[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies –Dinner was with friends from work. Delightful combination of shop talk ("everything's going to pot around here," "we're expanding computer control faster than we can buy servers,") to travel ("she just left for London for two weeks leaving me with the kids.") Good news: my plate was bounded servings, filled once. Bad news: I did have dessert despite it being simple ice cream and cookie.

Iceland Vignette #6 In Hφfn ν Hornafirπi, dinner absolutely had to be langoustine - locally called 'lobster' although we New Englanders just couldn't call it that. We were served a whole platter of tails for an entree price of about $80. They had the taste and looks of American crawfish - really tasty. In Iceland, the menu price is exactly what you pay at the register; there is no tax or tip. (Small places may have a jar where a coin equivalent to $1 may be dropped.)


onebyone – Encouraging thought, "I'm ready."

Joy (gardenerjoy) – This is what bugs me, "Worse, it wasn't very satisfying" - when I drift off plan, there's usually little benefit. Hope your de-selection of books went well.

Nature Girl – Ouch for "queasy" - perhaps you shouldn't read my Iceland vignette today. Hope you recover quickly.

nationalparker – Kudos for sticking to your new food plan for a whole month. That's a serious large loss for four weeks. Love the notion of a coloring-book-pusher - much better than a food-pusher, LOL.

Readers -

Chapter 8 Holiday Traps

#1: The YOLO (You Only Live Once) Trap

I asked Deanna what she saw as the advantages of staying on track during the holidays. We came up with a long list.

Advantages of Staying on Track During the Holidays

1. I don't naturally lose extra holiday weight anymore. If I gain weight this year, I will have to put in a major effort to lose it.

2. I'll feel more in control.

3. I won't have to worry about getting back on track in January.

4. I won't be at the mercy of cravings every time I see holiday treats.

5. I won't feel self-conscious eating in front of others at holiday parties.
. . .

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

[nationalparker]

Thrilled this morning to see what I'd set for my goal for the weekend ... 165.x. Weighed in at 165.8, so just barely met it ... but met it So down nine pounds on the nose with this plan. DH met his 20 pounds down this morning!! i was off on his total - he just kept saying one more down. To be fair, I know my weight will jump up over the weekend as it has every week so far, but then it starts dropping a bit back on the first two phases. he tends to maintain over the weekend. I need to figure what will work better for me. A suggestion from the diet creator was to extend the second phase another day now and then to get that extra push through before adding in all the healthy fats once you've completed the first cycle ... and I think I might next week. We'll see. But then I think, well, even if it's not as fast as DH, it's still working and just keep up what's working. Three days of protein/alkaline veggies would be way harder than two, right (wink!).

I signed us up for massages at the aveda school in town for saturday afternoon as a treat. We've never done that before at a spa or massage spot, so I'm really looking for us to enjoy that - we're not together like a couples massage at a resort or anything, but the price was very low as students are working on you. When we swap massages now and then, I never know WHAT i'm doing, so this will be a treat for him.

The lunch before the volunteering gig (after we get there, we all have to be there in order to volunteer, you can't come a bit later, which i guess is because they start with all the dos/don'ts ... is going to be pizza - regular takeout pizza that our office is ordering. Of everything on this earth, pizza is my biggest temptation. DH said you can enjoy a slice, you know... (but no dairy and no regular or wheat flour, etc. so it's off plan). I thought, nope - I'll have to figure out how to bring something innocuous to eat for lunch and just stick with this. I said if I'm eating pizza, I'd rather have a fresh slice from OUR spot. Setting my intent here and will follow up tonight with the report. Success, I hope.

The Ron Howard movie about the Beatles - Eight Days a Week, was opening this weekend, and I was excited ... but found out it's not opening HERE anywhere! Phooey.

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches,

Still here. Still in strike.. Every day I don't know how I will do keep showing up. Teachers are texting the students about me so everyday I face another mob of angry kids. It takes until noon to settle them down. I took a rosary to school. I really need it.

Wave to all.

[onebyone]

Coaches!

Gorgeous Friday here. I'm feeling good, ready to start my foodplan. I am going to try following the recommendations of Butter Bob Briggs ("Butter Makes Your Pants Fall Off"). I have been reading and watching his youtube stuff and there is something there for me. I'm just going to commit to this foodplan and assess after a week, then two weeks, then one month. I'm good if I see myself as an "experiment" vs. "going on a diet" (foodplan). Trying things comes naturally. But trying to lose weight makes me go bonkers so I think this time-based strategy will work.

I realized yesterday that the event I keep wondering about, as in "don't I have something to do on the 24th? What the heck is it?" is my ETSY show! It's my first big-ish show of the season and it's a week from tomorrow. Thankfully, the weather is supposed to be lousy tomorrow so no farmers' market for us. Instead I will fire the kiln. Make some show stock. Much to do as always. I like it like that.

Enjoy your Friday.

Maryann I feel terrible you are walking into such hostility every day. That teachers are communicating directly with students seems so wrong to me. They know that the only thing that matters to you ARE the students and so they use them to get to you. Terrible. Hold strong to your convictions. Whatever happens, you'll know your side of the street is clean ODAT.

[Lexxiss]

Thought I'd check in before the day sucks me in. Yesterday on plan. Wednesday not. I was super diligent yesterday and worked 3 1/2 hours in the yard. The scale did not go out from Wednesday's choices. It feels good when I can't right back on track. I have lots of good food stocked and have a plan for today. Credit.

Bill, I recognized the Langoustine right away. It's called Langosta in Spanish. Certainly not the big lobster we are used to from the East Coast but super tasty. I really enjoy seafood from cold waters. I'll bet it was tasty!

Onebyone, kudos for choosing a plan in for figuring out what you had on that date. LOL

Maryann, Continued sympathies and support for your right decision.

Nationalparker, kudos for a milestone with your new plan. Good decision to find something other than mediocre pizza.

Gardenerjoy, playoff plan food was not very satisfying on Wednesday either. I'm learning.

Nature girl, I hope you are feeling better soon!

My DH just arrived from Glenwood. I best go say hello.

[gardenerjoy]

Posting with my 3rd cup of tea. Oops. So far, I've done none of the morning things that start my day off well (except tea). Oh well. I'm going to do them now, starting with this post.

Lots of healthy foods at the potluck last night. I ate at least 5 different veggie salads including my own, plus a tiny amount of a couple of grains dishes. The only dessert we had was fortune cookies and I had just one of them. I like fortune cookies but I never take more than one -- it feels like I might cancel out the good fortune!

I got a round of applause at the end of the night when our selection of books materialized.

My eating earlier in the day wasn't as good as I hoped. But not as bad as it was a few weeks ago. It helps that I continue to post and continue to refrain from eating in the car. My challenge, at the moment, is that I don't have a crucial lunch ingredient. I'm going to plan a realistic lunch without it and see if I can stick to that plan.

Weigh-in: NA
Exercise: +45, 525/1100 minutes for September
Food: 70% on-plan
Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Refrained from eating in the car: yes

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – It was fun to shop for a full week's groceries. My favorite place only had blueberries in the half-clam containers - a sign of the end. I stopped at another place and bought five pints to last DW and I for the week using very LARGE servings. Might as well go out with a bang. These were from Michigan; we've already bought them from Nova Scotia. Play at the A.R.T.: Notes from the Field: Doing Time in Education - a one woman show playing all twenty characters with only a bass player on stage for background. Not possible to leave the event without being overwhelmed that we've got a lot of work ahead to break the school-to-prison pipeline. Not for the squeamish. Sobering introduction by Dr. Drew Faust, president of Harvard.

Iceland Vignette #7 The best dish throughout Iceland was the fish soup. In the North, it was white like New England fish chowder. In the South, it was tomato based like the New York version of chowder. A lamb soup was also served and a vegetarian soup. Both were good enough, but the fish soup was killer good. "Fresh" has a strong meaning when we drove around the whole country never being more than a few kilometers from the sea. If I had to live the rest of my life eating only one dish, this would be it.


onebyone – Love the notion "Butter Makes Your Pants Fall Off." Recent news was about the sugar industry bribing researchers many years ago to direct attention away from sugar so that we've spent decades pushing folks toward low-fat when low-sugar would have been more productive.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – LOL that a second fortune could cancel the first. Act II of last night's play was the audience participating in small groups; you've have been a great group-leader in one of those. Kudos for making it through another potluck with healthy choices.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Yay for 3 1/2 hours working in the yard. We're under threat of a water ban here - which will kill all gardens for the season. Massachusetts is hurting for water.

maryann - Stay your course. Last night's play would re-invigorate you with its tales of students bullying their way in a classroom looking for strength and direction from the teachers.

nationalparker – Congrats on your continued loss. Love the thought that if you're going to have pizza, it should be one you really want to eat.

Readers -

Chapter 8 Holiday Traps

#1: The YOLO (You Only Live Once) Trap

Advantages of Staying on Track During the Holidays . . .

6. All my clothes will continue to fit through the holidays and into the New Year.

7. I'll feel excited about holiday parties instead of feeling worried about my eating.

8. I won't worry about what to wear to holiday parties because I'll know that everything will fit and look good.

9. I'll be setting a great example for years to come.

10. I'll start the New Year in a happy place.

11. I won't undo all my goo work from the rest of the year.

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. 153

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

Woke up to a wonderful milestone. I am back in the 50s. It has been years. It felt terrific to change my profile. I will be extra careful with food to maintain this decade. It has been too difficult to attain to casually throw it away.

Never before have I so appreciated a weekend. Two days free from the stress. The strike seems no closer to ending. I commit to myself to put away electronic media so I won't check until Sunday nite. I want to be free this week. Thanks for all the good wishes. There was a package at the door. A lavender bath basket from a friend who said I needed a good, relaxing soak. So nice to be appreciated.

BBE: I think if I could eat one thing it would be sushi. I love it. How healthy I would be.
gardenerjoy: I am not a tea drinker but I cherish my morning expressos while looking out the window while California turns to fall.
onebyone: Good luck on your show prep. As always, your work sounds so interesting.
Lexuss: You are hard at work as usual. So impressive.
nationalparker: Super congrats on your weight loss. It has been a longtime in the making and you deserve it.

I think I'll hop over to Karen's website to see how her trip is going.

[gardenerjoy]

My food was better yesterday. Mood was worse, at least part of the day. An expected all-day rain didn't help matters. Today's supposed to stay gloomy, but dry. At least, I'll get out some.

Weigh-in: NA
Exercise: +15, 540/1100 minutes for September
Food: 80% on-plan
Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Refrained from eating in the car: yes

BillBlueEyes: This afternoon's meeting is on breaking one small piece of the school-to-prison pipeline in the St. Louis region. My second meeting this week. Much of next week will be spent on writing on the topic, long form copy to be used in efforts to promote a region-wide assembly in November. We have lots of folks working on this here, acting on the report from the Ferguson Commission, and it still feels like there's so much more to be done. It sounds like it should be on someone's to-do list to get that play here.

[nationalparker]

OP day - scale was 166.0 so the 165 blip was brief but the rise was expected (and figuring based on the past month, that it'll blip up tomorrow and Monday...we'll see). DH and I each enjoyed our massages by the aesthetic students. Wonderful bliss - a first-time treat and DH was so relaxed, he fell asleep. Food has been fresh and plentiful, and we're thankful. Stopped at Fresh Thyme and Trader Joe's and picked up this and that - $$ but not the main marketing list.

Aiming to not be online much this evening, so just a quick report and hope to do personals in the morning. Maryann - want to say CONGRATS on seeing through the week with class and pride. These kids will remember that for life. Great job on all your hard work this summer to get into the 50s. Savor!

Bill - Just had to pop in and say, though, that the fact that you'd pick that meal if only one forever, WOW.

[onebyone]

Coaches

Stepped on the Wii fit scale (my real scale) and here's what it said the past three days: 275.3, 275.8, 276.2 this morning. No longer maintaining. Now I'm gaining for real.
Tomorrow I begin my new foodplan. (I cant believe spellcheck wanted to replace "foodplan" with "Corolla"!?!)

I went to the guild today and put glaze on 7 pots and 40 pendants. They will be ready for next Saturday's Etsy Made in Canada sale, my first big-ish show of the season. Tomorrow I am making foamcore risers for tabletop displays. I hope they can withstand cups and small bowls. We'll find out. I'm going to do a trial run.and set my table up if I complete the risers. I'd really like to be ready early for the show and not scrambling at midnight the night before. I need to aggressively lower my stress in whatever way I can. This would help a lot to meet that goal.

Bedtime now.

Personals tomorrow.
Bye for now.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Drove my Nissan LEAF to see a display of electric vehicles on the lawn of the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. The geek in me wanted to see all of the Tesla models as well as all the other manufacturers' electric cars. It was a bunch of them. The old timers who had made their own electric cars years and years ago were there. They are the true believers. I didn't have time to tour the 85 years of collected old internal combustion cars in the great stone building.

Eating was OK. Dinner was chicken grilled outside but consumed inside. It's that early chill that seems cold after a string of hot days. It was a good night to enjoy the near-full moon.


onebyone – Kudos for getting ready for your Etsy sale this far in advance. Yep, last minute midnight work is an awful place.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Gloomy days challenge staying in a good mood. [You guys seem so advanced in your work since Ferguson.]

maryann - Welcome 50's! A weekend free of electronic media sounds relaxing. [Yah sushi.]

nationalparker – Congrats for getting massages - such a nice reward to your body. LOL that your DH fell asleep - I've done that.

Readers -

Chapter 8 Holiday Traps

#1: The YOLO (You Only Live Once) Trap

Deanna decided she needed to read this list regularly.

Now that it was clear in Deanna's mind why it was worth it to her to stay on track during holiday parties, we worked on sabotaging thoughts that could get in the way. "I'm not sure what to tell myself if I have the thought, 'It's the holidays. I don't want to have to think about healthy eating.'" I asked her whether not thinking about what she was eating had worked for her.

"No," she replied. "And now I'm convinced that I want this year to be different." She sounded determined.

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. 153

[gardenerjoy]

I'm typing this on a new computer! My first non-laptop in ages. We decided lower cost and a bigger screen makes more sense for me and the way that I work right now.

My eating was pretty good yesterday. I think today will go well, too. I'm still missing my favorite lunch ingredient, but I'll make do.

I'm remembering that last week I complained that I have conflicting expectations of Sunday: relaxed vs productive. Today has to err on the side of productive, so I'm going to aim to work in a relaxed way, but not with a huge expectation of feeling like a day off.

Weigh-in: NA
Exercise: +40, 580/1100 minutes for September
Food: 80% on-plan
Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Refrained from eating in the car: yes

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

Wow - such good and healthy work being done here. Just think of all the revolutionary energy being nurtured just in this little forum - healthy food, electric cars, art, peace and justice movements. Wow! The world can change.

I must force myself to remain positive. I went to a funeral for the spouse of a former AA sponsee. He was high and it really upset me. So I must focus on each step of today doing the things I can do. I have papers to correct. When the strike ends, I'll have my grades ready. I will take another walk. Food was scattered with a "hope and pray" it was little enough. My favorite principal once said "Hope is not a strategy" so I will actually track today. My family is in charge of pulling names for Christmas gifts in our extended family. I can do that. And then I will go to bed and the sun will come up tomorrow (as my husband always says.)

Wave.

[karenrn]

Let's see, the name of this town is Santo Domingo de la something. I'm lying down on the bed taking a little rest. We had a couple of long days on Thursday and Friday 18 and 19 miles, so we split the next stage up and have walked 2 shorter days before we pick it up again. It is very hard to know about the food calories I think I have lost a tiny bit, but what I am eating is not near as healthy as at home. Waaaay more carbs. I find myself eating a little more than I want because my friend is wanting to eat more often. I need to figure that out.

Today we are staying at a hotel run by the nuns. The parochial Alburgue we stayed in earlier was very nice, so we thought we would try this one. It's okay, but overpriced compared to others. For that reason I feel justified in walking off with a 1/2 roll of toilet paper when we leave tomorrow. It must be done.

We've met so many good and interesting people from all over the world. Last night we had dinner with a gal from Tokyo who we met 9 days ago. She showed us photos of her son's wedding with her in traditional dress. Tonight we'll have dinner with 'the trio' from Montreal that we also met on our 2nd night in Spain. We're going to our first pilgrim's mass before dinner. We both grew up Catholic and are now just basic Christian, but we'll take a blessing any day.

I continue to be 'strong like bull' as my friends say. No blisters and just no problems so far. I have more energy and endurance than my friend, so I have to hold back a bit and keep my mouth shut. It may not last, but I'll hope so.

I am reading most of the posts but I'll forego personals for now. Typing on the phone is not my forte. Take care all of you. More later.