or starches and I will cook from scratch today. I will also do 30 minutes of planned exercise and drink 10 cups or water and/or tea.

Will update later today when the kitchen is closed for the day.

Update... Food OP. No exercise happened. Drank my liquid. Saw my mom who was a lot better than I expected. Three cheers for nice surprises! Pottery guild sale tomorrow, will plan an OP day to help me stay sane during it.

Good morning coaches,

Food was barely within calories yesterday even though I earned a lot of them with my hike with the backpack on. Remind me never to buy the big plastic bin of dates at Costco again. It is not hidden cause I was getting my breakfasts ready for the GC and what do you know I ate too many of them. I will not get into them today.

I did the Bell Pass hike today without backpack and it is a breeze without it. There are 3 of us that are regulars and I had a nice visit with the guy (whose name I have forgotten) on the way up. I visited with the other regular yesterday on the way down. I'll carry the backpack again tomorrow because I know it will make my Grand Canyon hike that much easier.

The second guy who was going to fly down from Seattle is not going to be able to make it. He hurt his shoulder a couple of weeks ago, something like a pinched nerve from having his arms in the same position on a long drive. I feel bad for the other guy, Neil, who is my friend Sara's husband and I hope he won't mind being with us gals. I'll let you know how that goes.

I'm not sure what I'm doing for the rest of the day, but I think some floor cleaning might be in order. Also, somehow I stained the underside of one of the toilet seats. It is blue. I don't know how that happened, but I will work on getting it white again. I guess it was the blue color in the toilet scrubbing pad. Believe me I am no expert at housework. Hiking Suzanne is and she has given me some tips, I can't have her come and do a walk thru though cause I know it would not be up to snuff. Oh, to have her energy.

Have a great day all of you!

A brief check in. I've said that often here lately. I'm down to "five more weeks" to the day to where I return home after my big event. I weighed this morning to 173.0 ... I just KNEW it would be up high. But nope. Weigh in is on Saturday, but I'm really hoping that tomorrow it's 172.x... my goal was 171.x for Saturday but I can honestly say that won't be happenin' this week. But food was within calories today - dinner was just part of a frozen trader joe's pizza that DH had to eat on the way to see Mousetrap (I was so proud that, not knowing the play, I guessed the killer when the character was introduced. I never am "on it".). I baked it and he got home, zipped into shower, and got dressed while I ate and fed the pets, etc. Did not eat sitting down today - and typically that's never a factor for me. I drive out in the morning to Chicago. Decided to just park downtown and fork out the money for it.

Gotta hit the sack. Have a great kickoff to the weekend!

Good evening coaches! Very quick check in, very tired! Had a good day and a fairly on plan eating day though. Walked on the treadmill this morning and ordered the steamed shrimp and vegetables at the Chinese restaurant so credit for that :) hearing about all this hiking and outdoor walking is making me want to get outside more!