Looking pretty outside. The SO and DB tramped off into the falling snow hours ago to catch the bus but I'm going nowhere. It was a good decision of the SO not to go to work on the bike today. If I can find some energy I'll light the fire but we don't seem to have many logs inside. I don't feel like going outside to get more. In fact, I have very little energy.
The mid-2013 MacBook Air cable has been refusing to work, on and off. I cashed in what little energy I'd built up overnight and did a bit of poking around. The consensus is that in cold weather you have to heat the power block to get it going. Use a hairdryer, put it on a radiator, hold it in your hands. And jiggle the connections a bit, for good measure. Bingo! It works. I understand this kind of thing at one level (pushing cars to start them, jump leads, defrosting diesel with blow torches in Siberia) but not at the laptop level. It seems to be a design flaw as it's not *very* cold here. It's certainly above zero C in this part of the house.
Yesterday's food - some but little, and I really, really took my time in eating it.
Exercise - just informal bits of sleeping which I think counts.
Tuesday - Anastasia, pretender Grand Duchess, arrives in the United States (1928)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – It was a long day preparing for the meeting that I led in the evening. A group of five of us had to make decisions about dispersing some money left in a will some years ago. It's heartwarming to give out money; it's a pain to only give out some when there's great need in many directions.
Eating was Ok, CREDIT moi, but too many snacks under the notion that snacking would help with tension. I'm glad that I've never smoked since the tension that I was addressing could just as well be handled by a cigarette. Or not handled, since it didn't work. My snack of choice during the evening was baby carrots. They are rather loud, so I was pleased when someone else was also loudly chomping.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Interesting that the Beck model can be applied to setting up structures to face the to-do list.
silverbirch – Neat that your DB is arriving with drugs. Hope that flu thing passes - Spring is coming.
maryann - LOL at "Jewelry does have a weight limit" - rock stars seem to defy that with the gold around their necks. Kudos for that long list of credits.
nationalparker – Kudos for tossing that lemon bar, untasted, despite the market crash.
Beth (bethturnaround) – Yep, work does tend to serve some "unfun" days. Kudos for not taking it personally.
StarAnise - Waving back! Hope all is going well in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Readers -
Quote:
day 5Eat Slowly and Mindfully
How to Slow Down
Practice the following strategies until you naturally eat more slowly. . . .
Eat something hot. Starting your meal with soup (if it's allowed on your food plan), for example, forces you to eat slowly and to practice this skill.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 80.
Day 2 for me - bear with me if I post a.m. and p.m. to try to set and report intention ... I'm afraid if I don't right now, that it'll slide off into oblivion. Cut DH's dessert for his office and didn't taste a single one. Credit. He likes bringing goodies in because the folks there really enjoy them and are very appreciative. I have lunch planned with a friend (only a half hour fits in her schedule, so the other time I'll enjoy a book). We bring our lunches and just catch up. I've been doing this with a few friends and it's working out great. No extra cost incurred and we're connecting more often. This was something I wanted to do more of this year.
Dinner is planned - DH will have his birthday dinner and I'll work around it with my meal, but regardless it'll be with candlelight and a blazing fire in the living room afterward. I want to hit Fresh Market on the way home and pick up a small dessert so we don't have cake around for days. I will bake his birthday chocolate cake on the weekend when his family is over (or when we go there, depending). Then, they'll take more of the leftovers and keep an extra slice for him. PLANS!
Nationalparker: I don't believe throwing food is a demerit -wasted in the trash can or wasted on my body. I try not to waste with my household food, but a random sugar treat these days is doing no one any good (except maybe my cross country running son who is 5'9 and 130 pounds.)
beth: I agree, keeping OP coupled with no weight drop is discouraging. I was a little crestfallen this morning. My need for instant gratification rears its ugly head again. Still, being on ticker and a pound away from high water mark feels pretty good. And how neat you get to build your own home in the perfect place. I can't build a home with DH because he is a perfectionist who would drive me crazy.
silverbirch: get well soon.
Smartwater (new version) is filled. I could barely stand yesterday's so I made a few adjustments. Lunches packed for three days. The faculty room has a big fridge so I can prep three days ahead. I work late tonite and then take the day off to drive DH for a routine procedure. I am feeling some of the blues today. Maybe it is in anticipation of shrink on Thursday. That never goes well.
In any case. First things first. Enjoy a spring morning (in February.)
Quick check-in. I've already had a meeting this morning and I need to do some follow-up. Grocery-shopping is also on the list in anticipation of wintry mix later. In fact, I need to check when it's starting to make sure that I'm done and safely home before it starts. I'm finding only minimal willingness to do well with food, but keeping up my determination for exercise. I'm confident I'll find more determination in the next few days and posting here will help me get there.
Success! On plan today with two minor deviations, so I know that's not 100% but with DH's birthday, I did have a sliver of his ice cream cake and three bites of mashed potatoes. I made stir fry for myself and it turned out superb. Used the millet and brown rice ramen, with loads of veggies and some chicken. Used up the snow peas I'd bought expressly for this, along with a red pepper, carrots, garlic, onion and I can't remember what else. I can either focus on the small amount I ate that was NOT on plan, which I often tend to do, or focus that everything else was A-OK. New outlook - I will rarely be 100% and this was a good effort on a celebratory day.
Off to take an early bath and surprise DH with a massage. The birthday continues. HA. The space heater is warming up the bedroom already.
Last edited by nationalparker; 02-06-2018 at 08:48 PM.
Wednesday - Earthquake causes fluvial tsunami in Mississippi River (1812, Missouri)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Mostly a day of decompression after the major meeting of the night before. Watched the chimney of the neighbor's house being removed. It's gone. Chimneys are so yesterday, LOL. Another neighbor said that she'd seen kitchen cabinets being removed. Now that's a major kitchen renovation when you go so far as the chimney above the roof.
Eating was OKish, CREDIT moi. The only evening snack was the standard Cara Cara Navel Orange - just gotta grab those while they're here. Dinner was of modest proportions. Got caught up on some James Baldwin reading for my course this semester: the novel set in Paris, Giovanni's Room; and the 1965 essay The White Man's Guilt. Baldwin's writing isn't to make you feel good; it's tough reading. His eyes are wide open to that which is unfair in the structures of society.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Your "wintry mix" is headed our way. Hope you got that grocery shopping done without being swamped.
silverbirch – It's really impressive that you know how to apply mechanical heat to a modern MacBook to make it work. Congrats for being more of a Geek than I'd suspected. Hope you get your energy back.
maryann - Lunches packed for three days is serious prepping.
nationalparker – Super Kudos for cutting up all those baked goods and not taking any. Great attitude with, "I will rarely be 100% and this was a good effort on a celebratory day."
Readers -
Quote:
day 5Eat Slowly and Mindfully
How to Slow Down
Practice the following strategies until you naturally eat more slowly. . . .
Pay attention to your body. Look for signs that you're starting to feel full. Becoming conscious of how your body feels can remind you to slow down.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 80.
That's Day 5 of symptoms, and Day 8 since I spent too long in the doctors' waiting room. Feeling a little better, a bit argumentative and a bit upset, so I'm obviously on the mend. I'm best if I'm left completely alone, warm (a bit of a challenge but I've got a good system going on with fleece blankets and a hot water bottle), and with a drink. Here in the countryside snow has fallen so it's quite peaceful and it's pretty to look at.
I'm eating a little but, yes, I seem to have lost a few pounds in a few days. That's normal with these extreme treatments, isn't it? Perhaps I should write a review of 'Flu! The New Weight Loss System! Natural! Organic!' and see if anyone would buy it. Had better trademark it fast as I gather at least 8 million other people in the UK are bed-testing it as I write.
Bill, thanks! I'll always be the daughter of a very talented engineer, I suppose. That chimney story of yours is shocking. I have just been on my hands and knees with a piece of newspaper to make the cold chimney draw! Will get my assistants to bring me more good oranges, on your recommendation.
nationalparker, applause and credit for focusing on the good things that you did. That seems to me to be a sustainable way forward. I agree 100% with maryann that throwing food away is not a demerit. "Wasted in the trash can or wasted on my body" sums it up so well.
gardenerjoy, hope determination is helping your willingness. Since reading 'wintry mix', I've been wondering about a 'wintry mix salad' but haven't got very far with it. Given my fragile state, I wouldn't want anything too challenging to eat nor too cold! Perhaps grated carrot could be part of it and maybe freshly hard boiled eggs.
maryann, hope today's Smartwater is a better concoction. Today is the first day of spring in the Anglo-Saxon calendar. It's five days after Candlemas, as you know. "Then after five nights winter is carried out of the camps." I'm certainly ready for spring.
to all. Keep warm and infection-free, if you can. The alternatives are not good feelings.
It looks like the wintry mix was no big deal which is good because, I realized in the middle of the night, that I didn't get all the ingredients I needed for supper tonight. It's not so good that today was going to be the day that I didn't go anywhere and, now, I need to go to the store. Oh well. It will be a quick trip and it will mean I can take that off of Friday's list.
Good Morning, Coaches.
That is the first time since 2010 that I don't want to post anymore. I am ashamed, embarrassed and baffled. What is going wrong? I had a perfect plan and plunged into yet another binge.That made the ticker this morning hit the 70's. There are a couple of simple answers I guess. The first is that I am a compulsive overeater. period. I am as powerless over eating as I am over alcohol. That is the truth for me. The second answer is the medication. It is obviously a huge factor. How can I maintain low sixties for years and suddenly within a week be up at 170? Tomorrow, I see the shrink and I will ask if there are alternatives we can try. I dread it because the truth is I am more emotionally stable than I was a month ago. It is a nightmare to change things around. I will do as Nationalparker and check in two or three times today. I have a very healthy, very simple food plan set and made. Very similar to Beth's only with one solid meal and a solid small snack.
I was shooting for an earlier check-in but it's been busy. OP so far today except I missed my protein this morning. Had planned to heat it up when I got to work, but quickly included in a project. Day 3. I had to say that to myself a few times on the drive in. Day 3. I feel that I'm committing more and will do a better job with "remembering" I'm on plan through the weekend if I'm on an official day then. I won't conveniently forget. Or at least hope not.
Maryann - I HATE to hear you say / see you write that you're embarrassed and ashamed with the weight gain. Because I was there (and still am) but I don't want YOU to feel that way. We're so damn much more than the number on the scale. You're not a size. You're not an age. You're not a weight. You are YOU. A woman. An educated leader. A giving and loving mother. A committed and supportive partner. A treasured friend. You bring so much to life - to others' lives - don't let water retention, your body doing something when a new substance is introduced into the chemical processes, get into your head and mess with Martha. YOU are to be celebrated, not frustrated.
Silverbirch - Good to hear that you're continuing to care for yourself and laughing at that you may be on the mend as you're more argumentative. I can just picture the snow-covered country scene from your windows. Brings a smile. Looking out the back of my house looks country with a field often filled with Canada geese, all calling out. I love it. Belated credits for figuring out what was causing the issue with your computer cable! Clever!
Bill - I'm frustrated that I can't find the Gold Nugget variety of oranges/tangerines (they were a mix) this year. They were our favorite food last winter. Not available at home in Florida or up at the markets around here. The rest that I've been buying has been ehhh... really tough segments, super thick peel/pith. Even the cantaloupes I've been buying with the sugaring on the outside (thank you, Maryann) have tasted like mold. I'm down to apples and pears when I can find them, it seems. I need to branch out in the marketing this weekend.
Joy - I was going to start counting my activity minutes this month and shoot for a goal, but forgot about it when Feb. 1 hit. Maybe I hit something more random like minutes until the first day of spring and then the first day of summer.
Beth - Major credits for getting active on a crummy weather day! I find that very hard. I find 20 other things at home that I want to do, but when I get on the bike, I do feel accomplished and better. Thank you for the reminder on that. Fingers crossed that you don't get hammered with weather that impacts driving too much.
Thanks nationalparker for the pep talk. Back at you and all of the people on the blog. I said I check in and I'm doing just that. It is 11:30 and I know the hands of the clock will turn eventually to noon and then I'll eat my green smoothie. I have done this before to great success - two meal replacements with a healthy solid meal. Plus I have my smartwater. DH came through little procedure fine and all is clear. Good news. I am going to do NOTHING productive. I will listen to a cheesy audio mystery (Jance) and surf the internet. I'll make lunch for the boys and drive DS to music.
Things that comfort this afternoon instead of binging on sugar:
audiobook
nap
plan a future vrbo in France in 2021.
Early evening and I have stay OP. Last meal replacement at 5:00. The clock will tick on from 3:45 just as it did from 11:30 to noon. Today's kitchen closing will be easier because boys are not here. I feel the grief and disorientation I always feel when I begin a rigid plan. What do I do with my hands. Where do I take my breaks if not the kitchen to open the frig door. I played a little Beethoven sonata and read a few frugal blogs.
All in all a nice day. Slight headache with which I can deal.
After doing so well with my food while dealing with the medical stuff, once DH came home from the hospital I pretty much got off the wagon and threw myself under the wagon's wheels. I feel as though I may be willing to stand up beside the wagon and steady myself to get back on the wagon sooner rather than later. For one week I have eaten with abandon and no restrictions. I have up all my structures that work. DH was so sick and I was so focused on his food knowing I was very emotionally vulnerable and worried that I pretty much bought whatever he/we used to enjoy. Sugar came back big time and with it all the carbs in all the forms that I had given up. That 252 I saw last Wednesday was a 262 this Wednesday. In reality I suspect I am about 258 but I have to get back on track now if I want a few lbs to leave me asap. So close to being under 250. Oh well. I can do it. And I do feel lousy at 262 again. I just couldn't hang onto that number. I'll try it again.
Thursday - College of William and Mary chartered (1693, Williamsburg, Va.)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Chase the 28-month-old DGD day, CREDIT moi. She had to be carried out from the indoor play space because there was an inch of snow on the ground. She had insisted on wearing her crocs instead of boots. We let that stand since she was already on her third pair of mittens. She'd choose a pair; DW would carefully get them on with fingers in the proper slots; she'd smile and wave them about; and them she'd scream that those weren't the pair that she wanted to wear and throw them on the floor. Seems that having three pairs of mittens for the standard reasons that they get lost has the downside that all have to be put on. Two back-to-back statements: "I don't like monsters;" "Read it again." The monsters in the book that the little boy thought were scary all turned out to be kindly figures who ended up in bed with him. Long debate with DW whether reading monster books to kids is useful or harmful - with no clear conclusion.
Eating was OKish, CREDIT moi. Evening snack of navel orange just makes me so happy. I've run out of both walnuts and almonds that are part of my breakfast. This is a first-world crisis to be sure, but a pain. The good news is that I have to get to Trader Joe's to get more. Peanut butter sandwich for lunch was on a superb multi-grain bread - life just doesn't get better.
onebyone – Yes, "sooner rather than later" is a super Beck thought.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Well, your wintry mix made it here. I had to shovel a few inches of snow, but it wasn't unpleasant.
silverbirch – Yes, The Silverbirch Flu Diet. Coupled with its exercise of waving a newspaper up the flue. Long live homophones.
maryann - Kudos for posting when the brain is yelling that you shouldn't. A VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner) in France sounds terrific.
nationalparker – Good plan, "I won't conveniently forget."
Readers -
Quote:
day 5Eat Slowly and Mindfully
How to Slow Down
Practice the following strategies until you naturally eat more slowly. . . .
Look at the clock. Notice what time it is at the beginning and at the end of your meal. In your diet notebook or on a sticky note that you can keep on your refrigerator, write down how long it takes you to eat. At each meal, try to slow down and draw it out just a bit longer.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 80.
Day 4 and the snow is falling
Tuesday - Anastasia, pretender Grand Duchess, arrives in the United States (1928)
The space heater is warming up the bedroom already.
