Wednesday - Galileo convicted of heresy (1633, Rome)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Great news: the Doctor measured blood pressure numbers even better than last year which he had described as "Great!" And, to my surprise, my weight was the same as last year. That only means that the pounds that I've 'recently' added were added more than 12 months ago. I still need to improve the consistency of exercise. CREDIT moi for surviving the fear that any visit to the doctor is an invitation to be immediately incarcerated for some unknown ailment.
Walked, CREDIT moi, to an evening lecture about the museums of Tanzania. I've loved Tanzania since our Safari there for ten days some 15ish years ago. I shuddered at being at Olduvai Gorge where my ancestors started out. They're still digging and still finding stuff. Need to consider a second visit - except that the list of places I've never visited is so very long. Dinner was gathered from an unexpected reception that was all vegetarian. It was probably a reasonable meal, CREDIT moi.
onebyone – Makes sense to "start from where I am." It's visible to me that you do believe in yourself - I know that I do. You'll find the right path for you.
silverbirch – Purple-podded peas look interesting - never tried them. Interesting that tiredness leads to off-path.
maryann - Thanks for the upbeat, "Off to buy greens and things." It's so hard to watch our kids display their independence.
nationalparker – Happy vacation day. Ouch for having to watch someone add in sugar.
Karen (karenrn) - So neat to have a hostess with an attitude toward healthy eating.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 9 Psychological Traps
Consider the following sample escape plan as you brainstorm and craft your own.
Escape Plan: Getting Off Track Trap Situation #1: Beating myself up when I make a mistake and then trying to overcompensate (which never works).
. . .
Sabotaging Thoughts I can't let myself eat anything else for the rest of the day.
Reminders Fasting for the rest of the day would be counterproductive, as it always is. I don't deserve to punish myself.
Strategies Practice a self-compassion. Think about what I'd say to Jessie if she made an eating mistake - then say that to myself.
. . .
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. 218
morning coaches-
sounds like a few of us are struggling a little right now- at least we’re in good company!
Credit yesterday for marching past the free amazingly good muffins at work. I didn’t bring home any for the family because i knew i would be craving them.
Stomach issues continue- you would think pain/bloating would deter me from overeating- it does a bit but not all the time. At least all the leftovers from early Easter are gone.
I went back to a few years ago when I joined this group and am startled to realize I am up 8 pounds since then! yikes. Time to reset priorities. I would like to be down 10 by July, that seems do-able, and be in better health all around so I can be in good form for our England trip.
Wave to all!
A beautiful, cool, sunny day (so far) here ... off to a good start with office work getting tackled and aim to be done before long since it's a vacation day. Plans include checking out new shower doors to install, flooring choices/prices and I REALLY want to get moving with that here soon. I guess after mud season. DH is NOT careful where he walks and comes in, so I'm going to buy good door mats and shoe-cleaner-offer, I hope.
Again this morning wanting a sweet bite, which is completely out of character for morning, my goodness! I deeper hid them without indulging. Wondering why the craving so much here. Rare as we went months with having a bite or two here and there, even dove choc squares in house to each have one on the weekend - no biggie. I am fine with that but no need to indulge more than that. It's clearly not a health food that helps me in any way. Thanks for letting me vent on it and kind of get squared away in my mind that despite one chocolate a day not killing me, it's leading me to want more and more, so right now, that's not a choice for me. No choice. Phase 2 today - protein and alkaline veggies. Breakfast down on plan. Will pick up rotisserie chicken and romaine today. Planned on grilling chicken for lunch, but the package I bought was bad. I apparently didn't check the date when I bought it and only had a day to use because in the few days that I've waited to use it - blech. I hate wasting food, and most of all, hate wasting food that an animal died for.
A nice balanced day - late start, chores with DS, and then some quality correcting time in front of old movies. I have a schedule for school work that should give me a little break but also get things done.
Saw LaLa Land last night. I really enjoyed it. I grew up in Malibu and went to school near Hollywood ( UCLA). I spent many hours at the Griffith Observatory. I would babysit for the movie stars. I remember a little boy and I stayed to watch his father win an Emmy. When the parents came home I got to hold the trophy. Big and heavy. I went to a high school where lots of kids "were in the biz" and Gene Kelley showed up to his grandkid's graduation. The movie felt like home. The great thing about growing up there was I never had any illusions that movie people were happier than regular people. Still romance is romance and I'm a sucker for some good music. I downloaded a few tracks.
Just a note: I remembered again that actors dancing is light years away from dancers' dancing. How lucky we were to have Fred, Ginger, and. Gene.
I must be strict today. Medication and vacation have put me into danger zone. Nothing taste as good as my pants fitting feels.
Food on plan and exercise was a 90+ hike with a couple of friends. My cousin and her husband left their home today and will stay a night on the way and drive on in to our house tomorrow, which should get them here by late morning. We have some tentative plans including day trip to Sedona on Friday and friends coming over for happy hour on Saturday. My cousin knows some of these people from previous visits, but her husband does not. I used to entertain frequently and felt quite confident. Anymore I do it so seldom that I've lost my confidence, so it's time to get back to it.
I have felt a bit grouchy this afternoon and finally apologized to dh about my mood and that I'm feeling so intolerant. Luckily and I think honestly he told me he has never felt I was the least bit intolerant. Sometime you know how you are so afraid that the feelings on the inside are able to been seen to those outside. I have identified part of my problem as not enough exercise and not a good pace when I do (because I've been with friends). Because it is my workout I can't just dawdle and feel like it's doing anything for me. I think the solution is to get out there on my own at least 2 to 3 times a week. Then if I'm hiking with friends who are slower I can just say it is a visit. The other thing is cousin called to ask for directions to my house when I was in the car driving. She has a smart phone but does not know how to use the GPS. In fact she is really tech challenged to the point it interferes with her work etc. I love her to death and I will work hard to keep my lip zipped while she is here. Dh says he is going to teach her how to use Waze (gps ap) while she is here. I say, "good luck". I guess the best news of all is that I haven't eaten over any of this . . . or had a beer.
I went to another WW meeting today to see if the leader is any better than the one at the meeting I attend. I think she was, but not enough better to change the time and date. The one I attend spends so much time congratulating everyone that she doesn't have much time for the topic of the meeting. I guess good enough though.
Maryann So glad you are having some enjoyable time off. Very fun to hear about your growing up years too. I still have not seen La La Land. I had hoped to when friends were here, but we saw Fences which was dark and sad.
Nationalparker Do you like choosing things for the bathroom update? Personally I hate that stuff, but I know I'm an oddball. I just kind of hate to shop for much of anything lately . . . except groceries, I don't mind that.
Curlyjax I don't think 8 pounds up sounds bad at all for a couple of years. I feel like I could do that in a weekend if I weren't careful. Probably not a bad idea to stop it and head back down though.
Bill That's great news about your blood pressure. And stable weight is good too. So much of my life I have either been going up or down. Do you find it is a little easier now then when you were younger? I find my weight swings have narrowed over time.
Silverbirch Yes, I guess I did say a small ladies happy hour. It was really nice and if everyone served the kind of food Nancy did, there would be more small ladies. It was tasty, but low calorie. One of the things I really miss about living in Washington, is the little bit of gardening I did. We lived on a corner lot in a beautiful tudor home. We had beautiful flower beds with mostly perennials. Dh did most of the planting, I just set the new pot of whatever where I wanted it, but I did the weeding which I enjoyed. I haven't learned anything about how to garden in Arizona.
Onebyone I do so know the feeling of not being able to stay on plan. I wish there were just a switch on the sides of our head that we could touch. Once we make up our minds, it is so much easier, but not so easy to get to that place. I know in my Weight Watchers group, they talk a lot about, "What is your Why" For some it is health issues, for some to keep up with their children, etc. For me anymore it is just wanting to stay healthy for as long as possible since I don't have a flock of daughters to come take care of me, ever. Good luck to you to get in the place where it is easier until it just becomes good habits.
GardenerJoy You are missed. How about dropping by to let us know how you are?
Tomorrow I'm heading out the door early to hike Bell Pass by myself by 6 a.m. I am looking forward to hiking up that hill out of breath with no one to talk to. I'll let you know how it goes.
Not a particularly good day yesterday. I'm hoping that today will be different. I bought a chalkboard for our weekly menus. It will be a constant reminder that we have a plan and that everything is going to be fine. I'm hoping that it will take food planning, shopping and making off my mind. We used to have a piece of paper pinned up but that isn't so good now, for some reason.
karenrn, it's just after 6am here and I'm thinking about you heading out of the door. Good thinking to get out there on your own. Have a good hike!
maryann, nice to hear about you and Malibu.
nationalparker, strange how we sometimes just want something.
curlyjax, good work on marching past those muffins! Where are you going in England?
Bill, that really is great news about your blood pressure. Congrats! Are you still going to the gymn?
Thursday - Apollo 13 oxygen tank explodes (1970, 200,000 miles from Earth)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walk, CREDIT moi, after dark, stopping at the pharmacy for an errand. To my surprise, I got a 20% discount on my purchase by showing their 'card.' Unfortunately, that made me so giddy I up and decided to apply the saving to an Emack and Bolio's ice cream cone. The store's been there for years but I've never bought a cone because they're so much more expensive than buying a quart and serving myself at home. Oh, well. I assuaged my guilt by dropping the change into the tip jar on the counter marked 'College.' Since 'college' was spelled correctly, I assumed it was legit. But that's a new one for me: attempt to tip my way out of guilt for eating off plan. Beck doesn't cover that.
Eating was OKish, CREDIT moi, except for having ice cream as evening snack instead of a piece of fruit. I forget how different the city is at night. With the temperature comfortable, establishments have their sidewalk tables out with a happy, bustling, after-work crowd wearing suits and dressy work clothes. The young folk pouring out of the women's gym all wore spandex outfits that matched. You'd never know the the nighttime and daytime folks lived in the same city.
silverbirch – Kudos for getting a white board when that's what you need to keep on top. [I've slipped away from gymn lately; I need to slip back.]
maryann - Haven't decided on La La Land yet for me, but it's a good recommendation that an insider found it true. Thanks for "Nothing taste as good as my pants fitting feels."
nationalparker – Yay for working on your bath update. We paid more for our shower doors to get the ones that felt right to us, and love them every day. I share your distaste for wasting food. When the dead bat was found in a box of salad greens in Florida I winced because Fresh Express is the brand I buy each week. But we aren't in the recall region so we're safe.
Karen (karenrn) - Kudos for being able to distance yourself from your cousin's technophobia - one of the many in the category of "Things I cannot change." [Actually, I find it harder to maintain as each year that I'm older, my body needs less food but my brain wants to eat the same amount as the year before.]
curlyjax - Yep, Super Kudos for marching past the "amazingly good muffins."
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 9 Psychological Traps
Consider the following sample escape plan as you brainstorm and craft your own.
Escape Plan: Getting Off Track Trap Situation #1: Beating myself up when I make a mistake and then trying to overcompensate (which never works).
. . .
Sabotaging Thoughts I'll never be able to lose weight.
Reminders Making mistakes is a normal part of dieting. Every successful dieter and maintainer has made mistakes. I need to just say "big deal" and move on.
Strategies Don't use mistakes as an excuse to make more mistakes.
Eat a little less for the rest of the day but don't fast.
. . .
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. 218
My cousin is expected within the hour. It was fabulous to get out and hike Bell Pass this morning. I left the trailhead at 6:20 and it was hard like it always is, but not so hard I didn't want to do it. The weather was great and I'm glad I got out as early as I did. Food is on plan, but I'll admit I'm really going to keep my head in the game this weekend and be mindful of what is going in my mouth.
It will be a little easier cause I use my extra type points on the weekend, but that doesn't mean free rein by any means. I do have a nice group now that will be over for happy hour on Saturday and have a tentative menu planned. Cousin will be happy to help me with that or sit and visit while I do it.
I'm calling it the weekend now, cause it feels like it. So in case I don't get back to check in have a great weekend and Easter if you celebrate it. I will try to check back in and let you know how it's going.
Hello coaches! I am thankful that it's Thursday and typically Fridays are a bit less intense, and we can wear jeans, so that makes it all the better. I twisted my back somehow last night when we started out on a trail walk that lasted only a few minutes. We heard three gunshots, not from the trail, but from more into the community side. I get all jumpy when that happens. DH said it's from the other direction, don't worry. Then the police helicopter came and started with the searchlight, circling around three times until I said I want to go home. I was uneasy, thinking someone was on the run. If I was on the run, I'd run on the trail - what could look more normal, right? Anyway ... soon after, I wrenched my back when circling the dog's leash around me to the other side, not sure how but it's sore and twingy.
Bill - I called my DH after reading your note (saying you were glad you got the ones you originally wanted) and asked if he'd bought the shower door yet. He hadn't. I'd picked out one I really liked, looked sturdy, quiet close. But then we found the components much cheaper for him to assemble (without the quiet close option) at another store and mostly decided that we didn't need to spend an additional $225 on that first door. Hm. You have me thinking. I explained to him that it'd cost an extra $0.05 per day for that fancy schmancy slider if we stayed in our house 10 more years. He freaked out last night when we were trying to calculate how much flooring for the house was going to cost. Not cheap. But ours is also exceedingly old and much of it is original to the house - and super old carpet just isn't pleasing.
Karen - Kudos to you for getting out and getting a sweat on. I guess you know what you need to do as your baseline - a good solution to view the more meandering as social time. Good focus on health this weekend! Sounds like you'll have a great one!
Silverbirch - Hope today goes better for you. It's been a better one for me, thank goodness.
CurlyJax - I'll echo other in credits for not indulging in the muffins. For some reason we had huge donuts offered to us at work today, this is in addition to the ones that will show up tomorrow. I am not sure HOW but it was No Choice for me today. Plus, all the "good" ones were gone quickly, haha! Then someone passed out treat bags of chocolates that his wife did up for our staff. I socked that away in my drawer.
Maryann - As much as I'm looking forward to getting to the weekend, I know it'll wrap up your time off, so no rush. Hope it was another well-spent day!
Will weigh in tomorrow and know I'll be out of maintenance range by a solid amount - I'm thinking four pounds this week. We'll see. Ugh.
It seems California won't dry up. Hail and thunderstorms in between beautiful sunny skies. Credit for walking the bleachers and track while DS practiced track. Super happy my leg can do it. I haven't walked for two weeks only biked and Pilates. My PT assured me it was strained muscle that would get better. And now it is. What a relief.
There were improvements yesterday. I had a good night's sleep and went for a walk. I did go off the rails in the afternoon but sitting down. Today I must fit exercise back in and make a physio appointment if my trainer is going to be out the picture (family illness) for a while. Dark clouds outside this morning and it's been raining overnight.
maryann, glad to hear that California is also sharing in the rain and also that your leg is working properly.
nationalparker, guns? That is horrible. It would make me very jumpy.
karenrn, Bell Pass on your own terms. That sounds so good.
Bill, sounds as though that ice-cream was getting you in tune with the city. That's no bad thing, is it? Unless it becomes a habit. I've been meaning to ask how you broke your tree nut problem. Sorry if I've asked this before but I can't remember and it seems as though I'm developing one - which isn't necessary.
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walk, CREDIT moi, was to forage for dinner after being abandoned by DW. I headed to the falafel place that serves terrific toasted whole wheat pita bread - a delightful vegetarian dinner. Alas, I had to walk past the pit roasted barbeque place. My nose walked in and ordered beef brisket. I'll take credit for ordering collard greens instead of fried onion rings and for leaving half of the corn bread. And also for having water instead of sweet tea. But that's grasping at straws. Hard to call a restaurant-serving of brisket on plan for any plan. For just a few dollars more I could have added a half rack of ribs. I didn't, but taking credit for something that absurd is even beyond me.
At class I learned, one more time, that Evolutionary Development (Evo Devo) is both more complicated than I would have guessed and more simple than anyone had thought. I now feel very close to my relative the Fruit Fly (Drosophila melanogaster) - we share so many genes in common and share the way our embryos develop. It's sobering to be aware that I was alive when DNA was discovered and to see the amazing insights that it yields.
silverbirch – Yay for a good night's sleep to set the tone of the day. [My biggest step to avoid my tree nuts problem was to not buy cashews - my favorite overeating nut. Then I had to cease buying almonds for a spell until my craving for them decreased. Fortunately, both walnuts and pecans are delicious, serve any legitimate dietary needs, and don't call me to binge.]
maryann - Massachusetts is also about to be declared free of the drought. DW just grins and grins as the rains fall. Congrats for getting your leg in shape to do that walking.
nationalparker – Gunshots and police helicopters with searchlights is scary indeed. Good luck with your weigh in today. [Neat to calculate the cost per day over a long period.]
Karen (karenrn) - Kudos for planning ahead to "keep my head in the game this weekend."
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 9 Psychological Traps
Consider the following sample escape plan as you brainstorm and craft your own.
Escape Plan: Getting Off Track Trap Situation #1: Beating myself up when I make a mistake and then trying to overcompensate (which never works).
. . .
Sabotaging Thoughts Maybe I should just give up.
Reminders If I give up, I won't get all the advantages of weight loss. The reasons I want to lose weight are so important to me. I need to just keep going.
Strategies Think about how glad I'll be later if I get firmly back on track now. Think about how unhappy I'll be if I stay off track.
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. 218
hi coaches- super quick wave. sorry i didn't get to personals yesterday, busier than i thought, then last night packing and getting everyone else to do their bit.
Off to florida today for a few days!
Silverbirch- we'll see the cotswolds, york, a bit of coastline near york and a few days in london.
happy easter etc! will try to check in from florida.
Consider the piper paid - up 1.6 pounds from last week - past the upper range of my maintenance, so a solid gain for this week. Honestly, any other result would have not whipped me back onto plan because my mind would have been thinking, "well, if I could 'get away' with that ... how far can I push it?" Plan in place for lunch out with former director and current coworker, as well as for grilling tonight. I will prep a zesty marinade with tamari sauce, limes, garlic, a bit of honey and jalapeno. Considering the caramelized sweet potato and kale wild rice side as well. I was surprised at how much DH liked that one, despite being a non-kale lover. I'm hoping we can start dinner on the patio with some bruschetta and lounge music if DH can tolerate it any more. I've started enjoying that while cooking - setting a relaxed tone. During the workweek, I think sometimes I get home and just rush through the cooking, little process enjoyment.
Donut Friday continues to taunt me. I confess there is a part of me that envies a few of the folks who indulge in a couple throughout the morning. I then think, well, I can, but I don't want to for a few reasons, but there is still a twinge of ohhhh...
I never got around to painting our large offset patio umbrella last year, and so that's on my task list for this weekend, if sunny skies and little wind cooperate. I'll need to get on a ladder to clean it off and paint it ... DH cemented the base of it into the garden in the side of the patio because our winds are often very strong. Now he regrets doing so, but I still think it was a clever, viable solution. We scored a major deal on it for $79 and only can find them for a couple hundred dollars. It's pretty bad looking now, like a circus tent with the faded stripes.
CurlyJax - Have a wonderful trip to Florida! Enjoy the sunshine for me! Hope all goes smoothly with DD on the trip
Bill - LOL at comment of your DW abandoning you. Definitely some credits in there because bbq can be fraught with peril. We're still in debate (not hostile) on which shower door. I think it might be a splurge deal for us.
Karen - Enjoy your company this weekend! Sounds like a fun time planned!
Slight improvements yesterday but I am still eating off plan in the afternoon, mainly because I am tired.
The good news is that I'm only eating when I'm sitting down. That is so much more civilised.
I hope to work in the front garden this afternoon. If I could just lift the Siberian irises to tease out any grass I'd be happy. It's too late to be doing this (what was I doing in last autumn and in the early spring?) but this is the only time I have. Anyway, all these little things add up and make a lovely garden.
nationalparker, relaxed cooking sounds very good. I think not feeling relaxed when cooking (read: I want to do something else quite strongly) is part of my afternoon problem. Another part might be that it's not just cooking, it's often clearing a space as well and I am just not a multi-tasker.
curlyjax, your trip sounds great! My SO is from the coast N of York. There are some brilliant places to visit. The North Sea has a particular colour and presence all of its own. I wonder whether you'll go to Whitby - the abbey there was the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. Lots of present day Goths there!
Bill, well done on the foraging front. As you say, you could have made much worse decisions.
Thanks for the info about tree nuts. I also may have to stop buying nuts for a while - but then of course I started buying them because I thought they were better than peanut butter - but then of course that was before I went (theoretically) high fat / low carb. Now, surely, I'm eating enough fat to keep myself in good shape and with lovely skin! I've got myself into a bit of a tangle about it so I need to sit down and work it out calmly when I've got a bit of time. That will come in the next few days, I hope.
The sharing DNA thing is so mind-blowing. I sometimes wonder how much DNA we share with a simple wooden table ...
Must go. I want to get to the post office with my mother's birthday card before it shuts.
Wednesday - Galileo convicted of heresy (1633, Rome)
Plans include checking out new shower doors to install, flooring choices/prices and I REALLY want to get moving with that here soon. I guess after mud season. DH is NOT careful where he walks and comes in, so I'm going to buy good door mats and shoe-cleaner-offer, I hope. 
