Hi everyone!

Today's been a good on plan day for me but really tiring. It's 9:00 pm and I'm finally starting to relax. I ate exactly what I planned (less one tortilla, which I didn't eat), walked my 2 miles at the park, went to class--all good choices today. Went to the grocery store tonight even though neither DD or I felt like it--but we didn't have to feel like it, we just had to do it. And we did. Our favorite grocery store was unexpectedly closed (power outage) and the backup has less variety and higher prices ;(. After I post tonight I'm going to go relax with a novel and go to sleep early.

My official weigh-in today has me down 62.5 lbs since I started my program (69.8 lbs using my personal earlier start date). That means I've lost more than 25% of my body weight this year. I'm excited to be so close to "70 lbs down" which made it easier to start on track today--success does make me more motivated! I've promised myself a new beautiful dress for an event in October if I make 75 lbs down by then. (I'll also need new pants since the ones I have are all a bit loose already).

I'm simultaneously trying to lose more weight and get my mind and mindset into 'maintenance' since that's something I've spectacularly failed at in the past--and I intend to maintain this time. Losing more weight isn't anywhere near as important as keeping off what I've lost.

karenrn: Credit for going to the Y. Our family thing is "You don't have to wanna. You just have to do it." I used it on my kids when they were younger (nobody wants to take out the garbage) but I just i on myself, too.

penny: Your description of your dog is funny :-). What is your current calorie intake?

silverbirch: I love how we share rules here.

maryann: Hope the first day of school went well. I messed up on the "no sweets at work" last week while traveling--but back on it. When I go into the office I strengthen it to "no unplanned snacks at work"--so peanuts are off limits, too. (Unless I planned them)

Joy: Credit for not using food or drink for celebration--it's interesting how easy it is to see food as both a comfort and reward--rather than just as substance.

BillBlueEyes: Credit for no snacks. (And for not having to do your DS's bathroom repairs!)

G'night all!

--Beth


http://bweiss.com/pictures/weightlos...s%20before.JPG

Wednesday - The Woodstock festival opens in Bethel, New York with 400,000 fans (1969)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walk, CREDIT moi, got interrupted by three long conversations with neighbors. I discovered how one guy had been the one to call the city - twice - to pick up a limb that had fallen from a Norway Maple in the street. Now I know how to do that. Got to tell another neighbor how much I'd enjoyed hearing her sing in the performance of Verdi's Requiem. And discovered how the job search is going with another friend who faces want-ads seeking folks with 3 to 5 years experience wondering how she can get such experience without having a job. Good fun in the summertime when so many people are out and ready to chat although hardly aerobic walking.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, including grilled salmon on the patio for dinner - only after drying the chairs from the afternoon's deluge. One more day without snacks felt especially good. Seems that I can go for a period when I'm doing snacks as if they were required to maintain life, then a period when I just don't. Wish I could be more consistent.



Joy (gardenerjoy) – Interesting to distinguish "Things that seem like they're treats."

silverbirch – Wondering if self-driving cars will increase the desire to snack since there's less work to be done.

maryann – Yay for "No Sweets at Work."

Karen (karenrn) – Love the argument, "so no reason not to get some exercise while I'm listening,"

Beth (bethturnaround) – Thanks for the reminder, "I'm doing it better than I was before."

Penny. – I'm with you - I've never known a dog that didn't want to walk.

Readers -

Good Morning, Coaches.

I notice a common thread with Karen and Beth: Don't wait until you feel like doing it, just do it. The "it" can be different for everyone. The addendum to it it is "What is the worse that can happen?" This allows me to just push forward through some fear.

Credit for being down another pound. That makes me one pound away from a new decade. This is exciting. Credit for working out yesterday and the plan to work out today. Credit for a packed lunch and a solid intention to avoid sweets at work. I will allow myself a sweet today but it can not be at work.

silverbirch: excellent reminder to not eat in the car. This isn't as problematic for me as eating standing up but it still deserves some notice.
BBE: It is true that sometimes a habit like less snacks is easy. Then of course it isn't. Baffling.

On with the day!

Credits:

• posted fifteen days in a row
• followed my plan as written

Weigh-in: -0.35 kgs, Exercise: +30, 510/1200 minutes for August

silverbirch and BillBlueEyes: "no food in the car" makes a big difference for me. My fantasy of self-driving cars is it will allow me to read, write, or work while going places. So, I hope it will make it less likely that I eat in the car. But, I would have to be thoughtful about it or I could easily see myself slipping into really bad habits.

Beth, I always tell my kids they "don't have to want to do it, they just have to do it", but it's more annoying to them than a family mantra. Heh!

You asked about my calories. I just follow the Lose It app which has it reduced more and more with my weight loss. It's around 1300 now.

Weight has been without change today and yesterday. I got my walk in yesterday. Today's 20 mile bike ride has been cancelled because of the very poor air quality index today. A friend and I have decided to try one of those paint night activities instead and I have to decide if I want to meet for dinner before it or not.

I think it's less annoying for my kids because for years they've heard me tell myself that, out loud. "I don't have to wanna. I just have to do it." It's not something "mom says to kid"; it's something we all say to ourselves and each other. So, my two have learned to say it to themselves. After all, it's not like it's limited to kids--we all have to do stuff we don't wanna do. Pretty amazing how that works.

I've also heard my daughter (starting when she was in high school; she's now in her 20s) walk her friends through decision making, "And if you do that, what's the worst that could happen?" just the way I walked her through things. They think she's smart :-)

--Beth

--Beth

Defiantly, kids learn by example more than anything. That's why one of my advantages of weight loss is "better example for my kids."

Good morning coaches,

I've walked the dog, gone to Crossfit and cleaned the office and set up the bills for payment. I'm sore lately from my workouts, so I tell myself it must be doing something good. Food was on plan yesterday, but at the top of the calorie range. I'm doing a superb job of maintaining, if only that was my goal. I need to make a plan for what I'm going to have available to eat on my long driving days. Well, dh is home for lunch . . . more later.

Hi everyone,

I feel so much more in control after a few days of in-control behavior--funny that. I had a good walk this evening--it's good to be outside again although I wouldn't have gone outside if it had still been sunny--I'm supposed to keep my rash out of the UV light.

Food was OP today. 3 products--that part is easy. And then I made a delicious salad for dinner--baby spinach and spring mix, cucumber, blueberries, yellow pepper, celery, green onions, carrots, chicken, cheese, hummus. I felt good entering everything in MFP because so much of it was natural and not processed! It had more carbs than I'd expected--the spring mix is the part that surprised me. Even so, I feel full and proud of myself--and looking forward to having the same meal tomorrow!

I've started a new book that I'm finding really interesting. Brain Powered Weight Loss by Eliza Kingsford. It's a combination of CBT and DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy). I think I'm going to end up buying this one when I have to return this one to the library.

G'night all!

--Beth

http://www.bweiss.com/pictures/weigh...;t%20solve.JPG

Good morning. Today I'll go out in the car and I shan't buy anything to eat there. There will be no need. I'm packing my lunch and taking a bottle of water.

Hope your day goes well.

Thursday - Gold discovered near the Klondike River in Canada’s Yukon Territory (1896)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Exercise was chase the (2 yr 11 mo) DGD day. She stood on the park bench and proudly announced "I'm trying not to fall." I feel like I'm hearing her mother when she makes reassuring statements to make us back off - she's in control. The great statement was made again when she woke up from a two-hour nap with "I need to pee." She'd mistakenly been put to her nap in underpants instead of pull-ups but came up dry! Went home dry. I could get used to this. I asked her to open a 'present' for Grandmom - a book about dinosaurs (The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World). She unpeeled the Amazon cardboard wrapping, saw the cover picture declaring happily, "It's about dinosaurs." Then, with annoyance, yanked off the offending dust jacket, sat down on the kitchen floor and opened the book to read. "Just words for grownups," she assessed and handed the book back to me. Love that she knows exactly what one does with a book.

My later walk to Amazon Whole Foods gathered dinner. I found some delightful "Caribbean vegetables" in the salad bins - a great compliment to the standard garlic and herbs rotisserie chicken. Eating was on plan without snacks, CREDIT moi, culminating with dinner on the patio that concluded with watermelon. It's just the best time of summer in the evening when the temperatures leave the unpleasant nineties.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – Love your image of using your time in a self-driving car with reading. I picture myself intently focused with hands gripping the steering wheel waiting for the auto-pilot to mess up needing me to take over.

silverbirch – Yay for a packed lunch - you know what's in it.

maryann – Love the reminder, "What is the worse that can happen?" Kudos for continuing with your plan to avoid sweets at work.

Karen (karenrn) – Planning snacks for a long driving day is a big challenge.

Beth (bethturnaround) – I have a relative who is considered to have an outrageous fashion sense because of her gigantic hats. Few folks know that the hats are because she has to avoid the UV light on her skin. Your book sounds interesting.

Penny. – It was a harsh reality to me to learn that when I lost weight I needed less calories to stay the same. What a bummer.

Readers -

Good Morning, Coaches.

Super credit for seeing 159 on the scale. I haven't weighed in the 50s since April 2017. Karen resonated with me when she wrote she is wonderful at a maintenance program. I'm grateful that I didn't gain since 2017 but it is not my goal. Everything feels better in this decade to me. My knees, back, and clothing are all happier. Time to step up with my exercise because that is the true maintenance key for me.

Credit for a direct drawing lesson of a cartoon frog. I saw how little experience these kids have with drawing. They were uncomfortable and hard on themselves. That turned into a few spots of bad behavior but with patience, tolerance and boundaries I think I can handle it.

BBE: Books are such a joy. I am glad DS has always loved them.
Penny: A twenty mile bike ride is impressive to plan even if it gets cancelled. Credit.

Good morning coaches,

Again I was on plan yesterday, but at the top of the calorie range. I know if I am to lose weight I will have to lower my calories or increase my exercise. I am hoping to increase the exercise while I'm away from here and in cooler temperatures. Today's exercise will be elliptical at the Y and practice on jump rope double unders. I do have my rope shortened to the correct length, so that should help. You would be surprised at how much work jumping rope is; or I am anyway.

Maryann Wow what a great feeling to have broken that 160 barrier. Good for you!

Bill I can't believe how quickly your DGD is growing up. My goodness, she will soon be 3.

Silverbirch Way to go packing your lunch.

Beth Glad you're back on track and feeling in control. I've been using MFP for years. You must have read the wrong line, spring mix has very few grams of carbs. Are you sure you weren't reading the carrots line?

Penny How was the paint night? We have a place for that near here, but since I have little artistic ability I would be afraid to go.

GardenerJoy Like Bill I think I would have to be paying attention while the self-driving car was taking me places. I am thinking it is just the thing that might enable my husband and I to stay in our own home for a long time. Of course I am no where near the time when I won't be driving, but when the time comes it would be a great way to get around to where I need to go. Our friend owned a Subaru dealership for years and sold it recently partly because he thinks fewer folks will be purchasing cars as they won't need one of their own with the self driving car services that will be available. We'll see what happens.

Well, it's time to get myself to the gym. You all have a great day!

Yesterday didn't go according to plan and neither did my eating, but I made good choices and got a drop on the scale to prove it.

Credits:

• posted sixteen days in a row
• wrote a plan for today that accommodates an evening meeting

Weigh-in: -0.35 kgs, Exercise: +60, 570/1200 minutes for August

bethturnaround; Thanks for the recommendation of Brain Powered Weight Loss. I just requested it from the library. I continue to be fascinated by how well psychological treatments for substance abuse work for my "food abuse." It's also given me a lot more compassion for people dealing with substance abuse.

BillBlueEyes: Thanks for sharing the story of DGD and the dinosaur book. I told it to DH and we had a good laugh over breakfast. How dare dinosaur books have only words for grownups.

Paint night with friends was a lot of fun! I would definitely do that again. Credit to myself for declining the offer to eat out beforehand, and the wine at the painting place. I kept to my calorie limit and was rewarded with a pound gained this morning. :lol:

Karen, the paint parties are step by step and easy peasy.

Maryann, congrats on getting into the 150s!

Silverbirch, packing your own lunch deserves major credit!

Bill, it sounds like another great day you had. I like how your dgd saw the words in the book and decided they were meant for adults. Lol

Gardenerjoy, yay for losing weight even though your day did not go as planned! I guess we had opposite days. :D

Beth, I saved your book titles to check out next. Thanks!

Hi everyone.

My scale is being cooperative this week, but more importantly, I'm putting "x"s in my checkboxes on my tracking spreadsheet. I'm posting here, recording on MFP, avoiding sweets, walking--all good things. The weight follows. I changed my ticker to 172, but I was actually 170.2 this morning. I'm excited about heading down into the 160s--I am not sure when I last was, but I know it's been more than 16 years.

I had a challenge today--I had to go take my aunt to the hospital. (Don't ask me why she didn't go in an ambulance--I never got a good answer to that question--she did need to be at the hospital.) I grabbed two bars on my way out of the door "just in case". I had one about the right time while waiting for her getting tests done in the ER. I was getting to dinner time hungry when my cousin arrived. He offered me a snack. I declined (credit there). As I left, I was going back and forth in my head--stop and get food, eat a bar and then have a shake later and make it a five product day, go home and make the salad with chicken I'd planned on. Back and forth. I decided that stopping and getting food was out. I could do five products or I could go home and make my salad. Once I disallowed the "stop and get food" option I felt much less stress and recognized that I did want food (as opposed to all meal replacements). I got home, made a wonderful salad, and enjoyed it a great deal. Then I picked one of my books and walked it back to the library. I can't walk around the lake after dark, but I can walk to the library, so I did. It wasn't so much that I wanted to return a book as that I wanted to have a reason to walk to the library :-)

So, credit for my dinner tonight--it was harder than I would have expected or wanted it to be to make the right choice, or at least, a right choice, but I did it.

penny: Credit making good food and drink choices around the social outing--those can be downfalls and you held firm.

joy: Sounds like good credits--making good choices, posting 16 days in a row, and planning for an evening meeting.

karenrn: You were right--I entered too large of a quantity for the spring mix. The problem is that I'm supposed to be at 15g carbs per meal. Even numbers like 2 and 3 g seem to add up fast when the goal is to only be at 15. As long as I am losing weight, though, and the carbs are coming from veggies and only occasional fruits, I'm going to just flow. If the weight plateaus (or I start gaining!) then I'll start paying more attention to the veggie fruits. Jumping rope is funny--it used to be something I did for hours as a kid--now I can't imagine how hard it would be!

maryann: Huge credit for being in the 150s again! You've been working hard to get there.

BillBlueEyes: Your DGD is adorable. Sounds like you scored a great meal at Whole Foods--great and tasty choices.

silverbirch: Hope your day went well with your packed food and packed water!

G'night, all.

--Beth

http://bweiss.com/pictures/weightlos...ccess%20is.JPG

Friday - Chinese Valentine Day / Daughters Festival (Chinese folklore)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Exercise was some walking, CREDIT moi, but not enough. There are just so many things to get done and things to avoid. I've collected a stack of eight returns for the library by adding two books that I'm inclined not to finish. It remains a challenge for me to openly choose not to finish a book. It's easier to leave it in the stack of active books with a bookmark in place until the stack become overwhelming.

WARNING: Don't give a book about dinosaurs to a spouse with an attitude! The opening pages show a cladistics chart with Ornithischia on the left and Theropoda on the right descending into modern birds. I already knew this and also know that chickens are Aves even though they aren't in any Bird Guide that I use. I asked what was for dinner and got, "Dinosaur meat." Jeez, Louise. There was also tomatoes and green salad and it ended with watermelon. A lovely evening on the patio. After 40 years, I should have sensed a pause and suspected something coming, but I was blindsided when she deadpanned, "Tastes like chicken."


Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yay for good choices even when the day itself is off plan.

maryann – Such success, "My knees, back, and clothing are all happier."

Karen (karenrn) – On plan is always a good day.

Beth (bethturnaround) – Super Kudos for making the decision that "stop and get food" was out. I share your love of using the library as a good excuse to get a walk.

Penny. – Neat that paint night was a bunch of fun. Kudos for good food choices despite the scale's reluctance.

Readers -

Good Morning, Coaches.

Glad it is Friday. I have had an OP breakfast and plan to lift weights ( light) at the gym tonite. Credit for keeping a positive attitude on what has been a poor sleeping week. The Beck trick of "Oh Well" has kept my in good standing. When I start bemoaning sleeplessness, I answer "Oh Well" and get up and putter around. Everybody always wants more time and this week I got it.

My goal this weekend is to plan some quick meals that have no dairy. This is by Drs. orders. I realize how much dairy I eat now that I can't eat it. A little meal planning for the week will help my family as well.

BBE: Cute response from DW. Gotta watch out for those spouses.
Beth: Thanks for reminding me about the importance of packing appropriate food.
gardenerjoy: Congrats on the scale drop.
Penny: I want to start going to more art experiences.

Today's challenge is dinner at a restaurant and I can't predict if we'll be sharing small plates or ordering entrees. I think, I'll order a salad and a small plate even if every one else does an entree. It's a vegan restaurant, so that will make it easy to focus on vegetables!
The other specialty is small batch whiskey. My rule is drink or dessert, not both. It will be a drink tonight.

Credits:

• posted seventeen days in a row

Weigh-in: NA kgs, Exercise: +60, 570/1200 minutes for August

After two days of very bad air quality it cleared up. I tried to talk myself out of doing any exercise but ultimately did put the dogs in the stroller and walked about 2.5 miles. Credit!

NSV, I fit into the next size down pants I have. Woot!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Hi everyone!

An OP food day, although I had a 4th product today--I was just too hungry a while ago to not have something additional. My intake is still low for the day so I'm not worried about it. I think I'm still feeling weird because my blood sugar is crazy. Today is the last day of prednisone so hopefully I'll be back to normal within a few more days. No exercise today since I spent the evening at the hospital with my aunt. When I got home and walked to the mailbox, I really wanted to walk--it was just too late for me to feel comfortable doing so. Tomorrow, I'll get up and walk at the forest preserve--I'm looking forward to it.

penny: Congrats on the smaller jeans!!! That always feels so great!

joy: Hope your dinner out went well--it sounds like you had it planned out.

maryann: Big credit for recognizing how well you're handling your sleeplessness--but it does really stink when you're tired and can't sleep and want to.

BillBlueEyes: Sounds like you need a walk (or two) to the library to whittle down your book stack. I just looked up and discovered that the library will be a 35 minute walk from our new house--I think I like 20 minutes each way a lot better--it's a reasonable evening walk.

G'night all.

--Beth
http://bweiss.com/pictures/weightloss/be%20mindful.JPG

Good morning. It's a very dull day out there but nonetheless I think I'll go and walk up and down a small hill a few times. My breathing is telling me I'm out of condition so I need to put in some effort in the cardio direction. I'm starting to feel the benefit of daily concerted exercise now and my hip is hurting less. I'm going in the right direction!

Consumer request: any views on the Kindle Oasis (2017)? My original Kindle (with page turn buttons) is starting to slow and jam so I'm wondering about a new one. Are the Oasis buttons really very loud or just by comparison with a touch screen? Thanks!

Beth, you've really got the walking habit engrained now!

Penny, 2.5 miles is a nice distance. (Can't get over the dogs in the stroller though!)

gardenerjoy, "drink or dessert" seems to work nicely for you. Do you ever have any difficulties with it? I'm wondering whether its simple phrasing helps it to go in, rather like advertising catchphrases. If there's even a little truth in that, it might be worth working on phrasing other rules like that. Ha! Everyone, let's see what we can come up with!

maryann, good luck with no dairy produce!

Bill, much credit for returning books you hadn't finished. I put four unread books in the charity box I have on the go at home. They are by a nice author which is why I bought them (secondhand) but these were just not my cup of tea, as we say in these parts. We need that space on the shelves for all the other books that seem to pour through the door. And, as maryann said so well, gotta watch out for those spouses!

Saturday - Genghis Khan, Mongol leader, dies (1227, China)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Part of exercise was resisting all snack foods on sale at the supermarket, CREDIT moi. Stuff looks more attractive than it actually is when it's displayed on the end of the aisle as if a bargain that's not to be missed. As always, I got a week's worth of strawberries; as always, I'm grateful to whoever consistently plants and harvests these little jewels for my breakfast pleasure. Bought another watermelon. We'll milk watermelons as long as they're abundant.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi with no snacks other than the watermelon after dinner. As I was headed out to the patio for dinner, the rain started. I was disappointed; gardener DW was ecstatic. Unexpected Kudos to the U.S. State Department: we applied for renewed passports on Monday a week ago and received them in the mail this Friday - only eleven days later. We paid none of the extra fees for rapid service. I was impressed with the speed of service. Once again, I read a story of a family who weren't allowed to board a flight to Spain because their passports expired only four weeks after their booked return flight - short of Spain's required 90 days. (Some countries, Brazil for example, require 180 days.) Now we're ready for any spontaneous flights to Spain - not our usual style. Unfortunately, the picture makes me look like an older gentleman. Just not graciously growing to accept that visual.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – I do love that a vegan restaurant tends to have so many good choices for sane eating.

silverbirch – Yay for the hip getting with the program.

maryann – Ouch for having to find a way to eat without dairy. Neat to use "Oh, Well."

Beth (bethturnaround) – So neat that you "really wanted to walk." Hope your aunt is doing OK.

Penny. – Congrats, indeed, for slipping into the smaller pants. Love the image of walking your dogs in their stroller.

Readers -

Today's challenge is a brown bag lunch. I meant to buy an apple this week. Oh well. I'll pack a sandwich and have part 2 of my lunch, a giant salad, when I get home.

Credits:

• posted eighteen days in a row

Weigh-in: NA kgs, Exercise: +40, 640/1200 minutes for August

silverbirch: You're definitely on to something. "Drink or dessert" just slides right into my brain and pops up when I need it.

Good Morning, Coaches.

Starting school stress is working its magic on the scale. I also don't really know what to eat without dairy. That's an additional factor. All said, I am four pounds from goal. I have changed my ticker which is kind of excitng. I am off to the store this morning for Almond Milk, ghee, and berries for spinach protein smoothies. The sleeplessness continues. I will try staying up later at night.

silverbirch: credit for the connection that exercise is helping the hip. Sometimes I think I shouldn't exercise if something is hurting.. No, I just need to be cautious.
Penny: a size down is a big deal.

Wave to all for a nice weekend.

Hi everyone!

An OP food day today--more carbs that probably necessary (Japanese salad and miso soup) but good choices. I had two pieces of sushi but ordered salmon as my entree so I'd be protein heavy instead of rice heavy. Then I stopped without finishing and let DH finish it off--I was done and stopped. Not full, just done.

I did get up and walk this morning--and felt great about it. I will tomorrow, too--it feels good to know that the exercise piece--at least walking--is no longer a struggle for me. That gives me hope that I'm when I'm ready to start doing some strength/resistance training that I'll get to the point where that isn't a struggle either.

DH and I went into the basement today to start thinking about packing/organizing for our move next month. I found two boxes of clothes that I didn't realize were there. I think they might mostly be too big for me now, but even if I'd found them earlier I wouldn't have been able to wear them--they're all fall/winter clothes and the sizing/timing is wrong. At least I can give them away instead of moving them :-)

G'night all!

--Beth

Terrible night's sleep which I'm tracing back to eating a cake-thing from the farm shop. (And yes, I ate it in the car.) These cake-things are chockful of sugar and do a number on my tummy. They are not even very nice. The thing is, by the time I get there and do the shopping I am exhausted. Not sure why. Now I've identified this problem I think I'll start taking a snack to eat afterwards (so perhaps I'll have to think around the "no eating in the car" rule). I don't know. It seems a little counter-intuitive as the farm shop is of course full of food, but the reality is that there's nothing there I should eat immediately without pain of some kind or another. Thanks, everyone, for listening. More thinking required. Should I take a snack? Should I attempt to stop all eating in the car? Should I do something else?

Packing today to go to my mother's for a few days from tomorrow. I'm going to have a haircut in London en route which is a good move. The last one was a bit too edgy for me and got in my eyes all the time so I had to pin it back. As a result I've looked frumpy for a few months.

I've given up using my phone for notes and so on and am back to a paper diary and pocket book. I'm going to list Advantages in the back of the pocket book.

Beth, good luck with the packing and organising.

maryann, I must have missed why you're off dairy produce at the moment.

Bill, sorry to hear about your new passport photo. I am having trouble with the mere idea of taking a photo to put on a website. The DB says it's because I've got a rubbish haircut and that I'll feel better after the next one. Possibly, but the way people keep saying to me "you're looking very tired" doesn't fill me with optimism about a new photo either.

Joy, something else I like about "drink or dessert" is that it offers you a choice rather than a cast-in-stone, take it or leave it Rule. And both options are acceptable to you. So you still have agency, so to speak, without having to think too hard. Perhaps I should have something like that for the post shopping eating. "Yummy snack from home or deep breathing" - something like that.

Sunday - National Aviation Day (since 1939, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Exercise was our yearly venture into square dancing, CREDIT moi. Fortunately, most of the other folks aren't serious dancers either. It's a party where I know many of the others and go with the flow. Took pride that we weren't the worst of the dancers there.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, including a picnic dinner before the square dance. I had the job of driving to a local bakery to get ciabatta bread for sandwiches. To my great credit, I did not purchase any of a dozen to-die-for pastries including a pecan affair dripping with sugar. I did buy ham croissants for breakfast this morning. They aren't low calorie but are worth working into my plan as a rare treat. When I paid I was handed a small role as the reward for arriving with my own shopping bag. So neat! (Whole Foods gives 5 cents off the tab.) Now we have a small role to be eaten.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – Great strategy to plan to have a salad when you get home. I, too, like the simplicity of "Drink or dessert."

silverbirch – I'm rather fond of your haircut - don't often see curls piled atop the head. I'd recognize you anywhere. Kudos for trying to find a solution to an acceptable snack for the farmers' market.

maryann – Ouch for stress despite it helping on the scale. Enjoy your Almond Milk while you can. Like DW's Soy Milk, I've read that the term 'Milk' will be reserved for cows. Almond Milk will have to be labeled "that which has come from an almond."

Beth (bethturnaround) – Yay for finding two boxes that don't have to make the move with you - with Kudos for having the courage to face your basement thinking about packing it all in boxes.

Readers -

Good morning coaches,

I've had a couple of days of less than stellar tracking and I know what that means. Friday was probably okay calorie wise, but yesterday was over for sure. One of my friends was here on a layover for the afternoon and it was so good to see her. We've known each other since the first grade. She lives in Southern California and became an Alaska Airlines Flight attendant at age 63. She is a beautiful gal, divorced, and wanted something to do. Anyway, the interesting part is that she is 5'10" and has always been gorgeous, but not slim. You would never say she was heavy, nicely proportioned but not thin. Since becoming a flight attendant and being busier, she has lost 28 pounds. What she tells me is that she just doesn't have the big appetite she used to have. It got me thinking. I have this perception of myself as someone who needs large portions. Healthy food, but large portions. I'm am going to try to tell myself a different truth. "I eat healthy foods and I do not have a big appetite." Please dear God, let it work!

It's down to the countdown for leaving on my car trip. I'm driving 11 hours the first day to stay in Carson City, NV. My plan is to hike Maryann's Mt. Rose on Thursday morning providing the air quality and weather are okay. The length and elevation gain would be fine for me, but the fact that it is 8000+ feet at the start is the difficult part. I will take it slow and do what I can. I downloaded the map onto my Gaia GPS phone ap which always makes me feel safer. I'm trying to be sure I have the foods I'll need for on the way over on day one and then the hike. I've got protein bars, apples and tuna packets and tortillas to get me through. These next couple of days will be fine tuning the packing.

Bill The square dancing always sounds fun. We have line dancing lessons here, but I can't ever get my husband to go. I probably just need to find a girl friend who would like to go.

Silverbirch Oh no, a rubbish haircut. That sounds awful. I bet you'll be feeling good after the next one.

Beth I bet you're getting excited about your move. I actually don't mind moving although it's probably because I haven't moved often. I always say dh sets down a tap root and I have to chop and chop to get him to make a move. I think we'll be here forever.

Maryann That is so exciting that you are only 4 pounds from goal. Now if you could just get some sleep.

GardenerJoy Your diligence is an inspiration.

Penny Great job moving down a size. Are your dogs old? My pup gets stubborn and doesn't want to walk sometimes and I pick him up and carry him a little ways and then he's good to go.

You all have a great day.

Mornin' everyone!

Yesterday, I stayed on plan with food, rode my bike to return the green Beck book to the library, and also did some grocery shopping during the same bike trip. The dog walk was done too. That's 2/3 bike rides and 5/7 dog walks completed for the week.

Weight was down a smidge, making total weight loss 13 pounds.

Gardenerjoy and Silverbirch, I like the drink or dessert motto too. Any quick rule to make social eating simpler to navigate is welcome!

Beth, that must have been a surprise to find the clothes. Moving is nice for a declutter and fresh start.

Bill, the free roll reminds me of our Mexican grocery store. They have a wall of Fanta 2 liters at the end of each check stand and if you spend over a certain amount, you get a free bottle. The kids think it is so great. Enjoy your ham croissant.

Karen, my dogs are not old but one is a minidoxie who gets tired and decides to quit, and the other is a pug who wants to walk but gets labored breathing after a while. I hope the air quality is good for your hike. Fingers crossed! Our air was great yesterday and crept up from green to orange today.

I'm rolling out a big project on my blog this afternoon. I'm having pre-party jitters--simultaneous fears that no one will show up or that too many people will and I'll run out of food (because of the limited supply of metaphorical beer and hot dogs). However, none of that is reason to eat real food. So, I'll stick to my plan.

Credits:

• posted nineteen days in a row

Weigh-in: +0.05 kgs, Exercise: +30, 670/1200 minutes for August

silverbirch: Depending on the timing, I sometimes have good luck eating a snack before I leave home. It doesn't necessarily stop the cravings, but I usually believe myself when I say, "You just ate; you don't need anything now."

Hi everyone!

I ate the food I intended to today but overate at dinner. I should have stopped earlier--I served myself too much food and I ate it all. They were all good choices (fresh berries, fresh veggies with hummus, baked tomatoes, homemade meatloaf), just a bit too much of them. I even knew it while I was finishing but I wanted to enjoy the berries. I need to think about how to get about stopping when I've had enough, even if I want more. The baked tomatoes were amazing--my cousin grows tomatoes (my attempt this year was a bust) and he picked those for me last night. And then I ate the melted cheese from the tomatoes from the pan--they were good--but that is not how I'm supposed to eat.

I walked this morning at the forest preserve near our new house. There's a route that's exactly the 40 minutes I like to walk, so that's a good thing. It's really beautiful but it will not be a good summer walking place, so I'll need to find another forest preserve nearby that's more wooded. The reason this one isn't optimal for summer heat is because the entire walk is exposed to the sun--which is a bit rough when it's 90 degrees and sunny! I planned meals before I went for my walk, so went to the grocery story nearest the house--they had the best produce--beautiful and good prices.

Joy: Credit for recognizing that running out of metaphorical hot dogs isn't something to real-world eat over. I credit you for your exercise so much--it really has been motivating me!

Penny: Congrats on 13 lbs! A bike ride to the library sounds great. Our new home is a 35 minute walk to the library--but I bet it's a really reasonable bike ride--thanks for putting that in my head! What's your next book?

Karenrn: One of my books has this to say: I can’t manage what I don’t monitor. I made a card of it in a cool font :-)

BillBlueEyes: Square dancing sounds like fun! I had to use plastic bags at the grocery today--I had DH's car and it didn't have my reusable produce and grocery bags in it. I felt bad bringing home so much plastic.

silverbirch: I think it's what rules serve you best. I allow myself to eat in the car because it is convenient for me and I am eating things I intend to be eating. For other people, "don't eat in the car" is a great rule. What is yours? "Only planned snacks in the car"?

I'm including my weekly summary--I just reviewed it with DH, too--it's my part of my working out how I'm going to maintain this weight loss. I'm still losing, but I'm trying to transition to a maintenance mindset as well as real food :-) I feel really good about this week. I forgot to check my blood sugar one morning and everything else is on track. I have to remind myself that 6 days of walking out of 7 is a complete success--my goal isn't "daily"--my goal is ~160 minutes a week--and I'm there and then some!
http://bweiss.com/pictures/weightloss/2018-08-19.JPG

G'night all!

--Beth

Off to my mum's today. I'll have yet another go at trying to work out why my eating goes slightly haywire. I also have a particular hill in mind for improving my cardio performance. In fact, I think that improving my breathing could help with off-piste eating. Good, something to work on.

Monday - NASA launches Voyager 2 towards Neptune (1977, now 7 billion miles out)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Exercise was our standard Sunday walk, CREDIT moi, noting that the gardens along the way were in their end-of-summer stages. I wore a long-sleeved shirt as if it were September already. Those of us having a hard time giving up summer must work overtime in denial.

Eating was good, CREDIT moi, including dinner on the patio even though that required wearing a shirt against the chill. Our excitement of the day was to find a way to bang the front plastic 'bumper' of our Toyota back in place. It had been pulled out somehow - maybe by banging a curb. With two screwdrivers and two people it seems to be sufficiently back together. I'd hate to replace it since it goes from one front tire to the other like an apron. It provides no bumper-like protection; perhaps it serves as a windscreen. I'm so old that I remember when cars had metal bumpers so strong that a tow hitch could be connected to tow the car. BTDT.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – Hope your project rollout went well. Not sure that I understand, "metaphorical beer and hot dogs."

silverbirch – I need to add "off-piste" to my vocabulary - so descriptive.

Karen (karenrn) – Neat idea to work on your perception of what portion size you need.

Beth (bethturnaround) – Oh yes, the melted cheese on the pan is so tempting. Kudos for making plans for walking from you new home.

Penny. – Love the idea of getting two errands into one bicycle trip.

Readers -

My roll-out of my project got off to a good start. I'm doing seven posts in seven days, but they're all written and scheduled. So there's nothing for me to do now but monitor. I think I want to plan a week of activities because I don't think constantly refreshing the screen will be good for me.

Credits:

• posted twenty days in a row

Weigh-in: +0.00 kgs, Exercise: +45, 715/1200 minutes for August

Sunday was on plan, and I got a huge pot of chicken chili verde made, as well as sautéed a bunch of veg. The rest of the family can put their chile verde over rice, nachos, whatever. I'll put mine with veg. Weight was down another smidge today.

Today I will ride my bike to my mom's and do the dog walk. Not a lot.

Beth, I've reserved the book you mentioned at the library. In the meantime, I'm reading Wuthering heights (for the first time!) and finished a book my son has been wanting me to read, The Land of Stories. Good job on keeping consistent with your chart.

Silverbirch, enjoy your visit with mum and the hill walk!

Bill, long sleeves already? Nope, I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer either.

Gardenerjoy, congrats on launching your project!

Good afternoon coaches,

Yesterday's food was on plan and today's is planned. I went to the Y and did the elliptical this morning. I can't take anymore shoulder workouts before I leave cause I'm still sore . . . so no Crossfit until I return. It's hair do day today. I've taken Otis to the groomer's which makes me feel just horrible. He gets so nervous even with taking xanax before hand. He doesn't get this way with dh cause more often when he goes in his car he's going somewhere fun. Then I went to Costco and I was so happy that they have the gift certificates again for the doggie day care. With the gift certificates it's a savings of 20%, which really adds up for more than 4 weeks that he'll be going. I'm heading out to get my hair done soon. I've scheduled both of us right before I leave and again right after I get back.

Penny The chicken chili verde sounds really good.

GardenerJoy I'm glad the project is off to a good start.

Bill I wish I could give you some warmth. It was 88 when I walked Otis this morning at 5:30 and is expected to be 107 today. As much as I will miss dh and Otis, I am just dying to get out of the heat. I just hope the smoke leaves the areas I'm going to be visiting.

Silverbirch Have a great visit with your Mom and enjoy the hill.

Beth Great job on your chart. Looks like your off the steroid? Are you all better?

I guess I'll go recheck my packing while I don't have a helpful cocker around.

Hi everyone!

Today was almost OP food wise--ate too much taco meat. Ate some prior to making my taco salad and then overserved myself as well. Food choices were good and other quantities were fine. I am still struggling with stopping eating when there are a few bites left but I've really had enough. I combat some of that by serving smaller portions but that's a workaround. It was raining tonight so DD and I drove to the library--and then I went and walked the indoor track at the gym. I like walking outside better but not in the rain!

karenrn: My blood sugar is still a bit elevated but it is going down--based on what I'm eating it should be 85!. The rash is recovering and no longer itchy. I refuse to help DH at the lot anymore--I am not going through this again. Your workout schedule is amazing--Crossfit, Y...

penny: A big mess of food you can serve on veggies is awesome. That sort of thing works well here, too.

Joy: Credit for getting your week all ready in advance. YAY for 20 days in a row!!!

BillBlueEyes: It's still August. We can be in denial about autumn a little longer.

silverbirch: Hope you have a great visit with your mom.

G'night all.

--Beth

http://health.bweiss.com/cardimages/...e%20myself.JPG

Tuesday - National Senior Citizens Day (since 1988, President Ronald Reagan)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Took a walk around a reservation on city land, CREDIT moi, to see an area being restored to native plants. Restoration first requires removing abundant invasives that are preventing the natives from taking root. The natives, but not the invasives, are attacked by both rabbits and deer. It's "red in tooth and claw" out there, indeed. Saw one Double-crested Cormorant drying its wings in the breeze. All's right in the world.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with tuna fish salad sandwich for lunch using the last of the ciabatta bread that I'd bought for Saturday. For whatever reason, the rules of our marriage dictate that I make tuna fish salad in a quantity enough for sandwiches for the two of us. My image of tuna fish salad is high protein with low calorie. That is, of course, before adding the mayonnaise and the bread that seems healthy because of its neat name despite being white bread in disguise. The scale rewarded me with a four pound down wiggle - not real but I'll savor it for the duration.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – Congrats for getting your new project started.

Karen (karenrn) – Kudos for planning and reaping the results of planning.

Beth (bethturnaround) – Love your, "It feels good to nurture myself with healthy food."

Penny. – Ah, Wuthering heights:
Readers -

Yesterday went well. I switched out the bike ride to my mom's for a longer walk. My daughter and I passed a little free library and scored a book each. Me, a collection of Edgar Allan Poe works, and her, a graphic novel.

I enjoyed my chicken chili verde and am loving the $5 pre-cut grilling veggie mix from the store. It probably prices out lower if I bought the individual onion/peppers/zucc/portobello myself, but not enough to beat the convenience.

Weight down another smidge and now I'm so close to hitting the next decade!

Bill, I think I'd be shocked if I saw a four pound "wiggle," more like a plunge. That must have felt nice, even if it does rebound a little. Credit to you! And, I am thoroughly pulled into the Wuthering heights saga.

Karen, my dog screams very loudly when he gets his nails trimmed at the groomers, even with valium and Trazodone. So, I understand the feeling. Credit for all your consistent exercise. I hope your shoulder pain eases.

Beth, I'm glad your rash and high blood sugars are resolving. I'd be afraid to return to the scene too!