Jeez, Maryann, you have every reason in the world to be focused on the arduous road you have walked this week! I'm impressed with the strength of your convictions, your high expectations and compassion for the kids, and your ability to not eat over all of this. On Tuesday (8 days in) I got a really troubled student who has wreaked havoc on our classroom and my nerves; I was ready to complain about being exhausted by that, but I guess I'll "Buck it Up, Buttercup" and give you the trophy for Stress at School.
I'm actually just checking in to say that my 21 day fit containers & program came so I will be starting on Monday (traveling tomorrow so silly to try a new program then) and plan to execute the entire 21 days. Which brings me to the day before my birthday, so I'll celebrate then, and go back on for a second 21. The 2nd time I will include the video workouts. I'm going to have to pass on them the first time around because I was fitted for a walking boot on Thursday, to try a new way to heal the plantar fasciitis. For three weeks. Which of course made cavorting around a kindergarten classroom pretty fun yesterday.
Thanks, MaryAnn, for the update. It brought tears to my eyes. I admire your strength and conviction.
Posting from my phone. Back to work tomorrow. It's been a busy week with many successes. I have tracked my points all week and Have stayed within my points range five out of seven days. Credit. The scale still moves down. I did many hours of work in the yard today. I'm wanting to move forward there as much as possible before the ground freezes. We have had a major road project all summer long. It was supposed to end for the season one block from my house and they changed their minds. Now my block will be the last to finish. That means that a 100 foot sidewalk border with Iris and hollyhocks will be demolished after the freeze. Anything I want to save must be dug up and transplanted now. I am transplanting some but I am also trying to give many away. They have been blooming there since I was a child.
The other implication of this project which they updated on Monday, is that sometime in the coming week the road in front will close and I will no longer have front entry to our home. That means that Everything that comes in and out will be either by a back and very steep stairway or by hand truck out the front. I did some serious shopping this week. Dog food, cat food, cat litter, many heavy items I don't want to have to mess with later. It's all good exercise.
I had a great plan for this project come springtime. I was going to replace a lot of old soil in my flowerbeds by dumping it in the street and then I was going to haul big rocks up for a rock garden. I started working on dumping soil this morning. This is my once-in-a-lifetime chance. I believe it will be two weeks before they start digging out front but I've already seen nice rocks coming up down in the next block. LOL
No Sugar September remains intact. After fending off containers of home.made sweets every 20 or so minutes all the time we were on the bus today I successfully said no each time. I did have fruit and two handfuls of chips, but no sweets. Big-time credit.(see pic attached)
Tour was good. I would never have gone to any of the studios we went to today so that was good. Too.mucj functional pottery for my taste though. I wanted wild sculpture but had to settle for a few odd ball items here and there. Inspire of this "a good time was had by all".
maryann: I can feel your disappointment in your colleagues and in their attitudes. I remember being a student during a strike.and yeah I felt like.nothing we did mattered during that time. You are in a hard place. Credit for staying on plan.
Nature girl: what are the 21 day fit containers? Sorry to hear of your teaching troubles as well. It's tough our there!
Lexxiss: has anyone ever accused you of rose-colored glasses?? I swear you make.lemonade out of any lemons that dare roll your way! I admire the fact that the road construction will unearth the rocks you want to use. That but isn't on your ideal time schedule.is irrelevant. You will simply change the schedule to accommodate the bounty which has manifested before you. I tip my hat yet again to you my friend!! Credit for remaining on plan as well.
gardenerjoy: Kudos for not eating in your car. Can you call this a streak? How did you fare today??
Billblueyes: we have kept this ship afloat. Welcome home, Sir. Your trip has made you speechless. I look forward to aomw.vignettes as you gather your senses!
Diet Coaches/Buddies Eating and exercise on plan took second place to just getting my head back home. We did see the movie The Millionairess (Maggie Smith, 1972). Maggie Smith is gorgeous and superb in the title role. We were delighted since we've grown to love her in her recent old-lady parts.
Iceland Vignette #1 At the park ήingvellir (pronounced Thingvellir) we straddled the split between the two tectonic plates driving Iceland apart. The mid-Atlantic ridge continues straight through the country to help create its volcanoes. We walked the paths created through the ridge. One section had been recently replaced with a wooden walkway because a huge portion had collapsed into the gulf. We were reminded that the land is active right now.
onebyone Kudos for continuing your no sugar September - a big step. Love your disdain for "functional pottery." The gift shops in Iceland sell decorative bowl made with clay containing volcanic ash - quite attractive.
Joy (gardenerjoy) Yay for plugging along. Thanks for reminding folks when to shift to the September thread.
Debbie (Lexxiss) Ouch for losing access to the front of your house. Kudos for taking action beforehand to lessen the impact.
Nature Girl Ouch for "cavorting around a kindergarten classroom" in a boot. At least you gave the kids something to laugh about.
maryann - What a story. Kudos for choosing your own path despite the tension to do what others wanted. Did you read that a judge in Connecticut declared the entire system broken? Not just the distribution of money, but promotions, evaluations, education - the whole works.
nationalparker Happy Birthday. Hope your road trip is more entertaining than just work.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 8 Holiday Traps
#1: The YOLO (You Only Live Once) Trap
You use holidays as an excuse to eat whatever you want.
Staying in control at parties - especially holiday parties - is difficult for most dieters. It's so easy to get caught up in the holiday spirit and overindulge. And while it is reasonable to plan in advance to eat a little extra, you will certainly gain weight if you go to a lot of parties during the holidays and indulge at each one.
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. 151
Every morning, I'm facing the drama of "should I weigh or not?" I don't like that. I know that weighing every day works for me. And that, eventually, it really does become simply a number. Unfortunately, I'm also feeling fragile about my reboot of healthy eating and I know that a disappointing number can derail me. So, I think the best next step is to get a morning report habit going smoothly. Once that's in place, I can weigh every day and if I don't like the number, I can work through my disappointment here rather than eat over it.
Weigh-in: NA
Exercise: +20, 345/1100 minutes for September
Food: 80% on-plan
Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Refrained from eating in the car: yes
Having a wonderful time, wish you were here. So far so good. We are busy so many hours of the day we aren't always thinking about food. The hiking is great and the most phone is meeting all the delightful people and then seeing them again. So far the biggest frustration is booking a room. It is very busy on the Camino. Tonight is a hostel in a room for 6, piece of cake after 9 people last night and we both slept well. I've only read a little. My thoughts are with you Maryann and belated birthday wishes to National Parker.
So glad to hear from all of you. I am focusing on what I can control today - my eating plan being foremost. I realized I am not finishing the day tracking my food. That is a bad habit that could turn disastrous If i let it. Today I will get back to planning my whole day in the food tracker. I will also take a nice bike ride.
Very emotional this weekend. Talks broke down yesterday. I realize belatedly that I had hoped to wake up to a resolution but that is not going to happen. I spent three hours compiling a lesson plan on 911 for tomorrow's strike kids. It is my hope the seriousness of the subject will quiet the students down and put things into perspective.
naturegirl: I am very interested in hearing about your 21 day plan. I really believe portions are the key to everything. Good Luck.
gardenerjoy: I go back and forth on the weighing everyday questions. I believe it keeps me from gaining. I am not sure it helps me to lose. I am glad you are listening to your instincts on this one.
BBE: What wonderful perspective - to straddle two of the most enduring powerful forces created. Isn't it amazing how even the light is so different in the different countries we visit.
Lexiss: Super bummer about roadwork. It wears on one's nerves.
onebyone: Great September of no sweets. I am going strong with no sweets at work.
KarenRN: Great to hear from you. What an exciting adventure.
Up in Chicago for a couple of days. Stressing that the scale bumped up a bit, but realize it's minor and should drop when I get into the next phase. Busy, busy weekend, with DH. Completely cleared out two rooms and DH steam vac'd them and we rearranged to have two nearly new rooms. It looks so different. DH did a great job in seeing how things could be different. I "saved" my 30-year old Italian wicker glass top table and two rockers that we brought back. DH maintains that we have no room. I am holding out for a screen in patio that would perfectly house them. Now to wait for the elves that will construct it in the dark of night.
Long day - aiming for better note tomorrow. Bill, I think I forgot to welcome you back - thank you for the link!
Diet Coaches/Buddies Dinner of chicken on the patio - noting that the days are shorter and the evening cooler. Had to go inside to have our dessert of watermelon which DW noted was perhaps our last for the season. I spent the day sorting through receipts to make an accounting of the money spent for the three of us from my credit card so I can get repaid by the friend who traveled with us.
Iceland Vignette #2 Watched icebergs being calved at The glacier lagoon Jφkulsαrlσn. Just breathtaking. They leave the glacier into a small lake of glacier melt to drift into the ocean. Our visit was perfectly timed to see one iceberg flip over - a dramatic force of nature. We drove to the mouth of the lake to watch the icebergs enter the ocean at a reduced size.
Joy (gardenerjoy) Neat plan, "I can work through my disappointment here rather than eat over it."
maryann - Thanks for the reminder for what is so easy to forget, "I am focusing on what I can control today." Hope the saga ends soon.
nationalparker Waving back toward the windy city. LOL at the elves who'll construct your screen in patio.
Karen (karenrn) - Waving back toward Camino. Congrats for being able to sleep in a room full of people. Hike on!
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 8 Holiday Traps
#1: The YOLO (You Only Live Once) Trap
Deanna was a secretary who worked for a telecommunications company near our office. She came to see me in late summer, in anticipation of the December holiday crunch. She told me that she was about fifteen pounds heavier than she had been a few years before, and she wanted this to be the year she turned it around. Deanna had always been a fairly consistent exerciser, and she didn't think her diet changed all that much from year to year, but there was one gigantic black hole in her otherwise effective self-care plan: the entire winter holiday season.
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. 152
Quick check in...I'm headed out the door. Food op yesterday. Logged, too. I completed my 2nd week of tracking and logging points. credit. Scale trickles down. Still not eating at work thought yesterday how neat habits develop. I'll add a meal from time to time but not today. Exercise is work. Spontaneous exercise hauling 4 bags of compost in this morning.
I picked many cherry tomatoes yesterday and counted remaining cucumbers...maybe a dozen. I found a giant one hiding. lol
Nice to hear from Karen. I'm following the blog.
onebyone, thanks for the compliment. Sometimes I say why....then say why not.
I over-snacked yesterday. I need to re-think Sundays. I have warring expectations of relaxation and productivity. By mid to late afternoon, I'm anxious that I'm not getting enough of either. That "not enough" anxiety is a trigger for me. I am capable of relaxed productivity, but it takes a surprising amount of effort and mindfulness. That's probably what I want to aim for.
Credit for posting in the morning as is my intention. Tomorrow, I'm going to aim for posting with the first cup of tea instead of the second.
Weigh-in: NA
Exercise: +20, 365/1100 minutes for September
Food: 70% on-plan
Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Refrained from eating in the car: yes
Since a couple people asked, I’ll start with a quick explanation of 21 day fix. This program (look up teambeachbodies.com) sends you 7 color coded and individually sized containers. Based on your weight and the amount of calories you should eat (there’s a formula) you get a certain number of green containers for vegetables, blue for protein, and some for fruits, carbs, “healthy fats” , seeds & dressings. There are lists for each container, but you get to decide how to budget your containers across the day, and what to put in there each time. There is a set of DVDs with exercise sessions, and a schedule for which to use each of the 21 days. There is also a “**********” component, where you can buy some obscenely expensive powder to make meal replacement shakes. I’m not doing that part.
So yesterday I packed my lunch for today and prepped my breakfast, before we left town for the evening. Got home late, so glad I did. Today, I’ve stayed on plan with my containers, except I WAS TOO FULL TO FINISH MY DINNER! Never had that ‘problem’ before! Put it in the refer to see if I’m hungry later. Packed tomorrow’s lunch and getting breakfast ready – finishing the record keeping for today.
Second school day in boot - easier, and foot feels better, also.
Checked my weight this morning so I’ll know my progress.
Last edited by Nature Girl; 09-12-2016 at 10:36 PM.
Hello - still on the road and struggling to not feel majorly upset that the food on this trip is not of my choosing and I'm trying to make th best choices (double lettuce salad and just put the chicken on it instead of the sandwich, so skipped the bread/chips/desserts. Dinner was only options of flatbread, beef, beef, fish or half of a chicken... so I went with the veg.flatbread and ate less than half. I was beating myself up and then thought, if I were on WW, this would have been a MAJOR success day ... but eating the dang sugar in the dry cereal and balsamic vinaigrette and whatever else it's in, just has me stressing about starting over on the 28-day plan OH WELL, right Beck?
Nature Girl - we're finding that we're way too full to eat all of our portions many days on our food plan, as well. With the fiber, fresh veggies and all, it just packs it in! That I like!
Two more meals on the road tomorrow that aren't in my plan... I have fruit and spelt pretzels that I brought for a snack but they actually work for a breakfast grain, skipping the danish and donuts and cereals (no oatmeal)... so I will eat at the hotel room before leaving at 7 a.m. ... then just add in more fruit for the midmorning snack... A sense of victory in thinking that one through. I don't want this to be all-consuming, and am tormenting myself over it. I'm sure I'm all dramatic posting tonight, sorry - wiped out and frustrated and not feeling great.
Still work on tracking the day. I am not sure where the resistance is coming from. This will be my first priority today.
Day 4 of strike. Yesterday I did a series of lessons on 911. I had students map the flow of oil in the world including the choke points in the Middle East. One student yelled out, "What does this have to do with 911?" I could have kissed her. It felt like I was really teaching something. Today I have created a series of lessons based on "12 Angry Men" and the importance of seeing things from different cultural perspectives. The time I am putting in is unbelievable but the kids are engaged while in other classes they are stuck with "packets" of canned lessons.
I need to give myself credit but I am so hurt by my peers who have just refused an 11% raise over two years, it is difficult. On the picket line they play cards and dress up in funny costumes. We are professional for goodness sake.
So happy to read everyone is trudging through with their food plans. It is difficult but rewarding efforts.
A++
